WWL: A Failure

I haven't updated on my Operation Wedding Weight Loss in a while because it sucks. I've cut out a lot of things from my diet, been active, and I'm doing worse than ever.

It's frustrating.

It makes me feel like a loser.

My Wii Fit thinks the most "healthy" weight for me is -24lbs. I can't even keep four off.

I eat a salad for lunch every day. Every. Day. And I'm not talking about a ranch and cheese covered salad. Greens, a few croutons, and light Italian dressing...very little.

I'm walking up to two miles a day, at least three days a week, which is more than I was doing this winter when the most exercise I did was walk from the couch to the fridge.

I quit snacking during my nighttime tv altogether. If I get hungry I eat whole grain cereal.

I cut my dinner portions, and usually opt for a grilled chicken salad at least one or two nights a week instead of whatever I'm frying preparing for my Mister.

I miss pizza and McDonald's. I miss brownies and ice cream at night. And for what? For NOTHING.

=/

Spanx Me!

When Chloe was about six months old and I was teaching (aka wearing clingy dress clothes five days a week), I invested in a good pair of Spanx. Please tell me you're familiar with Spanx.

I don't care how fat or skinny you are, EVERY woman needs a pair. For real.

ANYWAY. Fast forward about a year. I was on the Stress Diet against my will, of course, but on it nontheless. I lost fifteen pounds in a matter of weeks, and another ten came off over the following six months. Miserable, yet hot, I stuffed the Spanx away in a drawer, smugly telling my old "fat" self that I would never need them again.

Ah hem.

Fast forward two years to a ridiculously happy me. Heard the term fat 'n' happy? Yeah. It's me. I'm not saying I'm obese, but as far as the range of Andrea goes, discounting pregnancy weights, I'm on the "fatter" side of my own scale. Misery looks amazing on me, but I wouldn't trade my happiness for the world!

Today is wedding dress shopping day. As you may or may not know, I have successfully lost 4.3 lbs this month, and hope to lose twice that by the wedding. However, I'm still kinda squishy. Kinda lovable. Kinda smooshy. Mostly around my middle [Ohhhh how I bragged I only gained weight in my belly when I was preggo....and THAT'S where it all stayed. Nice..]. I look alright in clothes, but I was rather nervous about trying on form-fitting dresses, because, let's face it, most wedding dresses are clingy. And barring wearing my jeans and button up shirt for the hitchin', I didn't feel I could pull off a pretty dress.

Then I remembered Ye Olde Spanks. I dug them out of a drawer, THANKFUL that the "you-spent-thirty-bucks-on-those-things" angel on my shoulder won over the "you-won't-need-those-again-unless-you-become-a-fat-ass" devil when I was packing. Whew!

If you've not been in Spanx, lemme just tell ya, lookin' good ain't no easy task. Imagine putting on a pair of pantyhose four sizes too small...but really that's the right size. I wriggeld and squeezed, pulled and tugged, shifted and smooshed, and after nearly breaking a sweat (burning calories yeah!), I had them on.

And I. Looked. Good. Better.

They're not magic. They can't delete the fat, but they do a good job of firming it all up, squishing you into a tight little form, and keeping that baby belly from peeking over your pants.

I'm ready to shimmy into some slinky dresses now! Thank God and QVC for Spanx ;)

Just in case you're on the edge of your seat...

I got up the nerve to weigh this morning. I was down 1.1 lbs :) So that puts me back to -4.3 lbs. YAY! I know it's just a drop in my bucket...er ah, is it a drop OUT of my bucket? Yeah I think so. Either way, I'm 1/3 of the way to my wedding day goal with six to twelve weeks left to go. That's confusing to you, I know. But I know how much time I have ;)

So, if you were just sitting there on the edge of your bloggy little world wondering how I did this week, now you know :) It's been easier since the weather has been nice and I've been more active.

I caught a glimpse of my shadow today and it wasn't one of those stretched-out shadows, either. Pretty well to scale. I liked how it looked. A little curve around the hips, and I'm ok with it. If I can do nothing more than MAINTAIN this -4.3 lbs I will be happy. But I'm still gonna shoot for that -13.

