Adorable Blog Award

I'm always so flattered when other bloggers give me awards. When I first started this blog in 2009 I received some blog awards and I never could figure out how to post the pictures back up here...I decided that I would try to learn this morning and VOILA!!

So THANK YOU Hilary! You can follow Hilary over at

http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com

I love her blog!

The Rules:

Thank the person who gave you the award with a link to their blog.
Tell us 10 things about yourself.
Nominate other bloggers and let them know about the award.

Ten Things About Me:

1) I love Paris. I have been there 3 times in the last 8 years. My cat is named Paris.
2) Musicals are great! Showboat is my favorite. It's old, but I LOVE IT!
3) I once was hit on by an Amish man in Pennsylvania on the bus going to Walmart.
4) I've been married for almost 8 years.
5) My dog is named Fenway after the Boston Red Sox.
6) I grew up in Rhode Island, lived in Massachusetts for 3 years, in Pennsylvania for 4 years and now have lived in Chicagoland for almost 4 years.
7) I majored in History and got my degree when I was 32.
8) I am fascinated by the Black Death (plague)
9) I did not learn to drive until I was 25
10) Most of my favorite foods are fruits. Bananas, Fresh Pineapple, Strawberries

Now to nominate some other bloggers.

http://leahs-new-ending.blogspot.com

- I love Leah's blog. She has lost about 50 lbs, has run a 5K and is just all around inspiring

http://shrinkingaweigh.blogspot.com

- Amanda just recently started her blog, so kudos to her! She's about 2 months or so into her journey and I'm glad to be following her along!

http://melissavenableweightloss.blogspot.com/

- I'd be surprised if Melissa hasn't already gotten this award a billion times because she and her blog ARE adorable. Melissa is working hard to battle weight AND insulin resistance and she loves and works in theater! (See my number 2) LOVE her blog!

I really get so much inspiration and encouragement from my fellow bloggers. Thank you so much for reading me and commenting. It helps me more than you could ever know!

Week 6 of C25K complete!!!

I finished week 6 of the Couch to 5K program today. This means that I walked briskly for 5 minutes, jogged for 25 minutes and then cooled down for 5 minutes. Yes, that is right...this overweight body was able to jog for 25 minutes!! Now the rest of the training is all jogging. Next week is all 25 minutes, the week after all 30 minutes! Crazy and amazing that I am able to do this!!

I finally got a visit from Aunt Flo. I looked back 2 weeks ago (which would have been ovulation) and I was having a blue few days. Now 2 weeks BEFORE that I was kind of crazy too, so maybe I just am crazy every two weeks! HAHA!

I'm feeling pretty good...tired from the craziness of the girls birthday and a surprise visit from my sister in law and her 5 kids. My eating hasn't been too bad actually. I did have some of the girls birthday cake, but it was way too sweet to eat that much of it.

I've been almost 3 months free of Diet Coke. My taste buds have definitely changed and can notice more things. Things that are too sweet really disgust me know. I think it is because I do not constantly have the sweet taste of DC in my mouth. I am disappointed though that all this drinking of water is not really making my skin any less dry..

I feel good.

Belt it Out!

Do you wear belts? I have never worn a belt for two reasons. 1) They just seem uncomfortable to me and 2) Once I read a review of Rosie O'donnell when she had worn a belt on her show and it said something like "Fat people shouldn't wear belts". But I am having a falling down problem. I'm not small enough for a 20W but I'm wearing a 22W today and these are loose (although not a stretchy waist band, it is the stretchy spandex material). So I'm thinking about belts. Do I get one, or do I just pull up my pants until I can fit into a smaller size? Do they cut off your circulation at the waist and leave a big red mark? I'm very curious!

During yoga today I was able to bend at my waist with feet as wide as my ankles and touch my head to the floor. That was fun.

