Check-In: $1157.54
This would be a good balance if I didn't know that there are about $850 worth of uncleared checks taking a chomp out of this balance (that's what I hate about using checks instead of a debit card or cash). That really only leaves about $370. And, I have to make a car payment tonight. So, we won't go in the hole, but we're definitely on restriction until the next payday (and probably 'til the payday after that, too)!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Weekend Weigh-In: 04/19/08
Weigh-In: 285.6
down 4.2 lbs! :)
I'm gonna make this short and sweet... it's been a long day: pancake breakfast at church, working at Recycling Fun Fair at my school, a 90th birthday party, and a visit with my grandma! I weighed in this morning, happy to see a loss (finally!). A 24-hour bug yesterday may have helped that out a bit, but I'll take it however I can get it! Especially because the rest of the week wasn't especially good in terms of healthy eating (lots of eating out/ fast food in the evenings). I did get more sleep this week, so maybe that was helpful (I've been tired a lot lately... crashing out soon after the kids are in bed). At any rate, I'm glad to have another loss to report. This is a new low since I've been losing weight over the past few months, so I'm happy to be blogging tonight! Yay me!
down 4.2 lbs! :)
I'm gonna make this short and sweet... it's been a long day: pancake breakfast at church, working at Recycling Fun Fair at my school, a 90th birthday party, and a visit with my grandma! I weighed in this morning, happy to see a loss (finally!). A 24-hour bug yesterday may have helped that out a bit, but I'll take it however I can get it! Especially because the rest of the week wasn't especially good in terms of healthy eating (lots of eating out/ fast food in the evenings). I did get more sleep this week, so maybe that was helpful (I've been tired a lot lately... crashing out soon after the kids are in bed). At any rate, I'm glad to have another loss to report. This is a new low since I've been losing weight over the past few months, so I'm happy to be blogging tonight! Yay me!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
gotta add another one
My post-posting blog-surfing led me to 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet (a joint-effort of three sassy sisters from the South who have been fighting the battle of the bulge for most of their lives) where I found a write-up about this book: Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? and I just had to post about this because it sounds like it was written for me! Actually, "clutter and stuff" is a third area that I'd like to address and attack, once my weight and money issues are progressing steadily. But the title of this book just spoke to me. It is definitely going on my Amazon wishlist!
blog-surfing bits...
Today I am home from work (YAY!) with a sick child (boo). Since Princess Tippytoes is supposed to be napping right now, I am prohibited from blasting music and attacking the scary rooms in my house in a cleaning frenzy. I suppose that not feeling especially energetic today because I stayed up until 2 am last night/ this morning to finish reading a book might have something to with my lack of motivation too. So, what should I do? Hop online, of course!
I began with my beloved Gmail account. In addition to all of the regular email and forwards that fill my inbox, I subscribe to quite a few e-zines and blogs. Today was the perfect chance to catch up on all (well, some) of the articles that I've been missing lately. Inevitably, those articles have links to other articles or websites and before you know it, the blog-surfing has begun! So, what "share-worthy" things did I find today? Here's a few...
While reading through a post on The Simple Dollar (totally my favorite thing to read online right now!), I heard (read?) yet another reference to "The Fitness Ladder". Since I have been walking regularly, I have been feeling good about finding a way to fit some exercise into my busy day. The problem that I've been having lately is that I'd like to up the ante... increase what I'm doing. I tried adding an extra block or two, but I've found that all I get is sore legs, feet, and/or ankles. That's not a good thing to do in the morning before walking into a classroom full of students with autism... students that require you to be on your feet almost all the time! Time to investigate further... I clicked on a link (or did a search, I'm not really sure) and found this page (gotta love the title... "What, Me Exercise?"). It basically outlines the why and what regarding "The Fitness Ladder". Just reading through the top portions of this page, I felt I'd finally found someone that understood my feelings about exercise! The bits about exercise calling up all the unpleasant memories of high school gym class and how there were sooooo many other ways that I'd rather be spending the precious little bits of my free time... can we say kindred spirit? Scrolling down a bit more reveals a logical arguement for why we should exercise, backed up by one of my favorite programs, MS Excel. Handy, dandy spreadsheets (that I can alter and personalize, no less) to prove his point? Gotta love it! And then we get to nuts and bolts of "The Fitness Ladder" Here's a quote that sums it up pretty well:
Since exercise seems, on the face of it, so distasteful and the time devoted to it stolen, perforce, from other more pleasant activities, I've designed this exercise program around the following goals.
