Completely out of control....
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

Can't stop eating, can't stop eating.  I'm fine during the day, but completely out of control after 8 pm.  I had to throw some granola away that was too much for me to handle.  Granola is so unhealthy:  it is loaded with saturated fat and too many calories.  But I can't stop eating it.  With some peanut butter.  So I threw it away. 

There are other things I should get rid of also.  I actually feel ill because of the crap that I'm eating.  I need to get to a meeting before I go insane.

10:52 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Core = FAIL. Plus, your first soup recipe of the fall!
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

So, you can't just decide that you're going to go Core without a little bit of planning.  Which I failed to do and therefore ate a huge Bruegger's sandwich yesterday (12 points) plus spaetzle soup (3points) and then grubbed on garbage when I got home from work at 9pm.  So, FAIL.  I have to stay on Flex this week, I don't have time for the shopping or planning that Core takes.  I am going into work late today, so I'll do some serious cardio later on.

Somehow through all of this, my weight has stayed the same.  I think it is due to loss of muscle, unfortunately. 

I attempted to go to a WW meeting yesterday but couldn't get out of the office.  I'll try again next week, but it's going to be hard to make it to a during the week meeting.  Looks like Saturday might have to do.  They are talking about starting a meeting at my work, which would be awesome. I'd love to lead it actually, but I'm not sure how at-work meeting leaders work.  Are they regular WW leaders?  Or is someone on staff at a particular building taught how to lead the meeting?  Anyone know?

I'm making fall soup this morning.  It's a delicious fall recipe that I'm making up on the spot.  I roasted a pumpkin and a squash last weekend and am now using the meat to make soup. 

Root & Squash Soup (terrible name, I know.)

1 pie pumpkin, roasted and removed from skin
1 acorn squash, roasted and removed from skin
2 tbsp. butter
1 small potato, diced
1 onion, chopped finely
3 c. veggie broth
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp.  freshly ground black pepper

1. Melt butter over medium heat.  Add onions, cook until translucent.  Add potatoes, cook about 6 minutes or until soft.

2.  Stir in broth.  Heat to a simmer.

3.  Add squash & pumpkin, salt & pepper and cook until hot.

Two options: 

1.  Blend with immersion blender or mixer for smooth soup.
2.  Leave chunky.  Save time and you get to chew.  Nice, right?  (This is the option I prefer.)

2 points per 1 cup serving.

10:59 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Tomorrow = Core
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

I need to go Core for a week or two.  My nutrition is suffering, I've put on a few pounds, I haven't gotten Shredded in weeks and I can't sleep.  I really have to get my act together.  It's been difficult, with the move and the job change.  And we keep eating out at some of our old haunts (and some new ones).

So in a nutshell:  tomorrow I start a week or two of Core, which always puts me right on track and back to my fighting weight.

My walk to and from work is pretty outstanding though, not to change the subject.  I walk past all sorts of gorgeoues buildings and landmarks including:  The Pittsburgh Children's Museum, the old Public Theatre, The National Aviary, three gorgeous parks, Heinz Field (where the Steelers play) and the Carnegie Science Center.  It's quite a tour of the North Shore.  Plus there are hills, which I never walked on in Columbus (the world's flattest city.)

10:15 AM - 3 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Stress
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

So we've been here for one full week and this morning I already had to call 911.  My lovely neighbor was beating his wife/girlfriend up while their baby was in the same room.  Classy guy, huh?  That was seriously stressful for me, as I wouldn't deal with abuse like that and I don't know how anyone else can either.  I understand that women (and men) sometimes feel stuck, or are financially dependent on another, but help is there if, and this is always the "if", the abused knows where to look. 

Needless to say, and off topic, with stress like this, my food is out of control today. 

If you or someone you know is being abused by their spouse, here are a couple of links to help you:

In Pittsburgh:

http://www.wcspittsburgh.org/

Nationally:

http://www.springtideresources.org/

http://www.helpabusedwomen.org/

7:39 PM - 3 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Clay Aiken is GAY?
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

And the whole world went, "Well, yeah, and?"

Another week since my last blog, but life has been a bit busy.  I did have my first lifetime weigh-in and I made it by the skin of my teeth (I was exactly 2 pounds above goal).  Not bad for waiting so long for my materials and my weigh-in.  Then I went out to dinner and lunch about 6 times in 4 days and I'm sure I'm up now.  The whole move has not been good for my weight loss:  I can't eat properly and I've had no time to exercise.  Now that we're in the new house things will hopefully settle down and I"ll be able to cook healthy meals again.

I start my new job today.  Not nervous about the job or the people, but about the bus and getting there on time and walkin through an unfamiliar neighborhood to get there. 

In other rapid fire news:  Lots of new pics in my folders.  We bought some furniture at Ikea yesterday that we promptly broke during assembly.  Go us.  Allison had her first day at day care yesterday and they said it was like she had always been there.  My one cat still hasn't come out of the basement (we've been here 5 days!)  The other one is on my last nerve. Our house is nice, but our landlord is lazy.  Our neighbors seem cool. Butch and I are at each others throats. 

10:26 AM - 4 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Dang. Nine Days since I, Amy Constantine-Kline, last blogged?
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

I am a major blogging slacker, but a lot is going on.  Here's the past week in a nutshell:  it's my last week at CAPA so I'm cramming as much work as I can into every day, we had a major hurricane-like storm on Saturday, so we lost our cable and internet (better than most people who are still living without electricity), and I'm trying to pack. Allison's daycare has been closed, so on Monday she came to work with me and yesterday she went to work with Butch.  After work, we drove her to Cambridge to meet my parents, who took her back home to Pittsburgh (I was a little crushed by this, it's her first time away from us.) I'm also trying to stay on track weight wise for my first lifetime weigh-in tomorrow.  So it's been nutty.

