Getting back to The Drastic (even if only for three full days) this week really helped: I'm down 2.5 pounds and that gives me encouragement to keep going. The Bathing Suit Vacation Diet works for me! Of course, I'm going to have to figure out how to maintain this kind of commitment when I don't have a Bathing Suit Vacation looming to incentivize me. And that's a LOT harder.
I realize that I have kept a huge majority of The Big Weight off for over 15 years. But I am struggling with keeping The Lesser Weight off. I find myself saying to myself either (a) "20 pounds is fast to lose, you already lost a hundred more than that!", or (b) "20 pounds is a huge amount, it will take months and you don't seem to have the will power to be "good" for months (sometimes a DAY seems like a mountain)". It's a constant fight with my "monkey mind" (as Vickie calls it). I'm starting to think that, rather than fight the monkey, I need to accept the monkey, stop fighting the monkey, love the monkey and...teach it who is boss.
I feel better already and I think that I LOOK better already. FEELING good is actually the most important thing to me...it has an element of looking good in there, but that's not all there is.
Like a few of the rest of you, I am seeing summer looming and remembering how good it felt to wear my smaller size and to feel good in shorts and more revealing clothes. This helps too.
Finally, I have to figure out what to do about my arms -- I haven't been exercising them for many months now and my shoulder isn't completely better (although it IS substantially better). And now my other shoulder is starting to hurt -- and I think it's from atrophy. This weekend I am going to try VERY low weights on my arms at the gym and hope that doesn't exacerbate the pain...if it doesn't, I'll work my way up slowly.
We're having Princess with us this weekend (and possibly one of the other grandkids)...I'm looking forward to it a lot! :-)
Friday, April 3, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
New reason to DO IT
We're going to St. John (U.S. Virgin Islands) for our anniversary in July!!! Bathing suit vacation!
We realized a few days ago that we could fly there, rent an amazing house and a car for a week for the same amount of money we would spend to just rent an apartment in Catalina (off the coast of LA)...unbelievable. So we've canceled our place in Catalina and are now going to the Caribbean!
I am so excited. Neither of us has been there before. The majority of the island is national park so there is not a lot of development. And, of course, we chose to stay on the LEAST developed side too! ;-) The view from "our" house looks amazing and there is snorkeling (my favorite) galore all over the island.
So...every time I want to eat or drink something "bad" now, I think "bathing suit photo". It's amazing how powerful that is to get me to STOP.
I told DB maybe we need bathing suit vacations twice a year to keep in shape... ;-)
We realized a few days ago that we could fly there, rent an amazing house and a car for a week for the same amount of money we would spend to just rent an apartment in Catalina (off the coast of LA)...unbelievable. So we've canceled our place in Catalina and are now going to the Caribbean!
I am so excited. Neither of us has been there before. The majority of the island is national park so there is not a lot of development. And, of course, we chose to stay on the LEAST developed side too! ;-) The view from "our" house looks amazing and there is snorkeling (my favorite) galore all over the island.
So...every time I want to eat or drink something "bad" now, I think "bathing suit photo". It's amazing how powerful that is to get me to STOP.
I told DB maybe we need bathing suit vacations twice a year to keep in shape... ;-)
Friday, March 27, 2009
Friday shortie
Weight stayed the same this week. I know why. And I know what I have to do to fix it. DOING it is another thing.
I actually FEEL good today though...found a great new cardio machine at the gym last night and my abs are feeling really strong from straight-up crunches I've been doing at the new gym. At least my exercise is really good...I did something every day this week except Horrible Monday, so that makes me feel good. :-)
Hope everyone has a fun weekend...mine is packed as usual...
I actually FEEL good today though...found a great new cardio machine at the gym last night and my abs are feeling really strong from straight-up crunches I've been doing at the new gym. At least my exercise is really good...I did something every day this week except Horrible Monday, so that makes me feel good. :-)
Hope everyone has a fun weekend...mine is packed as usual...
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Fun anniversary, then rain on my parade
I had a GREAT day on Saturday for my non-smoking anniversary. Got up early (too early after being up late at some friends' on Friday night planning a camping trip) for a teeth-cleaning and it was cancelled...after I was up, had coffee and was dressed! But that was ok. Crawled back into bed until 10. Yay! Then went to the gym, then to get my tax returns from my accountant, then went shopping for a new cell phone (I won $100 in our firm's Oscar pool and thought I would spend it for a new phone -- mine is old-fashioned and doesn't hold a charge well and I want something that I can be on-line with -- and on Facebook!) Went to Verizon and they were awesome. I got a great deal on a phone for my mom (I handle her account and she hasn't been able to see her old phone well lately...got a cool phone specifically designed for seniors) and a gorgeous pink Blackberry Pearl for me...all for $86...I was so excited!! More on this later...
