Fitness Friday

Fitness Friday

I thought that every once in a while I would like to post about my journey back to being physically fit!! Today is a weigh-in day at work and I can hardly wait.  I will be absolutely honest with you in regards to my successes and failures and what I did and didn't like. I'm not being paid by anyone...I'm doing this for myself and my family!

What I've Been Doing:

For a few weeks I've been doing Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred workout and counting my calorie intake (1500/day). While doing this I've come to find that I can't stand Jillian. Just don't like her. I hate it when she calls the girls who are helping her workout- "Buddy." I also hate it when she says, "Just 5 more...buddy, you can make it." YOU don't want to know how I respond back to Jillian. Thank God, it's just me around while I'm torturing myself. The 1500 calorie intake left me hungry!!!!!!!!! On top of that I wasn't paying attention to the fat nor the fiber. So last week I weighed in and did not make any progress.

What I'm Doing Now:

I'm back to doing Weight Watchers. I did this several years ago and lost 40 pounds. Now I know why I gained it back. I didn't equip myself with the right tools to keep it off. I am now armed with a WW calculator so that I can figure out how many points something is before I decide to eat it. There's a big difference between looking at calories and using the WW system which takes into account fat and fiber. I have 25 points daily with an additional 5 (I guess you get 35 extra points for the week)....at the end of the day yesterday I had 2 points left and I went to bed feeling full and satisfied. The other thing that I changed is how I exercise. I honestly don't buy into the Biggest Loser only because they lose the weight so fast and I have read that this isn't the ideal way to drop pounds. Since my son is staying after school every night for track, I've been strapping on my tennie boppers, attaching my ipod to my arm, putting on my shades (Yes, we have had sun this past week in Michigan!!) and I've been walking between 1.5-2 miles every day! I feel good about what I'm doing now. On top of that, I have a HUGE support base where I work. Several of the gals go to WW's and we're all there to keep the other honest!

Current Weight: 171
3/19/10 Today's Weigh In: 168
Goal Weight: 140-145
Height: 5'6"

Library Loot- March 18th

Hosted by Eva at A Striped Armchair and Marg at Reading Adventures.
We share what we each picked up at the library during the week.

My library loot today has made me extremely giddy!! I put a bunch of new releases on request and somehow it always works out that I receive almost all of them at the same time. Today was no exception. As I look at all of the books I have checked out, I wonder if I will get them all read??? Good thing the forecast for the weekend is rain!!! I need a good excuse not to leave the house!!

Now for the blame game!!

Before I Fall- Lauren Oliver
Michelle - Michelle's Bookshelf   gets the honors for this one. She has an awesome YA blog and I get a lot of great recommendations from her!
** What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life? 

The Girl Who Chased the Moon- Sarah Addison Allen
** I've been coveting this book for months. Ever since I saw it featured on Girls Just Reading back in 2009, I've wanted to get my hands on it!!
Sarah Addison Allen invites you to a quirky little Southern town with more magic than a full Carolina moon. Here two very different women discover how to find their place in the world…no matter how out of place they feel. 

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag - Alan Bradley
** Loved this first book in this series and I'm anxious to meet up again with Flavia de Luce again!! Really can't blame anyone for this one....darn!
Flavia de Luce, a dangerously brilliant eleven-year-old with a passion for chemistry and a genius for solving murders. This time, Flavia finds herself untangling two deaths—separated by time but linked by the unlikeliest of threads.

Mornings in Jenin - Susan Abulhawa
** I first read about this one on Wendy's blog- Caribou's Mom. I thought it sounded like a fantastic read so I had to request it.
Forcibly removed from the ancient village of Ein Hod by the newly formed state of Israel in 1948, the Abulhejas are moved into the Jenin refugee camp. There, exiled from his beloved olive groves, the family patriarch languishes of a broken heart, his eldest son fathers a family and falls victim to an Israeli bullet, and his grandchildren struggle against tragedy toward freedom, peace, and home. This is the Palestinian story, told as never before, through four generations of a single family.

So Much For That - Lionel Shriver
** I've searched everywhere to figure out where I read about this one and I'm coming up empty!! Oh well, I'll blame it on my CRS syndrome that I experience every once in a while!!
After his wife is diagnosed with cancer, Shep Knacker sees his dream of retiring to a developing country slip away, along with all the money in his once-plentiful bank account, as he tries to navigate America's labyrinthine health-care system. (sounds like a fitting read right about now!!)

Books Read in 2010 to date: 47
Number of Books Checked out from the library:24

Yes, I'm a book addict...here's my stash!

