Happy Halloween!

Good evening, readers!

Today was one of those "let your hair down" kind of days. I definitely didn't lose weight today. I probably gained weight with all the candy I ate. But you know what? I refuse to be that person on halloween saying "sorry, no candy for me, I'm on a diet." Sure, I want to lose weight. But I don't want to be angry the entire time I'm doing it!

Today was definitely not an angry day. I got up early, made lunch, grabbed all my Halloween gear (candy, decorations, costume) and headed off to work. I am an idiot and didn't take a picture of my individual halloween costume; I wore all black and put a large postage stamp on my shirt. Costume? Blackmail.

We did have a group costume as well, see?

Those are all my coworkers dressed as pill bottles, and there I am in the middle as the auxiliary label "protect from light". Costume of honor because I'm so pale.

It was also my pharmacist/friend Darla's birthday, so we celebrated that by having a fajita potluck in the break room. So not only did I eat tons of candy today, but I ate fajitas (on tortillas even!) for lunch. I'm feeling a little guilty, sure. But not a lot :)

I stayed at work a little late because the purchasing system was running super slow and I needed to get all my orders in. When I finally got home we settled in on the couch with popcorn and wine and watched "Joe Vs. The Volcano" (my first time seeing it) and listened for trick-or-treaters. So far we have had 19, and we're probably not going to have any more. Which is no bueno, since we have tons of candy left. Our coworkers will love us!

Today's stats: 
Steps taken: 12300
Calories burned: 2850
Calories consumed: About a million

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween and actually got rid of all your candy so it's not around tempting you for breakfast tomorrow! It's back to regularly scheduled programming for me tomorrow in regards to diet and exercise, and I'm surprisingly looking forward to it!

Until then, readers.

Kayti

Back to Normal

Good evening, readers!

Well, I think I am ready to hang up my hat as a professional house-sitter.  Actually, house sitting is fine. Pet sitting is great. Teenager sitting? Exhausting. Just the amount of effort you have to put in to make it look like you're not putting in any effort is totally not worth it.

This morning I got up from my last evening of house sitting. It was early (like 6:30) so I lounged around until the sun rose at least. Then I decided to take a walk through the neighborhood. There's a lot of really cool houses and a few coffee shops, so I spent some time exploring with a cup of coffee from the Finnish Bistro.

When I got back I made french toast for the guys and had a big bowl of fruit for myself. Then I spent the rest of the day, until about dinnertime, holed up in my room reading and catching up on my tv shows. Unfortunately this doesn't equate to very many steps.

I made spaghetti for dinner, of which I ate a little myself, and then packed up everything and made my way home. I stopped at Target for groceries so that Bill would have something for lunch tomorrow. I have to say, I missed my house and I missed Bill even more. There really is no place like home! Then I got to work doing laundry, putting away groceries, taking a shower in my very own bathroom, and prepping everything for work tomorrow. Which is more work thank it sounds, since tomorrow is halloween and there is costumes and candy to think about, as well as a potluck for Darla's birthday!

Today's stats:
Steps taken: 12000
Calories burned: 2800
Calories consumed: 1500

This whole weekend was weird for workouts, food, and wedding stuff because of my different living situation. Now that I am back to my normal location I can hopefully also get back to a normal everything else! After tomorrow, of course. Halloween is never normal :)

Until then, readers.

Kayti

Weigh In: Week 36

Good evening, readers!

Holy cow, 36 weeks! I can't believe I've kept it up for this long. Not gonna lie, this blog was probably the best idea I had to aid in my weight-loss journey, as I really do feel accountable. A lot of days I think "I would eat that, but I don't want to have to admit it to all my readers." 

So, I did actually get to do a weigh-in today. Turns out there was a scale in this house, I was just looking in the wrong bathroom. I found it after I posted yesterday and tested it out for accuracy. I weighed myself with my clothes on, and it turned out about 2 lbs heavier than last week's weigh-in. That's about normal, considering the weight of the clothes plus the food and water intake for the day. Apparently it's a common-known fact that we are lighter in the morning than we are in the evening. That said, I felt comfortable about the accuracy of the scale; at least it was in the ballpark range.

This morning I got up and went to BodyPump at the Midway Y. And yes, there was actually class this time. I got there about 15 minutes early and it was already packed, so I'm glad I left when I did! Normally on Saturday mornings I have my normal BodyPump from 8-9 and then Zumba from 9-10. Well, I was able to do BodyPump from 8-9, but there wasn't any type of cardio class offered afterward, so I got on a treadmill, turned up the speed and the incline, and walked for about 45 minutes (an entire episode of Grey's Anatomy).

When I got back to the house I decided to give the scale a whirl just to see what it would say. Granted, we must take this information with a grain of salt, since it is a different scale with unknown accuracy compared to my normal weigh-ins. But, according to this scale...

I lost 2 lbs this week!!! Just like I hoped!

Which I was surprised by at first, but then when I thought about it, it kind of makes sense. I didn't eat great on Friday, but I had a really small dinner afterward. Otherwise I ate well during the week. And I was more stressed than normal, which might have contributed to extra weight-loss. Or, I have finally built up enough muscle to burn calories faster and therefore lose a little more weight even if I consume a few more calories.

Whatever the reason, I'm happy about it!

Total lost so far: 40lbs!!!
Total to go until January 1 goal: 5 lbs
Total to go until wedding goal: 20 lbs

And, on a funny side note, I now actually weigh what my driver's license says I weigh. And it only took 40 lbs to get there :)

Otherwise it was a pretty calm day. I spent a good portion of it driving one of the boys around to various activities. I have to say "thanks" to my parents for driving me around my entire life; it gets a bit tiresome. I understand this after only one day.

