I Love TiVo

I have a feeling that when digital television was created, no one had any idea what exactly that would mean. The creation of TiVo/DVR is one of the best inventions I have seen in my lifetime. I love the idea of being able to record things and watch them later, fast forward through the boring parts, rewind my favorite parts, and skip through commercials.

I have the power! I am no longer forced to watch the programming when it originally aired, and I don't have to watch the commercials if I don't want to. I like that idea. However, advertisers can’t be happy with people having the power because it means that they are no longer able to reach such a broad market of consumers. For the most part, commercials just annoy me. But it is leading to an increasing number of product placements on television. I can spot them a mile away in movies and love to be able to point them out, but I still wonder how advertisers will insert their products into television. Maybe like the Truman Show, where characters talk about a product in a very commercial like way.

Anyway, it has cut down on the amount of time I spend in front of the TV by about half. Which is why I can now fit into a typical evening: making dinner, working out, showering, reading/cleaning and one or two of my favorite shows before I am in bed by 10 or 11pm.

Right now we have about 20 timers set up on the DVR. Here are some of the highlights (this should explain a lot about DH and I):
1. Lost
2. Survivor
3. Amazing Race
4. Paula’s Home Cooking
5. Desperate Housewives :)
6. CSI
7. CSI: NY
8. Southpark
9. Distraction
10. Curb your enthusiasm
11. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
12. American Idol
13. NYPD Blue (but it is over now :(
14. Wifeswap and Trading Spouses
15. Various movies from HBO and PPV

I can’t remember the rest, but they do change an awful lot.

Signs of spring

Well, it must be getting close (though you really haven't been able to tell with the weather ;).

Spring is almost here!!! Need proof, don't believe me, then check out the Cherry Blossom forecast. It catches us offguard every year, but man we love to hear that they are ready to bloom here in DC.

And lest we forget the other tell tale sign of spring, DAYLIGHT SAVINGS! April 3rd, yes you heard it here first, this Sunday.

How much are you worth?

According to the Human for Sale website, I am worth exactly $1,672,130.00.

Doesn't seem like enough for a catch like me ;)

Sunday weigh-in....

206 pounds!!!

I might actually make my first goal of 199 by Vegas (4/27). Which would also correspond with our 5th wedding anniversary on 4/29.

I am down with a tought flu this weekend, that is one reason why the weight came off so easily, lol. Not very hungry and can't keep much down. In some ways I love that feeling (sadistic, I know).

I'll report more tomorrow when I am back to work. Come on under 200!

Body type quiz

Following in the footsteps of Kimba and Mia, I decided to take the body type quiz.

Here are my results:

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Your score is 1.83

Your body is closest to a Mesomorph. You have a naturally fit body but to maintain it or improve it you should exercise and diet correctly for your type. Strength training can be done more often and for longer sessions then would be good for an Ectomorph, but you must still be careful not to overdo it. You should train with moderate to heavy weighs and at a moderate pace, not resting too long between sets. You will find you gain muscle quite easy (some women and even men might not want to get too bulky, but this won't happen suddenly. When you are happy with your muscle size simply train to maintain it). Stick to a good healthy diet to keep you lean and muscular, and watch for any slow creeping fat gains. Engage in and enjoy aerobic activities, sports, etc. but do not overdo.
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A naturally fit body, say what? Now I feel even crappier because I always thought that I was destined to be large with a large frame, etc. But even with my honest answers (about being chubby as a kid, having large bone structure, etc.), it says that it shouldn't be too big of a deal to stay fit. By the looks of it, I definitely need to incorporate more strength training into my routine.

I just got the taxes from the accountant, so I guess I know where some of that refund is going: to more home gym equipment, especially the Bowflex selectech dumbbells. So much for the new wardrobe, lol.

Oxymoron

I'm down in the dumps even though I have some good news to report....

Weigh-in
I checked the scale and it looks like I lost about 1/2 of a pound since last weigh in. I knew that I wasn't doing that great with the eating, but I hadn't skimped on the exercise. So, I was hoping to see something better than 208.5 pounds. However, it does mean that my losing streak hasn't been compromised either :)

I ordered some additional fitness DVDs and they came in the mail yesterday. I got the Firm series of 3 DVDs and another Denise Austin cardio workout. I should be able to try them out this week.

