Been a While

Wow. What can I say - it's been too long since I posted something. So, here's what's been going on in my life and the lives around me.

Drove to Ft. Worth twice for my brother (I would do it at the drop of a hat because he is my brother) to be with him during his surgery and recovery. Plus, I got to spend some time with my mum (5 hours each time in a vehicle) and I have to say she's a really cool lady. The conversations you can have with your mum are conversations you can have with no one else. She just gets you on a different level - maybe it's because she gave birth to you, but she gets it!

Have been hitting the gym on a regular basis - weights at least 4 times a week and cardio a few days. I know I need to ramp back up the cardio - it is good for me and I am really trying to vary things and not always do the same piece of equipment. I really do enjoy going to the gym - it is good for me. I don't always want to go when I wake up each morning at 4:50, but I get up and go and appreciate it even more. Plus the added bonus is that I get to spend time with my mate - Sean. He's a really great guy that I befriended at the gym (he would say hi to me everyday and we just started talking one day - we have a common bond we're both from England). He keeps me honest about going to the gym and we look for each other and "encourage" each other when we don't see the other person at the gym. He's fast becoming one of my closest friends. I can talk to him about anything and I know he will listen and follow up on topics we discuss and I enjoy spending time with him. Now if we both didn't live so far away from each other and he didn't work so much I think we would hang out a lot more together (at least I like to think we would). We sometimes meet up for lunch during the day and chat. He's a good encouragement for me and I really appreciate his friendship.

We moved offices as work. Just down the hallway, but we have a new space and I really like my new office. I'm all the way at the end of the hall (I picked it). Everyone else is down the other end and I'm all the way in the back of the office suite. I enjoy the added steps to get to my office though.

Lisa and I finally bit the bullet and became life members in the Alumni Association at UH. We have always been really proud of where we went to school and it just seemed natural to become a life member. I had my picture taken at TCEA (state technology conference for education) with one of my old college professors and it was put in the UHCL newsletter - pretty cool. The link to the article is here. It was really neat. Our director from Region 10 actually sent the link to me - she saw it first. I'm also going to be featured in an upcoming UH College of Education newsletter. They conducted an interview with me - I'm excited and nervous about it all at the same time.

Eating Healthy - this is my constant struggle that I face on a daily basis. It is really good for a few weeks and then it goes to pot in a few days. I'm trying a new approach to eating for me. I have cut down on my processed carbs - I'm trying to get most to all of my carbs from natural veggies and fruits. It's not easy, but I make a good effort at it. I've also increased my protein way up. I can tell the difference when I eat this way for a few days consistently - I feel really good. I'm also back to getting in my 100 oz of water a day (most days).

Some of you by now are thinking - he hasn't mentioned Weight Watchers at all yet in this very long post. That's because I haven't been in several weeks. I'm really struggling with whether or not I should stay with WW and continue going to my meetings. I do not look forwards to Thursday evenings even if I know that I have had a great week. My emotions go all wacky when I do go because I get so down when I get on the scale and nothing has changed. It's extremely frustrating. I have spoken with several people about it and they have all told me the same thing - I'm too focused on the details and number on the scale and that I'm not living my life. I have a really hard time getting off the details and I focus too much on them and it causes a problem and everything falls apart and then the emotions go all crazy and .... (you get the point).

The flip side is that my leader Judy is a wonderful woman and I consider her a great friend. She has stood by me through all of this and encouraged me along the way. I don't want to lose her support and encouragement. Then there's Dawn. My WW buddy! She has had her share of struggles and I don't want to jeopardize anything she is doing if I stop attending WW meetings. We sit together and chat each week and share joys and struggles. We rely on each other and support each other.

So my question is this - I value all of you, my friends who read this blog and honestly want your opinions on whether I should continue to go to WW. Now let me clarify something - if I stop going I am still going to eat healthy and exercise and all of that good stuff I just won't be attending the meetings anymore and weighing in each week. I will still weigh in from time to time at the gym on the scale there and will focus on what I need to do in order to be healthy, but I won't try to focus on the details so much, but rather live life. I know some of you might be thinking - wow, it's a no brainer, but it really is a struggle to know what to do.

Please share a comment with me and offer your advice I really would like to hear it.

That's all the ramblings I have for today - until another day. Love you all and thanks for reading and supporting me as I travel along this journey.