Weigh-in Wednesday (on Saturday?): Week 5 of 10

Hi team. Sorry I've been MIA but this summer schedule is hectic to say the least. If you call hectic spending nearly everyday from 11ish till 4ish at the local pool drowining in chlorine and then house-wifing it for the remainder of the time while simultaneously trying to cram some actual work, work in. But it's been a blessing spending so much time with the little man. Speaking of time, I can't believe it's only 5 weeks until I get my toes back on Montenegrin soil!

Also sorry about throwing my WAJ commitment out the window but i seriously don't have the time (or haven't made the time). But I've been doing well. I am still hovering in low 73 territory with perhaps 1 day of cheating a week. I do need to break that number and will persevere with renewed energy this week. I am not feeling bad about this stalemate only because I have been regularly "doing my exercises" every night. Except for last night when I opted out and opted in to an ice cream bar instead...ha!

I smell like chlorine. I reek of it actually. I cannot imagine what it's doing to my skin and hair though I am trying to exfoliate and expensive shampoo myself from top to bottom to avoid any long term damage. Look at the chemical concoction I'll marinate myself in to keep the little man smiling. Am I a great Mom or what? ha!

Well that's all for now. I'm sure I'll be back to regular blogging once summer's officially over. In the meantime, I'm enjoying my time "off".

Hope you're all doing great and the sun is shining wherever you are. xo

Dear Poolers

As you may have read, little man and I have been spending these hot summer days (in Uppsala? gasp!) at the local watering hole. Almost.every.single.day for over 2 weeks (or more). It's really made the days and weeks fly by, especially since we found Joe's daycare buddy and his Mom to chum around with.

And spending nearly all day, everyday at the same location, I obviously have some observations/notes/criticisms I'd like to share with y'all (or at least document for the hell of it).

1. There is one microwave for the hundreds or maybe thousands (was never good at crowd estimations) of bathers. This is likely to discourage folks from bringing their own food and instead, spending the small fortune on poolside cuisine. Fk that. Little man's gourmet lunch today consisted of canned ravioli. I may be cruel enough to serve it, but definitely not cruel enough to serve it cold. So off I go to queue in the microwave line. And who is ahead of me but the lady I refer to as "the big boobed blonde with more moles than I have freckles and no ass in a leopard print bikini, a something-month old baby and a flat stomach." I hate her. And now I hate her more. Laid out on the counter are 4, count them, FOUR, scrumptious looking quiches on individual plates lined up for the microwave.

Did I mention there is 1 microwave and a queue? And each of these tasty lunch treats takes 6 minutes to COOK in the only microwave at the facility. Note for you big-boobed flat bummed moley leopard lady: The only microwave for hundreds is for warming food, NOT for cooking it. Are you mental? Is your brain blonde too?

I stood there watching quiche #2 at 4:30 as I began to give off a little heat myself. Just stick quiches 3 & 4 on my head. Your food will cook. Trust me. There she was, not a care in the world chatting away with her friend while the line-up kept growing. I swore to myself that if she dared stick another one of those pastries in that micro, I was going to step in and save the day. Fortunately, when the timer went off, she had the good sense to turn to me, grunt something inaudible in Swedish (which I took for go-ahead lady with the baby belly, stick in your canned goods).

2. Watch your kids for crying out loud. I have a mild panic attack at least 3x/day watching toddlers in harm's way while parents fail to parent. I've actually had to save one myself. Your fun poolside gabfests are gonna be cut short real quick when someone sees your child floating upside down in the water. And I did not write that last sentence lightly. This is not a joke. It only takes a minute for your world to change dramatically. Being a former lifeguard, I've witnessed it.

On a related note, if your 3ish year old boy is screaming, crying and throwing a tantrum at the thought of going down a waterslide on an innertube with you, chances are it's not such a good idea to drag him up to the top. Especially if you can't swim. And it's also an even worse idea to actually go down said waterslide. With me and my kid behind you. Because when me and my kid arrive at the spot where you have to pull yourself on a rope along to the next small drop and see both of you have fallen off your innertube and you're losing your grip on your kid, who is partially drowning...I can't do much about it. Though I was in control of my kid and my innertube at the time (as much as you can be with gushing water) so I tried to help you. But in those few seconds, it was between my kid and yours. Mine will win. By the Grace of God, some man appeared along the side of the slide to save your kid and you...you stupid, stupid woman.

3. I've gotten a few sideways glances when my little man climbs up the hill to make a pee in the woods. How about saving your glances for the kids who warm the pool. I really do not want to think about the amount of urine I consume on a daily basis. Oh no. I just did.

Yesterday, we went to a wonderful place called SommarParken (Summer Park) near Dalarna (cottage country in Sweden and a 2.5 hour drive from Uppsala). It was soooooo much fun. Here's a not-so-flattering, (actually more flattering than me in that dress you all seemed to like) shot of me standing by the slide with little man at the bottom. I'm keepin' it real folks.

