I Have No Life!!

So....I've reached a whole new level of no life these days. Again, realizing there are MANY others who have much more difficult lives than mine. But, seriously, I am a bit concerned that I need to diversify my interests just a wee bit. Here are some examples that are causing my to fret.....

1. This is my latest accessory that I am wearing with every outfit--day and night. It is a body bugg and it measures all the calories I burn at all times. (The sad thing is I love it and love the control it gives me to know exactly what my body is burning!)
2. I am going on vacation to Florida on Friday to see my lovely cousin get married and I actually called the hotel I am staying in to make SURE they had a gym I could work out in and what the hours were!
3. I have stocked my suitcase with meal replacement bars in case I get into a situation where I can't count the calories to put into my beloved body bugg.
4. I have done 2 (count em') 2 a day workouts for the last 2 weeks to prepare to see my family again. (Yes I said twice a day)
5. I am walking around like an old woman and each pain I can tell you EXACTLY how I got it and what exercise my trainer made me do to achieve this level of pain.
6. I have made my trainer PROMISE he will answer each and every emergency call I make while out of the state.

I believe I have reached the obsessed state and I need help! I need to get a life and stop making friends at the gym. I don't think it is healthy to try and be this healthy. Do they deal with these issues on Celebrity Rehab or Intervention?? Help Dr. Drew!! :) I bike on.......

You Know Those Emails??

Everyone that has email access is inundated with forwards. Right? I know I am! UGH!! It is so aggravating sometimes. You open up an email from a friend or family member and it takes you 5 minutes to find the ACTUAL email and then you see......it is some cheesy joke sent around 8 million times or vote for your favorite pie...you get the picture. But this morning, I received one that I actually read and it touched my heart. If all of us would live this way, just try to imagine how much better our world would be. I had to share it. I wish this for everyone I love. May we find happy today.

St. Theresa's Prayer

May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

Remembering Dreams....

As I sit here, sore pretty much head to toe, again in not so attractive gym clothes, I ponder. If I think back to my youth (because today I feel the age of the crypt keeper) did I ever imagine that my life would be consisting of working, working out, cleaning, laundry, taking out the garbage, helping my mother with 5000 tedious jobs a week and sleep? I think my dreams were a bit grander back then. I believe my plan was to marry @ 23. Have kids @ 28 and live happily ever after. (I am at this moment sticking my tongue out and making an appropriate sound effect) But, I also never dreamed I would be surrounded by such wonderful people and frankly, I didn't think I would have ever had the discipline to be on a diet for 9 months and be succeeding, either.

The reason I bring this up, is, I had a really crappy day yesterday. I can't put a finger on what exactly was the problem, but I was certifiably grumpy, and I couldn't shake it, no matter how I tried. My trainer, I'm sure, went home and had an adult beverage after working with me yesterday. He is all about auras and feelings and "sensed my melancholy aura" during our workout. I believe I told him to back off. Not nice, I agree and I did apologize later, but one of the downsides of being the "life of the party" in most situations is there is no hiding a foul mood from others and my "melancholy aura" didn't want to be recognized! I guess with the world the way it is right now, it is so hard to find joy. Everyone is walking around with their own fears and issues and I can only imagine if there are telepathic people in the world, how many of them are jumping off bridges to escape all the whining!

But, the good news is there is always someone in your life, that can bring you out of your funk! Yesterday, it was my sister, who I went to the gym with and sympathized with my "bicycle cardio purgatory" and rode one with me, while attempting to grade papers at the same time. The facial expressions alone were worth the pain I endured on my butt! She and I have decided to form a secret society of dieters, called the skins. She cracks me up and I truly felt better afterward. I just hope that if any of my pals are in the pit of despair, and need a lift, I will be able to pay it forward!! I am available. :)

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things......

So, I've seen this on several blogs and I think it is darling (thanks Andrea & Misty!) So, I thought I would do my version. Here are some"things" I simply don't want to live without! C.O. Bigelow Lip Gloss!
I love this product so much I should have stock in the company! I have it in every color, flavor and strength! I am a little obsessed with it and frankly am OK that I am. It is awesome and I will simply die if they ever stop making it!

McDonald's Cheeseburgers!
With every "crack whore" comes her personal crack den and McDonald's is it for me! I am still in love with the 2 cheeseburger combo with a diet coke and I always will. I am no longer able to eat there, but it makes me happy just the same to know it is still there, if and when I ever need a "fix!"

Ryka Shoes!
A must have for girls that work on their feet all day and go to the gym at night. Comfy, stylish and take a licking and keep on going....and going....and going. I adore these shoes and have many pairs.

Very Irresistible by Givenchy!
Such a beautiful fragrance and I don't wear perfume very often, but this is my signature scent when I do. Love it!


Gerard Butler!

Favorite & Hottest actor!! He had me at Hello in P.S. I Love You and he was dead in most of the movie! Don't care. Love love love him!!

Cork, Ireland! (Kinsale)
My most favorite place I've ever been and would move to tomorrow, if everyone I loved didn't live in the U.S. Magical, breathtaking and my DNA sang "you are home" the whole time I was there! (It didn't hurt that a certain adorable Romanian toured Ireland with us, so I could stare at the countryside and then him, all day)!!

Rascal Flatts!

Favorite band ever!! They are amazing and I love everything they sing! Their harmonies make me weep and they are adorable to boot! Can't go wrong, even if they are country!!

