Not quite where I expected to be just before Christmas. My weight loss has all but stalled, along with my biking. I am so insanely busy, I just don't have the damn time! Not a great week on the home front. My husband was laid off yesterday until March. Not good! Also, we were served with an eviction notice. Because we are trying to get into this new house, I could not pay both rents at once. Our security deposit will cover it, but.....in the meantime, there will be a 10 day lapse where we will have no home. A GREAT Christmas present. So NOW, we have to move, and still don't have enough to do it. I am $1000 short. Not sure what to do there. We will drive to NY on the 18th to the 27th-that will eat up some of the time. BUT, people don't make money on vacation! I am training for Intuit 5 hours a day from 9-1pm. When I return from NY, I have to take the insurance test to get my license. I start training for Banker's Life and Casualty in NC on January 4th. Moral of the story, I need $1000 to move. I have two jobs-and won't get paid until January form either. Christmas is coming and I cannot afford to buy a single thing. What to do? Needless to say, if stress causes belly fat-I am screwed!

I am still here-I have not dropped off the face of the planet...yet! I have lost 3 pounds in 3 days with my new bike regimen and eating properly though. I also went and bought my dress for the Xmas party already. I bought a size 12, and it already fits great. Hopefully, it will actually be a bit lose in 17 more days! One can hope. cute little black number just below the knee. I can honestly say, I am pleased with the way it looks. So, it can only get better! I have started working for Intuit now, so time is short for me on most days after doing homework involved with training. I'll check in when I can. Best of luck all!

I am thankfully back from my NY trip for the holiday without Phil. Thank you to all who weighed in on whether I should stay or go. All said and done, everyone was just fine, and Phil and I are probably better for it! Now, to get down to some serious commitment to weight loss. Phil told me yesterday that the Xmas party (which is black tie) is on the 19th. That gives me roughly 3 weeks to drop as much weight as I can safely. Other than a few foods which I detested, I am now out of NS foods. So, I am flying solo on the eating part, and hoping for the best. This weekend is the end of my leftovers (yes, I checked a cooler and brought Phil home Thanksgiving dinner!) Frankly, I prefer the leftovers to the actual meal. For the exercising portion of my routine, I will be hitting the recumbent bike again. I need to get some weight off before I can attempt to run, or my knees will not recover. So, tonight is night one at the gym and I am planning a 22 mile ride. If I happen to go further, GREAT! but I am thinking that 22 miles is all I will fit in while Phil teaches his MMA class. Although, he wants to lose a few pounds too before the party, so he may join me after his class for a bit. Sunday's class is earlier than the ones during the week, so there is less of a rush to get the kids home to bed on a school night. All in all, my goal for December 19th is a lofty one-I know. I am shooting for a 16 pound loss. I am at 196.0 today, and want 180 by the 19th. I know it sounds severe, but I have done it before while training for the State Troopers. So, I know it is doable. There will be NO alcohol between now and then. I have none that I will drink in the house, and have NO plans to buy any more. I am picky when it comes to beer. I am going to TRY to eliminate red meat for the next 3 weeks as well. I could eat it daily, and it is waaaaaay high in calories. Instead, I will let it be my reward at the party if I hit my goal. I am not buying a dress until a day or two before the event. I refuse to sell myself short on time or possibilities! Phil says I look great the way I am and I need to stop obsessing about this. As nice as it is to hear that he likes the way I look-I need him to say-well, you could stand to lose a few pounds. It would crush me, but help me at the same time. On Thursday, I start training for Turbotax. And, I postponed my training for the long term care insurance to start on the 4th of January. This way, I can manage to do both, as Turbotax is only a seasonal position. I am equally excited about both, and the prospect of the additional income for our household-much needed! Next thought on the brain to purge-moving. As I have mentioned, we are wanting to move down the road about 4 miles. The issue we are having is, as usual, money. Currently, I have the security deposit for the new place, but not the first month's rent. I need to come up with now $1100 ASAP to make this happen. The bigger problem is this: in the meantime, we have not been able to pay rent where we are, so are on the verge of eviction. I imagine it is only a matter of a few days. I cannot come up with all of it at once, and will not start with steady paychecks until January 7th (from both jobs). Now, the move is necessary for us in order to decrease our bills. By A LOT! So, we have made it a priority. The bigger issue, Xmas, eviction, etc. We are desperately trying to make sure we are settled somewhere for the holiday-for the kids. I have managed to come up with half of the needed money, and have wracked my brain as to the other half. All I have left to sell is my convection oven, but hate to see it go. Although, it has only been sitting in the garage since we moved from NY. Anyone wanna buy a Kenmore Elite convection oven for $1100? ROFL Weird thing is, although we are about to be homeless, I am not feeling HUGELY stressed. Not sure why. Actually, probably because I am not allowing myself to consider the ramifications. So, there's my brain in a nutshell. Thanks for letting me spew thoughts-it helps a TON!