-Minimum time per day.
-Time spent doesn't increase as you progress.
-Easy to start, regardless of the shape you're in.
-No pain.
-Progress at your own pace.
-No equipment needed. Exercise anywhere, in private if you like.
Sounds good to me! I scrolled further to find an outline of the program- a ladder that you ascended the rungs of, to attain physical fitness. Each rung is comprised of a given number of repetitions of 5 exercises that can be completed in about 15 minutes- that's 15 minutes total, not per exercise. At the introductory level (the first 15 rungs), the exercises are: Bends (toe touches), Sit ups, Leg Lifts, Push ups, and Steps (actually running in place alternating with jumping jacks). He recommends staying on each rung for a minimum of 5 days, but beyond that, you just progress at your own pace. The Lifetime Ladder (rungs 15-48) actually contains the same exercises at a bit more challenging level and, of course, more repetitions of each exercise. Only 5 exercises? And I know how to do most of them already? Where do I sign up? I enjoyed reading this page so much that I began to hit the back arrow at the top (or bottom) of this page to see what else he had to say. What I discovered was an e-book (?) called The Hacker's Diet written by John Walker, "an engineer by training, a computer programmer by avocation, and an businessman through lack of alternatives". Because of his unique background, he presents a completely different viewpoint and attack-style than any other dieting/fitness/health-person/guru/author that I've ever read before. He comes at it like a) "somebody who spent most of his life fat," b) an engineer/ computer programmer/ businessman, and c) a regular person that had "decided being fat was a problem to be solved, not a burden to be endured". I haven't read it all yet, but what I've read so far is good enough for me to be posting this here and recommending it.
And, as if that wasn't enough, I also found this little gem through a link at "Blogging Away Fat" brought to you by Tricia, who also does Blogging Away Debt. (These are 2 of the newest additions to my email subscription list. Definitely check-it-out worthy!) Tricia brought the myth-busting to life with a link to One More Bite and this visual (and accompanying info). NOTE: you may not want to click this link while eating or just after eating- it's not bad, but it ain't appetizing either!
"What is it?" ask the squeamish that couldn't bring themselves to click for the visual? It's basically just a replica of 5 lbs. of fat vs. 5 lbs. of muscle- See? Not even the real thing, you big baby! The accompanying info basically just talks about how 5 lbs. is 5 lbs. but that 5 lbs of muscle is leaner than 5 lbs of fat. This article definitely helped me reckon myself with the scale because I've been stuck within the same 5 lb window for a while now and, as much as I write that "it's okay because of this or that," I'm getting a little tired of not seeing progress on the scale. It's especially frustrating when I have been feeling better, healthier, and more energized... when I know that my clothes are fitting better and I've been buttoning up clothing that hasn't been buttoned in years, if ever. So, I thought that this link/ article was "share-worthy" just in case any of you are stuck where I am- on a plateau.
And, since I've written on and on for soooooo long about just these 2 things (and there are a wealth of other links to click on within the links I posted here), I'm going to stop writing so you can go check them out now. Happy blog-surfing!
I began with my beloved Gmail account. In addition to all of the regular email and forwards that fill my inbox, I subscribe to quite a few e-zines and blogs. Today was the perfect chance to catch up on all (well, some) of the articles that I've been missing lately. Inevitably, those articles have links to other articles or websites and before you know it, the blog-surfing has begun! So, what "share-worthy" things did I find today? Here's a few...
While reading through a post on The Simple Dollar (totally my favorite thing to read online right now!), I heard (read?) yet another reference to "The Fitness Ladder". Since I have been walking regularly, I have been feeling good about finding a way to fit some exercise into my busy day. The problem that I've been having lately is that I'd like to up the ante... increase what I'm doing. I tried adding an extra block or two, but I've found that all I get is sore legs, feet, and/or ankles. That's not a good thing to do in the morning before walking into a classroom full of students with autism... students that require you to be on your feet almost all the time! Time to investigate further... I clicked on a link (or did a search, I'm not really sure) and found this page (gotta love the title... "What, Me Exercise?"). It basically outlines the why and what regarding "The Fitness Ladder". Just reading through the top portions of this page, I felt I'd finally found someone that understood my feelings about exercise! The bits about exercise calling up all the unpleasant memories of high school gym class and how there were sooooo many other ways that I'd rather be spending the precious little bits of my free time... can we say kindred spirit? Scrolling down a bit more reveals a logical arguement for why we should exercise, backed up by one of my favorite programs, MS Excel. Handy, dandy spreadsheets (that I can alter and personalize, no less) to prove his point? Gotta love it! And then we get to nuts and bolts of "The Fitness Ladder" Here's a quote that sums it up pretty well:
Since exercise seems, on the face of it, so distasteful and the time devoted to it stolen, perforce, from other more pleasant activities, I've designed this exercise program around the following goals.
