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WAHOO wednesday

  • Posted on March 10, 2010 at 6:23 am

picture courtesy of @mizfitonline

My girl up there is Carla, aka @MizfitOnline, and she is one amazing chick!! I don’t know if Carla knows this but she is sort of my hero!! I could probably list 1,927 reasons why I love the Miz but for today I will tell you about reason #1,928!! Carla is a non-runner (her words) but on Sunday, March 7th, my girl completed the Disney Princess Half Marathon!! For those of you keep score that means the non-runner-prefers-weights-awesome chick ran 13.1 miles!!

Carla, my friend, you inspire and motivate me to keep going!!

WAHOO!!!

and CONGRATS on completing your

1st Half-Marathon!!


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food for thought

  • Posted on March 2, 2010 at 11:17 pm

This week is state testing at school. Basically, monitoring testing is the worst week of the school year. I sat on my bum a bit more than I would have like today but I didn’t want to distract my students by pacing the room. So I blogged…sort of..I have no blog access at school but I have plenty of paper and pens! I actually hand wrote this blog!

I have been thinking a lot about food lately.  I hate thinking so much about food! I have spent the last few days (pretty much since my WW meeting on Saturday) thinking about food. I also thought a lot about the entire past year.

I have made a ton of changes. I have learned so much about myself, food, nourishing my body, pushing my body and treasuring my body.

This weekend’s weigh in pissed me off! A  gain was just the straw that broke camel’s back. I love getting up on Saturday mornings and heading to WW meetings. This week I realized it has nothing to do with WW anymore. In the beginning I soaked up as much info as I could get from my meetings. In the middle (when I went back to meetings after the summer online) I needed the accountability. I also needed a refresher course ~ I had gotten complacent.

The end has come!

I am breaking up with WW.

This is not a decision I made lightly. WW helped me learn about food and tracking and portions. I have learned a lot but I know there is more for me to learn about healthy eating and healthy living.  I get a ton of support and encouragement and accountability from my online weight loss communities. I am currently paying $40 every month for WW meetings and I am starting to feel guilty spending the money on WW when I am not using all the services to the fullest. I have also been feeling guilty about food and that bothers me the most[there is definitely a blog post in this thought]!

I will continue to go WW for the rest of  month. Hey, I paid for them I might as well use them but I am not paying anymore!

With all that in mind, I am starting my weigh-ins at home and I am starting tomorrow morning! I need a “starting” number from my home scale. I will post that number and a bit more information about this change.

HUGE SHOUTOUT to Shrinking Jeans, Mamavation, and my twitter posse [I hope you all know who you are, I admit laziness here: It is late and I am tired]! You all help me so much! It is because of all you that I have the confidence to venture out on my own away from WW.

.

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run Jen run

  • Posted on February 16, 2010 at 7:25 pm

All of the sudden I have so much to write about.

  • I was going to blog a “Tuesday Confession” (I have been a bad girl)
  • I was gonna tell you about the concert I went to last night (which was freaking amazing, btw)
  • Those posts will have to wait, this one has to be written

So, you may remember me mentioning Fitbloggin. If you are a twitter friend, you are probably sick of me mentioning #Fitbloggin!! Well, I am super excited for Fitbloggin. I am a bit nervous as well. I am nervous for a few reasons: traveling alone, meeting all you awesome people for the first time, falling on my clutzy face in front of all you awesome people, and now running a 5K.

I am only half serious about being nervous! The travel will be fine! It is not a long drive to Baltimore (only about 3 hours) but I am used to traveling with Big Man.  I am clutzy; I know it and I have told you all it so many times that you know it! I am ok with being clutzy! It is part of my charm!! I am learning to be “unapologetically myself” <~~ gotta love the Miz! If I fall, I will pick myself up and make a wise crack…cuz ya know it is kind of funny!

Did you all notice that I wrote running up there?!?!

Yep, I may have lost my mind!! I signed up to run in the New Balance (my go to sneaker choice)  sponsored Fitbloggin 5K. I read an email about the 5K and I just signed up!! I did not think of the logistice, I just signed up! That was last night! Very late last night, after 3 hours of dancing at Further (see info at www.dead.net) I logged in to check my email and quickly signed up for the 5K.

I tweeted a bunch about anxiety over running and was overwhelmed by my fave tweethearts!! They (@PhatBFF, @footdr69, @fabfattieShan, @JeepJenn, @rebeccamuba, @Loser_for_Life, @reallifeadv, @foodiemcbody, @kyratx & @damanlovett ~~> I really hope I did not miss anyone) told me:

  • “GO FOR IT”
  • YOU CAN DO IT
  • I WILL BE CHEERING YOU ON
  • I WILL HANG WITH YOU
  • I BELIEVE IN YOU

WOW!!

Just WOW!!