Today's stats:
Steps taken: 9400
Calories burned: 2500
Calories consumed: 1440

The steps are a bit off. Yes, I spent a good amount of the day riding around in the car, but I also forgot to put my FitBit back on after my workouts, so I missed basically everything from 11-4. Silly.

The only other item of note is that I will be without my engagement ring for the next 3 weeks or so. I had to bring it back to the jeweler to get resized (apparently I have also lost weight in my fingers and have to go from a size 8 down to a 7.5). We are also ordering the matching wedding band, so they are going to use my engagement ring as a guide to make sure they match perfectly. I moved the ring I wear on my right hand over to my left hand, but everything about it just feels off. I will probably complain about this multiple times in the coming weeks, so I apologize.

Now I'm off to spend a relaxing evening reading and catching up on television shows I missed during the week.

Until tomorrow, readers.

Kayti

Social Experiment

Good evening, readers!

Well, I'm on day 2 of 4 of my social experiment, supervising two teenagers. I have to be honest, I haven't the slightest idea if this is going really well or really poorly. Why? Because apparently teenagers don't talk to people anymore. At this point they could think I'm a goddess or a serial killer and I would have no idea. I think I'll just call them stoic.

This morning I got up early, made lunches for the guys, made myself a cup of tea and ate a banana (the lack of coffee just hurts), and then headed off to work. It was nice to not have to drive anywhere in the morning, not have to fight with traffic, and not have to leave an hour early just to get to work on time. I definitely appreciated that.

Work was good in the sense that I got a lot done. Work was not good in the sense that there were treats everywhere. I actually did a pretty good job of saying "no" to a lot of things, but a few pieces of chocolate still snuck through that barrier I created. I had my normal lunch (turkey sandwich, fruit cup, yogurt) and an apple as a snack later on. Not bad at all.

After work it was so beautiful outside that I took a meandering path back to the house instead of heading straight there. When I finally got there I changed into my workout clothes and headed over to the Midway YMCA for Zumba!

When I got to the Y there boatloads of kids in halloween costumes and signs advertising a halloween party of some sort. I double checked the schedule, and Zumba was still on. I went into the studio and waited for the instructor (along with about 10 other people waiting with me) until about 5:40 (class was supposed to start at 5:30).  When we asked the people who worked there we were told class was supposed to being happening and the instructor hadn't asked for a sub. I waited around another 5 minutes and then figured I'd just go home.

But on my drive home I thought, "I'm really in the mood to burn some energy!" So I parked on a side street and decided to take a run around the St. Paul campus. Bad idea. No matter which direction you run you have to go up a giant hill. But it got the blood pumping and sweat flowing, which is what I wanted I suppose. I ended up running about a mile and a half.

I finally went home and cooked dinner. I decided to make tacos, assuming that all teenagers like tacos. I first made some guac as an appetizer, thinking that if the guys won't eat it at least I will have something yummy. Well they definitely scarfed that down.

The tacos, though, were a different story. I don't think the French exchange student was too thrilled with his first foray into Mexican food, and the other ate too much guac and didn't eat any tacos at all. Leftovers, anyone? I made mine a taco salad to save on carbs and calories.

After cleaning up I read a book for awhile, and realized that I should write this blog before I fall asleep!

Today's stats:
Steps taken: 16550
Calories burned: 3250
Calories consumed: about 1500 (darn candy!)

Tomorrow is another weigh-in day. I'll have to try to do it at the YMCA after my morning workout classes since there is no scale here. So tomorrow is tentatively weigh-in day.

Until then, readers

Kayti

6 Months to go!

Good evening, readers!

Can you guys believe I almost missed the update that we only have 6 months until the wedding? Sure I'm 5 days late informing you all, but better late than never!

Today I started a very interesting adventure. I am currently housesitting/dog watching/pretending to be one of those adults who has at all together. Because I'm "supervising" a couple of 17 year old boys for the weekend. Here's what I've learned thus far: I have more in common with a 17 year old boy than most women my age. I can cook anything that has a step-by-step recipe, including my mom's famous monster cookies (a big hit) and pasta carbonara. I didn't know where anything was in this new kitchen, but I made it work and whipped up pasta with a creamy bacon sauce along with a kale salad with lemon dressing. Okay, it might have been a Blue Apron meal, but still.

I only ate a little bit of the pasta but a lot of the salad. Obviously I had to try it, but I didn't want all the calories, especially since I knew how much cheese and heavy cream was in that pasta. But everything is going okay here otherwise. It's a little awkward, sure, but almost every interaction I have could be classified as awkward. So really, who's surprised?

Man this is just the weirdest day. This morning I got up early, went to BodyPump from 5:30-6:30, and then I went home to take a shower. I never do that, because I can't get to work on time if I go home to shower and get ready. I always shower at the gym. But today was different because I had to go to the dentist at 8 to get a cavity filled. It only took 10 minutes with no novocaine and I was out the door. But I was 90 minutes late for work because of it, so that made it feel weird. Now I'm baking cookies and making pasta, two things I would never do at home. So everything is just a little off. 

Today's stats:
Steps taken: 13500
Calories burned: 2950
Calories consumed: ?

Still not sure on that calorie count. I had my normal breakfast of coffee and a banana. I had my normal lunch of a turkey sandwich, yogurt, and fruit cup. I didn't eat any of the snacks I brought for lunch (Fiber One bar and apple) and then I had salad and a bit of pasta for dinner. Plus I had 1 cookie. So that's probably well within the calorie range I should be, right? Well, hopefully.

