Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Ready for the "Merry-thon!"

I am so excited that several of you have decided to join me for the "Merry-thon!" Yesterday was my first day back at the gym in a week and WOAH could I feel it. A mile into my run I felt like I was going to puke and walked the next mile, but tonight I plan to add on another quarter mile until I have worked my mileage back up. I know having this challenge and knowing you guys are keeping up your mileage up is going to help to keep me motivated as we head into the holiday season. Thursday I will have to hit the gym at 5AM UGH...because I have a monster of a day at work and probably won't get home until about 10 that night! It wears me out just thinking about it :)

What are you guys looking forward to the most this month?  I love our town's Christmas Parade. I have been in the parade the last couple of years, but this year I decided with all that was going on at the library, we just didn't have time to put a float together. I am so excited about being a spectator! I also enjoy our town's tree lighting that will be this weekend...the weather is supposed to be gloomy and wet, so I am not sure I can talk T into going, but sometimes he surprises me! And I must leave you with a sweet picture of Humphrey sleeping under the tree :)

Monday, November 29, 2010

A Merry-thon Challenge!

I don't know about you, but Challenges really help to keep me focused in keeping up my mileage. Confession Time...I didn't run at all last week. I wasn't trying to complete a challenge, and since I was away from my gym and the outside conditions weren't great, I didn't push myself to keep up my running.  I did quite a bit of walking and even did a DVD one day, but I didn't get a good run in all week. ( I am also really behind in reading about you guys! I have only had access to the internet for about an hour in the past week!)  Today I am back to my regular routine and I am really looking forward to gaining some miles tonight.  As the Christmas Holidays approach, and all the extras that go with it, I need a new challenge to focus on. I will be working late more this month, and I need a good reason to hit the gym late (or early that morning) instead of just shrugging it off and heading home to PJs and my warm blanket. I need to commit to hitting the gym before or after that holiday party. I don't want to set myself up for failure by making the mileage too high, but I want there to me enough that I have to get to the gym several times a week for a couple of miles.

I am challenging myself to get in 26.1 miles of running during the month of December. I will be running tonight, but this challenge will officially begin December 1. Will you join me? ~ Jess

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Drop Dead Gorgeous by December -Weekly Report 15

1. A picture of you holding up a positive sign for yourself.
"Ho Ho Ho! You better keep up your mileage! Santa is watching!

2. Your current week’s weight as well as your challenge start weight. *optional
November Weight: 190.5
3. Your goal(s) from now, or whenever you decide to join, until December.
Goal 1: 200 tracked workout miles...(treadmill, street runs,biking,elliptical,swimming,etc) Woohoo Goal completed!
Goal 2: 5k in under 40 mins... Completed 10/30/10 PinkDressRun 38:39
Goal 3: Journal food 5days a week.  Too much food this holiday week.

Goal 4: Do something for myself to make me feel gorgeous. Eyebrows waxed :)


4. ONE thing that you are proud of for the week.
Enjoying my vacation time. I used one day to clean the house and get up my decorations. The rest of the week was just relaxing and enjoying the holiday and time off.
5. ONE thing that you can improve upon for the following week.   
         I must get back into my normal routine.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Drop Dead Gorgeous by December -Weekly Report 14

1. A picture of you holding up a positive sign for yourself.
Tommy made this week's signed and snapped the picture :) I loved it!

2. Your current week’s weight as well as your challenge start weight. *optional
November Weight: 190.5
3. Your goal(s) from now, or whenever you decide to join, until December.
Goal 1: 200 tracked workout miles...(treadmill, street runs,biking,elliptical,swimming,etc) Woohoo Goal completed!
Goal 2: 5k in under 40 mins... Completed 10/30/10 PinkDressRun 38:39
Goal 3: Journal food 5days a week.  Food has been all over the place...good days and bad days. Not enough journaling.

