Away From Desk (or lap, rather)

Breakfast: yogurt, 4 egg whites w/onion, mushrooms, turkey, muenster cheese, and sweet 'n' hot relish
Lunch: 2 turkey patties w/fat free American cheese; sauteed mixed veggies
Exercise: 30 minutes of cardio (stair stepper, elliptical, and treadmill) and upper body workout on Cybex weight-lifting machines
Snack: cameo apple
Dinner: no idea yet (I'll be at my parents' house)

My mom and I are throwing a baby shower for a very close family friend of ours on Saturday, so I am heading back to my hometown this evening to help prepare. I won't likely be able to keep up with blogging, but my mom got a new iPad for Christmas, so maybe I can sneak onto it when she goes to bed and update... We'll see!

I'm really hoping I can stick with the diet aspect while I'm away, because I know I won't be able to work out like I have been (we only got the local membership to the Y, so we can't go to YMCAs in other areas). Maybe I can convince my momma to go walking with me. I think I might take some of my own food down, just in case. I'm going to attempt to keep up with my calories on myfitnesspal.com, so if you're not following me there already, add me! Username = kayciechristine

It didn't dawn on me until last night that I won't be home for my first weigh-in with Biggest Loser (which is tomorrow morning, by the way), so I'm going to have to take my scale with me. I'm excited to see how much I've lost in the past 4 days!

I'm hoping to at least get online tomorrow to post weigh-in results, so until then, have a blessed Thursday and Friday!

Just Saying...

Just saying... I just read through several new posts about some of your weight loss journeys... And y'all are so inspirational! I was having kind of a weird-mood kinda night, and reading about your strength really uplifted my spirit. I am so happy to be back in the blog world and so blessed to have stumbled across each and every one of your blogs. I am so blessed by your words and I just wanted to thank you for opening up to myself and the whole blogosphere.

You are some truly phenomenal women! Thanks for being in my life, however indirectly it may be!

Goodnight and God bless!

The Not-So-Bad Dog Post

Breakfast: strawberry yogurt
Lunch: turkey chili
Exercise: 45 minutes cardio (treadmill, arc trainer, and bike machine); lower body workout on Cybex weight lifting machines; 20 minutes playing racquetball
Dinner: Weight Watchers crusted honey mustard chicken and sauteed mixed vegetables
Snack: popcorn

Find the recipe here

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Another fantastic day at home with Husband. It's few and far between that we both have nothing to do on his days off, so I've got to say I've really enjoyed doing nothing on his days off. We've been able to sleep in both days, work out together both days, eat dinner together both days, and go to bed together both days (which we never get to do since he works night shifts). 

I pretty much love that man o'mine. <3

On an opposite note, what I don't love, is how twice in the past three days our neighbor has made a point to tell us that Luke, our lab, has been aggressively barking at his 4 year old granddaughter while they've been playing outside. Apparently, "she gets kind of scared" when he does that. Except when she stopped me as we were walking to the house today she said "Wuke was talking to me today" and did not sound scared in the slightest. She's never been scared of him. She's loved him from day one and always asks about him anytime I see her. According to our neighbor though, Luke's barking is "annoying". Well, sir. He's a dog. They bark. And he's been the exact same dog with the exact same amount of barking (which is not excessive... he only barks when someone passes the house, which isn't often, especially now that it's cold out) since we got him... In June of 2010. It's not like we just got a new dog and there's all the sudden something new to complain about. It's the same dog doing the same things in the same yard. So why the commotion?

Sorry for the vent. It just puts me in a really uncomfortable position because he's otherwise been a great neighbor to us (he mowed our lawn for us 3-4 times last year when our mower broke) and I want to make them comfortable, but there's no way I can keep my 90+ pound dog indoors at all times because 1) his barking is annoying and 2) he's barking "aggressively". Which is another thing, because Luke is not aggressive. If I thought our dog was a threat to anyone, he would not be left unattended. But anyone who knows him knows that Luke and aggression just don't go together. The only reason why he is barking at them is because they never (ever, ever, ever) are in their backyard, and now all the sudden they are... So he's confused about it and he's being protective of our house. Literally, they've never been outside the entire almost two years we've lived here... And now they've been out several times in the past week. That is a new behavior introduced to Luke, so of course he's not used to it. 

I'm just saying, there's nothin' wrong with my dog. 

But I didn't mean to vent that much. 

Whoops. Sorry! 

Now I'm gonna go pet my dog, because he's really sweet and I feel like somehow his feelings are hurting. 

Or maybe that's just me. 

'Night y'all!

