I have reached the dreaded plateau. I was losing weight at a pretty good pace and then I just kinda slowed down and have been losing and gaining the same 1.5 lbs for the last week. I know it is my own fault - I am an emotional eater and I ate a ton of sweets when I went home for my grandfather's funeral. I just haven't been able to get back in the groove since then. So, I have only lost about 5 lbs in the last 2.5 weeks. I am down over 28 lbs which should make me happy, but I figure if you are eating well and exercising that you should be rewarded with smaller numbers more quickly. If only it were that easy.
Little Mo motivated me last night though. I was extremely tired and was going to ditch the workout for the evening. He was not in agreement. Apparently he really likes the child care center at the community center, so he begged to go and even said 'pleaseeee', so I had to give in. By the time I was 5 minutes into class I was very thankful that he motivated me. It never fails that getting there is the hardest part and then I have so much energy when I am done. I ended up losing that dreaded 1.5 lbs yesterday too, so maybe I can move forward again. I think it is thanks to a new class I tried last night. It was like a weight class set to music - hard to imagine but very effective. I hurt everywhere today.
On other fronts, I am continuing to make progress on the debt. It is very slow, but it is moving in the right direction. I was really excited because I only have one more payment to pay off all the dental work I had done last year, but then I went to the dentist yesterday and found out that I need another crown. UGH! Two steps forward - one step back. I pray that little mo didn't inherit my teeth. He had a cleaning and x-rays etc last week and has a spotless record so far, so I am keeping my fingers crossed - that and brushing his teeth a lot! :)
I also got really motivated to find some new ways to save money and the environment. As part of my new lifestyle I have given up everything but water and tea. So I have been going through a lot of bottled water. Only one bottle a day because I refill, but over the weekend I invested in a brita pitcher and a couple of BPA free water bottles. I also completed my set of reuseable cleaning cloths (microfiber) so that I hardly use any paper towels anymore. For those of you that haven't done this or don't know what I am talking about - you can get washable cloths that you can use for dusting, windows, kitchen, etc. Most of you probably already did this, but I am new to it and love it.
Last but not least - organization. I was on a huge cleaning, purging and organizing spree after I kicked the ex to the curb. Then I got on the health kick and I have just been maintaining the home front. It is amazing how easy it is to keep a house clean when there is not someone there constantly messing it up. But, I really need to go through the office and organize all the files, clean out the garage and do some yard work. I am planning on having a huge garage sale in the spring, so if anyone has a bunch of stuff they want to get rid of and you want to come work the sale with me let me know - I would love to have the company.
I hope everyone is doing ok. The last several posts have not had the best news and believe me I am still worried too, but I have decided that life is short and I don't want to waste anymore time worrying and being down. If I am going to lose my job then it is going to happen and there is nothing I can do to stop it, so I am trying to enjoy life along the way. I know this is easier said than done and that some of you know for sure that your jobs are coming to an end and I am so sorry. This is when friends are more important then ever. We are hear to listen, give you a hug, help you network, etc. So please let us know how we can help - even if it is just to try to cheer you up.
Have a great week ladies!
Mo
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Turmoil Part Duex
I hear you. On everything. We have been working to pay off credit cards for quite a while now and have really hit them hard over the past several months. Then one card decided to close our account - not due to not paying on time or anything of that nature but because...well, not sure. Then I got panicky thinking that the other cards were going to do the same...so, I asked daddio for a loan to pay off our cards. I drew up a contract and am paying him the amount I would have paid each month to two cards plus a bit of interest. I planned on paying off 2 cards completely, then I read a bit more about what credit cards were doing so I decided I would pay the majority off of the highest interest rate card and then divvy the rest out to the other cards as long as I could divvy it up so that they would take a significant hit off of the balance - the rule was that I had to be able to pay the balance off in a 6-9 month period for it to be even slightly worth it (especially considering interest rates). Right now - we are looking at how fast we can pay off the rest without paying off the entire thing...READ MSN Money!!! I think that they do have some really good things out there. I don't agree with everything but they certainly gave me the heads up on credit card companies and what they were doing in this 'economy crisis'. They informed me enough to feel like I was making the right moves in what I was doing with our cards. Not that I enjoyed taking a loan from family...but hey - he is in the position to help out and we are paying him back so it is a good move. We still have to get through the crap that Amex pulled on us though....that is another long and difficult story and one that we are working on getting sorted out with them...bastards.
This next few months I hope to carry only about 5% of whatever the card limit is as a balance and I'm using all of them once a month to keep them active as well. I hope that none of them try and pull anything on me - like closing the account. Just an FYI - call the cc up and ask them to re-open your account as this is a negative hit on your credit score. If they do not open it back up - especially if you paid on time all the time - start the letter campaign and I think that there was something on msn that had a link to where you could report things like this happening. There are some new rules in place - you just have to know your rights and argue a bit AND write to them. I think it is definitely worth it especially when you have a negative standing then for that account. If at all possible - call them first and close your account. It looks better. Not great overall but better if it comes from you. I hope that we just get our stuff lower in the next few months.