I ran down to my mom's to drop off her phone and visit for an hour or so. Then went home to get ready for our special dinner. We went to a new place and it was fantastic! Delicious healthy food (well, except for that persimmon clafouti!). Loved it. Then we went home and watched "Milk" (excellent film) before bed. Just a great day!!
Spent most of Sunday when not at the gym putting info into the new 'berry. I loved it. LOVED it. Did I mention it was pink? ;-)
The Good One arrived on Sunday to spend some time with us and I always love that. :-)
Then, yesterday, I had to take my phones back... :-(
The long, sad story:
10 plus years ago (probably at least 12...more like 14): I signed up for cell service through this company which re-sells Verizon product (who, at that time, provided cell service for my firm). They gave me a "free" phone in return for my signing up for a two-year contract.
Intervening years: I added my mom to my account and they continued to give me free phones every couple of years...as long as I signed up for a 2-year deal with them. I tried to "get out" a few times, but the hassle just wasn't worth it.
The last time I signed up (in late 2006), the phone they "gave" me broke within 6 months. They refused to replace it for free...unless I signed up for 2 more years!! At that point, I realized what a racket this is and refused their offer. I got my own phone and determined to wait out the remaining time on the contract then switch to get a deal directly with a nationwide provider...not this cheap "re-seller".
I called this company a few weeks ago to investigate and they offered me a Blackberry for $300+...signing up for two more years, of course!! No, thank you! They confirmed that my contract was up (unfortunately, I don't have the name of the man I talked to in their customer service department and, of course, they claim to have no evidence of this call).
Rather than pay that, I decided to look into getting service directly from Verizon (I like their service). I have no problem with the 2-year commitment they require to get a good deal on phones. Since The Evil Re-seller doesn't have weekend hours, we couldn't switch the service right over, but we were all sure it would be dealt with yesterday.
I called The Evil Re-seller yesterday morning to make sure they were porting my numbers to Verizon and they told me I needed to speak with their "records department" mentioning that their contracts automatically renew for ONE YEAR if you don't give written notice of termination 30 days before the current term expires. I couldn't BELIEVE this (yes, I guess I should have more carefully paid attention and kept a copy of my contract, but I never had a real problem with them all these years...). But I left a message for the "records department".
No one called me back so after a few hours I called THEM back. Miraculously now the person in customer service had access to the documents that allegedly only the "records department" had access to earlier in the day. They told me about the automatic renewal portion of the contract and I asked them to fax me a copy.
Sigh...so, yes, the contract says what they say it does, but I think it could be construed EVEN WORSE for me...it talks about terminating before the end of the "initial term"...could they actually think they can hold me for THREE MORE YEARS after the first two if I don't terminate?! Yikes. After the events yesterday, I wouldn't put it past them.
Realizing that I was probably stuck (although thinking I might be able to fight and win if I had the time), I called them back to see if they could offer me what Verizon did (they had said they could earlier). Unfortunately, they couldn't...they don't offer the Blackberry Pearl.
Anyway...long story short, I sent them a termination letter yesterday to terminate my term, but it won't happen until late this year. :-( And I had to return my phones to Verizon (Verizon kindly refunded me and was appalled about The Evil Re-seller).
I am SO SAD. I loved my Blackberry Pearl. I feel very shallow for being so sad about this (I actually cried yesterday over it...SO frustrating!), but there it is.
While they MIGHT be strictly in the right, I think that after I have been a client for over 10 years and when the last phone they "gave" me in return for my 2-year contract BROKE, they might be a little bit more accommodating.
I am a pretty smart, well-educated-in-legal-principles person...if they put this over on me, how do they treat less fortunate customers?
Luckily, I posted a status on FB yesterday that said "I hate my cell provider and they are holding me hostage". Turns out one of my "friends" works for a consumer rights organization so I sent them my sad story and maybe, just maybe, they'll do something about it. I don't think it will help ME, but this contract is unconscionable and, I think under CA law, unenforceable.
So look for my "I got my pink BB" post in December...
(I was really upset and used that as an excuse to eat popcorn for dinner last night. Not good.)
I ran down to my mom's to drop off her phone and visit for an hour or so. Then went home to get ready for our special dinner. We went to a new place and it was fantastic! Delicious healthy food (well, except for that persimmon clafouti!). Loved it. Then we went home and watched "Milk" (excellent film) before bed. Just a great day!!