Another good thing, I had a great workout on Tuesday. I ran for 24 minutes straight of the 40 minutes and still had some other running intervals. That felt great. Then last night, I didn't run straight through, but my intervals were the longest and at the fastest pace to date (4.5 MPH).

Work
Ugh, well I am back to work this morning and I really do hate it. I broke down last night a little and DH actually listened. Not to say that he never does, but it was different this time. Like he really understood. I am tired of being the breadwinner and the powerful executive. I want a break. I want to have real estate really take off so that I can leave this life behind. God, I hope I can make it work.

My company announced the promotion of some of the practice managers to VP and a new strategic executive leadership team. To which, of course, I was excluded. I have been a part of that group for years now and am feeling really left out. Yet, they pick people to 'get things done' and it is crap. These would not be the people you pick if you want to get things done. In fact, one of the new members had a baby a couple of days ago and the 90 day plan was to get this group to get a plan together. Hard to do when one of your most productive members is on maternity leave. They remind me of that commerical with the monkeys who run the office and there is one lone worker who knows what is going on (me, most of the time).

DH got word yesterday that his consulting position should become permanent in June or July so that will be great. He will get benefits back, better salary and then I can have some pressure relieved if I try to pursue real estate full time.

Family Visit
My sis and niece are still in town, but I have carted them off to the other sisters house in the area. We went to visit family in NJ over last weekend and they have been with me since Monday at my house. I have loved having a child in the house. It was great, therapeutic almost. But exausting too! They are leaving on Saturday, so we plan to go meet up with them for a farewell dinner tomorrow night. It is always tough to say goodbye.

Back from Jersey

Long weekend with the extended family. It takes a lot out of you to deal with family politics for a short weekend, where you did all the driving. I am ready for bed.

I got in a good walk on Saturday but no other exercise to speak of. I also did fairly well with the eating plan (not perfect, but that is ok). We came home today, midday, and I was able to start getting everything back on track. I even got in some cardio tonight.

I have a few more days with my sis and niece here, so that should keep me busy. I may not be able to post much, but I'll do my best.

Only 12 days till I take the real estate state exam and I got my certificate from the class today. I can't wait. I have a lot of existing work drama to discuss over the next few posts that might help explain my urgency in getting this finished ;)

Evil little monster in my head

is trying to make me eat very badly this week. Last night, I withstood the urges. Tonight, I gave in. I had two tacos from the Bell. Dammit. With the adoption crap and AF here in full force, I couldn't help myself. I am still at about 1250 calories for today, but I didn't workout either. My knees hurt from working out Sun, Mon, Tues and Weds of this week. I feel so cruddy after I eat something I know I shouldn't and the guilt doesn't help either. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

In other news...
I also scheduled by Real Estate exam with the state for April 2nd! Yah, I should have my license in a few weeks.

And my other sister and niece are coming to visit us for the week. They arrive tomorrow night and we have a lot of fun stuff planned. I took off Mon-Weds of next week to be sure to spend enough time with them. I am sure that we will do lots of shopping (which is always a good release for me).

When is it our turn?

Clearly, not today. The birthmom picked another family. One with children, so out of the 8 families, we weren't even really in the running.

My heart just dropped. As much as I convince myself that I don't have my hopes up, I always do.

When is it our turn? I am so tired of waiting. It sucks out your soul, it really does.

Pick me, pick me, pick me

Our social worker called this afternoon with a 'situation'. She called to verify since there may be medical costs involved (paying out of pocket for the delivery). So we told her that was no problem and to show our profile to the birthmother tomorrow morning. I know that in terms of a fit with our profile key, it looks good. But I don't know too many more details than that... But get this, she is due March 23rd!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG. Maybe this is the one. We haven't been shown since December and have been on the books now for six months, so I am hoping and praying that this might be our forever baby.

Any good wishes that can be spared would be greatly appreciated tonight. I guess we should know something tomorrow or Wednesday.

AHHH, I can't even think right now. I need to go work out so that I can relieve some of this stress and pass the time.

Sunday weigh-in....

Drum roll please... 209 lbs.

