Comments (11) My problem is… I crave instant gratification. I want to be doing what I want, all the time. I want to have what I want, instantly. I want to be who I want to be, right now.
So, I’ve identified the problem. I just need to figure out how to tackle it.
My parents were in town this weekend to see Robin Williams at the Chicago Theater.
My parents look so cute! And Steven and I… look like goobers!
We had so much fun while they were here – we watched a movie and ate popcorn, made pancakes and eggs for breakfast, played Rock Band, went to a car show, went to our town home association “Fall Harvest” celebration in the park, ate at a Mexican restaurant, toured my office, went to see Robin Williams, and visited the Mexican bakery in our neighborhood.
And that was all between the hours of 9:30 pm on Friday to 10:00 am on Sunday!
We took a long nap when they left.
Robin Williams was really funny. In the beginning of his skit he told some Chicago and global warming jokes. Then he told quite a bit on politics, which really made me laugh (and proud of myself for actually knowing what he was talking about). And in the end, he told some of his sexual jokes. He did a lot of impersonations and facial expressions – there were two large screens on the stage so everyone in the theater could see him “up close.”
The show was about an hour and a half long. We were all amazed by the energy he had for the whole time! I’m surprised my stomach doesn’t hurt today from laughing for so long.
For breakfast today, we took my parents to the awesome Mexican Bakery close to the town train station.
Yes, that’s all for four people (to try)!
This place is amazing – tons and tons of sweets and breads at cheap, cheap prices. You grab a tray (or bucket) and tongs when you walk in, then go around and grab all of the different things you want – and there are so many things to try. There was a line of at least 10 people waiting to check out when we got there – at 9:00 on a Sunday morning! I guess we are not the only people who think this place is awesome!
Steven paid $10 for his tray, and mom paid $8.40 for her tray.
It’s interesting that baked goods from other cultures never taste like you expect them to – even when they look the same as an American staple! We love to try new things though, and found some that we really like.
My poor mom, though. After we got home, she got sick, and couldn’t try anything. She had a really upset stomach – and still did when she got back to Iowa. I told her that is what I feel like every time I go home – from eating WAY TOO much food. So, oops, I guess we did the same thing to her! But when family is around, don’t you feel like eating a ton of fun food? I sure do. I hope she feels better soon. Because other than that, it was a perfect weekend!
Do you follow the wash instructions on your clothing?
Yesterday, I realized the pants I bought last weekend are “dry clean only.” I asked Steven, “Do you think I can put these dry clean only pants in the washer?”
“No.”
I guess that means I will ( be having him) take them to the dry cleaner.
I thought about this a bit, and realized I follow the instructions on my clothing when I first get them… to keep them “fresh” and “new,” but after awhile, it’s sort of a free for all. I’ll just throw a ton of random stuff in the washer, and hope for the best. I’m not mixing color-families, but I sure as hell am not reading those wash tags anymore.
When, if ever, I am going to NOT feel guilty about taking a day off from exercise?
I know. I need to let my body rest. And I know. I should probably do some strength training, and go easy on the cardiovascular.
But I can’t get over the guilt.
Most days, I really crave the exercise. I feel like it completes my day. But every once in awhile, I just want to relax. I don’t want to scarf down my dinner, rush to put on my exercise clothes and race out the door. I want to get home, eat a slow(er) dinner, maybe sit on the couch, play Rock Band, play with Data, actually talk to my husband…
I don’t want to feel guilty for meeting a friend for dinner instead of going home to exercise. I don’t want to feel guilty when we have to run errands on a weeknight, and it’s too late to exercise when we finally get home. I don’t want to stress out about when we are going to get exercise in when we have house guests.
I just want to accept that I did or did not exercise the day before… and get on with my day. And not dwell on it.
With time. Let’s hope, with time.
(Part of me kind of feels like I should apologize for blogging about the same themes… for such an extended period of time in a row. But, I’m not going to, because it makes me feel better to get it out there. I’ll just say – I hope I’m not boring you too much).
Everyone’s bodies are affected differently by weight loss/gain, but I always lose/gain weight in the same area first.
Can you guess what it is?
I’ll give you a hint: I’ve already dropped two sizes there.
From a D to a B.
Yeah.
I didn’t believe the Victoria’s Secret salesperson helping me in the dressing room. She took my measurements, and gleefully said, “Yep, you’re a B!”
I later asked Steven if he heard me scream, “A B?!” from the dressing room. I guess the music was too loud for him to hear me though (that, and he was too busy feeling disturbed by all the teeny-boppers there buying lacy bras and thongs).
I didn’t believe the salesperson. And I was so frustrated at that point (by the ridiculous amount of people there and the nauseating fragrance area), I just grabbed a B-size bra, bought it, and left. I was sure when I got home, it wouldn’t fit, and I would have to take and back and say, “See! I am at least a C!”
Nope. It fit perfectly.
Which means I need to make an investment in some new bras. And hope that I don’t lose any more weight in that area.
Tell me – when you lose (or gain) weight, where do you first see results?
Have you noticed the hot colors for fall (for women) seem to be plum and mustard?
Jacket and pea coat from New York & Company… one of my favorite places.
I am totally digging the plum. I have bought a few tops that I love in this color:
I am even embracing plum nail polish! Or trying to, anyway.
