Where Does the Time Go
So here it is, already Wednesday night and I am exhausted and ready for this week to be over. I am not sure what happened this week. Yes, I know I started a new job but I am working the same hours with approximately the same commute time but yet I have felt frazzled and crunched for time every day. I guess I just need to adjust to the newness and the small changes in my habits and in no time I will be back to my old routine.
I have received some comments, tweets, FB messages, and texts asking about my new job so here is a quick update. I will continue to talk about it again in the future when I am actually doing work. Right now I am still getting setup with all my passwords and accesses, meeting co-workers, learning about my work group and our role in the company and all that other fun stuff you do at a new job. However, that being said, I still wanted to give you an update on how it has went so far and I will do this by sharing some observations with you. Sort of a surface level pros and cons list.
Pros:
Every morning we stretch. Like yoga stretching. I love this. It is great to work somewhere where they put safety first and that it trickles down the office workers. It’s a nice break and really helps set the tone for the morning.
They recycle everything. There are recyclable containers for cans and plastic bottles all over the place which is amazing because this is Texas, we aren’t really known for being an environmentally conscious state.
I love working downtown. Our office building is right on the Riverwalk. I have a view of downtown from my desk.
My co-workers are very nice and they have been quite welcoming. On my second day (the first was spent at orientation) they took me down to Texas Land and Cattle on the Riverwalk for lunch.
The company promotes the use of public transportation and offers discounted bus passes. They also have vehicles you can use if you want to carpool. It’s like I am back in Washington again.
They have Weight Watchers at work and they offer reimbursement of fees if you stick with the program. People in my work area are in the program and talk about it openly 🙂
Cons:
It is super cold in my office. No big deal really, I just need to wear sweaters to work in 100+ heat.
Because we have so much natural light coming in to our office we don’t have overhead lights. Each desk has a small under-shelf light but mine is behind me. It makes it difficult to see in there. I plan on picking up a desk lamp so I can see better.
My commute to work is shorter mileage wise than my last job and when we move on post it will be super close, like under 5 miles. However, I have to park in a lot about a block away, enter the front of my building to one elevator, take it up all the way, get out, walk across the floor to another elevator and take that up to my floor. This is what makes it a longer commute. Still, it’s really no big deal and if you get there early parking and the elevators are no big deal.
There are people at work who go out running on their lunch break and groups who go out walking.Yay! However, there is only one shower for all of the employees in two office buildings to use. Boo!
People eat lunch at their desk. This is my least favorite thing. I hate ‘working’ lunches. I strongly dislike being forced to take an hour lunch unpaid while there is an existing expectation that I will sit at my desk and work while I eat. Nope, don’t like it, not going to do it. Now, don’t get me wrong, I will definitely work if I need to but it shouldn’t be expected and it shouldn’t be every day. Today I brought my Kindle (woo hoo) and turned away from my computer and read. It was nice.
Well, that’s about all I have to report on at this time. I hope to have more to talk about come next week. Thanks for reading!
Goodbye’s Suck!
Today is the last day at my current job and I was greeted with mixed emotions. Happy to be starting something new, excited to meet all of my new co-workers and start my new job, nervous as to how I will fit in and how my new work schedule will mesh with my classes/workouts, sad to leave some great co-workers /friends behind and anxious to leave someplace where I feel so comfortable and head into an unknown situation. I know all of this is normal and thankfully it’s not nearly as traumatic as when I left my job in Philly. That was devastating. Multiple going away parties, lots of tears, and I still miss that place even to this day. But that is life. Here’s to new beginnings!
When I started this blog over four months ago one of the things I wanted to fix in my life was my career situation. I didn’t talk about my job too much, other than venting about it every now and again, but it was clear to me then that I felt like my career had stalled. Actually I felt like I had taken three steps back on my career path and that had made me feel kind of crappy. I had different expectations as to where I should be at this point in my life and to not be there, especially after progressing nicely prior to moving to TX, was such a disappointment. I wanted to change jobs, I wanted to feel better about my career and its progression again, but I was only willing to leave this job for something better. Luckily a friend of mine found a job posting that was in my field and passed it on to me and here I am today, looking forward to starting that job on Monday. It will be great. It’s a pay increase which I am not going to lie, is much-needed, but it is also the type of job that will challenge me and allow me to grow within the company and I am most happy about that. Just like all the other aspects of our lives, it is important that we step outside of our comfort zone in order to allow ourselves to grow.
