Ok, aside from the whole I'm not old enough yet thing, I realized while reading this article that there is no way I could ever be president. Why, you ask?
My solution to the North Korea problem:
Get everyone out of South Korea. Start with US residents, and just get everyone moved. Then, just nuke the hell out of the North. I mean, it's what they are threatening us with, right? We've had the capability LONG before they ever did. It's painfully obvious nothing will ever come from peace talks with them, so lets put everyone out of their misery and just wipe them off the planet...after making sure that our people are safe, that is. Especially since "our people" includes 2 of my family members who just moved to S. Korea.
Then again, it could just be the PMS talking...
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
I'm already supersized.
I just watched Supersize Me for the first time. I've always wanted to watch it, but for whatever reason, hadn't. I was hoping it would cure me of ever wanting to eat McDonald's again. Sadly, all it did was make me want a Big Mac. D'oh!
Anyway, here are my thoughts on the movie, whether you want them or not. First, I realize that at the end he says that his test was "a little extreme." Umm, ya think? Yes, some people occasionally eat fast food more than once a day. I will say, there have been days I've eaten it 3 times a day. But then there are many days in between where I don't eat it at all. He also made sure that he ate each menu item at least once. Most of us are creatures of habit. There might be only 2 or 3 things I will eat from McDs. Ok...it's actually 5 if you include the breakfast items. But still. So yeah...I think it was kind of skewed to show all bad and no good. Granted, the positives are small. But, especially in this economy, cheap and filling can be a good thing if you are struggling...not everyday, 3 times a day, but once or twice a week.
Other thoughts:
-They didn't ask the one group of people that could have told you what a calorie is. Fat women. Oddly enough, overweight females know more about the caloric and fat content of most foods and the definitions of all label terms than ANYONE else. We are an obsessed group.
-What does it say that when I saw him puke after the supersized double qpc meal, I thought to myself "What a wuss. You can tell he isn't fat. That's nothing. I can eat that and then go for dessert!" Yeah. I'm thinking it doesn't say good things about me.
-I don't get the whole vegan thing. I'm sorry. I'm not a HUGE fan of meat, but at the same time, I don't think I could live without it for eternity. A few days, maybe even 2 weeks, maybe. And to compare ham to heroin? Uh, yeah. The girlfriend is on crack.
For the record, my McD's meals of choice:
-10 piece chicken nugget meal with Dt. Coke
-Big Mac meal with Dt. Coke
-Quarter pounder with cheese meal...with, you guessed it, Dt. Coke
-Sausage biscuit with a vanilla iced coffee
-Sausage McMuffin with cheese, no egg, with vanilla iced coffee
Though...their lattes aren't bad, but the one by me doesn't have them. And yes, I grew up on diet soda. My grandfather was diabetic, and everyone in my family overweight. I hate the taste of most regular soda. I did used to drink regular Sprite, but I gave that up YEARS ago. Didn't change jack.
Now seriously...someone bring me a Big Mac. I'm dyin' here!
Anyway, here are my thoughts on the movie, whether you want them or not. First, I realize that at the end he says that his test was "a little extreme." Umm, ya think? Yes, some people occasionally eat fast food more than once a day. I will say, there have been days I've eaten it 3 times a day. But then there are many days in between where I don't eat it at all. He also made sure that he ate each menu item at least once. Most of us are creatures of habit. There might be only 2 or 3 things I will eat from McDs. Ok...it's actually 5 if you include the breakfast items. But still. So yeah...I think it was kind of skewed to show all bad and no good. Granted, the positives are small. But, especially in this economy, cheap and filling can be a good thing if you are struggling...not everyday, 3 times a day, but once or twice a week.
Other thoughts:
-They didn't ask the one group of people that could have told you what a calorie is. Fat women. Oddly enough, overweight females know more about the caloric and fat content of most foods and the definitions of all label terms than ANYONE else. We are an obsessed group.
-What does it say that when I saw him puke after the supersized double qpc meal, I thought to myself "What a wuss. You can tell he isn't fat. That's nothing. I can eat that and then go for dessert!" Yeah. I'm thinking it doesn't say good things about me.
-I don't get the whole vegan thing. I'm sorry. I'm not a HUGE fan of meat, but at the same time, I don't think I could live without it for eternity. A few days, maybe even 2 weeks, maybe. And to compare ham to heroin? Uh, yeah. The girlfriend is on crack.
