Baby, Baby!

Okay, so I don't know if I mentioned this before, but my sister's pregnant. Actually, now there's a new little bundle of joy in this world! Yep, I'm an aunt. I'm super excited. I haven't met her yet, but we've "chatted" on the phone. She's got some lungs I'll tell ya. But I can tell she's very intelligent and has a dry sense of humor :) Just our kind of girl! I don't know if I'll get to share photos or not, I think her parents are a little blog-shy. Bummer. So, that's much more exciting than telling you all about the long hours I worked this week, or the not so good food choices I've been making. I'll let you know if she has any special talents. They tell me she is a really bright, has an amazing vocabularly for someone who is only one day old, is a mean arm wrestler and a very cute dresser - think patterned tights, mini skirts and wellies. okay, just kidding. but, that's what all the cool kids are wearing in New York, so you know she is going to Fashion Week when she's 13 if I have to steal the tickets! I'm an aunt! :)

Short, but Busy Week

Okay, so I had Columbus Day off for like the first time in forever. (Granted, I wasn't working full-time for 3 years, but who's keeping track :). Anyway, I just had the longest week ever. It was crazy. I was so exhausted that I didn't wake up on Saturday AFTERNOON until 1:30! (I know, you guys out there with kids are about to kill me right now. Sorry.) I was supposed to do work all weekend, but I really only worked today. It was cool, I was just analyzing data on a survey I put together on potential slogans for an ad campaign. But, I didn't get much else done. C'est la vie, there's only so much work you can do in a day. I was also supposed to mock-up so ads, but I couldn't access the softward on remotely. Let's just hope I can access it tomorrow morning at work before my meeting! Eeek!

As a result of all this work, there's been stress and some poor food choices. I did pretty good, but I did have a ginormous burrito last night for dinner. Mexican food is my weakness. I was going to work out this week and weekend, but that didn't happen. I'm just resting up for what should be another busy week. I'd like to go for a walk/run before work tomorrow, but I need to get into the office by like 8:30am, so I can't imagine I'll be awake enough to get out of the house early enough to get a walk in. Maybe Tuesday morning. I know, maybe isn't a good word. I should make a comittment. And, you can see I didn't reach my 2 mile running goal this week. Maybe I can at least reach my goal of getting groceries! But, I have to be happy about the fact that I officially have cable and internet again - after 6 weeks in the dark. It is fabulous!

So, I resolve to keep making good choices whenever possible, have healthy snacks available when I want to make a bad choice, and not beat myself up when I do make a bad choice. Let's see how it goes! :)

National Weight Control Registry

Okay, so I filled out the first set of forms for the National Weight Control Registry. You basically "apply" to join this research project through Brown University. I think you need to have kept 30 lbs. off for at least a year. It has been something I've always wanted to be a part of since I first saw a segment on it on some news magazine show on television years ago. I just think it is fascinating that a group is researching how people keep weight off. I just received a packet of surveys, which I believe I will get once a year for the next 5 years. They were pretty detailed. I'd say it took me about an hour to fill everything out. They also want a record of my weight losses, dates and why I lost the weight each time. That part is easy in a way. I just take the record of my losses from an Excel document I created when I stopped using WW online and tracking my weight. So, for about 2 years I have my weekly weight. It's funny because they only ask for about 15 dates. Too bad :), they'll get more information than they need :) They also give you space to write about your weight loss and how you feel about it, which I think is great. There's only so much correlations you can do with data without reading how people feel. I haven't written anything yet, I think I'm composing my thoughts first. I'm going to also mention my blog and encourage them to visit to learn more about me. I don't know if they will, but I think they should know how important blogging has been to me, and all of us, in our weight loss journeys. I hope I haven't given anything away, actually I don't think I signed a confidentiality document to say I wouldn't share what questions they asked. I don't have the surveys with me or I would give you some of the questions, but I'm not at home. (I still don't have internet at home - ugh! - so I'm at a friend's apartment who's away for the weekend.) But, in the future I'll share some of the questions.

Any way, take a look at their website and see if it is something you'd like to get involved with. I thought it was going to motivate me to stay at goal (I'm actually up a few pounds, as you all know :), but what it has actually done is make me proud of how far I've come and how long I've been here. My 1st anniversary at goal - and I will be back at goal for it! - is in a few months. I'm excited. I had started to get used to my new body, but lately I've just been going shopping to try clothes on because it is so strange to me. Bewildering actually. To believe this is my body. True, I've gained about 10 lbs. from my lowest weight to where I am now, but it is still so wholely different from where I was for so long. I'm sorry if I've said all this before. I know I have, but in some way it doesn't feel like it. It feels so new all of a sudden. I wonder why?

I'm Still Alive, and Blogging ...

I'm so sorry I've been gone for so long. There has been a confluence of events that have kept me away. I was in Vegas taking care of my Dad before he moved to Virginia to be with my Mom. His health is okay, but he's just super lonely. I was working remotely from Vegas and taking care of him, hence, no time to blog. Then I got home and the day after I got back my cable and internet went out. That was over 4 weeks ago and the d*mn cable company still hasn't fixed the situation. I went ape sh*t on a customer service rep yesterday because my patience at this point is gone. So, I don't like to blog from work, and today is the first time I have broken down to pay for 2 hours of internet access at Starbucks. (D*mn Starbucks for no free wifi!) As you can tell from my language, I'm at the end of my rope these days.

I'd like to say everything else is going well, but it isn't. Now that fall is here I'd like to wear more pants, but I don't really fit into any of them. I lost about 5 lbs. a month ago, but either it wasn't enough, or I gained it back, because my pants don't fit. I refuse to buy a bigger size because I feel like that's a slippery slope, so I'm trying to lose weight. So, I'm wearing my skirts with tights. Not a bad plan. At least its comfy.

Overall, I'm a little afraid my depression is coming back. I've been seeing my old therapist on and off, but I can't afford to go on a regular basis (she doesn't take insurance). There are a couple other signs, but I'm not comfortable going into them. I'm just lonely and realizing that my job can't be my entire life, but I'm not sure how to get a life other than my job. Basically the same reason why I left New York 3 years ago to see what else was out there.

I'm so sorry I haven't been commenting on your blogs. I do miss you guys. Actually, I have a "friend" from work who's niece is obese and I told her I would recommend some blogs that I have liked, so don't be surprised if you get a new reader :)

Take care. I hope to be back soon and checking all of you out.

Trixie