Anyway, I'm off to try to sleep in a strange bed in a strange house. Always hard.

Oh but first I should update you on the wedding, since we have 6 months left! Honestly, I think we have all the big stuff taken care of, it's just the little details that need sorting out. Next week we have a bigger milestone: food tasting and cake tasting. Once we have the food chosen I can make the invitations, and then things will really be rolling! 

Speaking of rolling, I'm rolling on up to bed (see what I did there?)

Until tomorrow, readers.

Kayti

Early Riser

Good evening, readers!

Sorry for the lack of post last night. I had another one of those terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad days that no one likes to read about. I had to run all over town fixing things, and by the time I got home it was 9:30 and I just couldn't imagine trying to write a cheery blog post. So I didn't. I will tell you that I definitely ate too much yesterday, although I took almost 20,000 steps.

Today was a much better day. Things calmed down from yesterday's fiasco, so I got that all cleaned up and moved on. This morning I got up at 5, woke Bill up because he had to drive to Menomonie, and then headed off to work myself. I blasted the heat in my car the entire drive because apparently I'm a wimp. I've started going to work earlier than I need to because 1) the traffic is way better when I leave at 6 compared to 6:30, and 2) When I get to work at 6:45 I get way more done in those 45 minutes before I officially start than I ever would if I stayed 45 minutes late.

After work I came home, and a small dinner (just a bowl of chili), caught up on one of my TV shows, and then went to the Y. There were a lot of other things I should have been doing during that time, like packing for my housesitting gig this weekend, folding paper flowers, or packing lunches. But sometimes you just can't. Sometimes you just have to sit in front of your electric fireplace watching last week's episode of "This is Us" and eating a bowl of homemade chili. Because it's raining and that's what you do.

My workout today felt hard. Especially the weight lifting. It's completely possible that there's too much time between Saturday AM BodyPump and Tuesday evening BodyPump, and my muscles forget how strong they are between times. But at least I go every week, so that's something. Zumba was pretty hard, too. I'm having a weird pain in my second-to-last toe, especially when I have shoes on. It's not broken, because it doesn't hurt when I move it around. Anyway, that's causing me a bit of pain but I'm pushing through it. I only get worried if it persists, which luckily for me mysterious pains tend to vanish just as mysteriously as they appear.

Today's stats: 
Steps taken: 18300
Calories burned: 3360
Calories consumed: 1440

And those calories include a pint of Halo Top that I haven't actually eaten yet. It is my reward for finishing my post tonight :)

I don't usually post on Wednesdays, but since I missed Monday there's a possibility of a surprise post tomorrow! You'll just have to wait and see.

Until tomorrow, readers.

Kayti

TWD

Good evening, readers!

OMG. Who watched The Walking Dead? It just finished. I can't even... too many emotions. From a TV show!

Anyway, in an attempt to forget about that nonsense we just watched, we can think about all the other fun things we did today! This morning was very relaxing, which I definitely needed after the busy week. I got up early (never on purpose), got groceries at Target, went for a walk, and did laundry. All before 9 am! Then I turned on some football, caught up on TV shows, and worked on more paper flowers.

Speaking of wedding-planning land, I put return address labels on all of our save-the-dates, made a new Pintrest board for wedding hairstyles, contemplated cake flavors, and updated our to-do checklist. So that was pretty productive, no?

In the afternoon we went to Bill's aunt and uncle's house for his cousin Katie Rose's 13th birthday party. I hadn't really eaten much all day, but that doesn't really give me excuse for all the crap I ate while there. I had a bowl of chicken chili, two breadsticks, a cupcake with ice cream, a bit of caramel puff corn, and a few mini Reeses. Actually, when I spell it out it's really not that bad. Especially when you consider that it was all I ate today.

After the party we drove to St. Paul to meet up with our photographer, Carl. Not for any photography reason, but because I am going to be doing some housesitting for him this week and he needed to explain a few things to me. Apparently he is also going to email me a 4 page document on the procedures, which makes me concerned I'm going to get more than I bargained for on this one. So I will keep you updated on that!

Today's stats: 
Steps taken: 11300
Calories burned: 2650
Calories consumed: ??? Hopefully not too many. At this point it would be really difficult to calculate.

And now I'm off to hopefully forget about that TWD episode and get ready for bed instead!

Until tomorrow, readers.

Kayti

Weigh In: Week 35

Good evening, readers!

And a great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to BOTH of my older brothers, Chip and Matt! Technically today is Matt's birthday and Chip's is tomorrow. But since Matt is on vacation, we just celebrated with Chip and Sam this evening. See?

We had dinner at Red Cow (seriously the chips there are delicious) and then we stopped for dessert at Yogurt Lab! I ate healthy at dinner, only a few bites of poutine and a couple chips with dip, and I had a salad and one glass of red wine. But I'm sure it doesn't help that I had a giant overflowing cup of Yogurt Lab to follow. But hey, you have to celebrate sometimes, right?

This morning I got up and did my usual BodyPump followed by Zumba. I wasn't very confident about my weigh-in, but I closed my eyes and got on the scale anyway. And as it turns out, I lost another pound this week! What a pleasant surprise!

This week's loss: 1 lb
Total lost so far: 38 lbs
Pounds until January 1 goal: 7
Pounds until wedding goal: 22

I'm going to try my hardest to lose 2 pounds this week so that I will be at 40 lbs lost before Halloween. Then I might not worry so much about all the tempting candy.