Happy Friday! It's Another 5QF

It's FRIDAY again!!!!  It snuck up on me this week. I honestly didn't realize it was Friday until I opened my Blogger dashboard and saw Mama M's 5QF. And THAT made me HAPPY!!!!!!!!  We are taking Chloe to see Gnomeo and Juliet tonight, and I absolutely can't wait! I taught Romeo and Juliet three years, and I just love it. I look forward to all the little jokes and parodies that other people might not even get. Then tomorrow is dress shopping! Yeah, you heard it here first. The big wedding dress hunt. I'm taking my MOH, my MOM, my MIL and my daughter. Should be a good day!

As for WWL, I have yet to weigh in this morning, quite frankly because I'm skeerd. Last week I gained a pound, and I am worried I may have gained again rather than losing. Eesh. This is why that darned Wii Fit and I got into it in the first place. I just couldn't take its disappointment and judgments! Ok. Anyway. It's time for Five Question Friday :) Enjoy.




1. Have you worn the same outfit more than one day in a row?
Wellll kinda. See my primary wardrobe consists of athletic pants/shorts and t-shirts through the week. If, however, we go somewhere, I will don my jeans and boots, and a nicer shirt. If I wear said "nicer" outfit in the evening, or just to go one place, I will likely hang it back in my closet and possibly wear it again the following day. But it hasn't had its day's worth of wearing yet, so I don't think it really counts.  Right? Ok. Thought you'd agree with me on that one.
Normally, though, I drive my own-self (like that word?) crazy with my own laundry. I get up in the morning and put on either clean pj pants/shirt, or my athletic shorts/pants. If I work out, I will put on clean athletic shorts/pants/jeans whatever after I shower, and if we go somewhere, I might change again before we leave. Most of the time alllll those clothes end up in the laundry. Then I put on clean pjs at night. I get angry and yell at myself, but myself doesn't seem to care that I do ALL the laundry and it wouldn't hurt myself to wear my pjs or clothes more than a few hours before declaring them "dirty."  :)

2. If you had to choose any LARGE city to live in, which would it be?
UGH. I don't want to live in ANY city much less a LARGE one. Blah! But if you're going to hold a gun to my head and MAKE me choose, I'd choose Pensacola. Does that qualify as "large?" Probably not to you, but to me it DOES. And if you're going to drag me to the city and FORCE me to stay there, I better have beach and lots of it. And I want a beach house on the outskirts. But really....don't make me go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love love love being out in the country and living closest to a "city" that has nothing more than a school and a Casey's. Love it.

3. Fly or drive with the kids on vacation?
Hmm. I've never flown with a child, but I have driven with a three-year-old and it was rather pleasant. I had a Nana on board, which helped a lot, and for the most part it was a good experience. I like driving because I like to take my time getting to my destination and have the freedom to leave early or stay an extra night without a hassle. Plus then I have my car at said destination and don't have to rent/taxi/bus everywhere. I think I would continue to drive, at least whilst I only have one child. Plus it's much less expensive, even with the outrageous gas prices.
4. What is your idea of "spring cleaning"?
Hmph. I don't really do A spring cleaning. I do de-clutter, dust EVERYTHING, and make sure there's "a place for everything, and everything in its place." I switch my closet around, moving winter attire to the back and springy things to the front, with the in-between clothes...well...in-between. I wash the comforters and couch blankies and mattress covers. Transition from flannel sheets to regular sheets, and scrub the floors/stove/fridge/cabinets/sink/toilet/tub. BUT. I don't do it all at once as ONE big spring cleaning. I just try to get all of the above done sometime between the end of winter and mowing season :)

5. What is the best book you have ever read?
There you go again, asking me about READING. Ugh. I've read a lot of books I really liked, and like I've told you before, most of them I enjoy as I read, then never give them another look. I do remember, however, when I was in high school, reading Accident by Danielle Steele in one night, and re-reading it several times after that. I also used to read Seventeen Summer by Maureen Daly over and over again. I'm not sure what it was, but there was just something about that book I absolutely LOVED. It was written in the 40s I believe, so you wouldn't think a late 90s girl would feel a connection, but it really proved that a seventeen year-old girl goes through many of the same things, no matter what decade she occupies. Ah. I loved it. Maybe I need to find it and own it. Otherwise, I've either really liked every book I ever finished (because if it doesn't "have me" I don't finish it).
Have a happy Friday!!!!

I once had a pegasus "tattoo"

It's FRIDAY!!!!!!!! Are you excited? Are ya? I am! I don't know why. I have NO plans this weekend, and Chloe will be with her d.a.d. all weekend. BUT. It's Friday anyway, and for whatever reason that always makes me happy.