I am blown away by the love and support and encouragement!! You all ROCK!! I told Big Man about this and he said to me, “we can go to Mainland’s (local high school) track together and I will walk while you train.

ummmm DOUBLE WOW!!

I LOVE Big Man! He has been super supportive of everything I have done from the day we met. He encourage me while I finished school. We got engaged, I moved in and he financially supported me and my daughter while I finished school. He has been awesome about my weight loss but very slow with his own and I worry because he is diabetic (type 2) and on medication (not shots yet). I want Big Man to lose weight but only so he is healthy and stays around forever. I really love love the big lug! THIS IS HUGE!! He wants to start walking more regularly and this is the perfect time! I am just as excited about Big Man wanting to walk with me as I am to start something new.

Ya’ll know I love a good challenge!! I am challenging myself to start and complete the Couch to 5K program (to the best  of my ability)!! My first “running” goal will be to run at least half of the New Balance/Fitbloggin 5K.  I am also going to figure out when the end of the 9-week Couch to 5K training program is and I will sign up for a 5K that weekend. I will update you as I go!!

**I am still looking for sponsors for Fitbloggin10. If you are looking to sponsor a blogger please email me at jeninreallife@yahoo.com **

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feeling a bit more human

  • Posted on February 3, 2010 at 11:10 pm

Being sick sucks!!

I am not 100% yet but I feel more like a human being today. I have worked all week.  On Monday and Tuesday I cam home from school so freaking tired. The stairs at school are really freaking killing me this week! I cannot breathe by the time I hit the first little landing…like 6 steps! AND, my classroom is on second floor and bathroom is in basement…which isn’t really all that many steps (my school is a little  old building that was once a Kindergarten school, built 100+ years ago).  Needless to say, I am not drinking very much water at school.

Last night, Big Man and I decided to plan a mid-week night out for tonight (Wednesday)! The kid was super stoked to go see Avatar in 3D and eat at Chili’s on a school night! I was happy to not have to make dinner! Avatar was a great movie! It had elements of Fern Gully, the Matrix and Dances with Wolves  which I kind of already figured from the commercial previews. I DID not think I was going to like this movie as much as I did!! Blue people are so cool! and they live on the coolest planet! The hippie who lives inside me loved so much of this movie! We went to the 3:30 movie and we basically left the house as soon as i came home from school. I sliced an apple and grabbed a Fiber 1 bar for snacking at the movie.

We went to Chili’s after the movie. I looked at the menu and nutritional information last night. I was prepared. I had a plan. I LOVE Chili’s!! The nutritional information is extensive…it has everything to figure out WW points for all dishes! I went with the Chicken and Green Chili soup & House Salad.  We split an appetizer: the triple dipper with southwest egg rolls, onion strings & jalepeno stacks, and spinach & artichoke dip. I estimate my portion to be about 10 points. I used some (ok, the last of them) WAPs but it was so worth it! We have not gone out in a while.  Big Man and I were going to go out last weekend while the kid was at sleepovers but I was sick and too sneezy to go  out in public.

Wednesday night Movie and Dinner with my two favorite people!!

Tomorrow, I am going to attempt a workout. I need a workout! I miss my workouts!

Where is Jen?!?! What have you done with Jen?!?!

Seriously, my biggest bitch about being sick is that I have just finally gotten into a good workout rhythm and being sick puts that on hold.  It has been one week since my last workout!

I never blogged about my weigh-in…mainly because I felt like a pile of poo on Saturday and did nothing. Then I sent lots of time playing catch up from being sick and useless.

I gained 1 pound at Saturday’s weigh in…

I do not care what that scale says….I did better than to gain 1 pound. BUT, my head was filled with crap! I felt heavier! and I had just gotten my good old monthly friend and I was bloaty!

I would like to say that this week’s weigh in will be a loss but who the hell knows! The scale is evil! I am only weighing in because….errr….I don’t know why I am weighing in but I have to have a weekly number, even if I don’t like it! I will take my measurements again next weekend (middle of Feb) and I hope to see a nice difference there.

February has some exciting events.  Big Man bought us concert tickets to two different shows. We are seeing Further (Phil Lesh & Bob Weir) on February 15th and the 27th. The 11th I am being filmed at school, the 12th is a big Senior Citizen’s Valentine Luncheon at school and  the 24th is my birthday.

I am up past my bedtime but I had to finish this post!! I am ready to get back to “normal”!

go ahead, make jokes!! As if I have a clue what normal means?!?!? LMAO!!

much love & good night !

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the real poop

  • Posted on February 1, 2010 at 9:44 pm

My blogging has been shitty!

alright….it hasn’t been horrible!

but I haven’t written anything but updates for my challenges and weekly weigh-ins and menus.

I am cheating myself here.

and I am cheating you!

Are you out there?!?!

Is there anybody out there?!?!

