Shake your money-maker

[ChristineCQ]

Dawn!!! How was the tournament? And the KABOBS? Good for you for vacating what didn't work for you; I think it's important to try different things and find your groove. JUDDD wasn't it; now you know!

Jan, thank you for your concern. DH was at a breaking point with his job. He has been there for 13 years and has been talking about quitting for the last five. He finally acted on it, and while I am extremely nervous (I'm about as pragmatic as they come, always planning), I support his decision. We have no idea what's next for him. Time will tell.

And y'all got me. Marshmallow kabobs.....I'm so in. Jan, could you direct me to your marshmallow recipe? I have a friend who is a vegetarian and apparently commercial marshmallows are not. I'd love to make home-made versions for her! With or without chocolate and candy canes (can't wait for the holidays! DS would love to make those!).

[ChristineCQ]

Possible career move

It worked for Jan, so I'm putting it in MY journal, too! I'll update if I have good news within the next few weeks.

Finally feeling better about my nutritional situation, and I think I have unlocked another key: Small goals, short deadlines. Example: Previously I stated that I planned to be on induction until my dad's birthday party (7/2). I can easily do that. I mean EASILY. And the reason for that is that two weeks is no big deal to me, mentally. Once I hit that mark, I'll look at the next "time marker" and aim for staying on induction until that time. The key is that I need something specific. It's not enough for me to say "the month of July." That doesn't mean anything to me. But if I pick a specific event, for some reason I am more mentally prepared to commit. The next "event" will be 7/26, my 1-year anniversary.

Weird, right? But it works for me, apparently.

I've also got to force myself to stay on LCF even when I'm not feeling it. The gaps in my journal coincide with the times I was off track (most recently to the tune of six pounds.....there, I said it. It started as two and turned into six, and boy was I pi$$ed at myself). So if I'm ever not here, you'll know I'm off eating desserts.

[JK130]

i'll look for the recipe. it was simple but delicious. it made a whole pan, and there was hot sugar involved so some parts were not kid friendly. i recall having to leave it set for 24 hours.

new directions all around at your house. exciting and scary at the same time. know that we're here to listen to the ups and downs of the story. for me the ups were getting chosen for interviews...and the downs were not getting chosen after those interviews.

as for "not feeling the diet" ...just yeah...more thoughts later. hang in there, friend

[kittycitygirl]

Hugs hun! Sounds like DH put up with it for as long as he could and then some. Praying that some new opportunity will come of this and soon.

Stay with us through the good and bad hun! Having a place to vent helps. We're here for you.

[Blonde with a Rose]

Hi Christine (and ladies)!

First I have to say I got a kick out the marshmallow drama including the cute picture Kittycitygirl. Kudos. You are all a joy to hang out with!

I totally understand your DH leaving his job. My DH is miserable as well but has retirement to look forward to in a little over 2 years so he's hanging in. What ever comes will be so much better than what your DH was doing before. Sometimes health and well being have to come before paycheck. Plan, budget, play cards. Strip poker is fun. And free.

Great work on your new plan of action. Small goals, short deadlines still equal "The big picture". Congrats!!! I also understand the "absence" from your journal...usually when I do that it's because I think I suck.

On the note of being well endowed....I'm hoping my boobs weigh ten pounds a piece...puts me closer to my goal.

[kittycitygirl]

LOL Mine went from DD to between a C and a B I'm thinking.

[ChristineCQ]

Thank you, KCG! It's good to have friends.

Jan, I am really hoping that this venture works out. I have a phone interview tomorrow, so we'll see. The position is a perfect fit for me!

Blonde and KCG, I'm afraid that the next 20 lbs will come from my bra (even though I could probably stand to lose a bit in that area, right now I need the boobs to balance out the butt!). I only hope the butt and boobs reduce in tandem; otherwise, I'm going to look totally unbalanced.

Skipped lunch today; just wasn't hungry! Ate some turkey and cheese a few minutes ago, and I think I'll make some LC pizza when DH comes home.

Getting excited about my dad's party! He's going to be totally surprised!!!

[kittycitygirl]

I think the boobs were the last for me Held onto the girls for as long as I could! LOL

Have fun at the party!

[JK130]

Strip poker? We're chatting about boob shrinkage (so sad), enuui with dieting, marshmallows, and job satisfaction...and you add STRIP POKER to the conversation??? OK...the ball is back to you...carry on, Blonde. I want to know more about you and...um...strip poker...

