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Posts: 302
2/9/10 4:46 P

Hi Rain_sis, I am Andrea...Nice to meet you

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2/9/10 4:45 P

Staciiiiiii.....How are you?? Things sound pretty ok aside from the changes and upheaval in your life. At least Chad is going to work and not lining up at the unemployment office everyday!!! I hate change too but hate monotomy of boring life either. I hate drugs too and glad you are done with them. My doctor keeps pushing that drug on me and finally on Monday I said, " I can't even take a f**kin Advil without getting messed up and the Hep B shot you just shoved in my arm will put me under for 3 days, so please stop pushing drugs on me unless it's green and has to be rolled!!!" After he stopped staring at me with his mouth hanging open, he said, "Fair enough, let me know if you need my help quitting" Keep rockin' girl, you are doing awesome!!!
PS~Wings and fries the other night alone in the dark!!!

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2/4/10 7:22 P

Very embarrassed. Used pronoun "he" for doctor without thinking. Feminist badge in serious jeopardy.
Must use choppy sentences. Obvious impending doom.

Edited by: RAIN_SIS at: 2/4/2010 (19:24)

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2/4/10 7:18 P

The warnings on that drug were very strong on suicidal impulses. Supersizing is clearly one of those.
It is probably a good idea to get off of the drug - but I hope it doesn't derail your progress on quitting. The other stresses no doubt make that a real temptation as well.
Perhaps you should talk to your doctor sooner rather than later. If you are sensing an impending train wreck perhaps "wait and see" is not the best course. Just saying.
On the other hand, if he wants to put you on some different drug, be cautious.
(btw. did I ever mention my deep distrust of the pharmaceutical industry.)

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2/4/10 1:15 P

Don't be embarassed we've all done something like that at least once. Tomorrow is another day to get it right

Posts: 3,052
2/4/10 1:07 P

Staci don't be embarrassed! I'm quite certain that the majority of us have eaten supersized McDonalds alone in the dark late a night (although for me it's usually pizza:) And somehow I always get caught doing it too! I sure hope stopping your chantix will help with the moods. My hubby's Uncle was complaining at x-mas that his wife used chantix to quite also but HE paid the price. He said her mood swings were awful! But when she quite it went away pretty quickly.

I don't do well with change and upheaval either. Hang in there though it won't last forever! There is sunshine on the horizon!

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2/4/10 12:49 P

i stopped taking the chantix 2 days ago. not only was the blood pressure a potential related issue, but my mood has been awful for the past month. i've been going zero to complete bitch in split seconds. mood changes are a "black box" warning on chantix, so i'm hoping stopping the drug will stop (or slow) the emotional train wreck. i have a history of emotional train wreck-ism so i'll be paying attention and will call my doctor if it doesn't resolve. it could also be a response to (or complicated by) all the other things going on in my personal life - much change and upheaval at the moment at my house. as a general rule, i don't do well with change and upheaval. so, yeah, there's that.

p.s. i ate mcdonalds two nights in a row after work. (11pm.) i supersized and i ate alone in the dark. so, um, there's that too.

p.s.s. this is all somewhat embarrassing.

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2/2/10 1:42 P

I had a thought about your recent increase in blood pressure. I wondered if it could be because of the stop smoking medication. I looked up Chantix side effects. I had to read several pages but finally saw that it CAN cause high blood pressure.
lungs.emedtv.com/chantix/chantix-side-effe
cts-p2.html
The website advice: Report it immediately to your health care provider.

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2/1/10 12:33 P

Huh?
You youngs still use CD's? I have all my music on my Sansa fuze audio player. Put on what you want and take off any that don't work out whenever you want. I know you said something about an Ipod some time ago so you'all must be talking about something else. Oh well ... whatever.
I like sweet potatoes so my suggestion might not work for you but what I do is I just prepare them like mashed potatoes. I use half regular potatoes and half sweet potatoes. Peel them, boil them, mix in a little butter a little salt a little milk - mashed potatoes but with more vitamins. I have my recipe logged in to spark recipes. I could send it if you want it.

That news about the BP is not good. I was just bragging about how my cholesterol and BP is great in spite of my *whisper* obesity. There is a chance it will go up when I lose weight? bummer.

I could tell you all about cooking beans but a better tip is: Drain canned beans, or vegetables, in a colander and rinse them with water. It retains the flavor and takes out a lot of salt. My husband has high blood pressure so I cook most things without salt (and add salt to mine later because I like it.) If I give him something salty he suspects I am trying to poison him (will have to be more subtle in future.)
I still have not tried jazzercize - I am just fixin to do it. Reminds me: I saw a Nike t-shirt in Texas that said "Just a fixin' to Do It"

Anyhow - keep up the good work! Whohoo. You are doing great.

Edited by: RAIN_SIS at: 2/1/2010 (12:37)

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2/1/10 10:49 A

Wow Staci! Lots going on with you. I must get you those burned CD's this week so you can use those too! Check out my list again for more stuff you might want too:)

As far as the running. I'm not motivated to do it when it's boring either:( And not so much lately either. There is a 5K listed on the toledo roadrunners website for 4/17 but I think it's in a town several hours away that I've never heard of. I'm hoping something else pops up in April.

I've never been able to enjoy sweet potatoes either. I have a small piece on Thanksgiving and that's it. I've had them as french fries, they were ok but I could only eat a few. I used to buy these frozen sweet potato "circles" and those were ok but def not my fav. But I love asparagus! Slightly crunchy I usually bake them in foil with a bit of olive oil, butter, salt and pepper. And I'm quite sure you deserved that carrot cake! After all that stress about Chad's job, you needed a bit of something good:)

And congrats on your cholesterol and BMI! Two out of three is NOT that bad!
On the crappy BP, UGH! I hear you! I get so frustrated! But yours could be related to the stress you've been under with Chad's job search and stuff? All my doc keeps saying is watch the salt, cook from scatch and avoid the canned foods:( I track my sodium on SP and I'm usually right around my max limit of 2300 mg My doctor said I need to keep it lower than that. So have you ever cooked dried beans? They take all damn day and night! Like who has that kind of time! Plus I'd probably just add more salt to the recipe so it would taste the same as the salty canned bans (or what ever the canned food may be). But I guess I do need to try harder:(

Well have a wonderful Monday, and week!