For the record, my McD's meals of choice:
-10 piece chicken nugget meal with Dt. Coke
-Big Mac meal with Dt. Coke
-Quarter pounder with cheese meal...with, you guessed it, Dt. Coke
-Sausage biscuit with a vanilla iced coffee
-Sausage McMuffin with cheese, no egg, with vanilla iced coffee
Though...their lattes aren't bad, but the one by me doesn't have them. And yes, I grew up on diet soda. My grandfather was diabetic, and everyone in my family overweight. I hate the taste of most regular soda. I did used to drink regular Sprite, but I gave that up YEARS ago. Didn't change jack.
Now seriously...someone bring me a Big Mac. I'm dyin' here!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
3.5 down...
96.5 to go. Ok, my goal really isn't to lose 100 pounds. I'd be ok with 50. And let me just say again: 3.5 down. I have LOST 3.5 pounds. That is a win in itself, and I'm trying to focus on that.
Granted, it would be easier if my pants felt looser instead of tighter. Damn PMS. But still.
Ok, so that is the basic update. Here's how it happened:
I just started taking Alli 2 weeks ago. I started the diet on Sunday, May 17, and I started the Alli on May 22. So far, I'm down 3.5 pounds total (I know, I'm repeating myself. Get over it. I'm happy)...and will weigh in again on Saturday morning.
Because of all I read before I started the Alli, I try to keep VERY close track of what I'm eating. The amount of fat per meal depends on your total calorie intake...in my case, I shoot for around 1800 calories, which allows up to 19g of fat per meal. Overall, the goal is 30% or less fat.
So far, I have only had a few very minor effects...and no "accidents". I have gone over the fat target a couple times. Once I really thought I was doing well, too. Boo. Just goes to show, when you eat out, you can never be sure if you don't look things up ahead of time! FYI: the Honey Balsamic chicken at Macaroni Grill has FIFTY NINE grams of fat! For grilled chicken, grilled broccoli, and some pasta. 59!!!! Yeah...my tummy wasn't happy the next day. If I had known beforehand, I wouldn't have taken the pill. But really, I thought it wouldn't be that bad.
For me, it's not so much that the Alli will help me lose. It's that it keeps me from cheating. Without it, it's so easy to say "Well, just this one order of fries won't kill my diet. I've been good lately and can spare it" but when there is a consequence...I really think hard about it. And usually, "just this one" would turn into a major fall off the wagon...and a few day binge. So by thinking about it, I do still find ways to have things I enjoy, but I also stay in the guidelines 98% of the time.
I'm facing another challenge tonight, and I can't decide what to do about it. It's Bike Night...when we go out to dinner with other scooterists/motorcyclists. Great PR for DH. Unfortunately, a lot of times, they choose wing places. Some places, like Taco Mac, I can find something I can work with without being the obnoxious person ordering "Grilled chicken, no oil, with a side salad, no cheese, no bacon, fat free dressing on the side, and steamed broccoli, no butter or oil." I just want to smack those people...so I try to find something as close as possible to what I want to minimize the "special" stuff. Tonight, however, they chose Shane's Rib Shack. I don't eat BBQ, so my options are a Fresh Greens Salad with char grilled chicken, or corn on the cob. I'm really not a big fan of salad as a meal...especially for dinner. Lunch, I can deal with. So there is really nothing left for me to have. DH, god bless him, said "If it's not worth it, we won't go." And if it was just this one time, I would have said ok...we'll skip this week. But it's not. It's a consistent thing for this group. I'm one of only 2 or 3 girls, and the others are skinny chicks that can apparently eat anything. *sigh* So, I need to learn to deal with this.
I have 2 choices:
1) Get the damn salad. And then go to Rita's for dessert (high in calories, but no fat...I've had NO trouble staying in my calorie range, still).
2) Skip the Alli pill, and get a cheeseburger and fries. Or chicken tenders and fries. Downside: I'll probably still have a few tummy issues, but not as bad as if I took the pill. Upside...it's a cheeseburger and fries. How is that a bad thing?
I'll probably decide when I get there.
Granted, it would be easier if my pants felt looser instead of tighter. Damn PMS. But still.
Ok, so that is the basic update. Here's how it happened:
I just started taking Alli 2 weeks ago. I started the diet on Sunday, May 17, and I started the Alli on May 22. So far, I'm down 3.5 pounds total (I know, I'm repeating myself. Get over it. I'm happy)...and will weigh in again on Saturday morning.
Because of all I read before I started the Alli, I try to keep VERY close track of what I'm eating. The amount of fat per meal depends on your total calorie intake...in my case, I shoot for around 1800 calories, which allows up to 19g of fat per meal. Overall, the goal is 30% or less fat.
