Oh. I had some goals?

Apparently I made a list of 2012 Goals, who knew? I actually just noticed it yesterday when I went to link to last years Christmas card. Anyway thought I might depress myself and see how many of these goals I didnt accomplish.

 

1. Lose 30 pounds and keep them off.  Nope, actually gained 8 more. BOO!  This will be on this years list too, duh.

2. Get my new business off the ground so I can quit my job by May (although I may work somewhere else part-time) DONE! We did 15 weddings this year, and although I cant quit my job yet, we are off to a good start! I am working 32 hours a week, and was able to be unemployed for 2 months without totally drowning, so that’s excellent!

3. Reduce my consumption. Recycle more. We’re pretty good at recycling, and I have gone to almost 100% buying thrifted. I’m not exactly sure why this was on my list last year, but I would say I don’t feel as bad about this stuff this year. We are doing ok.

4. Make friends (I need some, and Mr. Gaunt needs some too) Hmm, well I did make one new friend (HEY JENNA!), and my Mr. Gaunt has made more work friends. We both still tend to hang out with each other or my family a lot, but I really don’t feel the ache of being friend-less this year.

5. Gym, 5 days a week, every week. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

6. Buy a Cannon Rebel t2i  We made the decision to NOT buy this camera this year. We bought a new Sony Cyber Shot, which we love. We were able to comfortably buy it with cash, and we use it lots. We really do want a nice camera when we have kids, so it is still a goal.

7. Get a passport. Gah! I didn’t even know this was on the list last year, but I really need to! I did however get my enhanced license, so I can at least go to Canada now.

8. Manage my finances so money we make in the summer can support us in the winter. Well, we did ok. We managed to support me for two months this fall when I was in between jobs, so that was pretty good. We also added some insurance, and a couple other monthly expenses that we previously couldn’t afford. However we did not make enough money this summer to support me all winter. A more realistic goal would be that I could continue to cut back on hours at my current job. Fingers crossed.

9. Visit Portland, Olympia, Seattle We went to Seattle and Olympia a couple of times this year. My mom and I are planning a trip to Portland in a couple of weeks hopefully.

10. Get a “new to us” reliable minivan (for business and above trips) We ended up inheriting my moms Explorer, which is ok to make short trips. The burning desire to get a new car has worn off, and I’m comfortable once again running our cars into the ground. (:

11. Send Mr. Gaunt back to Colorado at least twice this year Mr. Gaunt and I went only once to Colorado in July, but Mr. Gaunt got to go for a long time, so hopefully it was enough. His mom also got to come out twice this year, which makes him very happy. This next year we will have to plan it for late spring or late fall because of wedding season, we will see.

12. Cook more. Well, I cooked a little more when I was unemployed, but yeah, this continues to be a goal.

13. Landscape the front yard, and lay some new grass in the back yard. We totally did this! Go us! We have a few more yard projects for this summer too!

14. Go on new Hikes around the area. FAIL, but we did go on some awesome hikes on our anniversary trip to the Olympic Peninsula!

15. Sell 50 more paintings on Etsy. This business was put on the back-burner when we started our wedding business.

16. Go away somewhere for our 1 year anniversary. We went on an amazing trip to the Olympic Peninsula. One of the best vacations ever!

17. Avoid Sugar  I did really good for like 4 months.

18. Make more handmade things (gifts, household items, etc) Tough to say if I did more of this. We have done a number of DIY projects, so I feel good about the amount of handmade and creative shit we do.

19. Take more photos of my life. Since buying our new camera we have taken tons of pictures. I just love documenting our lives!

20. Paint and organize my laundry room I did this too! Woop!

Not a bad year. We both felt pretty productive and happy with what we accomplished. I’ll post some 2013 goals in the next week or so.

Weight In: Writing it Down

Happy Thursday!

It’s been a busy morning for me. I went to my WW meeting at 9:30 and realized it was at 10:30, so I went to Walmart (which I NEVER do, but it’s across the street) and stocked up on some healthy baking supplies! I hate Walmart, but man for basics like Whole Wheat Flour, and Pumpkin Pie spice, their prices can’t be beat! If I only go there twice a year, it can’t be too bad. I also got some cheap pumpkin spice candles which I’m burning as we speak. Sorry Yankee Candles, $19 for a jar candle vs $4, there really inst a comparison for an unemployed gal like myself.

