Hi Everyone. I had to say goodbye to the stalwart Dowager Feline Clancy on Friday, July 15th. I am still too emotional to write about it now, but I promise I will share as soon as I've had enough time to grieve her loss. The outpouring of support I've had via Facebook, Twitter, and phone calls has been very comforting. Thank you very much.
The Dowager Feline developed quite a following when I posted about her here and here. In the end, she taught me more about life than a thousand prophets or seers.
I have filled my weekend with family, cleaning, and movies. Now I am looking forward to my upcoming week of writing. I've been reading the Margie Lawson lectures and am almost ready to dig in with the homework. I'll be using my current WIP, first draft, for the work. On Saturday I'm heading to Birmingham's Southern Magic Romance Writing Chapter to take Margie's all-day intensive workshop EMPOWERING CHARACTER EMOTIONS. Can't wait!! And stay tuned for a recap of my day-if my brain survives the learning curve!
Those of you who visited on Friday were treated to a special blog post by Margie. And one of the commenters won a packet! Heather Leonard!!!
This week on the blog, I'm posting about my recent travels to DC and NYC. I have a lot of busywork to catch up on in the office, too. I'm sending thank you notes, transcribing conference notes from the workshops I attended, and I'm cleaning out the junk drawer.
For those of you who followed me on the 4 Hour Body Diet, I have news. It didn't work for me. As soon as I stopped following it. I gained back every inch. It also didn't work for my daughter. So I've switched over to Weight Watchers. Darling Teen, Darling Hubby, and I are losing weight together. I'm really excited about it because we're in it together AND there is a super cool phone app I can use to track my points. The best part is that I already lost two pounds. Hopefully I'll be Skinny for the Moonlight & Magnolias Conference in two months. Stay tuned.
I'm really looking forward to this week. Hope to see you all on the Veranda. And if you're setting goals or just hanging out, come visit me today and tell me what you're doing this week.
Showing posts with label NYC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NYC. Show all posts
Monday, July 18, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
4 Hour Body: Tornado Survivor's Guide
On Wednesday, April 27, my area was hit with 21 tornado warnings over a 16 hour period. We lost power at 4:30PM. No lights, no cooking, no sound other than a small transistor radio which kept us informed about the NEXT tornado band's approach. I had been on a pretty good roll with 4 Hour Body diet and exercise in place. However, the 4 Hour Body was the least of my concerns on that day. We had cake for dinner. The next day we grilled all the meat and had meat for lunch and dinner. We also had cookies, cheese, tortillas, bread, you name it. Frankly, who cares? The thing about the 4 Hour Body is that it doesn't really offer much in the way of comfort food when one, well, needs comfort. We were spared. You can read about my experiences here and here.
After we cleaned out the fridge and threw out about $600 plus of food, we drove to Nashville to ride the rest of the week. We had no Internet or cell phone service and a sick kid so we felt it best to go to a place with power. We arrived at our friends' house and were immediately surrounded by good cheer (read LOTS of wine) and fabulous southern comfort food. My friend loves to make full, hot breakfasts. We had bacon, quiche, pancakes and hash browns two days in a row. We ate ribs, grilled bbq chicken, steak, corn casserole, chocolate bomb cakes, amazing banana bread. The 4 Hour Body went out the window. We didn't care. We were alive.
See diets don't matter when one is in survivor mode. One eats what one has and that's that. I was also unable to exercise which impacted me as well. However, I did a lot of running around because of the tornadoes and I believe my adrenaline was pumping a lot. I didn't notice any weight going around the middle, but honestly? I didn't care. On Monday we left our friends and went to a hotel in Franklin, Tennessee. I began to make small changes again. My lunch was healthy and followed the plan as did dinner (but I admit I did eat the roll that came with the Cobb Salad). The next day we had McDonalds for breakfast. I ate an Egg McMuffin and I enjoyed the hash browns, too. When we got home, we had to clean the fridges with hot water, etc., then I went to the store. I immediately implemented the 4 Hour Body plan, but I am not going to lie: wine consumption was still higher than allowed by the plan.