What makes me unhappy? Today was WWL weigh day. I gained 1.1 lbs =/ I did my best this week, though, and I am noticing more muscle tone in my arms. But after my bad eating last week, and being ridiculously sick Monday and Tuesday, I figure it's finally caught up with me.  Also know what makes me unhappy? The result of being sick is are two fever blisters. One in each corner of my mouth makes it nearly impossible to yawn, drink, or take normal sized bites of food without pain and ugh cracking.  But it's FRIDAY!

Ok. We are back to 5QF this week, so without further ado, here it is.




 1. Would you rather be on ABC's Extreme Home MakeOver or TLC's What not to Wear?
Ohhhhh Extreme Home Makeover. Not that our home isn't sweet and all. But if I was going to choose one or the other, I'd like a brand new home built from the ground-up with all new EVERYTHING. I suck at decorating, and I would LOVE to have it allll done up for me. Chloe would have an amazing room, and we'd be set for many many years. Of course you're thinking I NEED What Not to Wear because you don't think my daily t-shirt, jeans and boots is very fashonista of me? Guess what? I don't care. I would rather chill in my Mizzou shirts and Silver jeans in my awesome new home than hobble around Poe-Dunk USA in pointy shoes and clingy tops. Just sayin' :)

2. Do you have any tattoos?
I do not. But I came soooooooo close to having one on my wrist a couple years ago. It was circumstance that nixed the operation, not a change of heart. Now I just don't have the wild desire for it I once did (or the extra cash), but I might one day. It's definitely a possibility.

When I was very close to getting the tattoo, I had a guy friend who sent me a "caution" e-mail, begging me not to do it, telling me I'd regret it, blah blah blah. His little tirade really struck a nerve (and I was in my "I do what I want" mindset anyway), so I played a little pranky on him :) My friend's hubby actually had a gun and some transfers, so I had him put this huge pegasus transfer (a purple-ish pattern) on my shoulder, snapped a picture, and sent it to my friend telling him look what I got! I still need to get the colors filled in but isn't it AWESOME!?!?!?!  Bahahahaha A friggin PEGASUS! Oh he couldn't believe I'd done it, yet he didn't want to be mean. I finally told him and I think he was mad at me for some time. It still makes me giggle.


3. Do you tell your kids about things you did growing up?
I tell Chloe more than most parents probably think appropriate, but she's not really to an age yet where she asks about my growing up. I tell her stories now about myself that she can relate to, from when I was her age. I would say I will continue to do so as she grows, and while I am not proud of everything I've ever done, my teen years were extremely mild in comparison to, well, most people. The "worst" thing I ever did growing up would be something most parents would probably breathe a sigh of relief over. My Mister still doesn't believe how naive and "good" I was.

4. If the traffic signal turns yellow, do you stop or speed up?
I usually slow down, unless I'm in a big hurry, following someone, or sick of stopping at lights.


5. What's your preference: chocolate or chips?
Oooooh that's tough. How about chocolate chips? Not even funny was it? I tried. Anyway, I guess if I HAD to choose one or the other I would choose chocolate. I love it. But I ESPECIALLY love it after eating something salty..like, say...chips. I couldn't live without chocolate, though, and chips I could.

No Five Questions this Friday

First of all, deepest condolences to Mama M, our 5QF hostess. She lost her brother-in-law in a tragic accident this week, so there's no blog hop this Friday. :(  I guess I could make up some random questions to answer for you, but I'm not gonna. Instead, you're left with merely a WWL update. Yawn, right?

Chloe came bounding in my room this morning. "Mama, will you make me cinnamon rolls for brektfkist today, pretty please?" (De physical appearance of de please makes no difference...) I thought they sounded amazing as well.  Mmmmmm cinnamon rolls. Warm, gooey, doughy cinnamon rolls!

But wait.

I've been bad all week. Not bad, bad, but not good good. And I haven't been active AT ALL.

So I decided I better weigh-in first.

I held my breath and tried my hardest to keep my weight balanced on both feet (so the Wii wouldn't yell at me)..

NO CHANGE.

Not even a tenth of a pound. How about that?!?! YAY! I know, I know, I should've lost at least a pound, but that's ok. So I am treating myself to a cinnamon roll on the condition that I burn off at least twice the calories it costs ;)

Here's to being back in the game this week!

Snow days hinder WWL

Last week was my kick-off week for WWL. I did awesome. I lost 4.2lbs and felt really good about my food choices. I was gung-ho, as they say, to see what week two would have in store.