Then I went and met my mom at a local event venue to discuss with the owners the possibility of starting a catering company in their kitchen. It looks like everything is a go, and we will just need to get the Health dept’s approval. We are hoping to some company holiday parties!

After that was lunch at The Daisy Cafe (try their Curry Salad!), and a trip to the shoe store to try on some Danskos. I’m thinking of getting a pair for when I work weddings, they are $120 though, so I really have to think about it.

Now I’m at home, in my Costco Sherpa, with my fall candle burning, looking up a healthy cookie recipe. I think I’m going to try this one tonight, maybe this one.

Oh right, back to my weight watchers meeting! In slightly underwhelming news I lost exactly the same as last week:

 

-1.2 lbs

 

I’m definitely a little disappointed, not because I thought I lost more, but because I feel I SHOULD be loosing more. I’m staying within my points, and I’m moving more…grrr. However I ALWAYS want to pat myself on the back! I didn’t gain, I have now lost 7.8lbs in 3 weeks, which is good, and I feel great. I feel motivated, and happy, and satisfied. So I wont dwell on the number, I will just feel good that I’m three weeks in and still putting along!

It was kind of boring today at our meeting. Our instructions for last week were to bring in a weeks worth of tracking (I printed mine from my WW e-tools) and then we got in groups and discussed them. The person’s tracker we got had eaten small portions of high fat foods, like macaroni, fish n chips, and crab salad. They also showed no signs of activity. I don’t know if they have lost weight, but I definitely didn’t learn anything positive from their week.

Looking over my own weeks, I can see there are many days I don’t eat as many points as I should. I also have been eating larger meals with no (other than fruit)snacking, as opposed to small meals all day. I have been snacking on fruit, and having 20 jellybeans every other evening for dessert. On days when I don’t drink a latte, I have more points leftover. On days when I have wine, I might have to skip a meal, which is sort of stupid.  Overall though I feel like I’m doing pretty good.

And of course the most important lesson is simply to write down what you eat. Your brain will not properly remember how much you have consumed. You should have it all written down, so at dinner time, you know if you can have the glass of wine, or those jelly beans, no guessing. I really recommend everyone do it for at least 1 week straight.

Next weeks topic is FRIENDS WITHOUT FOOD! As well as how to pamper or reward yourself without food. Think about it. I would also like to lose a solid 2 pounds this week.

SIDE NOTE: All the older ladies today were talking about how Carmel Rice Cakes are the BEST dessert. I have NOTHING in common with these women. If I never eat another rice cake in my life, I will be happy. Also the Katy Perry Movie is awesome, you should watch it.

 

Herbed Potatoes and Bikini Bodies

Quite the title isn’t it.

Mr. Gaunt and I went on a long hilly walk today, I’m kind of hating the gym lately, too hot and stuffy. I’m loving the nice weather, and feel awful not taking advantage of it, so we have been walking a lot. Today we walked to the Post Office, the Library, and strolled through Maritime Heritage Park (which is a beautiful park that unfortunately ends up being kind of sketchy with all the homeless that hang out there). Needless to say our walk ended up being exactly three miles. So that’s nice.

I did have a little breakdown on our walk. I feel so unhappy about my weight right now. My physical fitness has to pick up, and my decadent splurges have to go down stop. I need way more veggies, and way less cheese and bread. I just know how much better I would feel minus 30 pounds. Lordy. It’s never-ending is it? I feel like my ass and stomach are larger than they have been in a while though, which is just so unpleasant. Consider me on a diet!

For dinner we had grilled chicken sausage, asparagus, and herb potatoes.

The potatoes were leftover from Mothers Day that I sliced up. Then I just cut some thyme, dill and oregano from my garden, tossed with some olive oil, pepper and salt, and baked at 425 for 15 minutes. Super yummy, and not too bad for you.

