Comparison...

Comparison is not always the thief of joy. Sometimes it brings the joy!

I know I've been promising a new pic for months and I have failed to deliver. Well, no longer! It's just a head shot, but I think it's crazy that you can really tell a difference, especially in my cheeks.

You like my super-awesome rubber ducky shower curtain? I took the picture to show my friend my new bangs (which are so short my hair must be straightened for the next few weeks lol), hence the fact that I'm not facing straight into the camera. Since the picture turned out halfway decent, I decided I would go ahead and post it.

Anyway, there you have it. A friend of mine took a picture of me the other day. If and when she posts it, I'll do another side-by-side. Alright, I got called to do a half day of subbing today so I need to get my stuff together. I hope you all are have a wonderful Wednesday!

Another One?!

Yes, and not just one, but 2! Really, I am just posting to let you know that I finally posted an update in the other blog. Yep, I bet you thought I forgot about it, didn't you? Nope! Well, mostly because I cant, because it's on my "your blogs" line-up whenever I log in. It's taunting me, reminding me what a bad blogger I am. But no more! You beautiful people have a recipe waiting!

Anyway, here it is, Monday again. I have to go to one of my too-many jobs here in just a minute. Luckily, it's the only one I needed to get to today. I need to get more organized about this whole multiple-jobs thing. I need to prepare my meals and such beforehand. I always mean to pack something healthy the night before. Inevitably, I end up throwing together a lame sandwich the night before and stopping for dinner at a fast food establishment. I plan to start doing better this week. I'm going to go to the store after work and see what I can't find.

Ok, I need to finish getting ready for work. More later!

Slackers abound!

Wow... I haven't posted in 2.5 weeks. It feels like longer than that, but either way, it's been too long. And I have no clue when my co-blogger last made a post. We've really slacked off lately!

Anyway! Things have been going well, though. I recently started yet another job. For those of you keeping count, that makes 3! Four, if you count baby-sitting, which I do as much as I've been doing it lately lol. But this new job is at the gym I go to. I'm hoping that since I'll already be at the gym, and already in workout clothes, I'll have no excuse to not to workout. Plus, they freeze my account and give me a free one as long as I work there. Even better!

I've hit another plateau. I'm remaining steady at the 30 pounds I lost, but I haven't really made any progress since then. It's because I've been lame about my working out and such. Like I said, I'm hoping this new(est) job will help me in my endeavors. And my personal trainer told me that employees get good deals on sessions. I'll have to see.

Alright, I need to get back to job number one! I'll try to post a more substantial post later!
- Jen

Post Number 79

Yeah... I'm not feeling creative today. I'm actually feeling rather blah. I have been stress eating lately, and I'm trying to snap myself out of it. I know I'm not hungry, but I'm irritated, upset, and bored. I'm trying to find other ways to keep my hands busy, but that's frustrating me too. I just feel like I'm in a really negative space right now, and I can't decide how to get myself out of it.

I know, this isn't a very informative post. Like I said, I'm not in a happy place. Dwelling on what's PISSING ME OFF (!!!!!) is not going to help me get back to a good place, so I'm going to try to move on. And I'm going to try to do that now.

- J

And I was right.....

Not only did I not LOSE weight over the past 2 weeks, I actually gained. And significantly. According to the scale this morning, I gained 5 pounds in the past 2 weeks. I am so disappointed in myself. I'm not going to beat myself up over it because it's done already, but I am seriously disappointed in myself.

How did I manage to gain 5 pounds in 2 weeks while supposedly on a diet? Very simply. I didn't pay one bit of attention to anything I was eating. I had days when I ate things that were IN NO WAY health. Fried chicken, pizza, cookies, and all sorts of other things that a "good" dieter wouldn't touch. Then I had days where the foods I ate were not really that bad, I just didn't pay attention to my quantity.

So basically, my slip-up is all about quality and quantity of my food. Lack of one and too much of the other. I could also blame it on my lack of tracking. The biggest thing I noticed was that when I stopped tracking my food, it got easier to ignore what I was eating. At first, my lack of tracking was not on purpose. Between my two jobs and social obligations, I just kept forgetting. When my schedule calmed down, I was just out of the habit. So today I am making sure to track everything. I am also going to work on more crafting. Keeping my hands busy keeps the snacking down.

Alright, enough moaning. Let me set a realistic goal this time... I want to lose 3 pounds in the next 2 weeks. I also want to make it to the gym at least 3 days each week. I went to Centergy and Ride on Saturday for the first time in probably 2 months and I am still paying dearly for it. My legs and abs are still sore. That's just proof that I need to get back to work. Wish me luck!

Hmmm

So... I'm really thinking I'm not going to meet that crazy goal I set for myself. I might have even gained weight overall. We shall see in the morning....

Thirty One Point Six!

So, I have been trying to write this update for like 5 days now. But life being what it is, I have had a hard time sitting down with collected thoughts. Just ask my co-blogger, over the weekend my thoughts were spastic at best. I have no real reason for my thoughts being so scattered. I'm blaming a cold and subsequent medications, though. :-D

Anyway, I'm down 31.6 pounds (in case you were confused by the entry title). It's finally starting to sink in that I'm actually losing weight and becoming healthier. A few weeks ago I was able to fit into a dress I haven't worn in almost 3 years, and Friday I comfortably wore a pair of jeans that used to feel like they were cutting me in half. It feels good to know that I am finally making visible progress.

Knowing where I am now weight-wise (218.2) and where I was when I started this blog in January (249.8), I am somewhat dissappointed in my overall health for the past few years. When G and I started dating, I weighed right around 210 lbs. I'm not exactly sure since I hadn't really stepped on a scale 2-3 years at that point. When I joined the gym 2 months later I was 214. I accounted that to the holidays (we started dating in November and I joined the gym in January), and the fact that most of our dates involved going out to dinner. But I was going to the gym now! and I was going to workout! Except that isn't how it happened. Instead, I was paying for a gym membership that I didn't use how I should and I ended up gaining 4o pounds in 2 years. How ridiculous! Now, yes, I can blame it on depression, emotional eating, and other factors, but really... 40 pounds in 2 years? What was I doing? Nothing.

I'm not trying to beat myself up about anything. It's just kind of interesting to see what carelessness can do to your waistline. It also reminds me how my way of thinking about food has changed. I have learned how to make smarter choices when dining out, and I try to think aobut the overall health benefits of my food when I'm cooking at home. I'm proud of my progress, but I also recognize I have a long way to go.

Ok, this is all philisophical and stuff. I guess I should let you get back to your day. I hope it's a good one! Oh, and for my goal this week... I would like to lose 4 pounds in the next 2 weeks. Here's hoping!