Spent most of Sunday when not at the gym putting info into the new 'berry. I loved it. LOVED it. Did I mention it was pink? ;-)
The Good One arrived on Sunday to spend some time with us and I always love that. :-)
Then, yesterday, I had to take my phones back... :-(
The long, sad story:
10 plus years ago (probably at least 12...more like 14): I signed up for cell service through this company which re-sells Verizon product (who, at that time, provided cell service for my firm). They gave me a "free" phone in return for my signing up for a two-year contract.
Intervening years: I added my mom to my account and they continued to give me free phones every couple of years...as long as I signed up for a 2-year deal with them. I tried to "get out" a few times, but the hassle just wasn't worth it.
The last time I signed up (in late 2006), the phone they "gave" me broke within 6 months. They refused to replace it for free...unless I signed up for 2 more years!! At that point, I realized what a racket this is and refused their offer. I got my own phone and determined to wait out the remaining time on the contract then switch to get a deal directly with a nationwide provider...not this cheap "re-seller".
I called this company a few weeks ago to investigate and they offered me a Blackberry for $300+...signing up for two more years, of course!! No, thank you! They confirmed that my contract was up (unfortunately, I don't have the name of the man I talked to in their customer service department and, of course, they claim to have no evidence of this call).
Rather than pay that, I decided to look into getting service directly from Verizon (I like their service). I have no problem with the 2-year commitment they require to get a good deal on phones. Since The Evil Re-seller doesn't have weekend hours, we couldn't switch the service right over, but we were all sure it would be dealt with yesterday.
I called The Evil Re-seller yesterday morning to make sure they were porting my numbers to Verizon and they told me I needed to speak with their "records department" mentioning that their contracts automatically renew for ONE YEAR if you don't give written notice of termination 30 days before the current term expires. I couldn't BELIEVE this (yes, I guess I should have more carefully paid attention and kept a copy of my contract, but I never had a real problem with them all these years...). But I left a message for the "records department".
No one called me back so after a few hours I called THEM back. Miraculously now the person in customer service had access to the documents that allegedly only the "records department" had access to earlier in the day. They told me about the automatic renewal portion of the contract and I asked them to fax me a copy.
Sigh...so, yes, the contract says what they say it does, but I think it could be construed EVEN WORSE for me...it talks about terminating before the end of the "initial term"...could they actually think they can hold me for THREE MORE YEARS after the first two if I don't terminate?! Yikes. After the events yesterday, I wouldn't put it past them.
Realizing that I was probably stuck (although thinking I might be able to fight and win if I had the time), I called them back to see if they could offer me what Verizon did (they had said they could earlier). Unfortunately, they couldn't...they don't offer the Blackberry Pearl.
Anyway...long story short, I sent them a termination letter yesterday to terminate my term, but it won't happen until late this year. :-( And I had to return my phones to Verizon (Verizon kindly refunded me and was appalled about The Evil Re-seller).
I am SO SAD. I loved my Blackberry Pearl. I feel very shallow for being so sad about this (I actually cried yesterday over it...SO frustrating!), but there it is.
While they MIGHT be strictly in the right, I think that after I have been a client for over 10 years and when the last phone they "gave" me in return for my 2-year contract BROKE, they might be a little bit more accommodating.
I am a pretty smart, well-educated-in-legal-principles person...if they put this over on me, how do they treat less fortunate customers?
Luckily, I posted a status on FB yesterday that said "I hate my cell provider and they are holding me hostage". Turns out one of my "friends" works for a consumer rights organization so I sent them my sad story and maybe, just maybe, they'll do something about it. I don't think it will help ME, but this contract is unconscionable and, I think under CA law, unenforceable.
So look for my "I got my pink BB" post in December...
(I was really upset and used that as an excuse to eat popcorn for dinner last night. Not good.)
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Now We Are Six
When I was 1, I had just begun
When I was 2, I was nearly new
When I was 3, I was hardly me
When I was 4, I was not much more
When I was 5, I was barely alive
But now I am 6, I'm as clever as clever so I think I'll stay 6 now forever and ever!
(Thank you A.A. Milne.)
Happy 6th Birthday to me!
Six years and one day ago I would never have really believed that I would be where I am today -- 6 years clean from smoking!!
When I was 2, I was nearly new
When I was 3, I was hardly me
When I was 4, I was not much more
When I was 5, I was barely alive
But now I am 6, I'm as clever as clever so I think I'll stay 6 now forever and ever!
(Thank you A.A. Milne.)
Happy 6th Birthday to me!
Six years and one day ago I would never have really believed that I would be where I am today -- 6 years clean from smoking!!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Quick Friday check-in
By some miracle, I only gained a half pound during the Funeral Food Fiesta (see below). This makes me very happy and inspired to keep trying, keep doing, keep GOING. :-)
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Back at it
We got back Tuesday night from Nearby Town and I am swamped getting back to life and work.
