Forever!

So it has been like FOREVER since I last blogged...

Well, to be honest - I mostly only have time to blog during the down times at work... and there just haven't been any lately. I design food factories and right now my biggest project is for a 'health' food plant which is gearing up for the first quarter rush... And SO MUCH has to be done in the next month or two... it is insane...

So... this morning I weighed in at 172lbs ... which was better than I thought - like really I feel squishy and really did not want to be upset with myself this morning... but I stepped on anyways and it wasn't so bad. I am not reaching my goals but I am super excited for the New Year and all the motivation people will have... it is a very exciting time! Not sure what my plan of action is yet, but I will be hoping back on the wagon for sure.


Anyways, Since I last blogged - other than being supper busy with work my life has be super hectic too!

Lets see, we:

*Put an offer in on a house before thanksgiving...


*Boyfriend and I drove 12hours to Redding, CA in a snow storm for thanksgiving with his family...


*We found out that the sellers of our house were not going to budge on the house price = no home for us.

*We got engaged! Nov 23rd! (The ring BTW was a great 'deal' and exactly what I wanted - for those of you who gave advice via twitter when I was freaking out about the ring)

* We came back to Utah - Saw 5 more houses - Fell in love with one and put in another offer

*Got 3rd party approval in less than a week - We will be closing the first week +/- of January

So we are super excited to be moving out of our apartment into our first home... There are a ton of benefits like:

~No elementary school in our backyard (Boyfriend is a daysleeper - so screaming kids = bad)

~You can't hear kitchen noises in the master bedroom (Aka Boyfriend can now do dishes while I sleep)
~We have a basement family room!! (now boyfriend doesn't have to pause the TV when the AC/Heating comes on because he cant have the volume very high when I sleep)

<--New Home for the Beast

~We have a basement family room!! (I know - again - but now we can actually USE our beasty @SmoothFitness treadmill! I am so psyched! Right now we can't use it very often because it is SUPER loud for the neighbors below us)

~We have a 2 car garage AND RV parking! (now boyfriend can fix his own car! and both our cars can be protected from the elements as opposed to our current 1 spot under a car port)

So I am sure that there are a ton of downsides to home owning ~ so don't rain on my parade today... I don't want to hear them :) Maybe later...

Thanks for stopping by! I will be trying to read through the Mamavation posts and stopping by my 'regulars' hehe...

Less Than Three
Laura

Crazzzzy Monday!

OMG!


So I am not feeling too great this Monday... Woke up with a sore throat... Anyone know the calorie content of mucus? Cuz I've probably ingested enough to fill my daily calorie requirement... okay okay... I feel less than great :(


Anyways, decided to skip the gym this morning since I wasn't feelin like pushing my body when I wasn't at least 80%... So at lunch I ran an errand - hit Rite Aid for some sugar free Werthers and some peanuts (BOGO!) for my boss... then I ran over to Subway for some diet coke (i know i know... booo soda... w/e)... and I saw this guy that looked oddly familiar as I was walking out... he wasn't facing me so I decided I had to sneak a view of his face just to satisfy my curiousity... Well I did know him! He was my Mass Transfer professor in college... did I mention my school was in New York and I live in Utah now? Yea... WTF was he doing in Utah! Apparently SLC is hosting the Chemical Engineering Society's Annual Conference.... Who knew!!! {I'm a Chemical Engineer!}


Anywho... he gave me an invite to a reception Tues&Wens night... I am psyched beyond belief....


Anyways.. I had a crap-tastic weekend... Saturday boyfriend and I went to a 'Diamond Event' at Fred Meyer jewelers that we had been planning on attending for 3 weeks... I want a Marquise solitare which is basically impossible to find... well, okay, there just is little to no selection... so we told our sales guy what we wanted and made the appointment. They were suppose to tell the show vendor to bring stones in our size/price range... but as I am currently ring-less I will tell you that they were completely unprepared and had literally NOTHING to show us... I cried...a lot...


Boyfriend WILL NOT propose without the ring... which is driving me nuts... we are technically engaged but not really... it's this odd, ringless, limbo ...

Then, as I was headed home from that disappointment our realtor called to tell me that of the 5 houses we were planning on seeing Sunday, only 1 was willing to schedule an appointment on a Sunday... I HATE UTAH!!! GRRR!... and I am slightly mad at the Realtor for waiting until Sat @5pm to tell me... but whatever we re-scheduled for tonight... So I guess I will be missing Mamavation TV {bummer!!!}

So Saturday night I made this beautiful cake for my grandma's birthday (Sunday night):

It was TOTALLY awesome! Take 2 white cake mixes - divide into 6 bowls - use gel icing coloring to make a red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple cake (~15mins cook time)... layer with the icing of your choice and wait for people to be suprised~!

And, even though I indulged in this delicious cake I still managed to lose a pound this week!

Yay Mamavation! Yay Me!

By the way... we have the best sponsors! I love subway! But I get totally beyond giddy when Earth Footwear hosts! I seriously want some of those shows... and Since I will probably not win, eventually I am going to break down and buy a pair... now I just have to figure out which ones I want! SO MANY CHOICES!!! OMG! Check out Earth Footwear if you haven't heard of them yet! You know you want a pair!!

Anyways... if you're leaving a comment - THANKS - I'd love some ring advice!!

Mondays are my Fave!

Yikes!

Monday Again? Jeeze last week FLEW by!

I had a super busy work week and only made it to the gym twice and I could totally tell today. I barely cranked out 2 miles in 30 minutes and I feel it! Let’s just hope I need to eat more carbs, and I’m not feeling sick because I am pregnant.

Don’t get me wrong… I love babies… but Andrew and I just qualified for a mortgage so that’s where our goals are going to be focused. Insane right? A House?!? It’s a HUGE step for me and I have been stressing major over it! We are meeting with the realtor in an hour or so for the first time. We’ve pretty much seen everything on the net so here goes real house touring! YIKES!

Anyways… I have to say that this week water was KEY… And Almonds for snacking!

Last week I was at 167.4lbs and today the scale said 162.4lbs! I lost 4.8lbs?!

Sorry if I miss TV tonight, we have a lot of house stuff to talk about. But I want to make sure to say thanks to Jared & Subway for hosting once again. They are truly awesome. This week they’re giving away some pretty hot sports gear… like Michael Phelps Goggles?! How awesome would that be to win? Ya… you should check it out!

Hop on the Wagon!

Happy Monday Everyone!

First, big thanks to you for stopping by. I absolutely love the support and words of encouragement.

All of the positive buzz Subway has been spreading about re-committing to fit has really motivated me. If you’ve read my last 2-3 Mamavation posts you can see that I have basically been sliding backwards since my wonderful boyfriend quit his job. I was still going to the gym, and my running has SERIOUSLY improved, but my eating was way off track. What was I doing?

1. Eating TOO MANY calories, way more than healthy for my weight
2. Eating almost 75% Carbs and 20% Fat
3. Guzzling Soda in place of water

Now that boyfriend is back into his work routine… and My work has slowed to only a semi-chaotic pace… and my American Eagle (pride and joy) Jeans were getting snug… I decided Enough was Enough and I HAD to stop putting it off.

What am I doing now?

1. Fewer calories – but adjusting for more when I work out
2. Cut out Sugars and Flour – Would not deny myself but they aren’t on the menu either.
3. More Lean protein (Chicken!)
4. Way less soda… I can SOOOO tell a difference when I cut back.

