Post Xmas breakdown

Today I finally got off my butt and went to the dumb gym. I haven't been since my last blog which was on the 15th. Today is now the 30th....way to go Julie. I was telling Anthony yesterday that I'm pissed off and frustrated with myself for not going in so long so he made get on the phone right that second and make some appts with Antonio. I'm glad he did that....I'm the queen of procrastination. Since I didn't see him hardly at all in December, I have 15 sessions that I need to use. So I'm going to see him 4 days in a row next week and 4 days in a row the week after that.

Anyway, today we did shoulders, chest and triceps. It was pathetic and painful. Then I did a mile on the treadmill and a mile on the elliptical. It was sad....I wanted to fall over and die by the time I was done. I'm looking forward to getting back to where I used to be.

Christmas was great this year! We went to Chelan for Christmas Eve and then off to Yakima for Xmas day. We had a great time at both houses. I had some gym themed presents:

New shoes from Amoney

iPod Nano from Mom and Dad

My new shoes are awesome! No shin pain and no numb toesies. And they're cute and pink!

For New Year's, we're going to Will and Liz's for a regular old people NYE complete with spaghetti, mexican train and Apples to Apples. Should be fun!

what a frickin' day

I went to my Antonio appointment today and we did the dreaded core routine. Oh abs, I know you're in there...I can feel you; I just hope you make an appearance someday soon. I really gave it 100% today and didn't cheat my way through. Which just means I'm going to be hurting tomorrow. 

I didn't do any cardio because Anthony and I had a hot date to go Christmas shopping. We were going to go to the Tacoma mall, but at the last minute decided to go to Southcenter so we could go to Fry's as well. We just went to Nordstrom real quick and then as we were trying to get out of the parking lot, we got t-boned by a big ass Jeep Cherokee. UUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!! He hit on my side so I conked my head pretty good. The whole passenger side is caved in and the doors won't open. The transmission is shifted because 2nd gear is now drive. Also, the key won't come out of the ignition. Wonderful! The poor guy that hit us was so pissed at himself and he was really nice. His Jeep was a rental and he was on the way to the airport to go home to Boise.

Oh tons of fun! Just glad it was in a parking lot and not on the freeway.

5K, what!

After my boohoo blog last night, my mom told me I need to take this one day at a time; alcoholic style. Which is pretty right on seeing as how I'm a junk foodaholic and a lazyaholic. So I'm taking it more like one hour at a time and one meal at a time.

I thought I had an appointment with Antonio tonight but I realized my days were mixed up when I was on my way there. So I got to the gym and hopped on the treadmill. I only wanted to do a mile because I've been really tired today. I started out and my shins were killing me but I kept going anyway. I got to a mile and decided to just stay on for another half mile. Once I got there, I realized I was halfway to 3.1 miles which is 5K so I decided to keep going till I was sick of it. Next thing I know, I'm at 3 miles and I only have .1 to go! Holy buckets, I couldn't believe it! It took me 53 minutes, but I did it. Whoa doggies...I still can't believe it. My entire body hurts now but I'll live.

Tomorrow, Antonio....I think we're doing abs. Ugh.

talkin' bout meeeeee

I've been really depressed this weekend. I don't know why. I think it's because I feel like my trip to Maui set me back to square one. I gained back all 30 pounds that I lost before I left. I didn't go to the gym at all this weekend. I've only been there 3 times since I've been back. I guess I feel like it's such a huge mountain to climb, what's the point? I've been a fat fattie all my life so I'm used to it. I've given up on trying to wear cute clothes.

I don't know....I'm just whining I guess. I'm in a pretty big slump. I knew this wasn't going to be easy. It's not like I'm gonna cancel my gym membership. They charge like $300 to cancel! Probably a good thing, otherwise I would've canceled awhile ago.

Anyway, sorry to be Debbie Downer but I really needed to get all this shit outta my brain and into the thin air that is this blog. 

yesterday and today

Yesterday was a great day at the gym. I did 2.5 miles on the treadmill and one mile on the elliptical. I was so happy because my shins didn't hurt for once in my life! Pretty wonderful. Today, I had an appointment with Antonio and we did back and biceps. It wasn't too bad, but I have a feeling my arms are going to hurt tomorrow. Then I did 2 miles on the treadmill and only about 7 minutes on the elliptical. I had to leave because I was starrrrrrving and I couldn't think about anything else but a sandwich.

In other news, Anthony is sicker than a dog. He woke up coughing yesterday and he's been going downhill since then. He's got a pretty rockin' fever and he can't sleep because the coughing is so bad. Poor guy. I've been making him chicken noodle soup and PBJ sammies. I think he's turned into an 8 year old. But I do the same thing when I'm sick, so it's allowed. Bella's being so sweet. She knows her dad is sick so she's been laying on his belly and licking his face. She loves her dad so much! 

I can't believe that Christmas is only 2 weeks away! I've barely done anything yet. We don't even have our tree. :( We were going to get it this morning but Anthony's so sick, there's no way he can even get out of bed. I've addressed our xmas cards, so at least I have that going for me. I still have no idea what we're getting anyone....ugh!! I'm sure I'll figure it out before the 25th.

been awhile

Soooooo....it's been a long time. We got back from Maui late Thursday night and I didn't go to the gym all weekend. I finally went tonight for the first time in 80 zillion years, only because I had an appointment with Antonio. He measured me and I gained 5 inches while I was gone. Better than 6 inches I guess. I knew I didn't do so hot. I only went running twice and I ate a lot of macadamia nuts. But not one single Maui chip which is a huuuuge deal! 

Today I only did a mile on the treadmill and a mile on the elliptical. That's all I could stand. My shins were hurting big time. And besides that, this creepy creeper was running next to me with his molester mustache and he was wearing 15 gallons of nasty, cheap cologne which promptly burned my nosehairs off. I had to leave. He was checking out all the hot skinny girls that walked by too. Yuck...he reminded me of why I hate the gym so much.