I did pretty well the first few days away -- walked away from bad food and got my own. As time went on, I lost my resolve a little (although still was MUCH better than I ever have been up there). Feeding 20-40 people for every dinner does not lend itself to healthy eating -- I think the best dinner we had was grilled chicken (soaked in soy sauce...boo!), boiled green beans and steamed rice (more soy sauce). There were also fiestas of pizza (I stuck with the veggie kind...not great, but at least not pepperoni or sausage), spaghetti (I had a very normal size portion, i.e., not a whole plate), and deli sandwiches (I stayed away from the bread). Most of the meals had salads...not with great dressing, but at least I got my roughage.
I also took our hula hoops up there and hula'd at least a little every day. Not a lot of exercise, but some. Playing with the kids must have used some calories too, right? ;-)
I took four little girls (ages 9, 5, and two 4s) shopping for two hours on Sunday...SUPER fun, but boy was I tired afterwards from corralling them! Big props to you moms... ;-)
Some of my favorite moments from the weekend:
- holding Princess as she cried at the funeral;
- a special talk with Princess when we went out to pick up ice cream for the whole clan one night;
- another special talk/shopping trip with PD1; and
- holding Smiley's hand as she got the hair she'd self-trimmed fixed by a cousin who is a hairdresser.
The services were very sweet and heartfelt. The whole family was there except one grandkid who is in Iraq and one grandkid-in-law who had to work. There were around 40 people just from the family there. I am from a family that now consists of 2 kids, 1 parent, 2 spouses and 2 grandkids. We don't, and never did, have much contact with our extended family. I am constantly amused and amazed by DB's family...but, I must admit, that after 5 days with ALL of them pretty much non-stop, I was tired and was happy to get home!! ;-)
Got back to good food yesterday...it's amazing how a little bit of time "off the track" makes it a real challenge/struggle to get back "on the wagon"! I feel good though. Went to the gym last night and overdid a little on a weight machine on my knees...I will have to skip tonight for caution's sake, but will do some yoga at home to get in my exercise.
It sucked seeing photos of me this weekend looking poochy. And there are a lot of mirrors and windows up there in which to see yourself. I want to be happy seeing myself again. And I have to remember that when I want something bad in my mouth...
Thanks again to everyone for your condolences...while not unexpected, it has still been a tough few days on DB.
I did pretty well the first few days away -- walked away from bad food and got my own. As time went on, I lost my resolve a little (although still was MUCH better than I ever have been up there). Feeding 20-40 people for every dinner does not lend itself to healthy eating -- I think the best dinner we had was grilled chicken (soaked in soy sauce...boo!), boiled green beans and steamed rice (more soy sauce). There were also fiestas of pizza (I stuck with the veggie kind...not great, but at least not pepperoni or sausage), spaghetti (I had a very normal size portion, i.e., not a whole plate), and deli sandwiches (I stayed away from the bread). Most of the meals had salads...not with great dressing, but at least I got my roughage.
I also took our hula hoops up there and hula'd at least a little every day. Not a lot of exercise, but some. Playing with the kids must have used some calories too, right? ;-)
I took four little girls (ages 9, 5, and two 4s) shopping for two hours on Sunday...SUPER fun, but boy was I tired afterwards from corralling them! Big props to you moms... ;-)
Some of my favorite moments from the weekend:
- holding Princess as she cried at the funeral;
- a special talk with Princess when we went out to pick up ice cream for the whole clan one night;
- another special talk/shopping trip with PD1; and
- holding Smiley's hand as she got the hair she'd self-trimmed fixed by a cousin who is a hairdresser.
The services were very sweet and heartfelt. The whole family was there except one grandkid who is in Iraq and one grandkid-in-law who had to work. There were around 40 people just from the family there. I am from a family that now consists of 2 kids, 1 parent, 2 spouses and 2 grandkids. We don't, and never did, have much contact with our extended family. I am constantly amused and amazed by DB's family...but, I must admit, that after 5 days with ALL of them pretty much non-stop, I was tired and was happy to get home!! ;-)
Got back to good food yesterday...it's amazing how a little bit of time "off the track" makes it a real challenge/struggle to get back "on the wagon"! I feel good though. Went to the gym last night and overdid a little on a weight machine on my knees...I will have to skip tonight for caution's sake, but will do some yoga at home to get in my exercise.
It sucked seeing photos of me this weekend looking poochy. And there are a lot of mirrors and windows up there in which to see yourself. I want to be happy seeing myself again. And I have to remember that when I want something bad in my mouth...
Thanks again to everyone for your condolences...while not unexpected, it has still been a tough few days on DB.
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