Speaking of stepping outside of my comfort zone, I went to my second Bikram class last night and I am so glad that I did. The second time around was so much better, still hard as hell, but better. Paul liked it so much more because of the instructor. This instructor started off the class by telling the group that he hated Bikram and most days he had to force himself to do it. However, it was because of Bikram that he was able to do all of the other activities in his life that he loves to do, like wakeboarding. He said that Bikram helped him through a surfing injury, one that should have required surgery, and now he is stronger than ever and able to do so many more things than he ever could prior to Bikram. He told us to treat Bikram like it is our medicine, 90 minutes of medication, and we should just suck it up, take the medicine, and then go on with our lives. I think that speech brought some perspective to both Paul and I. After that we both viewed the class a little differently. I also think knowing what to expect made the second class much easier to get through. For me, I like to know when I am in the home stretch- it helps keep me going- and since we cannot wear watches and there are no clocks in the room the only way to know it is when it is close to over is through the poses which are done in the same order every time. Once we hit rabbit pose I knew it was almost over and I started singing my happy song, in my head of course.
As the class was coming to an end the instructor said something to us, something he was told by another yogi, and I wanted to share it with you. He said for us ‘to be fearless, not reckless’ which is applicable to our yoga practice and really life in general. So, I will leave you with that thought for the day. Come Monday, I will try to be fearless and I hope you can do the same when faced with difficult situations.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. I got called away when I was writing the last line of this post. Several co-workers had a card and a gift they wanted to give me as a farewell present. They bought me a Kindle! Isn’t that crazy? That was such a sweet thought and it meant so much more because they said it was so I could have my own and won’t have to keep stealing Paul’s. They know me so well J
Weight Watchers and Weekly Updates
Hello party people….it’s been awhile. Sorry for abandoning you. Please know I have missed all of you, and your blogs, over the past two weeks and I am so happy to be able to take some time and catch up with you. So much has happened these last two weeks I don’t really know where to start. Hmmmm… I probably should start with my Weight Watchers update from last Saturday.
First off let me just tell you that last week I busted my ass. I worked out eleven times totaling over ten hours and earning a whooping 73 activity points. For those of you not on WW, you should know that this is a very high number. Here is what that week looked like in terms of workouts:
Saturday 6/11: early morning gym workout (recumbent bike 35 minutes, elliptical 15 minutes), mid-morning walk- 4 miles
Sunday 6/12: early morning hike- 2 miles, evening Zumba class
Monday 6/13: 75 minutes of yoga
Tuesday 6/14: 55 minute boxing class followed by 60 minutes of walking- 3 mile
Wednesday 6/15: 55 minute hoopdance (hula hoop) class
Thursday 6/16: 75 minute Qigong class
Friday 6/17: 55 minute boxing class followed by 55 minutes of walking – 3 mile
I ate right, exercised, and made sure to stay hydrated and what happened…. I gained 0.4 pounds! That’s right, I gained. I was somewhat pissed about gaining because I was only 0.2 pounds away from hitting my 25 pound milestone and 3.2 away from hitting my 10% weight loss goal. I had thought reaching my 10% would have been a stretch but I thought for sure I would have lost 0.2 pounds and hit that 25 lb. milestone. I was kind of bummed out not reaching either L
I took this setback as a chance to evaluate where I might have went wrong and tried to make some changes this week to hopefully get back on track. However, this is easier said than done. This week has been crazy, maybe even crazier than last week and I haven’t done much this week. Yes, I am still tracking what I eat and following the WW plan but some days I struggled making my healthy checks (8 glasses of water, 8 servings fruit/veg, 3 dairies, etc) and I know that this will impact my weigh in results for this week. Not to mention I only went to one boxing class and one NIA class this week so my exercise level is way down. I did however get in my week 3 training for the half marathon which is a good thing. I guess my point of all this is sometimes you can do everything right and not lose weight – that’s just life. Some people lose weight easily and some have to fight for every pound but regardless of how you get to your goal weight it is important to focus on all of the positive changes happening, not just that number on the scale. For me, I have to keep reminding myself that although that weigh in sucked I am in a much better place, I am a million times happier than I have been in who knows how long, and this life I am living now is what I have always wanted. These are the things that really matter.