Goal 4: Do something for myself to make me feel gorgeous. Hubby gave me some extra kisses and I felt gorgeous :) Hee hee ;)


4. ONE thing that you are proud of for the week.
Getting my Snow Village set up...hope to get the rest of the decorating done this week.
5. ONE thing that you can improve upon for the following week.   
         Log more miles..this was a laxed week at the gym.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Three Things Thursday (a little late)- Thankful Edition 3

1. I am thankful for our house and home. Even though there are many little projects I would like to get done (and can't afford), and the fact that I can never keep it clean, I am so thankful to have a house that I can sleep in each night. I am also for the love inside our house that makes it a home.

2. I am thankful for my Mother-In-Law. I think all MILs can drive you crazy, but I am so thankful for mine. I think it took a couple of years for us to fully adjust to each other, but she is absolutely golden.  I hope never to take her for granted. She is wonderful to cook dinner occasionally when I have had a long week. She let's me vent when it is much needed. And she helps us out without being overbearing.

3.  I am thankful for memories. "When people you love become a memory, those memories become a treasure."

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Honesty and Questions (with Tags)

Thank you to Mary for giving me this "Honest Scrap Blog Award." The rules of this award are simple...list 10 honest things about yourself and then pass it on to 4 people who have shown their honesty through their blogs.
1. I truly love my job. Most of your know that I am a children's librarian in a public library. Each week I have over 400 children participate in the different programs I do at the library and during the summer that number sometimes triples. I do programming for infants - age 15 and my days are never the same. There are people of every economic level that use my library. I have seen children crawl for the first time and read their first book. I have spoken to young teens about what they hope their future holds. I am thirty years old and have worked at the library is some capacity for 15 years. I started as a volunteer and worked my way up to the Director of Youth Services. A few years after I graduated, my favorite University professor ran into me and asked what I was doing. When I told him I had chosen to stay at the library he said, "what a waste." It devastated me. A year or so later, I  confided this to a lady that brings her children to the library. She took my hand and said, "then he has no idea what you mean to the children of this community." And I knew my decision to stay was the right choice.

2. I have struggled to lose weight after I had my gall bladder removed in 2007. This makes me proud of every single pound I lose. 

3.I worry about my husband dying young. Most of this fear is completely irrational and stems from the fact that my mother's father died when he was 56 and then my Dad died when he was 56. My best friend's husband died in his 40s. Some of the most important men in my life have died too early.

4. I am having a hard time with my Mother dating. In my head, I want her to be happy, but in my heart it hurts to see her with another man.

5. I love to just relax in front of the TV and watch mindless television.   Sometimes I am not even really watching, I am just not thinking about anything else.

6. I love planning a trip almost as much as actually going on the trip. However, I am very flexible with my travel plans. I like to read about everything that is available to do, but I am usually not disappointed if we do none of the things I have researched and follow a completely different itinerary.

7. I work with the public everyday, but I am incredibly shy is social situations. I would much rather be at home with Tommy than at a party. And I hate to mingle. It makes me very uncomfortable. I don't even care for group situations with my family.

8. I worry what my body will look like when I reach my goal weight.  I used to never think about this, but recently I have noticed how my skin is sagging. I read that if you lose slow that your body usually has time to tighten up, but mine has not done this at all. I want to lose weight in order to have a healthy body and to improve my fitness level, but it would also be nice to have a bathing suit body, but I don't think that will ever happen...especially when I look at my thighs!

9.  For that last few years, I haven't looked forward to holidays. I have always LOVED the holidays, but after Dad died...it just became very hard to get into the holiday spirit. This year, I have been so excited about the holidays...but I am worried that I will wake up any day and that excitement will be gone again. I think that is part of the reason I want to get my decorations up early this year.

10.  I am so thankful to this blog community. You guys just don't know how much your sweet comments mean to me. (Or maybe you do...since this is your community too!)

I want to pass this on to Jennifer, Girly Girl, Lori, and Karen!