WAJ:
Yesterday was a total and complete write-off. It started with some pastry and ended with some candy. And in the middle there were hamburgers (no buns) but the fries made up for the bunlessness. No exercise either, unless you count the countless treks up and down hills at the waterpark with innertubes. Which is exercise, believe you me.
But today, GAME ON again. Brekky: Eggs Lunch: Sliced Ham, pickles, Cheese Supper: chicken, salad and a few carrots. Exercise: You know my drill by now. Maybe that's what there is some awkward definition in the abdominal area in the photo, which goes well with my uneven tan..ha!

Weigh-in Wednesday (on Thurs): Week 4 of 10

Hi folks! Back down to a steady 73..that is, until last night....ooopsie daisy..ha! I finally got "let out of the cage" and went out with the girls! It was such a great time. A new friend of ours (the couple we spent Midsummer - drunk hubby crashing bike - with and celebrated her hubby's 40th - porcelain bus ride for me-) invited me out for drinks with her best girlfriend. We laughed, we drank, we laughed some more, we drank some more, we ate chili nuts, we watched Spain kick some German butt and I dismissed myself from their company at a respectable 10:30pm.

Boy did I need that. And I didn't feel bad about the rose wine, pear cider and rose mixed with Fanta? And today I was back at it. Back on the diet, back to the workouts. I even added 10 minutes of leg pilates! How proud of me are you guys? I plan on setbacks but I also plan to make up for them. Where before I would let a setback like this ruin the next 2-3 days, I now feel an increased sense of responsibility to myself and to you guys to grab the reins again.

I can't deny myself the plate of spaghetti I was served before we went out but I can choose to half the noodle portion and double up on the sauce! I didn't dare step on the scale again this morning though. Instead, I'll wait a few days if that's alright by you.

Been spending everyday (almost) at the local pool with the little man and this week we ran into one of his friends from school. Joy! Guess I should mention that this little friend of his is Portuguese and his mother barely speaks English or Swedish. So it's been fun having conversations that involve our invented breed of sign language. She really is sweet and I'll do just about anything to ensure the little man has a playmate :-). Day after day after day in a bikini. Should I be wearing one? Probably not. But neither should 85% of the women who are wearing them either. So I fit right in...LOL.

Alright a little uhmmm..treat...for you guys. Me, last night, before I went out. It's really not a flattering shot but gotta keep it real! Note to self: Soooo shoulda worn a bra.

Sunshine and Lollipops

The sun has been shining here in Uppsala and we've been soaking up the rays with the rest of the stay-at-homes at Fyrishov, the local watering hole. We're taking picnic lunches everyday so as to save some coin and only spending on drinks, etc. I was looking forward to getting a bicycle to bike there and back but hubby pointed out something rather insightful: These people (in Sweden) are born with a bicycle seat attached to their rears and I am not. Wobbly enough on a bicycle without the added weight of a youngster, I'm not sure I'm willing to risk "it" to save some gas and the ozone. Sorry earth lovers. But I do compost!

I've been all over the map lately with emotions. One minute I'm bitter. The next I'm lonesome. Today while we were chatting with some friends over coffee, hubby was asked how he's feeling (about the direction of our business, the future, etc.) and hubby replied, "I'm thinking about Canada". Or something like that. But it kind of threw me a bit as I had never heard him say this out loud before. But in the next breath he spoke about this adventure being our future and how we were going to fight to make a go of it. I'm just not sure how much longer either of us can sacrifice to chase our rainbow...or what that rainbow even is anymore. Maybe it's not even a rainbow. It could be an ardvark (little man's fave animal these days).

And then I got to thinking. Gosh, we are always wanting what we don't have in life. I know, not that insightful. But it made me take stock of what we do have. I, for one, am able to stay home with my son all summer long...working when I feel like it. Taking off to the beach if the mood strikes. How many of you in North America are able to just pick up and go right now? How many of your kids are in childcare all year long, with the exception of your 2..maybe 3 weeks of vacation/year? This would be my life back home, of that I'm almost certain. Daycare drop-off 7amish. Pick-up 6pmish. And repeat. But then it need not be I guess. We are the architects of our lives.

We have made some friends here and I'm feeling more and more of a closeness develop with certain people and for that I'm grateful.

But we do miss "home'" very much. Why can't we just have it all?

WAJ:
I really gotta keep up with this. I find I'm busier now than I was when I was "working" full-time.
Yesterday:
Brekky: Egg Salad
Bad snack: Friends came over for coffee and brought a bagful of sinfully sweet pastries. I had half a weiner bread. Now it's not like it sounds. It's actually some kind of danish with amazing creamy filling..delish. No hot dog in there.
Lunch: Meatballs & salad
Dinner: Gaspatzcho (sp) and leftover hamburger pattie
Snack: Smoked peperroni stick.
Exercise: Been keeping up with my routine but I seriously gotta add another set of exercises for my legs. I'm no longer sweating through these...though they do remain challenging.
Comments: I don't seem to be losing any weight...low 73s. Gotta change up something to kick start the fat burning.

Beachin' it

Sorry I've been MIA, both in writing and commenting on all your lovely posts. Well Week #1 with the little man home (for 8!) is complete. We were at the beach (local outdoor pool park) and made a trip to the library, downtown. I'm waterlogged as the little man could spend all day wet if I let him. And my hair WILL be green by the end of the summer. Time to buy me some expensive chlorine-combatting shampoo.