The Good Day Post

Breakfast: yogurt; eggs w/onion and sweet 'n' hot relish
Snack: cameo apple
Lunch: turkey tenderloin w/cabbage, carrots, and onion (all cooked in crock pot for 12+ hours)
Exercise: 30 minute interval treadmill walk; upper-body workout on Cybex strength machines; 10 minutes of racquetball
Dinner: eggplant parmesan
Dessert: yogurt

What a good day! I forgot how much I enjoy cooking! It's a pain in the butt in our kitchen because it's a mess all the time and really hard to keep clean, but I like making good food. The eggplant is in the oven now and I can already smell it. =]

We had our first day working out at the YMCA today and I'm really excited about going back! There were a lot of people in the area with the treadmills and ellipticals and I admit I got slightly intimidated so I didn't do as much there as I will try to next time. I'd like to do the elliptical, rowing machine, and the arc trainer. Husband outdid himself in the free weights room and wasn't able to last as long after for racquetball, so we had to cut that short.. I think I could probably stay in the racquetball room the whole time and be happy. I love it!

Anyways, I'd call day one of working out at the Y a success. I could have stayed much longer, but BDR wanted to get home before it got dark and cold because we walked there and he didn't want me to get sick again walking home. Now he's passed out on the couch waiting for dinner. Poor guy. I hear his wife never feeds him...

At least he's got the cat to comfort him.

The next round of Biggest Loser starts on Friday... Wish me luck! I'm really looking forward to it this time. My cousin and also my best friend are joining me this time around and I'm so excited to share the experience with them. I think this will be a great 8 weeks!

'Night y'all!

The Day One 2012 Post

DAY ONE

Breakfast: yogurt; eggs w/onion
Lunch: romaine and spinach salad w/grape tomatoes and raspberry vinaigrette
Snack: ~12 baby carrots
Dinner: turkey chili and a romaine/spinach salad w/grape tomatoes, dried cranberries, feta cheese, and raspberry vinaigrette
Snack: TBA

Alright, folks. Today's day one of 2012's journey to health. I feel excellent about how I did today. I didn't do an official "workout", but my fitbit says I've walked approximately 2 miles throughout the day, so that's something. I can't trust its count of my steps or the amount of floors I've climbed on days I drive because the movement of the car messes with the count and puts it down as steps, which isn't accurate.

The past couple of days have been geared toward getting my mind (and house) ready to start the new year. I cleaned out my refrigerator today, as well as restocked it with the foods I will need for the next week. I've cleared out blogs I don't want/need to follow anymore and have caught up reading the ones I do want to follow, which was a huge relief. I've missed reading them so much and it's great to get back to it without feeling so overwhelmed by the amount listed on my feed. Tomorrow we're signing up for a membership at the YMCA, which I've already talked about more than once here because I'm so stinkin' excited about it. I'm ready to get in there and get to work! Last year I mostly tried to do workout DVDs and stuff here at home and although that is good some of the time, I really want to try something else.

Tomorrow is one year from when we started this journey. I will take a picture, even though I'm disappointed with how much I've gained back. On January 3, 2011, I weighed in at 290 lbs. Over the span of the year I lost approximately 55 lbs. However, in the past two months I've gained more than half of it back.

I've always told myself this blog would be where I leave everything out on the table, so despite my shame at gaining back the weight, I can't sugar coat it to make it seem okay. This afternoon when I weighed in, I was back up to 262.2 lbs. Only 27.8 lbs lighter than my original weight. This doesn't discourage me from continuing, because I know that I can lose it again. I am only disappointed in myself that I let my addiction return with such a vengeance. But I can't change the past. It's a new year and a new day and I can make good choices today. From day 1 of last year to day 365, I am 30 lbs lighter. It was and should have been much more than 30, but 30 lbs lost is better than none, so I have to see that as a victory. As my husband always reminds me when I'm feeling unaccomplished, "It's a marathon, not a sprint."

'Night y'all!

The Resolution 2012 Post

Happy New Year!!

Hope you all had a fun and safe NYE!

Husband had to work (like last year) so he just came home on his lunch break and we brought in the new year with some sparkling grape juice and Domino's pizza, ha. It was nice to see him, but I look forward to the time when he's home at night instead of working. One day... !