280/255.6/150
In other news, she says nonchalantly like it’s no big deal, I GOT A NEW JOB!!!! I am so excited to finally tell you guys this news. I was notified on 6/15 I would be getting an offer pending my drug screening and background check. I went in that day for my drug test and submitted all of the necessary paperwork for the background check and then waited anxiously to hear back. I didn’t want to announce anything until the offer was finalized and I had my start date. I got a call on Wednesday that I passed everything and I was all set to go, we agreed on my start date (7/11) and then yesterday I came into work and submitted my letter of resignation. I am so freaking excited to start this new job; July 11th cannot come fast enough. I know the next two weeks are going to be pretty hectic at work trying to get as much done as possible before I leave but that is life and once it is over I move on to bigger and better things. I hope I hit my 10% weight loss goal soon because I am in desperate need of some new work clothes. So here’s to hoping I can reach that goal prior to July 11th. Please send skinny thoughts my way 😉
This morning I weighed in at 253 on my home scale which is a loss of 33 pounds since I started this blog back on 2/22. Four months already? Crazy. Anywho, in celebration of my favorite number/my age/the title of this blog I would like to leave you a list representing what thirty-three pounds look like. Enjoy!
6 bags of flour and 3 boxes of butter
A cinder block
11 average male guinea pigs or 11 average male brains
3 average sized house cats or 1 ‘Monster’ Cat found in China weighing in at a whopping 33 pounds- yikes!
176 glazed Krispy Kreme donuts
11 pairs of sneakers
5,987 pennies
7,484 pens
301 medium eggs
3 gallons of milk and an average newborn baby combined
So, if you are trying to lose weight and you feel like you aren’t making progress or like me, you don’t see the results, just think of it this way and it will totally change your mind!
Have a great weekend! Thanks for reading!
Friday Mashup
Sorry but today’s post is going to be a mish mash of different topics. I have a few things I want to talk about today.
First up, it’s April 1st and my first weight loss goal deadline is here. Since I started out weighing myself at home I did the same this morning. Going forward I will be using the WW weigh-ins so you will see a jump from my weight today to tomorrow (WW meeting) because of the different scales and being weighed fully clothed. You probably don’t care about that right now, you probably just want to know if I made my goal and I did. My starting weight was 286 and I am now down to 274.8. I am super happy about this especially because I thought I might not make my goal weight today because I am extra bloated -my monthly visitor has graced me with her presence. For next month’s goal of losing 10 pounds I will post my WW weight tomorrow and we will use that number for the May 1st weigh in, which I will do on the WW scale.
Second big bit of news is that yesterday I had a surprise, well surprise to me, annual performance evaluation. I received nothing but positive feedback and an overall performance rating of outstanding which is the highest you can receive. Yay me! This should put me at the top of the list for a raise, if my company has money to give out for raises, which would be awesome. More than anything though I am just excited to get some positive feedback and recognition for the work I am doing. Do you remember last week when I was upset about the condescending comment my boss made? Well, I don’t want to go into all the details but I will say that he has since redeemed himself. I am definitely feeling a big boost of self-confidence after everything that happened yesterday and it feels great!
Last up is not really news; it’s just something I really wanted to do today. I have experienced so many small victories since I have started this blog. I had no idea how much writing about these topics and receiving your feedback would really help. Your support has made the past five weeks a whole lot easier and heck of a lot more fun. It is great having a (small) community of readers helping me through this process. I owe this all to you so today I would like to give a few shout outs to the people who have made this all possible. To the people who I turn to for inspiration and the people whose support has inspired me; thank you! I love you guys!
In no specific order:
James&Jax– where do I start… She is the reason why I blog so mad props to her for getting me to start this! She is a full-time editor and a full-time mom and her ability to juggle a million different things at once inspires me. She is as open and honest on her blog as she is with her friends and family, maybe even more so. She continually works towards becoming a better person, finding happiness, and creating a healthy lifestyle for her and her family. She has always been an inspiration to me for as long as I have known her. She is pretty fantabulous!
jakennicksmomma– She just rejoined Weight Watchers after the birth of her second son two months ago. First weekly weigh in she lost six pounds. What a rock star, especially because she does not have much weight to lose. Juggling two young sons, running her household, being married to an officer for the U.S. Marines (military life adds chaos) and she is still kicking butt not only at WW but on her yearly goal of walking 550 miles- she was at 116.3 on March 26. Can you say Super Woman? How can I not be inspired!
hookerchick- as a successful career woman I often turn to her for support and guidance. She is totally overworked, under paid and underappreciated and I know this because she took my old job when I moved to TX. She is grace under fire in the situations where you would find me running around hysterical. I try to model my professionalism after hers. She also lends inspiration to how I want to live my life; a world traveler, always willing to try new experiences, we could all be a little more like her.
