Category Archives: Good Health
Why I Love My “Staycations”
Since my separation/divorce, I haven’t had the funds to take the kids away to the beach for a week. Instead, I typically take off the week bordering my birthday in July and the week prior to the start of the school year. During these “staycations,” we have taken day trips to Erie, visited Kennywood, worked on projects around the house (well, I did; not so much the kids), shopped for back to school supplies, and have just enjoyed a relaxed, no itinerary type week.
There are a few reasons I love my staycations:
* I can wake up on my own (still as early as 6:30), but not be in a rush to be anywhere. I can enjoy my coffee while catching up on the news of the world and my Facebook and Twitter timelines.
* Live with Kelly! I watch this show anytime I am able to be home at 9 AM.
* The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Same as above. Regardless of whether it is a fresh run episode or a repeat, I still try to watch.
* I get a little slice of being a “stay at home mom.” I can run errands with the kids (otherwise known as #MomShuttle). I can keep up on household chores.
* This last week, I was able to do some serious cleaning/purging in my basement. I have boxes that haven’t been touched in the five years I’ve been here! I threw out so much crap, and I have a large stack of items going to the Vietnam Veterans of America on Monday.
* I was able to spend two days with Flawed Memory, who was released early of his two weeks’ notice. We hung out at the pool and saw a Blackberry Smoke show.
So I’m at the end of my last summer staycation week. The kids go back to school on Monday, and I go back to work. I love hanging at the pool over the summer, but I am looking forward to the cool temps of my favorite season. The Fall has much in store for me as well. Vampire Boy is a senior in high school. Two friends have their weddings scheduled in October and December. Then there’s Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. This year seems to have flown by so quickly. And, of course, I’m looking forward to my grown up vacation on The Rock Boat at the end of February.
I guess I should now seriously start that diet / eating more healthy / working out regularly. Now where’s that post I wrote about resolutions?
Mid-January Resolution Report
So we’re about three-quarters of the way through January and I’m making progress with my monthly resolution for weight loss, eating healthier, and adding exercise to my daily routine. Is it still true that two out of three ain’t bad?
I’ve been trying to follow a low carb-type diet. Giving up bread and pasta has been fairly easy. I do, however, miss the easy bowl of cereal for dinner! I’ve been good at packing my lunch. I’ve been out socially for the past two weekends and have limited myself to diet coke only (and I’ve still had a good time!). I’ve drastically cut back on making any type of “processed” foods. I have, however, also allowed myself one day per week to “cheat” per se. This has been beneficial as I’ve been able to eat something I’ve been craving, but I have not gone completely overboard. (Yay, Me!)
So far, my reward for watching my food intake has been a loss of four pounds. Again, this time around, I forgot to weigh myself on the first day. (I hope I’ll learn sooner rather than later.) While I’m anxious for the pounds to drop off, I know it will take some time, and a little more effort in the exercise arena. I used a Christmas gift card to buy a kettle bell weight set. My next goal is to pop in the DVD and actually work out! Baby steps, right?
A YEAR OF RESOLUTIONS – January
In years past, I have joined the masses and come up with a list of resolutions that I typically forget about by mid-month. The resolutions usually revolve around weight loss and financial health with ideas of eating healthier, exercising, and getting back on my feet financially. I saw a tweet from someone (can’t remember who) who mentioned that they were doing one resolution per month, and I thought to myself, this is a great idea! Rather than make that laundry list of resolutions that I’ll end up ignoring, I’m make one resolution per month, starting in January.
January’s resolution will still revolve around weight loss, eating healthier, and adding exercise to my daily routine. With The Rock Boat not setting sail until March, I have two months to whip myself into some type of “boat shape.” I’ve been very sloppy with my diet over the past six months and have not been as active as previous years. Since I have previously had success with a low carb diet, I am going to try this method again. I’m only a week in, but I seem to be doing okay, and have lost at least 3.5 lbs to date (I forgot to weigh myself on Day 1). Cutting the carbs from my diet has not been a huge sacrifice, however, my sweet tooth still craves a bite of something after lunch and dinner every day. I’ll be hitting the internet to find some low-carb friendly dessert options to get me through the next two months.
Also starting soon will be some type of exercise program. Due to the holidays and my work schedule, I have been absent from my twice a week yoga practices. I resolve to get back into the practice of attending these free classes on my lunch break during the work week. I have also returned to the weekend pick-up game of Ultimate Frisbee. Running around for an hour should help shed some pounds! In addition to yoga and ultimate frisbee, I am also going to try to throw in some work outs with weights and/or my exercise ball. It’s time to get rid of this belly pooch and the bat wing arms that I have, as well as help me feel and look better!
So there’s my plan for January! While I’m walking around the neighborhood listening to the tunes on my phone, I’ll need to think of a resolution for February.
So how are you coming along on your list?
Whew, I Needed That and WTF!
There’s nothing better than working yourself up to a good sweat and getting the heart pumping.
Shame on you! Get your mind out of the gutter!
I’m talking about shedding the work clothes, throwing on the sneakers, turning up the music, and heading out for a mind-clearing, heart-pumping walk around the neighborhood. I walked at least two miles but I didn’t catch how long it took me. It was a dark and crisp night; you could smell Fall in the air. Taking care of myself needs to be my priority again. My weight is out of control. My cruise is in four months. I have a goal.
In the WTF department, I got a call from the principal at Social Diva’s middle school. It seems that a teacher received a rather threatening reply from the Ex-Husband. He informed the teacher that she needs to “ask” rather than “tell” people what to do, and if he receives such an e-mail from her again, he is going to “hunt her down.” The teacher was concerned, the Principal was concerned, and the police were notified. Seriously? Who does such a thing? According to the Principal, he denied that he sent it, saying that his account had been hacked. I, on the other hand, couldn’t help but wonder if he felt the need to reply to her email after a few drinks. The Principal didn’t know our living situation (really?), but I reassured him that we have lived in separate households for the past ten years. Sadly, I could not provide any insight into why he would do such a thing. What does one do in this situation? I want to email the teacher, but I’m at a loss for words.
Today was certainly one of those days when I was happy to admit that I was no longer married.
The Bitch Desk 