Food - I love food. I especially love food when I am completely and utterly stressed at work and get no sleep and and and I could go on and on and on. I have decided that I will do what I can to eat healthy and work out. I am really hoping the sun decides to show itself for more than a few hours out here and like the fact the days are getting longer. I feel this enormous guilt that our Son has not seen much of the outside world besides going car shopping with us a couple of weekends ago. To me that is very very sad. I will enjoy our evening jogs here in the coming months. Ha - coming months....not right now mind you. I don't have the mental stamina for that.
Keep your chin up - things will get better.
This next few months I hope to carry only about 5% of whatever the card limit is as a balance and I'm using all of them once a month to keep them active as well. I hope that none of them try and pull anything on me - like closing the account. Just an FYI - call the cc up and ask them to re-open your account as this is a negative hit on your credit score. If they do not open it back up - especially if you paid on time all the time - start the letter campaign and I think that there was something on msn that had a link to where you could report things like this happening. There are some new rules in place - you just have to know your rights and argue a bit AND write to them. I think it is definitely worth it especially when you have a negative standing then for that account. If at all possible - call them first and close your account. It looks better. Not great overall but better if it comes from you. I hope that we just get our stuff lower in the next few months.
Food - I love food. I especially love food when I am completely and utterly stressed at work and get no sleep and and and I could go on and on and on. I have decided that I will do what I can to eat healthy and work out. I am really hoping the sun decides to show itself for more than a few hours out here and like the fact the days are getting longer. I feel this enormous guilt that our Son has not seen much of the outside world besides going car shopping with us a couple of weekends ago. To me that is very very sad. I will enjoy our evening jogs here in the coming months. Ha - coming months....not right now mind you. I don't have the mental stamina for that.
Keep your chin up - things will get better.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Turmoil
Forgive me Peer Pressure Mother, for I have slacked. It's only been forever since I've posted. I like reading that the rest of you are moving along and getting some really positive things done. I am failing miserably and doing a little spiral. This isn't the fun stuff where we spin till we puke in the grass either.
I did pretty good for about a month. I created a morning system where I laid out everything the evening before so I just didn't have to think before dawn. It was all great, until it wasn't. It wasn't because I lost it somewhere and to pick something back up is the hardest thing. Weight -- I haven't stepped on a scale since I started adding to this blog. I know I've possibly gained. My health kick has gone out the window and I feel like I'm eating everything in sight. Finances....ugggh! Credit card companies are doing some funky stuff since Obama and January hit the times. I've had a card reduce the limit from 36K to 1K. WTF!? We're not talking any late payments or anything. Another card closed for inactivity. I obviously won't miss the card itself but closing that history doesn't help. Welcome to winter in KS -- a $430 gas bill is always lovely! And to top it all off...my husband was told his job position is cut as of June 30. The school district heads are flippin idiots. So I apologise for the downer post but for those of you doing great...know that you're doing great! I normally do but these times are not for us.
I did pretty good for about a month. I created a morning system where I laid out everything the evening before so I just didn't have to think before dawn. It was all great, until it wasn't. It wasn't because I lost it somewhere and to pick something back up is the hardest thing. Weight -- I haven't stepped on a scale since I started adding to this blog. I know I've possibly gained. My health kick has gone out the window and I feel like I'm eating everything in sight. Finances....ugggh! Credit card companies are doing some funky stuff since Obama and January hit the times. I've had a card reduce the limit from 36K to 1K. WTF!? We're not talking any late payments or anything. Another card closed for inactivity. I obviously won't miss the card itself but closing that history doesn't help. Welcome to winter in KS -- a $430 gas bill is always lovely! And to top it all off...my husband was told his job position is cut as of June 30. The school district heads are flippin idiots. So I apologise for the downer post but for those of you doing great...know that you're doing great! I normally do but these times are not for us.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
trying to focus
Focus is one of those things i used to have in ample supply. since i've started having babies though, it's kind of falling by the wayside. However, after almost a year at home with the kids, I finally feel like I have a grasp of our schedule and how to juggle time for work, time for play and time for sanity maintenance. I feel like I've made progress since we started blogging here -- if not in concrete terms of weight and money, certainly in terms of time management and clarity in my daily life. In other words, some of my goals are coming into focus a bit and I feel like I'm getting on the path to some lasting changes (if not all of the ones I wanted, at least some).
The last I went to the Doc, I'd lost a total of 11lbs since the beginning of December. I think I've made some additional progress there as well but I'll find out at the end of the month when I go back to the Doc. Also good news: my thyroid levels are in the normal range. So, hopefully, that will pay off in terms of feeling better, getting my memory back and kicking up my metabolism a tad.