Now I have a headache because I'm not hydrating like I should. I kinda feel like I'm starting from the beginning. Tomorrow, the goal is to hydrate, do 4 miles at the gym and get our xmas tree!

woohoo!!

I finally got moving today!! Kinda ran/walked, but mostly walked 2 miles. It felt good too. I was sweatin' it up real good. I ate pretty well too. We went to our fave restaurant on the island, Moana Cafe in Paia and I had a wonderful turkey sammy. We always take pictures of our food because it's just as gorgeous as it is delicious.

Turkey sam with avo, rockin' salad and delish potato cake

Anthony's ahi tuna wrap

Yummy crabby cakes with amazing guava sauce business  

Also, thought I'd throw in a couple of pics of Bella enjoying her Yakima vacay

Here she is working hard with her Auntie Amber.

Entertaining one of her boyfriends, Sevi Warninger

Skankin' it up with the beautiful Winston Wyman

I'm so glad she's having a wonderful time with all her Yakima friends and family. We'll be here until next Thursday, the 3rd and while I plan on enjoying every last minute of it, I still can't wait to see my baby! Aloha for now!

 

let's talk....

This blog is all about honesty...so let's be honest please. I haven't gone walking or running since my last post. Yuck, how gross is that? I mean yeah, I've been strolling the malls and the beaches but no actual workout cardio. I'm starting to annoy myself with my non-committing.

On the plus side, I've said no to fries and yes to salads more on this trip than my entire life combined. WIN! However, I do love me some good, mayonnaise-y macaroni salad and it's real hard to say no to that when I only eat it in Maui. It's so much better on this island. So many calories and fat grams sliding down my throat...ah, yes...that's love.

I'll try to blog more later, once I get moving again. Until then, here are some pictures!

Amunz and I at the Old Lahaina Luau. I had to leave early because I was sicker than a dog. :(

Check out Anthony's new rash guard. So cute!

 

Here's Will with our bitchin' rental HHR

 

 

moving in maui

Aloha from beautiful Maui! We got here yesterday around 2:30 and it was wiiiiiindy. And pretty cloudy too but it's still Maui so it's ok. I didn't get a chance to do any moving because we just didn't have time. The condo is on the opposite side of the island from the airport so it took quite awhile to get there. Then all the settling in and the things of that nature. We went to dinner at the Hula Grill, which is one of our favorite restaurants ever in the history of the world. I got fish and chips like usual but it was not good at all, which is a really good thing because now that'll force me to order something else when we go there. We go several times during one stay so this is a big thing for me. I also said no to dessert....YES!


On this trip, we have me, Anthony, Jenny, Adam, Ethan, Will and Anthony's parents. A's parents are staying at another condo just about a mile away from ours.

We went to Costco today and I'm very proud of myself for bypassing the Maui chips and honey roasted macadamia nuts. I could eat a whole Costco size bag of those in one sitting. Before I left, my mom told me that those snacks are for fat people. She knows that's always the way to get me to quit eating. That woman's got skillz.


I had big plans to go for a walk this morning but I just never got into moving mode so I gave up on that idea. Then I laid down for a nap around sunset and got the sudden urge to MOVE. So move I did. Got my shoes on and my iPod and hit the ground. It was the perfect time of day to go walking. It wasn't too hot, there was a nice breeze and the sun wasn't beating down on me. On our way to dinner, Anthony checked the odometer and we figured it was about a mile and a half. Not bad.

Will took this pic early this am.

 

Oh look, it's my favorite baby Ethan!

bittersweet

Yesterday was equally awesome and horrible all in one day. Matt and Amber were in town kinda. They came over so Matt could go skiing at Baker. So I met Bams and her mama for lunch at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse here in Federal Way. Anthony has been begging me to go there for the longest time, but the words "japanese" and "steakhouse" don't appeal to me in the least bit. But Bams says it's one of her faves and I trust her tastebuds so I went. OMG, it was SO GOOD! I've never had shrimp that delicious in my life. It was really fun too because they cook your food right in front of you and the chef puts on a little show. Usually, I'm not into that kind of cooking because I feel like the food won't be very good if they have to distract people with showy crap. But it was wonderful! Can't wait to go back.

After lunch, I went home and played with Bella all day. We played with her toys, took naps, and cuddled non-stop. I was going to meet Bams in Kent at 7pm so she could take her back to Yakima. I knew I would be bummed and miss Bella, but it was baaaaaad. I was so sad. I cried for about an hour before we left. Bella saw me crying so she hopped in my lap and licked my face, which only made me cry more. Ugh! Then I drove as slow as humanly possible to meet up with Amber. We said goodbye and then there was more crying for me on the way home. Anthony was in Tacoma all day playing with his remote control cars (don't ask!) so I didn't get to talk to him until about 10pm. As soon as he called, I started bawling all over again....I could barely talk to him. It was really bad. I haven't felt that sad since our family dog, Ratdog died about 4 years ago. It's completely ridiculous because I know she's going to have so much fun with her family over there. My parents spoil her as much as we do and she loooooves playing with her cousin Rokko so she'll have a blast. I'm just a highly emotional person. It'll be much better when we get to Hawaii and we're not in this empty house thinking about how something's missing. Get me on that plane!!

I didn't go to the gym because I wanted to spend every last second with Bella. People probably think I'm ridiculous to be that attached to a dog. But I'm not going to have kids, so Bella is my kid. And I think moms feel the same when they leave their baby with someone for awhile. I know it's weird to compare my dog to an actual human baby, but that's how I feel and it's the closest I'll get to having a kid so that's why I love her so much.

Going to the gym today. It's gonna feel good to sweat.

Laser eyes Bella before we left to meet Bams.

Empire State of Mind

This song is beyond inspiring and motivating to me. First of all, I love anything that has to do with New York City. My mom has promised me a trip to NYC next September if I reach my goals by then. Talk about motivation! She knows what gets me moving.

