Category Archives: Tools

Let’s have some geeky FUN!

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You non-techy, video game haters are just going to have to trust me…this post really does wind back to my 2013 goal of moving more. Stick with me.

Ever since Mario bounced on that first magic mushroom, I’ve loved video games.  I am a bit of a geek.  Not to the Uber Dork level of Tron Man here, but still a geek.

All hail Tron Man!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ms. Pacman was my first pixelated gal pal. Back in the day when Atari ruled the world, however, video games were for boys…not girls – so it was my little brother who got the Atari for Christmas. (He cried like a pussy when he got it, by the way. I still tease him.) I think I got a sweater or something equally cool that year. Not!

Even when I was all grown up with my own job and everything, I saved up to buy a Nintendo gaming system. I still get a warm and fuzzy feeling whenever I see one of those game controllers. I spent so many hours earning coins and badges and leveling up in so many different games. It was a fun distraction from the drudge of the everyday for me – back in a time when I was overwhelmed by the emotional damage The King had caused.  After working a full time job, taking classes at the local college, and hashing out my problems with a therapist, it was welcome and much needed down time.

Then computer games came out. Technology was starting to compound on itself and there was more and more fun to be had. I still remember playing DOOM on our first home computer. It scared the crap out of me. All the demons and monsters, their guts exploding everywhere. So gross and so terrifying. And then my brother got an addition to it that made the halls of hell look like the ship in the second Aliens movie…and changed the demons to those hideous monsters that terrorized poor Sigourney Weaver. I remember playing late into the night, hunched over our giant computer monitor (some of you will remember when computer monitors weighed 100 pounds and generated enough heat to fry an egg). I would wear headphones so Mom didn’t get upset about the sounds of my awesome alien blaster gun at 1 am, but the problem was I would be so engrossed in what I was doing that I didn’t notice anything else.

So there I was one night, hunched over the computer with my headphones on, slowly walking down the hall of this space ship…looking for aliens on the motion detector. I could hear one breathing close by and it was such a creepy feeling (if you’ve ever seen those movies, you’ll understand). I didn’t even notice my brother’s headlights in the window when he pulled into the driveway and, as I carefully moved my character forward down the hallway, my brother crept into the room…came up behind me…and poked me in the ribs.

JAYZIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I nearly peed all over myself. I definitely screamed. Our mom bolted out of her bedroom yelling at us, but we were already laughing. We apologized profusely, of course…and after the initial scare, I’m sure she had a chuckle on her way back to her bedroom.

More computer games followed after that – even after I got my first apartment. Sure, I went out with my girlfriends and had a social life…but there was always room for pixelated fun…which led to a second, pixelated social life. Back when we were just good friends, Hot Mess Hubby talked me into buying one of the first really great online games: Asheron’s Call. All the other characters running around the make believe world of Dereth were actually other human beings who were sitting at their computers in their homes…doing the same lame shit we were doing: playing a game. I was in awe.  Playing computer games AND chatting with people?  Hell yeah!

Many times you couldn’t get a task done without help, so you would have to team up with other people on the internet to take down a bad guy…and afterwards there would be chat conversations that ensued.

“I’m in California, where are you from?”

“I need the Monkey Island quest, do you? Can you help me later tonight because I have to go to work right now.”

“Oh really? What kind of job do you have?”

I know it probably seems incredibly lame to those of you who would never play such games (and technically you’re right), but I made friendships back in those early days that I treasure even now. Hubby and I have actually met several online friends from that game in person as they’ve visited the DFW area for one reason or another. Do I need to spend any more time convincing you of my geekness? I hope not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gaming is a fun escape for both hubby and me, although I no longer play like I used to. I honor my adult responsibilities first…unlike some people around here. Personally, I find it difficult to relax and enjoy my time if every dish in the house is dirty and the carpet has chunks on it…but that’s just me. Not so much for the hubby.  I once came home from a weekend trip and found him eating soup from the gravy boat while he played on the Playstation, the sink and counters piled high with dishes that were not as important as completing the next mission on Call of Duty.

Don’t get me started.

I also love social media (if you’ve LIKEd my Facebook fan page and you see the crap I put up there every day, you already know this). Foursquare is fun as well because I get coupons and rewards for shopping and eating out…and I earn badges. Oh, I love to earn badges! I have no idea why, but I do. Something in my psyche is hard coded to respond to this kind of meaningless crap. Instead of trying to “fix” it, I’m just going to embrace it.