Money is money. My freelance load has really taken off which means less sleep for me, but I'm doing much better with making myself go to bed at a reasonable hour and starting work earlier in the evening. If it means I can't always put the kids to bed, that sucks, but it's not as bad as them having to deal with me all the next day going on only 3 or 4 hrs sleep. So, the plus side is that we're able to stay on top of bills and even do some little extras from time to time. I pray that continues because it is such a blessing not to work about every little bill on top of work and kids.
Ok, girls, just wanted to pop in and say that i appreciate you who share your experiences on here. Even if we can't always do it regularly, it's nice to hear all of your progress when you do find time to sit and post something. Take care everyone!
The last I went to the Doc, I'd lost a total of 11lbs since the beginning of December. I think I've made some additional progress there as well but I'll find out at the end of the month when I go back to the Doc. Also good news: my thyroid levels are in the normal range. So, hopefully, that will pay off in terms of feeling better, getting my memory back and kicking up my metabolism a tad.
Money is money. My freelance load has really taken off which means less sleep for me, but I'm doing much better with making myself go to bed at a reasonable hour and starting work earlier in the evening. If it means I can't always put the kids to bed, that sucks, but it's not as bad as them having to deal with me all the next day going on only 3 or 4 hrs sleep. So, the plus side is that we're able to stay on top of bills and even do some little extras from time to time. I pray that continues because it is such a blessing not to work about every little bill on top of work and kids.
Ok, girls, just wanted to pop in and say that i appreciate you who share your experiences on here. Even if we can't always do it regularly, it's nice to hear all of your progress when you do find time to sit and post something. Take care everyone!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Progess
I am down 20.4 lbs so far. I feel so much better already. Just in time too since my kiddo broke his leg over the weekend and I have had to carry him everywhere. I swear that cast weighs a good 3 or 4 lbs all by itself! I am just thankful that he is ok.
My finances are slowly but surely making progress too. Mind you, not much, but they are going down little by little. I read your blog Javagirl, and I am in the same boat. I really don't know what to do with my money right now. Should I be hoarding it, saving, paying off debt??? And I love my new car, but I wish I could have kept the other one until the economy turned around. Good news is that the payment is about the same and I was so upside down in the other one thanks to the wreck that my situation is not too much different financially.
How are all of you feeling in this economy? I'm so nervous about losing my job. I'm a consultant too and our jobs almost always the first to go. My company usually offers bench time, but not in this economy. You hit the bench and you get laid off. Not to mention that a few of the biggest employers here are doing mass layoffs, so the market is saturated with people with my area of expertise. Someone told me that they recently read an article here that said for every 1 opening there are 75-80 qualified applicants. Scary! The thing that scares me most is that most of my savings is gone thanks to the lawyer fees for my divorce, so I could only survive for about a month without a job.
I am trying really hard to remain positive. I am so incredibly thankful for all my wonderful family and friends. But, it is hard not to wonder when this is all going to turn around and where I will be when it does.
My finances are slowly but surely making progress too. Mind you, not much, but they are going down little by little. I read your blog Javagirl, and I am in the same boat. I really don't know what to do with my money right now. Should I be hoarding it, saving, paying off debt??? And I love my new car, but I wish I could have kept the other one until the economy turned around. Good news is that the payment is about the same and I was so upside down in the other one thanks to the wreck that my situation is not too much different financially.
How are all of you feeling in this economy? I'm so nervous about losing my job. I'm a consultant too and our jobs almost always the first to go. My company usually offers bench time, but not in this economy. You hit the bench and you get laid off. Not to mention that a few of the biggest employers here are doing mass layoffs, so the market is saturated with people with my area of expertise. Someone told me that they recently read an article here that said for every 1 opening there are 75-80 qualified applicants. Scary! The thing that scares me most is that most of my savings is gone thanks to the lawyer fees for my divorce, so I could only survive for about a month without a job.
I am trying really hard to remain positive. I am so incredibly thankful for all my wonderful family and friends. But, it is hard not to wonder when this is all going to turn around and where I will be when it does.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Are you resilient enough?
This was a title of an article that a co-worker gave me.
I'm hoping that I am.
For more - check out my 'other' blog here. This is where I am at right now and almost frozen trying to figure out what to pay off or what to save or both. Get the car fixed or buy a new one.
I'm frozen by fear.
And because of this I can't write anything right now. Just check out the other blog - state your sentiments on this one.
I'm hoping that I am.
For more - check out my 'other' blog here. This is where I am at right now and almost frozen trying to figure out what to pay off or what to save or both. Get the car fixed or buy a new one.
I'm frozen by fear.