I am back down to 167.2lbs!!! YAY!

That’s where I was on August 27th – a few days after boyfriend quit!

So now I have caught back up to the wagon and I am hoping on!

Hope everyone has a great week! And thanks to @SubwayFreshBuzz for hosting our Mamation TV again!

Laura

{{{BLAH...BLAH...BLAH}}}

Well... it has been FOREVER since I have posted... I finally have time to just vent a bit and I figured if I don't blog now then I'll probably miss another Mamavation Monday post {ha! hows... Mamavation... what day is today?, oh Friday!... Mamavation Friday Post}


Lets see... a lot has happened... not sure exactly what I want to talk about... so this will probably be a long rambly post...

I think I currently weigh 173lbs-175lbs ... I have not been weighing myself regularly lately because it makes me upset... My wonderful boyfriend quit his job back on August 20th or so and has gone from night shifts where I NEVER saw him to 'day shifts' where he is always home when I am... he has a new job and they were training him on the day shift, but he did not go back to nights until this wednesday.... so my world has been shaken up over the last 7 weeks... Dont get me wrong... I love my boyfriend and it was AWESOME to have the time together, but it really messes with my eating...

I have definately had too much carbs over the last 7 weeks and that pretty much accounts for the extra pounds ( I'm up from a low of ~165lbs)....

I think it is wrong that I cannot maintain my weight around my boyfriend... I know how to eat healthy-er... but making him eat what I eat is not always easy... It is super simple for me to cut back on carbs {read cut them out of some meals entirely} and eat a LOT less than normal to control my weight... but he has never had a weight problem and sees nothing wrong with eating 2 or 3 candy bars in one sitting... after a huge carb-loaded dinner... He had gained weight and was feeling down about it... but it was mostly because he was eating twice as much as he did when he was working 12hour night shifts... he's only been back on nights for 3 days and is down 3 pounds...

Anyways, what I am getting at is that I need to LEARN how to feed a family... how to actually COOK meals... with MEAT. and VEGGIES...

I thought about applying to be a Mamvation Mom... because that is what they do... they learn how to feed their family and themselves with the RIGHT foods {while of course getting their butts kicked physically}... I thought -WIN WIN- ... eat right, move more... lose weight, learn healthy habits, help others...

But unfortunately I am disqualified before I even start... Because well... I am not a Mom... And I understand... and not that I thought I'd get chosen on my first try, my first time applying... but at least I could try... maybe do the move-it/lose-it challenge... and feel included... but I joined a group that I don't really belong to... a group of Moms... and so sometimes that limits my participation... no lie, I was BUMMED over the last 2 weeks... But, title or not, there is still a lot of support to be had among the ladies that I would NEVER trade!! Time to put on the Big Girl Panties!!

I need help... I have an awful relationship with food and I don't want to pass it on to my future children... I am trying to get to a healthy weight so that I can have a healthy pregnancy but I know that without really changing my relationship with food that my weight/health will always be a struggle...

I love being a part of the Sistahood... I am not super active on twitter to begin with, so I know that when I stop blogging for a bit it probably looks like I have fallen off the face of the Earth.... well, work is INSANE right now... with no signs of slowing down in the near future... I promise to try and stay active and send out some positive vibes this week.... I am SUPER thankful for everyone who has reached out to me... I promise I am okay and will 'pay-it-forward' as far as love and support go!

Hope all you lovely ladies have a great week! Thanks for the love and support!

***BIG Shout out to Jared and @SubwayFreshBUzz for sponsoring Mamvation this week - offering an ipod shuffle and itunes gift card... too cool!... join the Commit to Fit movement!

***LOTS of support to all the Mamavation Mom finalists... so excited for you all!!!

Lego Party!!

So... I have been super stressed this week... work is INSANE, and I just wrote a proposal this week to get our company MORE work and we were awarded the project this morning! UGH!... It is a good and bad thing... good for our company to get the work... bad because we already have a huge load on our shoulders as it is... But I guess that's why there are more than 24hours in a day?

Anyways... I decided to relax a little by posting a Lego craft I did this past month (I can't believe I had the time!)... My cousin turned 7 in early September and wanted a Lego party... his mom does not go all out for partys... a few balloons and such is pretty much all they get... I think my cousin thought that if he asked for a Lego party then everyone would buy him Legos for his birthday... haha... kids are so cute... and yes he got a bunch of Legos... but my boyfriend and I personally think that these kids are SPOILED!! Not necessarily a bad thing, but the three of them (7, 5, 2) have pretty much every toy under the sun... plus my grandparents are retired now so forget about competing for the coolest gift... we cant afford to compete with them! haha... seriously though, I have no idea what Legos my cousin does and does not have... chances are if they can be bought in our town, he has them... so what's a girl to do? Well we got him a backpack and lunch box... semi-lame ... I know... but practical, and COOL... ithey were Bakugan of course! (dont ask)

Getting back to the craft... I saw a really neat idea for a Lego Pinata that looked super easy to do... we were going to fill it with candy but then realized that it was entirely too large and the amount of candy needed would have put us in the poor house... So we decided to use is to 'wrap' our gifts...

Here's my wonderful boyfriend showing off our mad gift wrappin' skills!

Here's my cousin checkin' out the GIANT Lego present... he was psyched! It's tough to see but there were like a Zillion other presents there.

And here is a picture of him before he opened it... check out the thing on his head... its a Lego-man-light (like a miner's light) to help him build legos in the dark? IDK but it was hilarious!

The project is really easy, you just need: a box, streamers (1 roll), 6 cups, hot glue and tape...

We started by covering the top and bottom with strips of streamers so that they would be blue and match the sides.

Then we unrolled ~10' sections of streamers, folded them on top of themselves into a 1' section to make less cutting... cut every half inch about half way up the streamer to get the pinata effect...

I crunched them a little so you could tell they'd been cut and would flare out a little.

I started wrapping the box with the cut streamer sections, taping every 6 inches or so... This part took a while because you'll want to overlap each row by about half a streamer for full coverage... blending strips of streamers is reallllly simple since you'll be overlapping.

Once the sides were covered we used 6 cups from the dollar store (already blue) to make the lego notches on the top of the box [this is what makes it look like a lego and not just a box pinata]... this part was NOT pretty... the bottoms of our cups were white so I had to cover them with the streamers which was tough since they were circular. We just did the best we could to cover the tops and wrapped the sides with the cut streamers to make them a little more fancy... Then I hot glued them to the top (tape would have been TOO complicated for me!)

Pretty simple and easy for the amount of impact it creates.... Good luck if you try it! Email me if you have any questions, I'd love to help!

Lotsa Love!

It's MONDAY Again!

This time I am in a much better mood!

My weight is up... boooooo!

But that is okay... I was SUPER busy at work so this post is WAY late!

I did go to the gym today... since I gained weight I was super motivated to run hard and fast! I started my run today at 5mph and went for 7minutes before slowing down!! That is INSANE for me ... INSANE! I never run more than 2-3minutes at a time so... insane!

I managed to run an entire mile in less than 12 minutes! FASTEST EVERRRR!

YAY ME!

Goals for this week are:
1. NO Fountian Soda... NONE!
2. No Candy... few Carbs...

Thanks for stopping by guys! Hope you have a fantasic week!!!!

Boo!