Happy Birthday Angels

Almost 6 years ago the two most beautiful things came into my life. They were 1 week old. For two years we were unsure whether they would stay in our lives forever, but thankfully they did. Today we celebrate our twin girls 6th birthday. They are not always easy, but they have allowed me to experience giving a love greater than I've ever known I've had. The heart bursting, if you hurt them I will come after you type of love.

We will head out for breakfast, then church (another one to try) and then have a fun kid party with 11 of their kindergarten friends. It will be fun.

We got them presents of course, but in my mind I think that I am giving them gift far greater than can be wrapped. I am making myself healthier so I can be around for them for a long time. They may not understand that, but I do. I know that I want to be able to celebrate grandchildren with them someday. So to my birthday angels: Mommy loves you and my gift to you for each year is to make myself healthy so you will have me as long as possible!!

Have a great Sunday!

I'm almost cured!!

This morning I had a therapy session. It's been 2 months since the last session and I haven't felt like I needed to go once. Therapy has been a great tool for me to deal with some of my stuff and my behaviors. One of the greatest things about it for me was to realize that other people are responsible for their own actions and I can't do much about it and recognize when something is about me and when it has nothing to do with me.

My therapist was very thrilled with my progress and while I'm not quite ready to end our professional relationship, I have pushed my session to 3 months (when the girls go back to school). She's available if I need her, but I'm feeling so much better than I have.

I finished week 6 day 2 of the couch 2 5K this morning. Next time it is a 25 minute jog no walking. I did the 20 minutes last week without a problem so this should be okay.

I'm having a lovely day. My babies turn 6 tomorrow! Can't believe it. They are the most precious things. They keep telling me I'm getting skinny!!! LOVE THEM!

In Control, Out of Control...

Anger makes me lose control of my eating. Today I was angry at our deck contractors because they keep giving me the run around and the scheduling manager is just a jacka$$. After I got off the phone I felt it - the urge to binge, to lose control of my eating because I clearly was not in control of my emotions. I called my hubby - he was busy at work...I called my best friend - she had company over - I called my other friend - he didn't answer...I needed to vent but I had no outlet, so I ate.....strawberries!! About 10 of them in all, in rapid succession.

While I do need to commend myself for not going in the pantry and eating the chips, the brownies, the cookies and all the snack foods for hubby and kids, I really didn't like that feeling. I haven't had it in a while....the "I'll binge or die trying" feeling. I survived though.

And after a threat to fire the deck contractors don't you know they were able to schedule me first thing tomorrow morning! Isn't it wonderful how their schedule just worked itself out. GRR! This was part of my conversation to the scheduling manager who was giving me a hard time about being pushy (since I have been waiting a month and have repeatedly been told that we were scheduled)
"I would like to know why you are treating me like you are doing me a big favor by staining my deck? You are not doing it for free. I am paying you over $1000 to do this, and I hired you over a month ago. I can reasonably expect that you will not keep pushing me off for other customers.

Got to love being a grownup sometimes!

Work out Buddies

Do you have one? I've decided I don't want one. The trainer I met with yesterday thought that getting a buddy might help me be less bored doing weights. I opposed this idea. I think that relying on anyone for anything in this weight loss battle is a big mistake for me. Because I'm the type of person that can make excuses for anything, so the first time my buddy cancels, I'm toast. Then I would go into a cycle of blaming another person for my own faults and weight (which would not be accurate or beneficial). There is part of me that feels strong for wanting (and being able) to do this on my own. No one helped me eat the food and gain the weight, it seems only right, for me, that I take it off myself, at my own pace, with my own goals.

My next two goals will be smaller ones. Less weight and less exercise. I realize that my body will slow down a bit so I don't want to set a goal that would take forever to get to. My exercise goal will be a bit less for a couple of reasons. One is that it is summer and a bit harder with the kids and activities. The other is that I had a very tough quarter goal. It only allowed for one day off a week. I will probably lesson it to two days off a week and work on upping my intensity. I will keep the exercise goal by the yearly quarter though.

Have a great Monday!!!