This is not the first time she's used New York as a reward for me. I was really bad kid when I was little so in 3rd grade, mom promised me a trip to NYC if I made it to my 18th birthday without getting pregnant, being hooked on drugs and flunking out of high school. Sold! So on spring break of 2001, just a week before my 18th birthday, I finally understood why people love that city so much. It was truly life-changing. I remember the exact second that changed everything. We got in around 5pm, so we checked into our hotel and decided to go to Times Square for dinner. As we were walking, I was telling mom that I didn't feel like I was in New York; it just felt like any other big city to me. I didn't even get to finish that sentence because we turned the corner to Times Square and I was blinded by the lights and the energy. I couldn't believe it! Of course, I'd seen it in movies and on tv the whole time I was growing up but that didn't compare to seeing it in person. The feeling was unlike anything else I've ever felt in my life. Right that second, I knew that there was a much bigger world out there outside of Moxee, WA. I'll never forget that moment. I know it sounds so cheesy, but my life would not be the same if it weren't for that second right then in 2001.


I've been there a total of 3 times. The spring break trip, then about a year later I got to go on a school trip and see all the behind the scenes stuff in the fashion world. It was an amazing trip, but the best one was the last one in September 2005. My parents won a vacay to NYC at an auction so they were planning on going. Of course, my dad had to drop out because work blew up on him so I was more than happy to step in and take his place. I was just doing him a favor, really. :) Mom and I went the week after Labor Day weekend and that was the perfect time to be there. Kids were back in school and there was hardly anyone in town. Of course, it's all relative since it's such a big city. The weather was perfect too. Early September so it was still about 75 every day. I was at my all time skinniest on this trip. And I'd spent my entire summer working overtime at Trendwest and saving all my money. Money + skinny Julie + the newest fall clothes = SHOPPING OVERLOAD! Omg, we had SO much fun! I bought whatever the hell I wanted and I fit into everything I tried on. I bought skinny jeans, several pairs of 4 inch heels, medium size jackets...anything that fit was MINE. Beyond amazing.


So September 2010...we're there again! And we'll be skinny and have a blast. I can't wait!

Here we are in Times Square 2005

 

Central Park 2005

cardio, cardio! hey hey hey!

I think I'm getting a little cardio-addicted. Much better than being addicted to chocolate I guess. I did 2 miles on the treadmill and another 2 on the elliptical. The treadmill was pretty slow today. Took me about 35 minutes for those two miles. My whole body was hurting pretty bad, especially my shins. I'm hoping that new shoes will help the shin situation. I'm also hoping that new shoes won't make my toes go numb after 5 minutes. Is that normal? I'm thinking it's not, but I don't know anything about treadmills or running. Er, walking fast.

The two miles on the elliptical only took 21 minutes. I can go a lot faster and burn more calories on that machine because it's much less painful. I'm usually never sore after the elliptical but my heart rate is pretty high so I feel like my heart got a good workout.

After the festival of cardio, I sat in the sauna for awhile. I got too sweaty and hot, blech. I hate sweating but I feel kinda good sweating out any crap that's in me when I'm in the sauna. I know I don't make sense sometimes....it's ok, I'm used to it. :)


My eating wasn't so good today. I had cereal for bfast, a sammy for lunch and another bowl of cereal and some popcorn for dinner. WTF? That's not a dinner. I'm getting lazy in the food department. I don't want to buy any food right now because I want to save my money for Hawaii. Boohoo....don't cry for me Argentina, that's not a shitty problem to have!

I'm going to try to make it to the gym on both days this weekend. Monday is reserved for packing and getting shiz together before we leave. Tuesday: MAUI.....ahhhhh!

sweat city

Today was a lazy day, which I looooove. I finally went to the gym around 3:30 and just did cardio. I did 2 miles on the treadmill and actually got my speed up to 4.0. (Is that mph? I don't know!) It was only for less than a minute, but I did it! I usually keep my speed between 3.5 and 3.7. The main reason that I can't go very fast is because it's so painful. My knees and ankles hurt really bad and so do my shins. However, it doesn't hurt near as bad as it did when I first started working out. Once I lose more weight, it'll be a lot easier. I wish it would all just go away instantly. I can't stand having to go so slow. My head wants to haul ass but my body tells me no way jose!

After my 2 miles, I did one mile on the elliptical and then sat in the sauna for awhile. I think I sweated out another 30 pounds. Ahhhh, feels so good! I sure love that sauna! I'm gonna hit it up next time I'm hungover. Sweat out the alcohol AND the heat forces me to drink water, which I normally hate. So no dehydration. I'm all over that.


Today was a good day.

yesterday

My leggies are still killing me from Monday's workout. Oh that Antonio....he does love to torture! I can barely stand up straight. Ugh! They hurt way worse today than yesterday. But yesterday was still pretty painful too. 

I forced myself to go to the gym yesterday and managed to walk a mile. My legs actually felt better afterward. Imagine that. I was about five minutes into an episode of the Office when my iPod battery died. So annoying...I need a new one desperately. Anyway, I just walked in silence for the rest of the time. But I kept my earphones in so no one would talk to me, ha! After my mile of torture, I sat in the sauna for awhile...till I felt like my ears and lips were burning off.

After gym time, I went down to Tacoma to my BFF, Rachel's house for some mojitos, fajitas and quality time with her and her fam. She makes the BEST mojitos! They make me quite happy. Her huz, Nate is on the same get healthy road as I am so we had some good talks about what we're eating and our workouts. It's so weird to talk about stuff like that with anyone. When have I ever cared about cardio and calories? After dinner, I got in some bonding time with their 4 year old kiddo, Rylan. I love kids who aren't afraid of being themselves and who have carved out their own little personalities and he is definitely one of those kids. He's such a cutie! And apparently he's very comfortable with me now because he farted twice in front of me. Ah, kids! :)

Ok, so more gym tomorrow, Yakima this weekend and MAUI on Tuesday!! Life is good.

love/hate legs

Today was my last appt with Antonio until I get back from Maui in December. He's going to Miami this week and he gets back the day I leave. Great timing huh? So we did legs and it was hardcore. Like a lot of things I'm experiencing on this road, I have a love/hate with leg days. I definitely hate legs because he makes me work extra hard and then I can barely walk out of there. But I also love that I don't have to do cardio on leg days. Kind of a crappy attitude to have, but I'm being honest. Right now, my legs feel like they're going to give out every time I stand on them. I'm really gonna feel it tomorrow...yeeee!