After my weigh-in I showered and immediately went back to bed for... 4 hours. I didn't sleep that whole time, but I lounged around, drank some water, and caught up on my tv shows. Eventually I had to get up and take a trip to Target to buy some birthday gifts and cards. We also stopped at a new place for lunch called "Wayback Burgers" in Woodbury. We didn't get any milkshakes, which is their specialty. I did get a veggie burger with extra mushrooms, which was pretty good. Bill liked his burger, and he really liked the fries, so we will probably be going back. Maybe after the wedding would be better.

Today's stats:
Steps taken: 13,000
Calories burned: 2900
Calories consumed: ??? Too many, but at least I have all week to work it off!

And with that I am going to be world's most exciting adult and go to bed at 10pm on a Saturday. Fascinating, I know.

Until tomorrow, readers.

Kayti

Broccoli. Really.

Good evening, readers!

I am literally eating a giant bowl of steamed broccoli for dinner. I was going to post a photo but then I thought that you must all know what steamed broccoli looks like. Luckily I was craving something that has basically no calories, so I can eat as much as I want without the guilt. But it makes me wonder: what was my body missing that it steered me to eat an absurd amount of broccoli? I don't eat a lot of vegetables, so I thought maybe my body started to crave vegetables because I hadn't eaten any. Logic score: Zero. Otherwise no one would be overweight because we would all crave and eat vegetables after not having them for a while.

So I googled it. Google said calcium. While I don't drink milk anymore I do eat a fair amount of yogurt and cheese, and I take a calcium supplement. I don't think that's it. Maybe today I really just wanted vegetables and there doesn't need to a be a fancy explanation.

Since I am eating my dinner of broccoli at home you may be able to guess that we did not have our normal Culver's date night. I got home from work before 5 for the first time in the last two years, and then I went and worked out for an hour. When I got home I wasn't feeling super hungry and I really just wanted to eat broccoli. I also didn't feel like dealing with all the repercussions that accompany eating ice cream (even though today's flavor of the day was pumpkin pie!) the night before a weigh-in that I feel iffy about at best.

Today's stats:

Steps taken: 14000

Calories burned: 3000

Calories consumed: 1400

I ate a bigger breakfast than normal today, too. I had oatmeal AND a banana. I'm thinking I needed some extra fuel because my muscles were feeling so fatigued from those BodyPump sessions this week.

Coming up this weekend we have a pretty jam-packed schedule. Family events Saturday and Sunday, meeting up with the owner of the house I am watching next weekend, plus trying to fit in church, laundry, and possibly a minute to relax!

Just thinking about it is making me want to go to sleep already!

Until tomorrow, readers.

Kayti

What's Your Dance Style?

Good evening, readers!

The Packers and Bears are about to start, so I'm going to type this as fast as I can! Hopefully all those keyboarding drills Mr. Flynn made me do will pay off!

Today was one of those ridiculously good days, so if you hate happy people (like most of us) you might want to just stop reading right now.

I got up extra early since I fell asleep before packing lunches and my gym bag for the day. I went to BodyPump, although I had to leave early to get to work on time. I did find one thing wrong with my new Tuesday night routine: Tuesday night BodyPump and Thursday morning BodyPump are too close together for my muscles to fully recover. My legs were so sore today I was sure by the end of the squats I wasn't getting back up.

I did get back up, luckily, and went to work. Work is where things got good. Today was the very first day in my new position where I felt like everything was totally under control, and I thought "I got this." And that's a good feeling. I even got to leave right at 4 o'clock. I definitely got this.

I also got the opportunity to make a little extra cash with a housesitting/dogsitting/teenagersitting? gig. I'll know more about that on Sunday, but how hard can it be to "supervise" two 17-year-olds for a long weekend? (I bet all you parents out there are laughing at that). 

After work I went to Zumba. It's funny, I go to 4 different Zumba classes every week with 4 completely different instructors (one is lots of hip-hop, one is more aerobic, one loves latin dance) but I have most of the routines memorized. Unless they use the same music in more than one class, then it can get a bit fuzzy. And all 4 of them use "Can't Stop The Feeling" by JT. I felt really good at Zumba, even though the soreness in my legs was an issue. Once I got moving it was all good. I was trying to decide which class is my favorite, but it's really hard. They're all so different, and sometimes I'm in different moods for different styles. What's your dance style? I wonder if there's one that's universally more popular than others.

Now I'm home and I'm looking forward to (possibly) going to bed early. I know I haven't been getting enough sleep recently but I am doing my best to remedy that situation in the next few weeks. 

Food today was... alright. I ate normally, except there was a Wendy's Frosty in the pharmacy freezer with my name on it :) I haven't eaten dinner yet, but I have a bowl of chili warming in the microwave as I type.

Today's stats:
Steps taken: 15800
Calories burned: 3000
Calories consumed: 1350 (including that chili)

And now I'm off to fold more paper flowers! It seems like I'm going to be doing this for the rest of my life! It's actually pretty relaxing, doing all that repetitive motion for an hour or so. I try to limit it to an hour so I don't get stiff. Plus I can only handle so many paper cuts!

Until tomorrow, readers.

Kayti

The New Tuesday

Good evening, readers!

Today was one of those days where it was just "go-go-go" from 5am to 10pm. Luckily I feel like I am handling it pretty well. I got a little tired about 1pm, right before lunch. But once I ate lunch I got my second wind and made it through the day. I wish I had some sort of internal record keeping that showed my blood sugar levels, fatigue, hunger, etc. throughout the day. If someone could add that to the FitBid that would be fantastic.

Got up early. Got to work early. Crushed it at work. At 3:30 not one but two doctors came in looking for very last minute surgical implants to be ordered for next day delivery. They'll be here by 10:30am tomorrow. Crushed it. I'm getting pretty darn cocking in week number 3 of this new position.

After work I came home to a light dinner of a cup of soup and a protein bar. I didn't want to eat too much before going to work out. I made that mistake last week and felt leaden for the first half of Zumba. I also had to avoid foods with anything that could get stuck in my teeth, since I also had to go to the dentist before I went to the gym. Which is just awful. Always. There's nothing good about going to the dentist. It's even worse when you have somewhere you want to be but the hygienist is so busy talking that she actually stops working to tell you the story of her daughter's wedding...

Well, I made it to Zumba on time, anyway. Just barely. I did an hour of Zumba and an hour of BodyPump, and then I stopped at Kowalski's for a pint of HaloTop to reward myself for a job well done. I think I'm really going to like this new routine! I also bought a bag of popcorn (which I can now eat since my dentist visit is over) and am currently shoving it in my face. I ate enough today, but weight lifting always makes me so hungry!

Anyway, today's stats:
Steps taken: 18400
Calories burned: 3370
Calories consumed: 1350, not including all the popcorn I'm inhaling.

Well, this new Tuesday routine is working out.
Pros: Sleeping in, staying for the entirety of BodyPump, getting HaloTop
Cons: Zero down time, staying up late

So, ya know, maybe I'll mix and match!

Until tomorrow, readers.

Kayti

Work. Out.

Good evening, readers!

Today was a very good day for my diet and weight-loss goals. Was it better than any other day? Maybe by a little. I only say that because I didn't eat ANY junk at all. I remembered to eat my lunch (although a bit later than normal) and I haven't even eaten dinner yet because I just don't feel very hungry. I know I need to eat something, considering I'm sitting at roughly 800 calories for the day. I'm getting there, I swear, but nothing really sounds good. Except for avocado toast, but I forgot to buy an avocado at the grocery store yesterday.

I am pretty sad that it was raining this afternoon, too. We still have Cy, but he will most likely be picked up within the hour. Because of the rain we didn't really get to go on a proper walk today, which would have been good for both of us. I did go to Zumba, and I was more active at work today. It's funny, some days I feel chained to my desk, but other days (like today) I do tons of walking and lifting. Today was heavy in the lifting department. I lifted cases of fluids, bags of dog food, and reams of paper all over the place. It's like getting a workout without having to go to the gym!

I have to say, I'm really liking my new job. I get lots of exercise (most days), I'm super busy all the time so the days go by fast, and I'm mostly unsupervised. I find I work a lot more efficiently when I'm NOT being watched. Trust me, I'm still working. That's the only drawback of this position; no more wedding planning while at work. I usually forget to even look at my phone for texts, that's how busy I get! But I'm 100% NOT complaining, I just want you to know. I like being busy. And I have a feeling that's only going to increase.

Anyway, my food intake and caloric output due to exercise was extremely favorable today, and I like that. Especially on a Monday, when weigh-in day is so far away, sometimes it's hard to not sneak a treat.

In wedding planning land, I am very distraught to find out that if I want my wedding band to match my engagement bad exactly (when squaring off the bottom) I have to give my engagement ring back for two weeks! Every day I wake up I will have a mini freak out, thinking I lost my ring. I can almost guarantee it. I don't know when I have to do this yet, but I am NOT looking forward to it. I could opt to not do it, but then the rings wouldn't match and I wouldn't be able to solder them together. First world problems.

Today's stats:
Steps taken: 18,300
Calories burned: 3220
Calories consumed: 800 (But I have yet to eat dinner!) 

I'm off to spend some time cuddling with Cy before he has to go home. It's not to worry, though, since he will be back in 2 weeks to spend 2 weeks with us!

Until tomorrow, readers.

Kayti

Not-So-Lazy Sunday

Good evening, readers!

In the spirit of taking advantage of what will most likely be that last semi-warm fall day this year, I tried to get outdoors as much as possible today. Which was made easy by a 1-night stint with our good friend Cy, the ever-grumpy yet somehow cuddly shih-tzu who hates Bill and merely tolerates my presence.

I got up early this morning. Not because I wanted to, but because that 2+ hour nap yesterday totally threw off my sleep schedule. I didn't go to bed until after 1am, and I knew that if I kept sleeping in this morning (even though I really wanted to) I would be doomed for Monday. Instead I dragged myself out of bed at 8 and walked to our friendly neighborhood Holiday station. I picked up the Sunday paper (don't be too impressed, it's just for ads and the NY Times crossword) and a  giant cup of coffee and made my way home. I worked on the crossword until about 10, at which time we got ready and went to church.

I was a little... distracted at church today. I kept looking around the space trying to get a feel for how we could decorate it. We're there almost every week, so I'm not sure why I chose this week to be all about decorating for my wedding. We still learned a lot, though. The pastor showed us the remote for the colored lights behind the altar that we can use to change the lights to whatever color we want. We also got a good idea for decorating the giant windows. Now I just have to figure out if it's cost-effective.

After church we grabbed lunch at Panera (1/2 Greek salad, cup of chicken noodle soup, and an apple) and then went grocery shopping. We bought our Halloween candy today because I had coupons and it was on sale. Now it is safely locked in a cabinet that I cannot access. For good reason.

When we got home from the grocery store we went on a major cleaning spree. Bill vacuumed, swept, and mopped. I cleaned the upstairs bathroom, dusted, and did laundry. When that was done we finally hung up a bunch of the wall decor that has been sitting in a basket in the living room. Our dining room is finally all decorated! And the wall in that room is huge and used to be completely empty!

Now I just need to get a new light fixture and our dining room area will be fabulous!

I made crockpot of chili for dinner and meals for the rest of the week, since most of the nights I'm at some exercise class and don't want Bill to starve to death. Then I took Cy for about a mile-long walk, which is about as far as I can usually get him to go.

When we got home I decided I really needed to stop procrastinating on the paper flowers I'm making as part of our centerpieces, so I got to work. I worked for about an hour. It's mindless work, just folding and gluing, and will definitely be a good way to  catch up on TV shows during the cold winter months. I got a lot done, but there is still a lot more to go. Like a lot.

Today's stats:
Steps taken: 12300
Calories burned: 2800
Calories consumed: 1400

I'm trying to get myself off on the right foot for Monday morning. No overeating, no undereating, just regular healthy eating (hopefully).

Until then, readers.

Kayti

Weigh In: Week 34

Good evening, readers!

And happy Saturday! When I have a good weigh-in, Saturdays are by far my favorite day of the week. And this week was a good one!

I lost 1 pound!
Total weight lost: 37 lbs
Pounds to December goal: 8
Pounds to April goal: 23

I'm excited about that pound because I felt like I ate more than I should on some days this week, while other days I ate way less than I should. I know that can be hard on a body, and I am trying to work through that. But it seems as though my body is responding well!

Since I had such a good weigh-in, I had a pretty fabulous Saturday! Last night I fell asleep around 9:30 and slept straight through to my alarm at 7:15, and even then I had a hard time getting out of bed. I begrudgingly got dressed and went to the gym. I made it through BodyPump, hopefully with minimal soreness this time. I have been having some pain in my left shoulder, but not enough to keep me from lifting. Usually when I'm having pain that doesn't seem serious exercise actually helps relieve it. I also made it through Zumba and then headed home for the weigh-in.

After weighing in, Bill and I took a drive over to Continental Diamond to buy his wedding band! Just some of the options we were considering:

I know they all kind of look the same in the photo, but at least they're shiny! Luckily for me men's rings are way cheaper than women's, so I didn't have to break the bank to buy Bill his wedding band. And that's one more thing we can check off the list. Plus, you get free chocolate chip cookies and wine/beer at the jewelry store. All-around A+ experience.

While we were at the jewelry store waiting for my ring to be cleaned, our pianist finally called us back. Now we've got that all set! Another thing to check off that wedding planning list. How productive we were today!

Afterward we went to lunch at Olive Garden. Even though I just got the soup-salad-breadsticks, and only ate 1 breadstick, I felt absolutely stuffed afterward. But as I said to Bill, "what kind of diet am I on if I have to limit how much salad I'm eating?" so I ate as much salad as I wanted. 

When we got home I immediately went back to bed. For two hours. I get so little sleep during the week now that I have to use the weekend to catch up.  I know that's not a real thing, "catching up on sleep", but it sure felt like it today.

Since I've woken up at about 6 I've done bit of exercise, watched the first episode of "This is Us" (you NEED to watch this show) and read 150 pages of a new book. Nothing exciting, but it's so nice to have a little relaxation time. I had a Lean Cuisine for dinner since I ate so much at lunch, and now here we are!

Today's stats:
Steps taken - 13,000
Calories consumed - ??? Hopefully less than 1500 but I honestly don't know. I ate a lot of salad.
Calories burned: 3000

So I exercised, checked things off the wedding planning list, took a nap, and then had a relaxing evening. Talk about a perfect Saturday! Hopefully tomorrow is just as fabulous :)

Until then, readers.

Kayti

Survival Day

Good evening, readers!

Today was one of those days that was all about just getting through the day. A survival day, I'd call it. It wasn't a bad day, I just couldn't think about much else besides making it to the end of the day so I can be where I am now: in bed.

This morning I got up at 5:30, made a cup of coffee and then headed to work. I worked for 8 hours straight. I took a couple bathroom breaks, but otherwise I worked the entire time. Yes, I forgot to eat. I know it's terrible. I also sat at my desk most of the day, purchasing. Which is also terrible. I tried my best to get up and move around, but by the end of the day I still only had less that 7,000 steps.

I ate my lunch in the car on the drive home, since I didn't eat it at lunch time. I also called my mom on the drive to help me stay awake for this one, unlike yesterday's drowze-fest. I did make it home, and before I could fall asleep for real we made our way to the gym. I did about 50 minutes on the elliptical, but I was just so tired I had to stop as soon as my episode of Grey's Anatomy was over. At least it helped me get a lot more steps in than what I had when I left work.

We went to Culver's for our usual date night. I had my usual salad with a scoop of ice cream (not all on one plate, obviously.) Then it was home for a shower, and now I'm wrapped up in bed like a burrito. We haven't turned our heat on yet, so it gets cold in here at night (when I got up this morning the thermostat said 64, so really not bad). I just put on lots of layers and use all the blankets.

Today's stats:
Steps taken: 13,000
Calories burned: 2900
Calories consumed: 1340

So there you have it. I survived the day. Tomorrow is weigh-in day, and it's another week where I have no idea what's going to happen. Although I have felt pretty bloated this week, so that doesn't bode well. We shall see tomorrow!

Until then, readers.

Kayti

First Alteration Appointment

Good evening, readers!

Well, my dress is gone. I feel like I was just getting to know her and now I have to hand her off to someone else...

Today I had my first dress fitting with Custom Sewing by Heather. Sometimes I think things are just meant to be. Heather does alterations out of her home, which happens to be less than two blocks from where I live. I put on my dress (I'm still in love) and she immediately pinned me up, like she knew exactly how I wanted to look. When I told her I was trying to lose 25 or so more pounds before the wedding, she pushed back my appointments to give me more time. Plus, she does night time and Saturday appointments. It was seriously meant to be.