9 consecutive weeks with a loss!!! Yay, I hope I can keep this up until summer (at least at this pace). I have a feeling it will start to get harder and harder to lose weight when I am under the 200lb. mark.

Today I feel like I could take on the world. I love that feeling. Now how do I bottle that so that when I have a shitty week and can open it, take a swig and feel this way again.

We are going to check out the new Native AMerican Museum in DC today with some friends. Funny, I can see the museum across the street from my office but I haven't been yet. I never take advantage of all the 'culture' in DC, I just commute in to work and get the hell out of there when I am done. We always vow to do and see more in DC, but never actually follow thru. So I am glad that our friends suggested this :)

I passed!!!

Well, I passed the class real estate exam. It was by the skin of my teeth, but passing is passing. In fact, there were ten people in front of me who finished first (of the 50 total taking the test) and not a single one passed. Actually, quite a few of them were on their second or third try. So, I am relieved, proud and exhausted. I can't believe I pulled it off from a correspondence course, either. I think I was pretty much the only one who did that too.

DH and I celebrated tonight and got Thai food. I had some fantastic drunken noodles and he had pad thai. And shock of all shocks, he saved about one third of his for lunch tomorrow. Some of my good eating habits must be rubbing off on him. Now mind you, I ate my whole plate (lol).

I also picked up some pilates resistance bands (with 3 difficulty levels), so I am going to try out my new pilates video tonight. I hope I like it so I will have another workout for the nights I don't feel like the treadmill. Maybe I'll work on building a home gym this year. Weight set next (I only have one small set of hand weights).

UPDATE: Pilates was interesting. I am already a bit sore and actually broke a sweat, but it was hard for me to actually consider it a workout because it is so unlike all the cardio I am used to. I think I will use it to supplement my cardio workouts. So cardio 4 times per week and 1-2 pilates.

Ow, my knee!

I had noticed that I was having a lot of dull throbs and soreness in my right knee. But, I rested it somewhat and hoped that it would just subside. But its not. I had to cut my workout short last night cause it was driving me batty to keep banging it and favoring the left side. It has a slight visible bruise and is swollen a bit. It has been this way for a couple of weeks. I used some icy hot on it last night and it felt better. Any suggestions on how to either 1) make it heal quicker, 2) ensure it doesn't happen again (I hope that with the more weight I lose, the less impact it will be when I run), 3) how to get through it if it doesn't go away right away???

I guess tonight I will try out my new pilates video and see what it does for me. At least there won't be any impact.

I have to study like mad the rest of the day because the class exam for real estate is tomorrow. I am not totally confident yet. I hope to be by the end of tonight. I am going to leave work early so I can spend the afternoon and evening reviewing and taking practice tests.

I'll post tomorrow about the results of the test. Wish me luck!

Periodization

Lately, I have been wondering about reaching a plateau in my weight loss and workout regime. A lot of bloggers out there talk about it and it concerns me because I am having success now and am enjoying the workouts that I do (and I'm not bored yet). With each of my workouts I vary and/or increase time, intensity, distance, reps, etc. so that I don't get stuck that way. Lucky me, I saw the following question in the Washington Post weekly health chat today...

"Q: I've heard you and several other sources say it can be helpful to change workout routines because your body gets used to it and there are diminishing returns. My cardio workout centers around 30 minutes on a stationary bike, but I am continually pushing myself pretty hard -- I keep my heart rate between 75% and 85% of maximum for most of the 30 minutes (I'll push myself past 90% or 95% for as long as I can, usually about 2 minutes). If I keep the heart intensity of my workouts will I see diminished returns if I stay on the bike rather than moving to another piece of equipment.

A: The training tactic you refer to is called "periodization," a fancy word that means you need to change what you're doing every four to eight weeks to keep improving your fitness. I usually see it described in programs related to strength training; the idea is that your body, shrewd instrument that is is, finds ways to conserve energy even if you're making it work hard.

I've heard less about periodization related to cardio, but let me speculate: the muscles used in a particular exercise will adapt and flatline, but you'll keep getting cardio benefits if you keep increasing the amount/intensity of cardio work.

With biking, your quads may quit growing/getting stronger if you stay with biking alone, but your heart-lungs-circulatory system-brain will keep improving as you gin up your workouts by monitoring heart rate.

