Finally Friday

This has felt like a very long week! My weekend will start in 2 hours though because I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon so I'm leaving at noon. Yay!

I made RibEye Steaks and a fresh pasta (Buitoni Whole Wheat 3 Cheese Tortellini) for dinner last night. Quick and easy. Tried to pass that pasta past the particular palate of my picky progeny (made Josiah taste it) and he wasn't terribly impressed. Told me it tasted too "wheaty." Then when he prayed over our meal and he thanked God for providing this food, I informed him that God provided whole grains! Man messed them up by bleaching them! He just laughed at me and still wouldn't eat more than one piece of pasta. Not going to be easy to turn that "child" onto health foods! Bert was out working late and ate dinner with his cousin's family so he wasn't there to try the pasta but I think he would have liked it. I thought it was quite good!

I asked Josiah yesterday to look honestly at his schedule and tell me if he really believed he was going to find time to watch American Idol. He isn't! At least not on any sort of regular basis. So since I was home alone last night I rested in my recliner and caught up on Hollywood Week. Whatever you may think about Ellen's personal and political choices, the lady is FUNNY! I think she will make an excellent addition to the judge's panel on AI!

FLN is showing the episode of Biggest Loser, that was pre-empted by Big12 Basketball the other night, tonight so I'm hoping we can watch that once Bert gets home. I hate to get behind for a few reasons. For one thing I just like the show and find it inspirational and sometimes a source of helpful information as I face my own journey to better health. Beyond that ... when I fall behind I inevitably find out details about the show that I would rather not know before watching it, like who got eliminated, while I am browsing Facebook or some of the Blogs that I follow.

Aside from that it has the potential to be a fairly busy weekend! I did manage to get most of the grocery shopping done on Wednesday so that's good. But we need to get the water bottles filled and pick up items that we still need. And maybe make a Sam's trip. Not sure if we really need anything there. I also need to go to Akin's (health food store) for some Whey Protein Powder (strawberry). And to Target to exchange my non-functional scale and buy a wedding gift. A haircut and allergy shots are on the essential to-do list for this afternoon. Catch up on laundry and basic housework. Tomorrow morning I may go to a Homemade Gorumet Demo. And Sunday we are going to Shawnee for a wedding.  I think I'm less busy at work!

About the Homemade Gourmet Demo ... I want to go. I have started using some of their products and would probably find the demo helpful and inspiring. The issue? Most of the people there I haven't seen since I started really gaining all this weight back. :( I bumped into one of them one day at Taco Bueno and she just looked appalled by my weight gain. (I don't blame her and I am assuming a level of "judgment" that my not have really been there.) So to face a whole group of people that I haven't seen in a few years with 150 extra pounds loaded on my substantial frame just doesn't sound fun! BUT - I cannot hide out until I lose the weight! I need to learn to quit worrying about what other people may or may not think! And I need to learn to love me for who I am regardless of what I weigh and quit focusing so much on stuff that really doesn't matter! I cannot hide out until I am slim again. Sigh ... I'll let you know what I decide. It would be so much easier to just sleep in!

Diet ...

Obviously I am not doing Atkins this go round. It is a bit tempting since I know how well it has worked for me in the past. But I also have sufficient experience leading me to believe that for me, and my family, it is not workable long term. Too much deprivation. What I am doing is more South Beach. I considered Weight Watchers and may go that route eventually if I need more structure. Right now I am trying to do healthy foods in reasonable portions. I keep track of calories in my Body Bugg software and know that if I eat my goal of 1250 calories a day less than I burn ... I should be on track to have lost 200 pounds by late next summer. And if it takes me longer than that I am okay with it! As long as I'm not gaining!

Today I made a smoothie for breakfast (without shredded plastic) and am munching on an apple and a small piece of cheddar while I'm typing this. I surely do enjoy the freedom to enjoy fruit in relatively unlimited quantities! Not sure what lunch will be since I have errands to run en route to the doctor's office but I will practice restraint! I promise!

Today is the first of 3 Orthovisc® injections in my knees. Really hoping it will bring some improvement! I would love to be able to spend my lunch breaks strolling around the beautiful TU Campus again once the weather warms up. Speaking of which ... I am surely ready for Spring!

I wrote an e-mail to Parking and Security today explaining my situation and asking for permission to park in the parking lot closest to my office. Technically it is a visitor's lot. Reserved for visitors thinking about attending TU as well as Board members and alumni when they are here for meetings. We are discouraged from parking there (by $50 fines and being towed) but I'm hoping they will make a temporary exception for me. We'll see. The BSU lot is even closer but they are notorious for their inflexiblity in sharing. Can't entirely blame them since they only have 10 spaces and there are days when they need all of them. Anyway ... we'll see what happens.

Well, I guess I have blathered on long enough. Hopefully I will find time to post more throughout the weekend but if not ... I'll see you Monday! Have a good one ...