"I'm glad you're here Mommy." My favourite quote from the little man these days.

Change is imminent on the job front...people leaving and hopefully some coming in. Hubby is overworked and stressed out...not fun and it will only get worse until we leave for Montenegro. I should say "if" but I refuse to. We deserve this vacation and if the company falls apart while we're gone, well so be it. Not that I entirely mean that. This company is not only our livelihood but our future. So hoping the winds of change will come roaring in soon.

Still parading around in a (string no less) bikini that I wore a few summers and a few pounds ago in Montenegro. But meh. There are far larger bodies poured into bikinis so I'm not concerned.

With the exception of downing a huge tub of popcorn and a bag of candy at the movies the other night, I'm not doing too shabbily. Let me explain the carb fest: I was supposed to be joining my friend and her daughters for dinner before the Eclipse premiere (no I am not a Twi-hard but went with them for some laughs) but hubby was running late on his way back from Stockholm so I missed out. And the theaters here are NOT like the those back home, so I had no choice. I was famished. Sucks being on a carb-reduced diet when you're in a pinch. Especially in Sweden where bread, pasta and the like are such staples (mainly due to the high costs for meat).

But I'm back at it folks. WAJ: eggs, salads and cold meats/cheese/hotdogs for lunch and chicken fajitas/fried balogne/steak for dinners. Oh and Butt Blaster/Ab workout too. I'm packing our lunches for poolside so as not to be tempted by all the sugary/carby/expensive things at the canteens.

Not much else new. Gotta run and get hubby to fire up the grill.
Lots of summer love being sent your way!

Bathing Beauties & WAJ

So I've spent the past two days at our local watering hole, the kind that has two outdoor pools and double that inside. My sanity for the summer is a summer pass for the fam. We're actually headed there soon so had better keep this post short.

For the past 2 days I've worn a one-piece I.could.be.training.for.the.Olympics Speedo-type suit in a sea of bikinis. I stick out and for all the wrong reasons. I just cannot bring myself to uhmm "blend in" with my I.had.a.baby.(4.years.ago) belly and other flabby parts. But in my very aware state these past few days, I've noticed something. I have not seen a perfect body there. And I've been looking. Wow, she's gorgeous...varicose veins. I wish I had her chest...washboard ASS. She had a baby 6 months ago?... Cellulite. It's been a fun flaw finding mission. Nice eh? Yes, the girl that looks like she might have broken some kind of world record...when she was young and fit of course and wearing a suit 3 sizes smaller...is judging you to make herself feel better for feeling bad.

So today, I bit the bullet and realizing that there are way fatter fatties than this fatty, I squeezed myself into a bikini and sauntered my pale jellybelly, sunburnt shoulders and nasty burn lines poolside without a care in the world. Seriously. Judging by many of those I'm judging, who are they to judge?

It's amazing how much another 1.5-2 day carb fest has set me back. Seems like weight piles on in equal proportions to the bad foods I'm consuming....urghhh. 1 step forward and 2 back. But at least I know now that I just plain can't cheat without suffering the consequences. But again, after 2 days off the exercise, a pancake here an ice cream bar there, I got back down on all fours and started reblasting that butt.

So WAJ
Yesterday: Can't remember but it was good.
Today
Brekky: 2 hard boiled eggs
Snack: Apple + a morsel of little man's ice cream. minor infraction in the grand scheme of things.
Lunch:  Leftover hamburgers from the night before. Cold.
Dinner: Fried Baloney + salad! YUM.
Exercise: Butt blaster and Ab workout x 2. Gonna try to tack on some legs tonight too.

Ps. Dear Sweden: In North America, we have these barriers between the inside and outside world called S-C-R-E-E-N-S. They are made of some kind of light meshy metal full of teeny, tiny holes. They are meant to let the air in while keeping the bugs out. Look them up.

Weigh-in Wednesday: Week 3 of 10

Well, I didn't manage to escape my 1 evening of excess alcohol consumption and 1-day Carb Fest unscathed. The scales have tipped to the low 73s again. F-word. But I was not and am not deterred. I picked myself up off the bathroom floor, wiped myself down and climbed back over to my makeshift exercise mat. No wallowing over here.

And tomorrow the Midsummer celebrations begin in full-force, culminating in an all-day drunk fest on Friday. Though I think based on my last experience, I may sit this one out. And in Sweden when you sit it out you REALLY sit it out. There's no such thing as even 1 drink with a zero-tolerance drinking and driving law. And on Midsummer? You are guaranteed to get stopped by the cops and always guaranteed a breathalyzer.

There was a birthday party today. I had a morsel of cake. But just a morsel. Apart from that, the past 2 days have seen good brekkies, lunches and dinners with some apples thrown in for good measure. And a lot of butt blasting and ab crunching. Dare I say it's working? Even with the scales trying to get me down..or maybe that's up, I feel a notable difference in my tight-waisted exercise pants. Not so tight around the waist.

So I'm winning some and losing some. Next week will see my chasing the little man around the local pool every morning for the next 6 weeks and hopefully, a daily bike ride to the watering hole. Need to get a bike is all.