Ugh... so weigh-in for shrinkvivor this morning.... was not happy to see 170.8lbs on the scale but I submitted it anyways! I am sure I am just retaining water or something and did not actually gain 2lbs in 2 days...

Are you participating in Shrinkvivor? What team are you on?

I'm part of Tribe Copper! YAY!

I love having the extra support that these types of challenges create!

well.... here goes!

YAY Another Monday!

No.... I am not really excited that it is Monday... AGAIN... haha

Actually I think the only really fun thing about Mondays is the Mamavation post/comments/commenting on other's posts!

I decided to get my butt in gear and post... even though I have been pretty down lately I cannot keep using that as an excuse to be a bum!

Not gunna lie... did NOT have the best week last week, or really the week before!

But, even though it appears I have gained weight:
1. I am still under 170lbs!
2. My American Eagle Jeans fit today {freshly washed&dried} without a fight! And they're already sorta loose!!

I am really not sure what I am doing with this whole weight loss thing... I was going to keep my post short, but I literally just decided to vent... so here goes:

*I am NOT a runner... I am quite bad a running! I am also NOT a tweeter {someone who tweets?idk} ... I really needed a treadmill, and shoot, winning one was pretty much ideal... so I had to get twitter so people could tweet for me and so I got a twitter 'handle' that was treadmill related... Mostly I don't run... and to be quite honest, treadmills are my least favorite cardio machine... but I really think it is one of the best forms of cardio, and an area that I have a lot of room for improvement in... the elliptical and bikes have gotten too easy... 30mins is no longer a challenge on them for me... If I am going to keep losing weight I NEED a challenge... so running... there we go... But I am really not good at it... I can run at 5.5-6.5mph for 2.5 mins before I need to slow down to less than 4mph for a few minutes... So I have been doing a lot of intervals trying to increase my stamina....

I can really relate my 'weight loss journey' and a lot of what I read about other's journeys to my 'running' intervals... Everyone wants to jump on that treadmill and just run full speed for the full 30 minutes... when in fact it is just not going to happen for a first timer or someone just starting out... Same as a full life-style change... 100% healthy eating 100% of the time is like trying to run at 6.0mph for 30minutes your first time on the treadmill... you are just setting yourself up for failure... but just because I can't run the full 30 minutes doesn't mean I am going to give up and hop off... no, I will jog if I can or walk if I must... but my body will complete the full 30minutes... It's the same with eating healthy I think... or any other healthy habit... You probably aren't going to be able to do 100% your first try... but eventually it gets easier... you can run further or longer... you have more healthy recipes or snacks on hand.... you don't need 3 sodas a day, maybe 1 a week is fine... I am sure you see where I am going...

I feel like the last month or so I have really pushed my body to lose every pound it could in that time frame, like sprinting during my run... and I went all out and gave everything I could... but I think my body is trying to tell me that it is time to jog for a while... So I am not going to push myself to go all out... I plan on maintaining healthy habits; drinking water, exercise and incorporating fresh foods in my diet... but I promise myself that I am not expecting weight-loss nor will I be upset with 'maintaining'... I think that with my current stress level and mood swings that this is really the best thing for ME.

Hope everyone has a super fantastic week!

A few shout-outs:

YAY Stephanie H for being Sista of the week! You totally deserve it!

YAY Chefs Choice for being our wonderful and generous sponsor AGAIN! My boyfriend realllly loves their steaks ~ I got a coupon a while back that bought us a half dozen little fillets and he inhaled them!

YAY Rachel Steffen and GretaB for snapping me out of my funk last week! I really appreciate all the supportive comments from all the Sistas! LOTS of Love!!!

Mamavation ... Tuesday?

Yes, Yes... I know... it is not Monday... and I am late...

Well, actually, I had planned on writing in yesterday, but I was SO BLAH.... like super DOWN and just really did not feel like sending extra negative energy out into the world... yesterday all I wanted to do was bitch and complain.... and cry... and sleep...

In college I was 'diagnosed'[read: no one really cared what was wrong, just wanted to medicate and send you on your way] bi-polar and I do not currently take meds for it... I decided I wanted to manage my moods myself, rather than take pills which REALLY did not help anyways, usually made things worse!... So for the most part I control my moods with (extreme coupon)Shopping and Exercise...

I do not know whats got me down lately... probably stress... money, work, significant other.... same problems everyone has! Nothing special or life threatening... just enough to bring ya down... and for someone with tendancys to stay down, not always the best thing!


Oh man... So last week... well;

*I went to the gym 5 times! YAY!

*Did not do so well with the soda intake... I feel like the soda is inhibiting me from losing, cant quite pin point why yet... but I've been feelin' like its really not helping!

*Drank TONS of water... no problem there!

*Eating.... was for crap this week! Low on calories in general... but i did manage to finish off a giant jar of Jif peanut butter... I am talking 6,600 calories!! YIKES!

But I think my body enjoyed the extra calories because I managed to see 166.4lbs on the scale Saturday morning! YAY!

I am super frustrated though... my body is hovering between 166 and 170... depends on the day, time and potty breaks... I really am not sure how I am going to get through this 'plateau' I seem to be chillin' at...

I really need to revamp my whole life-style right now... I've lost just under 40lbs since Easter [did I mention I STILL feel HUGE?... more now than ever, oddly enough]... but the things I did to lose the first 40lbs really aren't going to be what takes the next 10-20-30lbs off... I need a better approach to eating and more than just cardio on the exercise front....

I am just not too inspired right now :(

I have decided that I would like to try for a BMI in the Healthy range... so atleast 24.9 (so 149lbs for my height)... but really more like a 24 (or 144lbs)... before my 24th birthday!

I like that goal :)

24 by my 24th

That's 18-23lbs in 14 short weeks!! or 1.3-1.6lbs per week! I know that's within the 'healthy' weigh loss rates... but it is going to be a HUGE challenge for me because I think my body is use to being heavier... and really has never been below 160lbs in my entire post-middle-school-life!

I'm up for the challenge though!

My Blah Monday!

I am so BLAH today!

Made it to the gym... worked pretty hard... 30minutes on a weird stair-stepper/elliptical machine...

Pretty sure I gained weight this weekend... I didn't bother weighing this morning... no need to bum myself out!

But, I did slide into my America Eagle jeans without even trying! You know where you have to wiggle, suck it in... and sometimes even lay on the bed to get them to zip? Yea well, NOT TODAY BABY! I was worried they were going to be tough, but it was great to slide them on, button and go...

So yay for the non-scale victory.... I am sure that after going to the bathroom (a la
@ljenator) the scale will be back to normal... that is as much as I am going to say!

Well, this week's goals are:

More water, Less Soda!
No Cheating on my Eating! (Except 1 treat!)
Keep Working Out!
Shooting for 166lbs by the end of the week!

OH! and I placed my order with CSN Stores after winning $150... I bought:
- A 30lb weight vest
-A Fitness Ball (21'')
- An Abs DVD workout
- A 14lb medicine ball with handles

The vest came on Friday and HOLY COW! I got it to remind myself what it feels like to carry an additional 30lbs around (since I've lost 38lbs so far)... it is SO heavy! What was I doing to my body?!?

Mamavation Monday! - Another week later...