-Minimum time per day.
-Time spent doesn't increase as you progress.
-Easy to start, regardless of the shape you're in.
-No pain.
-Progress at your own pace.
-No equipment needed. Exercise anywhere, in private if you like.
Sounds good to me! I scrolled further to find an outline of the program- a ladder that you ascended the rungs of, to attain physical fitness. Each rung is comprised of a given number of repetitions of 5 exercises that can be completed in about 15 minutes- that's 15 minutes total, not per exercise. At the introductory level (the first 15 rungs), the exercises are: Bends (toe touches), Sit ups, Leg Lifts, Push ups, and Steps (actually running in place alternating with jumping jacks). He recommends staying on each rung for a minimum of 5 days, but beyond that, you just progress at your own pace. The Lifetime Ladder (rungs 15-48) actually contains the same exercises at a bit more challenging level and, of course, more repetitions of each exercise. Only 5 exercises? And I know how to do most of them already? Where do I sign up? I enjoyed reading this page so much that I began to hit the back arrow at the top (or bottom) of this page to see what else he had to say. What I discovered was an e-book (?) called The Hacker's Diet written by John Walker, "an engineer by training, a computer programmer by avocation, and an businessman through lack of alternatives". Because of his unique background, he presents a completely different viewpoint and attack-style than any other dieting/fitness/health-person/guru/author that I've ever read before. He comes at it like a) "somebody who spent most of his life fat," b) an engineer/ computer programmer/ businessman, and c) a regular person that had "decided being fat was a problem to be solved, not a burden to be endured". I haven't read it all yet, but what I've read so far is good enough for me to be posting this here and recommending it.
And, as if that wasn't enough, I also found this little gem through a link at "Blogging Away Fat" brought to you by Tricia, who also does Blogging Away Debt. (These are 2 of the newest additions to my email subscription list. Definitely check-it-out worthy!) Tricia brought the myth-busting to life with a link to One More Bite and this visual (and accompanying info). NOTE: you may not want to click this link while eating or just after eating- it's not bad, but it ain't appetizing either!
"What is it?" ask the squeamish that couldn't bring themselves to click for the visual? It's basically just a replica of 5 lbs. of fat vs. 5 lbs. of muscle- See? Not even the real thing, you big baby! The accompanying info basically just talks about how 5 lbs. is 5 lbs. but that 5 lbs of muscle is leaner than 5 lbs of fat. This article definitely helped me reckon myself with the scale because I've been stuck within the same 5 lb window for a while now and, as much as I write that "it's okay because of this or that," I'm getting a little tired of not seeing progress on the scale. It's especially frustrating when I have been feeling better, healthier, and more energized... when I know that my clothes are fitting better and I've been buttoning up clothing that hasn't been buttoned in years, if ever. So, I thought that this link/ article was "share-worthy" just in case any of you are stuck where I am- on a plateau.
And, since I've written on and on for soooooo long about just these 2 things (and there are a wealth of other links to click on within the links I posted here), I'm going to stop writing so you can go check them out now. Happy blog-surfing!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
a new reason to ditch the restaurants
Today, Miss B and I joined my parents, sister and nephew for lunch after church. We got 3 separate checks. As we were ordering, Miss B was not sure what she wanted- only sure she wanted soup- but she lit up at the mention of the ham dinner that several of us were ordering. So, I offered to share my meal and just order an extra cup of soup. She was happy with this and I was happy at the prospect of cutting down the cost of our meal by splitting the more-than-generous-portioned meal (after we ate, we still brought home enough leftover ham for DH to eat some ham for lunch and still have enough to put in his salad for dinner!). When I got the bill, it was not bad, but still more than I expected. That's when I noticed the new reason that we should eat out less. I already knew that restaurant food is not generally prepared in a healthy manner and that portion size was outrageous, leading to the consumption of lots of unecessary calories, fats, cholesterol, sodium, and just about anything else that's bad for you. And, I already knew that eating out was not really budget-friendly. But I did not know that there is almost a 10% sales tax on restaurant food (9.75% to be exact). That's like adding 25% on top of the menu prices (when you add sales tax and the tip)! YIKES! I had no idea the tax was so high! With that motivation, I'm off to plan my menu for the week.
