One week later

Weigh in this morning: 219.7.   My sister has been here for a week.  We've been to Berlin and we've been to Poland.  It has been raining here practically non-stop since she arrived.  I feel so bad because the weather was beautiful prior to her arrival.  We'd been wearing shorts and capris most days.... Now we're practically bundled up again. And Poor Susan.... she packed for "capri and short sleeve weather".

 

But .. hey on the plus side, I'm down 2.7 pounds.  We are heading North today to see Heidelburg and Landstuhl to take Paul to the doctor for what I hope will be the last visit. 

I should be cleaning ...

Affirmation for this week of POSSIBILITY - "To forge new avenues to personal success, I simply open my heart to all the possibilities. When I take a broad, spiritual perspective, new direction emerges."

I really should have posted this on Monday.  But you know ... I'm not quite there yet.  I've been reviewing everything that's been going on the past two months. And what it all boils down to is that my head has not been in the "diet" game plan. As of today, I have 9 weeks before I leave Germany.

Weigh in this morning was 222.4.  UP from yesterday (but I expected that).  I can't seem to stay focused on diet or exercise plan.  I think I need to back up and re-invent the wheel if you will.  My first step is to get back to my walking program. 

While my sister is here, I'm going to wear my pedometer and make sure I hit the 10,000 steps every day.. if we don't accomplish it during sightseeing, then I will march in our room in the evenings.  She and I have already decided to share our meals when we are out and about. Most places give you too much anyway.  And we can always fill in a bit with fresh fruit.

So.. that is my basic plan for the next two weeks.

Kimberly, Paul and Kendra

Here is the formal picture that was taken last Friday (May 12) of Paul and the girls at the Brigade Ball. I'm so glad that we were able to take them to this event.

 

When is enough, enough?

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people.
- Orson Welles

My sister arrives in two days.  I haven't done a thing all day today, but I blame it on the excessive beer I had last night.  On the plus side, beer makes me a very happy drunk.. on the down side, beer makes me think that if three beers are a good thing, then four would be excellent, and five would be awesome and .... well.. I think you get the idea.

Got on the scale this morning and I was down 2 lbs from yesterday (and yes.. I know it's the dehydration that comes with consuming too much alcohol), but it still looks good to see on the scale. :)

Okay... time for me to start doing SOMETHING useful around this house. I complained when Paul was always home, under my feet, getting in my way and giving me excuses for not getting my work done.  Now he's back to a "regular" schedule.. and I miss him.. UGH.. there is just no happy medium.

 

Monday Morning Stretch

The Ball was a lot of fun.  Everyone raved about the decorations.  The food was really good and the company was great.  Saturday night was everything I could want it to be. Lots of dancing with the husband.. too cool.

Yesterday we began the slow process of recovering the house from the frantic pace of last week.  We got the left over supplies cleaned away and we did the grocery shopping for this week.

Today I've been working on the laundry.  I've done 9 loads so far, have about 4 or 5 loads left, but the laundry room has become swamped with other people that need to get laundry done too.  So I think I'm finishing up the loads I have going right now and then I'll wait til tomorrow morning to finish up the last loads that I have.

This week we're getting ready for my sister's arrival.  She flies into Nurnberg on Thursday. I wish I could say I was really close to being done.... but really it's more like.. I'm really close to getting started on the housework.  Laundry will be finished and out of the way soon though.

I'm pretty excited about her visit.  We have quite the agenda planned... and I mean her and I... the kids and Paul are staying home and going to work and school while Susan is here.

 

ARRG

I love Saturdays.. no alarms, no grumpy kids (two of three kids in this household are NOT morning people).  I get up and I usually have at least two hours to myself before others start finally getting up. 

It's been a long two weeks.  Last weekend (May 12) was the Brigade Ball (a Brigade is about 1500 people in size) welcoming home the whole Task Force that was in Afghanistan.  We took our daughters with us, so they could have their first "official" dance with their father.  It was a very nice evening.  The food was good, the speeches short, the company well behaved (and I'm talking about the soldiers here, not my daughters).  It was a very good Ball to take them to for their first one.