I am exhausted! Posting late-ish Sunday night because I am going to be swamped tomorrow at work! Work has been INSANE lately... and I am overwhelmed... and worried I won't be able to do everything that is expected of me... Plus, a coworker that was fired back in January continually comes back to haunt me! He over-road an equipment list for an entire chip plant that I have to recreate this week! We're talking ALL the equipment, parts, valves, etc to make a million dollars worth of chips per week... so I have to re-do that list ON TOP of the other 40+ hours worth of work I have this week! I'm stressin' just thinking about it :(

Okay!

So Last week I was able to stick to my healthy eating all week... made it to the gym 4 times (30mins each!) even though I had to brave torrential down pour one day!... Did NOT make it to Friday without soda... made it to Thursday night... which was pretty darn close!

My wonderful boyfriend and I are celebrating our 1 year anniversary today! A year ago today I had asked him out to dinner and we went to a little sub place called Jimmy Johns... So today we went and say Despicable Me ... it was AWESOME!... but it made me miss my best friend who lives in NYC... the main character of the movie is SO my friend in 15 years!

As for the pounds... this morning I was 167.4lbs!!! YAY! I was 170.6lbs and sad last week, so I am super psyched!! That's a 3.2lb loss for me! I haven't been this small since I graduated college over 15 months ago!! Roughly 5lbs lost since the @SmoothFitness treadmill and 11.8lbs since joining Mamavation!

So I am the smallest I have been in a long time, but I am just not seeing it... does that make sense? I mean I must be smaller... smaller clothes are fitting... but I am still the same shape just a slightly smaller version... it's tough, but I am trying to stay motivated!

MORE Water this week... I am doing really good with keeping my water intake up...
MORE Exercise... again, at least 4 trips to the gym @30mins each...
BETTER eating... I am going to try to snack/graze less... maybe chew more gum until the cravings pass...

Wish me luck! I'll be doing the same for you!!


Oh. BTW.I.Won.Mindy's.$150. CSN.Stores.Giveaway!!!!!!!!!!
YAY free fitness gear! or who knows what!

And CONGRATS to @ShawneeH for being Sista of the week! Way to go girl!!

AND... thanks to @EarthFootwear who is kindly sponsoring this weeks blogging carnival! YAY! They're giving away 2 pairs of their AWESOME shoes on top of the prizes for the move it & lose it campaign prize which was $500 and 2 pairs of shoes! Tune into Mamavation TV to see who wins!

20lbs from Normal

So this morning I weighed in at 169lbs! YAY! back into the 160's... *barely*

I was doing my normal blog rounds and then hopped over to Mamavation.com to see if there was any new content and there was! 3 new posts! YAY!... well, The second post was an update on the Move It or Lose It Challenge sponsored by EarthFootwear. They're giving away $500 and a pair of their shoes to the person who loses the most weight during the competition! WOW!

Well, I wasn't part of Mamavation when they started the challenge, but I wish I could have been! What a fantastic prize! On top of losing weight too!! Then I started thinking... the lovely lady in first place right now has lost 13.33% of her body weight!! {CONGRATS!}

For me that would mean losing 22.5lbs! YIKES! I already lost 13ish pounds for Win Lose or Blog so another 10 pounds from that weight if you start there {159 after everything is said or done}... But if I try to lose 22.5lbs right now would that even put me at a healthy weight? I am staring at my body thinking 22.5 pounds FROM WHERE!??

Not to mention I am at my body's happy weight... you know that plateau you hit because your body is comfy there... so pushing myself lower is going to be a challenge {not that I'm not up for it... just much harder than the first pounds lost}

169 - 22.5 = 146.7lbs

WHOA! I have never been that small before {NOT currently either... this is just mathematical dreaming}

But for my height - 5'5" - depending on the day that puts me just barely in the healthy BMI range... just barely? Like the BMI professors think I could get EVEN smaller and still be healthy? Wow!

But yea... the point is that I am still 20 pounds from Normal BMI #'s ... bummer... we'll get there sooner or later ... :)

Need Some New Fitness Gear?

Well my super-awesome-weight-losing-friend over at Bits and Odd Pieces of the Old Kingdom is hosting a giveaway for $150.00 to spend at CSN stores... if you are not familiar with them, well they sell just about anything you can think of!

I entered, and you should too!

If I won, I think I'd get:

This awesome Kettle Bell - $27.99

This 30lb weight vest! - $79.99

And this 1.5 gallon dispenser - $35.99 .... because I've always wanted one!!

What would you get? Well nothing if you don't get over there and enter!!! Or don't... Ups my chances! hehe!

Cravings

Man... I can just not shake my cravings today... I usually try to just eat 1/2" square of these Blondie bars I made for Boyfriend... but today I had like 8!!! Maybe more... it's like 1 just isn't enough!!

I also added sunflower seeds into my diet today and yesterday... but I did go to the gym today and yesterday so maybe the extra work warrants a few extra calories...

I've been drinking lots of water and chewing gum... I'm just kinda in a funk I guess... off to try and see if brushing my teeth helps! haha!



Leave me some tips for curbing cravings!!!

Wii 10 Minute Solution Cardio Workouts - GIVEAWAY

This game features Jessica Smith and has some really cool exercise games on it and TONS of music, venue, and level of difficulty options! The games include:


Three levels of cardio kickboxing
Frisbee
Defender (dodgeball)
Badminton
Pugil Stick
Three levels of step aerobics

Anchor Bay made this game is totally customizable and you can mix and match each 5 minute segment to your hearts desire! You can also choose your music, your venue, and your trainer (supportive or bossy). Jessica Smith comes up on the screen while your game is loading with a helpful healthy tip.


Want to win a copy of this awesome fitness game for yourself?

Visit Fitness 4 The Rest of Us to enter!! Good Luck!

Mamavation Monday - Where are all the people?!

So I am pretty darn bummed to be resuming my blogging on my personal blog, rather than my 'Win Lose or Blog' blog... Apparently it took the creator a lot of time to 'design' our blogs so they decided to reuse them? Whatever... I.Am.Pissed! Why? because I spent 2 months developing a following that has now disappeared... I can copy my posts and my comments... but NOT my followers... and only 9 of the 52 I had made the switch... I am more than a little bummed~!

Oh well... moving on...

This morning's weigh was 170.6lbs ... down from 172.2 last Monday... a loss of 1.6lbs... not bad... but it is UP from my mid-week weigh-in for the WLB finale. I came in 2nd at a low weight of 167.2... but to get there I was following my diet and did a FormoStar session*... so I was pretty dehydrated for my weigh-in...

Challenges this last week were:

1. Sticking to my 'diet'/eating healthy on the weekends! - when boyfriend and I have time together (which is rare) we are always out and about which makes things tough... plus we love having date nights at our fave restaurants, snacking on pop corn while watching movies and I try to make him a treat (since he helps prepare my chicken for the week {great to have a fall back to prevent the whole "there's nothing to eat so I'll just have some candy...etc})

2. Soda - meh! I love diet Dr. Pepper... but it doesn't do anything for me I know... usually it will keep me from drinking water too (since it fills me up)... but I also think it makes me body crave sweets AND stretches my stomach out (44oz will do that!)

3. STRESS! OMG!... so what else is new? haha! we are looking at buying a house in 6 months or so depending on my Xmas bonus and Boyfriend's employment status... but the bank I'd like to use will only loan 80% of the house's value and WILL NOT do short sales... bummer! So for our price range there isn't a lot on the market... PLUS Boyfriend got an interview with Dannon (yogurt) and if he gets the job he wants, he will be making almost double his previous wage at Kellogg's AND not have to work as much... BUT he will go from a 30 minute commute North to a 40minute commute South.... EGH! The neighborhoods we are looking at are all slightly north of where we are now so that wont help his commute or my stress levels!