So there you have it folks. How are you all doing? Talk to me. Thanking you all for your continued support and encouragement. Love you all! xo

Some randomness and WAJ

Hubby took little man swimming this weekend, some daddy and son time away from Mom. I got caught up on work and they splished and splashed. As hubby finished shimmying little man's head through his shirt hole, little man looked up at him and stated, "Daddy, you're a nice boy." Then he gave him a big hug. Hubby welled up recounting this heartwarming exchange to me later that day.

Little man and I were in the park the other day making sand shapes in the box when a neighbour boy the same age arrived with his Farmor (Father's Mother, a.k.a Grandma) and little sister. While he went to shoot hoops (his Dad happens to be the coach for the men's bball team here in Uppsala), little man went about his business of stomping on my sand critters. After a few minutes, I asked him, "Why don't you go over and see if Pontus wants to hop on the trampoline?" He looked over at him, then at me and replied, "Mommy, he doesn't like to talk." Alrighty then.

Evidence that I rarely wear make-up: "Mommy, your eyes are black and pretty." Thanks.

"Mommy, what's an iganimation?"

Hubby took the train to Gothenburg (Göteborg) Tuesday night as he had meetings there on Wednesday. As he made his way down the aisle to his seat on the train home, he noticed a woman was having a terrible time with her seat. He stopped to help her fix it and continued on his merry way, famished.  After back to back meetings, he didn't have time for lunch so decided to pick up a sandwich, some wine and a chocolate bar in the food car. As he went to pay with his debit card, the cashier informed him that "Sorry sir, we only take Visa or cash" (of which he had neither). He pointed out that he could pay with a debit card on the train for a ticket if he wanted to but he realized there was nothing she could do about it so embarassed, he returned everything from where he got it and went back to his seat.

A few minutes later, a woman appeared next to his chair. It was the same woman who had been sitting next to the woman whose chair he helped fix. She handed him a cinnamon bun and a can of coke and said, "Please don't say anything. I felt bad for you. You seem like a gentleman. Please take this. I'm sorry it's not wine though." My husband, clearly humbled, said "Thank you." She left abruptly. He saved that can of coke. It's sitting on his desk upstairs.

About once every 6 months, I buy a baggie of hair ties. At the end of these 6 months, the only one left has expanded to the size of a saucer, eventually snaps under the weight of my hair mass and I end up with pencils in my head until I go searching through the house for an old one. Which I never find. Then I buy another baggie and start the over.

On a related note, I have big feet. Size 10 or 40 or however you're measuring. I do not dig ditches for a living or run 5k everyday. In fact, I spend the majority of my days on my ass. Yet, somehow, I'm sitting on said ass with my feet up and hubby exclaims, "How the hell is there a hole in your sock that stretches from your big toe to your ankle? And how the hell do you not notice it?"

On a related note, don't any of you wonder what it is I do for a living? Was thinking about this the other day. How I don't think I ever actually TOLD any of you. Well maybe I did, sorta. I'm not keeping it from you. It's not like I'm running a drug ring or a porn site. I'm "a writer". Not THAT kind of writer (cue a post from Mon on this subject). I'm a copywriter. Actually, I'm more than that. I'm a PR/Marketing guru. I just like the copywriting part best. I can't count the number of websites, press releases, brochures, business plans, ads, speeches, EMAILS, etc. I've written in these past 13 years. Mainly high-tech stuff but have dabbled in lots of other stuff. If you're selling it, I'm writing it.

On a completely UNRELATED note, 2 more sleeps till the big royal wedding here in Sweden. Crown Princess Victoria (she's beautiful, but did you expect anything less?) is marrying some Daniel dude. It's a HUGE deal. Can't wait to tune in on Saturday as I won't be making the trek to the big city for the mayhem.

Speaking of Swedes, I get such a kick out of them when it's Sunny and Warm. They will plunk themselves down by the river...river bed, hunk of concrete, park bench, and suntan away. Or they lean up against buildings with their faces to the sun. Or they grab a beach chair/blanket, find a field (proximity to water not important), strip down to their skivvies and bake. I guess it's because fine weather is a rare occurance in these parts. Not sure. But where I'm from, suntanning is reserved for the beach or poolside. And the water needs to be water one can safely swim in.

Wednesday/Thursday WAJ
Brekky: Egg salad/Apple
Lunch: Tuna salad/Some grocery store bought salad with garlic dressing and hardboiled egg
Dinner: The absolute worst store bought hamburgers EVER (I had to throw the last one out)/Kebab + salad
Exercise: None on Wednesday night because I had a conference call at 8:00pm and hubby arrived home from a night away in Gothenburg (but for the record, I knew I wouldn't be able to and I was bummed about it / Butt Blaster, Ab workout and OUCH!!!
Comments: 72.6.....c'mon ME!

Weigh-in Wednesday: Week 2 of 10

Can I get a "woo-hoo"? I did it. I stepped on the scale this morning and I cracked it. Not the scale but the 73...officially into 72 territory now. And "officially" means not 72.9 or 72.8 but 72.7. And I'll take it!

