It's kept you up night after night, hasn't it? I know you've all been lamenting the past 3 1/2 months: Why?! Why hasn't she posted?!?!?!
Well, I just didn't feel like it. Gosh. Leave me alone.
No, not really. I just didn't know what to write. I had to give up on exercise. . .again. Bum ticker struck. . .again. Then school started and it's been an incredibly hard year already. AND I've been picking up E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. the germy kids are puttin' down.
It's been frustrating.
I gained back several pounds and was over 200lbs. . .again. I was guzzling Diet Coke (which I had given up months ago) like there was no tomorrow and stuffing chocolate chip cookies in my face like a chipmunk hoarding acorns for a long, cold winter. I finally came to my senses and gave that up.
So, I began really watching what I ate, since there's still not a lot of exercising I can do. And had a stomach virus and flu. All that combined gave me a lovely jumpstart and I am happy to announce that I have finally broken through my plateau. I was worried I'd gain back all my "sick weghtloss" but I've been able to keep it off! Drum roll, please. . .
Beginning weight in January:
210 lbs
October 5th:
189.8
I have officially hit the 20 pound mark!!!!!
I have lost nearly 10% of my body weight!!!!!
Exclamation points!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
In Which I Spend Time in the Depths of Hell
There I was, on the floor, lying on my back. Playing dead. Like a giant, sweaty opossum.
Waves of heat washed over my prone body.
Just. don't. move.
Flashback.
I wasstalking perusing my friends' facebook pages when I came across this post on T's page:
"I'm excited to give Bikram Yoga a try -- this is a great deal! Who wants to do it with me?"
And this link to Groupon.
http://www.groupon.com/deals/bikram-yoga-at-brick-canvas
And I thought:
Hey. This would be good to get me back into exercise mode after my 2-month hiatus. And I'd have a buddy to keep me motivated. And it IS a great deal.
So I responded with alacrity. And several exclamation points.
Flashforward.
I roll my eye over to where my friend is going through all the poses like a rock star. Then I close my eyes again and continue to perfect my Wilted Woman pose.
I think back, fondly, to when I first walked in and was merely. . .hot. I was so young then. And so naïve. And so dry.
I had started off pretty well. But then the heat and pretzel twisting of my body started going to my head. Brain fuzzy, I'd sit down for a bit and watch. Then I'd try again. And then I would lie down and listen.
Finally, it was time for the floor work. Great! I can do that. No standing = No dizziness.
Again, it was going pretty well. However, it was a little difficult to grasp things, being all sweaty and tangled up in my own limbs and whatnot. I'm not what you would call. . .graceful. Or coordinated. Or agile. You get the picture. The instructor came over to lend a helping hand. And then it happened. A little tug and twist. My shoulder gave a tiny pop. Fire spread down the muscles of my arm. I sat up, cussing- in my head, out of respect to the others, and fear that even several hundreds of miles away my mother would know. But not crying. Because my tear ducts had emptied themselves into a sweat gland reservoir 45 minutes earlier.
The instructor asked me a few questions to make sure it wasn't too serious, and then suggested I take it easy for the remaining time. That's when I began seriously practicing the Dead Opossum pose. I believe I have mastered it, should you desire to learn.
After an eternity (time being infinitely difficult to measure in the bowels of purgatory) it was time to go.
So, there you have it. The depths of Hell. It was hot. It was sweaty. It was uncomfortable.
I'm going back Thursday.
After all, I spent money.
And we all know how I feel about that.
And I did feel pretty good afterwards.
(Lesson learned: Hydrate properly BEFORE Bikram)
P.S. Thanks, T, for getting me out of my comfort zone and helping me try new things and being a good example of not giving up. I will try to emulate that next time :)
P.P.S. My shoulder will be fine with some ibuprofen and ice. Just a little strain.