Goals for this week:

1. No soda until at least Friday.... that will help me get in more water!
2. Healthy Eating ALL WEEK! with maybe 1 treat meal... it's not that we eat BADLY... but a lot of mediocre eating is pretty much the same thing when it comes to weight loss.
3. At least 4 trips to the gym!


Thanks to Boogie Wipes for sponsoring this weeks blogging carnival over at Mamavation.com!!

and Congrats to Kimberly ~ Sista of the week!!!



Wish me luck! I am off to find some followers :)

*FormoStar is an infra red heat wrap found at most tanning salons that claims to help you lose weight... I doubt that it actually burns calories... but the heat does the same thing a sauna does - dehydrates you and relaxes your muscles... I enjoy it, but do not expect to see significant weight loss from it. Plus the hour long sessions typically cost $20-$50 each!!

EA Active Game for Wii Fit GIVEAWAY!!

Hey!

So my buddy and former Win Lose or Blog competitor @MissVMae is giving away the EA Sports Active game for the Wii!

I know everyone over at Mamavation swears by this game so you better head over and enter!

She will pick the lucky winner September 7th ... and you can tweet for extra entries!

Good Luck!!

Two 4 Tuesday

So I went to the gym twice today!

Going through a lot of drama this week...

1. Boyfriend is giving 2 weeks notice with no part-time job lined up {yikes}

2. We are going to start saving for a house! 20% down is SCARY!!!! I think we need to be able to spend $165,000 which means $33,000 down... or $25,000 if I only put down 15%... which is A LOT more than the $20,000 I think I'll be able to come up with!!!

3. My grandma is giving me her brand new washer and dryer... my landlord said he'd take ours out of our apartment so we can put these in... except I think my dryer is electric and my grandma's is gas... WHAT DO I DO?!?! I am FREAKING out!

4. I am Exhausted! and kinda feel like passing out after my workouts... it is driving me nuts!!

Happy Monday!

Good morning! - Is it morning where you are? well, it's like 5am where I am (in bed - in Utah) and I cant sleep!!! Oh my gosh! This royally stinks and has to stop!

I am expecting some new faces around here today since this will be my first post submitted to Mamavation Monday! So I guess I should start with a little about me...

First! I am not yet a mom (or currently preggers)... a big part of why I am trying to get healthy though is so I can have a healthy first pregnancy and delivery a healthy child, but also so I can keep my family healthy! Nothing makes me more sad and upset than when I see a heavy child... It brings back too many memories of my past that I'd rather forget, so for now I will do what I can to keep me and my wonderful boyfriend healthy {eating right - which means cooking, and exercise... plus emotional health too! can't forget that!!!}

Second; Yes, I did win the Smooth Fitness treadmill giveaway. {Long story:} I was behind, but not by a ton, for the majority of the competition, but Saturday night, as I sat feeling defeated my friends were concocting a plan. To start, I never used twitter before this competition. But I had to find people who did in order to get nominated. So I literally emailed people {who left their email addresses in their blogger profiles} that also used twitter.... That kind of creativity got me over 100 nominations 95% of which we random acts of kindness by complete strangers. I figured if it worked once it should work again... "thanks for the nomination, now please go vote!"... plus I kept emailing strangers... you would not believe the kindness I was shown, by complete strangers!! These people didn't know me! The didn't owe me anything... and yet they were more than willing to vote. All total I think I sent out 1000 emails (yes, individual emails - as to not be AS spammy)... I begged my readers, my FB friends (300+100), my family and my online coupon buddies over at We Use Coupons (great forum btw!)... but by Saturday it still wasn't enough! I was complaining to a few friends from back east (where I went to college) and they knocked me on the head with a big "DUH! why didn't I think of that!" I went to a school where EVERYONE was required to get an IBM laptop.... there was a campus full of voters! Okay, well summer school kids that all live in the same dorm {Did I mention I was an RA? so of course the current RA was a friend}... plus another friend of mine scoured NYU university for computers to vote... That and reminding people to revote 24hrs later too.... It was insane, but we pulled it off. We got creative!

Anywho...

This last week was a great one for me... aside from the Drama... I kept every promise, managed to bike 10 miles on an upright bike in 29:49 which is my best yet and I lost 6.8lbs! I went from 179lbs last week to 172.2! Oh man! I also was able to finally fit into a pair of American Eagle Jeans I had been holding on to for a year!

A few things for this week:

1. New weight mini-goal is 165lbs

2. I realized that when I drink soda I don't get as much water, so I decided that I will only have some AFTER work on the days that I am not going to the gym twice.

3. Gym at lunch will continue, Gym after work will be added --> my grandma needs a fitness buddy and it wouldn't hurt to sneak in another 90 mins of cardio.

4. Stick to my diet through next weekend as well... like I said, weekends are the toughest!


P.s. I am currently awake because I am under gobs & gobs of stress... Boyfriend and I decided that we are going to spend the next 6 months living like paupers as much as possible so we can buy house. And when I say we, I mean me... his credit is awful and he is quitting his job by September 1st if not earlier... So I have to polish both of our credit scores until they shine over the next 6 months and save as much as possible... and even then, what we will be able to afford will need A LOT of love {which we're game for}...

AND the reason boyfriend is quitting is so he can go back to school, which starts August 25th... oh and did I mention he hasn't even applied yet? and we don't have a part-time job for him yet... I am sick just thinking about the what-if's.... I have to call and see if they'll take him this late, and if so I'll have to do all his registering and stuff...

AND I have to drive his car to work because he and my grandpa are taking my car to get it all street legal... apparently you have to buy expensive stickers for your licence plates every year or you can get in big trouble? Where in the book of life is that little factoid written? Because I was blindsided! {this is my first car ever - and I've maybe had my licence 2.5 years? Mostly driving other people's cars}

Wishings of luck, words of encouragement, any advice or just friendly "Hello's" are always welcome in the comment box!

BLOGGING CARNIVAL: This week's blogging carnival is sponsored by Lori @gutimom as an Avon Representative. Here is all the swag she is giving away:

Cherry Blossom Naturals Set - $32 full retail value
Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Body Spray, Cosmetic Bag
Haiku Fragrance and Body Set - $49 full retail value
Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Shimmering Body Powder, Roll On Antiperspirant, Perfume
Foot Works Hodge Podge - $33 full retail value
Watermelon Foot Scrub, Spray Gel, Cooling Lotion; Original Conditioning Foot Soak, Exfoliating Bar Soap; Green Tea & Mint Exfoliating Scrub
Advance Techniques Professional Hair Care 2-IN-1 Healthy Shine Shampoo and Conditioner (Daily Results) - $4.00 full retail value
Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus - Expedition Insect Repellent with SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray Pump with Vitamin E (Gentle Breeze) - $14 full retail value
Magix Face Perfecter with SPF 20 (Clear) - $10 full retail value
Spafinder Callous Remover - $10 full retail value
Spafinder Gel Eye Mask - $10 full retail value

These items will be divided up for the Blogging carnival winner AND a winner at Mamavation TV. Thanks Lori for sponsoring with such a great giveaway! I am excited to see how it turns out!

My Skinny Tush

Okay, okay... Not super skinny but small enough to fit in my AMERICAN EAGLE JEANS!!!!!