But I have been feeling pretty good about my weight & eating, even with a couple big restaurant meals.  I did a 20 minute cardio workout last Friday and then did Shred Level 2 two days in a row. On top of that, I've walked to and from work every day and got into some extra walking on Monday, when I walked around looking at all of the storm damage. 

Only 2 1/2 days of work left so I hopefully can get everything done and communitcated.  I may continue to do some work for CAPA from Pittsburgh, so the busy-ness will continue for a while, but I'll have a little extra cash in my pocket.

Here's a request for all of you bloggers / commenters/ Twitterers / Facebook / Linked In / Strands / FriendFeed / etc. users out there.  Do me a total solid and mention my full name in your blog or on your page.  (Amy Constantine-Kline).  Tehre is this thing called the "Vanity Validator" that tells you how famous you are on the internet and I'm competing with some of my work homies to get a higher number.  So, if you have a picture of me, tag it with my full name.  Or just mention that "Amy Constantine-Kline is totally awesome and perfect and gorgeous and humble." 

12:16 PM - 2 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Food & Family Weekend (again)
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

Here are all of the things that happened this weekend that involved caloric intake:  drove 200 miles each way to Pittsburgh, were not home at all on Friday (ate 2 restaurant meals), went a to wedding and then a birthday party of Saturday, had 2 family birthday parties for Jordan on Sunday.   It was bad.  And not even gourmet food for the mst part:  fried chicken and mayonaisse-y salads. It was rough. 

I tried to combat some of the eating by running on the treadmill twice.  Which, BTW, was great.  I'm not a runner, but I know I'm in the best shape of my life when I can run for 10 out of 20 minutes on the treadmill.  Yesterday I ran a straight half-mile, which I'm not sure I have ever done before. 

Anyway, back on track again today.  What else can I say?  I know what to do, I want to do it and I know I have to do it to feel good about me.

10:32 AM - 4 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Packing & Prepping & Shredding
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

I'm having a rough / busy week. On one hand,  we have tons of things packed and gone (my parents came out and took a load).  On the other hand, it doesn't look like we've done anything.  And thirdly, I ate like a hog on labor day.  It was the two drinks that did me in:  after them, I just wanted to sit and eat salty food and there was a big bowl of Doritos in front of me.  And a plate of peanut butter fudge, which has to be one of my all time favorite things. 

However, I did the Shred workout twice this week so far and plan to do it tomorrow morning.  I was going to do it today, but Butch and Allison didn't leave on time, so I didn't get it in.  I also have been eating a ton of fruit and veggies and have been cooking a lot. 

Off to Pittsburgh this weekend.  Lots to do:  sign our lease, go fill out paperwork at my new job, see our new daycare, watch Butch's sister in "Peter Pan", go to a wedding, etc.  Too much to do.  This is one reason we can't wait to be back:  we'll still do this stuff, but we won't have to drive three hours to do it. 

Check it out.  It's my "Jared from Subway" picture.  This is a skirt I used to wear at my heaviest.  The skirt that I'm holding is an 18 and the jeans that I'm wearing are a 6. The full size images are in My Pictures.

10:49 AM - 3 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

"New Set of Stresses" or "Return of the Mack"
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

My life has completly flip-flopped:  I have resigned my position at CAPA and am heading home to Pittsburgh in three weeks to work at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild Jazz, a jazz producer / presenter in the Burgh.  I have been offered the position of Customer Relations Manager,  managing the box office, group & subscription sales plus all of ther social media / web marketing.  I'm so excited for this opportunity.  We've already found a place to live, a day care and Butch has a job, so the stars have aligned for us.  I'll need to find a WW meeting though. 

So my CAPA stress is winding down but I'm sure I'll have an all new set of stressers to worry about.  I'm pretty pumped: it will be great being back in my home city and being near to our families.  CAPA has been an amazing place and I'll miss everyone there, they're are being terrifically supportive through all of this. 

I hope all of you Pittsburgh homies are ready to hit up some of my old favorite haunts like Dee's, Tuscany, Dave & Andy's, Tom's, etc.  plus see some Pirate and Penguin games!  I have to give my kid the pure Pittsburgh childhood that I had.   Oh BTW, we'll be living in Etna. We found a great little townhouse for a steal.  So anyway though, back to packing, I have a lot to do.

12:41 PM - 8 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

No Weigh In
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

So because my leader slacked and didn't send my paperwork in time, my first Lifetime weigh-in hasn't happened yet.  I did get on the scale yesterday anyway:  I'm one pound above where I need to be for maintenance. 

I'm still working through some stuff at work and will hopefully have news for you all soon.  I ate really poorly yesterday (stress eating):  some fatty foods and then handfuls of dry cereal.  And not good for you cereal:  I ate a big ass thing of Lucky Charms mixed with some Cookie Crisp.  Butch and his damn kids cereals. 

However, I'm proud that I have done Jillian Michaels Shred Level One 3 times this week.  I need it for so many reasons:  the stress, the overeating, the poor muscle definition.  I feel good and sweaty and can barely lift my arms when I'm done but, hey, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. 

11:25 AM - 4 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment