You like my style?

ooh and ps I have lost like 10 lbs since my weightloss post!

I Really Mean it!

My journal and calorie tracker!

For the last 2-3 weeks or so I have been trying to loose weight and be healthier.  SO with my friends Kim and Julie we pretty much made a pack to be better.  We even created journals were we can record our progress.  I feel like I could probably do better with my eating.  I have been tracking everything in a calorie counter on my phone and trying to make better choices but it is hard when I never really had much control over or cared what I ate.  Now it has caught up with me!  I remembering posting last year or so about being the heaviest I am well now that’s not true I am NOW. 

Kristin's Bridesmaid dress.... Pretty cute
really!

Anyway, with Kristin getting married next spring I’m determined to look good in that bridesmaid dress and a bikini all week!!!!  SO it starts now!! Or trying at least.  I really haven’t lost any weight but I cant get discouraged.  I’m trying to limit myself to 1680 calories when my normal intake was probably was more like 2800-3300 in a day… If I’m under 2000 I feel good about myself. 

This past weekend my friend Katie came to Denver which involved about of ETOH and eating out which totally blew my 2000 restriction with 2 days being greater them 3500 calories and all….I know I cant stress about it because once I’m back at work I will be more structured!  Plus no exercise really… (We did go for a hike yesterday ) Then! I go to Boston in a week and half!  Boston Cream Pie----maybe this time I’ll just get a slice not the whole pie  :P. 

Embarrassed to post this pic!  Took yesterday
on our hike... I am going to get rid of that
belly button hole!

With eating less (I don’t necessary want to say better at this point) I have been trying to exercise at lease 4 day a week.  Really trying to focus on running.. I would love to be able to run a 5K at some point.  I have never really been much a runner so it is difficult.  SO I found this plan that gradually increases you up to running without stopping.  I was doing well until I hurt my right foot arch… UGH not I might have to start off or just DO IT!! And Stop being a baby J 

Well I plan on trying to be like 180 lbs which is like 50lbs to loose so well see how close I get!  AT least by December when I buy that dress J

SO this time I mean it! IT does help that I have good friends who are trying to loose weight too!!

Wish me Luck!

This and That!!!

Sorry for the non blogging lately. This month has been kinda busy. My schedule at work is horrible this month.

The last 2 weeks I have worked Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Not giving me anytime to recover in between. I also had ACLS training in the middle of it that I wasn’t getting paid for because my floor doesn’t require ACLS certification. But the good nurse that I am I wanted to further my education. I passed and now one of the only ones on my unit that is ACLS. Which I’m happy for, I will probably never be the “team leader” and give the instructions but at least I will understand the emergent and Code blue process and the purpose of the drugs that are being used. Plus I have had more exposure to rhythm strips and finally understand heart blocks and junctional rhythms.

One thing that really made me upset the last week in the ACLS class was how other nurses project that they are better then others because they work in a different part of the hospital. So I’m a Medical Nurse, I get a pretty broad group of patients that are pretty stable and dot require heart monitors and close supervision. Which is a great place for a new grad to start. But then you have the nurses in more critical areas that have this bubble/attitude that since they get more critical patients that they are a “Better” nurse then others. It makes me mad because we all essentially have the same training. I have friends that work in all these

areas and it seems like even them are judgmental towards me. I sometimes find my self saying I’m just a Medical Nurse. But you know what I can do my job, assess my patient and give medications to a patient all without a monitor always attached to them. I am proud to be a Med/Surg Nurse and happy where I am! And when I’m able to look at my patient and know when something is wrong in a second I know that I’m an excellent nurse anywhere I work. So its now where you work that makes you a good nurse its yourself and how attentive you are!

Ok enough of that tangent.

I’m soo happy that my friends cam

e up the last week and visited me here in Casper. I had a great time as always and feel like no matter the amount of time in between seeing each other we can pick up and joke around and have a good time. Thanks guys for coming and visiting me it made me feel special J .

Update: I’m continuing to go to the gym. I haven’t gone nearly as much as I did before I was so busy but slowing becoming more toned. It is hard to eat good when you have a boyfriend it just makes it harder for some reason.

The other day Jay and I went to Alcova Lake and just hung out and for those of you so patiently waiting for a picture of my mystery boyfriend here is a picture—it is a really bad one of the two of us though so no first time judgements.

Why I'm Happy!