And I have the WAJs and all of you to thank! This week, my goal will be to crack the 72.5, inching closer to a steady 72. This exercise thing has been a pain in the ass. Literally. You try that Butt Blaster workout. I triple dog dare ya! With a total of about 20 minutes of ass and belly exercises a day for the past 8 days, I can see already that I'm less winded, less sweaty and a little less jiggly. So I need to add on some leg exercises and will be cruising sparkpeople.com for a short leg workout. These short burst workouts really work for me because I have a short attention span to begin with.

The upcoming weekend brings two things: 1. My first time out alone with hubby in God knows how long (well, since Christmas anyway) and 2. For a big birthday bash for a friend of ours turning the big 4-0. I am sooo excited (I know, kinda sad eh?) and equally petrified. There will lots of food and lots of booze. And when I start drinking, I start eating. I am going to program myself to only reach for MEAT but because this is a monumental occasion, I WILL be having some drinks. Need your help on this one though. Calling all Swedes: In Canada, they have low-carb coolers or at least they did five years ago. Do they have them here? And if not, what type of booze do you recommend for the low-carb committed me?

You'll notice we're at Week 2 of 10. Week 10 is August 11, exactly one week before I'm headed to Montenegro and the day I plan to pick up the season's first bikini. E-Gads! Will you see my hot bod plastered on a billboard near you at that time? But you will see my "she looks good for 33" body on this blog. The one with the little pouch at the front, a bit of cellulite at the back and two deflated balloons up top. Finished off with the white topping that is my skin. Nothing a little surgery won't fix. Kidding. Or not. ha!

Anyway, thanks again everyone for sharing your successes and struggles and for cheering me on. I know it's a little early to get THIS excited but damn it, I'm proud of me for the exercise part at least!

Mon/Tues WAJ

Mood: Surviving
Food:
Brekky: Leftover meatballs/Egg salad
Lunch: Leftover meatballs/Tuna salad
Supper: Fried Baloney + green salad (my favourite, seriously and no I don't care how it's made and no, I don't spell it "balogna")/Greek salad with tuna (cuz I forgot to defrost some meat)
Snacks: Apple/Apple + 1/4 of a Dora the Explorer cookie + a teaspoon (ok a tablespoon) of Peanut Butter
Fitness:
Butt Blaster and 15-minute ab work-out x 2! Need to find a leg exercise session to round these out though. Get rid of the inner thigh flab...

Comments: Truth be told, it's been a week + 1 day since my commitment and I ain't feelin' much skinnier. I think the culprit might be the mystery meat I've been consuming + the sauces. But other than that, I've been pretty much stickin' to it. Wish me luck for weigh-in tomorrow. Please, please,please let me head into 72ish territory...P.L.E.A.S.E!

Weekend WAJs

Mood: Overwhelmed but committed
Did not forget about you guys or my commitment to US. Just been a crazy, busy weekend trying to juggle little man with an obscene amount of work. I stuck to my diet, well sorta. See, I didn't cheat necessarily but I think I'm consuming more carbs than I should be. Just because I'm forgoing the flour wrap on the chicken fajitas, I'm still having a bit of taco sauce and sour cream (each with very few carbs) but throw in cheese, lettuce, tomato and fried peppers and it's likely a bit too much (for the early phase of Atkins anyway). And hot dogs for lunch...well that's about 6 grams of carbs or a bit more, so although I'm having no bun, if I have salmon with salad and some homemade sour cream/mayo kind sauce, well a bit too many carbs there too.

Seriously though, not a single morsel of the bad stuff...just need to pay more attention to the good stuff is all. I haven't weighed myself in awhile because even with the exercise, I'm not feeling any lighter. So I'd like to wait until this Wednesday to see if I need to make any changes to the regime.

Since I last checked in, I only skipped one night of exercise, which was last night. But I got back at the YouTube vids tonight. I'm feeling good folks. Though I will keep track every weekday, from Mon-Fri, I will only post WAJs twice/week (with all days) so as not to overwhelm my blog with them.

Love, Jenn xo

Wednesday WAJ

Mood: Hopeful

Menu:
Brekkie: Leftover hamburgers (sans buns of course) scarfed down by the kitchen sink with bernaise sauce residue cuz the hamburgers were steaming hot out of micro
Lunch: at like 4:30pm. Egg salad (1 M&M on the car ride home before egg salad)

Dinner: Low-carb meal at the Max hamburger franchise with half a side salad and 5 fries dipped in, you guessed it, bernaise sauce. And one and a half nuggets with the breading peeled off and 1 onion ring with the breading,cuz well, it was an onion ring!
Fitness:  40-minute power walk through mosquito infested woodland with walking buddy who told me the mosquitoes were biting because I wasn't walking fast enough!

Comments: I was teetering folks. I gotta be honest. After a long ass day in Stockholm and a shitload of rushing around this evening, I was ready to give my sore abs a rest tonight, ready for any excuse really. And then I saw Michelle's comment on my previous WAJ and suited up. Only to get a text from walking buddy. I.can't.feel.my.legs. Today was not a standard day in the life of "moi" but I managed. I did it. Golf claps please.

