Next Days

Last week, I was sick, sick, sick with the flu. I still am hacking like a 50 year smoker (my poor neighbors!) Also, in celebration of spring, a stick was chucked at my face and resulted in a puffy lip (accidentally, deleted that photo). What a week!

Just a few photos...

40 Days

Lent began last week and I have a list of things that I'm pursuing during lent. Why? It all began when I picked up a copy of the Compass and was confronted with the Pope's Lenten message: "Lent teaches us to love Christ in an ever more radical way." Most days, I don't feel that way about God.

Thus, one thing I'm doing for lent is to take a daily photo of myself. Part of lent is about the process of conversion-- about letting go of some of our self-absorption and materialism so that we can see God more clearly. It may seem counter productive to take a daily photo of oneself, but the goal in 40 days of photos is to bring to mind that God loves us, even in our mire and imperfection...


(Forgot to take a photo on Monday)

One Week

It's been one week on trying to change my eating habits. Things I've learned: I love cheese, and no matter how you see it, it's not healthy; Thursdays are the most difficult days for me to eat healthier; and I eat what I see other people doing and I justify this by saying to myself, "If he's (she's) doing it, so can I." That's ironic because I don't do this with other things in my life.

Keep on keeping on.

Golden Arches

On Tuesdays, my mom takes the boy to those arches. Her defense of the weekly trip, "He loves it so much." Prior to having children, I boycotted those arches, but then when I was pregnant, I craved a shamrock shake so vigorously that I crossed 4 lanes of traffic and "borrowed" cash from my mom just to have one. As a young, single mother, I also discovered that the boy and I could eat there for under $5 and he could get a toy out it...

Anyway, when I eat there, I normally get a hamburger, small fry, and splurge on an iced coffee. This probably has a lot to do with weight gain. I'm sure that this meal is a lot better than a lot of the other things to be had there, but still it's a lot of unhealthy calories.

I met mom and boy at the golden land today and thought about getting the side salad, but really, I just couldn't break the habit.

Maybe next week, I will...

Reality Bites

87 pounds or Bust.
The reality is I am busting. Two years or so ago, I lost 50+ pounds and in the last year I have regained 37 pounds. To be a few pounds inside "my ideal weight" I need to lose 87 pounds. Yes, that's a big number, yes it will be difficult, but no, it's not too much weight (as my mom would say). This number wouldn't make me a skinny-mini, but would place me in the average category instead of "above average."

I hate when people talk about weight and weight loss, because so often self-esteem issues are tied into the discussion. The reality is I am confident in who I am now, but I want to feel healthy for myself. I want my outside to better reflect who I believe I am in on the inside. When I tell people I ride long distances on my bike or complete triathlons, I don't want them to shocked because I'm fat and I do these things, but because I'm awesome and I do these things (I know that I'm currently awesome too).

Then why do I share this goal with blogger...Because the reality is I can think about the 87 pounds and hope that somehow they magically just disappear or I can act. As a theme for 2010, I am choosing to act and I need help. If you are reading this, hold me accountable to being active and slowing down to eat. I have a tentative plan on how to lose the weight, so ask me about it. Let's go for a run together.

Try, try, again

I have this feeling that 2010 is a new beginning for us. With that in mind, I have been toying with ideas of what to do with this blog...Many ideas, nothing has come to fruition. While the next few weeks are going to be busy (new job, new apartment, finding a school for E), I'm hoping to begin updating more regularly...

As of now, the plan:
Monday-- Something a bit manic-- maybe posting old journal entries or other letters or something
Tuesday- I read a lot of blogs and end of trying many of the ideas, so I want to post on those attempts.
Wednesday-- Something with photography
Thursday and Friday-- I'll get back to you.

:)

In hopes of a win...

http://frenchpressknits.blogspot.com/2010/02/e2k-slipper-giveaway.html