This has been a hard week with the diet. I have been cheating with chocolate. I blame it on the time of the month and I vow to do better tomorrow. I haven't destroyed my work - just stalled it. I will NOT give up this challenge. I WILL live a healthier life.
I decided to put my performance bonus toward the Visa card. I struggled with that - having that cash in my savings would be wonderful. But, that card seems to not be shrinking although I'm not really using it. It needs a quick shot of lots of money. Hopefully the bonus will be effective enough that I can get the card paid off within two years. Maybe two and a half.
I'm doing OK with spending - working really hard to not get nonsense stuff, though I did just get a few DVDs. One was my reward for dropping my first 10 pounds and two were stupid purchases. I seriously need to consider a second job this summer. And we have the promise of overtime due to so many on the team taking their sabbaticals. I need to take advantage of that, too. Even if it kills me.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Update
Weight - I was doing SO WELL until today. I didn't eat much of anything (due to having a house full of guests for a niece's birthday party) so when they left, I ate a whole pop-can of Pillsbury Crescent rolls...with cheese. I bet I put three pounds on with that stunt. And I had met my 10-pound weight loss for the month. Totally blew it. I will be back on the wagon tomorrow and maybe I'll get rid of that mistake by Wednesday or Thursday. I won't let it discourage me and I won't use it as an excuse to quit. Not this time.
Wednesday is the first of February and I plan on kicking things up a notch by adding a bit of exercise to my plan. I think I'll do 10 minutes on the treadmill/bike before starting my day. Not much, but I don't think jumping in with 30-minute work outs is realistic. 10-minute work outs for two weeks then I'll add another 10 (5 on the bike and 5 on the treadmill) on the 15th. That will give me a 20-minute work out before I start my day. Then in March I'll try adding a walk after work. And I've started accompanying Shawn to the gym every-other Sunday (he can sign me in as a guest twice a month). I thought about joining yoga but decided to hold off on that. I start working 10 hours on Thursdays which is the same day as beginner's yoga and I want to make sure I'm not overly exhausted from the long hours first. But I have a plan!
Financially, I'm not doing as well. I ended up charging about $300 this month - Dan's birthday dinner, a trip to Kohl's and a trip to Wal-Mart. I made just shy of $60,000 last year - the most I've ever made, and I am still struggling to make ends meet. I just don't understand it. I am not nearly as confident with my financial plan as I am with my weight-loss plan.
Wednesday is the first of February and I plan on kicking things up a notch by adding a bit of exercise to my plan. I think I'll do 10 minutes on the treadmill/bike before starting my day. Not much, but I don't think jumping in with 30-minute work outs is realistic. 10-minute work outs for two weeks then I'll add another 10 (5 on the bike and 5 on the treadmill) on the 15th. That will give me a 20-minute work out before I start my day. Then in March I'll try adding a walk after work. And I've started accompanying Shawn to the gym every-other Sunday (he can sign me in as a guest twice a month). I thought about joining yoga but decided to hold off on that. I start working 10 hours on Thursdays which is the same day as beginner's yoga and I want to make sure I'm not overly exhausted from the long hours first. But I have a plan!
Financially, I'm not doing as well. I ended up charging about $300 this month - Dan's birthday dinner, a trip to Kohl's and a trip to Wal-Mart. I made just shy of $60,000 last year - the most I've ever made, and I am still struggling to make ends meet. I just don't understand it. I am not nearly as confident with my financial plan as I am with my weight-loss plan.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
New Year, New me?
With the ringing in of 2012, I am again forced to reflect on myself. I had an epiphany last week - my issues with food and money are just manifestations of a chaos going on inside me. I've been identifying other manifestations such as the horrid condition of my once-stellar nails and the piles of statements in my office closet (and my office in general). I'm feeling good that as I can identify these manifestations, I can conquer them. I'm off to a good start with my diet and I am not blowing through this paycheck. My nails are primed for repair and I have 'tackle the office closet' as my To Do Action Item for next week (this week's Action Item is to put Christmas away).