Tuesday WAJ

Mood: Motivated


Menu:

Brekkie: Egg salad

Lunch: Tuna salad with cukes & red onion

Dinner: Three homemade burgers with bernaise sauce (sauce is super high in fat at 77ish grams/100 grams but surprisingly low in carbs at 2.5/100 grams). Swedes eat this sauce with their steak. Me, I'd eat it by the spoonful if it wasn't so rich.

Fitness:
Bust Blasting Work-Out (6 minutes): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YBnm2ZJNCM&NR=1

Ab Work-Out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YI0cxuNcq8&feature=channel

Comments: I was a bit worried about today when I got a call from my friend asking me to come and see her daughter's performace at 6:30pm. Not only would I miss putting the little guy down (I can't count on 1 hand how many times I've missed THAT) but it would throw my whole nightly routine outta whack and give me a good excuse to bypass the butt eliminating exercises. Well friends, I gave myself a pep talk and here I am...sweaty and in pain. You may have watched the videos and are thinking: Oh please..what on earth could she be complaining about...it's like a grand total of 20 minutes? Well, try it. I dare ya.

Weigh-in Accountability Journal

Y'all were likely getting as frustrated with me as I was with me. Well after a shit weekend of indulging and feeling awful about it, I left the pity party and decided (again) to take action. Since I continue to be inspired by all of your successes and stories, I figured I owed ya one (or many) and have decided that I will hold myself more accountable.

So much can go wrong in a week...so why not check-in daily? I will not torture myself with daily weigh-ins but I WILL chronicle my food intake and exercise. These posts will be titled WAJ (for Weigh-In Accountability Journal) so feel free to dismiss them if you don't feel like a blow-by-blow of Jenn's Daily Regime. Here's my insightful intellectual reasoning behind this: I'm definitely gonna think twice before scarfing down the crust of the little man's toast in the morning if I know I have to tell you all about it later in the day. So here goes, Monday WAJ:

Mood: Motivated
Menu:
Brekkie: Egg salad
Lunch: Tuna salad with cukes
Dinner: Oven chicken with Greek salad and brocolli
Fitness: I found these Spark People Fitness Videos eons ago and decided to give them a go. Consider them dusted off and in full use for this week:
Bust Blasting Work-Out (6 minutes): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YBnm2ZJNCM&NR=1
Ab Work-Out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YI0cxuNcq8&feature=channel

Damn. Sweat was beading in every crack people. Shows how out of shape I really am.  Butt Crack Sweat is like Sweet Honey when said sweat contains tiny molecules of fat dripping from my expanded ass.

The walks were great BUT I really need company for those and seeing as though my company has gone MIA (yeah, I'm talkin' bout you "T"...though I'm to blame for the last bail out), it's my living room, a mat and my new BFF Nicole from YouTube.

Today was a good day friends! One day at a time and one WAJ (pronounced like the slang word for our you-know-whats but the "V" is silent) every night.

Weigh-in Wednesday (on Thurs.): Week 1 of many...

urghhhhhhhhhhhh........Can I get a swift kick in the ass please? Pretty please? Actually hovering near 74, when not so long ago I had broken down into 72ish territory. The kick in the ass should be applied to my entire life actually. Where I had written a week or so ago about a big change being imminent, said change is slowly fading into the background as living to work returns to our household. Am I an emotional eater? Likely. And a binger too.

I feel a bit vacant lately and whistful and nostalgic. I want to do something about our lives but am not quite sure how to go about it. I know many people that have made conscious decisions to improve their lives, their quality of life, have made a plan, stuck to the plan and succeeded. My problem is that I don't really know what it is that I want. Though I do know what I don't want: Chasing a carrot.

My dear Russian friend gave me some good advice recently, to continue on as before but to work toward the moment of change, which would take place on a set date, during our visit in Montenegro. Here we would be free from the daily humdrum and struggles, with a mind open to change and in an environment that envelops us in love. I like it. She also recommended a book that she was reading: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Oh, I also came across this book called something like, From Couch to 10k. Ever heard of it?

But I don't know that I can continue on for another month in this state of absentmindedness (is that a word?), on "hold", stuck in my self-created purgatory. Send me your recommendations on life-changing reading material. I'm all ears. Maybe I need to crack open my dusty Bible too...

Sorry, this post was meant to be inspirational! Ok, here's some inspiration: An old friend and blog reader has recently hit the 50 pound mark in weight loss. Way to go Mel! Another friend Michelle is also doing well. Though she doesn't have as much weight to lose, it's the lifestyle change I believe she's after...a healthier, better balanced her. Well if these stories aren't enough to get me going, what is?

In the meantime, somebody needs to get off her ass. That's me.

Weigh-in Wednesday: Week 5 of 5

Hello there from cold again Uppsala. We had a lovely week last week, temps as high as 26. And now we're back to 9 this morning.

I've broken the 73 barrier, hovering dangerously at 72.8. Feels good but would have felt even better if I'd have refused some yummy food and alcohol this past weekend. It's that initial taste of something forbidden that usually drives me into a downward spiral. I need to program myself so that when I do indulge in a bite, it doesn't lead to the whole damn slice, or 3. Workin' on it. Also managed to get in a walk, with another planned for tomorrow morning.