P.P.P.S. I know my mother will be worried I'm putting too much stress on my heart, so: Mommy, I'm fine. I promise I will take it slow whenever I need to and stop if I get symptomatic.
Waves of heat washed over my prone body.
Just. don't. move.
Flashback.
I was
"I'm excited to give Bikram Yoga a try -- this is a great deal! Who wants to do it with me?"
And this link to Groupon.
http://www.groupon.com/deals/bikram-yoga-at-brick-canvas
And I thought:
Hey. This would be good to get me back into exercise mode after my 2-month hiatus. And I'd have a buddy to keep me motivated. And it IS a great deal.
So I responded with alacrity. And several exclamation points.
Flashforward.
I roll my eye over to where my friend is going through all the poses like a rock star. Then I close my eyes again and continue to perfect my Wilted Woman pose.
I think back, fondly, to when I first walked in and was merely. . .hot. I was so young then. And so naïve. And so dry.
I had started off pretty well. But then the heat and pretzel twisting of my body started going to my head. Brain fuzzy, I'd sit down for a bit and watch. Then I'd try again. And then I would lie down and listen.
Finally, it was time for the floor work. Great! I can do that. No standing = No dizziness.
Again, it was going pretty well. However, it was a little difficult to grasp things, being all sweaty and tangled up in my own limbs and whatnot. I'm not what you would call. . .graceful. Or coordinated. Or agile. You get the picture. The instructor came over to lend a helping hand. And then it happened. A little tug and twist. My shoulder gave a tiny pop. Fire spread down the muscles of my arm. I sat up, cussing- in my head, out of respect to the others, and fear that even several hundreds of miles away my mother would know. But not crying. Because my tear ducts had emptied themselves into a sweat gland reservoir 45 minutes earlier.
The instructor asked me a few questions to make sure it wasn't too serious, and then suggested I take it easy for the remaining time. That's when I began seriously practicing the Dead Opossum pose. I believe I have mastered it, should you desire to learn.
After an eternity (time being infinitely difficult to measure in the bowels of purgatory) it was time to go.
So, there you have it. The depths of Hell. It was hot. It was sweaty. It was uncomfortable.
I'm going back Thursday.
After all, I spent money.
And we all know how I feel about that.
And I did feel pretty good afterwards.
(Lesson learned: Hydrate properly BEFORE Bikram)
P.S. Thanks, T, for getting me out of my comfort zone and helping me try new things and being a good example of not giving up. I will try to emulate that next time :)
P.P.S. My shoulder will be fine with some ibuprofen and ice. Just a little strain.
P.P.P.S. I know my mother will be worried I'm putting too much stress on my heart, so: Mommy, I'm fine. I promise I will take it slow whenever I need to and stop if I get symptomatic.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Heartbroken. . .Literally.
Let me preface this post with, I am okay.
I've got some bad news.
But I'm going to sandwich it between some good news, so we can all feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Good News!
This week's stats:
195 lbs
2 lbs down from the last post
15 lbs down from January
Now, 2 lbs in one month doesn't sound super-great, but considering what kind of month it's been it's amazing I haven't gained back everything and then some.
Bad News!
So, I was born with a heart defect, a moderate form of Pulmonary Stenosis. This isn't the bad news. But you need some background.
Here's the Cliffs Notes version: My pulmonic valve is narrow and doesn't close all the way which creates two problems: blood carrying oxygen to my lungs is slowed down because of the narrowed valve and the faulty valve flap regurgitates blood back into my heart, building pressure in the right ventricle. Eventually, the valve will need to be replaced. Still not the bad news.
It hasn't bothered me most of my life, except getting out of breath faster than most people. Six years ago I started having more problems- chest pains, fatigue, etc. So, I had a balloon valvuloplasty where they stretched out the valve. Problems went away. Yay! However, it's a temporary fix- doc said I'd probably need to have a replacement in 10-15 years. Well, it's been about half the time and I'm becoming symptomatic again- not as severe as last time, but it means the valve is narrowing again. Still not the bad news.