So far, I have only had a few very minor effects...and no "accidents". I have gone over the fat target a couple times. Once I really thought I was doing well, too. Boo. Just goes to show, when you eat out, you can never be sure if you don't look things up ahead of time! FYI: the Honey Balsamic chicken at Macaroni Grill has FIFTY NINE grams of fat! For grilled chicken, grilled broccoli, and some pasta. 59!!!! Yeah...my tummy wasn't happy the next day. If I had known beforehand, I wouldn't have taken the pill. But really, I thought it wouldn't be that bad.
For me, it's not so much that the Alli will help me lose. It's that it keeps me from cheating. Without it, it's so easy to say "Well, just this one order of fries won't kill my diet. I've been good lately and can spare it" but when there is a consequence...I really think hard about it. And usually, "just this one" would turn into a major fall off the wagon...and a few day binge. So by thinking about it, I do still find ways to have things I enjoy, but I also stay in the guidelines 98% of the time.
I'm facing another challenge tonight, and I can't decide what to do about it. It's Bike Night...when we go out to dinner with other scooterists/motorcyclists. Great PR for DH. Unfortunately, a lot of times, they choose wing places. Some places, like Taco Mac, I can find something I can work with without being the obnoxious person ordering "Grilled chicken, no oil, with a side salad, no cheese, no bacon, fat free dressing on the side, and steamed broccoli, no butter or oil." I just want to smack those people...so I try to find something as close as possible to what I want to minimize the "special" stuff. Tonight, however, they chose Shane's Rib Shack. I don't eat BBQ, so my options are a Fresh Greens Salad with char grilled chicken, or corn on the cob. I'm really not a big fan of salad as a meal...especially for dinner. Lunch, I can deal with. So there is really nothing left for me to have. DH, god bless him, said "If it's not worth it, we won't go." And if it was just this one time, I would have said ok...we'll skip this week. But it's not. It's a consistent thing for this group. I'm one of only 2 or 3 girls, and the others are skinny chicks that can apparently eat anything. *sigh* So, I need to learn to deal with this.
I have 2 choices:
1) Get the damn salad. And then go to Rita's for dessert (high in calories, but no fat...I've had NO trouble staying in my calorie range, still).
2) Skip the Alli pill, and get a cheeseburger and fries. Or chicken tenders and fries. Downside: I'll probably still have a few tummy issues, but not as bad as if I took the pill. Upside...it's a cheeseburger and fries. How is that a bad thing?
I'll probably decide when I get there.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Too good at dieting.
Ok, that's probably a bit of an overstatement, because obviously, if I was too good, I wouldn't need to do it anymore.
What I mean is, I'm too good at cutting out calories, but NOT good at balancing my diet. For example, my current target is 1800-2000 calories a day, and 45-60 grams of fat. Considering I'm almost 100 pounds overweight, and have a deskjob, and don't exercise, this is the target for now according to my plan. I've been tracking my eating for 3 days now and here's how wonderfully I've been doing:
Sunday: 1415 calories, 53 g fat
Monday: 1722 calories, 62 g fat
Today: 1476 calories, 55 g fat
I'm also trying to keep it to 19g or less of fat per meal. I do fine on that at breakfast (7, 13, and 8), and lunch (4, 16, 11), but dinner is a challenge so far. I'm at 42 (kielbasa--but in my defense, when we chose it, I hadn't started counting yet), 24 (Tombstone Pizza) and 32 (Quick-Fix Beef and Rice) for the week. I really need to get this under control. :o( And increase my calories overall, without increasing fat. This is actually hard for me, in some ways.
I remember in my WW days, I would get home from work at 9, and tell my aunt "I have 15 points I have to eat." My point minimum was 25, I think. Mind you...that was the MINIMUM of a 5 point range (excluding fat, 5 points=250 calories).
I know all about the fact that if you don't eat enough, your body goes into starvation mode. I do. But I'm too good at cutting in some areas. Mind you, I've eaten today. See? (Hopefully this link keeps today's date). It's not like I'm not having anything. It's just not enough.
Guess I get to add orange juice back into my life for awhile. That's a great calorie add with no fat for when I'm not really hungry. Too bad I cut it out 6 years ago, so now I feel guilty drinking it!
Must. Get. Over. Food. Guilt.