Happy first day of fall! I think fall is one my favorite season next to spring. The Aspen trees up on the mountain this fall are a pretty color orange and yellow (sorry no pictures of the orange ones though). And I love the smell in the air. The smell of decaying plant….LOL I know that sounds morbid but I do love that smell! I went for a hike on

Monday and a bike ride yesterday. It has been an awesome last couple of days of summer! And last week, Jay took me to this old crystal cave up on Casper Mountain that was pretty interesting.

Anyway, more important things to talk about would be me living in Wyoming for 3 months now! I do really like it here so some high points are: I have a great job that I’m getting better at everyday, finally found something that I’m great at and LOVE! Also, I was scared that I would sit in my apartment bored all the time because I would have no friends or things to do. Lately, it seems like I’m away more then I am home. I haven’t watch TV in 3 months which is great because that seemed to be a weakness for me and it would be the only thing I would do. Now if I have a show that I want to watch I’ll just go online (like tomorrow night Grey’s Anatomy J) and watch just what I want to watch there. I have some pretty good friends here and dare I say a boyfriend (that I actually like). I have been better at working out and eating better (Lost 3 lbs already), not eating out nearly as much.

It seems like moving here was a good change for me. Casper seems like a pretty good town and almost provides everything I need. I DO really miss my family and friends in Denver though L but at least it isn’t that bad of a drive. Plus, I think a couple may becoming to visit me soon (hint, hint). Starting next week I think I’m going to start taking horse riding lessons, I have been waiting till my health insurance started so if I do get hurt it wont cost as much. Also, I really need a hobby now that I’m not in school anymore and only work 3 days a week I do have plenty of time on my hands where I need to fill it with something productive. I need a hobby that is fairly cheap! Anyone have any suggestions?

All in All, I seem much happier for some reason and this is just what I needed to pull me out of the rut I have been in the last couple years.

The Biggest Loser!

For the past 7ish years it seems like I have wanted to loose so weight but instead of the pounds falling off they have been gradually adding over the last couple years. Being a nurse and my previous education I know how important it is to be healthy to help with the disease process of the body as we age and quite frankly I have really choose not to do anything about it the last 7-10 years of my life. I have always loved and will always love food, which is my biggest down fall. Plus I’m an expert at being a couch potato and laying on the couch watching movies all days is totally awesome!

I don’t know how many patients I have cared for that has diabetes, coronary artery disease, or severe obesity that are all correlated with eating too much. So I just recently signed up with the local Casper gym to have a personal trainer for the next 24 months to help me make better decisions. I went for the first time last week (the same day as shooting) and my trainer did all my measurements, which just embarrassed me more. Then I had a small workout where she actually made me dizzy from lifting weights. So hopefully being able to go at least once a week for the next 6 months will motivate me enough to go the additional 3 days I have off a week.

I also have a meal-plan in place where I can only eat between 1300-1600 calories a day in order to loose about 2 lbs a week and I probably consume more like 2000-3000 calories a day. This is a HUGE cut and changing my eating habits. I might as well become a rabbit and just eat lettuce all day J. Since I have started “eating” better there really has been a few days were I have successfully consumed less than 1600 calories and that involved not leaving my apartment and measuring everything.

My biggest challenges with loosing weight are:

Alcohol---It’s amazing how many calories are in a beer. And I could easily consume a couple beers a day with no problems.

Eating out! ---Restaurants are my downfall, because I usually operate under the idea that don’t normally have this, IE: Prime Rib, so therefore I must have it.

Carbohydrates! I love pasta, bread, potatoes and all the carb foods. I measured ONE serving of dry pasta the other day and I would normally consume probably 4-5x that amount.

Portion sizes---goes along with the pasta I just need to at least cut everything in half because I am my fathers child and can lick a plate clean with no problem.

Making it to the Gym at least 3-4 times a week. Once again I’m a lazy bum that loves watching movies in my bed.

Snacks between meals—and just empty calorie snacks—I need to get better at eating apples and carrots and healthier stuff like that.

FOOD at Work! So I mentioned that as nurses we see the unhealthiest patients but as a whole we don’t eat well. The other day a patient (probably overweight) brought in a thank you basket with candy and chocolate for everyone. It is sooo hard to walk by the staff lounge or nurses station and see those wonderful individually wrapped butterfingers and snickers that are so irresistible.

I weight more today then I have ever have, even with a boyfriend where all we did was drink cream and consume high fat foods. I weight in at 206 lbs that I hide well. So my goal is to at least loose 25-30 lbs and then keep it off. So if I am able to have some self-control and be able to cut back. I'll keep you updated!

Ohh and PS I have been drinking a beer the whole time I’m writing this J