Then the snow storm hit. I had stocked up on food and snacks (bad Mama) knowing I'd be inside with the family for several days, and knowing Chloe would need a variety of treats and lunch choices to keep her sane.  I did not expect the following:

"Sweetie, will you fix me some lunch? Two grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches?" he asked so sweetly.  Ok. It probably sounded more like, "What are you fixing for lunch? I want grilled ham and cheese. Two of 'em," at which point I gave him "the look," and he revised it to the previous statement.

I stood in the kitchen, my mouth watering at the smell and sight of melting cheese and butter, with ham warming between. I couldn't be satisfied with a salad. I just couldn't. So I had tomato soup as a compromise. With crackers.

Monday night was cashew chicken, of which I partook only mildly. Chlo doesn't like it, so she begged for goulash (the Americanized kind. You know. Spaghetti 86 spaghetti noodles sub elbow macaroni) Since I had to open a new jar of sauce, I deemed Tuesday night spaghetti night.

Spaghetti is my Kryptonite. For real. Noodles...ohhhhh the noodles. And the garlic bread. I can eat it until my stomach bursts and still not be satisfied. I didn't, though. But I came darn close =/

Today I had cereal for breakfast, and no snack. I fixed the Mister grilled ham-and-cheese AGAIN, and even though I decided in my mind I'd screw it and just eat one, my will-power prevailed. I had my usual salad.

Oh. Did I mention they requested my amazing chocolate chip cookies for dessert? The kind made with a half pound of real sweet cream butter, brown sugar, and semi-sweet morsels? The kind that are even better before they're baked? I only had one cookie....but that's not counting the seven I ate in dough ;)

Hopefully all the snow-trudging I did yesterday, and pulling the sled up the hill will make up for it...but I'm not looking forward to Friday. I'll be ready to get back to our normal routine, which somehow makes it easier to stick to my Operation WWL. Until then....wish me luck!

WWL SUCCESS!!!!!

Ok ok the whole thing isn't a success yet. I still have a ways to go, and somewhere between 11 and 15 weeks to maintain this lifestyle.

But for now....

Just for right now....

Can I get a big fat

BOOOOOO YAAAAAAAAH!!

What for, you ask?

I lost 4.2 lbs this week :) Since Monday! I've worked at it and I've given up at least half of the things I love. Yay me! Let's hope I can keep the trend!  This makes me much more determined to "be good" this weekend rather than let myself "off the hook."  :D

Snow Days and Cocktails

It's Friday again!!!!!!!!!!!! Yahooooo! I'm laying here thinking about changing my WWL weigh day to Fridays. I just realized that I pretty much let myself "off the hook" on the weekend, which may leave me a little pudgier on Monday morning than on Friday afternoon when I've been "good" all week. I use the term good loosely because I am more like that sneaky kid in the back of the classroom who has to try with every fiber of his being to not do bad things, and still sneaks a trick or two in when the teacher isn't looking. My "tricks" are carbs. The white, sugary, bad kind.

Anyway. You are looking for 5QF, aren'tcha? Mmhm. Ok. Here it is!  Happy Friday!






1. If you had $1,000 to donate to a charity, which would you choose?
I'd have to do some research first, but I'd probably donate it to a charity that works with children who are either sick, or need to be adopted. I can't imagine having to go through a life-threatening illness as just a baby, and I also can't imagine not having a Mommy and/or Daddy to love you unconditionally. That money wouldn't go far, but it could help one kid at least.



2. Snow days: Do you welcome them happily or are they a pain in your butt?
I love snow days!!!!!!!!!  I really loved then when I was teaching, but I still look forward to them!  It means Chloe and I are homebound together for a day or two. If we go more than two days I get a little crazy, but for the most part I just love it! We stay in jammies all day long. I usually fix a big dinner, and Chloe and I entertain each other until the Mister gets home from work by playing Wii, board games, and even Barbies or critters. I don't feel obligated to "get ready" because I know we're not leaving, and we just have a great day!


3. What talent did you wish you had and why?
I wish I had some kind of musical talent. I'd LOVE to be able to play the piano beautifully. I wish it just came easily to me so I could play anything I wanted to hear whenever I wanted! I'd also like to have vocal talent. Heck, I'd settle for even just a little. You know, like the person on American Idol that sounds OK, but "needs a little work." Yeah that'd be ok. See. I'm not asking for much!