I'm going to the grocery store today to buy healthy foods to begin our diet tomorrow. Hoping it's not crowded and I can be in/out in no time. I've been sick for a week no with a sinus infection/cold kinda thing and would really love to start the diet out right with a clean bill of health. We'll see. I'm coughing/sneezing a lot today which, for me, usually means I'm on the way to recovery. Let's hope! I really don't want anything to be an excuse for not putting forth 100% this time. Even though I'm sick today, I'd really like to try to meet my walking goal each day (at least 5 miles). I cannot wait to get our membership started at the YMCA! I haven't been on a treadmill in ages and it'll feel good to walk solid miles on even terrain for a change. I appreciate the added calorie burn gained from walking through a neighborhood instead of on a treadmill, but every once in a while.. It'd be nice to not have to worry about watching my feet on every step for fear of tripping on uneven pavement, branches, or patches of grass. Not to mention I want to start using the other gym machines also and play some racquetball! I'm just ready to get started!

Husband and I talked about "resolutions" for 2012 last night. I think our main goal, at this point, is to see us both graduate. Beyond that, we both want good, stable jobs that make us happy. Another of my goals, personally, is to become healthy once more. I think I will try to avoid setting my goal on "losing weight" (although I can't ignore it completely, since I'm still participating in Biggest Loser competitions) and be more focused on "getting healthy". If I'm eating healthier and staying active, then I am doing a good job. I can't base my success off of a number on the scale, at this point, because my health is more important. And if I'm taking those steps to create a healthier body for myself, then the numbers will come off with time. I just feel like focusing on health rather than weight will motivate me more to continue.

What are your resolutions for 2012? What steps will you take to achieve those goals?

The Puppy Update Post

Okay, so I'm sure you all are dying to hear about how our puppies are doing (pahaha) so I thought I'd dedicate an entire post to my dogs.

(I'm just sayin' y'all... Wait 'til I have kids!)

Leia has been with us for a little over two months now and she's really such a joy! I couldn't have imagined a dog better-suited for our home. I always wanted a lapdog and, although Luke would love to be in our laps 24/7, he's just a wee bit big. Leia loves cuddling, which melts my heart, and she loves her big brother, which makes having her here that much more of a perfect fit. They really are an amazing pair.

So here's how it's going:

Leia is slowly but steadily picking up potty-training. Homegirl has to be on a set schedule or she has accidents. I forgot how tedious crate-training was but she's bringing it all back to us! Except I feel like with her it's harder because we like having her out with us to play with Luke (and, let's face it, to cuddle with me on the couch) and being out of the crate more = more accidents. But we're retraining ourselves to make more frequent trips to the yard for potty time and she's getting there. She definitely is exactly like Luke in that she goes potty almost immediately after getting to the yard. We don't have to wait around for her to go, which is lovely (especially now that it's getting colder!).

BDR took this picture shortly after she came to live with us. He took her out to potty and this is what she did instead. Such a silly girl!

We've been a little lackadaisical about trick training her, much more so than we were with Luke. By the time Luke was her age he could sit, speak, shake, lay down, and who knows what else. With Leia, we haven't been as on the ball so I'm trying to use this break from school as an opportunity to really pack in as much training as I can. We have only taken her on 3-4 walks on the leash. We use a leash every time we take her outside to potty, so she knows how to walk on one (although she does tend to pull when she's excited), but she hasn't had much experience going on walks around the neighborhood. I discovered recently on a walk with her and Luke that she is a barker. Dogs we pass behind fences in yards can bark at Luke 'til they're blue in the face and he'd never even look their way... That is not the case with Miss Leia Girl. She stops in her tracks, barks right back, and gives them what for! I will say, she does continue walking immediately after she gets a few barks out, but this is definitely something new for us because Luke never responded to dogs we pass. We also recently took her on a walk without Luke into town to see how she responded to passing cars and people walking around. She did very well and didn't seem insecure around the traffic or pedestrians, so that is nice. As far as tricks, she's still focusing on the basics (sit, stay, speak, shake, and down) and one that Luke never could get the hang of: roll over. Her and Luke pray together at every meal, not going towards their food bowls until we say "Amen" (I really should record that on video soon), and they sleep together every night in their crate.

They love cuddling together.

There was a pretty big halt in trick training Luke also. I don't think we'd taught him anything new since before he turned 1 (which was in May). My MIL bought us a book for Christmas called 101 Dog Tricks (by Kyra Sundance) which gives step-by-step descriptions with pictures on an insane amount of tricks. I've been dog-earing them (pardon the pun) so I can teach Luke and Leia as many as possible. So far, with Luke, we've worked on roll over again (which was a fail... again. Dude just doesn't like being on his back, and we're cool with that). We also have started work on "crawl" and having him tap which hand a treat is in with his paw. He is so incredibly smart... He was able to do both of them at least three times in one day! He really does pick up things fast... I hope his little sister is as quick to learn new things as he is! 

We are some proud parents, that's for sure. Our babies are pretty phenomenal, and they keep my heart happy and my mind busy until we're blessed with [human] babies of our own!

I mean, really, what's not to love?