WaHoo!!!

As you'll remember from one of my very first posts, fitting in my AE Jeans was a huge priority for me... So today when my fat pants gave out I decided to give these babys a try....

And as you can see:

Major Weight Loss Milestone!

So... After weighing in this morning, I decided to check to see when the last time I was THIS SMALL was...

Oh, There's an App for that :)

Anyways, this is what I found:

08/06/10 : 174.4lbs <-- Today

06/07/10 : 193.8lbs

04/11/10 : 206lbs!! <---Highest in a LONG time!

12/13/09 : 193lbs

10/22/09 : 187.4lbs

10/14/09 : 181.5lbs

08/19/09: 175.0 lbs <-- About the time I met my wonderful Boyfriend *Heart*

06/07/09: 170lbs <---- 2 Days after starting my first job

05/11/09: 166.8lbs <-- When I graduated College

04/11/09: 164.8lbs <--- Little did I know I'd gain 41lbs in a year!!!

01/14/09: 160.0lbs <---When I interviewed for my current job

11/19/09: 157.0lbs <--- Lowest...ever?

09/01/08: 173.0lbs <--- Day I promised myself I'd lose 10 lbs and get my Iphone as a reward!


I am SO happy I kept track so I could see my "progress"...

Meet The Beast!!!

Holy OMG!

Look what came to my house apartment yesterday!

I have lovingly nicknamed it The Beast for now... and yes it is still in the box... haha... umm did I mention that we live on the 3rd floor?!?! The box said that the equipment weighs 191lbs but the box was 213lbs in total!... We used a industrial dolly that my apartment manager had (like for getting fridges up to the 3rd floor etc.) and even with the both of us it was still tough! Boyfriend ripped one of his toes up pretty bad and we were both exhausted!... I had to wake him up early because it arrived at 3pm (boyfriend sleeps from 9am to 4pm)... so I ran to our favorite restaurant :

And got him his favorite dinner.... I also bought him some ridiculously expensive energy drinks called RedLine ... they're like $3.69 at our local gas station, but they're also impossible to find anywhere else... Boyfriend thinks they're marketed as a weight loss drink, like Celsius or whatever that drink is... he just likes that they have an INSANE amount of caffeine in them...

I know, I know... not healthy... but his job has been wearing him VERY thin and I am scared that he will fall asleep at the wheel or do something equally dangerous because he is so tired... there just aren't enough hours in the day for him!! It makes me sad and frustrated... and sometimes i take it out on him {I'm Sorry!!} ... like yesterday morning... I turned into crazy b.tch ... so I always try to apologize when that happens and get him something to let him know I care... Like those dumb expensive drinks!

Anyways... as far as my promises go here is an update:

1. I HAVE lost weight this week! WaHoo! No idea where I will be by Sunday, but I was 174.4lbs when I woke up this morning... which makes me feel like all my hard work is finally paying off! I am trying realllly hard to prove I deserved that treadmill! A Lot of people had faith in me and I just want to show everyone that it wasnt misplaced!

2. I have been to the gym 3 times this week - 30mins+ each time... today @ lunch should make 4!! YAY!!

3. No Soda so far!!! Though I have seriously wanted to cave this week! ... I am taking time to enjoy water again... which is a nice change for me... I drink like 10 - 1/2 liter bottles every day (AT LEAST) and I am still getting dehydrated pee... sorry, TMI I know but I am frustrated! Like seriously body! How much water do you need?!!?

4. I am sticking to my diet like white on rice... haha I never understood that phrase! Well, I had a very vivid dream that I ate these ice cream treats (similar to frozen snickers ice cream noveltys - except they were half filled with champagne -GO FIGURE!!!)... I woke up really sad that I cheated on my diet... but then remembered it was litterally a DREAM... hahahah!

Anyways! I am gearing up for the weekend... That was a big part of my promises; to maintain my lifestyle over the weekend... that is always my hardest obstical to overcome...

How Have You Been Doing This Week??

Justa Blah Kinda Day

So I keep forgetting to post my workouts... and then usually I forget my stats... so while I remember, yesterday I did 30 minutes on the recumbent bike at a 3:03 minutes/mile pace... I pushed myself HARD!

Today is really blah... I am not going to the gym because I gave up my lunch hour to go home early and recieve my treadmill... oh, did I mention it weights 250lbs and they're leaving on the curb?... oh, and of course we live on the 3rd floor... I have a feeling we are going to be opening it up on the sidewalk and carrying it up piece by piece... and even then... UGH!

I am in a terrible mood about my boyfriends job... it REALLY does not help that I am having horrible headaches from caffiene withdrawl and have been UBER tired all week...just like slow and in a daze kinda tired... I get spurts of energy every now and then but mostly i feel like slumpin' over in my chair and zoning out...

Rawr! I hope this feeling goes away soon!... and by soon I mean NOW!

haha

Oh... lovely little note to end on... jumped on the scale this morning {well not literally!!} and weighed 176.2lbs... WOOT!

*Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming....*

DeClutter Challenge Week 1

This post really isn't about weight loss... but a short update: went to the gym yesterday and did 33 mins on an upright bike (9.5miles+) and then today did the elliptical for 32 minutes... I have been sticking to my diet, other than I had some grapes and olives at my cousins birthday party... I know it sounds silly, but I was trying to stick to certian foods... Anyways... so far so good!!


So I participate in a coupon forum and they are currently holding a 'declutter challenge'... in order to keep my post on their site small I decided I would post it here... I really don't mind sharing my mess with you... but if you're only here for my weight loss goals you might have to come back tomorrow :)

Anyways... so Week 1 is "The Bedroom"... so here are some messy before picts... *Insert Laughs Here*

Pict 1: Notice the messy bed... not made... and clutter on the side table!

Pict 2: OMG! That is my dresser! NOTHING is put away... that glass circle belongs in the living room (it's my coffee table!!)

Pict 3: Some junk on my side of the bed... even though it's not MY junk... neither is the mess on the night stand!

Pict 4: So here is all of the stuff that was in my room that did not belong there! Dirty Laundry, Clean Laundry, My exchange box, and some random stuff that belongs in the bath room {also currently a MESS}

Pict #5: Let's not forget the closet... this is my side, where I keep my daily clothes... The pictures are pretty awful so you can see exactly what the junk is... but there is definately A LOT of junk.

Pict 6: This is the other side of the closet... mostly storage.. my winter clothes and random shirts my wonderful boyfriend refused to part with... oh, and some stockpile storage on the bottom.

Pict #7: Suprise, Suprise!! I found a bag with 3 Victoria Secret shirts (NWTs), 2 VS sports bras and a 3-pack of sports bras i got a walmart.... I can't decide if I am mad that they've been hiding for MONTHS.... or excited for the new loot!

Pict #8: Here is all the stuff that left my closet... The stuff at the top is some of boyfriend's shirts... the stuff in the middle is clothing to be donated or consigned... so towels, extra hangers and the pile of new loot at the bottom!

Pict #9: This is a picture of my side of the closet "after" cleaning/decluttering... I also sorted my clothes by color as best I could... I love the empty floor... oh, that bag is my 'swim bag' ... has flip flops, bathing suit, and towel... its a grab and go kit!

Pict #10: I guess you can't really tell that anything happened here... but I had to prove that I didn't just shove everything in this side!