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2/1/10 1:16 A

omg! i've been MUSIC OBSESSED lately. downloading, listening, rearranging, adding/deleting. i could run a marathon and not hear the same song twice on my stupid workout playlist. lol. well, i couldn't run it, but someone who runs marathons sure could. heh, heh. it's over 6.5 hours long. dumb thing. but, it's been SO FUN to make. my diet coke habit has finally paid off -- i used all my coke points to get free music. still mad they don't have "fame" from the recent movie on napster. might have to pay cash money for that one. katy perry's on there tho'. 3 times. sassy girl. haven't committed to burn them to discs yet. want to make sure i have all my ducks in a row before i hit the burn button. i keep tweaking.... tweaking the ducks.... *giggle*

lawdy, it's been forever since i updated. hmmm. doesn't seem like anything has really changed ... eating fine; exercising fine. tried a sweet potato recipe that i didn't think was that great. i've tried sweet potatoes two different ways now and haven't been that impressed on either occasion. my bff says if i don't like them, i'm not making them right. lol. then she called me a "food sissy." i am tho'. i admit it. i'm pretty picky and unadventurous with my food. i ate asparagus that same night and couldn't choke that stuff down. chad sautéed asparagus, mushrooms and onions in olive oil and garlic. it looked pretty, but it tasted like poo. *shudder* my 6yo was laughing at me. i must've made some crinkly faces. lol. hubby loved it though. he cleaned his plate that night.

i've been a running slacker. going to jazzercise a'plenty, but can't get my butt on the treadmill to run for nothin'. i put on my ipod and i want to dance, not run. *sigh* 5k is two months away. i've decided WHEN i run it, i'm running it to finish, not to finish quickly. i'm fine with that. chad still claims he's running it with me, so we can push each other toward the goal these next few months.

chad starts his new job tomorrow. looking forward to getting back into a routine. admitting here that i ate a piece of celebratory carrot cake tonight. what was that i said earlier about my eating being fine?? oh well. he only gets a new job once every 5 years or so.

oh, oh -- went to a health fair thingy at work. had my weight/blood pressure/labs checked.
my weight there: 163. bmi = 24.8. HEALTHY!!!!!
cholesterol is down 25 points!!!!
blood pressure: 140/80. BOO!!!

wtf? it was better when i was fat and lazy. (118/73 last march.) thought it might've been a fluke so i had a nurse recheck it when i was at work on friday. 134/89. DAMN. grrr. so, weight/bmi and cholesterol have shown improvement, but the blood pressure has gotten worse. just took it again with chad's wrist cuff - 137/87. NOT GOOD. now i know the frustration you feel, karen. i'm not even sure what to do with this information? call my doc? keep an eye on it? eat less salt? no clue....

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1/29/10 10:10 A

Hello Staci! Just checking in on ya. I was sick earlier this week but will try to get those CD's burned this weekend:) Last night on the treadmill I was the drummer from Kiss! Head banging and drumming on my control panel:) That was fun till I hurt my shoulder and almost fell off the treadmill! I was also Bono live in concert and Katy Perry, kissin' a girl

Hope all is well! Have a great weekend

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1/27/10 11:10 A

I don't know how I missed your reply here Staci! Stupid e-mail reminders

YAY! about Chad's new job! What a load off right?

Glad you don't think I'm weird though! I don't actually have groin pain while running. I pulled a groin muscle last summer and have no idea how I did it, could have been from running or something else (most of my injuries happen when I'm NOT exercising?). Anyways it still bothers me from time to time and mostly at night when I'm trying to sleep. AND get this it's better when I'm working out more often? WTF? But I need to make sure I do my warm ups and stretches to keep from re-injuring it. The ankles haven't been bad for a very long time though.

Good luck getting those shins back in shape!

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1/22/10 4:57 P

oh, and karen, i don't think you're weird. you RUN ... successfully. i'm jealous of however you get it done.

how on earth do you get groin pain while running? now, that's weird.

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1/22/10 4:55 P

chad received his "letter." get this -- it came by EMAIL. all that stress for all of those days when they could've hit "send" and ended it all. pfft.

anyway, offer was good. he starts on february 1st. *whew* load off our minds.....

must make this a speedy post. gotta get ready for work.

yes, btw, it likely is shin splints. probably from trying to do too much too quickly. body slows you down if you try to do that, eh?

and = round carbs diet. sign me up too!! *grin*

ok, gotta go.

just, YAY! wanted to share with ya'll.

Edited by: MOM2AEDNROW at: 1/22/2010 (16:59)

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1/21/10 12:34 P

Ya it sounds like shin splints to me too. www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/
front/lowerleg/shinsplints.htm en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_splints
Here are a couple links I found on it. I've usually had problems with my ankles or groin muscles so I don't know what to do about shins:(

Hmm the pizza and cookie diet! Where do I sign up!? That's awesome you are down another pound and that people are noticing! Warm fuzzies are the best:)

As for boring, I hate the treadmill too. Good music and an interval training plan is usually how I combat the treadmill boredom. Call me a freak but I'm going to tell you this anyways! I usually mouth the words to the songs and sometimes daydream that I'm in one of those sports themed movies and I'm racing and the song I'm listening too is like the Rocky song during the triumphant part of the movie where the guy/girl wins it all. LMFAO! Or sometimes I'm on American Idol and I'm singing really well (ok and NO I don't sing well!) but daydreams help out a lot. Changing the speed or incline every few minutes makes the time go by faster too. Running outside is the best though! The sunshine, fresh air, scenery, and yes I daydream and mouth the songs outside too but there is more distraction from the running part outside:)

Now that you think I'm a big weirdo! I will pray your mailman gets there soon!

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1/21/10 12:09 P

I am not a runner but one of my sparkbuddies, ITSHOWYOULIVE, is. She has been talking a lot lately about struggling with shin splints. That could be what you are getting. I hope not because it sounds like a real - um, shall we say - challenge.
Athletes eat a lot of carbs. Athletes are athletic. Maybe carbs are what make you exercise and be fit. Thats it! This whole low carb thing is just a conspiracy by the MAN to keep us all pudgy and downtrodden. Yeah. that's it.

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1/21/10 11:52 A

HEY!! glad you found my journal!! we've been partying for a while now. *hiccup* don't think we're going anywhere..... stick around. we're livin' it up here on the journals.....

chad still hasn't received his confirmation letter. as he understands it, it went out yesterday. i don't typically wait for the mailman, what with him generally bringing me bills and junk, but i'll be waiting on him today. i hope the mail moves that fast? i suppose it could be tomorrow. gah! he needs to know soon. they just cut my hours at work and i don't work that many hours to begin with. a steady paycheck will come in handy.....

i'm pretty sure the cookies and pizza started a chain reaction. down ANOTHER pound. i really don't get it, but i'll take it. doesn't it seem like it happens this way?? you eat well, you exercise - you plateau. then you eat a bunch of crap and you lose weight. so strange. i would think i wasn't eating enough calories to begin with, but i'm still having struggles with my evening snacking, so i'm sure i'm getting plenty. *sigh* not bad stuff, still with the cereal and toast. i must be a carb vampire - sucking the cheerios box dry after dark. must reign in the carb vampire.....

i stood in the front row at jazzercise on tuesday. we had the skinny, peppy instructor and i ROCKED IT OUT! i think being in the front row had something to do with it - one, she's looking right at me; two, the rest of the class is looking right at me. had four separate people approach me after jazzercise to comment on how good i looked. even got a hug from one gal - a gal who's jazzercising in her 70s, i might add. random people in other departments at work are making comments about my weight loss too. no hugs from them yet, but that's ok. lol. gives me warm fuzzies when people notice.

still trying to stay motivated for this 5k in april. i talked to my husband last night and he's still game for doing it with me. i'm trying to figure out what i'm doing wrong. my shins hurt ALL DAY (especially the right one) and really hurt when i'm trying to run. what's weird is, it doesn't feel like the muscle. i don't feel like i can stretch it. what am i doing wrong, runner girls? i really want to do this stupid 5k, since i set it as a goal, but i'm not having much fun preparing for it. is running always boring or just when it's on the treadmill? ugh.