We had pictures taken by the photographer, but can you believe that I forgot my camera at home and so did all the friends we had there?  So.. no pics of them dancing with their dad.

May 13, Kendra had her Senior Prom.  She went with her boyfriend, Ron.  I did get pictures of them.  Ron brought Kendra a whole bouquet of roses... VERY pretty.. but no corsage.. LOL.. I thought that was odd.. but Kendra was on a cloud over her roses, so I said nothing.

This week, I've been working on the finishing touches for the table decorations for our Squadron Ball (about 400 people are attending). A Squadron is about 1/3 of a Brigade.  This is also to welcome the soldiers back from Afghanistan, but this one is just for the unit to which Paul actually belongs.  I was the head of the decorating committee (okay.. I shanghaied it and did all the work myself, planning out the design and gathering the materials).  Wednesday night I was finishing up the last of the candles (putting our unit patch on them).  I couldn't sleep that night... I think I had performance anxiety, since the next day we'd be setting up the decorations for the ball.  Everything I chose to do had been pre-approved by the rest of the committee,so it's not like any of this was a surprise, but suddenly I was worried that it wouldnt' be enough.. that it wouldn't look right... that it'd have the wrong ambience... insane stuff.... anyway.. I didn't get to sleep until after 3 am that night.

Thursday, I met up with the ball committee and the soldiers they tasked to help us.  Everything went into the hall and was set up in about an hour and a half.  The tables looked great!! I am so thrilled with how nice it all looks. But of course.. I forgot my camera (AGAIN!!), so I'm going to have to arrive early tonight to get pictures before everyone gets in there and messes it up.. LOL 

Yesterday (Friday)  was the official "Welcome Home" ceremony for Task Force Griffin.  They held it at the  Giebelstadt air field and it was one heck of a windy day.  The whole Brigade was out in formation for the speeches and then there was the uncasing and the casing of the colors, as well as an army band and a "pass and review"  (when the soldier march in formation past the audience)... it was so impressive to see all these aviators actually able to keep step LOL.. no.. really .. it was nice.  I felt sorry for the guys carrying the flags though.. there were a couple that I thought were seriously going to become airborne with the wind. Following the ceremony there was a fest (like a little carnival) and a concert with two  "name" bands.. Lit and Von Cotton. We (Paul and I) didn't stay for the fest.. .we headed home to enjoy a quiet afternoon without the kids.

So.. later today I'll be getting ready for the Ball.  I have already colored my hair.. I just need to do my nails, pluck the eyebrows and then shower and make up.  I'm hoping for a relaxing day while I do all this stuff.

 

Judging myself.

Affirmation for this week of PERCEPTION - "I rise above judging my experiences as 'good' or 'bad,' for I know that all are ultimately designed for my benefit."

 

Learning from the mistakes that we make can be hard.  Well.. for me it's hard.. I don't care to be very introspective about what I do or what I've done.  As I've often heard "People that fail to study history are doomed to repeat it."  This can be true of anything, including the mistakes that I have been making on my efforts to lose weight.

Recognizing the mistakes is easy enough.  I think the hard part comes in changing from something that was "easy" and "mindless" to always being mindful.  For me, there isn't a reward system in the world that can keep me on the path to success if the sidetrail looks interesting enough.

I guess the trick here is to look at the mistake, take the knowledge I can gain from it, and then release it from holding me back.  Until the next time I stumble. As they say.. failure only comes when you don't get up "one more time".

Boot Camp update

So Thursday I started a "boot camp" challenge with myself and with the Chub Club.  Thursday I walked/jog 2.5 miles in 30 min. using the WATP. I followed that up with a 30 minute weighted workout for the lower body.

My eating on Thursday was good. I ended the day using about1350 calories.