Pict #11: The "After" Picture of my dresser... The bag on the left is the only trash to be removed... one bag... I'm impressed! oh, and the backpack? it is for my soon to be 7-year-old cousin... Bakugan! I'm psyched to give it to him!

Pict #12: Here is the "After" shot of the bed... made up all nice... our apartment looks GOOD when I try!


Alright! Now off to bed... gosh I am TIRED!!!

nite nite!

A Promise To My Readers.... and to Myself!

So... Weight Loss wise I am pretty much failing at life... I gained 2lbs while away for work which puts me at 179lbs... you would already know this but apparently I emailed my weigh-in to myself rather than Jill our weigh-in coordinator sooooo yea... fabulous!

Anyways! Starting a new diet today! I am PSYCHED! And... maybe winning a treadmill? I dont know yet because they have not announced the winners but myself at @Gutimom are neck-and-neck for this baby! Thank EVERY single person that voted! I know some of you even voted more than once! You AMAZE me!

So my promises?

1. I will lose weight this week.... no matter how hard I have to try!
***My Goal is 175lbs ... it's now or never body! let's move it!!***
2. I will go to the gym this week, at least 4 days @30mins+
3. I will not drink ANY soda for at least 7 days... so not until next monday
4. I will stick to my diet, esp on the weekend! No Cheats!


Oh, and here are some pictures from the Tim McGraw Concert... we waited to long to take good ones with the sun so i have this funny one, and the darker one below!

We had a great time... even though I lost $16 and my ticket as we were leaving some how... darn! We were also an hour and a half LATE because:
1. Google Maps decided to take us to South Weber instead of West Valley City (like 50+ miles)
2. OMG insane traffic!

But we got a great parking space, very easy to get out of, and got to hear the end of Lady A's set and didn't miss a single Tim McGraw song... oh and he is 43 and still looks and preforms amazing... worth the $180 we spent? OH HECK YES!

Oh, and now we are looking for a new job for my wonderful boyfriend... we decided that he HATES * his current job and wants to go back to school (more trade school & certification type stuff) and I couldn't be more proud of the man! So we are looking for something part-time in the South Davis County area... hopefully we will find it soon!

And, my lease states that I have to give 60 days notice to move out and that means today I have to decide or we are forced to stay an extra month (oct 1st becomes nov 1st) ... I cant decide if that is a bad thing :(

Last thing I promise!

Happy 4th Birthday {cousin} Evie! Love you LOTS!!!


*Yes, hate is a strong word... but we are to that point right now~!

Begging Pays Off

Okay guys!

We are getting down to the wire! I spend hours this weekend begging
all 300 of my facebook friends, 100 of my wonderful boyfriends
facebook friends And randomly emailing Blogger.com users asking for
random acts of kindness! I could not believe my eyes when I checked it
tonight!

Looks like first place is going to be a tough competition! All my
wonderful friends (new & old) have helped put me seriously close to
winning!!

If you haven't voted today PLEASE stop by and put in any last minute
requests from your friends too! I need every last vote I can get! I
litterally screamed I was so excited!

Lots and lots of thanks to everyone single one of my supporters! 500+
votes is incredible!

Voting

You can vote once per day per computer...

Sorry I should have told ya!!

Leavin' on an airplane....

Okay, well truthfully I am writing this on a plane which means we'll
have landed by the time it posts...

A few things to reflect on if you'll humor me :)

1. OMG Tim McGraw tonight!!!

2. I don't think I gave ever wanted to see another human being as much
as I want to see my boyfriend right now - that's gotta mean something.

3. Preggers test ASAP when I get home - odds of me actually being with
child are about as good as you winning this weeks lottery (what you
don't have a ticket, those kind of odds)... But it would sure explain
my moods lately!!

4. You (my readers) are not my friends... And it makes me sad! Okay
okay, stay with me on this one... How many blogs do you read? I have
40 readers , roughly 10 or so are avid commentors, but really how many
blogs do you read?? Personally I read like 10 religiously and
depending on the title of the post I have 50+ blogs that I could
read... But ultimately the owners of these blogs don't have rime to be
friends with every person that reads their blog.

For example, I was bored one day and starting blog hopping... Some
blog somewhere {I don't remember it} had a button with the face of an
ADORABLE little (toddler) girl and the wording "Friends of Maddie" ...
So of course I clicked it and spent the next hour or two bawling my
eyes out (and I may or may not have been at work haha! On lunch break
of course) ... The point is I felt a connection with that family and
wanted more... Well Maddie's mom had another blog (google: the sphors
are multiplying) which I devoured... Litterally read every post...
Well that particular blogger writes in a style that genuinely makes
you feel like you are part of her life... But you're not...

So, when this treadmill competition came along and voting started I
was like all my 'friends' will help me... I'll ask XYZ blog to promote
me!! Ummm no... Because while I have become fond of them and their
blog, they don't know me from Eve.... And certianly not to the point
where they would ask their readers to help... And that's not a bad
thing, it's just something I didn't want to accept... And to tell you
the truth, I didn't really ask anyone to help in that way, because
after thinking about it I realized what I just posted and wrote this
instead.

I LOVE my readers and everyone that stops by... I'd love to be your
friend, I feel like I am, but I guess it depends on both parties
feeling that way right?

Anyways, here is my shameless beg for help: if you have a computer can
you vote for me? And if you have a blog would you mind putting the
word out for me? Us little bloggers gotta stick together! The nice
thing about asking you via my blog is there is no akward "uhhh yea I'd
rather not..." or "umm we aren't really that close"

Haha!

Anyways - back to weightloss chat starting tomorrow... I'm excited to
see my scale! Hope I didn't gain more than 5lbs!!

Wish me luck!
Vote if you can!

Sent from my iPhone

Oh Man!! I could WIN a Treadmill!!

But I am going to need your love and support!

That's right... I think I got roughly 100 complete strangers to vote for me... talk about random acts of kindness... I am seriously impressed!

So yea: I got nominated to win a treadmill.... all fat jokes aside can you help me out by clicking a few links to vote for me?

And my Twitter ID is @SeeLauraRun which is the first option to vote for!

I am super excited and appreciate any help I can get {like reposting on your blog? hehe!}!

Thanks Guys!!!

:(

I am tired, cranky and depressed... I am craving a large bowl of
strawberry ice cream even though I loath the stuff!!

How odd is that?

My boyfriend jokes that my 'cravings' are an early indicator of
pregnancy...

Have you ever miscarried before? I wonder if you could be pregnant and
miscarry without ever knowing it... I often imagine that it has
happened to me but have no evidence to back up my theories...

I really am tired and depressed... I am out of town (business trip to
AZ... Making chips!) so I have no scale with which to weigh myself but
I imagine not much has changed...

My boyfriends sisters are in town this week (yes while I am away) and
I am so mad at them I could just spit... Too many reasons to list via
email-post-on-my-phone but the main/biggest reason I am upset with
them is that he and I tried REALLY hard to welcome them and include
them in activities while they were in UT but their inability to plan
left everything to the last minute and all our plans fell through....
Specifically we invited them to the Tim McGraw concert and when they
blew us off we decided to splurge and spend our budget on reserved
seating rather than lawn seating.... Well guess who decided to get
lawn tickets after all? FML!

Everyone I have told this story to is like "don't worry about them,
you did everything you could.... Blah blah blah..."

Yea well, that doesn't make me FEEL any better.... At all....