When Little Big Planet came out for Playstation 3, Hot Mess Hubby would tease me relentlessly because allegedly I had a “dopey smile” on my face every time I played.  (I still insist it’s my “game face” and not just a regular dopey smile.)  I really loved making Sack Boy run and jump through the make believe world of Little Big Planet, earning amazing goodies and prizes as I went through each level. Seriously, that’s what they’re called in Little Big Planet.  Doesn’t that sound like so much fun? Who doesn’t love goodies and prizes?

In yesterday’s blog, I shared with you that 2013 is going to be the year that I move more and tackle my exercise demons. As always, my process involves me doing this my way. I hate gyms, so that’s not an option. In fact, anything that requires me to drive to it…ain’t gonna happen.  I’m too good at talking myself out of it and it’s just not a battle I’m going to fight with myself right now.  I feel confident that things will change later.

Jazzercise and Zumba are also not options for me at this time. I would love to go bike riding, but I fear that any bike I buy will have to come with a discount card to a local proctologist so that I can have the seat removed from my ass when I’m done with my ride for the day. You’re welcome for that mental image, by the way.

I’m going to be creative about my exercise tasks in 2013 – especially in the beginning because mentally I’ll be screaming like a little baby every time I have to bend at the waist. I hate exercise. What I need is something fun and distracting to get me through the beginning until it becomes more of a habit. I need social media. I need to earn pixelated badges that ultimately mean nothing but put a smile on my face nonetheless. I need to level up. I need quests and challenges – especially if I get more badges and trophies for completing them!

Fellow Hot Messes, I present to you….Fitocracy.

Fitocracy is an online social media platform centered around living a fit lifestyle…one in which you level up and earn badges for logging your healthy activities. WHAT??? Badges??? I am there!

I’ve been messing around with it for the past week or so and I have to tell you…it’s cute. And fun. It’s free to sign up and use…so there’s no financial burden. There is a paid membership available with a few extra benefits, but nothing that wow’d my pants off.  (Unlimited work outs to save on your profile, etc.)  At my fitness level, unlimited workouts don’t really concern me.  I’d be ecstatic just making exercise a consistent habit, so let’s not get all fancy just yet.

A word: when you first sign up, Fitocracy takes the liberty of putting you in a few groups and giving you some friends so you’re not all lonely and loser-ish. One of the groups I was put in was for strength training/weight lifting enthusiasts…and when I logged in one day, I saw this comment by someone:

“Lost weight over the holiday…totally not happy about that, but what can I do?”

Yeah, I left that group with a quickness. I need to be around people I can relate to.  But if they don’t hook you up with anyone, your “wall” is going to be blank…so they’re trying to help and I give them props for that. Click around and see what you like or don’t like…leave groups you’re not interested in and join the ones that tickle your fancy.

One of the coolest features? I was able to create a group for us!!! Hot Mess Princess fans UNITE!!!  But first you have to sign up for your free account. If you can, please use the link below to join because guess what? I get a special badge for that! I also get a free month of Fitocracy “Hero”, which is their paid version…but honestly, I don’t see that it would be of much use to me. I just want the eff’in badge. Seriously. If you don’t want to click my link, then I’ll forgive you…and I still hope you come and play with us.

Here’s the link I would like you to click when you’re ready to join:  Fitocracy

Clicking that link and joining will get me a fabulous HERO badge.  Do it, do it!

Once you’re signed up then go ahead and join the Hot Mess Princess group here:  Hot Mess Princess Blog Fans

Once you’re all done, comment here with your user name so that the friend requests can start flying. My user name is, of course, HotMessPrincess.  No spaces.

Members can start duels with each other and we can have group challenges.  This actually sounds fun to me…and I hope it sounds fun to you.  I’m really looking forward to using Fitocracy to motivate myself AND you to move more. I hope this turns out to be as much fun as it seems! Come play with me!!

Now…want to see what a Fitbit is like? Watch for tomorrow’s post. I bought mine today and I’m test driving it now!  So far, I’ve climbed the world’s tallest pencil.

I’ll explain tomorrow.

The picture below is a little something sweet to end my geek sermon with…back before Hot Mess Hubby and I were married, he gave this item to me in the first game we ever played together.  It was a time in his life when he was wondering whether he should stop procrastinating and just ask me out.  One of his rare romantic moments.  Sometimes pixelated moments are precious too.