Not going to post for a few days. I decided to go to NY for Turkey Day after all. I will say this-it will be the last time I leave Phil for a holiday. However, I will have a good time regardless. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I still haven't made up my mind whether or not to go to NY with the kids or stay in SC with Phil for the holiday. Unfortunately, the whole thing has me feeling sick to my stomach! On the one hand, I really want to see my family. On the other hand, 5 days alone with hubby would be REALLY nice. We have had no time alone since August. Reality is, if I stay here, he has Tuesday off and only has to work from 2-6 on Wednesday. Then Thursday off and works Friday and Saturday. So, I will be alone much of the time, but at least he won't be for the holiday. This has me crying at the drop of a pin, wandering around in a daze, and just plain sick! If I stay, I leave 18 people unhappy in NY, but they all have each other to comfort them. If I go, I make 18 people in NY happy, and Phil is alone with no one. Another reality is, we are going to NY for Xmas too, and after that, my parents come to SC for their 3 1/2 months stay. So, is all of this emotion really worth it?

I have a MAJOR problem! As I have blogged about, we were to leave for NY by car on Monday-and return Saturday, My husband's vacation time was just cancelled on him because they are too busy. Soooo, here is my issue. I am sending the kids to NY by plane on Monday. Do I go with them? Which would mean my husband would be alone for the holiday. Or do I stay home, and spend it with Phil so he is not alone? I am so confused!!!!!!!!!! I have a VERY hard time with decisions like this. I just want to go to sleep until it is all over! The thought of leaving my husband alone for Thanksgiving is horrible to me. Then again, this holiday is VERY important to my family, and I would hate to miss seeing them. PLEASE HELP!

how is it possible that at only 20 pounds overweight, my knees have sustained so much damage? Against my better judgement, I went to the gym last night. Thanks to TOM, running was not an option. I walked a half mile, then rode the recumbent bike for 7.35 miles. Then walked another half mile, then rode the bike again for another 7.65 miles. Moral of the story, I walked a mile and biked 15 miles. Unfortunately, I have discovered that my knee problem is definitely an impact issue. For this particular challenge, I am not sure exactly how to overcome that! When I was down around 170, I ran a bit, and it didn't seem to bother me so much. BUT, I was running on the road. Here is my plan: Last night, once finished my workout, I was 100% drenched in sweat, much more so than when I run. So, I am going to stick with this bike routine for a few weeks, until I can drop some of the extra pounds. Then, I will tackle the running again. I think I have planned far enough ahead for this half marathon (a year), that it will allow me to drop some weight and build up some leg strength before REALLY tackling the run. When I was in high school, I injured my knee in a swim meet. That was my sport for 5 years. I tore all of the cartilage around the kneecap of my left leg. Spent a long time in physical therapy for it. Now, I don't think that has been exacerbated, but I certainly don't want to chance it by doing something I am not ready for. Also, if I can get back into some swimming it may help a bit. Also, another note-this is something I found a few years back while biking. www.mapmyrun.com It is a place to map your running progress, so you can see over time how far you have come. It is really a cool site! Check it out!

It seems as though every time I start to get into a good groove, TOM shows up! It has happened again. Luckily, it will be timed just right, so as to not screw up my couch to 5k. My second run is tomorrow morning, with my third run on Sunday night. My HUGE goal is to stay on track while in NY for Turkey Day. My folks have a treadmill, so it should be pretty simple. We have driven around Myrtle Beach the past few days and checked out a few gyms. I am finding the best band for my buck is our new YMCA. All of the equipment is brand new, and they have a pool available for laps all day, that barely ever has anyone in it. I would LOVE to get into swimming again. I also think ti would really help my knees with the running. A little water therapy, of sorts. The YMCA is also very kid friendly, so they can with me and I cannot use them as an excuse not to go. We leave on Monday at 3pm. We will be in NY by about 7am on Tuesday morning. I cannot wait-and am VERY excited to see my family! It will be a short visit, but better than nothing. Have a great day all!