Also in super exciting news!!!! Mr. Gaunt got a promotion today! He will now be a supervisor, which is more responsibility, but also more money! Yay! We really could use more money. I also have taken up a twice a week cleaning gig at my moms wine bar via our other business, which will be bringing in a nice little monthly paycheck. I have also sold 3 paintings this month, and booked our largest wedding yet for November! Mr. Gaunt has also started a used media shop on Amazon that he is done really well at so far. You would think with all our little business adventures that we wouldn’t be nearly so poor. The funny thing is, all this money will be coming in later on, so far now we just have to keep treading water and hope for the best. HARD WORK! HARD WORK! HARD WORK!

Mr. Gaunt and I spent time the other night talking about our jobs, and how hard we are working, and our dreams. We have a philosophy that it is better to work our butts off trying to work for ourselves, and have freedom, then to just work a basic 9-5 for someone else. The saying “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life” rings so loud for me. The passion and desire I have to build a career around my life, and not build my life around a job, will continue to fuel me through the hard times. We will make it. We will work for ourselves. We will be able to do the things we want to do. We will get everything we need.

On that note, I did ZuzkaLights ZWOW #19 video tonight. I did it the best I could, and my abs feel it. She says its to prepare me for my bikini body…yeah…uh huh. You should really do it too! It’s not to bad, and its super fast.

http://www.youtube.com/zuzkalight#p/a

 

Weigh In #4

Date night at Boomer’s! They were having their anniversary $2.99 burger deal.

VALENTINE NAILS!

Honey Mustard Chicken Burger (no cheese) we split these fries.

I’m gonna get straight to the point and tell you I didn’t lose anything this week. Nothing. I worked out for an hour and a half five days this week. I haven’t consumed any sweets in 29 days, and all Ive lost is 7 pounds this month. I needed to lose 10 pounds each month to hit my 30 pounds in 90 days goal.

Mr. Gaunt also didn’t lose anything. He might be more angry about it than I am. He says “then why did I work out every day?!” and I tell him I just don’t know.

I look at the things I eat and I just don’t think I’m doing that poorly. Yeah sometimes I have sushi. Sometimes I eat Lean cuisine Spaghetti. Sometimes I drink two lattes in one day. But isn’t that just life? Shouldn’t working out all the time counteract those occasional poor choices?

The funny thing is, all week I felt really really good. I felt like I looked ok, that my clothes fit better. I was SURE I had lost some weight. So yes I’m a little annoyed that I didn’t, but I’m going to focus on feeling in shape, not the number on the scale.

However I’m going to tweek my eating habits just a little bit this week and see if by the end of the week I can’t be slightly closer to my goal. Also I missed food journaling twice this week, this wont happen next week. You will see all 7 days.

So I hope everyone else had a good week. I didn’t get any texts, and I havent heard of much weight loss success these days from others. Don’t lose faith, just keep working at it. It will happen.

LOVING DR. OZ’s 10 WEIGHT LOSS COMMANDMENTS:

1. Thou Shalt Not Wear Pants that Stretch

Your clothing is an early-warning system for weight gain. When it’s getting hard to snap your jeans, you know it’s time to be vigilant. Wearing stretchy clothes allows you to live in ignorance of how your body is growing, making it easier to pack on pounds without knowing it.

 2. Thou Shalt Not Keep Fat Clothes in Your Closet

When you keep the clothes you wore at an unhealthy weight, it gives you a back-up plan if the pounds don’t come off. Instead, force yourself to stay on track by 86ing your “fat pants.”

 3. Thou Shalt Not Eat Meat That Walks on Four Legs More Than Once a Week

Meat that comes from an animal with 4 legs is higher in saturated fat (the unhealthy kind) than that which comes from 2-legged animals such as chickens, or animals with no legs, like fish. Plus: women who eat large amounts of red meat more than once a week have a 50% higher chance of dying from heart disease and have higher cancer rates.

 4. Thou Shalt Not Graze

Plan your meal before you open the refrigerator, get what you need, and close the door. Opening it throughout the day leads to impulsive choices and overeating.

 5. Thou Shalt Not Eat After 7:30pm

When you eat late at night you are more likely to be eating in front of the TV (when you won’t pay attention to how much you’re putting in your mouth) and you’re more likely to pick high-calorie snacks.

6. Thou Shalt Not Pile Food More than 1 Inch High or Within 2 Inches of the Plate Edge

Larger portions equal more calories. ‘Nuff said.