What I mean is, I'm too good at cutting out calories, but NOT good at balancing my diet. For example, my current target is 1800-2000 calories a day, and 45-60 grams of fat. Considering I'm almost 100 pounds overweight, and have a deskjob, and don't exercise, this is the target for now according to my plan. I've been tracking my eating for 3 days now and here's how wonderfully I've been doing:
Sunday: 1415 calories, 53 g fat
Monday: 1722 calories, 62 g fat
Today: 1476 calories, 55 g fat
I'm also trying to keep it to 19g or less of fat per meal. I do fine on that at breakfast (7, 13, and 8), and lunch (4, 16, 11), but dinner is a challenge so far. I'm at 42 (kielbasa--but in my defense, when we chose it, I hadn't started counting yet), 24 (Tombstone Pizza) and 32 (Quick-Fix Beef and Rice) for the week. I really need to get this under control. :o( And increase my calories overall, without increasing fat. This is actually hard for me, in some ways.
I remember in my WW days, I would get home from work at 9, and tell my aunt "I have 15 points I have to eat." My point minimum was 25, I think. Mind you...that was the MINIMUM of a 5 point range (excluding fat, 5 points=250 calories).
I know all about the fact that if you don't eat enough, your body goes into starvation mode. I do. But I'm too good at cutting in some areas. Mind you, I've eaten today. See? (Hopefully this link keeps today's date). It's not like I'm not having anything. It's just not enough.
Guess I get to add orange juice back into my life for awhile. That's a great calorie add with no fat for when I'm not really hungry. Too bad I cut it out 6 years ago, so now I feel guilty drinking it!
Must. Get. Over. Food. Guilt.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
I love my DH.
Really, he has his flaws, but he's great sometimes.
He read my blog yesterday (well, I sent it to him and there was a quiz...so he had to. *wink*), so he knew I was stressing my weight again. Well, this morning I started considering gastric band surgery (again). I told him that, and it made him sad. I asked why...he said my situation made him feel like a failure and that he wasn't supportive. I told him he's not a failure, but he's also not supportive at times. (Note: I'm not upset about this...I've realized that is him, and I can't fix that...it's for me to deal with). That made me cry. I felt bad for making HIM feel bad.
The first thing he did was email a friend of his who had the band surgery for her experience. She said she has lost about 40 pounds, but wasn't really impressed with it. And I can't say I blame her. The cost is from $15,000 to $30,000...and for that much, I think I would want to lose more than 40 pounds! So now I'm thinking about trying Alli. In fact, I've been thinking about it for a long time. I've pretty well decided I'm GOING to try it. As soon as I can get my stupid coupon to print...
After we talked about the band surgery, we talked some more, and I have a veggie garden growing, but I just started it a few weeks ago...so no veggies yet. DH said he wants to start juicing again (veggie juice, that is), and we can do more fresh stuff (we do mostly frozen for convenience sake). AND...I about fell on the floor for this one...if I get Mayfield milk, he'll drink skim!!!
So I'm off to the store tonight after work (was going anyway...missed a few awesome coupons at Kroger when we went on Sunday). I'm getting some cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, whole grain bread and LF provolone, and we are having veggie sammiches. NOM! Might use some pam or ICBINB spray and have a grilled one for myself. Maybe with some honey mustard...
I'm also stopping at Walmart to get the rest of the stuff I need to finish my garden (planting "troughs" for lack of a better word...and topsoil). Need to get everything else started. As it is, I can't believe I have only killed a little bit when I tried to move them to bigger pots!
I'm so proud of him. I'm *hoping* that this time, we can stick with this a little longer. We've been through it before...but this time I actually grocery shop regularly...which is new. I don't want miracles at this point. I just want to be back where I was when we met (~190) so my clothes will fit again.
He read my blog yesterday (well, I sent it to him and there was a quiz...so he had to. *wink*), so he knew I was stressing my weight again. Well, this morning I started considering gastric band surgery (again). I told him that, and it made him sad. I asked why...he said my situation made him feel like a failure and that he wasn't supportive. I told him he's not a failure, but he's also not supportive at times. (Note: I'm not upset about this...I've realized that is him, and I can't fix that...it's for me to deal with). That made me cry. I felt bad for making HIM feel bad.
The first thing he did was email a friend of his who had the band surgery for her experience. She said she has lost about 40 pounds, but wasn't really impressed with it. And I can't say I blame her. The cost is from $15,000 to $30,000...and for that much, I think I would want to lose more than 40 pounds! So now I'm thinking about trying Alli. In fact, I've been thinking about it for a long time. I've pretty well decided I'm GOING to try it. As soon as I can get my stupid coupon to print...