Although I am sad to not be able to see my dress or try it on any time I want (and lets be honest, I never did that) I'm kind of happy that the responsibility of keeping it clean and undamaged falls upon someone else for the most part. I know I have more than one friend who has used Heather, so even though I have only had one appointment I feel very comfortable recommending her. I'll keep you updated, but I don't foresee that changing.

Well, I've been kicking myself all evening for my actions earlier today. And by actions, I mean eating. In the big scheme of things, I actually ate less food today than any normal person. But it was WHAT I ate that caused the problem. My coworker made chili, which in itself is not terrible for you. I put a little cheese in it, but that was it. I had a piece of french bread to go with, but that was all I ate for lunch because it made me super full!

A bit later my boss showed up with egg rolls and spring rolls. This is where we go downhill. They were a reward for doing so well at my new promotion and getting lots of positive feedback from all the departmental supervisors. So I had to eat them, right? Two egg rolls and a spring roll later I felt sick. Not from fullness, but from knowing that I was way over my caloric intake.

I calculated my calories, and after all that nonsense I was right at 1500. Obviously I don't know the exact amount of calories in homemade chili or a Pho 79 spring roll, but I made educated guesses and actually tried to overestimate the calorie count. When I saw that number, and I hadn't even had dinner yet, I knew there was no way I could skip Zumba.

Yes, I seriously considered skipping Zumba today. I got up at 4:45 and went to 5:30 am BodyPump. I had to skip out a bit early to make it to work on time, but I got the important stuff in. My legs are really sore today for some reason. Maybe Tuesday night is too close to Thursday morning for my legs.

Anyway, since I had such an early morning and a pretty crazy day at work, I could feel myself dozing off on my drive home. Not safe. I blasted the air conditioning, turned the music up really loud, and popped some tic-tacs. I don't know why, but they seem to help bad breath AND driver's sleepiness. I made it to the Y a little bit early, so I sat in my car listening to the radio... until I actually dozed off. You can see why I might have considered skipping Zumba. But if I wanted to be able to eat dinner and not feel too guilty about it I knew I would have to exercise. So I did.

Today's stats:
Steps taken: 19100
Calories burned: 3400
Calories consumed: 1500

I still haven't eaten dinner. I know it's late, but I've been busy. I'm just trying to think of something low calorie that I can eat so I don't have to add any more guilt to my conscience. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have more willpower!

Until then, readers.

Kayti

How... rude?

Good evening, readers!

7 am meetings are not a good idea for anyone. Especially those of us who rely on caffeine to function at all. And then when you stop at Starbucks on your way to work because you're actually running early for your 7am meeting and you end up in line behind construction worker guy ordering for the entire crew and early-riser retiree paying in all coins, well that's just enough to push a caffeine-dependent maniac over the edge. Luckily I just peered over the edge but didn't actually fall. My passive-aggressive loud sighs were enough to get them to pour me a cup of blonde roast STAT.

After that I was a much happier human being for the rest of the day. I ran around work like a crazy person but got a lot accomplished. I have to say, I was a little worried that this new position was going to make me gain weight due to the stress. Luckily I haven't felt too stressed out (although I'm sure I will have my days) and I'm always so busy I barely have time to scarf down my lunch, let alone snack on anything.

I left work mostly on time again (4:07 today) and made it home around 5. Since I had that early morning meeting I wasn't able to go to 5:30am BodyPump. And since I've been leaving work earlier than normal, it seems silly to wait around to go to 5:30pm Zumba at Midway. So it looks like I might be changing the workout schedule from now on. Tuesday night Zumba, followed by BodyPump, at Woodbury. I'm liking the extra sleep, but not the late nights. Compromises. 

So I got home about 5, watched Gilmore Girls, made a light dinner of two vegetarian corn dogs (150 cals each, MorningStar Farms, they're pretty good) and a fiber one bar. I thought it would be light enough to keep me from getting sick at Zumba, but still enough food to keep me from starving until I got home from working out at 9.

Zumba was from 6:55-7:55. I have been to this class before a while back but hadn't been recently because I'd been going to Tuesday night Zumba at Midway. The instructor welcomed me back, and then a woman I vaguely recognized commented on how much weight I had lost since the last time I was in class. It was flattering, until she asked me, "How'd you do it? Did you get surgery?"

I was really taken aback by that question. What? I know for a fact I wasn't nearly heavy enough before I started this to even be considered for weight-loss surgery. Was this a rude question, or am I just being too sensitive? It felt rude to me. I just told her I did it the good old fashioned "eat less, exercise more" routine. 

Today's stats:
Steps taken: 19500
Calories burned: 3450
Calories consumed: 1350

And with that, I'm going to reward myself with some more Halo Top! I just read they are coming out with new flavors, one of which is pistachio (aka my favorite ice cream flavor!). Maybe I will make a pint of Halo Top after Tuesday night workouts a new routine, too.

Until tomorrow, readers.

Kayti

Halo Top!!

Good evening, readers!

You guys. Seriously. How did I not know about this before??? Who knew you could have a whole pint of ice cream for just 240 calories and it's freaking delicious? Why are we not funding this?

It's called Halo Top. Is it a play on muffin top? Is it a reference to its heavenly qualities? I don't know, but it is my new obsession. So far I've had the mint chip (it's not green but it still tastes delicious) and the java chip (280 calories, but still delicious). Each pint has like 28g of protein, too! The only problem? It's over $5/pint. I try to split it into two desserts, but with my unhealthy obsession with ice cream sometimes that's hard to do. Available at Kowalski's, Lund's/Byerly's, and Hyvee. Promise they're not paying me. Even if they were, I'd just buy more Halo Top.