4. Are you a news, politics or celebrity gossip junkie?
Hm. I'm not really a 'junkie' of any of them. I guess if you forced me to watch either NBC, CSPAN, or E I would watch E, just because it's a little more entertaining. Politics bore me, and all they really do is irritate me. There's really not much you can do about politics other than cast your vote when you have the chance. I try to stay away from it. It's all a big lie/conspiracy in my opinion. Sometimes I'll watch the news, or get on a CNN kick, but it's usually depressing. Celebrity gossip is not the most interesting thing out there, but it's light-hearted and interesting at times. Yep, gimme the celeb gossip!


5. What is your favorite "cocktail"? (Are you a beer person, a kiddie cocktail junkie, or perhaps your more the "Cosmo" kind?! Anything flies...doesn't hafta be alcoholic!)
Uh oh. We need a crash cart, STAT! We have a mama who is going to go into cardiac arrest!  Alright here it is Mama. Confession time. Sometimes I drink alcohol! Ahhhh quick! Hurry! She's fading...we're losing a pulse.......(someone save my mama!)

Ok. Now that she is under control, let's be clear about ONE thing. I DO NOT drink beer. Ever! Blah blah blech! If I'm out for a special occasion, I like Long Island Iced Tea or whatever fru-fru drink that particular establishment offers (Applebee's Bahama Mama!). If we're in, I like TGIFriday's Pina Colada that you blend, or a White Russian. And if I'm wanting something bold and reliable, a Coke and rum.

Operation WWL: The Wii and Mii

I decided I'd go crawling back to my Wii Fit today. I've been playing Just Dance 2 on a (somewhat) regular basis, and my Wii Fit is a great way to track calories burned and weight loss/gain.  Once I fired it up, though, I remembered why we got in a fight to begin with.

I've gained 7lbs. SEVEN since we got into it several months back. I realize I can rationalize most of it as "holiday" weight (I'm still carrying a little holiday weight....who said it??) But still. That puts me seven more pounds away from my goal, which was made from my last known weight.  GAH!

I've been eating better little by little, and I've VOWED to only weigh on Mondays so my daily progress won't be hindered. Here's hoping next Monday is better.

Last week I cut out ice cream/reality tv snacks for healthy cereals. This week my goal is to get a grip on potatoes. Actually I guess my goal is to release the grip potatoes have on me :) Wish me luck. I'm going to need it!

Operation WWL Day One Re-Cap

Day one of Operation Wedding Weight-Loss has (almost) come to a close. You wanna know how I did? Let me tell you.

I had a grilled chicken salad for lunch.
I had dried apples and raisins for an afternoon snack.
I had a full portion of spaghetti for dinner. With garlic bread.
I'm having Special K red berries for a snack during Idol.
I did three songs on Just Dance 2. I have no rhythm. FYI.

It doesn't sound like I did all that well, but wait! There's more!

My salad was romaine, chicken breast, and lite Italian dressing ONLY. Nothing naughty.
I had the fruit rather than my normal afternoon cookie binge.
Although I had a full dinner portion, I only had ONE piece of WHOLE WHEAT garlic bread rather than my normal two pieces of white.
And the cereal in place of my monster ice cream cone. Even if it DOES have whole milk on it.

I decided I'm going to try to make better food decisions throughout the day and just watch my portions at dinner. It's hard to give up dinner. It's always the highlight of my day.

My Wii Fit and I had a pretty big fight a while back. We both said somethings we shouldn't have said. I need to go crawling back and beg for forgiveness, but I just can't swallow my pride yet. So for now, I dance :)

Here's hoping tomorrow goes as well. If I don't burn myself out I will do ok. If I don't take away tooooo many things, I won't rebel.

I mean, let's face it. I'm a girl who loves to rebel with food. Skinny jeans too tight? I'll show those motherlickers. I'll eat FOUR scoops of ice cream! The Mister under my skin (WHAT? yes, it happens on occasion) I'll show him! Bahahahaha did you know I can eat a whole loaf of home-made bread in one sitting? So naturally, taking too much away from myself would be very counter-productive.

Baby steps.

So far so good.

Wish me luck.

OH! And you wanna know when the wedding date is?  And what we're thinking? And our story? It's allllllll on Wedding Tales. You know, the limited access blog site? If you want reading rights, send me your e-mail ok? Ok.  :) You know you wanna. Yes you do!