After we talked about the band surgery, we talked some more, and I have a veggie garden growing, but I just started it a few weeks ago...so no veggies yet. DH said he wants to start juicing again (veggie juice, that is), and we can do more fresh stuff (we do mostly frozen for convenience sake). AND...I about fell on the floor for this one...if I get Mayfield milk, he'll drink skim!!!
So I'm off to the store tonight after work (was going anyway...missed a few awesome coupons at Kroger when we went on Sunday). I'm getting some cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, whole grain bread and LF provolone, and we are having veggie sammiches. NOM! Might use some pam or ICBINB spray and have a grilled one for myself. Maybe with some honey mustard...
I'm also stopping at Walmart to get the rest of the stuff I need to finish my garden (planting "troughs" for lack of a better word...and topsoil). Need to get everything else started. As it is, I can't believe I have only killed a little bit when I tried to move them to bigger pots!
I'm so proud of him. I'm *hoping* that this time, we can stick with this a little longer. We've been through it before...but this time I actually grocery shop regularly...which is new. I don't want miracles at this point. I just want to be back where I was when we met (~190) so my clothes will fit again.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Miss me?
Been awhile since I posted anything, so I thought it was time. Here's the quick and dirty to get you up to date:
-House is great. Living room is completely done, save for hanging some pictures that we can't decide where to put them. Dining room is still empty (actually, this is a new development, as it had boxes in it that needed to be unpacked). Bedroom is still unpainted. Kitchen is still half painted. But we have everything out of the trailer...and most of it is in the garage, though...but it's not so much we can't get the cars in there, so it's all good.
-Went to Disney again for our anniversary. Ate our way though the hotels and skipped the parks this time. Food was great. Highly recommend Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I'd pass on Yachtsman, though. Food was good, but the atmosphere sucked. We are going back in September next.
-Weather has been nice, so we have been doing lots of scootering. There was one Sunday between errands and joy-riding, I put 100 miles on the bike. Hoping for some nice weather this weekend too (I think rain is in the forecast) so we can do a longer day trip on Sunday. I want to start building up and maybe take the bikes in Sept. But we have to work up to that long of a trip! And buy raingear.
-Still haven't sold the damn trailer. Thought we had it gone, and the girl had a warrant out on her. *eye roll* I'm so close to saying "Fuck it" and just turning it over. I'm tired of paying lot rent for something we aren't using at all. It's a drain.
-Still couponing. I actually set up a second blog about it. Haven't updated that, either, though. I suck.
-Work is ok, but has been HUGELY busy prepping for our software change coming up on 7/1. Lots of data conversion to make sure we are only bringing the good stuff over...plus we had about 50 stimulus grants come through our office at least 1 has been awarded that I know of...WOOHOO!).
Ok...so, now for the general train of thought stuff:
I'm fat again. No, really. I am. And I think I'm tired of it again, too. Well, I *know* I'm tired of my clothes not fitting. But I just don't know how to get back into "diet mindset". Last time, I had my aunt that I lived with...and she was willing to do ANYTHING to help me (I think we ate frozen Lean Cuisines about 3-4 nights a week, and when we DID cook, she let me pick stuff, because she was ok with losing a few pounds as well). But now, I can't make DH do that. 1) I know he wouldn't. 2) It obviously didn't lead to long term success. If it did, I wouldn't be worried about it now.
So, what can I do? We have at least started eating at home more often than we were. For awhile we were doing REALLY well about it. And I still bring my lunches...usually either leftovers or frozen meals (not always low fat ones, but most of the time). I know my coffee is adding calories and fat...but I'm not willing to cut that out. Sorry, caffeine is more important. I have started doing iced coffees at home on a semi-regular basis, though...and those aren't bad. 1 cup of milk and some SF flavored syrup. If only I could get DH to go for Skim milk instead of 2%. I might have to compromise at 1% (though, the 2% already was a compromise)...or just start buying 2 gallons. But I don't know that I will drink THAT much before it goes bad.
Anyway...I debate going back to WW. But there are a few downsides: 1) To do points, I'd have to pay again, and I really don't want to. 2) I came across an old printed out Core list, which I guess I could use, but I know they have changed that as well, so for best results, I'd have to pay to get that updated, too. 3) I'm not sure I'm ready to replace my coupon obsession with a points/food obsession. Or even add another obsession to the mix. I drove DH nuts last time, because I have to count every little thing, and it's time consuming, and obnoxious if you aren't a participant. And it becomes life-encompassing. It would be all I would think about. I know this. I've been down that road. And yes, WW does work, if you work it. That isn't an issue. Though, at present, I'm in a "Results, NOW" kinda mood...which isn't a good place to start. I do realize this.