I plan on hitting the gym every day this week except for Friday. I'm going to Yakima that day and I won't have time. I'm also hoping to start doing 3 miles on the treadmill instead of my usual 2. Oh boy...

october progress report

I have a love/hate relationship with measuring/weigh in day. I hate it because I'm afraid that I've messed up big time. And I love it because whether the results are great or crappy, at least I know where I stand. This month, I definitely LOVE it. I only lost 6.5 inches, but it's ok because I don't expect to lose 20 every month. That's pretty unrealistic. Here's the awesome part: I lost THIRTY POUNDS!!!!! OMG, as I type those words, I still cannot even believe it. Looking at that just feels so beyond amazing, they need a new word for it. Wow. Don't mind me while I bask in my awesome-ness. :) I also lost 6% body fat. YAY! I'm sooooo on the right track!


Honestly though, I could NOT, in any way do this without the love, support, advice and ass-kicking pep talks from my friends, family and loyal blog readers. I realize that I'm the one who did all the hard work, but it definitely helps to have an army of people cheering me on every step of the way.


THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! From the depths of my usually cold black heart, THANK YOU!

10 things I'm looking forward to when I'm skinny

1. Tall boots...not tall heels, just the boot part. My calves are too huge for tall boots.
2. 4 inch heels again.
3. Being able to bring the laundry up the stairs without getting exhausted.
4. No mo' migraines!
5. Shopping at Forever 21. When you're fat, you can't buy cheap clothes. Cheap fabrics make you look fatter.
6. Running a mile without stopping.
7. Being comfortable when I sleep.
8. Not feeling out of place at the gym.
9. Not feeling self-conscience when I got out with a bunch of skinny girls.
10. Last but not least: skinny jeans!! duuuuuhhhh!

Where'd they find this picture of me in the future??

boring day

Went to the gym. Chest, shoulders and triceps today. Then 2 miles on the treadmill. Nothing too exciting.

Tomorrow: legs and measuring. Not looking forward to it.

core + treadmill + blisters from rockin' boots = PAIN

The gym was straight up hurtful today. We did core for only the second time. The first time, I was sore for 2 entire weeks. TWO WEEKS! Christ, it was brutal. I have to lay on the mat and do those leg kick/scissor kick thingies....ohhhh boy, horrrrrible. I'll be dying tomorrow, no bigs. Then I tried to do the treadmill but I have stupid blisters on the balls of my feet from wearing my awesome boots all weekend long and then again last night. Why do cute shoes have hate me so much?

I was really bad in the eating department today. Anthony and I went out to dinner and that part wasn't so bad, but afterward, he "surprised" me by taking me to Dairy Queen. If there's one thing I can't say no to, it's a peanut buster parfait. Ugh, it was so great at the time but I feel like shit now. It's so hard to remember the after-feeling when I'm in the middle of ice cream dreamland. 

I'm going to struggle with food issues for the rest of my life. I was reading an article in some fitness goddess magazine and it was talking about seeing food as fuel. Wha?!? This is a completely foreign concept to me. (Much like the rest of this road I'm on.) I have never understood the nutritional values of food or what a calorie is. I've always eaten because I looooove to eat. I love food. I love fatty food, fried food, sweet food...anything and everything that's bad for me. I don't quite understand the consequences of eating badly. I don't think when I eat, I just eat and I enjoy. It's incredibly frustrating to turn a leisure activity into an activity that requires effort. (We all know how much I loooove effort!) 

One of my best friends, Melanie loves healthy food and I wish I could be more like her. One time she said to me, "You know what I'm really craving right now?" (I'm thinking, pizza, a brownie, cupcake....nooooo.) Instead, she says, "A big huge head of lettuce!" A WHAT?!?! Have you lost your damn mind? A head of friggin' lettuce. I would really love to crave a head of lettuce some day.

Anyway, onward and upward. Tomorrow's a new day. (Jeez, I say that a lot don't I?)

back in the gym

I took a little mini-break over Halloween weekend so I went back to the gym today. I only had time to lift because I met my mom and dad for dinner. So since I wasn't doing cardio today, Antonio kicked my butt. We did back and biceps and man....I'm really no good at biceps. I have about zero strength in my arms. I never use my biceps, really. I don't lift heavy things...that's what Anthony and my dad are for! It's completely new and foreign to me. I struggled a bit through a couple of reps but Antonio made me push through the pain and the lack of any ability. Man, I'm so glad I have him. He makes me keep going when I know I would give up if it was just me on my own. Him pushing me through is worth the buttload of money I pay him.

I'm seeing him every day the rest of this week and I fully expect an ass kicking every day.

Happy Halloween!

I took a little detour on the road to skinny jeans this weekend. I had a lot of beer, some french toast, a brownie, and tons of rockin' Halloween candy. I'm seeing Antonio every day this week I'm planning on some major ass kicking.

Here are some pics:

Bella and Rokko got into character

 

Check out my eyelashes!

 

Mom and Dad as Matt and Bams

Billy Mays here!

Bams and MC skankin' it up

Family pic from the photobooth. Xmas candidate?

On a side note, a couple of people said my face looks thinner than the last time they saw me. YESSSS!! I'm on the right track!

another day

Another day that I went to the gym. I was all excited to work out with Antonio because I'm back on the wagon and everything. Well I got there and he told me I'd already used all my sessions for the month. Boooohooooo!! The ONE day I was excited. Ugh. So I did 2 miles on the treadmill. I feel like that's nothing but when I'm in the middle of doing the 2 miles...I feel like 2 miles is waaaay too much. God I can't wait to finally be in shape and 2 miles is my warm-up. That'll be the day...