This blog is supposed to be Jen in Real Life…ya know, the real stuff that happens in my very real life while I lose very real weight…and why is it losing weight? I don’t feel like I lost it…I feel like I had to kick every pound’s stubborn ass to the curb (sometimes repeatedly after it snuck back in)!

I am having a hard time finding balance.

I have a lot of wants….

and here is a list in no particular order:

I want to blog every day.

I want to eat healthy and workout every day.

I want to be a good teacher.

I want to be a good mother.

I want to be a good wife.

I want to be a really good wife.

I want to be more organized.

I want to be less distracted.

I want new shoes.

Lots of shoes.

I want to wear dresses.

Really cute dresses.

I want to read more books.

I want to read and comment on more blogs.

I want more time in the day.

that’s not too much is it?!?!

I am having a hard time balancing real life and all the crap that goes into making real life work and all the fun stuff I want to be doing.

I have not been doing such a good job at balancing.

Today, I realized something…

Whatever happens, will just happen.

I can’t get all stressed out about blogging. I need a schedule and a time to blog. I feel like I am on the computer way too much and my time management sucks!! I will blog when I can, I will blog certain posts on certain days – Friday nights before bed I will post my Perfect 10 update but I am not going to stress about blogging/posting my weigh-in on Saturday.  I will post (probably on Monday) a brief overview of my weekly goals – how I did in the last week and thoughts for the week ahead. I will continue to post a menu on Sunday! I HAVE to have my menu. Any other blogs will be spontaneous! and some weeks they may not come at all! I LOVE blogging but I don’t want to start seeing it as too much of a chore.

And, truth be told, I need to focus on living in the real world! I have responsibilities that are a bit more important than blogging.  I owe it to myself to make sure my food and activity are taken care of every single day! I owe it to myself to spend some time every day preparing for the next day at school. and I owe it to myself to spend quality time with my family.

A good friend told me today that I need to remember to TAKE CARE OF MYSELF FIRST!

I am going to take care of me first! I hope you stick around while I figure it all out!

Jen

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if you’re happy and ya know it clap your hands!

  • Posted on January 24, 2010 at 2:40 pm

I am a happy person most of the time! I am also human so I have many moods and some are not always a ray of sunshine! But for the most part I am a happy, look at bright side of life kind of person! Today, I am super excited because this is my 100th post!! WOW! I have been blogging for a little more than a year but I started Jen in Real Life in the summer of ‘09!

And this post right here is number 100! Thank you to all of you that read my ramblings. A double thanks to those who have encouraged and supported me on this journey.

Just the other day tow awesome blogger/twitter friends gave me an awesome award.

Isn’t it just the most beautiful award ever?!?!

Thank You, @ronisweigh and @FabFattieShan

As always, there are instructions:

1. Copy the image and display it on your blog.

2. List 10 things that make you happy.

3. Try to do at least one of them today.

4. Pass on the award to 10 bloggers who brighten your day.

Happiness is…

  1. my beautiful daughter and manly husband ~ they drive me crazy all the time but I would trade them for anything!
  2. a sweater or blanket all warm, right out of the dryer
  3. rainy, lazy days…days where I can avoid all stress and work!
  4. sunny warm Summer days spent near the water, whether at the beach or on a friend’s boat
  5. blogging ~ it has helped me in ways I never imagined. I have a place to vent and cry and share my happiness. Blogging has brought some of the most amazing people into my life!
  6. twitter – for many of the same reasons as blogging
  7. friends – can I admit that my online friends know more about me than some of my real world friends? You all don’t think I am weird.
  8. my WW meetings and the friends I have made there. We may only meet and talk once a week but my WW family is super important to me and they make me very happy!
  9. a lesson plan that works as well with the students as it looks on paper.
  10. a new cookbook or cooking magazine.  I love food pictures and I have a new love for cooking healthy, satisfying, and delicious food.

So, now I have to pick ONLY 10 of my blogger friends to give this award. I am going to try and choose bloggers not on Roni’s or Shannon’s list ~I think all those already chosen are fantabulous but I want to spread the happiness love around. Here are 10 bloggers I want to give happiness, in no particular order!

  1. Steve at Log My Loss
  2. Dr. Mo at footdr69’s blog
  3. Sue at Did I just Eat That Out Loud?
  4. Jen at PriorFatGirl
  5. Rachel at Body by Pizza
  6. Heather at Leading the Weigh
  7. Jenna at Chive Talkin’
  8. LaLoosh – a new find but this blog makes me happy so I want to give it back!
  9. All the hookers over at Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans
  10. and YOU!! If you reading this and you are happy or want to be happy, I give you this award!