Hubby's away in Madrid this week so evening walks are outta the question.

Could be some big changes coming our way soon...I'll keep y'all posted.

So it's officially the last week of the extra weeks but I'm voting to keep going. We're planning to head to Montenegro in the middle of August (fingers crossed) so that gives me another...let's count...10 weeks or so to lose another 3 kilos and keep it off. I've made the decision not to send the little man to another school over the summer, which means I'll be freakn' busy for at least 8 weeks keeping him entertained while trying to work. I'm gonna buy a summer pass at the local swimming pool for the two of us, planning to go every morning, coming back around lunchtime. That'll be a constant reminder as I'll be sporting a swimsuit all summer long.

Then I can sit him in front of the tube guilt-free while I tend to business for a little while. Plus, I'm gonna recruit hubby to take him to the park every odd day for an hour.

I think it should all work out fine so long as we get a routine going. Little man, like most other children, thrive on routines. He likes to know what's coming next, as do I.

These days I've been really missing our family. Likely because I have no idea when we'll see any of them next. I come from a rather large family. Dad has 15 brothers and sisters. Every summer there's a wedding, reunion or some big family event and for the past four years, we've missed almost everything. I really want our son to grow up knowing and looking forward to these celebrations so it's killing me that a close cousin is getting married in August and we likely won't be making it. We can't do it all. Maybe someday...

Lots of love to all of you!

Weigh-in Wednesday (on Thurs.): Week 4 of 5

Oh God. I really need to step up my game. Still at 73.1 and desperately hoping to crack that ugly 3 and high tail it into 2 territory this week.

Did I tell you about my new love affair with apples? Yup, I allow myself an apple a day, I guess to keep the doctor away. Let's forget the 5 M&Ms I just inhaled, they don't count. Nothing to see here...So, Fiji apples from Australia! They're uber expensive (as far as apples go) and they're wrapped in some kind of non-enviro friendly styrofoam netting...but damn, they're tasty. And another apple splurge...some kind of Israeli apple...delish.

Exercise is still my enemy. It doesn't help that instead of power-walking last night, Neighbour Friend and I decided to hit the newest grocery store in town...I know Hy...I promised you 6 walks. Let's make tomorrow morning #1,shall we?

Been a little stressed lately:
- Trying to figure out if/when/where vacation in Montenegro will happen this summer.
- Trying to figure out what to do with the little man/work when he's off daycare for 6 weeks this summer.
- Trying to figure out why it is I'm putting my foot in my mouth lately.
- Trying to figure out...bills...
- Trying to figure out what our future holds in the midst of too much hard work and not enough play and if it's even worth it anymore...
And really, REALLY missing our family back home lately, especially not knowing when we'll be seeing any of them again.

So...a little on the sad side these days. But besides those 5 M&Ms, I gotta say, been doing good with the food. Have been following Michelle's advice and forcing myself to eat breakfast, which I think has helped immensely.

Lots of love to all of you, Jenn

Weigh-in Wednesday (on Thurs.): Week 3 of 5

Two weeks? Is that all I have left? 73.1! I'm creeping closer ladies! Been pretty strict about the eating habits as of late though only one powerwalk this week...but an effective one. I told neighbour friend that she should really stop lying to me. These are NOT powerwalks. They are powerHIKES. You wouldn't believe the inclines she has us tackling. Crazy woman! She's cruisin' on up and I'm ready to pass out with each painful step. As I can't seem to get it together without her, the plan is for a YouTube video on the off nights from now on.

Time is ticking and I have 4 more kilos to go, that's 8 lbs or so.

Or maybe I'll just give this little blog weekly the finger and make an appointment for lypo...ha!

Nah,  I'm not a quitter. At least that's what the lady who owns the apartment I want to rent this summer told me. I.cannot.stop.haggling. Which is weird because I'm not cheap in any other area of my life. But there's something about driving a stranger to give me a deal (actually in most cases it's driving a stranger to not rip me off). Though I did promise to bring her Swedish salmon if this all works out.

Summer is coming and my bikini is calling from its hibernation in the black hole that is my closet. The bikinis on the H&M models on bus stop billboards around town are also screaming. Why do these girls always have no boobs?

I hear Den is doing really great these past couple of weeks. She lost 2 of something but not sure if that's metric, imperial or what, so share Den!

Weigh-in Wednesday: Week 2 of 5

Welcome back ME! So...Moscow. In one word: amazing. In two words: Unbelievably Amazing. In three words: well, you get the picture.

Let's tally up scoring in the food vs. Jenn 5-day battle, shall we? Please note, scoring makes no sense whatsoever and is not to scale.