Here's the bad news: I have to drop out of the Ragnar. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!! I'm so sad. But I've got to be careful about exerting myself to put off invasive procedures for as long as possible. Don't forget the subtitle of this blog: I don't want to die. That's still my main focus.
I'm hoping to be cleared for light exercise soon, though. And I am bound and determined to conquer the Ragnar. Just not this year.
While I'm disappointed I won't be joining W in June, the journey so far has been rewarding and I'm going to keep going. My focus is going to be more geared toward improving nutrition, strength training, and continuing weight loss.
Good News!!
Remember the t-shirt pictures from the last post? Befores:
Afters (don't look at the mess and my haggard appearance):
My clothes are fitting so much better- or, drum roll please, THEY ARE TOO BIG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've had to dig out clothes from my "these are too cute I know I will fit in them again someday so I'm not parting with them" bins of clothes.
I've got some bad news.
But I'm going to sandwich it between some good news, so we can all feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Good News!
This week's stats:
195 lbs
2 lbs down from the last post
15 lbs down from January
Now, 2 lbs in one month doesn't sound super-great, but considering what kind of month it's been it's amazing I haven't gained back everything and then some.
Bad News!
So, I was born with a heart defect, a moderate form of Pulmonary Stenosis. This isn't the bad news. But you need some background.
Here's the Cliffs Notes version: My pulmonic valve is narrow and doesn't close all the way which creates two problems: blood carrying oxygen to my lungs is slowed down because of the narrowed valve and the faulty valve flap regurgitates blood back into my heart, building pressure in the right ventricle. Eventually, the valve will need to be replaced. Still not the bad news.
It hasn't bothered me most of my life, except getting out of breath faster than most people. Six years ago I started having more problems- chest pains, fatigue, etc. So, I had a balloon valvuloplasty where they stretched out the valve. Problems went away. Yay! However, it's a temporary fix- doc said I'd probably need to have a replacement in 10-15 years. Well, it's been about half the time and I'm becoming symptomatic again- not as severe as last time, but it means the valve is narrowing again. Still not the bad news.
Here's the bad news: I have to drop out of the Ragnar. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!! I'm so sad. But I've got to be careful about exerting myself to put off invasive procedures for as long as possible. Don't forget the subtitle of this blog: I don't want to die. That's still my main focus.
I'm hoping to be cleared for light exercise soon, though. And I am bound and determined to conquer the Ragnar. Just not this year.
While I'm disappointed I won't be joining W in June, the journey so far has been rewarding and I'm going to keep going. My focus is going to be more geared toward improving nutrition, strength training, and continuing weight loss.
Good News!!
Remember the t-shirt pictures from the last post? Befores:
Afters (don't look at the mess and my haggard appearance):
My clothes are fitting so much better- or, drum roll please, THEY ARE TOO BIG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've had to dig out clothes from my "these are too cute I know I will fit in them again someday so I'm not parting with them" bins of clothes.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Things Are Looking Up. . .and Down
The sun is shining. My body is on the mend. My house is on the mend. My cat hasn't tried to kill me in almost 48 hours.
Things are looking up!
And down:
This week's weigh-in: 197 lbs.
Down 1 pound from last post.
Down 13 pounds from January.
Yay!!
I was worried I would gain back most of the weight I lost due to braces/e.coli/flu once I started eating again.
Still working on getting more consistent with my exercise and training. I'm still easily worn out from being so sick and not able to eat real food. But I've tried to stay more active during the day- walking around the classroom more and during recess duty.
As long as the weather holds I'm planning on trying to fit in a few walk/run sessions wherever my crazy schedule will fit it in. I think that's another reason I haven't been able to be consistent- because I can't schedule a specific time everyday. I need to shift my idea of consistency. I can still schedule my exercise in, but it just won't be the same time each day. It sounds like such a small thing, but my day is filled with hour-by-hour and minute-by-minute planning, it's hard to shut that off.