Anthony's working till midnight tonight, so it's just me and Bella. But the TV in our bedroom is dead and I'm too cold to go downstairs. Maybe I'll go to bed early tonight. Rockin' night at this house!

found the wagon!

I went back to the gym today. Leg day, blech. Antonio had me do the spin bike for 10 minutes. Only TEN! And I wanted to die. That just further solidified my belief that spinning is not for me. It was pretty painful, but at the end of all this my butt's gonna look awesome! Then we did weights and he had me do as many reps as I could. I have no idea how many I did but I felt like my muscles were bleeding halfway through. At that point, Antonio asked me how I was doing (friggin' horrible) then made me do 20 more reps after that. Oh boy...I was almost crying. That's why I hired him though...because I would've stopped at 5, haha! 

More gym tomorrow, then Thursday I'll be at an awesome charity/wedding event, Get Hitched Give Hope. I need to get in as much gym in as I can because this weekend is going to be pure gluttony. Thanks Matt and Bams!! :) Over and out!

I fell off the wagon

I had a migraine from Wednesday night to Sunday afternoon. I haven't been to gym since Wednesday. I had to cancel two appointments with Antonio. I've eaten Hamburger Helper and Panda Express. I have an appointment tomorrow, so I'll go then. I feel like a loser. This isn't the only time I've given up. It's a lot easier to be fat.

Tomorrow, I get moving again. I feel like I'm starting at the beginning. Yuck.

I've been MIA

Just wanted to let my loyal blog stalkers know that I've been down with a migraine for the last two days which is why I've been missing from the blogworld. I'm so bummed because I missed an appointment with Antonio yesterday. I was on a roll! Was going to see him 3 days in a row but obviously I couldn't make it. Ugh!

Part of the reason that I want to lose weight is to reduce the intensity and frequency of my migraines. I've had them since I was about 5 years old so it's something I've dealt with for quite some time. Since I've been getting more and more unhealthy in the past 2-3 years, they have increased immensely. At this point, they're partly hormonal and partly unhealthy living induced. I figure I can control whether or not I'm healthy so I should at least do that. It's hard to deal with but I've been dealing with it for over 20 years so I'm used to it.

In a way, I'm kind of glad I'm sick now and not next week or after that. I've got too much to look forward to. Next Thursday is an awesome wedding show/charity event, Get Hitched Give Hope at the Arctic Club Hotel. It's an amazing event that raises money for Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation, which is a lot like Make a Wish for adults. After that is Halloween!! Matt and Amber are having a ginormous party at their house in Yakima. I've got my costume and Bella has her's...Anthony needs his but he already knows what he's going to be: Billy Mays!! It'll be perfect! Once Halloween is over, the countdown to November 17th starts. Anthony and I are going to Maui (again!!!) with our friends Adam and Jenny and their amazing baby, Ethan. Our friend Will is going to join us for the first week. Anthony's parents will be there too. Can't wait!! I don't know how I got this life...I'm beyond lucky.

This is a picture of my favorite baby, Ethan. Can't wait to spend almost 3 weeks with him in paradise!! Love you Beefy!

another good day

Saw Antonio again today and we did shoulders, chest and triceps. I lifted 50 pounds with my tris, can you believe that? He had me do the punching bag too, which was soooooo fun! I don't really have any aggression or rage right now, but somehow I found it. I did the treadmill too. My shins are really starting to hurt. I don't think it's shin splints or anything, but it might be the beginning of them. Yuck. I have to keep going though because I know it won't hurt once I have this weight off me. It's so painful and it's clearly all my fault. UGH!


I've been craving bad foods lately. Cupcakes the other night. Tonight it's cheeseburger, fries and fry sauce. And corn dogs!! So gross, yet so wonderful. I'm resisting for now but I'm afraid I'm going to go nuts one of these days. I also want cream cheese....lots of it. A whole brick of it. Two of them.....ahhhhh, cupcakes with cream cheese frosting! Ok I'll stop. I'm drooling now.

Tomorrow, more Antonio and more treadmill. Hope my shins can take it!

apparently, I have stomach muscles

Today was my first day of ab workouts. I have never once in my life worked on my abs. I didn't even know I had abs. Well, I do have them...and I felt them big-time today! They're definitely in there, under a very large layer of blub. I'll see them someday!


I really didn't want to do cardio today, just because I'm a lazy bum. I even left my iPod at home so I'd have an excuse not to do it. That's so pathetic. So after the ab torture, I just went upstairs and hopped on the treadmill. I only did one mile, but that's better than nothing. I have to bring my iPod every time though because doing cardio with no music is NOOOO fun.


My whole body is already hurting. I had to do this ab thing with my legs so my legs are on fire. I'm sure the treadmill didn't help the leg situation either. My shins feel like they're going to explode and my ankles are killing. God, I can't WAIT to get this weight off of me. Maybe then it won't hurt so bad to move. I am literally carrying around an extra 70 pounds every minute of the day...no wonder I feel like I'm dying. Whose heart, joints and muscles can support that all the time? Obviously not mine anymore. I have to keep remembering, that's why I'm doing all this. The health part is great, but the skinny jeans are pretty awesome too.

don't stop believin'....