I have a long ways to go but I feel good having a plan of action. Tracking my dietary intake and financial outgo, dedicating each week to a different Action Item, and keeping polish on my nails. All steps in the right direction.
I can do this.
I have a long ways to go but I feel good having a plan of action. Tracking my dietary intake and financial outgo, dedicating each week to a different Action Item, and keeping polish on my nails. All steps in the right direction.
I can do this.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Update
Well, the Christmas week was a bust both financially and health-related. I ate what I wanted and spent what I wanted.
We received a surprise bonus at work - a month's salary. Instead of socking it all away, I went shopping. I took Tom's girls to a movie and dinner ($60) and bought Shawn a nice diamond-accented bracelet ($275). Add a few other 'extras' and I'm pretty sure I've spent at least half of the bonus. I'll give things till Friday to clear, check the bank account and move whatever is left over.
I ate whatever I came across. I now weigh 180 pounds - more than I have ever weighed. AND that's with walking Bailey at least an hour a day all week long. I am so sick of eating. I think most of the junk is out of the house so maybe I can start my New Year's Diet tomorrow.
I'm trying to not feel like a total failure with life.
We received a surprise bonus at work - a month's salary. Instead of socking it all away, I went shopping. I took Tom's girls to a movie and dinner ($60) and bought Shawn a nice diamond-accented bracelet ($275). Add a few other 'extras' and I'm pretty sure I've spent at least half of the bonus. I'll give things till Friday to clear, check the bank account and move whatever is left over.
I ate whatever I came across. I now weigh 180 pounds - more than I have ever weighed. AND that's with walking Bailey at least an hour a day all week long. I am so sick of eating. I think most of the junk is out of the house so maybe I can start my New Year's Diet tomorrow.
I'm trying to not feel like a total failure with life.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Update
I made the appropriate payments to Visa and MasterCard for December. I am almost out of money - December is tough. Gifts are the least of the money-grabbers; postage, Christmas cards, copies of the annual End-of-Year letter, batteries, last minute contributions to all the charities you put off month after month. Before you know it, you have eaten through your paycheck and have nothing to add to savings.
I have been writing down everything I spend to see if I can find the 'latte' - little indulges I don't need but get anyway. I have a lot of lattes - a hot chocolate here, a magazine there. I guess the good news is when I run out of money, the lattes are finished for the month.
My diet is non-existent. A bad time at work has me eating almost uncontrollably. As soon as I finish one item, I'm in the kitchen looking for the next. Doesn't matter what it is - I even ate dry cereal yesterday before breaking in to the frozen cookie dough and baking 10 chocolate chocolate-chip cookies which I inhaled. Instead of learning a lesson from the tummy ache later in the evening, I went and did the same thing again today! What is wrong with me?
The only exercise I've had this week is climbing the stairs after attacking the kitchen. I am no where near my goal for the month and won't reach it at this rate. I am letting the stresses of my job and the long overtime hours get the better of me.
I have been writing down everything I spend to see if I can find the 'latte' - little indulges I don't need but get anyway. I have a lot of lattes - a hot chocolate here, a magazine there. I guess the good news is when I run out of money, the lattes are finished for the month.
My diet is non-existent. A bad time at work has me eating almost uncontrollably. As soon as I finish one item, I'm in the kitchen looking for the next. Doesn't matter what it is - I even ate dry cereal yesterday before breaking in to the frozen cookie dough and baking 10 chocolate chocolate-chip cookies which I inhaled. Instead of learning a lesson from the tummy ache later in the evening, I went and did the same thing again today! What is wrong with me?