So many mental roadblocks. They're definitely more difficult to overcome than the physical. Can I get an "Amen-Hallelujah!!"?
I kind of wanted to post pictures each week to show progress. I say "kind of" because, as my mother will attest to, I HATE having photos taken of myself. I'm sure that's all psychological, too. BUT I will post occasional photos when I remember and can think of a good motivation.
I have a good motivation.
When I got my braces on, I got a t-shirt. I love the t-shirt. But I can't wear it. Not yet. Because I look like Jabba the Hut or Slimer from Ghostbusters. Soooooooooo many fat rolls. I am so uncomfortable posting these pictures. But, at my next appointment I'm totally going to rock this shirt. Or at least not roll it so much.
Enough stalling. The future "past me". . .
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My next appointment is April 9th and if I wear my t-shirt, I get a FREE smoothie. FREEEEEEEE!
See. Motivation.
Things are looking up!
And down:
This week's weigh-in: 197 lbs.
Down 1 pound from last post.
Down 13 pounds from January.
Yay!!
I was worried I would gain back most of the weight I lost due to braces/e.coli/flu once I started eating again.
Still working on getting more consistent with my exercise and training. I'm still easily worn out from being so sick and not able to eat real food. But I've tried to stay more active during the day- walking around the classroom more and during recess duty.
As long as the weather holds I'm planning on trying to fit in a few walk/run sessions wherever my crazy schedule will fit it in. I think that's another reason I haven't been able to be consistent- because I can't schedule a specific time everyday. I need to shift my idea of consistency. I can still schedule my exercise in, but it just won't be the same time each day. It sounds like such a small thing, but my day is filled with hour-by-hour and minute-by-minute planning, it's hard to shut that off.
So many mental roadblocks. They're definitely more difficult to overcome than the physical. Can I get an "Amen-Hallelujah!!"?
I kind of wanted to post pictures each week to show progress. I say "kind of" because, as my mother will attest to, I HATE having photos taken of myself. I'm sure that's all psychological, too. BUT I will post occasional photos when I remember and can think of a good motivation.
I have a good motivation.
When I got my braces on, I got a t-shirt. I love the t-shirt. But I can't wear it. Not yet. Because I look like Jabba the Hut or Slimer from Ghostbusters. Soooooooooo many fat rolls. I am so uncomfortable posting these pictures. But, at my next appointment I'm totally going to rock this shirt. Or at least not roll it so much.
Enough stalling. The future "past me". . .
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My next appointment is April 9th and if I wear my t-shirt, I get a FREE smoothie. FREEEEEEEE!
See. Motivation.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
The First Ten
It's been an exciting week.
E. coli-laced smoothie.
Roof leak resulting in walls, floor, and ceiling torn out.
Turning my expander for the first time- a bizarre throwback to medieval torture if there ever was one.
And ending with a lovely bout of influenza.
The latter being the reason I didn't post on Saturday.
But it's not been without it's perks. Food just hasn't been. . .appetizing. Applesauce and Gatorade have been the food du jour. Except I was really adventurous and had some mac 'n' cheese yesterday and yogurt today.
I weighed myself this morning:
198.0 lbs
12 pounds down from when I first started this blog.
I still haven't been exercising, though. And it's not going to happen this week either. I would say I'm "weak as a kitten" but my kittens are freakishly strong. . .but I'm sure you get the point. I know it's not wise to push when sick. That's just asking for more trouble.
It's frustrating, though. My head's finally in a place where I feel ready to follow through on my committment to excerise and I'm now two weeks behind in my Ragnar training. Ugh.
BUT. . .
I will not let it stop me.
I will return victorious next week.
I just need to remember "slow and steady". It may not win this race, but it will allow me to finish. Without dying.
Because. . .
I don't want to die.
E. coli-laced smoothie.
Roof leak resulting in walls, floor, and ceiling torn out.