Had another wonderful, lazy Saturday today. I finally got out of bed around noon....ah yes, life is good! I went to the gym and kicked that gym's ass! I hopped on the treadmill and started hauling ass. Man, it was painful. Today was the first time I've really hit the treadmill hard. I've been doing the elliptical a lot but since I found out that the elliptical is pretty much a waste of time, I'm gonna be a treadmill girl. Ugh, I could think of a lot of things I'd rather be than a treadmill girl. Anyway, I decided I was going to do 30 minutes on the treadmill, then 20 on the elliptical (just to keep myself moving). As I got closer to the 30 minute mark, I realized I was almost to 2 miles. (Hey, I'm still in the beginning stages!) So I figured I might as well go 2 miles. I was losing motivation really quickly, so I found Journey on my iPod and played "Don't Stop Believin'". Only the greatest inspirational song EVER! I felt so awesome. I was moving so fast and I went past my goal and actually did 2.15 miles. It may not sound like a lot to some people but that's pretty big time for me. I thought my legs were going to fall off when I was done, but I still did the elliptical afterward. 

I felt like I really accomplished a lot today. Since finding out my progress last week, I've been motivated to step it up so I can lose even more this month. Going forward, I know the month of November is going to be really hard. Antonio's going to Miami for some fight competition or something. Then as soon as he gets back, I'm going to Maui for almost 3 weeks. Trust me, I am NOT complaining about going to Maui for the 2nd time this year. (How did I get this life??) I'm just worried that I'm going to slide back into my old habits. I have to make myself think that it's not a vacation and that I'm actually living there for 3 weeks. Whenever I'm on vacation, I use it as an excuse to do nothing, spend too much money and eat dessert after every meal...including breakfast. Now of course, I'm not going to be crazy strict with my food when I go over there. I love my macadamia nut pancakes waaaaay too much. That just means that I need to get moving every day. Like really move, not just stroll leisurely along the beach.

Tomorrow is more of the same. Lay around, gym, trip to Target....sounds good to me! Hope everyone's having a great weekend.

sooooo glad to be home

Today was CRAZY! It was one the first crazy rainy days here in Seattle which means multiple accidents everywhere and major freeway traffic. Let me start at the beginning....we've had Anthony's mom's old Honda Accord sitting in front of our house for quite awhile. It just sat there, never did anything. It's the first car Diana every bought brand new and if you've ever bought a brand new car, you know it's hard to get rid of. About a month ago, Anthony and I came home from spending a day at Pike Place Market and we realized the Honda was gone....didn't know if it had been stolen the night before or during the day or what. So A did the usual, called the police, canceled the insurance, blah blah blah. We were actually pretty excited and relieved that it had been stolen and we figured we'd never see it again. Sooooo...last night the police called and said they recovered the car and it was at impound in Fife. Since Diana is the only name on the registration, she's the one who had to come get it. Luckily, she was flying in from her current job in Sacramento. Anyway, this story is getting way too long. Basically, I picked her up at the airport at 2:30 and the traffice was SO BAD, that we didn't get to Fife until 4:45. OMG, it was horrrrrible! Finally got home at 5:45, then we went to dinner at Indochine in Tacoma and had several, well deserved drinks. UGH....I don't think I want to see the inside of my car for a looooong time.

On the workout front, I saw Antonio at 1pm today and we did back and biceps. My arms always get all shaky when we do biceps. I feel like I can't even hold my toothbrush...but that just means it's working! When I see him again on Tuesday, we're going to start abs. I don't really have abs but I know it's gonna get painful. He's stepping it up big time so I can see even better results next month. Tons of fun!

Here are some birthday pics of Bella:

 Big bday smiles!

New winter coat from Gramma Diana

Awesome new toy also from G-ma

cardio

While I was slaving away on the elliptical today, I started wondering if I'm doing enough. I don't really know how much I should be doing at all. I usually do 30 minutes or 3 miles...whichever comes first honestly. So I asked all my Facebook peeps how much I should be doing. Pretty much everyone says I should be doing an hour on days that I don't lift and 30 mins on days that I do lift. Another thing I learned (from one of my workout gorgeous goddess FB peeps) is that the elliptical is pretty much useless. All of this makes perfect sense. If you know anything about me, you know that I don't like effort and I always take the easy way out. Moral of the story: step it up sister!

That's the plan for tomorrow and this weekend....and actually the rest of my life.

On another note, tomorrow is my Bella's 1st birthday! I can't believe my baby is a year old. She's such a little sweetie and we really lucked out with her. For her birthday, we're going to Pet Smart to get her a special outfit (shhhh! don't tell daddy!) and a new super deluxe amazing toy. I just love her so much!! Happy Birthday Belly!!

Bella in Chelan

 

My baby, doing what she does best!

 

Family pic!

Progress!!!

I had an appointment with Antonio today and I was definitely not looking forward to it. I hadn't been to the gym since Saturday. I was fully prepared for a verbal beatdown and some physical torture. Instead, he realized that it had been a month since I started with him so it was time for some measuring. Ugh! I was not prepared for this! I've been bad lately too...didn't go to the gym for 3 days, drank a shit ton of beer at the Fresh Hop Ale Fest, ate chips and cheese from Taco Bell that night....bad news. So I was totally honest with him about my laziness and beer consumption. He got me all measured and wouldn't let me look at any of the numbers, then weighed me and checked my body fat. He told me the bad news first: my weight and body fat percentage hadn't changed. Then the good news: I lost 20 inches altogether!! From my whole bod, not just one specific part. Holy buckets, I couldn't believe it!! I really thought I wasn't making any progress and was starting to wonder why I was doing all this. Now I know why...and I'm SO excited to keep going! Now that I look back on this past month, I realize it's actually pretty easy. All I have to do is make the right choices and get off my butt. Of course that sounds easy enough...doing it is another story. However, I surprised myself and I did it. Still can't believe it...so awesome!

Tomorrow, I'm going to Costco with my favorite Arab, Khalid. He's a nutrition smarty, so he's going to help me pick out some healthy food and tell me what to do with it. It'll be fun! Then we're going to meet Anthony and our friend Will at Matador in Tacoma. Looking forward to a super fun good time tomorrow!

in the zone

Saw Antonio today...and actually showed up at the correct time. YEEEEE! We did legs, my least favorite. He changed it up on me and we did a couple of different machines that I've never done. I'm gonna be sore tomorrow! I worked really hard today. I got in this zone and I didn't let the pain stop me. So weird...I've never done that before. Usually all I can think about is how much I want it to be over and how much it hurts. But today, I just focused on this spot on the floor and pushed through. Now I know what "in the zone" means! Because I was totally in the zone. Haha!