 7. Thou Shalt Not Chew Food Less than 20 Times Per Bite

Chewing allows your body to realize that you are eating food, prompting it to create a sensation of fullness at the appropriate time. When you don’t chew enough, you get ahead of that process, eating well past when you are actually satisfied.

 8. Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Plate

Spend your day nibbling bites on someone else’s sandwich or afternoon snack, and you will add on 1,000 calories easy.

 9. Thou Shalt Not Carry Small Bills

Nothing loves a small bill better than a vending machine. When you have them at the ready, you are one step closer to an impulsive, calorie-loaded afternoon slip up.

10. Thou Shalt Not Eat While Standing Up

Eating sitting down enables you to be aware of what you’re eating and eat it slowly so that your body can tell you your full before it’s too late.

2012 Goals & Christmas

Oh god I feel so gross and OVER CHRISTMAS.

But I always feel this way after Christmas. It’s just too much, of everything. Mostly food and laziness, but “materialism, decorations, music, money” they all have been tapped out over here. You too?

I wasn’t really planning on blogging until the new year, but its my blog, so I can pretty much do whatever I want. (: And today I felt like blogging.

So I’m up 30 pounds, in general. I gained 30 pounds because I sit in an office all day, don’t go to the gym, and eat whatever I like. Funny how that works. I pretty much hate all pictures of myself these days, and I wear way too many of Mr. Gaunt sweaters, becasue all my clothes are tight, and his clothes are baggy.

This is quite the predicament. It’s not the end of the world, but damn near close. Mr. Gaunt and I did join the gym last week, and went all week, but not this weekend as the gym was closed. We are also trying to eat healthy, but Christmas threw us off track a bit. Duh. So we are back on track today.  I have some pretty huge goals for 2012. The number 12 has always sort of been “my number” mostly as I was born on September 12th, but I just like its evenness. So 2012 is the year I make some major changes.  Lets make a list shall we!

1. Lose 30 pounds and keep them off. (I’m hoping to lose 30 pounds in 90 days, so I can feel good this summer!)

2. Get my new business off the ground so I can quit my job by May (although I may work somewhere else part time)

3. Reduce my consumption. Recycle more.

4. Make friends (I need some, and Mr. Gaunt needs some too)

5. Gym, 5 days a week, every week.

6. Buy a Cannon Rebel t2i

7. Get a passport

8. Manage my finances so money we make in the summer can support us in the winter

9. Visit Portland, Olympia, Seattle

10. Get a “new to us” reliable minivan (for business and above trips)

11. Send Mr. Gaunt back to Colorado at least twice this year

12. Cook more

13. Landscape the front yard, and lay some new grass in the back yard.

14. Go on new Hikes around the area

15. Sell 50 more paintings on Etsy

16. Go away somewhere for our 1 year anniversary

17. Avoid Sugar (more on this later)

18. Make more handmade things (gifts, household items, etc)

19. Take more photos of my life

20. Paint and organize my laundry room

I leave with some photos from our Christmas morning breakfast (including Hula’s first can of fancy feast!)

 

 

 

My Secret List

I’ve been such a slacker with this blog lately.

I’d say its a mix of feeling super slugish, and being busy with other things.

I stepped on the scale this week….eek. Might be the wake up call I need.

The dark evenings are SUCH A BUMMER. I kind of hate that about fall/winter.

Thankfully the weather has been a very mild temperature, and that is awesome, I like mild.

I wish I had more energy. I know that eating good and working out are what give me more energy, but I’m so tired and my back hurts and WAHHH WAAAHH WAAH. (:

I also feel like I only eat carbs, lol. Halloween was such a gut bomb.

The harder (ie: BORING) my job gets, the harder I want to work on our new business. I’m just taking huge leaps, spending money, signing up for things, ordering this, making that. I feel like if I push hard enough its engine will get going!

I watched The Secret the other night.

These are my goals (in writing for the universe to see)

1. DROP 30 POUNDS.

2. MAKE AT LEAST $25,000 THIS YEAR (2012) WITH ThE NEW BUSINESS.

3. RUN A 5k

4. BE HAPPY

Alright, I’m off to work. Happy Happy thoughts. Hope everyone has a spectacular day!