Turning my expander for the first time- a bizarre throwback to medieval torture if there ever was one.
And ending with a lovely bout of influenza.
The latter being the reason I didn't post on Saturday.
But it's not been without it's perks. Food just hasn't been. . .appetizing. Applesauce and Gatorade have been the food du jour. Except I was really adventurous and had some mac 'n' cheese yesterday and yogurt today.
I weighed myself this morning:
198.0 lbs
12 pounds down from when I first started this blog.
I still haven't been exercising, though. And it's not going to happen this week either. I would say I'm "weak as a kitten" but my kittens are freakishly strong. . .but I'm sure you get the point. I know it's not wise to push when sick. That's just asking for more trouble.
It's frustrating, though. My head's finally in a place where I feel ready to follow through on my committment to excerise and I'm now two weeks behind in my Ragnar training. Ugh.
BUT. . .
I will not let it stop me.
I will return victorious next week.
I just need to remember "slow and steady". It may not win this race, but it will allow me to finish. Without dying.
Because. . .
I don't want to die.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
*forehead smack*
I don't even know where to begin. . .
I guess I owe everyone a Diet Coke. Except it's all gone. Seconds after I put it in the faculty room. Every last bottle and can. The vultures. I didn't even have a chance to look back in that lingering, nostalgic movie way.
The daily exercising just didn't happen. Correction: I didn't make the exercise happen. It was Parent-Teacher Conference week and I thought it was a good excuse not to exercise. I took that excuse and ran with it. . .uhhhhh. . .sat with it. And ate some food with it, too. Apparently, a lot of it. . .and I don't even remember what. But I do remember that by Wednesday I was all the way back up to 206. That was a wake-up call. As of today?
203.8
Up 0.2 pounds from last week.
I am NOT giving up, though. I'm committing again to a week of 30 minutes of exercise. It's going to happen. It will.
My wise sister commented last week.
And I copy and paste: "Every re-commitment makes your resolve stronger than before. Also, as we teach in rehab: You haven't lost all the progress you made before your lapse. There is no starting from the beginning again. There is only continuing on in the direction you are pointing in the moment...I am so. wise." <---see, she's so wise. And if she's right, pretty soon I'll have resolve of steel. And then, maybe, I will have buns of steel to match.
I did get some exercise in Thursday and Friday, though. So, it was an improvement over last week. I pulled about a zillion staples from my brother's floor so he can get new floor put in. I sweated, therefore I exercised. And weird muscles hurt.
So, new topic.
Thursday I got braces.
It's my new diet tool. It's super-effective. It's how I lost 2.2 lbs in just two days! Call now for your free trial. . .no, don't. Nothing's free and braces are semi-permanent, okay?
So many of my food-related problems are non-issues. . .for the time being. So many no-nos involved with braces. And since I'm forking out several thousand dollars (lousy dental insurance doesn't cover ADULT orthodontics. . .grrr) I will follow the Orthodontal Commandments religiously. So, I'm cutting out candy, soda, chips, and other things on the no-no list.
Along with the braces, I got an expander. Which makes eating even more complicated. Unless it's liquidy or puddiningy it gets stuck on top of the expander. And I can't stand it. So, even once the discomfort of the braces subsides food that requires masticating will be avoided. I've mentioned before that I'm a creature of convenience. And it is highly inconvenient to have to try to suck food from the top of my expander. And it NEVER all comes out. I have to swish my mouth with water 37 times before it feels even halfway normal.
So, it is now a diet of liquidy and puddingy consistencies. Smoothies. Yogurt. Pudding cups. Pureed soups. Applesauce.
I am now forced to plan ahead with my eating.
All in all, despite this throwback to teen awkwardness, I do believe these braces will be highly effective for my teeth AND waistline.