WTG Christine, what are you interviewing for? will your family need to move if you get this new position? fun times, huh?

Jan

[Blonde with a Rose]

Jan! I'm just sayin'....being unemployed means a reduction is expenditures like movies and cocktails out and ...strip poker is free. and fun.

[kittycitygirl]

LOL on the strip poker!

[ChristineCQ]

Strip poker is a great idea except for the fact that DH is a terrible poker player, so there would be no challenge in it for me. Maybe strip Scrabble*? Also free and fun, Blonde!

Jan, the position is a dean position at a bigger university. No moving involved....yay.

The scale has me back in the appropriate range, and now I'm just hoping for some ACTUAL loss.....you know, not the loss of what I regained on my little diet vacation (which -- given that I lost seven lbs. in six days -- was clearly all water). I think giving up the protein shake was a good idea. I no longer need it if I'm eating a decent breakfast, and I don't think the whey was helping my efforts.

Also, let's talk breakfast: I'm sacrificing my swim time for the sake of a hearty breakfast, and I think it's the right idea right now. I'm still lifting weights, heading to Zumba when I can (and when my preferred instructor is teaching! Like today!), but I really need to focus on nutrition at the moment. A hearty breakfast for me means that I'm down to two meals/day with no snacks and feeling great; it's the best of all words, really. Reduced calorie, VLC, sort of IF (I don't eat from 7:30am-5:30pm and from 7:30pm-7:30am; iced coffee notwithstanding), and even a little bit of JUDDD for you, Blonde! I find that I naturally eat more on some days, as I mentioned previously.

Now it's time to get down to some serious losses! What do you think: 18 lbs by the end of the summer? By my count, there are 10 full weeks of summer remaining (what *I* consider "summer," anyway!), meaning an average of 1.8 lbs/week. Totally doable, in my estimation.

*Try to say that 3x fast: Strip Scrabble (scrip strabble?)

[Blonde with a Rose]

LOL! I actually said scrip strabble on the first try.

When DH and I were newly weds, strip poker and beer was one of our "entertainment" values...strip monopoly took too long.

New job prospect sounds AWESOME!!! Good Luck!

I'm having breakfast right now. Bacon bacon bacon.....

[kittycitygirl]

Wishing you luck on the interview!

Strip Scrabble....DH would be at a great disadvantage there....just saying! LOL

[Mad4Chillas]

I bet if you set your mind to it, 18lbs is totally do-able by the end of summer. I mean technically summer only started 2 days ago, so no time wasted! I hope your new job prospect works out too! Hope you have a great day Christine!

[JK130]

When I grow up, I want to work at a university! (Don't disillusion me if the whole atmosphere isn't filled every minute with an eclectic meld of people filled with the joy of learning, and the stimulation of searching for knowledge.)

(I'm positive there are no issues with politics, finances, facilities, staff, or students.)

Seriously, I wish you every happiness, and hope that new jobs are in the near future for you and your DH.

Jan

[ChristineCQ]

Thanks, ladies! Interview went well; now we wait. It's only step one of the process, anyway, with lots to go. They do want to make an offer to their candidate by the end of July, though.

And Jan, despite the fact that all of those negative things do exist in the post-secondary setting, I wear my rose-colored glasses because I love every minute of it!!! Much of the bad is overshadowed by the transformative nature of my students' experiences!

I am pleased to announce that I saw a new low today: 175.2! I hope it sticks! If so, that's the first 1.8 on my journey to 18. Ten percent down, 90 to go! :laughing:

[kittycitygirl]

WooHoo on new lows! Crossing fingers for the stick too!

[JK130]

oh, i know that there are challenges in every type of situation...but like you i love education, and am happy to contribute to the students' lives. i also actually like working to maximize political actions, resources, facilities...etc.

BIG congratulations on a new low!!!! you have earned it!!!

[ChristineCQ]

Alright! Two days in a row of 175.2? I call it STUCK. I even changed my stats. Another pound or so and it'll be an even 60-pound loss.