But the mustard? I am afraid to even try it on! I actually think it looks nice, on the model, but what if I try it on, fall in love with it, buy it, and only wear it this season? I doubt that color will last very long. I feel more assured by the plum.
Are you trying these colors this season?
I must say that I loved suze’s post “discovering my inner fashionista” – probably because I am thinking around the same lines right now. Please read it when you get the chance.
Suze writes about how she never thought fashion was accessible to herself, being a larger woman. She disregarded it and considered those concerned with fashion to be “vapid and shallow.”
But then she realized that there were fashionable pieces available to her. She started taking more time in her appearance, and realized that her size didn’t matter. Taking care of her image made her feel better, overall.
I can’t believe how close this is to what I am feeling. I ignored fashion, and wore the same slacks and button-down shirts for more than a year – just because I was overweight and didn’t feel like taking care of myself.
Once I started eating healthy and exercising, something just clicked in me, and I wanted to start dressing nicer, wearing my hair nicer, and being more coordinated in general. I find myself picking up fashion magazines, actually LOOKING at the ads and fashion spreads and magazines, and imaging how certain outfits would look on me.
And like suze, I thought all of this was ridiculous, vain and shallow. But now I realize how much better it makes me feel to be “put together.” I understand impressing other people isn’t the only reason to care about how you look – it’s really about feeling good being yourself. Yes, I want the my colleagues and clients to think I look decent, but putting more effort into myself… makes me a better version of myself. I am more confident and more cheerful.
Even as I write this, I feel a little uneasy. I think that’s because caring about fashion goes against everything I have programmed myself to believe, as a larger woman. But I am ready to fight that. Thanks for sharing it too, suze.
(Unfortunately, “caring about fashion/style” hasn’t been easy on my pocket book! I’ve even added a new “fashion” category here, so I can start sharing some of my favorite fashion items with you)
Today was our 5K!
Before the race…
… and after!
Our neighbors came to cheer us on and took a few photos. It’s always nice to have someone there to cheer you on through the finish line! (And I should write an entire post about how wonderful these neighbors are – a husband, wife and daughter. They actually live in our neighborhood, not next door.)
Two of our neighbors and us
We’ve been running in the dark, most weeknights, around 8:00. It’s the earliest we can get outside to run. I was thinking this race would be easier than our night runs – we would actually be able to see where we were running. BUT, it was a lot hotter than when we’ve been running, since we’ve been running at night. It was about 80 degrees, and I think it is normally 65 (or less!) when we practice. I had a hard time breathing. I am kind of disappointed in that. I am happy Steven was there to push me and keep me going.
Oh well. Our finish time was 29:00! That’s encouraging enough that we may sign up for a few more 5Ks in September/October, or maybe even train for a 10K!
Quite a few people showed up for the race! It’s always fun with a lot of people there!
Running up the last hill. Check out my… “muscular” legs.
I always try to sprint the end!
Are you a creature of habit, food wise? Do you eat the same thing everyday? Are there any foods/drinks, you feel like you have to consume on a daily basis? Or… do you like some variety?
Since I am on the “healthy lifestyle” quest, I am very conscious of what I consume everyday. I generally eat a rotation of the same food groups each day – vegetables, whole grains, fruit, (soy) protein – but I try to eat a different variety within that group each day so that I don’t get bored with it.
I have to have carbohydrates everyday though – I could never give them up. I like to “graze” – eating small snacks throughout the day, rather than typical “meals,” to keep my metabolism up. I finish with a medium-sized dinner. I don’t feel like there is one food I must have on a daily basis though, except warm oatmeal at work for breakfast. It makes starting the work day so much more pleasant for me.
You know, I really hate being this conscious of food, and what I am eating all the time. It makes dining out a TOTAL headache. BUT – I am trying to enjoy life and enjoy food. I am trying not to feel guilty if I eat something that is a lot higher in calories than I normally would. And I am hoping that this will all become more natural with time. I mean, it has to!
Steven was stuck with privileged with driving my car (aka, the “Kimbotmobile,” an ’88 Oldsmobile) the past two days. The Infiniti was in the shop because a pothole destroyed a tire and wheel.
This comic reminds me of a few of his comments:
“A lot more people cut me off when I’m driving your car!”
“Hey, your car is exactly 20 years older than mine!”
“Did you know your car breaks down if you go over 90 mph?”
Okay, he didn’t really say that last comment. It might break down though.
I would love to buy a new car. But I don’t need one. I drive my car 5 or 6 miles a day, 5 days a week. The most my car has been driven in a long time was this last weekend – and that is because the Infiniti had a donut on it, and we didn’t want to drive it all around time.
But still… I would love to buy a new car. Because people do treat you differently when you are driving a car that is so frickin’ old. I had noticed long before Steven brought it up.
Hi! I'm Kim, a 34-year-old living in Chicagoland with my husband, Steven, and our cats, Khali, Apollo, and Starbuck. I work in the design industry (architecture), follow a vegan lifestyle, am addicted to running, and am an ACE certified personal trainer (working at Essential Fitness, LLC ("Efit"))! I write about a variety of topics, and consider this a "life" blog - a place I can share anything that's on my mind. Please visit the "About" page to get a better idea of who I am! :-)
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