Amber's Get Healthy Journal (Comments Welcome)

[lindalinda]

Hey Amber! How are you doing? I guess you are getting ready to go to your convention. Don't forget to take lots of pictures and have lots of fun!

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

Hey guys! Sorry I've been gone for so long! It was a busy week last week getting everything ready for DragonCon and working extra to finish up my end of the month stuff.

I didn't really get any exercise in during the week last week. Over the weekend we walked A LOT! We also ate food court food all weekend though, so hopefully they balanced out some and I didn't gain a billion pounds!

I had a Really great time at DragonCon!! We did get some pictures. Unfortunately one night the camera batteries went dead before DH thought to get a pic of us. Hopefully we can get one from a friend. We got to sit in on panels (big Q&A sessions) with stars from LOST (the woman that plays Danielle Rouseau sp?), Dead Like Me (Ellen Muth), and Serenity/ Firefly ( the actors that play River and Wash), and a panel with George Romero (director of the Land of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead, etc movies). It was really cool! We got a couple of autographs, did some shopping, did some partying, and just had a great time!

Unfortunately, I caught a cold while I was there. It is just a head cold, you know coughing, sneezing, stuffy head, runny nose. nothing terrible, but not too much fun. Luckily, the worst of it held off until we got home on Monday.

We took yesterday off of work and I was so glad since I needed some sleep and just generally felt bad from the cold. I slept Really late and then lounged around the rest of the day.

Today, I had a training to go to for work. I feel some better, but not too much. I didn't eat particularly good for lunch (mexican) and I'm not working out until I feel better.

I hope to be back on the bandwagon fully by next Monday!

See ya soon!

 

[kmp1191]

Sounds like you had a good time....let's see those pictures!!!
Sorry about the cold....those suck!!!

Chill out til Monday....then get back in gear!!!

Have a great week!!
marie

 

[lindalinda]

shes baaaack! Glad you had fun! Nice to get away for bit and let loose isnt it? Lets see some pics tho...seriously ...we wont laugh

I also check your house site occassionally and you guys are seriously slackin off there! That house must be nearly finished by now!

Have a good week!

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

Hey, guys! I'm feeling a bit better today. Still having a lazy week. I had such a good time over the weekend it stinks to be back in the real world. But that is ok. I am going to start planning ahead for my costumes for next year

I will put on the list for this weekend that DH has to help me get some pics posted, house & DC.

Have a nice weekend everyone! I will try to get on if I have some time after posting pics this weekend.

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

Ok, the website has been updated! There are new house pics, DragonCon pics, and cat pics! The address again is atl1.america.net/~tpeacock it is easiest to copy and paste it I think. I would post some here, but I'm not as savy on how to do that

That's all for now! Enjoy your weekend!

 

[lindalinda]

Awesome Amber! I will definitely check it out!

 

[lindalinda]

Ok..I checked them out! You looked great! I bet that was lots of fun!

The house is looking great too! Lots of windows! I love windows! (you might wanna do something about that hole in the back tho..looks dangerous!) It looks really big. I'm thinking ..what...4 or 5 kids you got on your mind?

I think you should be really psyched!

 

[lindalinda]

yoo-hooo amber.........hows everything going?

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

Hey! Sorry I've been missing in action lately. It has been REALLY hectic at work lately. I have been working overtime this week whenever I don't feel like my head is going to explode. We had gotten a new girl in to take the extra case load that we were juggling. She was with us for about 3 weeks and then just quit w/ no notice! Now there are two of us both brand new doing all the cases... which should be split between at least 5 workers. I've either cried or almost cried (tears being blinked back) at work every day this week. I am the kind of person though that no matter how overwhelmed and overworked, I feel it has to get done and done right. Anyway, I will survive. I made it through the last 2 months, I can make it through this one. I just don't know how to get over the massive depression that has set in as a result of the stress I am under.