Busy weekend ahead. Work, DS baseball, DS baseball picnic, home stuff, etc. etc. etc. At least I'm off on Monday; that will be nice. I need to get some things together for my dad's party next weekend. I also realized that I need to SHOP. I have exactly two pairs of capris, and guess what.....they don't fit. (Not that it stops me from wearing them; I just keep hiking them up! Capris on the ground!) I will head to one of my favorite thrift stores on Monday, I think, and try to find a few staples to get me through.

Have a great day, everyone!

(P.S. Anyone hear from Maggie?)

[ChristineCQ]

Oh, one thing I forgot. I wanted to share this true story: You know you're a low-carber when you have to stop on the way to work to pick up some body spray in order to cover up the smell of the bacon you cooked that morning. Srsly. That was me yesterday. In related news, Degree's "Honeysuckle + Tea Tree Oil" body mist is not bad! I don't usually wear that kind of stuff, but I needed it for my clothes.

[Mad4Chillas]

I love changing my stats! So gratifying. You deserve some new summer clothes! I love TJ Max, Marshalls, and Nordstrom Rack for some cheap new clothes. I am also victim of wearing my old clothes that are wayy too big on me....but I've starting pulling my belt so tight I get a weird pucker in the front of my pants, really unflattering (but also secretly satisfying ) ! Enjoy your clothes shopping!!

[ChristineCQ]

How's this for a theory?

For the past 10 days or so, I've been unable to fully engage in cardio activity in light of my schedule. The one day I planned to attend zumba (Tuesday), I mixed up the time and missed it. So 10 days, no cardio.

Consistent weight-lifting, however.

This week I've had the most dramatic and consistent losses I've had in a long time (down to 174.6 today, an all new low, and the official 60-lb loss mark).

Coincidence? Granted, my diet has been clean in the past 10 days as well, so I guess in order to fully evaluate, I'll need to keep eating clean and add the cardio back. I'm not doing that just now, though. I don't want to mess up what's working!

I have a built-in cardio break, anyway. Zumba moved to a new location, which makes it more difficult for me to attend. I could always swim, but really.

Have a good Sunday, everyone!

[Mad4Chillas]

Congrats on the new low!!

[Blonde with a Rose]

Yay!! Congrats on the new low and the 10 days of clean eating and WOWEE! Almost 60 pounds?!! I want to be you when I grow up!

I'm glad your interview went well. Here's hoping you get several more!

Have a great week!

[JK130]

Keep us updated, please.

Thinking of you!

[ChristineCQ]

Thanks, ladies! Down to 174.2 for the past two days, so I guess that's official.

I've applied only for this position; I'm not looking for others at this point. I'm happy where I am, but this job is truly my perfect job. It's built for me (or so I think . Let's hope they think so, too!), but there's really no pressure on me one way or another. It would improve the financial situation given DH's job issues, but for me personally, I would be ok if I needed to stay where I am. Lots of challenges and excitement in both places! I think I'm lucky in that regard.

Can't wait to hit the gym today! Hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday (I woke up thinking it was Wednesday)!

[kittycitygirl]

Welcome to the 60 pound club!!! (I'm hoping not to get kicked out right now! )

You really deserve it, you've been working so hard!

[ChristineCQ]

Thanks, KCG!!! (And you're not getting kicked out! You're back on track! )

Can I just tell you about the minefield I survived yesterday? Breakfast, as usual, at around 7:15 (bacon and swiss omelet). I haven't been eating lunch much these days because I haven't been hungry, but because I knew I'd be home later than usual, I had a HB egg and 2 string cheese.

My friend and I then took the kids to an amusement park. I didn't eat a thing while we were there. We ended up leaving after 8pm and stopping for ice cream (bear in mind that the last thing I ate was at lunch). Everyone had ice cream, and it looked really good.....and I was really hungry by that hour. They sat there and ate their ice cream, and I dreamed about getting home to eat something bacon-related.

Finally, we arrived home close to 9, and I threw together bacon with asiago pepper dressing wrapped in romaine lettuce leaves.

I know I've caved in situations like this before (and before I started down this path there would have been no question or thought about getting/not getting ice cream. Ice cream would have been gotten and eaten! ), but the fact that it's now a choice for me is really good progress. And I chose the bacon. When in doubt, always choose the bacon.

[kittycitygirl]

WooHoo!!! You made a good choice!!! Bacon over carby ice cream!!! That sounds good too!

Very proud of you Christine! Hopefully the scale will reward you for the good choice!

(Thanks for the vote of confidence!)