I was also tagged in a question game by Moving Mertle at Diets and Sweat. These are the questions she asked:

1. What is your favorite mantra/motivational words/quote?
"RUN when you can, WALK when you have to, CRAWL if you must, Just NEVER GIVE UP!"- Dean Karnazes

2. What was your favorite book as a child?  I loved the book, A Panda Cake by Rosalie Seidler! I had the weekly reader version. The first year Tommy and I were together, he found the book on ebay and gave it to me as a Christmas gift. It is one of my favorite gifts.

3. What is your favorite recipe or cook book? This is an easy one. When Tommy and I got married an elderly lady gave me a notebook filled with her families favorite recipes and helpful hints around the kitchen. I treasure this gift.

4. What do you want for Christmas? I would love a Nike+ sports band.

I want to tag Rae, Brittany, Tish, and J with the following questions.

1. What is your favorite Christmas memory?

2. What is your go-to meal?

3. How would you spend a day if you could do anything...from morning to night.

4. How do you plan to motivate yourself to keep up diet and exercise during the holidays?

Monday, November 15, 2010

Oops :)

Sorry about the sign yesterday...I didn't realise you couldn't read it when I posted it :) It says, " Believe and you can do it!"   :)

I really started to get into the holiday mood last week! Because we are going out of town for Thanksgiving this year, I have decided to put up my Christmas tree next Monday. ( I am taking off the week of Thanksgiving.) One of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is read wonderful holiday stories. Last week I read, Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans and then I read A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber this weekend. I really enjoyed both books in different ways. Finding Noel wasn't your typical holiday book, but I think it was perfect for starting off the "Season's Readings."  I adored A Cedar Cove Christmas. Very Cute! I haven't  read any of the Cedar Cove series, but think I might give them a shot after the holidays.  Last night I started another Debbie Macomber book, The Perfect Christmas. Do any of you enjoy reading holiday books, if so, what are some you have enjoyed in the past? Every year, I mean to keep a list of the books I read during the holidays but never do. This year I plan to keep a list on my sidebar. If you are interested in any of the books, or want to know more about them let me know! :)

I am very behind in my blog reading! Hope I can get caught back up with you guys in the next few days :)

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Drop Dead Gorgeous by December -Weekly Report 13

1. A picture of you holding up a positive sign for yourself.

2. Your current week’s weight as well as your challenge start weight. *optional
November Weight: 190.5
3. Your goal(s) from now, or whenever you decide to join, until December.
Goal 1: 200 tracked workout miles...(treadmill, street runs,biking,elliptical,swimming,etc) Woohoo Goal completed!
Goal 2: 5k in under 40 mins... Completed 10/30/10 PinkDressRun 38:39
Goal 3: Journal food 5days a week.  Food was fine the first part of the week, but got a bit snacky during my days off. Dinners were consistently light and helped to balance out the calories. Saturday all I wanted was a Milk Shake! It is all I could think about! I decided to give into it so that I could move on...I got a small peanut butter milk shake and it was wonderful!

Goal 4: Do something for myself to make me feel gorgeous. Friday was a complete "ME" day. I even took a mid-day nap!


4. ONE thing that you are proud of for the week.
Finishing out my mileage goals!
5. ONE thing that you can improve upon for the following week.   
         Gotta get back to my six meal/snacks schedule!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Three Things Thursday

* I am continuing my Thankful series for Three Things Thursday during the month of November.

1.  I am thankful for good friends.I have several friends in my life that truly mean the world to me. I believe that people come in and out of our lives for a reason. I am thankful for old friends and new ones. I am thankful for friends that call for no reason,and friends that show back up in my life after a brief hiatus. I am thankful for the friends that sat and held my hand when I was scared and Dad was sick. The ones that cried with me when he passed away. And then celebrated mine and Tommy's love on our wedding day. I am thankful for "Girl's Nights" and "Evenings with the Boys." I am thankful for true friendships.