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1/21/10 9:42 A

I just discovered this - what is it? - community journal. I wondered why you had not posted any blogs or anything for so long. As usual, where ever the party is at, I am somewhere else.

WAIT! guys! don't leave! Come back. Guys?

Anyway, now that I know where you are I will be checking in now and then (if that is ok)

Congratulations on your husbands job promotion/change (just caught the end of that one) I hope that works out well for you'all. It doesn't mean you have to leave the big O does it?

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1/19/10 11:10 A

OMG YAY for Chad! That is sooooooooo awesome!

As for you, sorry you are still in Grumpsville. Me too:( I like Andrea's philosophy on how to get into Happyville though!

That's funny (but GOOD) you lost a pound! Maybe it's water retention fading? Maybe your body forgot how to process the cookies and they no longer hold a caloric value for you?! Ah wouldn't that be nice:) I might have to daydream about that sometime today:) Have a good one Staci!

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1/18/10 4:41 P

I hope the offer is everything you guys want and more!!!! Have fun celebrating!!!!

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1/18/10 2:59 P

LOL. ain't that the truth!

chad came home discouraged about the interview. he was telling me how awful it was when he got a call that they were planning to offer him the job.

it's going through human resources now for an offer/benefits determination. he was told to expect a confirmation letter and offer in the mail soon.

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!

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1/18/10 2:18 P

Well if we drink enough in Grumpsville we will enter Happyville without even having to get off our bar stools....lol!!

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1/18/10 1:18 P

oh, that was me too, andrea. many times over.

the husband is at his interview, so i'm catching up on sp. can i just say -- bodies are SOOOOOOOOO weird. after sitting at a plateau for what seems like forever and then proceeding to go on a "screw it" pizza and cookie bingefest over the weekend, with only one bit of exercise in there, i weigh in this morning and i've lost a pound. wtf?!

i was terrible over the weekend. pretty sure i consumed my weight in cookies. how do you lose a pound when you consume your weight in cookies?!?! very confusing.

starting off the week right though. went to jazzercise this morning. got the kids doughnuts, but i passed them up. they actually smelled like lard to me. *gag* yay for doughnuts becoming unappetizing!! now i just have to work on pizza, cookies and french fries becoming unappetizing. those still have serious appeal.

i'm still grumpy. how long does pms last?! eesh. starting a tab in grumpsville....

(in the above, i'm using the emoticon to represent an alcoholic beverage, NOT a hand weight. just to clarify.... lol.)

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1/18/10 12:15 P

I just re-read what I wrote and the part that said,"...as a smoker, non-smoker and smoker again..." that was me, not you

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1/18/10 12:13 P

Are we all having drinks in Grumpsville? Cause I am there with you guys. Actually I just realized you guys posted that 3 days ago so hopefully I am sitting alone and you guys have moved on to Happyville!!! Good luck to your husband and good luck to you staying on track. You can do this!!! Congrats on the non-smoking. I think you should do the promotional video. When you film it you will be a non-smoker and that's what counts. Present, not past, not future, PRESENT.....You deserve the limelight and as a smoker, non-smoker, and a smoker again, you have to live in the moment and not look forward or back. You are a non-smoker if you are not smoking or living your life wishing you were. You are FREE and there isn't a better feeling than that in the world. You killed the monster and people deserve to see your beautiful face telling them that they can have freedom, too. How empowering for you. Having said all this I am an impulsive, attention seeking person so Karen's philosophy may be more on the money. Either way, regardless of what you choose, you are awesome!!!

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1/15/10 9:54 A

Staci you have company in Grumpsville! I sure woke up there today. Got on the scale. Not one fraction of a pound difference! I ate well and exercised all week for that? I'm cranky and there is no heat at work! Blah! I think it might be the hormones I'm taking but they didn't seem to affect me the first 2 days. I'll tell ya cheerios, cheese and crackers and an orange are not the worst items you could binge on. Thank goodness PMS only lasts several days!

Congratulations on being a non-smoker!!!!!!!! You should be so proud of yourself! That is like the hardest thing EVER! If you want my two cents, and I know you didn't ask for them but here they are anyways! I'd be nervous to do a promotional video at 2 months. It would really put pressure on me not to ever smoke again because then people who saw that video might say "what, she's smoking again after that video she made?" I'm just that kind of person though. For some it might motivate them more, for me it would just make me feel pressure, even though I'd never plan to smoke again anyways. I'm not sure I could ever do a weight loss video either. Then I'd worry about every little pound like people would be judging me:(

I will pray your husband gets the job! At three interviews he must be a very strong candidate. I'd bet they are only interviewing 2 people a third time. Fingers crossed for him!

Also fingers crossed that your weekend is better than your week has been.

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1/15/10 1:14 A

i'm crabby. it wasn't anything anyone did or said ... and, it's EVERYTHING anyone did or said. i think i'm just pms'ing. i don't know. i was so on fire for a while there and then, grumpsville.

i ate french fries on tuesday night. there. i said it. pulled right off the road into the mcdonalds drive thru like it was no big deal -- at 11:30pm. i've hit a plateau with my weight and i was in a "screw it" mood. yesterday i recouped and did fine with the food and today i did ok too - until 9pm, then all bets were off. cheerios. cheese and crackers. an orange. it wouldn't be SOOO awful if it were actual servings of said items. but, not so. i ate more than my fair share, let's say. crazy munch attack.

i did exercise yesterday and today. that's something. did the treadmill during the (dvr'd) biggest loser yesterday; jazzercise today. tomorrow, i don't see any particular activity happening. i'm babysitting for a friend during the day and then working in the evening. we're having a going away party for a coworker at work tomorrow night. i'm in charge of cookies. marvelous. *sigh*

chad has ANOTHER interview for that same job on monday. this will be his third. and, he has a meeting with the gal arranging said interviews tomorrow afternoon to prep him for the monday interview. WTF?! he better get this stupid job ... and it better pay well ... and he better like it, cuz this is ridiculous. on the bright side, he does have lots of new interview clothes/shoes and a shiny new laptop to present his portfolio electronically. if he doesn't get this job, he'll certainly be prepared for the next one that rolls around. (trying to find a silver lining. i'm not really this chipper about it....)

had my final meeting with the smoking cessation counselor yesterday. got a certificate to prove i'm an official non-smoker. she actually asked me if i would do a promotional video for the quit smoking program for the company. i'm honored, but i'm nervous as hell. frankly, doesn't it seem a bit self-righteous to tell people "i've quit; you can too!" when i haven't even been smoke free for 2 months? after a year or so, sure, but it's only been a handful of weeks.

see. told ya. grumpsville.

gonna try to push through. pms is temporary. i'll keep telling myself that.

oh, and, yes, someone owes me $2.

