Friday, July 31, 2009

Because I'm lazy...

I'm literally cutting and pasting an email I sent some friends this morning. Read it and you'll know why. :)

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Sorry I've been MIA. Here's the timeline of our last week:

Thurs: Scott picks up kids from daycare and learns three other kids puked that day. Nice.
Sat: Gracie started vomiting, felt better Sunday though...
Mon: Gracie started in again
Later Mon: Scott started
Sometime between Mon and Tues: Ian and I started
Tues pm: everyone seemed relatively well - whew!
Wed early am: I started again. And again. And again. Every 20-45 min for 12 hours. I would have gone to the hospital, but by the time it was convenient for Scott to take me, I felt I was through the worst of it. I am probably still dehydrated and would probably be recovering better had I received fluids, but I'll manage. I think I could have come back to work sooner had I done that, but oh well, it's just work, right? LOL I'm back today though dull-eyed and saggy-tailed. :)

When I called the dentist in SLO to cancel the kids' appts on Tues morning, they said I was the third parent to call and cancel because of stomach flu that morning and it was only 8:45! Watch out and stay healthy...and obviously stay away from those damn Thayers! LOL

Seriously though, if I haven't responded to email or something, that is why. I literally did not leave our master bedroom for two entire days.

On the plus side, I dropped 10 pounds (well, 9.8 to be exact and obviously all fluid, but I'll take it!) in two days and kicked my diet coke habit since I haven't been able to drink it fand now I don't even miss it. As my Nana would say, "there's some good in all evil."

Happy Friday! Hope you're all well!!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

If you let someone else pack your gym bag, double-check it before you leave the house

First, let me say that my husband is an amazing, wonderful, sweetheart. He is always so helpful and supportive. Today he was helping me get out of the house to Body Combat before work and he packed up my gym bag with my street clothes and such. Awesome, thanks sweetie!

Then he calls me on the cell when I'm just a few minutes away from the gym (and 30 miles from home) to let me know that he thinks he forgot to put my bra in the bag. Eep! Since I go to work straight from the gym and don't have time for the hour round trip, I'm thinking, what to do, what to do...

When I got the the gym, I checked my bag and sure enough, the bra wasn't there. Luckily, the gym had sports bras for sale in their little shop area. So I purchased one to wear to work since the one I had on would be disgusting once I got through with Combat.

Cut to the shower room after class. I get out of the shower and dry off and start to get dressed. I start to put the new sports bra on and get it over my head and my arms partially through when I realize that I'm stuck. The combination of the snug fitting sports bra (they didn't have my size so I had to go one smaller and cross my fingers) and my semi-damp, fresh from the shower skin had caused the bra to twist around itself as I pulled it down and it was now stopped around my neck and upper arms. I was standing there with my elbows flailing in the air in an attempt to get the damn thing to either move up and off or down and into place where it belonged.

After much grunting, tugging, and pulling...success! Thank god there weren't any other women in the locker room because I'm sure that would have been quite the show. My second attempt went a bit more smoothly. Having learned from that first experience, I put my head through first, then one arm at a time and was able to get it on without too much trouble that time. Whew!

And I tell you what, I am looking STYLIN' now. Because I have such an awesome figure to start with, that smooshing my boobs down with a too-small sports bra to make me look even more frumpy is really working for me. Girls, watch your men cuz they're all gonna be wanting me looking like this!

Friday, July 17, 2009

I have been remiss

I haven't been blogging much lately. Probably because I've been really busy just trying to juggle work, exercise, kids, home, etc, you know, the usual drill we all juggle every day. But things have just been busier than usual of late. My apologies to the few people who follow this blog because I am just sure you breathlessly await every post from me. HA! :)

Anyway...I will post soon, I promise, with a summary of my progress in the TC, measurements, what I'm doing for workouts and nutrition now, etc.

Other news in my life...I've finally gotten back into scrapbooking and I am so, so excited about. I have done about 18 pages in Ian's (yes Ian's, haven't gotten close to Daniel's yet) baby book and I can feel the creative mojo coming back to me. I'm going on a crop weekend next weekend with some friends and we have ideas to use our Cricuts to make all kinds of adorable word books and all sorts of things. I can't wait! So you'll probably start seeing some posts on crafty stuff up here soon too.

Ok, off to Body Combat at the gym to take out some workplace agression in a more appropriate place than my cubicle wall or a particular software engineer's face. Have a good one!

Anchoring

Weight Watchers defines anchoring as “a process for creating cues and triggers to remind yourself of your weight goal and the inner resources you have to achieve it.” Your “anchor” is an object that reminds you to stay on track, something that can re-focus you when the going gets tough. A little something you can keep with you and look at or touch when you need it.

I’ve always had a tough time in my previous WW experiences to come up with an anchor. Ideally, it’s something that’s with you always so whenever you are tempted, feeling out of control, etc, you can bring yourself back. I don’t carry a purse, don’t even always have my keys if Scott drives, so attaching something to one of them wouldn’t work. I never really gave it too much thought. Yeah, it was a tool WW gave us to help us succeed, but I did okay without it, so whatev, right?

Lately, I have found myself touching my muscles. Not in a Divinyls, “I touch myself” kind of way – get your mind outta the gutter! But in a wow, I have muscles kind of way. You can’t always see them, but they’re there, believe it or not, under the layers of flab and they are getting stronger all the time. Occasionally I even catch a glimpse of them before the flab shimmies back over them, trying to hide them from the world. They’re just waiting for their moment to shine…when all the flab is gone for good and the muscles can bask in the glory of the sunshine. Ok, that last bit was a little corny, but you get what I’m sayin’, right?

In any event, when I’m sitting at my desk, or waiting at a stop light, I frequently find myself squeezing my biceps, or poking my quads. Sounds weird, I know, but I just can’t get over how firm and strong they feel. Me. The girl who has been struggling with her weight for so long, has muscles? Now, who’da thunk it? Even ask my family, I make Scott, my sisters, my mom, all of them, feel my muscles whenever I see them. It’s not unusual at a Voigt family gather to hear, “Feel my butt!” And they do. Now, that’s real love!

Last night driving home, I caught a glimpse of my bicep bulge out of the corner of my eye as I turned the steering wheel on a corner. And I thought…”there’s your anchor, Heather.” My muscles. They’re always with me and when I touch my bicep and feel that strength beneath the skin it reminds me that I am strong. I am stronger than any temptation that comes my way. I am strong enough to make it to the gym, even when I just want to go home and eat ice cream. I am strong enough to get myself healthy for my kids, for Scott, my sisters and parents, and most of all, for me. Ok, that last bit was corny too. But it’s the truth, so there!