The only exercise I've had this week is climbing the stairs after attacking the kitchen. I am no where near my goal for the month and won't reach it at this rate. I am letting the stresses of my job and the long overtime hours get the better of me.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Update
I have been unsuccessful in starting a diet regime - I find myself snacking unconsciously all the time. I don't know why I have this horrid urge to eat - I'm filling an empty slot with food instead of what it really needs. What I really need is companionship, activity and entertainment. Sitting at home day after day, working in front of a computer and entertaining myself in front of a TV isn't good. Unfortunately, I am stumped over what I should do instead. I can't afford to go anywhere and I know no one to go with. Maybe I'll do better this week.
I have determined that by paying Visa $450 a month every month (no skipping) and using the card ONLY for gas purchases, I can have my Visa card paid in about 17 months. That's a year and a half. And then I would still have my Mastercard to contend with (I would pay $200 a month, every month, toward Mastercard during my Visa attack.) Seems fairly daunting, doesn't it? But waiting around for my inheritance to cover a bill has become a joke - we are never going to sell Mom and Dad's house; not in this market. And even if we do, the back taxes and penalties are going to suck up a good portion of any profit made by the sale. So, I have to dig my own way out of this quicksand - and I will. I will.
I have determined that by paying Visa $450 a month every month (no skipping) and using the card ONLY for gas purchases, I can have my Visa card paid in about 17 months. That's a year and a half. And then I would still have my Mastercard to contend with (I would pay $200 a month, every month, toward Mastercard during my Visa attack.) Seems fairly daunting, doesn't it? But waiting around for my inheritance to cover a bill has become a joke - we are never going to sell Mom and Dad's house; not in this market. And even if we do, the back taxes and penalties are going to suck up a good portion of any profit made by the sale. So, I have to dig my own way out of this quicksand - and I will. I will.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Beginning
I've decided that to tackle my issues, I must be honest about them. No more skirting around the facts and sticking my head in the proverbial sand. This blog will serve as my therapist, forcing me to really look at where I am in two categories, where I want to be and how my journey is going.
The first category will be finances. I simply owe way more than I'm worth. And I'm tired of hiding it. Before I can deal with it, though, I know I have to say my total debt out loud. I've never done that - I have never spoken or written down exactly how much I owe in credit card debt. I give ballpark numbers or 'after I make this payment' estimates. So, here goes - to date, I owe $6,008 to Visa and $10,093 to MasterCard. I also just paid Discover Card, $285. There are a few charges pending on that card so I will probably owe another $300 eventually. I owe a total of $16,400. There, I've said it - out loud. And I cringed. I want it gone.
The next category will be weight. As of this morning, I am at an all-time high of 179. I lay in bed at night feeling my heart struggle with the high blood pressure. I wake up with aching knees, hips and back from the weight. I'm outgrowing my fattest clothes and can wear exactly four items from my closet. I am killing myself. My intention with this category is to lose 5 pounds a month. That's all - just five pounds. The junk food is over, the walking begins. I may check into yoga, if my finances allow me to do so. I want it gone.
So, there are my categories. I have a strategy for the weight and need to create one for the finances. That will be my next blog entry.
The first category will be finances. I simply owe way more than I'm worth. And I'm tired of hiding it. Before I can deal with it, though, I know I have to say my total debt out loud. I've never done that - I have never spoken or written down exactly how much I owe in credit card debt. I give ballpark numbers or 'after I make this payment' estimates. So, here goes - to date, I owe $6,008 to Visa and $10,093 to MasterCard. I also just paid Discover Card, $285. There are a few charges pending on that card so I will probably owe another $300 eventually. I owe a total of $16,400. There, I've said it - out loud. And I cringed. I want it gone.
The next category will be weight. As of this morning, I am at an all-time high of 179. I lay in bed at night feeling my heart struggle with the high blood pressure. I wake up with aching knees, hips and back from the weight. I'm outgrowing my fattest clothes and can wear exactly four items from my closet. I am killing myself. My intention with this category is to lose 5 pounds a month. That's all - just five pounds. The junk food is over, the walking begins. I may check into yoga, if my finances allow me to do so. I want it gone.
So, there are my categories. I have a strategy for the weight and need to create one for the finances. That will be my next blog entry.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)