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1/12/10 11:16 A

Ok I'll keep checking for something here on the 17th A lot of the races pop up at the last minute I've noticed.

Well great job getting some exercise in being snowbound! We got a measly inch and a half again yesterday. And I must be spoiled because I was ticked because I had to clean my car off 3 times in 24 hours.

I will be praying your hubby hears GOOD news very soon! So did you win that $2? I would guess yes if your hubby is anything like mine.

Have fun at your photo session Friday! And stay warm out there!

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1/12/10 11:11 A

You are doing awesome, Staci!!!! Smoke free for more than a month....That in of it's self is a huge accomplishment but over 30 lbs lost as well, you are an inspiration!!! (When I quit smoking I GAINED over 30 lbs) GOOD FOR YOU, KEEP IT UP!!!!!

I am so sorry that you have all those snow days, with your kids home....That is truly a tragedy. We have like an inch on the ground and haven't had a single snow day since Dec/08. Course now that I have mentioned that we will get dumped on...lol

Keep going, get your phone, run the marathon and wear that bathing suit, a whole new you for 2010!!!

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1/11/10 11:19 P

the 5k here is on april 17th. i think? it's a saturday, if that helps. don't have a calendar handy. (hiding in the dark at a secluded computer at work. shhh.)

ran/walked today since chad took the 4-wheel drive to the job interview. i can't get my stupid van out of the driveway/neighborhood to go to jazzercise with all the packed snow all over the place. not to mention the drift he hasn't cleared from the bottom of the driveway from the city's recent plowing effort. i took it sorta easy on the treadmill. my shins are bugging me. did 45 minutes there. didn't feel done and was already sweaty, so i did the day 1 'spark your body' bootcamp video and the strength training spark recommended for the day. maybe i'll keep the bootcamp up? it was a pretty short video. *shrug*

the food is back on track today. i brought a frozen meal to work, but chad emailed me a picture of his dinner: a pork chop and asparagus sautéed with olive oil and garlic. it did look good. way better than my smart ones swedish meatballs. $2 says his mess is still in the kitchen when i get home though. *grumble*

have a date for an "not quite after" photo session this friday. my friend said she'd take pictures of me for my spark page. we may also compare stretch marks. sounds like a grand ol' time. lol.

the hubby's interview went well. now he waits.... *sigh* i hate waiting.....

i better sneak back to my desk and keep working before i'm missed. later gators....

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1/11/10 2:37 P

BTW Staci do you have a date for your 5K in April? So far the only one around here is April 25th and it's the day after the Carrie Underwood concert hubby got me tickets for! AHG! I'm not sure running a race at 8 am after staying out kinda late is going to be a good thing? I hope they will add more as time goes on. Let me know your date and I'll see if they schedule something here:)

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1/11/10 11:25 A

Wow your kids are off school a lot! They must have a lot of summer days to make up for that? And don't feel too bad about your lack of swim suit/tank top wearing. Until last summer it had been since 2002 that I'd put on a swim suit! Hmmm that's about 7 years! I'm with you on the crappy winter weather. I can not WAIT for some nice spring/summer weather!

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1/11/10 1:27 A

i've gotta earn that droid, missl. 50 pounds i've gotta lose. but, i was planning to lose it anyway. just threw out, "hey, honey, if i hit 50 pounds lost, can i get a droid?" and he agreed. silly boy. lol. i really want the iphone, but the actual phone service sucks here. way too many dead zones. *grumble*

a quickie on the weekend ... as in, a quick description of my weekend ...

no jazzercise. no running. upper body strength today, but no cardio. ate pizza tonight. didn't minimize the damage with the pizza. oink. bought some new exercise clothes. think i'm taking the pants back. they seem a bit too tight for my comfort level. ate lunch at panera. made good choices and came in around 400 cals. not terrible, but not my best weekend ever.

tomorrow's a new day....

hubby has a job interview in the morning. fingers crossed.....

Edited by: MOM2AEDNROW at: 1/11/2010 (01:32)

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1/9/10 8:05 P

Hope you like the new Droid!! I have the TMobile My Touch which also uses the Android software. Took some time, but I finally started enjoying it!

Keep up the great work as you continue your journey!!!!

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1/9/10 12:59 A

i can't wait until this crappy winter is over, mel. i'm gonna put on a swim suit this summer, dang it. that's the plan. i haven't worn one in, pfft, i can't even remember? 3 years? maybe 4? and tank tops. i might even put on a tank top. it's been years for that too. maybe i'll be sitting pool side with my new DROID cell phone.....

i need to get someone to take pics of me. i'm usually the one BEHIND the camera - or, i simply avoid being in front of the lens. those "pics worth 1000 words" were taken by my sister-in-law. a scrapbooker. great. my fat, "before" pics are in my niece's scrapbooks. and the one i posted on spark isn't even the worst one. ugh.

i asked a friend if she would take pics of me on wednesday. she's coming back to spark, so i offered to take pics of her too. (stefkeator, mel. you know her. *grin*) if she's not game, i'll have one of my kids or hubby take them.

no school again today - no school for the past 3 days, in case i didn't mention it. no school meant no jazzercise. again. i did some lady's cardio/strength workout on our cable's on-demand feature. it was a definite workout, but it wasn't nearly as fun as jazzercise. i found myself clock watching and wishing it were over. got kinda boring. but, i did the entire thing, and it included strength intervals, so i'm glad i did it. we'll see what tomorrow brings. it's still kinda crummy out. maybe i'll run again? took yesterday off. don't think i mentioned that?

sorry about the emoticon misuse. lol. i wasn't drunk or hungover at jazzericise. i promise.

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1/7/10 1:01 P

LOL I do use that emoticon for a "hangover" type posting but it could be a dumbbell too!

Is that ticker correct Staci! Have you lost 33 pounds?! Where are the progress pics missy!!!!! That is so awesome! And another pound down, I'm so jealous! (that's me being GREEN!)

And now I feel guilty for whining about the 3-6 inches of snow we are getting right now and through tomorrow. I would go insane being snowed in as much as you have this winter.

I always, always, always have to change the speed and incline on the treadmill often when I'm using it. I get so bored otherwise. The time goes by much faster if I'm messing with the buttons every minute or every other minute.

