The wait is over!

You might think that this is going to be a post about weight loss or something, but actually, I just caught a glimpse of the new iPod nanos, and I want one. Badly. I currently have a 4GB second generation nano, but it doesn't hold all of my music, which makes me sad. I was excited to see that the 3rd generation held 8GB, but I restrained myself, knowing that as soon as I got one, something better would come out. But now, a 16GB version is out! And it comes in purple! I need it!



Unfortunately I've been shopping way too much lately. I'm expecting to receive $450 in frequent travel bonus in the next few weeks, so I think I may get myself this. I would dangle it in front of myself as a reward for losing weight, but that would be wrong because this would actually HELP me lose weight because my iPod gets most of its use at the gym. I heart it.

On a side not, I'm wearing my purple shoes with a green dress today, and although I look tres chic, my feet are KILLING me. Breaking in new shoes is the worst, isn't it?

Oops.

So I have to do some recruiting this week for work, which means I have to suit up. And I'm heading out to my business professional client in two weeks, so again, I will have to wear suits. So I wanted to buy a new one. Or at least a cute jacket to be worn with a skirt. I had $50 in gift cards from the Ann Taylor Loft that went into effect yesterday, so I planned to hit the mall after work. I also needed to refill some makeup items.

And then I got to work yesterday and I have an email coupon from Banana Republic for 30% off yesterday only. That of course sealed my fate. I came home with a dress, a skirt, and a shirt from Banana as well as a jacket from Ann Taylor Loft and my makeup. Oops. And there was definitely more I wanted at Banana, but I'm just going to monitor it closely online until there is another sale. Because I need a break from shopping right now.

Other than that, the weekend was good. Wake won a close and stressful game, and the tailgate was fabulous. I didn't eat like an idiot, which was a plus. Sunday was a busy day, but I got a lifting session in. I hadn't used the kettlebell in a while, and I was in some serious pain as a result yesterday. I've been continuing my intense cardio sessions at the gym and my lifting and pilates in the morning. I'm still only down 5 pounds, but I have faith that the rest will come off eventually.

Our softball team has its first playoff game tonight if the rain stays away. Yay! Hope you all have a lovely day.

Hi!

Happy weekend! I'm busy making cookies for the tailgate tomorrow but I wanted to check in. I had a pretty good week. Even with the threat of catered lunches (see earlier posts) I was good and only took the salads (and one piece of tasty bread) and then ate what I brought from home. I decided that what I would really like for lunch is an ounce of cheese, some whole wheat crackers, and some walnuts. So I got those things, and then portioned them out so that I was only eating about 400 calories and supplementing them with produce. I'm a lot happier when I can eat whatever I feel like in moderation than when I restrict myself, so that's what I'm going to be doing from now on.

As of this morning, I was down 5 pounds. I'll admit, I got a bit of a boost from the food poisoning fiasco, but I miraculously kept that weight off, so I guess that's a small victory. I've been following the "lose 8 pounds this month" cardio routine from Self (but making it slightly longer so I can get 45 minutes in) and I think it's seriously working. There's nothing like switching up the normal routine to get shit done. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but if I can keep taking the weight off at this pace, I might be able to lose the next 5, buy my purse, and then lose another 5. That would be crazy!

Speaking of switching things up, I can't remember if I mentioned this before, but I decided to try out a new gym today. My current gym is fine, but it's starting to get a bit crowded and they don't have classes at the times that I want them to be. But I thought it was the only gym uptown (and therefore the only existing gym that I wouldn't have to drive to). But last weekend, I was playing around online and I found a new gym that had opened uptown. It's called Elements for Women and it's a chain of women-only gyms. Their website was all about how they focus on individual attention and personal training and yoga and pilates and all that. So I signed up for a free trial. And I HATED it. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that for a lot of people this place is great, but I had several problems.

First of all, I don't mind working out with dudes. They don't scare me. But that was a major part of their pitch. And then I find out that the personal trainer they have on staff is a dude. I have been considering getting a personal trainer once a week in order to vary my workouts, but I really wanted a woman. Mostly because I don't like how the guy personal trainers try to flirt with you to trick you into buying sessions with them while you're trying to work out. And I just think a girl would know more about what exercises to do to make my hip fat go away. But this place only has a dude right now. Also, since they just opened, they don't have many classes yet, and all of them right now are at lunch time. I am more of an evening exerciser. There is only one circuit of lifting machines (which were actually smart-card activated and really cool) and there were no cable pulley machines and very few free weights. There were exactly two treadmills and 4 ellipticals and they were all the same brand. I like that my current gym has 5 different types of elliptical machines because all of the different brands seem to work different areas. Also, they don't offer laundry service, aren't open on weekends, and are pretty expensive. I felt bad telling them that I didn't think it was for me, because they were so nice, but I just didn't like the feel of it at all.

I may ask my current gym about personal training packages on Monday. I am still considering doing that. Also, I'd really like to try one-on-one pilates instruction with the machines and whatnot, so I've been looking into studios for that. It's expensive. I may join a studio for a weekly mat class and then see if I can graduate to personal instruction.

Well, I've got to go to bed because we leave for the tailgating at 8:30 tomorrow morning. It is a 3:30 game. That's how we roll. Go Deacs!

Things I love: 30 Rock - UPDATE

If you don't already watch 30 Rock, shame on you. It is one of the funniest shows on TV. If you loved Tina Fey on SNL (and who didn't?) you would love this show. Seriously give it a chance. And right now, Hulu.com has the last 5 episodes of the last season up on its site for free...watch them, love them, and then watch this season's premiere on October 30. You will not regret it.

