Creating my Curves

I've been hard at work this past month, making time for regular exercise and trying to make better choices in the food department. Let me tell you, that's not easy provided there are gobs of gooey Easter candy and enticing chocolate bunnies giving me the stare down as I walk by with my rabbit food a.k.a. salad.

I weighed in today. I'd actually gained weight. I was a little taken aback when I saw how the lady that measured me kept trying to move the scale weight in the direction we wanted to see but it wasn't cooperating. She said that means there was probably some weight loss but more muscle gain. I can actually see and feel muscle where there wasn't before! And where I did have it is more defined. I gained 0.5 lb. but I'm going to blame that on bloating and my instinctual craving to seek and destroy any and all chocolate at that time of the month. But the better news was that I lost 5 inches! And my total body fat went down 1.03?% I'll take it!

8 Blessed Years

I'm sitting here on the eve of my 8th anniversary, but not with my DH. He's at an arena football game. At first I was upset that he'd not even remembered that March 24th wasn't just opening night for the local arena football team. He showed me the season tickets with such enthusiasm. I'm pretty sure I burst his bubble when I pointed out that we'd be marking 8 years together on the same night as the big opening game. Sure that's a BIG accomplishment for us, but from the guy's perspective it's opening night of which there is only one per season.

8 years ago today, he and I were holding hands in a courtroom in Idaho with my parents and grandparents looking on. I was skipping my college class to get married. Soon enough I'd feel the flicker of the life we'd created inside me. We'd have an intimate wedding in a quaint little church I'd gone to since I was a little girl. The same one my Grandparents were married in some fifty+ odd years before. They were the first ones to ever get married in that church! I was following the footsteps of a couple that I will forever admire. Our first had a part in that special ceremony, though we were already married- we wanted everyone we care about to hear our vows, to hear of our devotion and intense love for eachother. 4 years in the Marine Corps, 3 sons, 2 cars, and 1 little white house later, here we are!

I let him have his night. Tonight, he's not with me physically but I know he's thinking of me. Tonight I get to be the "cool wife." The wife that let him go to opening night of arena football on our anniversary. Tomorrow night is the night for the real celebration, to celebrate "us." My Aunt was sweet enough to offer to let the boys spend the night. We are just going to go out and enjoy eachother's company. 8 years later, and I still crave those nights alone with him just holding hands and catching a movie. Maybe we'll even park out behind the racetrack afterwards...

A Quickie got me a New Computer!

I had some computer troubles over the weekend. My computer was being moody. It would be happy and work for a couple hours, then get all pissy on me. So instead of playing on the computer I, well, you know! After that DH took me to Best Buy and told me to pick out a new computer!! My old monitor was so huge and dark, now I've got this 17" flat screen and the color works again~ I can see clearly now! I thanked him appropriately too. Funny thing is, when I told DH later about my online friends using the deed and its various acts to get new things, he says "What else can I buy you?"

Curves

What should be a great week hasn't exactly been. I've dealt with my husband not using the proper outlets for his stress and anger. It's causing him problems at work in the form of a write-up and no promotion for 6 mos. and on the road in the form of speeding. He was also way too excited to purchase RAM for his computer and didn't want to shop around, and $115 later, we have the wrong type sitting in front of us. I'm upset but he finally admitted today "I'll start listening to you." Is there an end in sight to hasty decision making and unpredictable anger bursts? Undoubtedly, we hope so!

But despite that, I am trying my damnedest to keep a positive attitude. I'm psyched that I finally went down and joined Curves. I might add "weight loss tracking" to the many functions my blog performs- a place I can jot down my feelings during the process and keep track of weight fluctuations (hopefully losses) and exercise. My starting weight March 1st was 145 lbs. That's the most I've ever weighed (not pregnant) and I was really starting to feel it right around the middle. I was losing what little curve I did have. It was time to take my body back. I let 3 babies borrow my womb for over 2 years and nursed for an additional 9 mos. My pre-pregnancy weight was 117 lbs. and the most I weighed being pregnant was nearly 160 lbs. with my middle pregnancy. I have come to terms with the fact I'll never be that skinny beanpole with jutting hipbones again, but I don't have to live carrying around a spare tire either- ha! My goal? 130 lbs. How I'll get there? Curves 3x/wk and soccer 1x/wk. The cupboards are prepped for weight loss too. It's not that I'm avoiding junk food, but I have healthier choices around so I'm not so tempted.

When I joined, I was surprised to learn that I'd have to give 2 reasons why I wanted to be there. It took me off guard because I would have given the superficial reasons 1) to look good and 2) to feel better. After some deeper thought, my reasoning was that I want to be around for my children. I want to be healthy and happy for them, able to keep up with them. My other reason is because I want other people to know I care about myself. When that bout of depression hit, I felt like I wasn't one of my top priorities. People around me saw my frazzled and worn down outside. I looked like I'd rather be at home asleep. So many things could have been judged from my outer appearance at that time! I shudder to think. This is my way of telling my loved ones that I still care about myself. I want it to show inside AND out. I also want to STEP IT UP when it comes to playing soccer and get a little stamina for all that running! I play with some girls who are fresh out of high school and damn can they run. It makes me feel old but that's a rant for another day! Plus I've heard that exercise does wonders for depression. Since I'll be putting up with Mr. PMS for awhile, the time investment alone will be well worth it!

BLINGO

You can win prizes for searching the web! If you sign up under me, we both win prizes. Then you can refer your friends and if they sign up under you and win, you win too! Got it? Good. Just click the box below to start!

Once you sign up, take a moment to meme with me and you're on your way to winning! The idea is to enter "your name needs" into Blingo or Google — but stick your own first name in there — and see the funny results. Try your own. Post the results to your web site, if you have one.

Shelly needs to step up her study skills.

Shelly needs to try to be interested in someone her own age.

Shelly needs additional corrective surgery that her insurance only partly covers.

Shelly needs no more crises.

Shelly needs to prove that a big woman can perform the job.