BTW I never congratulated you on being smoke free for a whole month! What a great accomplishment:)

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1/7/10 12:56 P

Looks like a martini to me....mmm...sounds like fun on a snow day. Hanging out inside, having a few, 'sigh'. I think I've seen Andrea use that one a few times signifying a hangover, hehee.

Look at that little turtle go! 166 pounds??? Are ya kiddin' me? Must feel pretty good down there in the 160's. Haven't seen that weight myself for a loooong time. And you just keep losing! Just think, Staci, when we finally dig ourselves out of this crappy winter, you'll be looking amazing.

Keep it up...even if you do have to suffer through the skinny bitch teaching jazzercise...'guh'.

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1/7/10 12:42 P

wait ... upon closer inspection, is that emoticon i used to express a tough workout struggling to lift a weight or a martini?! oh dear....

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1/7/10 12:40 P

we're in the midst of another blizzard-ish situation. -30 wind chill. blowing and drifting snow. kids out of school again, yesterday and today. this is just ridiculous. it's getting on my nerves.

went to jazzercise on tuesday because i knew this stupid storm was coming. the class kicked my butt. had a new instructor. a cute little thing. probably could've picked her up and tossed her without much effort. she was just bouncing around the stage, all chipper and glowing. meanwhile, i was huffing and puffing and red as a beet ... and, not chipper. i made it through the class, but it was difficult. my thighs and abs were not too happy with me. the workout felt considerably more challenging than the previous day's run. never would've thought that would happen. not in a million years....

yesterday, i hopped on the treadmill and walked for an hour. i had to use my ipod since hubby was home working. i adjusted the speed based on the beat of the music. if it was fast, i sped up but lowered the incline to 2. if it was slower, i slowed my pace, but upped my incline to 7. made it more fun/amusing. *shrug*

food has been going pretty well. i made a low fat cheeseburger pie from sparkrecipes last night. it was actually REALLY good. of course, i tweaked it a bit, but i get lots of ideas for recipes off that spark feature. tonight, sweet potato fries are on the menu. we'll see how that goes.....

changed my ticker to reflect my actual weight. *gulp* weighed myself again this morning so it would be accurate. was down another pound, so that's exciting. i'll keep pluggin' along....

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1/5/10 11:40 A

Staci that is fabulous! 3.25 miles! I'll bet you burned butt loads of calories too! Ya I meant that literally too:) I felt very self conscious when I first started running outside too. But honestly after about 2 blocks I sink into my own world. I don't even think about if my flabby butt is jiggling up and down and grossing out the drivers passing me by or whether people might actually be able to hear my awful lip sinking to the songs on my MP3. I will say though it's harder physically to run outside. If you put your treadmill on a 1.0 incline that is supposed to condition you for outside running but it is still a bit tougher. I can't imagine folks running in underwear either so you must take some pictures and post them! When I ran my 5K last summer a guy ran it with a 40 pound bag of dog food on his back! He was raising money for animal shelters and finished the race in like 45 minutes! Not bad for having an extra 40 pounds on ya:)

The only complaint my hubby has about the Droid is that sometimes people say he sounds like he's in a tunnel if he's not on speaker phone? He said some of the reviews mentioned that too but he doesn't seem to care about that at all. He LOVES the stupid thing! Ya and he takes embarrassing videos of ME on it!

I think the weather out there in Nebraska is def suckier than ours here! Man you get a lot of snow! They are getting 2-3 feet just two hours east of here and an hour north of here but it usually misses us. We got like an inch.

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1/5/10 1:52 A

dang. i wish i was sleeping better. of course, it would probably help if i would go to bed before 1am. *rolls eyes* that and my husband snores. loudly. the ambien knocks me out so i don't have to listen ... and get annoyed and resentful. i haven't taken an afternoon nap in several days though. that's progress. of course, that also means less actual sleep in any given day. i'm a wreck where sleep is concerned. my last big hurdle.....

i ran/walked on the treadmill for 3.25 miles today. did it in 42 minutes. that's not real quick, but i'm pleased with it as a first effort at that distance. i'm not gonna know what to do with myself when i have to actually run outside. i've only ever done it on the treadmill. (running, that is. sickos. *wink*) i'm still not very confident in my ability to run out in the world ... even fully clothed. lol. people can see you out there. makes me all self-conscious even to think about it. hopefully as i build more endurance, the courage will build too.

this weather is stupid. another snow storm followed by 30 below wind chills?! fantastic. pfft. hoping to get to jazzercise tomorrow since i'm not sure i'll make it any other day this week. not even sure the kids will have school every day this week. dammit. they need to get back to their routine too. they're driving each other (and me) nuts.

mel, i can't jump rope for the exact reason you cited. pee my pants with every jump. which is unfortunate since jumping rope burns quite a few calories. can you believe that undy 500? i may have to go just to see it in action. i find it hard to believe? running in your underwear? now that's courage....

sign up for a race, karen! we can cheer for each other. it'll be fun. your hubby got the droid?! be sure to tell me if there are any bugs or deal breakers. i want my 50 pound prize to be a good one!

everyone stay warm this week!!

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1/5/10 12:03 A

Hmm...running in my underwear...that just ain't gonna fly. I practically have to wear a diaper as it is just to cough. I might look pretty silly in my sports bra and Depends! I would love to do some kind of race, though. Just thinking about working out again has me all a'flutter.

The more I come to Spark, the more motivated I get to eat better (even now through my doughnut haze), and do what I can to make sure I don't gain too much more weight. I'm so glad you are sticking it out, Staci. Smoke free, exercising, over 30 pounds lost...sheesh! Are you sleeping any better these days? With all these changes in your life, I hope that's one that has improved, too.

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1/4/10 3:54 P

OMG the "undy 500!" That sounds so funny! I don't think we have anything like that here but I can check. The Glass City Marathon is in April here every year but there is a 5K and some other events along with it. Just not sure of the date yet. Let's here it for gift cards! I love them! I prefer to shop for my own stuff, although I got GREAT stuff this year from my family and hubby:) I'm feeling your motivation Staci! Keep it going! My hubby got a Droid and he loves it, can't get him off of it though!

3 cheers for January normalcy!

