Pasta Gluttony would be a good name for a restaurant, don't you think?

Yes, I know that it is ridiculous that the week after I swore not to neglect you anymore, my Monday review is a day late. I suck and I apologize.
Sooo, last week. Last week = not good. Last week, we went on an impromptu date and I blew a gabillion calories on some seriously, incredibly, almost laughingly sub-par pasta. I did not realize that tortellini could taste bad. Never, since the Great Tortellini Awakening of 2000, have I tasted such bad tortellini. And yet, I gobbled it all up, Alfredo sauce that tasted like it was from a jar and all. How gross does food have to be before I stop eating it? Anyone?
In other news of Last Week, a week that will live in infamy, I realized that, even though my doctor told me it was really important to come back in six months to re-check my cholesterol levels and see if I need some sort of medication to keep me, you know, alive, it's been almost a year since I totally listened to him say that and took every word to heart. Good thing you don't really need a heart to live, right? Geez.
The only good thing I managed to do Last Week was work in a walk after the Pasta Gluttony and before the movie portion of the date (my husband and I are very adventurous on the dates: dinner, movie. We like to think outside the box.). The bad news is that it's surprisingly hard to hustle and get a good brisk walk going when you a) are full of sub-par pasta, and b) have a desperate need to mock the emo teenagers who think they are hard core hanging out in down town Boise of all places. It's hard to mock and gasp for breath at the same time. Someone should look into that. Snarky people need to work out, too.
So that was my week. How was your' s? Do you waste calories on anything edible, or do you insist on some level of tastiness? Do you know of some revolutionary exercise technique that would allow me to snark and work out at the same time? Have you thought of patenting it?

I'm bringin' cranky back...

Yeah, those other curmudgeons don't know how to act...
I know I've been neglecting you guys horribly, and I'm sorry. I wish I had a good excuse for it, but I just don't. Lately a lot of things have converged to overwhelm me, and I've been feeling very discouraged with myself, with my goals, with people, and life in general. I didn't want to bring you guys down with all of my whining, but then I realized that this blog is for sharing exactly those kinds of feelings, soooo, get ready for some cranky! Well, not right now, but in the near future, I'm sure.
Anyway, enough about me, how have you been doing during my hiatus? Any breakthroughs, victories, obstacles, or new goals to share?
This week, for me, is honestly just about getting my head above water and I'm pretty desperately hoping to achieve even close to that...

Monday Review has a bad week

Why? Well, we got our jumbo bag of Halloween candy from CostCo early.

This is but a meager sampling of my shameful pile of candy wrappings.

Hope you are faring better in this treat-laden season...

Monday review has cabin fever

Good morning everyone! How was your week? Mine was pretty good. I did well making food choices, moderating my use of a certain delicious cola drink and got lots of stuff done. So, did I get in my whole-hearted half mile? I actually managed two miles...but not outside. Every time I tried to get out with my 3 year old for a run, he would turn into evil boy, kicking and screaming and just being a general pest, so I would just turn on the Wii and do the free run while watching House reruns. So I'm not sure that it counts. Running in place while watching TV? What do you think? Luckily, my husband's schedule changed this week and he won't be leaving the house too early for me to get in a run before the kids are awake. Oh, and I lost .5 lb.
This week, my goals are 1/2 lb weight loss and 1 mile run, um, actually, you know, moving toward something...
How about you?

Ay yi yi

I sometimes think that I am NEVER going to reach my goal. However, recently I have had to stop and think about my progress, and have realized a few things.

1. Even though my progress isn't showing physically, (as in how I look, per se,) I am certainly able to do alot more than I have been able to do for years. I can walk around the zoo without dying. I made it through the botanical gardens without losing my breath, and there are some good hills in there! I can clean my house and not feel like I am going to die. I can lift my 22 lb niece over my head 25 times and still have use of my arms afterward.

2. I have managed to keep up with my cardio. Weights have fallen by the wayside, but maintaining my cardio has helped me achieve everything in item 1.

3. I have always struggled with wanting to do things... mostly because I just didn't feel up to it. I didn't feel like I could do the dishes, because my back would hurt. I can stand at the sink and do my dishes now like it's nothing. This seems like such a small thing, but for me it's huge. Especially because I hate doing dishes. However, now I find myself thinking, "Man, those dishes are bugging the crap out of me!" and they get done.

4. I can play with the dog. Do you know how nice it is to be able to play with Mocha without being afraid I am going to get hurt? Yeah, it's not fun when I trip over her, but you know what I've noticed? If we had her a year ago and that happened, I would have been in bed for a few days. Not kidding. I had a nerve sack that got caught in between two vertebrae when I slipped a disc in June of 2007. The disc went back in. The nerve sack didn't. I thought for the longest time that I was going to end up on crutches or in a wheelchair. I was in such excruciating pain. I was able to get some pain and cortisone shots in my back though, and everything finally went back into place. Then Mike and I started working out. Thanks to that, I can trip over Mocha and recover in seconds.

5. For the most part, I enjoy being up and around others now. That was a big challenge before, when I was in so much pain I just wanted to crawl into a shell and never come back out.

I guess the biggest thing I am saying is even if the scale or your clothes don't show any difference right now, think of what you could possibly be doing better, or more of, and add that to your list of accomplishments. As long as you are moving and improving your everyday condition, don't worry about anything else. Think about the positives and slowly you will find yourself wanting to do more... and actually feeling good while you are doing it.

Monday Review Seems to come around too fast

Happy Monday, internet peoples! How was your week? I have to brag that I did so much better this week! That's right, I'm awesome:) It turns out that in my weeks of laziness, I somehow managed not to gain any weight and last week I lost 1.3 lbs. And the eating was a lot healthier. And I never once started to shake from the amount of caffeine that I imbibed. Progress, no? So this week I have a pretty lofty goal. Lofty for me, anyway. I am going to run a half mile. Which doesn't sound like much until you consider that I mean actually run. The whole thing. With no walking, hopping, or shuffling. No stopping to check my shoelaces. No slowing down as soon as I round a corner and no one can see me anyway. None of that non-committal junk. Really. I'm excited. Kind of.
How about you guys?
Goals: 1/2 lb weight loss
run 1/2 mile

Monday Review Smiles Sheepishly

Sorry I flaked on you guys last week. My daughter had a rotten stomach flu which I am blaming lots of flakiness on, but the truth is, I was just feeling extra frustrated last week. Every time I tried to exercise, something required my immediate attention right that second. And certain hormonal conditions made me feel like I would die if I didn't eat my own body weight in chocolate and salt. I felt like I had fallen off of the bandwagon in a big, lame, losery way. I'm still not quite back on the dietary straight and narrow, but I'm doing better this week. Also, I made a deal with my sister in law that we would run the half marathon portion of the Great Potato Race this spring. Together. Which means I have to be serious about the running now. 'Cause she's like a real runner and stuff. And I don't want to let her down. So that's a huge help.
How was your week? What's helping you stay on track? Any tips on training for a half marathon?
Goals this week: 1/2 lb
Keep track of eating and make better choices