So, then there is the original focus of this blog...IE. Downsides: 1) Must learn self-control. 2) Must remember I DO NOT HAVE TO CLEAR MY PLATE. Why is this all caps, you ask? DH has a tendency when he cooks, to plate everything and serve it. I guess it's habit from when he was a chef. And he doesn't measure out "portion sizes". He splits what he makes in half most of the time...and it's way more than I SHOULD be eating. But I was raised in a "clean plate" house, which is very hard to get past, and I'm usually very hungry...or at least think I am...so I eat everything he dishes out. And I should also mention, while he has gotten better, he is still anti-LF/NF on almost everything. There are some things he will do now that he wouldn't before...so there is progress. Anyway...I've gotten off track. This is about doing IE. There really aren't more downsides, except I might gain a little more before I start to lose. There are MANY advantages to it...like when we go back to Disney, I won't have to "blow it" for the weekend to enjoy myself. And I have I mentioned there is 1 IE victory without even really trying: since couponing, I have had ice cream in the house for well over a MONTH...the SAME CARTON of ice cream...and I really only have some occasionally.
Ok. So, what does this mean? I think I need to find my IE book. Or suck it up and pay for WW again. All this debating and I haven't decided anything. But SOMETHING needs to change. I do know my first goal: to have my work pants allow me to breathe comfortably. I guess this is about 10 pounds. I hope that's all it is, or I'm in more denial than I thought.
-House is great. Living room is completely done, save for hanging some pictures that we can't decide where to put them. Dining room is still empty (actually, this is a new development, as it had boxes in it that needed to be unpacked). Bedroom is still unpainted. Kitchen is still half painted. But we have everything out of the trailer...and most of it is in the garage, though...but it's not so much we can't get the cars in there, so it's all good.
-Went to Disney again for our anniversary. Ate our way though the hotels and skipped the parks this time. Food was great. Highly recommend Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I'd pass on Yachtsman, though. Food was good, but the atmosphere sucked. We are going back in September next.
-Weather has been nice, so we have been doing lots of scootering. There was one Sunday between errands and joy-riding, I put 100 miles on the bike. Hoping for some nice weather this weekend too (I think rain is in the forecast) so we can do a longer day trip on Sunday. I want to start building up and maybe take the bikes in Sept. But we have to work up to that long of a trip! And buy raingear.
-Still haven't sold the damn trailer. Thought we had it gone, and the girl had a warrant out on her. *eye roll* I'm so close to saying "Fuck it" and just turning it over. I'm tired of paying lot rent for something we aren't using at all. It's a drain.
-Still couponing. I actually set up a second blog about it. Haven't updated that, either, though. I suck.
-Work is ok, but has been HUGELY busy prepping for our software change coming up on 7/1. Lots of data conversion to make sure we are only bringing the good stuff over...plus we had about 50 stimulus grants come through our office at least 1 has been awarded that I know of...WOOHOO!).
Ok...so, now for the general train of thought stuff:
I'm fat again. No, really. I am. And I think I'm tired of it again, too. Well, I *know* I'm tired of my clothes not fitting. But I just don't know how to get back into "diet mindset". Last time, I had my aunt that I lived with...and she was willing to do ANYTHING to help me (I think we ate frozen Lean Cuisines about 3-4 nights a week, and when we DID cook, she let me pick stuff, because she was ok with losing a few pounds as well). But now, I can't make DH do that. 1) I know he wouldn't. 2) It obviously didn't lead to long term success. If it did, I wouldn't be worried about it now.
So, what can I do? We have at least started eating at home more often than we were. For awhile we were doing REALLY well about it. And I still bring my lunches...usually either leftovers or frozen meals (not always low fat ones, but most of the time). I know my coffee is adding calories and fat...but I'm not willing to cut that out. Sorry, caffeine is more important. I have started doing iced coffees at home on a semi-regular basis, though...and those aren't bad. 1 cup of milk and some SF flavored syrup. If only I could get DH to go for Skim milk instead of 2%. I might have to compromise at 1% (though, the 2% already was a compromise)...or just start buying 2 gallons. But I don't know that I will drink THAT much before it goes bad.