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1/3/10 11:52 P

i'm here! i'm here! i'm stumbling around looking for my lost routine, but i'm here. the stupid weather, and a trip to the land of butter, cheese and gravy threw me off my groove, but i'm here.

i weighed in today and was actually surprised to see a tiny loss. not sure exactly how that happened? i didn't do anything to deserve it. i think i've only exercised twice in the last 2 weeks and my eating has been, um, frequent and negligent. i'll consider it a belated christmas gift and accept it with grace and gratitude ... but, i'm still confused by it. bodies are strange. *sigh*

i'm so freakin' close to "healthy weight" bmi. just a few more pounds. i wanna get there by the end of the month. that's my january goal. and, i think it's realistic and attainable. my husband also agreed to let me get a droid cell phone if i lost 50 pounds total. a little more long term, but that's definitely something to work toward. that would put me squarely in the middle of healthy weight bmi. and, i think that's attainable too what with the spousal challenge and the promise of a prize and all. while i'm thinking on weight, i think i might change my ticker to show my weight versus my total loss. it's the more brave ticker; the one that shows your weight. i'll make that a january goal too. just so i can check another "goal met" off my list.

anyway, it's january. not that i'm really into new year's resolutions, but the calm after the holiday storm, and the fact that the 5k is 4 months away, has stoked my energy. it's gonna feel good to get back into a routine again. and, i got some gift cards to get new sports' bras, socks and exercise pants. two new spark t-shirts came in the mail last week too. (got them with a gift card too.) the running shoes are ready. the ipod is full. the jazzercise class card is shiny and new for 2010. i'm ready. bring it, january....

you let me know if you find a 5k in your area, karen. would be fun to do it virtually together ... even though we're physically apart. there's actually a 5k in august here called the "undy 500." it's to promote awareness for colorectal cancer. participants are encouraged to run in their underwear. you wanna do that one, melanie? cuz although i wouldn't run it with you, i'd sure come and cheer you on. and take pictures. *poo eating grin*

p.s. one month smoke free as of yesterday.

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12/22/09 11:43 A

Wow Staci! You sound so motivated and happy! I'm lovin' it! (not to be confused with McDonald's!). You know I should sign up for another 5K in April too:) What day is yours maybe I can find one on the same day here. That would be fun, and would maybe motivate me to get back on track.

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12/21/09 11:14 A

Reading about your progress, Staci....'sniff, sniff'...so jealous! Why can't we be on the same road together? We live in the same freaking town! We could be running, and running, and running with our shiny new shoes giving us fabulous, "I worked for these blisters" blisters!

In all seriousness, I am so happy for your progress. It wasn't long ago I was sending you emails asking, "Staci...are you out there? Come back to Spark..." And you did! And look at you, 30+ pounds lighter already. Yay, you!

When I'm ready to start sparking again, you'll already be a skinny minnie, running 5k's, past your goal weight, and I'll be the one trying to catch up. Ah, well, the important thing is you are on a roll, girlie. And during the depressing Omaha winter! The only roll I'm on is the contest to find the best tasting doughnuts in town. Mmmmm....doughnuts. They won't leave me alone this pregnancy.

Staci running??? Woah.

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12/21/09 10:08 A

30.4 pounds, baby!!

and, another inch off the waist AND the hips!!

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12/19/09 10:46 P

finally got to go to jazzercise this morning. it was a FABULOUS class. i channeled my inner jillian and got through the entire class at high intensity -- meaning, i didn't wimp out by just going through the motions halfway through a routine. my abs were tight, my butt was clenched, my arms were strong. i felt AMAZING. so good, in fact, i bought some lady at the bus stop a hot chocolate to share my happiness with someone. lol.

later i put on jeans (the same jeans that only recently fit me that are a little loose in the waist now, i might add) and asked my husband how my ass looked while parading back and forth in front of his football game. *giggle* for the record, he thought it looked pretty good.

i bought running shoes today. went to the running store and laid down my credit card. walked out with some shiny new mizunos. that's my christmas present to myself. my husband bought himself a pair too - slightly larger and off the men's wall, to be clear. we ARE signing up for the 5k in april. also a christmas present - mine to him and his to me.

i'm hesitantly down another pound too. not logging it until i see it one more time, but it's lookin' like a serious possibility. woo hoo!

today was good. sparkalicious, even....

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12/19/09 1:38 A

wow, karen. i never thought of that - i AM a different person. a BETTER person; a HEALTHIER person. that's a good way to start a year!! while many people approach new year's day with the dread of healthy resolutions, i already have a head start. i just need to keep doing what i'm doing. woo hoo!

sick child again today meant no jazzercise. boo. going tomorrow for sure. the husband will be home to watch the kids, sick or no. i'm looking forward to going. there's a new song list which means new routines! yay!

happy weekend! christmas is next week! can you believe it?!?!?!

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12/18/09 11:26 A

LOL Staci if I weren't at work I would scream! It really sucks to be a stepmom and have a B*TCH of a custodial mom:( Especially at Christmas:(

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12/18/09 10:43 A

Sending you some STRENGTH! But wow what an update! I am so happy for you that the quitting smoking is going so well! I've seen my mom try to quit and struggle so many times, I know how hard it can be. Just think, you will be beginning the new year as a totally different person than last year! 30 pounds lighter, a non-smoker, an exerciser (and now a runner!) and a healthy eater! So totally cool:)

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12/18/09 12:46 A

blog slacker, checking in with a quick update before i hit the shower....

food: meh. i'd rather not discuss it.... it hasn't been super duper terrible, but it hasn't always been great. i let myself get talked into ordering pizza at work on monday night. i had brought food from home; food that would've kept me in calorie range, but i let it sit in the fridge while i noshed pizza. i did give my leftovers away so i wouldn't eat them, so that's something for me. generally, if i pay for it, i eat it, but i didn't wanna blow my calories out of the water the next day with leftover pizza.

exercise: not too bad. i went to jazzercise monday and tuesday. wednesday was absolutely jam packed with obligations, so i didn't do anything to speak of. today, i planned to go to jazzercise, but had a 6yo home with a fever. bummer. so, i actually put some of my running research to work on the treadmill. i did the run/walk interval. i only did 40 minutes, but i ran in 3 minute chunks! and, i never manually turned down the speed in the middle of said chunks!! (HUGE for me!!) i didn't do *too* bad with the running technique. i was definitely doing it wrong before, and i can tell the difference. hard to believe it takes practice to run, but i'll just keep at it. fwiw, i credit my spark friends with giving me the desire to run. you make it actually sound fun. maybe someday it'll be fun for me too!

smoking: pfft. easy peasy, lemon squeezy. if i had known the chantix would be my miracle drug, i would've done it YEARS ago. the desire is just gone. GONE. and, the counseling sessions have been great too. she always makes me feel so good about my progress when i talk to her. not just progress with not smoking, but with all the healthy changes i'm trying to make. i totally pimped out sparkpeople and encouraged her to mention it to the company's wellness committee. really, i'd love to BE on the wellness committee. of course, i'm not the epitome of good health, nor to i work in a "wellness" job, so that may be an issue. *shrug* i'll have to ask her more about it next tuesday when we meet again. i think it would help solidify my commitment to better health all around.

oh, here's another interesting development -- my diet coke consumption has dropped from 2 liters (plus) a day to one glass a day with dinner. the quitting sure makes a difference with this issue. i could never smoke without a diet coke in one hand and a cigarette in the other. now that i'm not smoking, the "need" for constantly accessible diet coke is gone. woo hoo! it was somewhat unintentional, but i'm glad for it nonetheless. my water consumption has increased dramatically.

weight: lost a pound. i've got .4 to go to hit my ticker weight. my energy and enthusiasm seems to be improving somewhat, so i'm hoping i can drop it and push past it. we'll see what christmas brings. i know i'm not baking anything, but i guarantee i'll be confronted with the christmas yummies before all is said and done. *sigh* give me strength........

must shower and hit the bed. i'm guessing i won't be able to do jazzercise again tomorrow. rowan went to bed with the same fever he woke up with. the kids are off for winter break for 2 weeks after tomorrow. give me MORE strength........