Hulu has some kind of thing going with Entertainment Weekly this week, so they have 5 episodes of lots of shows from last season posted right now...so if there are any other shows you wish you watched, try them out.

Can you tell I'm procrastinating today?

UPDATE - please watch the "Succession" episode. I forgot how funny it was until just now. I am sitting in my cube laughing so hard that I'm crying.

hello!

It's just so nice to have a workweek back in Charlotte for the first time in a month. Yesterday I got to make myself breakfast, take lunch to work with me, go to the gym after work, make dinner, hang out with Blake and the cats, and sleep in my own bed. And I get to do something similar today. Yay!

I got up this morning and did a pilates video. It has been quite some time since I've done pilates of any kind, and I can tell already that my abs are going to be in considerable pain tomorrow. Tomorrow morning is a lifting morning, but I think Friday I'm going to either do pilates again or perhaps some yoga when I get up. I have so many pilates and yoga videos from when I used to do them all the time in college, so it's nice to get back into them and to be able to have some variety. I have to be a good little active person all week, because I can only imagine the nonsense that's going to occur on Saturday for the first tailgate of the year.

I have training for work Thursday and Friday, which basically means I have to sit in a boring classroom for 8 hours each day. Ugh. The worst part is that they cater in lunch and I usually overeat. So my goal is to only eat the salad that is provided (and ONE piece of bread) and supplement that with something from home. Unless we have Moe's. That would be just my luck. I'd be good all week, and then they'd cater in Moe's and I'd get out of control and eat a gigantic serving of nachos smothered in delicious queso and I wouldn't be able to eat again until the next day. I hope that doesn't happen.

And now I'm off to search for new cookie recipes, because I always bake for tailgates, so Friday night will be cookie time. I like to bring chocolate chips and then something different as well. Unless it's a breakfast tailgate. Then I make muffins or something of that nature. I wonder if I can actually bake cookies all night and NOT eat 5-10 cookies worth of dough? Willpower, get your game face on.

Have a good one!

Ok, I'm back

So last week was kind of a disaster. And I accidentally let that spill over into the weekend. While I am showing a loss of 3 pounds, I am not taking it seriously because it was probably due to the food poisoning incident that extended from Thursday through to Saturday morning. And for the rest of the long weekend, I ate terribly and did nothing but lift once.

I'm back on track now. I woke up and lifted this morning, and I'm going to hit the gym for 45 minutes of cardio after work. And then I have to go to the UPS store to return the Uggs I ordered. I am SO SAD. But they do not fit. And the next size up is sold out. So, since the boot is discontinued, I'm out of luck. At least until the Uggs outlet opens by my mom's house. I can only assume it will be filled with discontinued sizes/colors.

On the other hand, I just freed up $325. I'd like to think I'd just not spend that, but it's so close to the amount I'll need to buy the purse I want...I need to lose this weight so I can buy the purse. I'm planning to visit a new gym in town. It's women only and its focus is on personal training and it offers more yoga/pilates action than my current gym. I'm considering getting a trainer once a week to help take this weight off. So one day this week, I'm going to swing by there and see what it's all about. A change of scenery might be just what I need to get my ass in gear. However, this new gym is not open on weekends, so I would have to be responsible for working out on my own on weekends. But I can't even remember the last time my lazy ass showed up at the gym on a Saturday or Sunday, so it probably won't be that big a deal. Especially with tailgating season upon us (go Deacs!).

That's enough rambling for today, time to eat the delicious salad I brought with me for lunch today. Yay.

WTF: Kimora Lee Simmons

So this morning, I felt pretty good so I decided to have a normal breakfast. Bad idea, because now whenever I try to get upright, my stomach hurts and my head is pounding. So I'm couchbound, watching terrible reruns of various reality TV shows. Which brings me to the purpose of this post.

WTF is with Kimora Lee Simmons?? I was just watching a rerun of her show, and I don't understand in what world she is supposed to be a relatable and admirable person. Why am I supposed to like her again? Aside from the fact that she has two gorgeous kids, she doesn't seem to offer anything that makes me like her as a person at all. Here's what I've got.

• Her neck. Seriously, WHAT IS WITH HER NECK??? Every time I look at her, all I can see is her gigantic band of neck fat. I mean what's with that? Isn't she rich enough via her ex-husband to get that surgically taken care of? It is horrible, and it is also the reason that I now extend all of my daily facial care rituals to my neck region.
• She is just an utter and completely unreasonable bitch to everyone around her. In today's episode, she demanded that her assistant find a way to MAKE IT NOT RAIN during a commercial shoot. Really? Because Mother Nature gives a shit about your perfume ad? I've also seen episodes where she has berated her employees for their taste in shoes...and I'm guessing that she doesn't pay them enough to do anything about it. There is not enough money in the world that would convince me to work for this woman.
• Her coining of the word "fabulousity." It's not a word, and you are not fabulous. You used to be a runway model and then by the grace of god, Russel Simmons married you. If it weren't for him, you'd likely be living in public housing right now, because you're uneducated and no one would hire you as a model with all of that neck fat. If merely being able to snag a rich husband and popping out a few kids so that he has to pay you child support forever makes your fabulous, I guess you win? No.

Ok I think I'm done with my rant now. I would rather watch two hours of the Kardashians (which I did immediately after watching the Kimora shit-fest) than watch this show ever again. At least the Kardashians are funny. Khloe cracks me up. It must be hard to be the only normal person in your crazy ass family.

That's all I guess. I need to take about 15 advil now, because I really need to be upright long enough to get to the grocery store today. All I have in the house right now is beer. Which is not going to help the head and stomach situation. And Blake's away at Funboy Weekend until Monday night. Boo.