I AM the Biggest Loser!

So once again, I decided to join yet another challenge. Do you guys remember the Operation Fat Blaster (OFB) challenge I joined this summer? Well, the OFB members decided to start a Biggest Loser competition. GAME ON!

The challenge started September 15, 2009 and ends December 15, 2009. I chose to compete in two categories: 30 pounds or less to lose and the most miles ran weekly. Each week the OFB members submit their weigh in information, and the Biggest Loser is determined by the total percentage of body weight lost.

So guess what? I AM THE BIGGEST LOSER!

Sucked Into the Vortex...BUT good news too...read on...

About a month a go I decided to slice my television viewing time in half, and for awhile I succeeded. What happened you ask? Enter...the new Fall television season. I got sucked into the TV vortex.

BUT despite my increased television viewing, I lost 2.4 this week for a total of 38.6 down AND so long 190's hello 180's! SHAZAAM!

So back to my TV viewing. ..

Well for starters, Season 6 of So You Think You Can Dance (my favorite show) started immediately after Season 5. I hope season 6 proves far more entertaining than season 5. Season 5 really disappointed me, as well as my kids. So much so, no one wanted to attend the live show. Both my kids and I love SYTYCD so much, we attended the live show two years in a row!

I love most, if not all competitive dance shows. America's Best Dance Crew...no exception.

Also on my list, Dancing with the "we are either out of work or just no longer in the limelight" Stars.

My next addiction, Project Runway. "Carry on."

I look forward to Thursdays! I L-O-V-E the office. "That's what she said."

And then, guess what? So, on my drive home from work I hear the radio announcer say, "Tonight on CBS, Medium..." Whaaaat? I thought NBC cancelled Medium. Well, I guess NBC's loss is CBS' gain.

As if I wasn't already watching enough crap, I found some new shows...
GLEE. You must watch GLEE. This week's episode...priceless. "If you like it then ya shoulda put a ring on it." If you did not watch you're probably thinking, "Huh?"

Eastwick on ABC looks a bit promising. The show appears to be based on the movie The Witches of Eastwick, which I also like.

Now for my OMG when will the new episodes air shows:

I LOVE, LOVE , LOVE Nip Tuck ever since season 1. Bring it on FX!! I saw a commercial a few weeks ago, so it's just a matter of time.


My son hipped me to Spike's Deadliest Warrior...a very dudely show.


And last but not least...DEXTER. Talk about getting sucked in. I lost sleep this summer from catching up on seasons 1-3 of Dexter. I was addicted and would find my self awake until 3 in the morning to see what would happen next. Read about it here. THIS SUNDAY...DEXTER RETURNS!!!!!!!

Well my friends, the shows I shared today, just the tip of the iceberg. The good thing about all of this...my AT&t U-Verse. I have the awesome capability of DVRing 4 things AT ONE TIME! BAM! Unlike Comcrap where DVR ability encompasses only DVRing 2 shows at once. Blog ya later, I gotta go catch up on this week's DVRed shows.

QUARANTINED!!

I quarantined my oldest flu ridden son!! Yes, the flu! You wanna hear something funny? Yesterday, my campus provided flu shots and guess who passed? Me. Each flu season, I never opt to receive a flu shot AND I only remember catching the flu once. Now, I may reconsider. So today I stayed home and attempted to nurse my boy back to health.

Well this week so far...A BUST! Let me give you some stats:

• # of times I worked out this week: None 0. Well, earlier today I went to the park for a jog. Finally, a cool front made its way to Houston and I thoroughly enjoyed my breezy jog. So, 1 for the # of times worked out this week.



• # of times I should have worked out: 5



• # of days I tracked my food intake: 3



• # of days I should have tracked: 5



• # of times of I stayed on track: Well let's just say I stayed on track most of the time...



• #of times I got off track: Well let's just say more than I should have...

So the final score: The Devil-1 Me-0

No worries!! Tomorrow is another day. You know, the other day I realized THIS go-round with WW marks the first time I remained in the program this LONG. Usually I quit and tell myself, "I got this!" What typically happens when I quit, I discover that I don't got this, and find all the weight I lost and then some.

Before I go I wanted to share some new finds courtesy of TJ. When I see something on other blogs, I always give props.

Props: Props is short for proper recognition or proper respect.

Anyway on to my new finds. First up my new popcorn popper...check it, check it out! You pop the popcorn in the microwave. How cool is that?

You must try these crakers. The points value for one serving...phenomenal! You get about 2, 342 crakers for 2 points. No, really you can eat 34 crakers for 2 points.

Are you glad you're not doing what you were doing last year?

At this time last year, myself as well as family members and friends dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane IKE. I vividly remember arriving to work and immediately leaving due to a mandatory evacuation of my home zip code.