I haven't been able to exercise yet because the YMCA is offering hot showers to those who still have no power. I did go for a walk with darling hubby on Wednesday. I wore workout clothes yesterday, but didn't work out. Today? I hope to go for a walk again.
I did notice that my jeans, the smaller ones, fit just fine yesterday and my stomach is not bloated at all. I'm happy about that for sure! My hope when I measured this morning was to see no UP on the numbers. I was pleasantly surprised! I lost another inch and a half. None off my hips or navel area, but that's okay. At least I didn't increase due to all that yummy comfort food.
So without further ado, here are my stats:
Total inches lost this Week: 1.5
Total inches lost to Date: 8.5
I hope to be more on plan and get the belly flab down -- that is the hardest place for me to lose weight and usually the last. I'm just very grateful that I didn't gain despite all the yummy food I indulged in eating.
I hope you are all doing great on your plans! Check in and let me know if you're still on track for getting Skinny for NYC this summer!
After we cleaned out the fridge and threw out about $600 plus of food, we drove to Nashville to ride the rest of the week. We had no Internet or cell phone service and a sick kid so we felt it best to go to a place with power. We arrived at our friends' house and were immediately surrounded by good cheer (read LOTS of wine) and fabulous southern comfort food. My friend loves to make full, hot breakfasts. We had bacon, quiche, pancakes and hash browns two days in a row. We ate ribs, grilled bbq chicken, steak, corn casserole, chocolate bomb cakes, amazing banana bread. The 4 Hour Body went out the window. We didn't care. We were alive.
See diets don't matter when one is in survivor mode. One eats what one has and that's that. I was also unable to exercise which impacted me as well. However, I did a lot of running around because of the tornadoes and I believe my adrenaline was pumping a lot. I didn't notice any weight going around the middle, but honestly? I didn't care. On Monday we left our friends and went to a hotel in Franklin, Tennessee. I began to make small changes again. My lunch was healthy and followed the plan as did dinner (but I admit I did eat the roll that came with the Cobb Salad). The next day we had McDonalds for breakfast. I ate an Egg McMuffin and I enjoyed the hash browns, too. When we got home, we had to clean the fridges with hot water, etc., then I went to the store. I immediately implemented the 4 Hour Body plan, but I am not going to lie: wine consumption was still higher than allowed by the plan.
I haven't been able to exercise yet because the YMCA is offering hot showers to those who still have no power. I did go for a walk with darling hubby on Wednesday. I wore workout clothes yesterday, but didn't work out. Today? I hope to go for a walk again.
I did notice that my jeans, the smaller ones, fit just fine yesterday and my stomach is not bloated at all. I'm happy about that for sure! My hope when I measured this morning was to see no UP on the numbers. I was pleasantly surprised! I lost another inch and a half. None off my hips or navel area, but that's okay. At least I didn't increase due to all that yummy comfort food.
So without further ado, here are my stats:
Total inches lost this Week: 1.5
Total inches lost to Date: 8.5
I hope to be more on plan and get the belly flab down -- that is the hardest place for me to lose weight and usually the last. I'm just very grateful that I didn't gain despite all the yummy food I indulged in eating.
I hope you are all doing great on your plans! Check in and let me know if you're still on track for getting Skinny for NYC this summer!
Friday, April 15, 2011
4 Hour Body: Operation Skinny for RWA Nationals--Check In Time
I have had a fabulous week which started with my amazing CHEAT DAY. This time I went whole hog. I had a quarter pounder with cheese, a small fries, a donut, turtle cheesecake, cheese, and PIZZA!!! Yah, baby. It was good. Oh so good. The best part about it all was that I never felt guilty the entire day. I just enjoyed the food and had fun.
I love CHEAT DAY. But I also love getting back on track with the 4 Hour Body diet. It's actually pretty easy to follow, not too much to think about really, and I like eating meat, beans, and veggies. I've had a couple of days when I seriously wanted chocolate (hello? Easter candy is all over the stores!!). But I survived my craving with a small, sugar free strawberry jello.