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12/14/09 10:37 A

I always want to veg when I'm snowed in too. I could use the time to clean or organize or exercise but for some reason snuggling up on the couch like it's a sick day is much better! But good for you for getting to jazzercise! Twice a week is better than nothing:) I have 3 eating events this week:( But I will be trying to have small portions! ugh:(

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12/11/09 1:44 P

i'm not even sure how many we get in a year, karen? i've never even thought to count. i do know it's unusual for us to get three days off of school. it's usually one. maybe 2 if it's bad. it took them to the third day my street plowed, so we were pretty well snowed in for the full three days. i wore the same pair of sweatpants every day. the lock down likely contributed to my sluggishness. when i know i can't go anywhere, i just wanna go back to bed or lounge on the couch all day ... and that's pretty much what i did. for three days. ugh.

i got out of the house today though! i actually went to jazzercise for the first time since monday. had to force myself a little bit, but i'm glad i went. it was good to get out in the world again. the bright as hell, white, snowy world....

trying hard to be good with food today. it's only lunch time, but so far it's going well. we order in at work on fridays. will be sure to check the nutrition info before ordering. promise.

we need to come up with a list of coping skills, eh? fwiw, my bathroom does have a lock. and, i've used that one ... more than once.

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12/10/09 11:54 A

Your FIRST blizzard? How many do you get a year out there in Nebraska? We usually get about 3 big storms per season but almost none are considered blizzards. Our average is 2-4 inches for a snowfall and 6-8 for a big storm. Isn't it ironic how you despise snow days and children relish them?

Sounds like you are in a bit of a funk:( But 1.4 pounds could be water weight or something and could drop off in one day even! Not bad at all ya know:)

Well I'm a non smoker and one thing I used to do to destress- EAT! I try not to do that anymore;) But alas, occasionally I do binge due to stress or depression. Or I drink beer, I'm lacking good coping skills here! You could always go to the bathroom and read an article in a magazine? The bathroom is sometimes the only private room in the house! Does yours have a lock? I do think exercise helps with stress but you can't do it each time you have a stressful moment. You could have a cup of tea and a piece of dark chocolate? You know, I really should come up with some good stress busters too!

Don't worry about your week of slacking. You'll bounce right back!

BTW awesome job with the week of not smoking!!!!!!!!!

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12/9/09 6:54 P

no school AGAIN tomorrow?! really?! what did i ever do to them?? *sigh* well, that means no jazzercise again tomorrow either. i really need to get my rear on the treadmill...... ugh.

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12/9/09 6:06 P

we had our first blizzard of the season yesterday. sucky. no school for the kids for the past two days. i think we got slightly less than a foot of snow, but the winds kicked up some serious drifts and shut everything down. that means no jazzercise for the past two days either. i'm so glad i hauled my sorry butt to class on monday morning. i hated it, and it was a crappy workout, but it was a workout nonetheless. my only workout this week, in fact. bah.

when i went to my smoking cessation counselor last week, she went on and on about how much energy i was gonna have quitting smoking, especially with my previously established exercise schedule. lemme tell ya, i'm BUSHED!! i could stop, drop and sleep at any given moment. so annoying.....

got on the scale this morning. i'm up 1.4 pounds. better than i anticipated considering my recent bout of laziness. did i mention monday's workout was the only workout in the past FIVE days? i think i failed to mention that... conveniently....

i got a nap this afternoon, and the day isn't over yet. maybe i'll take a cue from you, karen, and get up on the treadmill during the "glee" finale? i should. a bad/forced workout is still better than NO workout. *sigh*

when will this boundless energy kick in?!?!?!

on the positive news front, i've been a week smoke free. as far as that goes, things are going well. my homework for the smoking counselor this week is to determine what i will do as a non-smoker to de-stress. this is mainly concerning my temporary escapes from the chaos created by my kids. if they're fighting and loud and generally riding my last nerve, historically i would "go outside to get the mail." *cough*go out for a smoke to calm down lest i go whack-a-doodle on their crazy butts*cough* so, how do non-smokers keep from going whack-a-doodle?! i really don't know. earlier this week, my 2yo was screaming from his bedroom at 10:00 pm. he screamed for an hour. at one point i found myself in the basement sitting on the deep freeze with my head in my hands. there has to be something better than that??

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12/9/09 10:40 A

Hey just saw a pic of Omaha on MSN and I'm guessing your kids have a snow day today! Holy cow! We got lucky here. Two inches but turned to rain and all melted by today. Unfortunately 2 more inches and 50 mph winds tonight! Bleck! Stay warm!

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12/8/09 12:12 P

Staci I think there is a store called the piggly wiggly! Not around here but I think I've heard of it:) I'm so glad things are going so well for you and being a quitter! I'm quite sure I've gained a few pounds so I'd take a plateau right now. Concentrate on your quitting for now and you can blast off some more pounds after the holidays!

PS-I'm guessing crayons are calorie free. It's like colored wax right??? Dog might be on to something?

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12/4/09 1:56 P

i've been a journal slacker. bah. but, i've still been doing well with the eating and exercise. even came in at the low end of calories a couple days this week. *gasp* pretty well stuck as far as weight goes though. it's ok. plateaus happen. *shrug* i just had a big loss, so i can sit comfortably with that for a bit. (a BIT, mind you. *wink*)

right now i'm just trying to maintain my routine while quitting smoking. that's been my primary concentration recently. and, it's going surprisingly well. my quit date was december 2nd and i haven't looked back. granted, it's only december 4th, but in all the times i've quit, i've always looked back. right now, i don't miss it. in fact, i often find i've forgotten about it. the chantix is clearly helping. i know many people don't take it for the full three months as intended, but i plan to. i get it free through my employer, so i'll use that benefit to its full extent. i also had another counseling session with the smoking cessation gal. she was impressed by my exercise regime and is convinced that will help me too. that was the plan all along. *grin*

karen, isn't there a grocery store called piggly wiggly? what an unfortunate name for a store. unless it was a sock store. that would be cute.

melanie -- i'll try to give you something more current to read next time. lol.

good to see you both!!

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12/3/09 1:49 P

OMG a big belated WOO HOO on 25 pounds gone! And another 5?! Wow! Sorry I have been MIA here at spark. Had a lot going on, plus I've been a lazy daisy! And a piggly wiggly. Oink oink:)

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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12/2/09 10:01 P

Well, now I don't feel so bad for not journaling for weeks at a time...you guys are no better! Hope all is well and your turkey day was fabulous. Miss you!