Hubby’s character was named Deadhead. He’s not extremely creative, but he can be very sweet.

Happy Thanksgiving, Y’all!

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Hi everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not (hey, I do have some fans outside the USA…) I just wanted to send this quick message out there from the Hot Mess household.  I’m thankful for each and every one of you.

Thanks so much for reading my blog and supporting me this past year here and on my Facebook fan page, on Twitter, and Pinterest.  I truly appreciate all of you.

Now…I have to brag a little.  I just got done making the cornbread for today’s dinner with the new pan I found on Amazon.  I shared this last week on my Facebook fan page and have put the link below as well.  Thanksgiving may be over, but it’s still fall and there are many dinners that can be snazzed up by this pan.  I’ll tell ya what…I feel a little badass even though the pan did all the work for me.  Check out my cornbread acorns:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aren’t these adorable???  I feel like Martha-fuck’in-Stewart and all I did was fill each acorn 3/4 full with Jiffy boxed cornbread batter. Ha ha!

They’re larger than they look at about 2 1/2 inches long.  You can also use a cake mix and frost two halves together to make a full acorn.  So far, I’ve counted 26 eye rolls from the Hot Mess Hubby over these bad boys.  My mission is complete.

I wish you and your family a healthy, happy holiday season!

(Oh and did I mention this: it’s actually made in the USA!!!)

 

Nordic Ware Platinum Acorn Cakelet Pan

Hot Tip Tuesday: Grill for It!

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Hey y’all!

Starting a new feature here on the blog:  Hot Tip Tuesday!

I get a lot of emails and direct messages on Facebook & Twitter asking me all kinds of things…so what better place to share those questions and answers than here on the blog?

The first question I’m sharing is one that has a lot of answers, but I’m going to choose one of my favorite answers to share here.  The question?

How do you find the time to eat healthy?

Going from Twinkie-bingeing couch potato to healthy eating Hot Mess Hottie is very hard, I’m not gonna lie or try to sugar coat it.  But here’s the most important takeaway from today’s post:  everything is do-able…even sometimes easy…if you put your brain to the problem and find what works for you.  If I could share only one lesson with my blog it would be just that.

You have to find a path that works for you.  That’s why I’m not following a cookie cutter diet and fitness plan.  I’m choosing what works for me – and having great tools along the way is extremely important.  How do I find the time to eat healthy?  I’m going to share a big time saving tool with you today.

For me, one part of living a healthy lifestyle that always seemed like such a pain in the ass was cooking for myself.  Standing in front of a stove, stirring and waiting for my dinner to hurry up and cook, was not appealing in the slightest. It seemed so much easier to just drive thru somewhere or order pizza.  BOOM!  Dinner is done.

Well, I know I’m preaching to the choir when I point out that it’s not so convenient when that fast food and pizza ends up on your ass…right?  It’s a lot less fun to work it off than it is to eat it in the first place…but that’s the way it works.  Life is so eff’in unfair!

One of my biggest issues is that when I get home I’m usually pretty hungry.  If I wait too long to cook, I don’t just get hungry…I get HANGRY.  This is a problem for me.

To prevent getting hangry, I love tools that help me cook a healthy meal quickly.  I especially believe that preventing hangry rage is essential in the first month or two of healthy changes – especially if you intend to stick with it.  Make things as easy as possible and you take away all the excuses that so easily pop into your head as you’re pulling into the drive thru.  It is possible to take care of yourself and not spend all night cooking and cleaning complicated meals.

When I first started eating healthy, I used my George Foreman grill so much that I actually scrubbed off part of the non-stick coating.  So I bought another one.  Same story.  After that, I decided to do a little homework.  After reading a lot of customer reviews, I settled on Cuisinart’s Griddler.

(By the way, Cuisinart has not compensated me for this blog post.  They have no idea who the hell I am…so please don’t take this as a sales pitch…I’m just sharing what works for me.)

The thing I liked most about a George Foreman-like grill was the fact that I could throw a chicken breast in it and grill it from the top AND the bottom.  Although some of the George Foremans have detachable plates that can go in the dishwasher, the non-stick coating still didn’t hold up to my use…and I couldn’t buy replacement grill plates for the ones I had.  The Cuisinart Griddler runs about the same price as the grill I was using – but it also comes with temperature controls, reversible grill plates, a hinge release that lets both sides lay flat so I can use it as a griddle…AND I can buy replacement plates for $40.  Sold!