2. I am thankful for my little pup, Humphrey. I had no idea what joy this little guy would bring me when he first showed up at our house needing a home. Tommy bought me a cute little magnet that says, "Who saved who?" and I believe that is so true. He is always so excited to see me when I get home at night, and I love our "weekend adventures."

3. I am thankful for vacation days. Last week I said I was thankful for my job, and that is very true. I love it, but I also love a few days off occasionally. I am using three days of vacation time this week, and it has been wonderful! Yesterday, Tommy and I went to the zoo and had a blast. Today I ran errands and had a great time just browsing through some stores. Very nice!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Drop Dead Gorgeous by December -Weekly Report 12

1. A picture of you holding up a positive sign for yourself.

2. Your current week’s weight as well as your challenge start weight. *optional
November Weight: 190.5
3. Your goal(s) from now, or whenever you decide to join, until December.
Goal 1: 200 tracked workout miles...(treadmill, street runs,biking,elliptical,swimming,etc) I am currently at 196/200.  ( I should finish this today!
Goal 2: 5k in under 40 mins... Completed 10/30/10 PinkDressRun 38:39
Goal 3: Journal food 5days a week.  Food was great this week. I paper journaled and tried to do 6 meals/snacks each day. Calories ranged 1400-1650.

Goal 4: Do something for myself to make me feel gorgeous. Saturday night I got dressed up for a wedding. It was fun!


4. ONE thing that you are proud of for the week.
Great workouts, great food, and cleaned out my pantry :)
5. ONE thing that you can improve upon for the following week.   
         Keep working on November goals!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Three Things Thursday- The Thankful Edition

During the Month of November I will be using my Three Things Thursday to list things I am thankful for...

1. I am so thankful for my sweet husband Tommy. I can't imagine life without him. He is my rock, my cheerleader, and an amazing friend. He is the love of my life. I wish that I could give him the world, but he is content with just having me.


2. I am thankful for plenty of food to eat. I think so many of us worry so often about what food we are going to eat , the calories and fat it contains, and how much/little we are going to eat of it  that we forget to be thankful for it. There are so many people that don't have enough food to eat. It breaks my heart when children come to the library and ask if we have any food, especially during the summer. During the school year, I know that hopefully they have eaten at school, but during the summer, I can't help but wonder if the small snack I serve at some of our library programs is the only food that child will get during the day. It really puts things into perspective.

3. I am thankful for my job. I am a children's librarian and absolutely love working at the library. I meet so many wonderful families and feel like I can really make a difference in some of these children's lives...I know they make a difference in mine!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Time to THROWDOWN! :)

I am very excited about participating in a November Throw Down with J from For Real, This Time! We have emailed a few times and got our goals set.



My goals for November are:

*Weigh 187 or lower by Dec. 1 
Those of you that read my blog on a regular basis know that I lose Very Very slow. This will only be a 3lb loss for the month, but for me that would be huge...I am usually excited with a 1lb loss. I will be trying to accomplish this by tweeking my diet. I will be upping my calorie intake from 1250-1400 to 1400-1650 and will be spreading my calories out between 6 meals/snacks. This is my third day of doing this and so far so good. This is my schedule
6:30  Breakfast
9:30 First Snack
12:30 Lunch
4:30 Second Snack (Pre-workout)
6:30-7:30 Dinner *Dinner may be later on some night due to work.
8:00 Final snack
Because I am eating so many times through the day, I have been able to control dinner portion sizes much better! I will continue this schedule through November and then reevaluate.

Exercise 5 days per week w/ 3 days of strength training 
I usually get in 5 days of workouts already, so the strength training with be the true challenge. I bought a Stregth training DVD and so far I really like it!
Run 2 miles in 24 minutes :)
I made this a goal earlier, but I had given myself through the New Year to achieve it. I think if I really work hard I can get there by Dec 1.
 
If you aren't already a follower of J you should check out her blog and show her your support!
*I want to say a very special Thank You! to Rae for starting this challenge and pairing me with J :)