Need I say more?? Wicked!

The most amazing, wonderful musical and it grabs you in the heart and won't let go! I was privileged to see it in London and I will never forget that night as long as I live! It is coming to Salt Lake next April and I would love to get a bunch of ladies to see it together! Let me know.

White Socks!
There is nothing I love better than a fresh new white sparkly clean pair of white socks! I am obsessed with them, and replenish my stock on a regular basis.

So there you have it. I know the list is a little random, but these truly are a few of my favorite things!

Little Bear.....off to the woods!

So, my darling, adorable, hysterical nephew was reading a Little Bear book the other day. In this adventure, Little Bear goes off to explore the woods all by himself. My sister Corey, his mom, says to him, "Brett what do you think of Little Bear leaving to go out on his own?" To which Brett replies without a blink....."Well Mom, I guess Little Bear finally had to leave his house and get a life!" Then, she stifles a giggle and asks, "Honey, are you excited to go out into the world?" And again, without pause he says, "Mom, eventually I have to move out and get a house too, but don't worry.....I will visit alot, especially when I have kids, because I am gonna need lots of help!!" Then, if he wasn't crackin' me up with that, he announced that he didn't want to go to college. 12 years of school was way enough for him and he was gonna get a job, make lots of money and eat chicken nuggets with his kids. I think that is a definite plan!! I love my boys!!

100 Pounds!!

Well, if you had told me a year and a half ago when I started this diet, again, I would have never dreamed in a million years that this day would come. I've officially lost 100 lbs. (100.5 to be exact) and I can't grasp it. I now fit in XL shirts. What? I bought a skirt in a size 18/20 the other day. Again I say what??? I just hope I can complete my goal and lose 99.5 more. I believe perhaps it is possible. They say with hope.....comes faith.....comes belief. 30 days to the cruise and 2 weeks until I see all my extended family for Bug's wedding. I can't wait. The bicycle awaits. I tread on.......

What A Day To Be Me!

Well, I have to say that being me isn't always the funnest thing on the planet. I am not saying this for pity, because I am WELL aware that there are MANY MANY more people with much harder lives than me. Truly. But, when this year comes to an end, I don't honestly believe that I will be feeling much nostalgia for 2008. So, I am trying a new strategy to see if possibly I can end 2008 with joy and gratitude instead of regret, a private pity party and some cheese fries.

Here goes. I recently got a new trainer. Yes, another blow to my fragile sanity, after 8 months of trust, sweat and tears, my beloved trainer Ember quit the gym to move onto bigger and better things and yet again I had to put on my big girl panties and deal with this news. Needless to say, I didn't take it well. No....I did not. So, with a heavy heart I met with Todd, my referral trainer (a HOT guy) and decided after some soul searching, to give him a chance. Now, you have to understand my thinking when I met Todd.

1. Adorable


2. Positive in every way (LOVED the Secret!)


3. Would have to measure my body fat index every month which would require him to pinch my various fat areas of my body.....WHAT THE??


4. Was "super psyched to work with me and was gonna rock my world"


5. Totally AGAINST any processed foods..........of ANY sort.


6. Has an adorable girlfriend that I met on the second day. Whatever.


7. Is a text messaging fiend and LOVES to send my positive messages with smiley faces on each one.


8. Smells really good, so it distracts me from what I am doing and I almost drop weights on my face during sets.


9. Is completely insane in terms of his estimation of my abilities to lift really heavy amounts of weight.


10. Did I mention the whole body fat measuring thing?? Help me.

But, I decided to throw my fears out the door and see what he could do with me. What have I gotten myself into??

1. Worked out with me sooo hard the first day I couldn't move in any direction without wanting to bite down on a rawhide strip to stop me from biting my lip off! (then told me that was a great start and to prepare myself for a hard workout!)


2. Forbid me from doing cardio on the days he tortures me (I mean the days we workout together) so I can't counterbalance my trips to McDonald's with an hour on the treadmill.


3. Took away the treadmill workouts all together. (The only exercise I had perfected and knew EXACTLY how to do!)


4. Took away cardio all together for a week to "get a clean slate so he could really get me going in the right direction" Again I say WHAT??


5. Continued to over-estimate my abilities on a regular basis. Dear Lord.....help me.

But, here's where it got interesting and today's breakthrough came into play. I got up this morning and actually decided I was due for a great day and was going to let it happen. So, I got up and ate my healthy breakfast, took my vitamins and took a deep breath to see what was in store for me. And you know what?? I had a spectacular day. I really did. (without McDonald's and cardio!) I got a mail order package in the mail and everything fit! WHEW HEW! I went to work and just let my day unfold and it was delightful. I let little things roll off my back and laughed and visited with all of my clients. I found a darling bathing suit in a store for my trip and it wasn't the biggest size in the store!! Again I say WHEW HEW!! I am so close to 100 lbs I can taste it and if I open myself up to the possibility that I could lose the weight....who knows what I can do? I am certainly going to try. So, the moral of my story.

I think Debbie Downer has left me for a while. I feel such relief and I am going to do my best to keep trying for happy. I would say I tread on....but I've been banned from treading. So, who knows what's in store at the gym? We'll see. I do love Todd, in spite of myself and I know he has my best interests at heart. I just hope my "best interests" can survive his workouts!