(I’ve since learned that Cuisinart also sells waffle iron plates for the Griddler…but I have a waffle iron that makes Texas shaped waffles and I would feel traitorous if I ever made a square waffle again.)

If you’re lucky enough to live near a Bed Bath & Beyond, grab one of those wonderful 20% off coupons they send out and get a Griddler.  If not, Amazon has the best price I’ve found…especially if you’re an Amazon Prime member and you get free 2 day shipping.  My Griddler has withstood a huge amount of use and it’s still going strong.  It’s one of my favorite tools in my fat fighting arsenal.

Now when I get home, I throw a chicken breast or a turkey burger in the Griddler and then I go about making my side dish…hassle free.  I don’t have to juggle multiple burners or worry about what’s in the oven – or heat the house up in the middle of the Texas summer.  Griddler wins, hands down.

I work full time, so saving time & hassle is a big goal for me when I get home.  The Griddler was the most economical and versatile solution to my problem.  I can’t recommend it enough.

I hope you enjoyed the first edition of Hot Tip Tuesday.  If you have a tip to share or you’d like me to talk about a certain subject, please contact me either here on the blog…or on Facebook or Twitter.

Happy Tuesday!

Cuisinart Griddler

Just Rewards

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I’ve been at it again.  I’ve been busy at work making Big Fat Crafts!  Woohoo!!!

Remember Motivation Marbles? They’re great for keeping track of “the big picture” with my weight loss goals.  If I’m having a day that more craptastic than fantastic, just glancing at the “Pounds Lost” jar and seeing all those marbles (one for every pound) instantly makes me feel like a fat fight’in superstar.  I love taking marbles from the “Pounds to Go” jar and plinking them into the “Pounds Lost” jar almost as much as I love watching the numbers on the scale go down…down…down.

As much fun as that is for me (and for all of you who have created your own marble projects), I’ve been thinking lately that a little motivation of the more immediate kind might make things more interesting in the short term.  If you have a lot of weight to lose like me, it can be a real pain in the booty to stay focused and motivated.  I don’t know about you, but I need all the help I can get.

To help keep things interesting, I’ve decided to buy myself a lil sump’in sump’in for every 50 pounds I lose – and this new craft project is the perfect way for me to make sure I get my just rewards.  Now I can see the reward and save for it at the same time.  Check it out:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I turned a shadow box into a savings bank with a twist!

This project is three of my favorite things:  fun, easy, and quick.  Here’s what you need to get your Just Rewards:

*  a shadow box of your choice

*  colored scrapbook paper or fabric

*  blingy alphabet stickers

*  a small power tool like a Dremmel…or a drill (this part is optional…read on)

*  a photo of the reward you’re saving for

I’m within weeks of hitting my first 50 pound weight loss (go, me!) and I’ve decided that I’m going to reward myself with a new Guess watch.  Those of you who’ve read this blog for a while and know me for the handbag ho that I am are probably shaking your heads in disbelief, right?  Would you believe there are no decent designer bags within my $150 budget?  None!

It’s okay, though, because I’m getting a little tired of yanking my phone out of my purse just to see what time it is.  I need a watch…and this one’s gorgeous!

A few tips:

*  I took a screenshot of the watch and printed it out at the photo kiosk at my neighborhood drug store.  My printer sucks…and this was cheaper than an ink refill!

*  I used tweezers to lightly place the blingy alphabet stickers. I didn’t press them against the glass until I was sure of the placement.

*  I used scrapbook paper for my background, but I’ll probably use fabric for my next one.  The paper kept slipping and it was hard to manipulate without creasing.

*  I had the Hot Mess Hubby cut a piggy bank style slot in the top of the shadow box frame so I could use it like a bank.  I assumed he had some super cool tool in his “woodshop” that would do it, but I found out later he just used a regular drill and made hole after hole after hole.  Then he used a file to even it out.  (I didn’t even ask why that was the chosen method…I was just happy he got it done!).