Anyway, I am trying to get back on track with my diet and exercise. I am hoping that will help some with the emotional stuff. It is hard though cause I tend to eat out or eat bad when I am stressed. I made it to the gym Monday and Tuesday. I did 10 minutes on the eliptical then 30 minutes on the treadmill Monday. Tuesday just the treadmill for 30 minutes. I am kind of taking it easy cause I haven't really worked out much in awhile. My taebo instructor hasn't been at the gym since before Labor Day. They say he is taking care of personal business, but I have a feeling he quit working there. They have some lady doing the class some of the time, but I am not nearly as psyched about going without the old instructor. Time will tell.

Diet-wise, I did ok on monday - cereal, leftover chinese w/ minimal sauce, Yummy mexican-style soup DH made. Tuesday not as good - cereal, Wendy's chicken nuggets & baked potato w/ sour cream and butter, red beans & rice. Today - cereal, meatball sub, fries w/ lots of ranch, leftover mexican soup.
I ate out for lunch today and yesterday simply because I NEEDED to get out of the office. I will try to do better. I am going to try to get some not too bad snacky foods to take to work like slimfast chocolate bars. So that I have something when I want that emotional food fix. I haven't figured out what to do when I feel the need to flee the office though

Ok, so this was way longer than I planned. I am going to go to bed in a few minutes to try to rest up for another long day tomorrow.

Hope you guys are doing better than me! BTW, Linda, I read that you are being depressed too. Hang in there! We can get through this together! Marie, I hope things are going well w/ your mom!

I will try to get over to journals in the next couple of days or at least on Saturday.

Oh, yeah, the sheetrock is up in the house!

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

Just a quickie...

doing a bit better today.... think I figured out some of what was causing the Major depression.... TOM came today... THat will do it everytime, then add all the extra stuff and it was just too much! Hopefully things will get to a more stable level soon

AND I know it looks like I eat good, but that is because I always forget to put in the bad stuff OOPS.... So Monday, two vanilla vodka and cokes, Tuesday - sweet tea, Large slice of what was left of my birthday cake (its Gone now), Yesterday- sweet tarts, sweet tea, 1 beer..... Ok, I think that is it. I really have to do a more comprehensive daily log, but finding the time is difficult. Oh, well... something to work on.

Marie, I may be ready for that challenge now, but I am not sure.... I might need another week.... You decide.

See ya

 

[lindalinda]

Yeah, Amber. I'm with you. We definitely need to pull ourselves out of this funk! Time to get it going and shake it off!

You have drywall....it must be pretty soon when you can move in ...what are you thinking ...Thanksgiving maybe???? I think it will make a HUGE difference just to get in your own house. Even though its stressful, its still yours, and it just makes a difference.

I am planning on starting a new plan for exercise tomorrow (my day off). I'm not sure...I dont think I want to do the sept challenge, I am trying to think of something a little different. Any ideas?

 

[kmp1191]

Amber ~
First of all, the house looks GREAT!! Also, LOVE the fishnets...(hussy!!)
Sorry about TOM attacking...everything swells and is sore....I hate it!!!
I hope you can destress over work....it will get done, and it will get done right...but it will take time. You are one person...don't over do it, or beat yourself up over it.

Ok...I don't think you'll like the challenge...it's gonna be a tough one....tougher than the sweet tea challenge!!!


ONE MONTH OF NO EATING OUT CHALLENGE

So, what do you think? Are you up for it? Ya know what....I'll even do it with you!!! Let me know....gonna be hard, but I believe you (we) can do it!! Talk it over w/ DH and let me know.

hang in there girlie!!
marie

 

[lindalinda]

ONE MONTH OF NO EATING OUT CHALLENGE

Holy Crap! I always thought marie was a little bit evil!

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

JEEZ, Marie!! Are you trying to kill me?! NO EATING OUT!? I don't think those words go together!

I am currently sitting at my desk eating Zaxby's even though I brought a Healthy Choice to eat and have already eaten lunch out twice this week and dinner once AND I know we are eating out tonight...... So, maybe, just maybe, you have something there. DANG it!

I will take it into Deep consideration and discuss with DH. He will have to be on board to keep me from slipping. Maybe we'll discuss it over dinner out tonight

Ok, so yesterdays food:
B- cereal w/ milk, coffee
L- HC enchilada
D- GIANT burrito and chips and salsa, lots of coke
S- 3 chocolate chip cookies! My grandma REALLY needs to QUIT BAKING!!!