This week was a bit tough because Darling Hubby was out of town, and I missed my dieter-in-arms. However, we prepared for the week by cooking our favorite cedar plank salmon and steaks on the grill. I also had some pre-cooked chicken and tilapia filets to bake so all was well in my world. I did have a few moments where I just wanted to nosh on something "easy." Easy being a roll and a hunk of cheese. After all, Darling Daughter wasn't home as well so it was boring to cook for one. A "why bother" time. But I succeeded to last throughout the week on the plan.
My go-to vinegar is White Balsamic Vinegar. I just love it on a bed of lettuce along with my fish, etc. So tangy and yummy. I've also enjoyed my tomatoes and eggs this week. I cut a tomato, drizzle balsamic vinegar on it, sprinkle some sweet basil on top, and drop my eggs on top of that combo. It's pretty tasty. And it hits all my taste buds in a satisfying way.
I managed to work out Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. I didn't work out on Wednesday because I had to clean house. Mind you, I've burned tons of calories cleaning toilets, tubs, vacuuming and mopping. I figure the clean was a workout in that regard. I did Jillian Michaels' Shred 3 times and went to Zumba twice. I also walked for thirty minutes on Sunday. I've noticed my shoulders and arms are getting slimmer and more toned. My legs are also looking better. So all this exercising and dieting is making a difference.
Stats for today are:
Total Inches lost this week: .5 (off my hips!!! Woohoo!)
Total Inches lost since start: 6.5
I'm heading to Atlanta for a Georgia Romance Writer's Workshop which you can read about here. I can't wait to get to Historic Decatur and visit my favorite restaurant, LEONS on my CHEAT DAY. Darling Hubby is coming along. Should be fun!!
So let me know how you are doing. And give yourself a pat on the back. You're one week closer to reaching your goal!!
I love CHEAT DAY. But I also love getting back on track with the 4 Hour Body diet. It's actually pretty easy to follow, not too much to think about really, and I like eating meat, beans, and veggies. I've had a couple of days when I seriously wanted chocolate (hello? Easter candy is all over the stores!!). But I survived my craving with a small, sugar free strawberry jello.
This week was a bit tough because Darling Hubby was out of town, and I missed my dieter-in-arms. However, we prepared for the week by cooking our favorite cedar plank salmon and steaks on the grill. I also had some pre-cooked chicken and tilapia filets to bake so all was well in my world. I did have a few moments where I just wanted to nosh on something "easy." Easy being a roll and a hunk of cheese. After all, Darling Daughter wasn't home as well so it was boring to cook for one. A "why bother" time. But I succeeded to last throughout the week on the plan.
My go-to vinegar is White Balsamic Vinegar. I just love it on a bed of lettuce along with my fish, etc. So tangy and yummy. I've also enjoyed my tomatoes and eggs this week. I cut a tomato, drizzle balsamic vinegar on it, sprinkle some sweet basil on top, and drop my eggs on top of that combo. It's pretty tasty. And it hits all my taste buds in a satisfying way.
I managed to work out Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. I didn't work out on Wednesday because I had to clean house. Mind you, I've burned tons of calories cleaning toilets, tubs, vacuuming and mopping. I figure the clean was a workout in that regard. I did Jillian Michaels' Shred 3 times and went to Zumba twice. I also walked for thirty minutes on Sunday. I've noticed my shoulders and arms are getting slimmer and more toned. My legs are also looking better. So all this exercising and dieting is making a difference.
Stats for today are:
Total Inches lost this week: .5 (off my hips!!! Woohoo!)
Total Inches lost since start: 6.5
I'm heading to Atlanta for a Georgia Romance Writer's Workshop which you can read about here. I can't wait to get to Historic Decatur and visit my favorite restaurant, LEONS on my CHEAT DAY. Darling Hubby is coming along. Should be fun!!
So let me know how you are doing. And give yourself a pat on the back. You're one week closer to reaching your goal!!
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