Anyway...I debate going back to WW. But there are a few downsides: 1) To do points, I'd have to pay again, and I really don't want to. 2) I came across an old printed out Core list, which I guess I could use, but I know they have changed that as well, so for best results, I'd have to pay to get that updated, too. 3) I'm not sure I'm ready to replace my coupon obsession with a points/food obsession. Or even add another obsession to the mix. I drove DH nuts last time, because I have to count every little thing, and it's time consuming, and obnoxious if you aren't a participant. And it becomes life-encompassing. It would be all I would think about. I know this. I've been down that road. And yes, WW does work, if you work it. That isn't an issue. Though, at present, I'm in a "Results, NOW" kinda mood...which isn't a good place to start. I do realize this.
So, then there is the original focus of this blog...IE. Downsides: 1) Must learn self-control. 2) Must remember I DO NOT HAVE TO CLEAR MY PLATE. Why is this all caps, you ask? DH has a tendency when he cooks, to plate everything and serve it. I guess it's habit from when he was a chef. And he doesn't measure out "portion sizes". He splits what he makes in half most of the time...and it's way more than I SHOULD be eating. But I was raised in a "clean plate" house, which is very hard to get past, and I'm usually very hungry...or at least think I am...so I eat everything he dishes out. And I should also mention, while he has gotten better, he is still anti-LF/NF on almost everything. There are some things he will do now that he wouldn't before...so there is progress. Anyway...I've gotten off track. This is about doing IE. There really aren't more downsides, except I might gain a little more before I start to lose. There are MANY advantages to it...like when we go back to Disney, I won't have to "blow it" for the weekend to enjoy myself. And I have I mentioned there is 1 IE victory without even really trying: since couponing, I have had ice cream in the house for well over a MONTH...the SAME CARTON of ice cream...and I really only have some occasionally.
Ok. So, what does this mean? I think I need to find my IE book. Or suck it up and pay for WW again. All this debating and I haven't decided anything. But SOMETHING needs to change. I do know my first goal: to have my work pants allow me to breathe comfortably. I guess this is about 10 pounds. I hope that's all it is, or I'm in more denial than I thought.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Somedays, I wonder about my intelligence.
I have no idea if I have posted this before...and I really probably shouldn't, but I need to get this out so later (in about 3 months) I can tell myself "I told you so."
Yes, I...with the assistance of my loving and equally dumb (at times...I love him, and he is smart, but in this case, we are being stupid) husband...will be offering to rent our trailer (the one we just moved out of--in fact, we aren't even totally moved) to none other than his parents, who currently live across the street from it.
You might be thinking "That's a great idea! I'm sure it will help them out, since the rent will be lower and you will be a little more flexible than the management!"
Um, yeah, but there is some background there. My ILs are NOT known for paying their bills on time. Any of their bills. So we are basically expecting this to happen this way: Month 1) We actually get paid on time, in full. Month 2) The lot rent gets paid, but our portion does not--but "We're expecting xx money from xx person for xx reason, and we'll pay you then!" Month 3) Never got our portion from the previous month. Lot rent is paid, but late. Our portion again doesn't get paid. Month 4) Nothing gets paid.
Seriously. I have NO doubt in my mind this is what will happen. So why are we doing this? Honestly, we will be happy if they take care of the lot rent. Our portion, while it would be nice, we really don't expect to ever see it. Luckily, we just pay my mom, and we are already budgeted to continue to do so.
So aside from the financial aspect of this idiocy, there is also the STUFF issue. ILs are packrats. And their house is absolutely disgusting. I won't even go over there anymore. Haven't been in almost a year, I think. So when DH talked to the management company about this possibility, their response was that their current house has to be left SPOTLESS or they won't be approved to move into ours. Joy. Guess who THAT lovely job will most likely fall on? If you guessed DH and I, you'd probably be right. And on top of this, they need to get rid of stuff. ALOT of stuff. They'd be going from a 3 bedroom to a 2 bedroom...which alone isn't an issue for them. One BIL has 2 kids, but kids can sleep on a couch when visiting (because they aren't welcome in my house, but that is another story altogether...), and they can have 1 guest room. But there is just an abundance of TRASH. They keep things no sane person would keep. I don't get it. I think the joys of purging will fall on not just DH and I, but I think we will have to recruit his sister and her DH to help with that. And it will get ugly...but we have all agreed for a long time that most of that can be thrown out.
On top of that, there is the fact that DH and I put alot of work into that trailer...replacing floors, cabinets, painting, etc. We KNOW that they will be no better about keeping that place clean than they were about keeping their old one clean. Do I REALLY want to see DAYS worth of work and THOUSANDS of dollars in improvements trashed in a few months?