No exercise. Hmmm this is a theme. Gonna have to get back on that.

K, see ya.... oh, yeah, this is the encouragement I get to check my journal everyday?? I think I might need to go away for awhile again

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

Ok, so I talked to DH and he said there is NO way that he can go a whole month without eating out. I told him he could do lunch without me, but there is not much chance of him doing dinner out w/out me. So I have a compromise to the challenge and if you will accept my modification then Let the Challenge Begin. So what if I can eat out twice in the thirty day period. One of the two times I promise to have either a salad or something equally healthy and the other time will be some food that is NOT fried. So... Is that acceptable? It still will be a challenge, believe me! Let me know. I would like to start my count today too if that is ok?

Yesterday, we went with DH's friends to Red Lobster for lunch for All you can eat shrimp. I know, I really shouldn't have, but I did anyway. I tried not to go overboard too far I had a small dinner late in the evening of red beans and rice and a cookie. That was it for food yesterday. No exercise.

Friday night we went out to China Buffet for all you can eat chinese There is kind of a pattern here right This was the "I'm about to be cut off from eating out" binge I didn't do too bad, but it would not have been considered ok on ANY diet. I just have been off track lately.

Today, however marks a new beginning! I am prepared to be on track and do better. No eating out for at least two weeks and then I will be Very good. We had family lunch today. I had 1.5 italian sausages, lots of blackeyed peas, cornbread (baked), and 2 small ears of corn. For dinner we had homemade tacos and homemade guacamole dip! YUMMY! This was DH's first attempt at making Guacamole and as usual he did not follow a recipe. It was Delicious! The tacos were turkey meat w/ seasoning, lettuce & cheese on taco shells. So today was not a perfectly diet day, but all in all the food was healthy and not overly fattening. I need to work on my portions again.
The only exercise that I got today was walking to the house and back and walking around the grocery store. Gotta work on that also I know.

So, Marie, let me know if my challenge modification is ok or not. I know that I should try to go all the way, but if DH is not on board to support me I know that I will fail. I would rather set up the exceptions up front instead.

See ya! Have a great night!

 

[kmp1191]

ok Amber....here's the deal....
You will be allowed to eat out 2x in a 30 day period, with the following stipulations.
1~No fast food. ie-McDonalds,Burger King, Wendy's, Arby's, KFC, etc.
2~No greasy, fried anythings. ie-chicken,fish,fries,okra, etc.
3~Baked, Broiled or Boiled...or grilled. This goes for veggies, meat, etc.
4~You must have a salad at the start of the meal. This will fill you up and make it less likely to overindulge.
5~NO ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFETS!!! ~nuf said!~

So, what do you think? Are you still in? Keep in mind, I will be following this regimine as well. I'm not gonna ask you to do something that I'm not willing to do. It won't be easy, but who said life was easy??!!

Let me know!

Marie

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

Ok, I'm in. Depending on what day you allow me to start.... I'm either on Day 3 if I started Sunday or Day 1 if we start today.

Monday
B- cereal
L- sandwich, apple, fruit bits
D- spaghetti

Today
B- cereal
L- greek chickpea and pasta salad
D- leftover homemade tacos and guacamole

No exercise... gotta work on that.

Night All!

 

[kmp1191]

Ok, I'm in. Depending on what day you allow me to start.... I'm either on Day 3 if I started Sunday or Day 1 if we start today.


Night All!

Starting tomorrow. 9/20/06 - 10/20/06

cool?

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

Ok, so I started, then work decided to derail me I have been at my office for right at 3 months and we have never had a meeting that involved breakfast. Well, Yesterday we had our unit meeting and my supervisor brought everyone doughnuts and sausage biscuits! I tried to just eat the doughnuts since they aren't Exactly fast food, but that sausage biscuit kept calling my name I ate about 4 bites of it which was about half SO I think I have failed already. But I am willing to start over on today or add a day onto my total or whatever you think my punishment to be. I didn't go and buy it and I did resist eating the Whole thing, but in the end I did give in to the temptation. I have so little will power!

