Trouble with the Curvy

I got a new body wash that I love for two main reasons. 1. It smells like oranges and bamboo. 2. It's called "Touch of Happiness." I mention this because I think that happiness is the KEY to any weight loss venture and having something that tells you it is going to give you a little happy makes it hard to argue. This week I haven not been particularly happy. I've been moody, dark, and stormy. I can't really say why exactly because I'm never really sure but I'm pretty convinced it has to do with being a woman. With all the hormones that run through our bodies it's like mood Russian Roulette sometimes. Every time I open my mouth, you never can tell what might come out... The reason I'm going all "over share" on you is because this time when I felt dark and stormy it felt a little foreign. It reminded me that over the past couple of months I have been much happier than I've been at any point in my life. They say that when you are getti

Nancy Luce and my ADORABLE nephew Crixus Tonight's entry is dedicated to Nancy Luce. She is a fundraising ROCKSTAR and she's on my team! So far, Nancy has raised $720 for our September 21st Walk to End Alzheimer's. Nancy is one of the top individual fundraisers statewide. I am soooo proud of her! I've already written about why this cause is close to my heart but it is important to Nancy because she experienced this horrible closer to home. In 2004, her father (Ben's Grandfather), Gene Bolduc passed away after having been diagnosed with Alzheimer's years earlier. I didn't meet Ben until 3 years later but over the last 5 years I have had the privilege of getting to know Gene through the stories and memories that his family has of him. This disease spreads far and wide. So many people have been touched by it and know what it feels like when memories are stripped from someone they love. I can't imagine what someone goes through as their memories begi

The Fall is coming fast and I'm so excited. It is, and always has been, my favorite season. I loved snuggling down in a new sweater and watching a soccer game. I loved the newness of going back to school, and the chill in the air. I love the baking and the approaching holidays. This Fall I can't wait to bake in my new kitchen! I only wish I had a week to spend at home to enjoy more of it... I am looking forward to Fall walks too. I can't help but feeling like I am just not doing enough to reach my goal. I feel like I need to kick it into high gear and just haven't tapped into the energy to do it yet. I feel good about my progress but I know what I've been doing isn't enough. There are a lot of things I can do I just have to do them. The first thing I can do is track my calories. I think I need to better understand my habits. Without knowing what the calorie intake and burn-off statistics are, I can't possibly make better choices. I need data.  The ever-f

There are not enough hours in the day. Statistically, I wonder how many blogs begin with that line? This is the classic All-American complaint. If I had 3 more hours in the day I would be so skinny you'd think I was clubbing with Lindsey Lohan (too soon?? Not soon enough??) I don't see that happening though so I have to deal with the little time I have available. This is the part where I launch into my excuses for not posting on Thursday and tell you that I didn't work out on Friday either.  I chose catching up with Ben on Thursday and cleaning my house on Friday over writing and working out. My heart and my OCD don't feel guilty. That doesn't mean that I know what I sacrificed though. The simple truth is that if I really want to see results I have to put in the work and not just talk about it. Last week, while not being my best week, did produce a few good workout sessions. The first of which made me sweat like I was Richard Simmons in '85. I am certain I

As I mentioned I am attending the Hubspot Inbound Marketing Conference this week in Boston. Monday's failure was not working out at all. Tuesdays failure was not writing an entry to TWTC. Today's failure is success.... I know, mind boggling isn't it? Let me explain. This conference is career changing. I am learning so much and one of the things I've heard here over and over is that if you are not willing to fail, you're not willing to succeed. I'm hard on myself when I don't stick to this routine of working out and writing about the journey. What I'm realizing is that I want to do this and when I don't work out or write, I feel like there is a hole in me. This blog is now an extension of who I am and for the next few years it will be a defining attribute to who I become. If I am finding that I like who I am more now that I take care of who I am more. I didn't write last night because I got back from dinner at 10:30p and I called Ben and went

No sense in being coy about it, today I was LAZY! I got up too late, didn't work out this morning, all the while knowing that I was headed to Boston for a work trip. After a tapas dinner we are back at the room and it is 9:30p. I foolishly thought "I'll just go explore the fitness room after dinner." This week is not going to go well if it keeps going like today.  Being in a new place is hard on routines. There is no comfortable workout spot that you know in and out and it feels like you're starting over at a new school. I've got to find a way to make this work. I think the first step is to familiarize myself with the fitness room so that tomorrow morning I can go down without feeling like I am feeling my way through a dark room.  The next step is to remember that this is all a part of who I am now. I am not someone who chooses to stay in bed when I should be walking or hell something even more strenuous... like running.... I need to crave this and I

This morning I am switching things up. I am writing in the morning and doing my workout in the afternoon. I think that typically working out in the morning works best for me but I'm interested to see if I notice any difference doing it in the afternoon when I get home from work. I have hit a plateau and I think I know why. My workouts don't have enough variety. While I think that interval running is a good tactic for me, I need to be doing more to work out different muscles and shake up the cardio. Next week is going to be interesting. I will be at a conference from Monday to Thursday in Boston. I'll have use of the fitness room and I plan to use it. I'll also have access to the pool so I hope it is open early enough for me to go before my sessions start each morning. When I've been away from home in the past my routines are harder to keep because my current triggers aren't there. This will be a good opportunity for me to make sure that the routine is based