So, you NOW might be wondering why in the hell we would even consider renting to them, with the likelihood of not getting paid, and all the cleaning involved, and the emotional trauma of my work being trashed. Well, it's simple. We budgeted for about 6 months of carrying the trailer after we bought the house. And we could. But we miss having disposable income...and to maintain 2 houses (cutting the grass, making sure nothing happens there, etc) is a hassle. So yeah, it's not really a NECESSARY thing, but we REALLY want to get out from under that. And we figure, even if they just pay the lot rent, we will be okay with it. Not happy...but ok.
I do also worry about the entitlement factor. Meaning, his parents CONSTANTLY have this sense of entitlement going on. They expect everyone else to pay for them. They think because they are old (they aren't, BTW...they are in their 50's) everything should be done for them, and the world is owed to them because they raised their kids. Um, yeah. That's what you are supposed to do when you have kids. Raise them. And NOT expect anything in return.
Oh, well. I want my fiscal freedom back. And if it means trusting someone who I know damn well can't be trusted, well...so be it. Cross your fingers for us.
Yes, I...with the assistance of my loving and equally dumb (at times...I love him, and he is smart, but in this case, we are being stupid) husband...will be offering to rent our trailer (the one we just moved out of--in fact, we aren't even totally moved) to none other than his parents, who currently live across the street from it.
You might be thinking "That's a great idea! I'm sure it will help them out, since the rent will be lower and you will be a little more flexible than the management!"
Um, yeah, but there is some background there. My ILs are NOT known for paying their bills on time. Any of their bills. So we are basically expecting this to happen this way: Month 1) We actually get paid on time, in full. Month 2) The lot rent gets paid, but our portion does not--but "We're expecting xx money from xx person for xx reason, and we'll pay you then!" Month 3) Never got our portion from the previous month. Lot rent is paid, but late. Our portion again doesn't get paid. Month 4) Nothing gets paid.
Seriously. I have NO doubt in my mind this is what will happen. So why are we doing this? Honestly, we will be happy if they take care of the lot rent. Our portion, while it would be nice, we really don't expect to ever see it. Luckily, we just pay my mom, and we are already budgeted to continue to do so.
So aside from the financial aspect of this idiocy, there is also the STUFF issue. ILs are packrats. And their house is absolutely disgusting. I won't even go over there anymore. Haven't been in almost a year, I think. So when DH talked to the management company about this possibility, their response was that their current house has to be left SPOTLESS or they won't be approved to move into ours. Joy. Guess who THAT lovely job will most likely fall on? If you guessed DH and I, you'd probably be right. And on top of this, they need to get rid of stuff. ALOT of stuff. They'd be going from a 3 bedroom to a 2 bedroom...which alone isn't an issue for them. One BIL has 2 kids, but kids can sleep on a couch when visiting (because they aren't welcome in my house, but that is another story altogether...), and they can have 1 guest room. But there is just an abundance of TRASH. They keep things no sane person would keep. I don't get it. I think the joys of purging will fall on not just DH and I, but I think we will have to recruit his sister and her DH to help with that. And it will get ugly...but we have all agreed for a long time that most of that can be thrown out.
On top of that, there is the fact that DH and I put alot of work into that trailer...replacing floors, cabinets, painting, etc. We KNOW that they will be no better about keeping that place clean than they were about keeping their old one clean. Do I REALLY want to see DAYS worth of work and THOUSANDS of dollars in improvements trashed in a few months?
So, you NOW might be wondering why in the hell we would even consider renting to them, with the likelihood of not getting paid, and all the cleaning involved, and the emotional trauma of my work being trashed. Well, it's simple. We budgeted for about 6 months of carrying the trailer after we bought the house. And we could. But we miss having disposable income...and to maintain 2 houses (cutting the grass, making sure nothing happens there, etc) is a hassle. So yeah, it's not really a NECESSARY thing, but we REALLY want to get out from under that. And we figure, even if they just pay the lot rent, we will be okay with it. Not happy...but ok.
I do also worry about the entitlement factor. Meaning, his parents CONSTANTLY have this sense of entitlement going on. They expect everyone else to pay for them. They think because they are old (they aren't, BTW...they are in their 50's) everything should be done for them, and the world is owed to them because they raised their kids. Um, yeah. That's what you are supposed to do when you have kids. Raise them. And NOT expect anything in return.
Oh, well. I want my fiscal freedom back. And if it means trusting someone who I know damn well can't be trusted, well...so be it. Cross your fingers for us.
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