And because of this I can't write anything right now. Just check out the other blog - state your sentiments on this one.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
MOTIVATION
So glad you like the picture - yes definitely more motivational. The pic was taken at Pike Market in Seattle a couple of years ago or maybe a year ago...can't remember.
Anyway, so everyone is talking about weight right now....so I will start with that. It has been hard to stay motivated. I'm not too happy being in Portland right now so it is hard to find the strength and the will to do more than what I am typically expected to do during a normal day. I did great a couple of weeks ago with working out in the morning, then I felt like I didn't get to see my son very much so I opted to sleep and cuddle with him in the mornings versus working out....now this week my husband has been taking him in the mornings so I can get up and work out....and I have been sleeping in. Tomorrow I have a very early morning meeting with Germany so I told myself that since I have to get earlier than normal anyway - I should work out. I did decide that I was no longer going to think too much about food...so this Sunday I went to Costco (which I never do because it typically doesn't save us crap and the fact that I HATE GOING THERE)....and I stocked up on veggies, ground turkey and the fixin's for turkey burgers. I then went home and made about 20 patties and also about 2 dozen of the egg quiches. I also bought new lunch containers and each night before we go to bed we pack our lunches for the next day. I even premade some chicken (kept it raw) and added items that I wanted to cook with the chicken and froze them. So if we want chicken for dinner we take it out in the morning and it marinades in the stuff that is already in the bag and then maybe add some fresh vegetables and a salad and it will take us maybe 10 minutes to make dinner. I just want things to be a bit more simple so that it is easier to eat healthy. The key is to take time out of the weekend and prepare for the week.
Finances. No one is talking about this. Right now I am constantly looking at msn.com. They really do have some good articles about various topics on money. I'm also waiting until February when I'll start having my normal paychecks (the holiday shutdown for 2 weeks plus snow in Portland plus being a consultant doesn't equal large paychecks). I'm looking forward to trying to save as much as possible and the fact that I haven't had normal paycheck for a few weeks has got me to rethinking what I want to do with the money I save. I'm reprioritizing right now. There is so much I want to do in the next year. And there are going to be some major changes possibly - in our living situation. Who knows if we will still be in Portland so I have to plan for that and vacations and a new car and and and....once again. I'll plan all of it out a bit better here this next month. Right now it is all about paying bills and keeping us fed.
Family time. We have decided that we take 30 minutes to straighten up at night and 30 minutes to deep clean one room. This way we have more time for each other and the baby. So far it is working pretty well. Although some nights I just want to sit and veg. Like tonight....
Anyway, so everyone is talking about weight right now....so I will start with that. It has been hard to stay motivated. I'm not too happy being in Portland right now so it is hard to find the strength and the will to do more than what I am typically expected to do during a normal day. I did great a couple of weeks ago with working out in the morning, then I felt like I didn't get to see my son very much so I opted to sleep and cuddle with him in the mornings versus working out....now this week my husband has been taking him in the mornings so I can get up and work out....and I have been sleeping in. Tomorrow I have a very early morning meeting with Germany so I told myself that since I have to get earlier than normal anyway - I should work out. I did decide that I was no longer going to think too much about food...so this Sunday I went to Costco (which I never do because it typically doesn't save us crap and the fact that I HATE GOING THERE)....and I stocked up on veggies, ground turkey and the fixin's for turkey burgers. I then went home and made about 20 patties and also about 2 dozen of the egg quiches. I also bought new lunch containers and each night before we go to bed we pack our lunches for the next day. I even premade some chicken (kept it raw) and added items that I wanted to cook with the chicken and froze them. So if we want chicken for dinner we take it out in the morning and it marinades in the stuff that is already in the bag and then maybe add some fresh vegetables and a salad and it will take us maybe 10 minutes to make dinner. I just want things to be a bit more simple so that it is easier to eat healthy. The key is to take time out of the weekend and prepare for the week.
Finances. No one is talking about this. Right now I am constantly looking at msn.com. They really do have some good articles about various topics on money. I'm also waiting until February when I'll start having my normal paychecks (the holiday shutdown for 2 weeks plus snow in Portland plus being a consultant doesn't equal large paychecks). I'm looking forward to trying to save as much as possible and the fact that I haven't had normal paycheck for a few weeks has got me to rethinking what I want to do with the money I save. I'm reprioritizing right now. There is so much I want to do in the next year. And there are going to be some major changes possibly - in our living situation. Who knows if we will still be in Portland so I have to plan for that and vacations and a new car and and and....once again. I'll plan all of it out a bit better here this next month. Right now it is all about paying bills and keeping us fed.
Family time. We have decided that we take 30 minutes to straighten up at night and 30 minutes to deep clean one room. This way we have more time for each other and the baby. So far it is working pretty well. Although some nights I just want to sit and veg. Like tonight....
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