long time....

HI -- It's been awhile since I have last posted... I plan on posting more in the coming months... As some of you know I am pregnant and expecting another child in September... Once the baby is born... I am back to the healthy living style and weight loss... I have been eating healthy during my pregnancy... but at least I will get rewarded with weight loss.

Things during my pregnancy have been relatively good -- However I did develop one complication with Gestational Diabetes. I NEVER want to have to deal with this in a non pregnancy state... I don't know how people who develop type II stay that way... It's a huge incentive to stay on program and eat healthier and exercise more. I was really upset when I found out about the GD -- Because it felt like a failure on my part that I was diagnosed.... After doing some research --- anyone can get GD - It's more common in women over 25... The weight probably didn't help but it wasn't the sole cause....

I am doing great managing it. I feel like I have to take care of it... it's for a greater reason other than vanity... taking care of my baby....

I am looking forward to getting my body back to normal... Pregnancy towards the end can be a real drain.

I hope to be back on a more regular basis soon

Big News...

Hi all ---

I know it's been a long time since I have written -- lots have changed here.

for starters --- My husband and I are now expecting our 2nd child. I am now just about 12 weeks and I managed to get pregnant back in January --- thus the hold on the weight program. I am trying to continue eating right and trying not to over eat during this pregnancy. One thing I can do is definitely keep working out. So far I have been getting on my elliptical 3 times a week at least for an hour each time. Mind you I am not working out to my highest level -- but keeping moving so I can keep my blood pressure in good condition and overall feel better about myself.

I may check in time to time --- but If I am absent -- you at least know why.

2nd --- We did get a new dog. It happened much faster than I ever expected. He's still quite the puppy and I feel like I now have two children and another one on the way!!! But my son is enjoying him and so is my husband. Some day I'll get another female shih tzu- -- but for now we have a male Havanese who is quite mischievous --- and SOOOO different from my other dog.

I'm looking forward to Easter because I finally get to tell my family about our news. It's been so hard to keep quiet...

Like I said -- I'll be checking in from time to time --- and I will be strictly back on program once the baby comes!

Lots o news...

So... As i check the date it's been well over a month since I have written. There has been a lot going on in my life and I'll try to get you up to speed.

1) we're in the process of possibly getting a new dog.
Much to my surprise I went to a dog show --- which put me in such good spirits I cannot tell you!!! I have been looking for some options for different breeds that are more family friendly. While I love Shih Tzus... realistically they are really not good when you have little ones around. My previous dog was known from time to time to snip if someone surprised her. (well she'd only bit other people -- she never bit me) Anyway, I did a lot of research and going to the show helped narrow down the breed. We've settled on a Havanese. Great little dogs - very spirited.

I made some connections through the show and we're going to look at what my husband is calling a "used dog" over the weekend. The breeder I have contacted has a 8 month old pup that someone decided needed a bigger family for -- She was a single woman who recently lost her husband and she didn't realize how much work went into caring for a dog. So I think it's a perfect option for us.

2) I was extremely saddened by the sudden passing of a collegue friend of mine over the weekend. He was involved in a car accident while driving his son back to college. We will all miss him. He was the type of person who really was a good soul.

There's other bigger news coming.... but I want to wait to share.... ;)

December 19

Boy does time fly. I can't belive it's been this long. So, I've been really struggling lately. Having one good day and then the next is a not so good day. I am trying to remember if I have a bad meal or morning it doesn't mean to blow the whole day. The next meal is time to get back on track.l

I have been working out. Not as much as I'd like but at least I am getting back in the swing. I have also added some resistence training with some rubber bands. They are much harder than I ever expected. But that's good I guess. So I have been doing about 1/2 hour of cardio (longer if I can stand it) then about 15 min of resistance traning ever other day. So this is helping me offset my good bad days.

I will be much happier after xmas is over. I sort of hate this time of year. I feel like there is not time to get anything done and it seems like everything is over before I can even enjoy it! Makes me want to be a kid again when all you had to do was wait for the big day.

My other big problem lately is that I seem to be wanting to snack at night. I am trying to spend more time away from the kitchen in the evening... that seems to work best. I also always keep a snack for after dinner into my calorie allowance. It's lately that I've been wanting more after that.

Need to be better with my water as well. I think that could be the culprit as to why I am looking for food in the evening. I read somewhere that your brain might think your body wants food when it actually wants water....

Goals for the rest of this week and over the weekend are to drink more water and to have consistent days of calorie consumption!s

Feeling Lost....

Today my dogs ashes arrive courtesy of UPS.... My Husband has been taking care of all of this so I had no clue this was going to happen. I thought we'd have to go to the vet office and pick them up there. So I was completely sidelined when the package came today. I even handed it to my husband since it was for him -- but didn't bother to look at the return address.

So all of my feelings of loss came flooding back to me. I feel so lost without a pet. I just don't know what to do with myself. It sounds crazy I know, I have a 4 year old who is a lot of work but my dog was really all about me and my relationship with her. It seems like as parents we get so caught up with the day to day activities it seems that there is less and less time for ourselves.

I have had thoughts of getting another dog. Am I crazy???? I think part of me thinks the hurt will stop. Before tonight things were getting better -- I still think about her but have not cried really in a couple weeks. Progress one might say... I think. --- I just miss my companion and my foot warmer. My husband has a lot of activities so with my dog around I never really felt alone. especially when i go to bed at night. I still leave a space for her at the foot of the bed for her. I think that is what bothers me the most right now. I feel very very alone.

I know at some point I will adopt another dog into our family. Not sure when this will be. But I think in the future we will adopt at least 2 dogs but spread them a few years apart.

On the weight loss front.... oye --- Things have been way too stressful --- I just want to continue to eat like a normal person and work out more. I have only been getting on the elliptical one or two days a week.

food hangover....

I was wondering if I am the only one out there --- but, when I go to bed from a day that my food intake is not so good....I wake up feeling awful. Kind of like an emotional hang over from bad food. When I go to bed and have had a good day or a day that what I classify as eating like a "normal" person --- I feel so much better.

So tomorrow is going to be a good day! I plan on waking up feeling good about myself. I even got a good work out in today as well.

Yesterday I did something scary! I actually added up all the calories in our family stuffing recipe. Oh my lord... a serving is approximately 1/20 of the recipe (it makes a ton) is 575 calories!!! Holy smokes. I had some for thankgiving and the day after but I needed to see how many empty calories I was consuming to basically keep me away from the stuffing in the future. It worked.. so well that I ended up putting the rest down the disposal. A little of that stuff is good for a holday... but having vats and vats of it around to not only add up calories it's loaded with butter that can clog our arteries. Who needs it.