Saturday: Low-carb plane food, I win! Could I have been any more excited to see cold chicken breast, ham slices, onions, CHEDDAR cheese and cherry tomatoes being served? There WAS bread, but I gave it the middle finger.
Jenn: 1, Food: 0
Saturday night: Night out at beautiful Georgian restaurant featuring all kinds of tasty pate type dishes and handfuls of fresh herbs and the main course? Meat. Then there was that sweet red wine...
Jenn: 1, Food: 1

Sunday: Breakfast buffet at five-star hotel with more eggs and greasy meat than an Atkins girl could ask for. Steered clear of the fresh pastry table. Had a few licks of the little man's ice cream cone but all and all, not bad.
Jenn: 2, Food: 1
Sunday night: Elegant birthday party with selection of equally appealing foods. Not bad Jenn. But wait, open bar with amazing selection of fruity drinks AND the.most.amazing.birthday.cake.ever?
Jenn:-10, Food: 10

Monday: Breakfast buffet! Hello little sausages, how I need thee to coat my upset stomach with your thin veil of greasy goodness. Moscow McD's for lunch (minus buns, add fries).
Jenn: 2, Food: 2
Monday night: Birthday party leftovers...with champagne.
Jenn: 1, Food: 3

Tuesday: Hi BB! Salty bacon dipped in scrambled eggs...yum. Chips and chocolate for lunch?
Jenn: -5, Food: 5
Tuesday night: 5-star Russian restaurant with my Official Last Meal if I'm ever sent to death row: Borscht, add Russian dumplings and pies and wine.
Jenn: -5, Food: 5

You do the math. It ain't pretty. Ok, so it's not a TOTAL disaster. I did manage to maintain some semblance of control. sorta, kinda. But I am officially declaring the scale broken this week as I FAST, DETOX and cram as many eggs into my body as humanly possible until next week. I can do it. It's my blog. Let's just assume 75. I feel about 75.

Oh but loads of exercise this week! Walking through The Kremlin, Red Square, swimming in the hotel swimming pool. Yay!

Now that was my Weigh-In Wednesday version of our Adventure in Moscow. Tune in tomorrow for the non-food version, some pics and well, who am I kidding, I gotta talk a little about the FOOD.

How'd y'all do? Do special occasions get in the way of your diet/fitness regime? Talk to me. I'll listen but only after a good night's sleep. Nighty night.
ps. Missed you guys. I wasn't deliberately ignoring you. Just alternating between on-the-go, snoring, drinking (and eating), and dancing!

Weigh-in Thursday: Week 1 of 5

Hello lady friends and the few gentlemen who are following along silently. Yup, I'm a day late again and no, it's not because I need an extra day with my scale. Or maybe it is. But no, it isn't. Just been super busy preparing for our trip to Moscow in 2 more sleeps! We're headed to one of the most expensive cities in the world and we've already spent a small fortune getting ready.

In over a year, I've barely shopped for myself. Mainly because who wants to buy clothes that are a size (or two) bigger than they should be? urghhh. And the other reasons? Well I work from home so my wardrobe consists of jogging pants and old t-shirts. And we barely go out, so who needs high heels and high class? But I finally bit the bullet and hubby splurged on me. In fact, just yesterday he came home with the absolute best shirt in the world. I promise to post a photo of me in it at the fancy schmancy birthday party we're attending Saturday night.

Oh and I should also mention that along with the awesome lilacky pouffy shirt, hubby laid something very sinful on my keyboard when I wasn't looking. I opened the bag and there it was. A small "Sicilian Rocket", aka, the Canoli. I was determined to walk that phalic-inspired delicacy straight over to the compost bin. But then I thought to myself, "Self, hubby knows you're struggling with your weight and he never would have put this here if he didn't think it was worth it." So self ate it. And let me tell you Hyacynth, that DID taste as good as healthy feels. Now normally that taste of sugar would have sent me into a downward spiral. But I held it together and did NOT run for the cupboard. So yay me!

Now my main worry is how many kilos I'm going to gain while there. I mean, how best to show hospitality but with FOOD? And vodka of course. And then I'll be forced to eat carby food because I need to soak up the vodka. Damn. So I'm going in at 73.5. Now let's just see what I come back with for next week's Weigh-In Wednesday. Maybe I should get on Den's detox stat...you know, to cleanse the pipes before they get clogged up again.

The walking has been sporadic due to the weather and the fact that my walking buddy has made the leap to jogging. Yay for her! I promised her I would hit the pavement and high speeds once I can actually keep up with her in slow motion. Wish me luck.

Oh, I almost forgot. I bought a pair of leggings. I succombed to Swedish Style. Now I just need the short leather jacket, a pair of Converse sneakers and I'm all set. The leggings. Why do overweight girls insist on wearing them? Yes, there was a time, a week ago, when I judged them for taking such a bold fashion risk. I admit, I snickered silently. But they're so damn comfy. Like wearing jogging pants or no pants at all. I'm on the edge. You look. You look again. You wonder, "should she really be wearing those?" Leggings aren't really for big-legged girls. But if I pair them with heels and an ass-covering shirt, I sorta, kinda can get away from that 2nd look of almost disaproval.

When I post the pic of the awesome shirt hubby bought me, you'll notice that it will be paired with black leggings and you can judge me (as punishment for me judging others). Sorry God, you're the only One allowed to judge.

The other day we're in the packed grocery store and Little Man blurts out rather suddenly and very loudly, "Mama, I gotta make a POOOOOOOOO."

Have a great week everyone. I'll try to check in from my fabulously expensive hotel ;-)