*  If you don’t have the means to cut a piggy bank slot and you don’t know anyone who can, don’t worry – you can always just pop the back off and put your money in there.  The main benefit you’ll reap from this project is seeing your reward and the money you’re paying yourself to get it.  🙂

Since I have a hard time motivating myself to exercise, I pay myself $5 for every 30 minutes on the treadmill.  I keep my Just Rewards bank on the wall above the treadmill so I can see it while I walk.  It reminds me of the pretty little bling thing I’ve got coming my way if I just stick with it.

One of the things I really love is that I can change out the background and the picture for each 50 pound goal.  I’m just about to hit the first 50 pound loss mark, but remember:  I have to turn around and do it 3 more times…and then some.  Having an incremental reward like this adds extra motivation and fun – not to mention it gives me something else to look at besides the bland, still not decorated walls in my bedroom!

I’ve put some links at the bottom in case you decide to start your own Just Rewards project.  If you make one, I’d love to see it – so feel free to contact me and let me know how you did!

That’s it for this edition of Big Fat Crafts, kids…now it’s time for me to get moving.  I have 8 pounds to go before I hit that first 50 pound goal and then this Princess is gett’in a new watch!

What blingy things would you reward yourself with?


Main Street Décor Showdowbox Photo Frame, White


Crystal Stickers Crystal Alphabet-Clear

I Need Patience…RIGHT NOW!

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One of my readers (hello, Ms Monica!) has asked me to share how I’m handling things foodwise and I promised to share that info here on the blog. So tonight I will explain the plan of attack I have used on my food demons for the last 4 months.

When I first started this “magical adventure of change” last December, I was a very different person than the savvy, has-it-all-together, laugh-in-the-face-of-Twinkies girl you see today…smirk. I was a Hot Mess. Back then, deciding to eat healthy meant flinging myself head first into extremes and setting myself up for failure with what I call “boot camp mentality”. A healthy change meant denying myself all enjoyment in food and forcing broccoli down my throat in large quantities. This, of course, sent me into withdrawals from Little Debbie cream filling (picture me sobbing “Why, God…why???” in a scalding hot shower…sort of reminiscent of Silkwood).

Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic – but it was bad. BAD.

The first thing I did when I got serious was to buy one of those huge books that gives you the breakdown of every food imaginable. This is the one I used:


The Complete Book of Food Counts, 9th Edition: The Book That Counts It All

I’m a Kindle girl, but I bought a hard copy of this sucker so I could hunker down on the couch with my highlighter and go to town. I highlighted every food (healthy and not-so-healthy) that I truly enjoy. Key word: ENJOY. If you know me at all, you know that the words pickle, lettuce, and bean were NOT highlighted. Blah!

With that accomplished, I set about making three lists:

· Foods I can eat (healthy foods or foods that I knew I could reasonably moderate)
· Foods that were naughty but I knew I couldn’t live without
· Foods that were so naughty that I would be giving them up… for 3 months

(I wanted time to really make healthy a habit before even trying to let these foods back in my menu plan)

Every single highlighted food was put on one of those 3 lists. Examples? You want examples? I’ve got examples!!

Chicken. I actually enjoy chicken very much. That went on the “Foods I can eat” list.

Buffalo wings. Naughty. VERY naughty. But I knew that I could not give them up…at least not cold turkey, so they went on the “Can’t Live Without” list.

Ice cream. Sweet Creamy Frozen Milk of Satan. I can’t have it. I can’t be trusted with it. If it’s in the house, I can’t stop thinking about it until I’ve eaten every last drop of it. So, as I wept softly to myself, I put ice cream on the “Give Up for 3 Months” list. Sweet mother of all things holy…I started to realize that I was serious.

 

I mulled over the “Give Up for 3 Months” list. I considered each food listed. I thought about the taste of it, the enjoyment of it, and the impact of eating it while trying to eat healthy and “behave”. If there was anything that I knew I wouldn’t be able to moderate (like ice cream), it went on that list. That was about as “tough love” as I got with myself.

After I made my lists, I sat myself down for some good old fashioned mathematical fun. I figured out how many calories I would be able to eat a day and still lose weight. For me, that magical number was 1,400 calories per day. With that information in hand, I went back to my lists.

** For those of you who zoned out when I said I did the math myself, let me just say that I spent 20+ years following this diet or that, eating this or that, because every time I thought about going through the trouble of figuring it out for myself…I got intimidated. Google was my friend…and it’s yours too. Think twice before you let the diet industry tell you what’s best for you – that’s all I’m saying.