Sorry about missing my post yesterday. I was watching the Packer game and though I'd post afterward, but then of course I fell asleep. You didn't miss too much though. I went to a movie by myself while Bill was at the Vikings game, then I went to Bill's Aunt Susie's house for a turkey chili dinner. I worked out in the morning and walked to Sue's, but otherwise I didn't get much exercise. So I'm glad I don't have to report yesterday's stats :)

Oh, Monday. I was actually happy to get to work and get some stuff done this morning. I did a lot of "putting out fires" as my boss likes to say. And, I actually left work at 4:05! I could hardly believe it myself. But tomorrow morning will make up for it, since I have a 7am meeting. I said I'm not participating if there aren't copious amounts of coffee provided.

After work I went to Zumba, and then I came home and made myself a bowl of chicken noodle soup and finished it off with some Halo Top! It was a pretty darn good day, honestly. I am sad I have to miss BodyPump tomorrow morning because of my meeting, but I think I'm going to do Zumba from 6:55-7:55, then BodyPump from 8-9. I know that's late for me, but I feel like the weight lifting is really helping and and I don't want to lose that progress!

Today's stats:
Steps taken: 17,000
Calories burned: 3150
Calories consumed: 1450

Well, I can hear that bed calling my name.

Until tomorrow, readers.

Kayti

Weigh In: Week 33

Good evening, readers!

Well, if there was any question that fall has arrived to Minnesota, it is a question no longer. Fall is here and in spectacular fashion! We took out our winter comforter today, since I got cold last night and tried to steal all the covers from Bill.

Today started out as most normal Saturdays start out for me. I went to BodyPump from 8-9 and then Zumba from 9:10-10:10. BodyPump was a new release today, which means new music and different lifting combinations. I felt like the arm tracks (chest, biceps, triceps, and shoulders) were incredibly difficult this time! Or maybe my arms were just weaker than normal from my abbreviated BodyPump sessions last week. By the end of the tricep track my arms were shaking and it hurt to lift them above my head! But if it doesn't hurt it's probably not working, right? And because BodyPump was more difficult, that subsequently made Zumba more difficult. My legs felt heavier than normal, but I somehow made it through the entire class.

When I got home, it was weigh-in time! The verdict:

I lost 1&1/2 pounds this week!
Grand total lost: 36 lbs!
Next goal: 9 more lbs by Christmas
Ultimate goal: 60 lbs by April 22 (our wedding day!)

I'm feeling really good about that! I had no idea what the weigh-in was going to look like, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got on the scale! I do this think where I get on the scale and close my eyes and count to 10 before I look at what it says. It's just a superstition but it seems to make me less stressed about the whole thing.

In the afternoon we went to Bill's nephew's football game. It's flag football, but these second graders are definitely ready for tackle. Lots of pushing and shoving going on there. We bundled up for it, and it turned out to be a perfect day outside! When we got home we spent 30 minutes looking for Bill's lost wallet. We finally found it, so then we took a nap!

We woke up at 5:30, which was the exact time we needed to leave to go to Bill's mom's house for a family birthday dinner. Dinner was very healthy, which I appreciated. Sure, I had a small slice of apple pie (and a lot of ice cream), but it was a treat for a job well done last week!

Todays' stats:
Steps taken: 14,000
Calories burned: 3000
Calories consumed: About 1500 (that's a guess, I'm not sure how much ice cream I really ate!)

Well, that's all the excitement for today! I should probably review all my wedding stuff to make sure things are still going smoothy since that seems to have been neglected this week. Hopefully there will be updates in that department tomorrow!

Until then, readers.

Kayti

Heaven. Seriously.

Good evening, readers!

Yes, I have been annoyingly cheerful (for the most part) lately. I'm tired, sure, but I'm happy. That seems to be translating into these posts, because I've been getting lots of feedback about my positivity lately. 

Today I was determined to be a rockstar at work. I was not going to let work get the best of me, I was going to get the best of it! So I grabbed a coffee and an energy drink and headed off. I got there early, finished all my filing, and then was told that my coworker had called in sick. So it was my first real day of flying solo. I have to say, I was definitely a rockstar. I was super organized, and I got so much stuff done!

But it was after work that was the most noteworthy part of my day. Half Price Books was holding their annual clearance event at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, which is luckily right by my work! I walked over there after work, since it was open until 6. When I walked in, it was just.. heaven :

I know it's not readily evident here, but there were tables of books (and some CDs and DVDS) spanning from one end of the Grandstand to the other. It was overwhelming, but I found some good stuff! I decided I should not take a basket (or God forbid a cart) so as to keep my purchases to a minimum. Who knew I was capable of stacking 16 books in my arms? My only error was that I shoved all of these books I purchased in my backpack and then had to walk about a mile back to my car. If I have back pain tomorrow we all know why.

When I got home it was time for Friday night date night. We went to the gym, where we both spent an hour on the elliptical. Normally I go to Cardio Kick class, but I have world's worst excuse for doing the elliptical instead: I needed to catch up on my tv shows. I know, I know. But I miss so many during the week because of workouts and such that I'm getting behind!

Today's stats:
Steps taken: 16,000
Calories burned: 3150
Calories consumed: 1450

Well, tomorrow is another one of many moments of truth. I haven't the slightest idea how this will go. I ate well, calorie-wise but my sporadic eating and my elevated stress levels, along with a few treats this week, could spell disaster. But we will see tomorrow!

Until then, readers.

Kayti