Friday I walked 3 miles using the 5 mile WATP DVD and followed that up with a 30 minutes weighted workout for the upper body.

My eating on Friday was a little more hectic, we had dinner out at my favorite Italian restaurant, but I was pushing the water like I should.

Saturday (as noted in yesterday's entry) we were on the road for a good bit of the day.  I had a protein shake for breakfast, 4 granola bars, 210 cal. of peppermint patties, lunch at Chili's (about 490 cal).

We had to leave so early that I didn't get the chance to do my walk before we left.  When we got home, it was 5 oclock-ish. I was beginning to think that my walk just wasn't going to happen this time... but when Paul and I started watching a movie on TV, I decided to pull out my Walk Blaster step pad and start walking while I was watching TV.  I walked non-stop for 31 minutes.  I worked up quite a sweat because I was walking at a very fast pace (nothing to time off of like music, so I kept moving along as fast as I could), but I did purposely slow down during the last few minutes to give myself a "cool down".

Weigh in this morning is 219.3.  I'm really proud of myself because I kept to the plan of exercizing every day so far.  My eating still needs a bit of work, but at least I am not having complete abandon when I am eating out. 

The Long Road to Landstuhl

Today Paul and I were up very early to get on the road to go to Landstuhl.  This is the Medical Center that certain tests and consultations occur.  This is our third trip there in the last 4-5 weeks.  We have to make another one on Monday.... With luck, it'll be the last one we have to take for awhile.

Landstuhl is about 2.5 hours away from where we live. Paul and I have been listening to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix during the ride.  We have 2 CD's left and we will have completed the book. 

I think for Father's Day I'm going to get Paul the new Harry Potter book on CD.  He has a lot of cross country driving ahead of him when we get back to the states.

Landstuhl is near Ramstein Airbase.  This facility is where a lot of troops fly out of, as well as families.  This base has a Chili's on it!  A trip to Landstuhl inevitably ends with a meal at Chili's.  But don't worry, I order off the guiltless grill offerings.

This weekend there was a Turkish Bazaar at the Airbase as well.  We browsed through the offerings they had.  Lots of really neat things, but nothing I absolutely had to have except the Wine storage case.  I've been looking for one.. something small because Paul and I don't drink a lot of wine, but we do like to keep a few bottles around.  This cabinet was perfect.. it holds 12 bottles of wine, and has a rack that will hold up to 8 wine glasses.

Well.. it's late here and I have got to get to bed.  Tomorrow I will catch up the information about my "boot camp".   I'm pretty proud of myself thus far.

Starting over, commitment, and other flotsam

Well.. I wish I could say the news was better from here.  The non-stop lifestyle is starting to take it's toll on my eating habits.  On the one side.... my clothes still fit.. but on the other side.. they are not fitting the way I'd like them.  One too many days of "oh, this time won't hurt".. is really starting to hurt.

I have two formal dinners ahead of me... one at the end of next week on Friday...and another on the 20th.  The smaller dress I bought does not fit at the moment, but luckily I bought one in my current size "just in case".  I'll be wearing that one and thankfully it does fit and I really like it.  So.. my hope is that I can lose just enough to look really good in the dress that fits between now and next Friday and that by the 20th MAYBE I'll have slimmed down enough to get in the 18.

  This is my "default" outfit. A blouse and skirt combination that I like very much.

My weigh in this morning was 220.  Someplace I thought I wouldn't be again.. so I'm very disappointed that I have backtracked again.

Chubclub (the weight loss support group to which I belong) is challenging us to do "Boot Camp" style workouts for awhile (I'm sure there was an end date, but I don't always retain everything I read).  At any rate, I've started mine this morning.

I did a WATP tape: Walk and Jog, followed by a strength tape from Kathy Smith for the lower body.  Feel good. 

 Hoping to make my breakfast soon, but the repair guy for the dishwasher just showed up..... my kitchen is just too small for all of us to be in there at once.  Guess breakfast will have to wait for a small while.