Is that possible?  I am driving myself nuts with so many thoughts.  I figured I would blog them out of my head!

Want to get into a size 12 for Christmas party. Between a 12 and a 14 right now.

Need to come up with $2200 to move before December 1st.  (I need a money Angel!  If I can conquer this one, my stress level will drop DRASTICALLY!  Just don't have it in me to ask my folks.  Anyone feel like donating to a good cause?)

Excited about trip to NY for Turkey Day.

Studying for insurance exam.

DON'T want to get sick again!

Keep up with couch to 5k until goal is met.

Hmmmm...seems like there are a million other things running through my head.  Gotta get this move worked out, so I can focus on other important things.

Hope everyone has a great day!

 

Hahaha...not me! Bought a few Power Ball tickets last night-had a feeling. Apparently, it was just gas-lol! This week, my mother won $4190 in a drawing at her local Elk's. I had hoped some of her luck would trickle down the bloodline. I guess it's just not my time yet! I never buy lotto tickets, but decided to try it out. Not even a darn buck! Well, I am still coughing, but at least now, I am producing something each time. I am still tired, but am trying to work through it. Tonight, I am getting back to the gym after a full week off to recover. I have to start mu couch to 5k over again. I think that is the smart choice instead of trying to pick up where I left off. I don't want to fail. My husband informed me that Wyndham is having their annual Christmas party in 3 weeks, and it is black tie and gown. The mere thought just makes me ill. I think it is the first week of December. Sooooo, I am going to see what I can accomplish before then. I think I am going to go a little nuts with the exercise-Biggest Loser style. I read yesterday that they work off like 4000 calories a day-can you even imagine? Mind you, they spend all day in the gym. We'll see what I can do! I am definitely going to push the envelope though. On Tuesday the 24th, we are leaving for NY for Turkey Day. We will be back on Saturday. I am VERY excited to see my family and prepare a huge meal. This is my passion...and I can't wait! Have to run---have a great day all!

I have a hrrible head cold-and Ida is rearing her ugly head here in SC.  It has been raining for two days now, and showing no signs of reprieve. 

I have not gotten any of my c25k runs in for week 2 yet.  In order to stay on track, I would have to run every day for the rest of the week.  Not a thrilling option while not feeling well!

My little man, Michael is home sick, and I imagine Theresa will be in the same boat tomorrow.  Phil is feeling like he has been hit by a mac truck today too.  Geesh, I cannot wait to move out of this house just to get away from the damn germs!

Yesterday, I spent the day making a huge pot of homemade chicken and stars soup.  Yes, I actually roast then boil the chicken, and pick it clean.  The stars came about because my Gram used to live with us in NY.  She has Parkinson's-so, could not keep noodles on a spoon.  Rice, would get stuck in a straw.  I improvised and added star shaped pastina one day.  The whole family feel in love!  Before we left NY, I made a huge pot, and froze 12 bowls to be taken to Gram at the nursing home.  I miss cooking for her!

Today, I am signing up for my insurance brokers online course.  Even if I don't go with the job selling long term care insurance, the company I work for from home has broker positions available starting at $18 an hour.  I have worked for this company for 2 years now, and must say, it is one of the only legitimate home based business opportunities out there.  I am slaos starting my training for Intuit on December 3rd.  That will last 3 weeks, and I will start working for them on January 1st.  I am excited about that, as I am a numbers person and this will be Turbotax support though the tax season.  It is a seasonal poition, but then I have the insurance thing to back me up afterward.

All in all, we just have to make it through to January, and we will be OK.  Looks like Christmas is going to be a little "light" this year though...something my kids have never experienced.  Not looking forward to it at all, and it is normally my favorite time of year.

Well, I believe I am actually going to go back to bed.  I have an episode of Sons of Anarchy dvr'd in the bedroom that I need to catch up on-lol.

Have a great day all!