The rest of the day consisted of hanging out with my Bella and catching up on all my DVR shows. Anthony was out flying his helicopter, so it was girls only. I resisted the urge to make mac and cheese because it was the only thing in the house again. Instead, I got my ass up and went to Metropolitan Market (my own personal heaven!) and got some bananas and apples and sandwich stuff. All kinds of good shiz that will keep me away from the crack and cheese. I should just throw that junk away. It's too tempting, that delicious fake cheese!

More gym tomorrow...hope I can find the zone again!

I am losing my MIND!

OMG, could I please be more of an airhead? I swear to sweet jesus that I had an appointment with Antonio at 12:30 today. So I show up, perfectly on time as usual and he looked really mad at me. He showed me the schedule and my frickin' appt was at 12! Good lord...such an idiot! Luckily, he had an appointment open at 1pm tomorrow, but I'm still out 30 bucks for missing today's session. Ugh. I went upstairs and did some cardio anyway. Good times! 

Other than that, it was a great day. I took poor Bella to the vet this morning at 7:30 to get her teeth cleaned. Then came home and went back to bed till gym time. After that, I picked up Miss Bella and she was out of it! She's such a little sweetie. All she wanted to do was lay in bed and cuddle. But I had to go to Gene Juarez for a facial, so Dad stayed with her while Mom had a lovely day of beauty. After the spa, I went to Nord's and got myself a new pair of Uggs. My old ones were from 2003....OLD! There's nothing like a new pair of Uggs...like wearing clouds on your feet. 

Here are some pics from my wonderful day:

These are my new boots. I think they're so much cuter than regular Uggs. Love the button!

Miss Bella, high out of her mind after getting her teeth cleaned. Such a cutie!

 

 

in a rut

I'll be honest..I didn't go to the gym today. We had big plans to go down to the water in Des Moines to take our Xmas pics but we missed the sunset so we scrapped our plans. We had mexican for dinner and I was good. Got my delish fajita salad. But I also got a strawberry daquiri...actually 2. UGH!! I'm getting really lazy and wondering why I'm doing this. I never want to and it's never fun. Bohoo, I'm just whining.

Tomorrow, I'm taking Bella to the vet at 7:30 am to get her teeth cleaned. They have to put her to sleep for it. I hate that. If you have a smush face dog, you know what I mean. But she went under when she got fixed and she was perfectly fine afterward so I'm not too worried...it would just be great if she didn't have to be put under for it. Then I'm seeing Antonio at 12:30 and I think we're gonna do legs...blech. After that, I'm getting a facial at Gene Juarez. I'm a little overdue! Anthony and I were going to have a date night tomorrow night but we decided to scrap it once we remembered that Miss Bella's going to have a traumatic day. She'd probably kill us if we left her home alone. Yes, our lives revolve around our dog. I'm not afraid to admit it!


This weekend, I'll be hitting up the gym both days. On Sunday, we're doing a major clean out of the guest room. I'm guessing 3 or 4 trips to the dump. I can't wait to re-do that room! I'm going to do black and white with splashes of red. Loves it!


By Monday, I'll be on a roll and be a new woman who works out alllll the time!

crisis

Ok,  I'm good at being a little over-dramatic so maybe "crisis" isn't the best word to use. I feel like I'm at a career crossroads and I'm not quite sure what I want. I go through this every couple of years where I have a mental breakdown and can't see out. I think my world is crashing down and coming to an end just because I feel like I'm not doing anything with my life. However, after talking to Anthony and my mom, I realized (once again) that I actually have to DO something if I want my life to change. So I'm going to talk to boss lady about taking on more responsibility. I just feel so useless there. Plus there are other things going on but I don't want to go into it on the internets. I'm really hoping I can get things to turn around quickly.



I've been off my anti-depressants for only one week, just because I'm a lazy skank and didn't get my ass to Walgreen's. Well turns out, I can't even be off them for a week. I'm sure that being off my meds didn't help the crisis situation today. I picked them up after the gym tonight so I hope they kick in quickly because I don't know how much more of this I can take...or how much Anthony can take!


As far as the gym goes, I saw Antonio today and we did shoulders and chest. My arms hurt...can barely hold my toothbrush! I've been drinking a shit ton of water though so I'm hoping I won't be too sore tomorrow. Then I did 2 miles on the elliptical. Felt good...just me, Dave Matthews in my ear and sweat everywhere. YES! Tomorrow, just cardio then I have another appt with Antonio on Friday. Pretty full schedule these days!

still sick, but I saved the world!

This morning, I woke up and still had my lovely migraine so I stayed home again. And didn't go to the gym...again. I'm just hoping I still have a job tomorrow! (I'm only half-joking.) So anyway, my day consisted of Bravo reality tv and Facebook. 

If you read my previous post, you know that my family had the opportunity to visit the Chimp Sanctuary NW. We have all become obsessed with the chimps...reading their blog, watching the videos and being FB friends with Sarah, the executive director of the sanctuary. This morning, she posted a blog about how Dancing with the Stars was going to have a chimp on the show tonight predicting the winner of the show. Basically using an innocent animal for entertainment purposes. She asked everyone to write an email to the executive producer to try to get him to scrap the segment. I figured it wouldn't hurt, but I also thought that he wouldn't give a shit either. Much to my surprise, he actually emailed me back an hour later! Not only did he email me back, but he canceled the chimp segment! Apparently, it was already filmed last week so he couldn't help the fact that it was already done but he canceled it because he didn't want to perpetuate the use of chimps or other wild animals as entertainment. I really couldn't believe it. I feel like I saved the world today! Here's their website again: Chimp Sanctuary NW. They could really use any donations of any kind. Blankets, toys, food and most of all MONEY. If you can, please donate to them. The staff and volunteers work so hard to provide a great life for the chimps and they can use any donation you have.