Back to my plan of attack…

I already knew I was a Hot Mess. Every time I tried to get healthy before, I allowed myself too many choices. I had always done what the diet & fitness industry said I should do and I didn’t pay attention to what I needed to do. I took a good look at all my failed attempts in the past and realized that I tried to run before I could walk…so I put myself on dietary training wheels.

Using the list of foods I could eat, I created a menu consisting of 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner, and 2 snacks. The entire day’s menu was within my 1400 calorie limit. I made sure the menu was balanced and contained only food choices that I was 100% happy with. There were no compromises here – no lettuce, no broccoli, no gnawing on raw carrots all day. I chose foods that I really enjoy: Special K Vanilla Almond cereal…grilled, super spicy chicken…cocoa roasted almonds…Laughing Cow garlic cheese wedges…Granny Smith apples…grapefruit…watermelon. These are all low calorie foods, sure…but they’re all foods I love. (Just FYI, those cocoa roasted almonds really killed my chocolate cravings.)

Here’s where you’re probably going to roll your eyes at me: I ate that same menu every day for about the first 2 months. Why? Because I didn’t want choices. That’s where I always failed myself. When I’m up at 5 am and trying to start my day AND new healthy habits, I don’t need to face off with a bunch of choices. This may come as a shocker, but I’m not exactly the perkiest bitch in the morning. I knew if I let myself have the power of choice, I’d sit on the couch in a half-snooze until it was time to grab my keys and head out the door…then I’d drive through Starbucks for a venti artery clogger and a maple oat scone. Not a good start for Dianne – and it would just get worse from there. I used that one menu like a suit of reinforced titanium armor, peeps…and I headed into battle with the food demons.

Eating the same thing every day was not and is not the final solution for me, but it did make things so much easier in the beginning. Sure, there were days when it got a little boring and there were times when I was really tempted to eat some kind of crap – but I just kept reminding myself how unhappy I would be if I broke my promise. I reminded myself how I would feel if I gave up…again. Overall, I found a real sense of security in eating the same meals every day. I clung to it like a life raft.

After about 2 months, I branched out a little and let myself make substitutions here and there. Now, 4 months later, I have about 3 different breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that I choose from. I plan to keep adding more choices until I can eat like a normal human being. I know that whatever combination of meals I choose, I’ll end my day somewhere between 1200 and 1400 calories. I don’t log my food anymore. Once in a while, I get buffalo wings…or pizza…or something naughty. I compensate by eating lighter the rest of the day. I haven’t had ice cream sweet creamy frozen milk of Satan since I started living healthy…because there’s some shit you just don’t mess with. Why poke a tiger with a sharp stick?

 

If I sound like an addict in a 12 step program, well…you’re not far from the truth. You don’t get to weigh 381 pounds because you just like cookies. But I’ll tell you what: alcoholics & drug addicts don’t have to drink or do drugs in order to stay alive. Not true for us food addicts. I’m not trying to make light of anyone’s struggles in any way, but facing the devil is somewhat unique if food is your drug of choice. Whatever the addiction, though, there are always underlying issues and this happens to be the way through it for me. Baby steps and training wheels…and it’s working.

Proof? Look at my weight loss ticker up there on the right. 36 pounds are gone now. I’ve lost 2 more pounds in the last couple days. The fat’s coming off whether it wants to or not…because I finally stopped following other people’s plans and doing what other people said would work. I haven’t done anything crazy like ignore my doctor or go on the “eat pork rinds all day diet”. I’ve been responsible with my health – and you should too. I slowed down and started paying attention to what was working…and what was not working – which is truly an accomplishment for someone who lives for instant gratification. It’s really hard to make a change & stick with it long enough to see if it works or not – especially when all you want to do is take a miracle fat sucking pill and sit your ass on the couch.

This patience shit can be frustrating! Now I’m fully on board because I see that this baby steps thing really works for me. A little setback doesn’t derail my progress for a whole day…or week. There was a time when one little screw up would be just the excuse I needed to give up and grab a pint of mint chip because I didn’t have a perfect day. Now all I care about is keeping myself on the road and moving forward – even if I’m not going as fast as everyone else thinks I should be. And that’s how I’m doing this…each and every day. It brings to mind a quote that I have hanging over my treadmill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A year from now, I plan to be at least 100 pounds lighter.

Where will you be?   Let’s go. 🙂