Lesson Learned

I went over my calorie budget today. The little one and I went to Mickie D's this evening so she could get a Happy Meal. We don't do this often, and since I had to run an errand that would take us away from home at dinner time, I figured I'd let her get something she really enjoys. Well, I'd already eaten, so I figured I'd just treat myself to one of their caramel frappe drinks. I thought I'd go a tad over my budget, but I was just getting a small, so it wouldn't be that bad. No biggie.

We had a very nice outing and made it home just in time to not get completely soaked by a thunderstorm. I put the little one to bed, and just out of curiosity, I googled McDonald's nutrition facts. I scrolled and scrolled until I found it - small McCafe Caramel Frappe: 450 calories.

JESUS H. CHRIST ON A BIKE!

AND THAT'S A SMALL!

Moral of the story: Just because you get a small, doesn't mean it's low calorie. Always check the nutrition guide first.

Maintaining

This week looks much the same as last week:

Weight: 166.2
Waist: 32 and 5/8 inches
Hips: 43 inches

Slightly smaller waist. Very slightly. Last week we had Independence Day, so I made lots of tasty treats. I splurged a little over the holiday, but alas, that is life. Once in a while won't hurt; it's just when the once in a while turns into every day that things get out of hand.

I'm still not exercising, although it crossed my mind that some crunches and push-ups might do the trick for me. It really is too hot for all that right now though. I suppose the up side to this heat wave is that I have no problem staying within my calorie budget, because I don't care to eat when it's hot. It makes me feel all gross. I've noticed that animals don't eat too much when it's hot either, so it must be nature at work. ::Shrug::

Well, shoot. I was going to say something else, but my husband just called, and I've lost my train of thought. Oh well. You guys enjoy your week. Keep fighting the good fight, and I'll see you back here on Monday or Tuesday.

Back in the Saddle

My last post was in February. Well to make a long story short - I struggled with my diet, I quit my diet, I started again - wash, rinse, repeat. Then about five weeks ago, I decided enough was enough, and since I have stuck to my diet and lost four pounds.

Now, I'm not exercising although I should be. However, I decided to take it slow. I'll probably start exercising in a couple of months, once I'm set in my diet routine. One thing at a time. Right now, I'm still struggling with my soda cravings. I have a twenty-ounce soda on Sundays as a reward for sticking to my calorie budget, but there are days when I REALLY want one anyway. I'll be honest, some days I give in; I count it into my daily budget and go from there. Sometimes I manage to distract myself until the craving goes away. I consider that a small triumph. When I master that, I'll see about moving on and adding exercise. I know exercise would help me lose more weight faster, but right now I'm happy with the progress I've made.

This week's numbers are:
Weight: 166
Waist: 32.75
Hips: 43

Since I didn't report it then, my starting point five weeks ago was:
Weight: 170.4
Waist: 35
Hips: 44

I've decided that I will post here once a week, either on Monday or Tuesday, to report my progress and discuss anything of significance on my weight loss journey. I think posting any more than that will just get boring for you guys. So anyway, that's the story so far. See you all next week!

New Workout

I suppose it's about time to post something new, but in all honesty, I don't really have anything to post. There hasn't been any progress to speak of since my last progress report. I've been maintaining fairly well when you consider that my post was made right before the holidays, so I guess that's something. The thing is, the motivation well has dried up. Somewhere I lost my balance, and I've just been going through the motions and haven't truly been able to get it back again.

All that being said, I've been doing alright counting calories. I went a little overboard a couple of weekends ago at my mom's birthday party, but in all fairness, the cake was pretty darned good. I've also been doing better about drinking water. That partly comes from me finishing all the drink mixes I'd bought previously, so that I have no choice but to drink water. I guess sometimes that's what it takes.

Perhaps my best achievement so far was to actually write out an exercise plan. I was just sort of winging it before, but now I have something a little more concrete. I have two sets of exercises that I alternate between. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I walk for 30 minutes and then do a set of arm and ab toning exercises; Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday I use the rowing machine for 30 minutes and then do leg and glute toning exercises. I decided to put this plan into full swing yesterday, and I guess it's working, because my abs and arms are sore! I'm really hoping to see some results by the end of March when we go to our friends' wedding. Who knows, I might even try to get a tan before then, too!

SOPA/PIPA Update

Yesterday, We the People won a small victory. In light of both physical and online protests, as well as thousands of emails and phone calls from concerned citizens, at least 18 senators, 3 bill co-sponsors, and President Obama himself have withdrawn their support of SOPA. We cannot celebrate just yet. This victory was not by any means complete. The bill is not dead - the House of Representatives will revisit the issue next month. PIPA is still on the table; the next Senate vote is scheduled for January 24th.

Google says 4.5 million People Signed Anti-SOPA Petition

U.S Senators Withdraw Support for Anti-Piracy Bills

Were SOPA/PIPA Protests a Success? The Results Are In

Unfortunately with yesterday's victory, we also suffered a loss. Apparently the Supreme Court ruled that the US could take works out of the public domain and put a copyright on them. I wasn't even aware of this ruling, but apparently this is the third case that was meant to challenge US copyright laws as a violation of the 1st Amendment.

Supreme Court Chooses SOPA/PIPA Protest Day To Give A Giant Middle Finger To The Public Domain

We need to continue the vigil. Yesterday, 4.5 million people signed Google's anti-SOPA petition, and 350,000 emails were sent to Congress via Fight for the Future's various sites. It's a good start, but with just over 300 million people in the US, it's far from the best we can do. If you haven't already, sign Google's petition. Visit http://americancensorship.org/ and fill in your info. They'll send an email to your Senate rep. for you. It's just that easy. If you like a more personal touch, look up your representatives and write them a letter or give them a call. If we don't stand up for our rights, we won't have any.

I HATE CENSORSHIP!

Today is the day for SOPA/PIPA protest blackouts. Wikipedia is down, as well as other sites to raise awareness of the dangers of SOPA/PIPA and the dangers of internet censorship. If you'd like to get involved you can sign Google's petition here: https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/


This site will help you find more ways to join the protest: http://sopastrike.com/


Would you like to boycott SOPA/PIPA friendly companies? If so, here's a list to get you started (it isn't comprehensive): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xjisu18X6s7lPtAsIQg5Ol3KJjymPT2az1kasQVwGiw/preview?pli=1&sle=true

xkcd.com also has some great information about SOPA/PIPA and what you can do to help stop them.


Let's not let Congress limit the freedom of the web!

Weight Loss Jar

I found this on Pinterest, and thought it was a great idea: Weight Loss Jar. I've seen this done with to-do lists, but never with weight loss. I think it's nifty to have a visual representation of what you've accomplished (especially in those early stages when it's not apparent on your body yet). I immediately got up and made one of my own after seeing it. I didn't buy marbles or vase fillers, though. I collect rocks, so I already had them laying around and decided to use those. I also only used one rock per pound, whereas this lady uses one gem per tenth of a pound. I suppose it's more visually impressive, and for those weeks where you lose a little weight, but not quite a whole pound, you still can see a difference. Hmm. Now that I think about it, I might need some more rocks and a bigger jar...  Anyway,  I would show you a picture, but my husband is on night shift, so he's sleeping, and going into the bathroom to take pics would disturb him. Maybe later I'll get some posted.