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Holy Crap its 2010

  • Posted on January 1, 2010 at 12:47 pm

There is something about the new year and all the hoopla surrounding today that makes me feel a renewed energy! I have been striving my whole life to get “more organized” and each year I get a little bit closer! This year, I am focused and I will be a more organized Jen! I spent yesterday writing out calendars (or more like chore charts) because I know if I write it down, it will get done!

Today, I am de-Christmasing the house! I need to get everything back to “normal” so that I am not distracted! Yes, even though I am very unorganized and clutter always happens in my house, it distracts me! Today, I am changing all the sheets in the house, putting away Christmas and generally cleaning everything!

Tomorrow I will be able to wake up and get right to my routine!!

This year I will hit my goals!!

Will you?!?!

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I need advice

  • Posted on December 29, 2009 at 12:54 pm

and not of the weight loss variety.

I need computer/blog advice.

I am completely fumbling here and learning as I go.

I started out at blogspot and I loved my little spot in the world.  I moved up in the world and got me a wordpress site of my very own…

maybe I jumped up too quickly but I had help!! My good friend helped me get set up using her server (I apologize in advance if I mess up the verbiage here) but now there seems to a problem. Apparently, her server wants more money for my site. I am using too much something and they want more $$.

Here are some of the DMs from my friend about the problem:

“The server is charging me an extra $50 for overuse of bandwith because of your site. Their rates went up”

“I am not happy with them. The 1st of the year my service is up. I hate this server and am thinking about switching anyway.”

“looking for cheap servers @ timbury.com package will be the best for you.”

I don’t know what to do!! I need simple and straightfoward and easy and cheap!

  • do I switch back to a free blogger or wordpress blog?
  • do I pay $50 and get my own server (whatever that exactly means I am not really sure)
  • or is there another option?
  • or should I just completely start over? new year, new me?!?!

PLEASE hit me up with some comment-style help!!

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a talent worthy of a bookworm

  • Posted on December 23, 2009 at 8:27 pm

books-pile

To all my friends who know me well you know I am a bookworm!! My twitter id is @bwJen (shortened from @jen_da_bookworm) because well…I am a bookworm.

When MizFit started tweeting about a talent show I was intrigued! and then she said videos! OH MY!! I do not do camera! I like to be behind the camera!! Weird huh?!?! I am not shy but dislike very much to be in front of camera! All

this online living has forced me to take pictures of me and share them but I am slowly becoming comfortable with my picture….I will have to work up to videos!

SO…the lovely Miz said I could blog it …this year! I will work on the camera thing for next year!

read upside down

MY TALENT…..is (drum roll please)

I can and do read anything, anywhere, in anyway….(as long as it English)

funny-image-accident

I can read upside down which comes in handy as a teacher ;P

as long as I am not driving I can read in any moving vehicle.

as long as I am not driving I can read in any moving vehicle.

as a child I climbed in, hid, and got lost in my world of books and I could read in the middle of any chaos or turbulence of my house and never know what was going on around me.

as a child I climbed in, hid, and got lost in my world of books and I could read in the middle of any chaos or turbulence of my house and never know what was going on around me.

True Story: I have spent more sleepless nights finishing a book than almost any other reason to be up all night!

True Story: I have spent more sleepless nights finishing a book than almost any other reason to be up all night!

So there you have it!!

A nerdy, bookwormy talent!!

I hope you enjoyed!!

For more exciting Virtual talent go check out the Virtual Blogger Talent Show!!

P.S. Who wants to teach me how to do video before next Christmas???

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what the hell….

  • Posted on December 22, 2009 at 7:41 pm

I really have no idea what the hell is wrong with me. I have been in a mood/funk for a couple of days. I have so much to do and so little time.

And you are thinking the same thing I am thinking…who doesn’t?!? Christmas is in like three days and everyone has last minute “stuff” to do!

I am always finishing up “stuff” last minute! HELLO! I am the queen of procrastination and I know it…

..this feels different.

I feel almost paralyzed and totally clueless what to do first. I am making my lists like usual but I am just feeling lost.

DAMNIT!!!

I have not put enough effort into anything and I getting pissed off at myself.

I need to snap out of this funk! Whatever it is IT has to end!

The weird thing ~ I am totally in the spirit!

just the pics 234I have a new cat, Whiskey, and he is becoming more and more a part of the family…he wasjust the pics 240 even in my lap today.

My family is AWESOME!

I have the coolest Christmas tree.

I am even going away for a few days after Christmas. The family will spend a couple of days in the Poconos in a secluded cabin!

SO, I AM NO OVER IT!!! DO YOU HEAR ME?!?!

Now, I am off to be productive and cross things off my To-Do list!! I needed to yell at myself and remind myself of what is important!

Do you ever feel the need to yell at yourself?

P.S. as I was typing this Big Man put on some music (Steely Dan and The BAND) and brought me a cup of coffee. I have the best husband in the whole world!! I am a lucky girl!! Life is GOOD!

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