Posted by Kathy Torrence on Jan 31, 2009 in
My Adventures in Dieting Just a quick update on the never-ending diet/exercise plan…
I’ve lost 12 pounds so far and have continued to keep up with my New Year’s Resolution of exercising at least 5 times a week (even if it’s just for 20-30 minutes each day).
Exercise TV has become my new friend – there’s so much to choose from that sometimes I spend more time deciding which workout to do than I spend actually doing the workout.
I’ve also been really good about watching what I eat and have tried to start some healthier habits. No more candy, chips or cakes – I’ve replaced them with fruit, whole grains and yogurt. Well…I say that, but one of my little secrets to success lies in Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies (40 calories each) and ice cream sandwiches (140 calories each). I allow myself one treat every day so that I don’t feel deprived. Of course, I have to stop at just one cookie in order for this strategy to work… 🙂
I still have a long way to go, but at least thing are jiggling just a tiny bit less than they used to (and I’m not super-sore after every workout anymore).
Posted by Kathy Torrence on Jan 31, 2009 in
Family Stuff So now that I’ve had time to adjust to the idea of going back to work full time (and have recovered from a bad bout of either food poisoning or the stomach flu that I had earlier this week), I feel better about my decision.
Mike and I worked out an ‘alternate work schedule’ where I will have every other Friday off and he will have the opposite Fridays off – which means that one of us will always be home every Friday. That gives us the flexibility to schedule things that can only be done on weekdays (cable guy, home repairs, doctor appointments, etc).
For some reason, the idea of never having a weekday off again (other than vacations and holidays) felt stifling to me. I was so stressed the other day that I had a complete meltdown on the way to work. Maybe I just needed that release…I don’t know.
Plus I met with the owner of the company I work for and she offered me a very nice full-time package – I was quite happy (and a little surprised) with the result. And since I was only working part-time before, I didn’t receive paid holidays, vacation or sick time – now I will receive all those plus all of the other benefits too. What a great concept – getting paid for not working! I love it!
I also realized that since Emily is now in first grade and is in school all day, I really don’t need to have those weekdays off. On my days off while she is in school, I usually spend my time just relaxing and catching up on silly stuff (like my favorite reality TV shows on Bravo – what do you think of how mean the other OC housewives are to Gretchen on The Real Housewives of Orange County this season!!!). I have to admit, that time could be much better spent earning extra money for the family.
I will be starting my new schedule on Monday. Looking ahead, February shouldn’t be too tough – there’s a government holiday (President’s Day) plus I’ll have some time off when we go to Florida at the end of the month. Not a bad start…