I guess I owe everyone a Diet Coke. Except it's all gone. Seconds after I put it in the faculty room. Every last bottle and can. The vultures. I didn't even have a chance to look back in that lingering, nostalgic movie way.
The daily exercising just didn't happen. Correction: I didn't make the exercise happen. It was Parent-Teacher Conference week and I thought it was a good excuse not to exercise. I took that excuse and ran with it. . .uhhhhh. . .sat with it. And ate some food with it, too. Apparently, a lot of it. . .and I don't even remember what. But I do remember that by Wednesday I was all the way back up to 206. That was a wake-up call. As of today?
203.8
Up 0.2 pounds from last week.
I am NOT giving up, though. I'm committing again to a week of 30 minutes of exercise. It's going to happen. It will.
My wise sister commented last week.
And I copy and paste: "Every re-commitment makes your resolve stronger than before. Also, as we teach in rehab: You haven't lost all the progress you made before your lapse. There is no starting from the beginning again. There is only continuing on in the direction you are pointing in the moment...I am so. wise." <---see, she's so wise. And if she's right, pretty soon I'll have resolve of steel. And then, maybe, I will have buns of steel to match.
I did get some exercise in Thursday and Friday, though. So, it was an improvement over last week. I pulled about a zillion staples from my brother's floor so he can get new floor put in. I sweated, therefore I exercised. And weird muscles hurt.
So, new topic.
Thursday I got braces.
It's my new diet tool. It's super-effective. It's how I lost 2.2 lbs in just two days! Call now for your free trial. . .no, don't. Nothing's free and braces are semi-permanent, okay?
So many of my food-related problems are non-issues. . .for the time being. So many no-nos involved with braces. And since I'm forking out several thousand dollars (lousy dental insurance doesn't cover ADULT orthodontics. . .grrr) I will follow the Orthodontal Commandments religiously. So, I'm cutting out candy, soda, chips, and other things on the no-no list.
Along with the braces, I got an expander. Which makes eating even more complicated. Unless it's liquidy or puddiningy it gets stuck on top of the expander. And I can't stand it. So, even once the discomfort of the braces subsides food that requires masticating will be avoided. I've mentioned before that I'm a creature of convenience. And it is highly inconvenient to have to try to suck food from the top of my expander. And it NEVER all comes out. I have to swish my mouth with water 37 times before it feels even halfway normal.
So, it is now a diet of liquidy and puddingy consistencies. Smoothies. Yogurt. Pudding cups. Pureed soups. Applesauce.
I am now forced to plan ahead with my eating.
All in all, despite this throwback to teen awkwardness, I do believe these braces will be highly effective for my teeth AND waistline.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Hugs and Kisses. . .Noooooooooooooo!!!!!
A few months ago I unwittingly set in motion a terrible chain of events that led to a week of. . .wait, no. . .
Let me just get the numbers over with. And then I'll explain.
Ummm. . .
203.6
Up 0.8 pounds.
I was sooooooo surprised. . .
that it wasn't more.
Because this week was the best week for me.
Because this week was the worst week for me.
It was. . .TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK!!!!!!!!!
Whichever PTA mom decided to move our school's teacher appreciation week to the last week of January was a GENIUS!!!! And I'm not even being sarcastic. Personally, January is the ABSOLUTE WORST month EVER. After 34 of them I think I would know, right? And this one was possibly the suckiest on record.
So, when I walked up to my classroom door on Monday and saw my super-cool room mom door, I was so excited. I had completely spaced that this week was THE WEEK. And at my last school THE WEEK was always like any other week. Which was okay. Especially since it made this year so much more special. I had no idea what I was in store for.
Let's take a trip in the wayback machine. . .September. In my mail slot was a form from the PTA. It was a "getting to know you" type thing. I made the mistake of answering the questions honestly. What is your favorite candy? Hershey's Hugs and Kisses. What is your favorite treat? Chocolate chip cookies and brownies. What is your favorite drink? Diet Coke.