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11/27/09 2:44 P

Good luck with the Chantix!!

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11/27/09 1:50 P

it's been a few days since i updated. things are going really well. i've been to jazzercise regularly. i've been making good food choices. i've been drinking more water. i started my chantix and have cut back on smoking. AND, i lost weight over thanksgiving! slightly over 5 pounds in the past 10 days. weird, but i'll take it. it puts me into the next "decade" of pounds! woo hoo!

i'm keep riding this "on the right track" wave for as long as i can.....

sorry for the quickie, but we've got family in town. must go to grandma's.....

hope everyone had a happy, healthy thanksgiving. *gobble, gobble*

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11/24/09 10:13 P

AWESOME JOB, STACI!!!! 25 lbs. GONE FOREVER!!!!!!!

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11/24/09 1:41 P

Staci! I am amazed! Last week this time, you were in the dumps, trying to stave off an eating binge. This week you have hit another goal and have taken two new steps to a better life. Awesome. Now go buy yourself some blinged-out running shoes. Make it fun.

My scale has stuck on 162 for three blessed weeks. I don't get it.

Edited by: WISECRICKET at: 11/24/2009 (13:41)

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11/24/09 12:48 P

cripes! i forgot one of the most exciting things --- 25 POUND LOSS!!

after a couple days of staying down there on the scale, i committed it to the ticker this morning. YAY!

current weight: 163.0

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Posts: 914
11/24/09 12:46 P

ooooh, that *does* sound like fun, andrea!!

couple of exciting things:

1. my husband has jumped on the 5k bandwagon. he downloaded the c25k program to his iphone and is getting running shoes today. i'm totally nervous because this COMMITS me to doing it. but, maybe that's what it'll take to get me to try something new ... and to succeed at it. adds a definite element of accountability, for sure. he seems pretty excited about it, which makes me excited too.

2. i met with the smoking cessation counselor today and picked up my chantix. i have homework to do for our next meeting and i'm really looking forward to working through my triggers, building alternatives and becoming an EX-smoker. i've quit SOOOOO many times. well, to be more accurate, i've STOPPED so many times. i need to QUIT. for good. i think the 5k goal will help with this and it'll be to my advantage that my husband has made it his goal as well. makes it more "set in stone" versus hot air/empty promises. fwiw, the counselor was ubber thrilled i was already involved with a fitness/nutrition plan. that's one hurdle i've already cleared. *grin*

tonight at work we're having buffalo wild wings to celebrate a coworker's birthday. i ordered the grilled chicken salad. even that is over 600 calories and 38 grams of fat. eesh. i did order it without croutons, easy on the cheese. that may help. and, maybe it's huge? in which case, i can eat half and save the rest for tomorrow. there are some restaurants that are pretty slim on their "healthy options." buffalo wild wings is one of them. pfft.

i'm so tired right now. went to the 5:45am jazzercise class since the counseling meeting was during my regular class time. i was so afraid i was gonna oversleep, i woke up shortly after 4am and never went back to sleep. nap time is gonna feel SOOOO good.

i better jump off the computer and get some cleaning done before nap time. chad's brother and sister-in-law are driving in from colorado springs tonight. need to scrape a layer of grime off my kitchen. *sigh* oh, something of note - my sil is going to jazzercise with me on thanksgiving morning. gotta burn some cals in the morning before the turkey feasting!


hope you all are having a marvelous tuesday! off to scrub my kitchen floor. blech.

current weight: 163.0

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Posts: 302
11/23/09 1:09 P

You are doing awesome, Staci!!! I wish we lived closer, too...cause I really want to run a 5 k too, after I figure out how to stop peeing myself, half way through. I am glad everything is working well for you and you are getting a grip on your night time feasting. I hear you on the smoking, too. I smoke a lot but I still remember how happy I was when I quit 2 years back. I hate smoking, I just wish I had the courage to quit. Last time I did, I gained 35lbs in 7 months. While I know I would make sure that didn't happen again, it scares me to think of all the stress without cigarettes (even though I know that smpking causes me stress too) It's all just stupid...Why can't me and all my SP friends be thin, smoke free, rich and happy?? Then we could just fly around the world in our private jets and meet each other for workouts and drinks...Now that sounds FUN!!!
Keep up the good work and remember what Jillian says: "Unless you faint or die, KEEP GOING", remember that when you are running your first mile!!!

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11/23/09 11:22 A

Ya I couldn't find the running link that starts from nothing. But I figured you had time to build to the 1.5 before April. I was always afraid to run outside too! Some days I still feel that way. But once I start I sink into my own little world and it's just me and my MP3 music:) I mouth all the words to the songs too! I'm quite sure some sound comes out with my breath too but I try to pretend it doesn't:) I wonder what folks driving by think when they see the crazy runner chick who sings to herself?

Great job with all your exercise last week by the way!!!

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11/22/09 11:57 A

oop... nevermind. found the program. duh.

(yes, a dopeslap, btw.)

current weight: 163.0

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Posts: 914
11/22/09 11:44 A

what's sad ... i'm more likely to weld than to iron. lol.

hadn't even considered the balance board? do you just stand on it? squat? oooh, wait ---- my computer sits on a high desk. i sit on a bar stool. wonder if i can stand on a balance board while on the compter?? oooooh. now you've got me thinkin'..... i'll have to measure. if i have to bend to type, that would piss me off. hmmm. i'll keep you posted.

i do have a stability ball, btw. the kids are MANIACS with it. it's an injury waiting to happen. ugh.

is that c25k a program? or, just a collection of links? why am i not seeing the program?

current weight: 163.0

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11/22/09 11:29 A

Oh. And try this:
http://www.c25k.com/
It assumes you are just sitting on your rear to start.

current weight: 162.0

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11/22/09 11:27 A

Oh, easy. I would get a fitness ball or an inflatable balance board. I bet you already have a ball, but you could use a balance board while you were doing anything. Well, maybe not when you are ironing. Or cooking. Or welding.

current weight: 162.0

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Posts: 914
11/22/09 10:50 A

ah, maine. i should visit sometime. without kids. although, if i came for a visit, i doubt we would do much running.....

i checked out the running link, karen. it assumes you can run 1.5 miles already, but there is a link to beginning running and how to build up to that. i'd probably have to start as a beginner. i'm not sure i could make 1.5 miles without collapsing. i asked my husband to do it with me. wish i had taken a picture of the look he gave me. LOL. so, guess he's out as a running partner.

i need some opinions, girls. i have a $20 gift certificate to the spark store. i have to use it by november 30. i already have the WOO HOO! shirt. i got it as a gift from sparkpeople from the marketing/PR department for helping to arrange that interview on our local news station. i'm not sure what else to get? i don't have a yoga mat, or i could always get more shirts. *shrug* i'm not sure? what would YOU get?? www.sparkpeoplestore.com/

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