I have a confession to make. You know all those memes where you list what came into your house via mailbox, author, publisher,wins, friends, gifts, purchases, and library sales??? Well, I never have posted the truth about all the books that have made their way upstairs to my bookshelves....I easily buy 2-5 books weekly from my library sales.    I have to tell you too, that it isn't my fault....the library shouldn't put books out into the entry way where they can be easily accessed. And furthermore, how can anyone turn down 25 cents for a paperback and 50 cents for a hardcover?????? So, today I'm coming clean about my shelves.
                                                

The top shelf has 3 stacks which are all library books and review books. The second shelf contains from left to right: ARCs that I need to get to!!!, review books, and the last stack is a combo of library/review books. Below that you can see a glimpse of my scrapbooks. I actually do scrapbook once in a while, not all of my time is spent reading!! 

This is an alcove in my scrap/book room that houses two bookshelves. The one on the left is filled with YA books that I want to read or have read. The bookshelf to the right are all the books that I bought over the years and some library sale books that I've added to the collection. What you can't see is the space between these two shelves. I have another stack of books that almost reach the top of the shelves! Then of course you notice all of the books that are stacked on top of the bookshelves!

Now these lovely piles contain books that I've won and most of my library sale finds!!! I just can't stop myself!!!!! I think I'll really know that I have a problem when I can't walk into this space because the books fill up every available nook and cranny!!!

** I want to thank Jill of Rhapsodyinbooks for the comic

that she posted on her blog the other day!! I snipped out the ones that really rang true with me!!

Teaser Tuesday and It's Tuesday...Where are you?

It's Tuesday...Where Are You?

I'm currently in France 1803,  looking for the Purple Gentian. I want to join him in his spy efforts against the French and Napoleon, but I keep getting sidetracked by Richard and his flirting!!
~ The Secret History of the Pink Carnation- Lauren Willig

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TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

 

  "Amy," said Richard softly, "there is not, nor was there ever, anything between me and Pauline."

  "Other than her dress," muttered Amy.

p.193 The Secret History of the Pink Carnation 

Winners of Raven Stole the Moon!!!!

Mary is the winner of a copy of Raven Stole the Moon!!!

  Stacy (stacybuckeye) is the winner of a copy of 

    Raven Stole the Moon!!!

Emails have been sent out! Thanks to everyone for stopping by, reading and commenting on my review!!!

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday...What Are You Reading?

Mailbox Monday

is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.
We share what books that we found 

in our mailboxes last week.

My mailbox was good to me this past week:

 The Cougar Club- The author, Susan McBride, sent these to me for review and giveaway!! Autographed to boot!!

This One is Mine- Maria Semple
This one showed up out-of-the-blue

Art of French Kissing- Kristen Harmel
Kaye of Pudgy Penguin sent this one to me just because she's sweet!!

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Hosted by Sheila
One Persons Journey Through a World of Books
Weekly meme where we discuss the books you've read
and those you plan to read in the coming week.

Last Week I finished and reviewed: 

Raven Stole The Moon

If You Follow Me

Running Loose- reviewed by my son Marc

Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl- reviewed by my son Marc

Shiver- will post review 3/20 forgot to do it (again) on Saturday..oops!

Books on Deck for this week:

                                 

Six Sentence Saturday-

Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday.

Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.
At the end of each review I will post a
rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.
Rating scale will be as follows:

5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!
4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.
3 of Hearts- Glad I read but no big deal
2 of Hearts- Why did I finish this?
Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

Running Loose- Chris Crutcher

High school student Louie thinks he knows everything he wants out of life.A starting place on the football team, a bunch of friends, and a nice girl to show off to mom and dad. Only after Louie's football coach directs his team to inure a rival school's star black player, does he start to question how he feels about the sport he worked all summer to perfect. The only things keeping Louie sane are his girlfriend Beth, his best friend Carter, his book Dakota and the people who always have his back, his mom and dad. Louie faces hard decision after hard decision deciding if he should play along with the coaches' ways or stand for what he believes to be right. Louie's feelings are genuine and will make you think ow strongly you've fought to prove what you know to be just.

The Astonishing Adventures of Fan Boy and Goth Girl - Barry Lyga

 Have you ever felt like you're on top of the world? Just feel like everything is going your way and all the pretty girls and cool kids want to hang out with you? Well, that's about the opposite of how Donnie has felt since his very first day of middle school. Donnie is the very definition of the word geek, but his personality dives much deeper than the freaky kid in tenth grade (might be wrong grade) who still likes comic book and old Star Trek episodes. When Donnie meets Kyra, he not only finds his second ever friend, but someone who understands his views and shares his love for graphic novels. Donnie's life is full of turmoil, but he still finds happiness in his artwork, his friend Cal and adventure and trouble from the new girl he might just happen to love.

Marc's rating for both books:

I would like to thank my son Marc who so graciously sat down yesterday after school and wrote these two reviews for me!! I think he rocks and am always amazed at how effortlessly his writing comes to him!! 

When I asked him where he saved these reviews he showed me the title he gave to the document- 

marcs contribution to mommas blog (i think you have a problem, blog addict!)

I love this kid!