Fast forward to last week. Guess what showed up in my sweet 3rd graders' hands? Everyday.
Monday I showed great restraint. I ate the caramel-filled homemade brownie during recess and drank only half of the 20 oz Diet Coke. I even exercised that night. But then. . .
It just kept coming.
By Wednesday, alone, the Diet Coke at my desk and on the floor totaled to one 2-liter bottle, eight 20-oz. bottles, two 16-oz. bottles, and three 12-oz cans. The Hershey kisses and hugs? 6-freakin-pounds. And then the dozen chocolate chip cookies. And more sugary, fatty treats.
Tuesday and Wednesday I shamefully admit to delicious gluttony. Which of course made me sluggish and whiny when it came to exercising. Thursday and Friday I did a little better. And I am happy to admit that by the time of this publication I never want to see another hug or kiss again. And any thought of sugar makes me queasy. So, there's my silver lining, right?
Now, what to do with all that Diet Coke? Any takers?
So, even though the week was a nutritional bust, it was amazingly awesome in the morale department. Hands down the best Teacher Appreciation Week since my days at Central.
So with the candy safely disposed of in my student stash and the Diet Coke going into the faculty fridge, I think I can safely and confidently re-commit to making nutritionally responsible food choices and exercising at least 30-minutes Monday-Saturday. For reals. I promise. If I don't, well. . . .I'll owe you a Diet Coke.
Let me just get the numbers over with. And then I'll explain.
Ummm. . .
203.6
Up 0.8 pounds.
I was sooooooo surprised. . .
that it wasn't more.
Because this week was the best week for me.
Because this week was the worst week for me.
It was. . .TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK!!!!!!!!!
Whichever PTA mom decided to move our school's teacher appreciation week to the last week of January was a GENIUS!!!! And I'm not even being sarcastic. Personally, January is the ABSOLUTE WORST month EVER. After 34 of them I think I would know, right? And this one was possibly the suckiest on record.
So, when I walked up to my classroom door on Monday and saw my super-cool room mom door, I was so excited. I had completely spaced that this week was THE WEEK. And at my last school THE WEEK was always like any other week. Which was okay. Especially since it made this year so much more special. I had no idea what I was in store for.
Let's take a trip in the wayback machine. . .September. In my mail slot was a form from the PTA. It was a "getting to know you" type thing. I made the mistake of answering the questions honestly. What is your favorite candy? Hershey's Hugs and Kisses. What is your favorite treat? Chocolate chip cookies and brownies. What is your favorite drink? Diet Coke.
Fast forward to last week. Guess what showed up in my sweet 3rd graders' hands? Everyday.
Monday I showed great restraint. I ate the caramel-filled homemade brownie during recess and drank only half of the 20 oz Diet Coke. I even exercised that night. But then. . .
It just kept coming.
By Wednesday, alone, the Diet Coke at my desk and on the floor totaled to one 2-liter bottle, eight 20-oz. bottles, two 16-oz. bottles, and three 12-oz cans. The Hershey kisses and hugs? 6-freakin-pounds. And then the dozen chocolate chip cookies. And more sugary, fatty treats.
Tuesday and Wednesday I shamefully admit to delicious gluttony. Which of course made me sluggish and whiny when it came to exercising. Thursday and Friday I did a little better. And I am happy to admit that by the time of this publication I never want to see another hug or kiss again. And any thought of sugar makes me queasy. So, there's my silver lining, right?
Now, what to do with all that Diet Coke? Any takers?
So, even though the week was a nutritional bust, it was amazingly awesome in the morale department. Hands down the best Teacher Appreciation Week since my days at Central.
So with the candy safely disposed of in my student stash and the Diet Coke going into the faculty fridge, I think I can safely and confidently re-commit to making nutritionally responsible food choices and exercising at least 30-minutes Monday-Saturday. For reals. I promise. If I don't, well. . . .I'll owe you a Diet Coke.
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