I should have posted a day or two ago for my food, cause now I can't remember exactly what I ate and I am bad about leaving things out. I think I remember most of it so I will list what I remember.

Wednesday
B- cereal
L- greek chickpea salad
D- chicken, lentil, broccoli, & cauliflower curry stew that DH created. YUM
S- one chocolate chip cookie

Thursday
B- Cereal
S- Slimfast chocolate snack bar (tastes like a butterfinger, but only 120 calories!)
L- tuna salad sandwich w/ lettuce and cheese, apple
D- leftover spaghetti, one cookie
S- vanilla vodka and coke

Friday
B- cereal
S- 2 doughnuts and about half of a sausage biscuit
L- HC cheesy chicken and rice w/ carrots & broccoli
D- leftover chicken & lentil curry stew
S- vanilla vodka and coke, 1 smirnoff ice (ran out of vodka )

So far today I have had nothing and done nothing. I slept later than intended. We will have lunch soon. Not sure what yet. I am thinking canned soup and a sandwich or something of that sort. We HAD a bad habit of getting up on Saturdays and going to get lunch, which usually amounted to something we could easily have made ourselves. Guess we'll have to start getting more creative.

I am SO glad it is the WEEKEND!!! I don't know if I could have made it through another day of the work week! I did wake up this morning thinking about my clients, which is NOT good, but it wasn't really a stressful sort of thinking. I worked until 7:15 last night and saw a lot of families in the last 2 or 3 days. I haven't documented all of my visits yet, so they are all kind of starting to blur together in my head. I am trying to remember who had bunkbeds and who didn't, etc. I am taking a "Work Away" day on Monday, so that I can work from home and get caught up on some of my paperwork. I think that will help ALOT! I don't feel like I can get Anything done at the office these days! Plus just being there makes me feel overwhelmed and depressed. I think staying at home I will get a TON done and be able to go back to work feeling slightly more on top of things.
I have determined that one of the things that bugs me about this job is that I like control. I like to have a plan and be in control of what is going on from day to day. However, this job is WAY too crazy for me to have any measure of control. My supervisor said you just have to tell yourself you'll never be caught up and on top of things. UH, NO. I can't live like that permanently. I think that I could be caught up and on top of things if we had the right number of case workers and therefore the right number of cases! Recently the state of Georgia was sued over the high case loads in Atlanta, because a kid died because the case workers were too overworked and didn't see the child. Now we are supposed to have no more than 20 cases at a time. When I started I had 26! Now I have 29 PLUS 13 of the "empty caseload" cases. They won't transfer the cases to us even though they expect us to take care of them! They won't do it because then it would show that I am responsible for 42 cases, which is more than anyone person should be expected to keep track of!
Anyway, I got an email the other day from a friend in the office that I trained in. She said that they have a position open and the director wants to know if I want to come back! I said ABSOLUTELY!! I am going to call over there on Monday and see what I need to do. I am not getting my hopes up though because I was told that we have to stay in our original placement for at least 6 months before transfering. That means I have 3 more months I need to start a ticker for that! Like how many days and hours left before I can leave! My supervisor said something Friday to me and the other worker because we are both from Macon. She was saying that we asked to be here and wouldn't leave or something like that. I flat out said NO way. I never asked to come here and I am leaving the first opportunity I get. No point in lying about it. I told her the first thing was that the drive is WAY too long and then the case load is Unbearable. So I already wanted to leave and now it is Definite. Cause from what I understand this isn't the only time that they have been SO under staffed and it will be awhile before they get fully staffed again.

OK, I'm done griping and going on and on about work. I just have to dig in and bear with it for 3 more months. I should be able to do that if Linda can hang in with her job for 4 years!

Today I am going to try to get in some outdoor activity! We may go for a hike somewhere or just play frisbee here in the yard. We are planning to grill out this evening. Our weather has been beautiful lately!!

The house is coming along fast!! They painted this week! The whole interior (except our giant downstairs room) is a light blue. It is a bit brighter than we had imagined, but I think it will be nice. I will try to take some pictures today, but they may not get up on the web this weekend. I will let you guys know when they have been updated.

Have a WONDERFUL Saturday!!