Changing types of exercise is good to prevent injury, spread the benefits of exercise around your body and fight boredom. All good reasons to find another cardio exercise to alternate with biking."

Sounds like I should be okay for now. I am really hoping to keep this up at least until I am under 200lbs, then maybe I can shake things up a little. I think it will be easier to introduce new activities when it is easier to get my arse going ;)

It's a beatiful day in the neighborhood

What a gorgeous day today! We have had snow what seems like every few days now for the last couple of weeks. So what a treat to have mild weather. If I didn't have spring fever before,I have a feeling that I will now.

Unfortunately, I have to spend most of the day studying the real estate exam book. But maybe I can do some of it outside with DH and dog :)

More good news... I had my weigh in this morning. 211 pounds!!!!!!!!! Down 2 more pounds this week. Total loss since 1/9/05: 17 pounds. I am on track to make my first goal early and hopefully make my second goal. Yah! That gives me such motivation to keep plugging along.

I am going to go and enjoy the good weather.

"Never play again"

Wouldn't that imply that you never want the song played again? I don't get it. Yahoo is so bloody brilliant that when you sign up for their music service, you get to rate the songs, artists, albums, etc. The lowest rating is never play it again. So when I pick that I assumed that it would never play the song again.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. I seem to now hear those songs more often. Why do I bother using the stupid rating system? All this venting, just because I absolutely hate Sheryl Crow :)

TGIF

I had this post totally written (and it was enthralling let me tell you) and then when I submitted, I got a damn page not found error. Maybe I'll take to writing my messages in Word first and then copying them in. Ugh!!!

To sum up the vanishing post:
This week has been a doozy. It was especially tough since Jan. and Feb. are fairly easy with all the government holidays and snow days. We won't have another holiday until Memorial day (bummer). I hope I can sleep in this weekend too.

The exam for my Real estate class is next weekend, so I will be spending this weekend doing mostly studying and working out. I should be in good shape (no pun intended) for the test. Then I can take the state exam, so hopefully I will be licensed by April.

No news on the adoption front. Almost 6 months on the books and nothing yet. I am obviously doing a good job of staying busy, but the mental and physical exhaustion of staying busy is really kicking my butt.

Time keeps on slippin slippin slippin

into the future... Don't know how it is I have that song stuck in my head today, but I do.

I guess it happens when you talk to your parents and your father reminds you that you will be turning 30 soon. Now, mind you, my birthday is not until DECEMBER, so it isn't all that soon. So I retort with, yeah it must make you guys feel really old that your youngest daughter turns 30 this year. Asshat.

Sometimes it is like oil and water with the two of us.

March already?!?

I looked at the calendar and, yup, it says March. Where did Jan. and Feb. go? Not that I am complaining since we are that much closer to spring but that time has gone so quickly in 2005. I am actually very much looking forward to Spring. Maybe I can go outside and *gasp* get some exercise while breathing fresh air. And I do expect to have the real estate license and be affiliated with a broker before Spring is over so I hope to hit the ground running so to speak.

I have found it really hard to avoid getting on the scale everyday. I need to convince myself that it really is better that I not see the daily fluctuations and therefore make myself unnecessarily depressed on a daily basis. But I just need validation. I think that it is my anal retentive or OCD side kicking in. But I haven't caved yet this week. I hope I can make it until next Sunday.

I did well with my eating today: lowfat yogurt for breakfast, baked crackers, lite applesauce and a green salad for lunch, and a healthy steak salad for dinner with a glass of 1% milk. I am planning on working out tonight too but my knee is hurting a bit. This is the first pain (other than just being sore) that I have experienced since starting this exercise regime almost 2 months ago. I think that I will take it easy on the inclined bursts of running and maybe that will help to not exacerbate things.

Generally my cardio workout is about 45 minutes of intervals on the treadmill. I vary them a lot but it is usually 3 minutes of fast walking, 3 minutes of running, while constantly changing the incline. I also do a couple of all out sprints to shake things up. That is a killer. It is really hard to make my 213 pound body do these things but I have noticed that each day I can add either time/distance/calories/incline. Not every week, but every single workout I make small increases. That makes me feel pretty damn good.