Tomorrow, back to work and Antonio at 5:30. I'm actually really ready to get back in the gym. I feel like I've been dead to the world the last 2 days. Blech.

weekend and sicky :(

We went to Yakima this weekend for the Fresh Hop Ale Festival on Saturday and then we went to the Chimp Sanctuary NW on Sunday. It was the best weekend EVER! The FHAF was tons of fun despite the pouring down rain and ruined outfits and hair. And the chimps were amazing! We got to learn all kinds of cool stuff about them. They're the sweetest, most cutest beings I've ever come across. Well, except when they start flinging poo...but what do you expect? They're chimps!

This morning I woke up with a pretty bad migraine...like a delayed hangover. Ugh, it's no good. So I was down for the count all day. Bella cuddled with me the whole time. She had a very busy weekend with her cousin, Rokko so she'll be sleeping for the next couple of days.


Needless to say, my workout routine suffered just a tad this weekend. No gym since Friday. Uh oh...it's so hard to get back on track once I've been off it for awhile. I'm hoping my head is back to normal tomorrow because I could really use a good sweat session. I feel like the beer is still in my veins, ew. 

Here are some pics!

Here's the whole fam enjoying Yakima's finest hops!

 Anthony and me BEFORE the pouring rain.

Here's Burrito, showing us who's boss

Jamie with Sarah, our awesome tour guide. She is SO SMART!

Bella and Rokko taking a break from terrorizing each other.

This is Bella from last night...so exhausted!

day off

Yesterday, I took a much needed day off. Anthony and our friend Will and I all went to Wingdome. I haaaaate wings but I looked at the menu online and they had other stuff too. I got a delish chicken sandwich (grilled, not fried.) It was so good! We had a pitcher of Manny's and another pitcher of Mirror Pond, so I was feelin' good afterward.

It was a day of resistance for me yesterday. I went to Starbucks after work for a little pm pick me up. They had pumpkin cream cheese muffins. OMG! I friggin' loooove pumpkin stuff and I always say that I'd eat a human finger if it had cream cheese on it. It's the world's most perfect food. So creamy and sweet and straight up wonderful! I had a small moment of weakness and really wanted to order one, but for once in my life I showed some willpower and just ordered my grande nonfat vanilla tea latte. (Thanks for that one Becca!) Then at Wingdome, I got my chicken sammy and the waiter asked if I wanted fries or a salad. Of course I wanted fries, but I got a salad. With Italian instead of my usual tasty blue cheese. It was actually really good too and I definitely feel better about myself. 

Tonight I'm going to Matador with my two friends from the Art Institute, Caramel and Christina. Can't wait to see them! I see Antonio tomorrow at 1, then Amunz and I are leaving for Yakima for the Fresh Hop Ale Festival. My whole fam is going to be there, plus Anthony's parents, plus all of our friends. Gonna be a blast!! On Sunday, we're going to Cle Elum to see the chimp sanctuary. Mom and I will go to the gym on Saturday, don't worry everyone! I can't wait for this awesome weekend! 

Here's a pic from the last time we took 410. It's a gorgeous drive and I recommend it for anyone who lives in the NW.

 

it's just me

Well, I was NOT looking forward to seeing Antonio today but I knew he'd work me out pretty hard and I'd be happy afterward. Guess what though. He stood me up!! I got there and he wasn't there. The manager Garrett came out and said I could train with some guy, Kevin. Hell no! I pay for Antonio dammit! (As much as I can't stand him, haha!) So I didn't get charged for today and I rescheduled for next week, which means that I'll see him 3 times instead of 2. 

I worked out anyway. Just did cardio upstairs. Only 2.5 miles on the elliptical instead of 3. Now that I see the actual numbers, I'm wondering why the eff I couldn't go another half mile? UGH! 

Antonio standing me up really made me realize that it's totally up to me if I want to get to where I'm going. I'm the one that has so show up and actually do the work. No one is going to do it for me. (Unfortunately!)  I'll be back at it tomorrow!

fat is bad

We're told from a young age that "fat" is a bad word. It's offensive and degrading. We call people "heavy" or "big". Even the word "obese" has softened. Remember those commercials with Carnie Wilson talking about how she had gastric bypass because her doctor told her she's morbidly obese? Back then, that would be a horrible diagnosis but the words have lost all meaning that they no longer scare people. I had to look in the mirror and tell myself, "you are FAT" to get myself to the gym. For the past year, I've been saying that I just got a little heavy after meeting Anthony. It's the boyfriend layer...happens to everyone! It took me actually saying the word "fat" to get through to myself. 

I'm not saying that everyone should be calling people fat, but maybe if that word was actually said then people would wake up and do something about it. So I'm saying it "FAT FAT FAT FATTIE!!" Ah, that feels good!

Today was a good day. I worked really hard at the gym (even though I really didn't want to go.) And I ate really well too. I discovered Taco Bell Fresco Style...it's so delish! Basically, they take out all the dairy and replace it with salsa. I love it!

Tomorrow I see Antonio, then I see him again on Friday. I'm actually looking forward to it. Last week, I pushed myself so far beyond what I've ever done. Can't wait to do it again!

great weekend!

This was a great weekend. Actually, it still is...yay! It's not over yet! Yesterday, I did absolutely nothing. Seriously, I didn't get out of my pj's until we went to dinner at 7:30pm. Fabulous! I love days like that...and I don't feel bad about it. Today is kinda the same except that I went to the gym this morning. I did the elliptical for 2.5 miles, then came home and ran around the block with Bella. I love when she's in running mode because it doesn't come very often. 

I've been eating really well this weekend. I've learned that the key is to keep good food in the house so I don't go to the store and shop when I'm hungry. Or worse, go get fast food. Blech.

I found my Halloween costume for this year! I'm gonna be a witch. Next year, skanky cop. HA!