"quote" plus
“The road has been rocky and some times we kick some debt booty and I feel like I am on top of the world. Other times we suffer a financial blow and wonder if we will ever be debt free. That’s the thing about debt reduction. Unless you come across a windfall of money, it is a roller coaster journey and you are bound to hit bumps in the road. What matters is how you choose to deal with those bumps in the road. When you fall, you get right back up.”
I came across the above during one of my adventures in "blog-surfing". I thought that it just summed up the whole thing so beautifully that I just had to share it here. The last sentence is the key: "When you fall, you get right back up." So, that's what I've been doing and I try not to sweat the small stuff. I try to remind myself that I'm better off than I was a few months ago. That's one way that journaling or blogging really comes in handy. When I'm feeling bummed and asking myself Why? or Is this really worth it? I can look back at past posts and see where I was and why I don't want to be there again. I did a bit of that tonight, and it really helped. There are times when I feel on top of the world... something goes so right... a big weight loss, a good eating week, an energized feeling that comes from exercising and drinking my water, a debt paid off, a decent balance left in the bank, etc. And then there are those "bumps in the road"... times that turn your stomach and send you into enough of a panic that you spend your Friday night with budgeting programs on your computer instead of your loved ones. In the grand scheme of things, those individual times don't matter so much. What matters is that you don't let the good times make you too cocky and you don't let the bad times get you down or stop you altogether. It's like that annoying, yet catchy Chumbawamba song from the 90's says:
-Tricia at bloggingawaydebt.com
I came across the above during one of my adventures in "blog-surfing". I thought that it just summed up the whole thing so beautifully that I just had to share it here. The last sentence is the key: "When you fall, you get right back up." So, that's what I've been doing and I try not to sweat the small stuff. I try to remind myself that I'm better off than I was a few months ago. That's one way that journaling or blogging really comes in handy. When I'm feeling bummed and asking myself Why? or Is this really worth it? I can look back at past posts and see where I was and why I don't want to be there again. I did a bit of that tonight, and it really helped. There are times when I feel on top of the world... something goes so right... a big weight loss, a good eating week, an energized feeling that comes from exercising and drinking my water, a debt paid off, a decent balance left in the bank, etc. And then there are those "bumps in the road"... times that turn your stomach and send you into enough of a panic that you spend your Friday night with budgeting programs on your computer instead of your loved ones. In the grand scheme of things, those individual times don't matter so much. What matters is that you don't let the good times make you too cocky and you don't let the bad times get you down or stop you altogether. It's like that annoying, yet catchy Chumbawamba song from the 90's says:
I get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never gonna keep me down...
(and now I'll bet you're going to have that song stuck in your head all day... mwahahahaha...)
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Weekend Weigh-In: 04/12/08
Weigh-In: 289.8
Well, "good, bad, or ugly," I promised to weigh-in and post today, so here it is. Actually, I don't think its really good or bad. Its just there. Its better than it was a week ago... not as good as it was a few weeks ago. Sorry I didn't post sooner... I decided that if the weather wasn't going to cooperate to make it feel like spring outside, I would make it feel like spring on the inside by doing some 'Spring Cleaning'. So, that's how I spent my day (minus the time that I got sucked into blog-surfing... but I found some great new blogs in the process!) So, there's my weigh-in for the week. And that's all I'm going to write since I'm typing this with my thumbs on my phone. Talk about being all thumbs! Delete/ Backspace is becoming mt new favorite key!
Well, "good, bad, or ugly," I promised to weigh-in and post today, so here it is. Actually, I don't think its really good or bad. Its just there. Its better than it was a week ago... not as good as it was a few weeks ago. Sorry I didn't post sooner... I decided that if the weather wasn't going to cooperate to make it feel like spring outside, I would make it feel like spring on the inside by doing some 'Spring Cleaning'. So, that's how I spent my day (minus the time that I got sucked into blog-surfing... but I found some great new blogs in the process!) So, there's my weigh-in for the week. And that's all I'm going to write since I'm typing this with my thumbs on my phone. Talk about being all thumbs! Delete/ Backspace is becoming mt new favorite key!
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