If we have established anything in the blog it is that fried food is my nemesis. Mostly french fries but I have had many romances with the butter-slathered-powered-sugared-golden-brown devil known as a Doughboy. Luckily these delicacies are something I only found at State Fairs. Unluckily for me, I live 100 yards from the Skowhegan State Fair. Me if he knows what's good for him.... So if you're counting with me, this is the 3rd disaster that, by definition, is the "trouble" in "Trouble with the Curvy."  1. I bang up my ankle because I'm klutzy 2. I sunburn my back because who thinks to sunscreen their lower back while wearing jeans and a t-shirt? 3. The Doughboy. I just returned from the fair and I'm not going to type filthy lies into this blog and tell you that I didn't partake in a doughboy experience... or fair fries... Am I feeling guilty? Not even a little bit. Why? Because I didn't over indulge. I woke up this morning and went

This is me before the Sunburn... Where was I yesterday? The title of today's entry may lead you to think that I forgot to write but that isn't the case. I simply didn't have the gumption yesterday thanks to a sunburn on my lower back courtesy of picking blueberries. I've never had a sunburn this bad and it kept me out of commission for everything yesterday. From now on, sunscreen goes with me everywhere and gets slathered on regardless if I think that areas like my lower back won't be exposed. Luckily sunburns heal much more quickly than ankles. Seriously weight-loss gods, these tests you keep giving me are unnecessary. Losing weight is challenge enough without them.... I was back on the horse this morning in full force despite my running pants chafing the burn. I finally pulled my undies up far enough that it stopped but the wedgie was epic... TMI I know but enjoy a good laugh out of that at my expense won't you? I did interval running and got a hell of a

Today is Miracle Treat Day ! I look forward to this every year. It is a staple of summer for me now. On Miracle Treat Day, Dairy Queen donates $1 from the sale of every Blizzard to the Children's Miracle Network. On this weight loss blog I am advocating you go out for ice cream. I participated today and I want to thank Dairy Queen for helping sick kids and also for creating the Mini Blizzard! I got to have a treat, help some kids, and not completely blow out my progress today. Thank you also to my super cool Intern Stephanie for organizing the order for everyone in out office. Everything in moderation is the name of the game. I also went back to Anytime Fitness early this morning and I'm excited to say I think I'm going to feel sore tomorrow and no worries about my ankle. It took today like a champ!  Tomorrow I am headed to the What's Next Conference with breakfast and snacks provided by Tim Hortons... I'm thinking that the whole day is a recipe for dietary

I've sat in front of this screen for 10 minutes trying to think about what to write about. Finally I stumbled into the obvious reason for my writers block. I don't know what to write about because I haven't done anything interesting this week. This is my third week of walking instead of going to the gym. I haven't tried a new workout in a while and I know that isn't helping me. If I really want to lose this weight I have to be more ambitious than just getting my ass out of bed and into a pair of walking sneakers. My ankle was a reason for this but I think I also just like getting out of bed and not having a drive that talks me out of doing something more strenuous. I think my ankle is is much better shape and that the sprain wasn't as bad as I thought it was originally. I still screwed it up but I don't think I will have lasting damage that will prevent me from going back to the gym. I haven't been sore in too long. That is part of the badge of honor t

The reason I started this journey was so I could focus on what is really important in my life and be healthier and happier. Tonight, Ben has proposed that we have an "at home date night." He's going to cook me dinner, give me a massage,  and treat me like a goddess and if I'm feeling feisty.... we will do all of this while watching night 3 of Shark Week. Because this sounds like the night that dreams are made of, I'm writing my blog early. I've been meaning to do an entry where I make a list of things that are important to me: Maintaining a healthy relationship with Ben.  Constantly finding ways to be a better girlfriend, daughter, sister, and friend. Taking time to be a better me Staying dedicated to making healthy choices for myself Staying sharp and on top of my game for work Not sacrifice my progress for a pleasure that won't last Not letting my progress keep me from doing the other things on this list Taking time to cook and not letting ba

It's shark week!! Sorry Snuffy, this is fantastic! It does NOT make me want to go swimming though... I went grocery shopping tonight and I was very pleased when I looked at the conveyor belt. It looked like someone that eats healthfully. I even bought my first tomatillo! I plan to make some lip smackin' fajitas. Also on the meal plan for this fine first week of August is baked veggie ravioli and turkey tacos which are really pretty great. I dare even say that the ground turkey is actually better than beef. It has a better texture and is far less greasy. It is more tender and it really tastes the same due to the taco seasoning. We actually prefer that now!  I'm so thankful the love of my life has courage when it comes to trying new foods.  I just polled Ben and in the past 55 days, the food we've been eating is better more often than it was before. I feel like I have been making things worth talking about. That jambalaya was amazing. The Turkey sandwich with avocado,

Read the whole article here! The article is finally here! I feel like a little kid at Christmas! I even did a little running today! Up a hill and everything. I am so full of myself it is disgusting...  This really is one of the coolest opportunities I have ever had. And the best part about these pancakes is that they don't kill my progress. I love them and I hate to use any other mix now. Want the secret though? You don't really need vanilla beans. Use extract if you'd rather and they are just as good. <3 Katie Day 51 198 Feeling like I should try out for Master Chef!