Luckily, a few days before the evacuation, I took the hurricane warning seriously and went to Wal-Mart to purchase my hurricane preparedness supplies. During my shopping excursion the shoppers in the store calmly walked around selecting their purchases. Two days later...now that's I different story. After the evacuation telecast I ran to Wal-Mart to pick up a few last minute items, and this time the shoppers appeared frantic as they grabbed food and supplies from the shelves. The bare shelves no longer held coolers, batteries, candles, flashlights, water, non-perishables foods, generators, ice, you name it.


Again since I took the hurricane warning seriously I filled my gas tank the day before the telecast. But just to be on the safe side, I wanted to replace gas used during my drive to and from work. In search for gas I discovered the lines at the gas station stretched at least 2 miles down the street. And in some cases when you finally reached the pump, NO gas remained. Now this is the point where I silently freaked out in my head!


So the boys and I packed up and headed to my Mom's house to prepare to hunker down! My friends and I grew so tired of hearing the term "hunker down." One of them started the "hunker down" drinking game. Every time a newscaster said hunker down, DRINK! LOL. We all stayed in contact via our Blackberries!



Any who, IKE barreled through Houston leaving millions with out power and water. My Mom's home received some wind damage and we lost power, but that didn't stop my Mom from throwing down on the gas grill!

After 2 days of NO AIR, and my Mom grew tired of cooking on the grill, we fled to my grandmother's home in Louisiana! PRAISE JESUS... air conditioning and ELECTRICITY! While in Louisiana my mom purchased a generator and we returned to Houston where million so people still went without power (including us).

Well to make a long story short, our Hurrication lasted about 3 weeks! Eventually the electric company restored power and all was right with the world!

A few IKE aftermath pics:

This WAS a gas station.


This house was moved off its foundation into the middle of the feeder road. We saw this on our way to my grandma's.

You know it's time to buy a new pair of pants when...

You know it's time to buy a new pair of pants when...

• ....when you go to the restroom and you just pull down your pants rather than unbuttoning and unzipping the pants.
  
• ....when you're marching around with the room with the your students dancing to "Knees Up Mother Brown" and you keep stepping and tripping on your pants because the pants keep sliding down your butt. The song "Knees Up Mother Brown" almost changed to "Pants Down Mother Brown (Around Your Knees)."
  
• ...when you sit down and you reveal your plumber's crack. On this particular day I sported my "good" underwear. You should always rock your good underwear, but sometimes when the laundry overflows from the hamper, I must resort to the "tow up from the flo (floor) up panties."



• ...when yourself as well as some other people can fit into your pants at the same time you wear them.

So yesterday, I finally decided to purchase some new jeans, major NSV by the way. Pressed for time (due to a date later on last night...yay me), I scurried to Marshall's, Ross, Target and Old Navy. Unfortunately, I purchased NOTHING! All of the pants I tried on fit a bit funky due to my voluptuous pear shape. Either the pants gaped in the waist or were too long. When time permits, I plan to return to Old Navy. I preferred their selection, and Old Navy carries jeans in different lengths.

Although I failed to purchase a pair of jeans, I experienced ANOTHER major NSV. For real this time, for real, for real, last night I shopped on ONE side of the store. I can now wear a 14/16, not a 14/16 W, not a Layne Bryant 14/16, not a plus size 14/16, but a real true live size 14/16 with no letters or words after the size. SHAZAAM!

In addition, I am happy to report a .8 loss. I WILL TAKE THAT! Last week I overdosed on Goldfish. Since we eat lunch, more like brunch at 10:15, we provide a snack for the students around 1:30 PM. Needless to say I enjoyed my fair share of Goldfish this week. As well, 1 cupcake ALMOST sent me down the path of destruction! But you know what, I ate the cupcake and got on with my life! One cupcake shall not defeat me and bring me down.

Come to think of it, the food at work tempted and taunted me all week. To illustrate, for Mexican Independence Day last Wednesday, the cafeteria prepared a tempestuous spread: tamales, tacos, empanadas, beans, rice, and CHURROS (kinda like a Spanish doughnut)! Thank God I used my last few dollars to pay the toll on my way to work that morning. Since the school cafeteria does not take Visa, I ate the lunch I prepared. BUT the next day the cafeteria served enchiladas...I caved. BUT, the government cheese used to prepare the enchiladas proved to thick for my throat and a couple of time I almost choked due to insufficient chewing. BUT the enchiladas tasted great, especially with homemade salsa prepared by the sweet cafeteria ladies.

I guess I should mention the chocolate cake prepared by the registrar. 2 words...moist and deliciously chocolaty (Is that 3 words?). There...I confessed...moving on! Like I said, -.8, I WILL TAKE IT! I know where I went wrong last week and I already started making plans to ensure success for next week. I started by making a menu, something I failed to do last week. And I also need to consistently track foods eaten. My motto for this week, "YOU BITE IT, YOU WRITE IT!"

In the lion's den with MUFASA...

First and foremost...1 pound down this week y'all... for a grand total of 35.4 pounds removed!

So...Sunday morning I walked down stairs. My boys laid eyes on me and erupted into a wave of roaring laughter. One of them had the audacity to refer to me as Mufasa. Yes, I looked in the mirror and brushed my teeth before descending down the stairs. And yes, I resembled Mufasa. My mane appeared a tad bit Mufasa-esque.

So...after working out Sunday after noon, I returned home and decided to tame my mane. While brushing my hair, one of my boys called my name. So, again I walked downstairs, and of course when my son saw my hair, he called me Mufasa through his fits of laughter. You be the judge:

After

09/09/09 at 9...For the number lovers...

What were you doing on 09/09/09 at 9 y'all? Me....returning home from school. Yes, I enrolled in just 1 class for the Fall semester. Oh by, the way, I received an A- in that torturous most heinous Statistics class I suffered through this summer. I guess the all-nighter paid off.

How about some interesting information about 09/09/09. I wanted to post this information sooner, but better late than never:

Did you have special plans for 09/09/09? Everyone from math teachers to movie studio execs celebrated the the calendrical anomaly in their own way. The rarity of this Sept. 9 wasn't lost on the creators of the iPod, who moved their traditional Tuesday release day to Wednesday to take advantage of the special date. Focus Features released their new film "9," an animated tale about the apocalypse, on the 9th. Not only does the date look good in marketing promotions, but it also represents the last set of repeating, single-digit dates that we'll see for almost a century (until January 1, 2101), or a millennium (mark your calendars for January 1, 3001), depending on how you want to count it.

Though technically there's nothing special about the symmetrical date, some concerned with the history and meaning of numbers ascribe powerful significance to 09/09/09. For cultures in which the number nine is lucky, Sept. 9 is anticipated - while others might see the date as an ominous warning.

As part of his obsession with numbers both mathematically and divine, and like many mathematicians before and since, Pythagoras noted that nine in particular had many unique properties. Any grade-schooler could tell you, for example, that the sum of the two-digits resulting from nine multiplied by any other single-digit number will equal nine. So 9x3=27, and 2+7=9.

Multiply nine by any two, three or four-digit number and the sums of those will also break down to nine. For example: 9x62 = 558; 5+5+8=18; 1+8=9.
Sept. 9 also happens to be the 252nd day of the year (2 + 5 +2)...

ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz...I know.

You know you can always turn it off...right? A Blog Trail Mix

So I received a comment stating the following:

"LOL... you have mass writing skills. If it wasn't for the music that auto plays on your blog, I'd totally follow you! (sorry, it's just my personal criteria :)"

Sooooo...FYI...you know you can turn the music off...right? I'm just saying. Music plays a vital role in my life. In a nutshell, MUSIC:

• soothes my soul, especially during troubled times.
  
  
• transports me back to certain memories long buried in my mind. When I hear an 80's song...OMG I see myself rocking my Jordache off the shoulder shirt with my florescent pink and purple ruffled socks. Or when I hear the Beastie Boys I remember the 8th grade trip to Washington DC....MEMORIES!
  
  
• provides the soundtrack to my life. CHALLENGE: Pick only five songs that serve as the soundtrack to your life
  
  
• Sometimes music keeps the food OUT of my mouth. I can peruse Itunes for hours, and during those hours, food is the last thing on my mind.
  
  
• provides entertainment while I cook and clean. So yes, I dance and cook, as well as dance and clean AT THE SAME TIME...I GOT SKILLS.
  
  
• makes me spontaneously burst into song and I CANNOT carry a tune...AT ALL.
  
  
• causes me to randomly do the robot at any given moment...out of the blue.

So you see, music colors my world, and if you do not prefer the music on my blog, then by all means turn it off. I'm just saying. Once I thought about removing the music from my blog, but I received a comment from For the Love of The Run stating that she sometimes leaves my blog on at work so she can listen to the music. TO EACH HIS OWN PEOPLE...TO EACH HIS OWN!

Anyway like the title suggests, a blog trail mix.

• I FINALLY received my Teaching certificate in the mail. You are NOW looking at a real teacher ( not that I wasn't one before).
  
  
• My Me So Hongry Blog received the One Lovely Blog Award. I would like to thank Linda at Diva Weigh and WriterMarie at Lose 2 win. I will choose and post my blog picks to receive the award in another post or two.
  
  
• THANKS Michelle, I received my prize as the winner of the OFB weekly challenge.
  
  
• Coming soon, my Micheal Jackson Karaoke Birthday Party Pics...hilarity and hijinks.

Girl with Mustache Seeks Witty HONEST Male

I confess. A girlfriend and I posted a profile on Yahoo Personals several months ago (YES...THE ONLINE DATING SERVICE!) Anyway, we lacked the patience for the whole online dating thing, so we cancelled our subscription after 2 months. Plus some of the guys seemed super creepy and we didn't want to end up in some one's freezer or crawl space. Although I cancelled my subscription, my profile still exists. Soooooooooo Tuesday, I thought it would be really funny to post this picture of me with a mustache and chest hair:

Ever since I posted this picture on Tuesday, I have received 4 messages. Two of the messages stated, "You caught my eye." Uh YEAH, I caught your eye...I'm rocking a mustache and chest hair! So after two months of paying for nothing I now realize the key to online dating...chest hair and a mustache.

So today's weigh in...if I could say one thing to the scale today, I would say...

"YOU GOT OWNED SCALE! YOU GOT OWNED!"

Today, 3.4 DOWN for a total of 34.4. Next week I predict victory....next week, 35 down!
GAME ON!!!!

Roundhouse Kick to the Face!!! Woopow!

Last Saturday at my WW meeting, I received a much needed roundhouse kick to the face! As expected, I gained. As a matter of fact, I gained +1.4, but no worries. I sucked it up and moved on, so no need to break out the tiny violin...no sob story today.

Ya know what? WW reminds me of the TV show, Sex and the City (SATC). Even though I watch the same reruns over and over and over and over again, it seems Carrie's relationship issues always reflect the chaos in my life. And like SATC, it seems the WW meeting topics always coincide with the weight loss related chaos in my life. Last Saturday's meeting was no exception to the rule.

The leader picked up where we left off 2 Saturdays ago with the topic, Recovering from the Summer...
So we began the meeting by reviewing the list of action steps necessary to boost weight loss. The leader then posed the following question:

Question: Did anyone attempt any of the actions steps listed to boost weight loss? Answer: *crickets chirping* So, in other words...negative. No.

Next the leader asked the following questions:

• Have you ever felt overwhelmed by a task?
• If so what feelings emerge?
• How did you tackle the task?

The first overwhelming task that came to mind, my return to college (or big girl school as my Mom calls it) in 2004 to earn a Bachelors degree. My worries centered around paying for school, classes conflicting with my work schedule, and care for my children. While attending school I felt stressed, and sometimes frustrated. Once or twice I regretted my decision to return to school, but in the end the hard work, dedication, and sacrifices paid off. Although my return to college after a 7 year hiatus appeared daunting, I tackled college by making a plan and taking it one semester at a time. So, why in the H-E-double hockey sticks (HELL) do I not apply the same approach to weight loss?

As of late, this tasks of losing weight overwhelms me on a daily basis. For starters, the most challenging part of this process is keeping myself on track. In addition, the pot of gold (end weight goal) at the end of the rainbow sometimes seems unattainable. And at times, my weight loss roller coaster elicits feelings of frustration, helplessness, and sometimes defeat.

SO, HERE IS WHERE THE MEETING GETS GOOD! The leader tells everyone," QUITING IS NOT AN OPTION and the holidays are fast approaching. GET IT TOGETHER NOW!" WOOPOW...another roundhouse kick to the face!

You know life happens, and events and occasion constantly occur and throw us off track . The key to staying ON track: BREAK THE PROCESS INTO SMALL STEPS...BABY STEPS!

BABY STEP #1-Learn from experience

• On weeks when I lose big I track, drink lots of water, and eat more filling foods. So, experience tells me I should track, drink lots of water, and eat more filling foods. DUH!!!
  
• On weeks when I fail to lose or gain I must remember the scale is ONLY a source of feedback. My weight loss efforts should not be based on a single weigh in. I believe I mentioned this in my previous post. From experience I learned that the scale tells only a part of the story.

BABY STEP #2-Manage your environment

• Home-get rid of the crap and replace with better crap.
• Work-Bring your lunch and keep snacks in your desk or work area.
• Restaurants-Get your mind right before you leave the house. Know what you plan to order before you arrive at the restaurant and refuse the menu.

BABY STEP #3-ATTEND MEETINGS

• Meetings provide motivation.
  
• (OKAY THIS IS WHERE I HAD A HALLELUJAH FIT, my aha moment, paradigm shift, epiphany...) The people at the meeting "GET IT!" WW members understand why I fall victim to the siren call of food. WW members understand why I cannot say NO. WW members understand my feelings. NO ONE JUDGES! (Well, I judge the people with the Grande Starbucks cups...lol). Some people think obese individuals lack will power or control. THEY DON'T GET IT, but the WW members...they GET IT!

In keeping with the BABY STEPS process, I asked myself what ONE thing will I do this week to GET back and STAY on track? Answer: Planning and cooking my food.
BABY STEPS Y'ALL...BABY STEPS!