Sent from my iPhone

Testing... Testing... Testing 123

Haha! Man I hope this works! So I am on my job site in Arizona
watching an endless sea of chips rushing by me... I don't have great
Internet service so I am hoping that my email-posting feature is set
up properly...

If it is, here is an update ... I know it's been a while!

Wednesday: I biked {upright} 8.5 miles in 28:36 which is a 3:21 mph
pace (I think) so not bad!

Thursday: caught a flight @ 9am to Arizona... Ate 2 salads and a
grande-skinny-iced-chai... And had one peanut butter cookie... Which
is great eating for being on the road... No exercise but plently of
standing and walking around the plant....

Today: OMG I am sooooo bored!!! Maybe we will drive to Tuscon while we
are here.... Most of the work starts Monday... Oh, and I don't have a
scale to weigh in this week... Grrr... But I haven't been doing so hot
lately anyways, so it's not like I was looking forward to weighing in...

My diet starts first thing Monday august 2nd and I will be spending
the weekend preparing!!! For now I will use company policy to refrain
from eating all the tasty chips passing by...

Please leave me comments! I am super bored and would love some
distraction!!!

<3 Laura

Sent from my iPhone

I SO did too go to the gym!!

I like to break things into short and long versions for my readers because I feel like some of you might like things short and sweet... personally, if I find a blog that I enjoy I like the 'long' version of the story, so I'm offering both.... Short version is @ the end so scroll away!

Long Version:

One of the unexpected benefits of joining the gym that all my co-workers go to is the opportunity to ladder climb! Yay!! The structure of my company is odd... really odd... I have 4 bosses!! and who has the most authority changes on a weekly basis...

For the most part, I have 1 main boss... I drew a picture to illustrate.... check out my sweet paint skills:Since it's my picture, I get to be the pink square!... My main boss is G ... All my bosses are Junior Partners in my company, but J manages the office so I guess technically he has the most authority... There is one full partner in our Cali office and 5 others in our Mass office... but no other juniors.... Well, my main boss G gives me 90% of my work... but when things get slow for him, OR busy for the others then I get the opportunity to work for J, T and L. This is a GOOD thing since 15%+ of my salary is a 'end of year bonus' that all four of these bosses have input on. So it is important that each boss has a high opinion of me.

G is in the bag... and I chase after little things for T all the time.... J and L are much harder... but G got a BIG... I mean HUGE project {we are talking biggest account on the company books} to design, so the ones he was working on with me got 'dumped' on J ... weird right? Well J and G have different management styles so working with J has been tough and one of the main stressors on me this last week... but so far so good!

Than just leaves L... and man is he a tough cookie! L creates ememys wherever he goes... he likes making people do 10x the work in half the time... on time for him is a week early.... plus he is always out of the office!!! Well, I had the opportunity to save his ass! Seriously, I got him out of DEEP water! I used my super sweet excel skills to prove that we were meeting our contractual obligations to a client which let him wrap up a project months in advance.... and then I left before I had any chance to change his opinion of me.... Well, now that his project is wrapped up he gets to spend a day or two a week in the office... and guess what?

Short Version: L {one of my bosses} is part of the group of guys that all go to the gym @ lunch... and he thinks I am super cool for joining... He reallllly values health and taking care of ones self... plus he thinks that it is better for the company overall... Today he stopped by and asked why I skipped the gym... Excuse me? I beat all the boys to the gym, him included, because they were in a meeting! HA! take that! hehe

BTW why is running SO hard? I stink at it... and apparently running occurs at 5-6.5mph NOT 4.5mph... whateverrrrr

Did I Mention the Sunburn?

On top of the awful week I just finished up, I am pretty sure that I forgot to mention that my Wonderful Boyfriend and I got crazy sunburns during our garage sale....

Apparently this last weekend was the hottest we've had so far in UT and we mostly forgot sunscreen.... I mean, I remembered about half way into the day, so my arms and face just got a little color.... but there is one part of my body that did not get any sunscreen and holy OMG batman it HURTS!! Any guesses as to where? Boyfriend didn't wear any sunscreen and spent the day mostly in the shade... he doesn't have red hair so he thinks he is tougher than the suns rays, but man are his legs burnt!!!

Went to the gym @ lunch... was REALLLLLLLY not feeling it.... I feel very blah and depressed... but I went...

Did the upright bike ... 8.5 miles in 29:45 which would put me at roughly 35 minutes to complete a 10 mile ride.... YAY! not bad! Had to stop early to shower and hurry back to work!

I am currently beyond stressed.... just got a call from my client and looks like one piece of equipment will not be arriving until AFTER our service-to-sales date so looks like I am going to have a TON of work to do with rescheduling etc.

I am NOT happy! But I am SUPER glad that I already got my workout in, because these are the kind of days that keep me from post-work-work-outs....

Be Safe In the Sun Guys!!! Burns Hurt!~

Sunday Night Recap

Short version: My weight is 177.0lbs which is a small gain from last week... blah! I am stuck! but I would rather be stuck than constantly gaining...

Long Version:

My life is full of DRAMA! let's start at the beginning...

So I forgot to take a few birth control pills early this week which resulted in me getting my period about 3 weeks earlier than I'd like... heck who 'likes' that time of the month! not me! that is why I opted for the that time of the quarter BC pills... but my bad for forgetting...

Thursday I put in 12 hours at my work.... I realllly don't feel like explaining the reasons but it has been very stressful!

Our TV broke (it is a 50" projection Samsung we bought for $300 last year off KSL.com) so we had to take it 40+ miles away to Orem to the only store in UT certified to fix the TV... that cost $290 which I couldn't charge to my Amex for the points.... something about the color wheel was broke.... IDK the tv had a fine picture but it was sooooo loud I thought the fan was broke.... but yea, had to do that Friday... But it is fixed and quieter than the day we got it so that has to count for something.... and we couldn't have bought it new for $600 so we are still doing good on that over all....

The trip to the TV repair shop rolled my car miles over to the point where I need to have my oil changed!!

We had a garage sale with my aunt on Saturday... her Sh*tty neighbors took our signs and ripped off the address and then added arrows to point to their sale instead of ours!! WHO DOES THAT?!?!?

And my aunt and wonderful boyfriend were under the impression that we needed to hold our sale from 8am to 6pm!!! are you kidding me????? I wanted to be done at 2.... but guess who won? We made $260.... which almost covers the cost of the unexpected TV melt down... :(

And I have a work trip to leave for Thursdy and I will get back the day of the concert... so that is 8 days of 12+ hours of work to look forward to.... I will be going to Arizona where it is suppose to be 110+ degrees on a cold day... that combined with my hours will likely mean crappy food and no exercise....

Oh and while I am gone my wonderful boyfriends mom and sisters will be in town... long story short I am glad I won't be here! I love his family, don't get me wrong, but sometimes their inability to plan comes off as a lack of respect or care for him and I.... so I would rather be of the mind set "They Can't Beat Me If I Don't Play..." because honestly their inconsiderate nature, while unintentional, hurts like hell!!!

I am EXHAUSTED and did not expect a loss this week or really next week either, but I guess I will keep chugging along and plan my super awesome diet to start 8/3 ....

regardless of the Win, Lose or Blog competition ending next month I will still be working towards my overall goals, even if I am not losing big right now {like I had hoped}

*Praying that my diet slims me down when I get back... where the heck did this year go???