Fighting Like Hell

The weight that I have progressily put on over the summer because I lived at the lake and fell in love with this wonderful drink...

Mixed with this...

is so freakin hard to get off. It's so frustrating that I let myself put on the extra 7-10 pounds. I knew I was gaining weight, but I decided to ignore it. Well when your pants start to fit tight you can't really ignore it anymore. When I gain weight I tend to become very introverted. I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to stay at home and clean the house.  I have no idea why I get the urge to clean.

I am fighting like hell to reach 133. But fighting sucks. It's hard. Take this week for example. P and I went grocery shopping, planned our meals and have cooked dinner every night since Sunday. I ran the Race for the Cure 5k on Sunday. Went to the gym and lifted on Monday. Then Tuesday came. The first weigh in our work weight loss group. I actually gained. Okay I know why I gained (family in town = dinner, drinks, breakfast).

Ever since Tuesday I have had a hard time fighting. On Tuesday I told myself I was too sore to run. On Wednesday I told myself I was too tired to go to the gym. Today, I was so hungry I told myself it was okay to get Chick-fil-A. WTF! I am my worst enemy!!

So how do you get motivated? Obviously I have not figured this out. I know I am a competitive person and like to win so I gathered the gals at the office and started the weight loss challenge. But at the moment it's not enough. When I wake up on the morning and try to find cloths to wear I get frustrated cause they are all tight. But that's not enough. 

I want to be one of those people whose day fills out of whack if they don't go to the gym. I want to crave sweet. I want to see results. I.don't.want.to.fail. My only option is to keep fighting like hell.  

{Book Review} Something Borrowed

I recently listened to Something Borrowed on tape. It was a cute book about the main character falling in love with her best friend's fiance. 

Review from Amazon:

Rachel White is the consummate good girl. A hard-working attorney at a large Manhattan law firm and a diligent maid of honor to her charmed best friend Darcy, Rachel has always played by all the rules. Since grade school, she has watched Darcy shine, quietly accepting the sidekick role in their lopsided friendship. But that suddenly changes the night of her thirtieth birthday when Rachel finally confesses her feelings to Darcy's fiance, and is both horrified and thrilled to discover that he feels the same way. As the wedding date draws near, events spiral out of control, and Rachel knows she must make a choice between her heart and conscience. In so doing, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself.

 

 

When I listen to a book on tape I tend to get pretty into it. I find myself idling in my car a couple minutes longer. than normal. This time I went as far as to bring the book inside to listen to it on my computer. 

 

Overall I thought this was a cute book that I would say I enjoyed, but will probably forget about in a month. I'm not sure I will see the movie either. I'm not a big movie fan so that's not saying much. We had The Social Network from Netflix for over 6 months. It was still is a movie that I really want to see. I just can't talk myself into sitting down and watching a movie from start to finish. Ironic side note, we are watching Born Supremacy on TV right now for the millionth time. P is the type of person who can watch a movie he likes over and over again. I have seen Forest Gump more times than I can count and basically throw a fit whenever it's on. 

 

Back to the book, it was cute (I don't know why I keep using cure to describe it). If you're in the mood for a light read that doesn't make you think this is not a bad choice.  

 

Work Weight Loss Challenge

The Work weight Loss Challenge has officially started! Sadly, most of us at work put on the pounds that we ended up losing in the last challenge. For me, going to the lake every weekend and eating unhealthy camp food, drinking beer and the most amazing mixed drink on the planet (Diet Dr. Pepper and Cocoanut Rum) I put on some weight. Like more than I would like to admit. Now that summer is basically over and the boat will be winterized soon, it's time to get back into the gym on a more regular basis and start eating healthy.

{The Plan} 

• Grocery shop once a week
• The goal is to eliminate wasted food. 
• Buy only what we need for the week.
• Cut back on spending.
• Plan weekly meals
• For me the key to eating healthy is having a plan and not winging it in the kitchen.
• This will also make grocery shopping easier. 
• Some may find this odd, but Preston and I do not eat the same dinner. When he is eating healthy, he tends to eat more eggs, pasta and red meat. I actually enjoy eating this way, I no longer feel like I have to eat meals that Preston likes and vise versa. Added bonus, Preston does not rely on me to cook! He is totally self-sufficient. 
• Stick to a workout regimen
• Now that I finished my last planned race, I feel like I can focus on a more balance workout to include lifting.
• I have decided to try the The New rules of Lifting for Women workout.
• One cheat meal per week
• This means one cheat meal, not an entire day.

To win the Challenge I must lose 5lbs in six weeks. I originally thought this would be easy, but I am up 1lb and had to put in my $5 into the pot. Not a good start! Now I must lose 6lbs in 5 weeks. It's time to get focused! 

{30 Before Thirty} Cheese!

Number 6 on my 30 Before Thirty: take a family photo. 

Back in June we celebrated Grammie and Poppy's 65th wedding anniversary in Denver. We had a photographer come in and take our family pictures. 

{Family Photos}  

Grammie & Poppy

Family

Grammie & Poppy with Cousins

Lawson/Hollis Family with Grammie & Poppy

Taylor, Sister, Dad, Mom, Preston and I

Sister, Dad, Mom and I

Preston & I

Preston & I

Preston & I

{A Must Read} A Thousand Splendid Suns

A Thousand Splendid Suns has been sitting on my bookshelf in my to read pile for over a year. I bought it immediately after I read The Kite Runner by the same author- Khaled Hosseini.

I feel extremely guilty for letting it lit on my shelf for as long as I did. A Thousand Splendid Suns easily makes my top 10 list. I recommend that you put this book on the top of your to read pile.  
 

 (A review from Goodread) A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years, from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding, that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives, the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness, are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heartwrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love, a stunning accomplishment.

{30 Before Thirty} $$

I'm going to make this one short and sweet cause it's not polite to air your dirty laundry. In this case I'm talking about finances. But because I put in on my list and because it's a huge accomplishment for Preston and I, I feel I must at least acknowledge it.

Preston and I completed number 8 on my Thirty Before 30 list- aggressively fund retirement and saving accounts. It feels great responsible to be able to mark this one off the list!! A big sigh of relief. The savings account don't touch unless your world is crashing down account is fully funded and our retirement contributions are being make every month like clock work.

In Dave Ramsey world we have moved onto Baby Step Number 5, but as it turns out we don't have any children so that brings us to Baby Step Number 6!!!! WOW!!

Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps

Jumping on the Band Wagon for a Good Cause

Toms. Ever heard of them? Apprently they are very popular shoes. People love them. They can't stop talking about how wonderful they are. So I'm giving in. I'm going to buy me a pair of Toms. I'm jumping on the band wagon. But Toms is more than a shoe company. They have a mission. It's called "One for One". Pretty inspiring. Check it out.