*Reader tip: Something hookerchick does which I think is a great idea is that she uses Groupon and Living Social discounts to try out different types of fitness classes. For example, the other week she went to a rowing class. Taking advantage of these type of offers allows you change-up your routine and a save money at the same time. Win-win.
Ambers0182- she could quite possibly be the most positive person I have ever met. Her enthusiasm and zeal for life is truly contagious. She and I are gym buddies and even though we live over two thousand miles apart we try to help each other stay motivated. Everything about her life is inspirational; a single mom who moved 2000+ miles away from her friends and family for her job and though it all still maintains a positive outlook. I try every day to be a little more like her.
Xihj186- my big sis whom I love so much! She is the whole package; smart, funny, and beautiful. She kicks butt at everything she does which in itself is impressive and inspirational. She has always been here for me when I needed her most and so far on this journey has helped me through this with her kind words and advice. She told me that one night at spin class she got mad at the fat on her legs and that was a great motivator for her. It just stuck with me and I think of it every time I work out especially when I am feeling the jiggle it makes kick it into high gear.
Monie137- my San Antonio partner in crime. She has been through a lot with me over the past year of our friendship. Because of her I was able to easily survive 7 months of living apart from Paul. She kindly accompanied almost every place I went over those months and now is my Weight Watchers partner. It is great having someone to experience this with and another person to keep you accountable is always a good thing.
Baconseed– although it might seem this way, all of my inspiration isn’t just found through other people or other blogs dealing with weight loss. I found baconseed through James & Jax and I immediately fell in love. One thing I have always wanted was my own garden and unfortunately Paul and I have never lived anyplace where it was possible to have one. So I look at the pictures on her blog and yearn for the day that I could be doing the same. Now that I am going to be moving onto post and will be able to have a garden I am so excited. Baconseed even offered to help me out with any questions I might have. How awesome is that? Baconseed you inspire me everyday to create something beautiful. Thank you!
The Reluctant Weight Watchers Foodie: Weight Watchers; yes, reluctant; at first, yes, foodie, yes. I love Word Press and the other half a million bloggers on here because of the fact that the other day I stumbled across this blog. What could be better than another person of similar circumstances blogging about their WW journey all while posting healthy and yummy recipes??? It could only be better if maybe she had a group of losers (weight loss losers) on her blog that post their goals and track their weights. Oh wait, she does. This blog has it all and I love it. I am one of the newest Reluctant Losers and am so happy to be a part of this group. Thank you for the opportunity!
The Grumpy Man’s Guide to Losing weight & keeping it off: my first follower that I didn’t have to ask to read my posts. He has lost over one hundred freakin pounds. As if this fact alone wasn’t inspirational enough for me (as I need to lose 125 pounds) he posts daily about his diet and exercise, includes practical tips all with a refreshing sarcastic tone. He addresses situations that everyone who is dieting will or has experienced without sugar-coating anything. I know my journey is going to be tough and I know it will be a long, ongoing battle but having him to turn to every day for support makes it so much easier. It is great to see someone who has lost so much weight still working very diligently through diet and exercise to burn through those last 14 pounds to his goal weight.
To everyone, not just the people listed above, I thank you for being my support when I needed it the most. Just by reading this you have brought validation to the hard work I have put in so far and fueled the fire in me to keep going. I truly appreciate everything you have done for me. You are all superstars!
Thanks for reading!
If you don’t like this post I might just cry…
Last weekend someone said something to me that really hurt my feelings. I am not sure if I am just being oversensitive and making a big deal out of nothing (probably, yes) or if a normal person would feel the same. It was meant as a joke, not intended to be hurtful, but for whatever reason I just can’t seem to let it go. Growing up, my Dad would always tell me how I was oversensitive (pot, meet kettle) but yet his criticism did nothing to help me develop a thicker skin. I don’t know why it is but I just take everything to heart; even jokes- which I feel are probably based on truth and therefore still hurtful.
To make matters worse, I get upset at things people say to other people that aren’t even directed to me or pertain to me and I have been known to get upset even if the person who the comment was directed towards doesn’t. For example, the other night I snapped at our friend T because he made some snarky comment to his wife K, a stay at home mother, about needing time to himself to relax when he gets home from work. He said that after a long day of being elbow deep in pig guts (sorry, graphic I know) he needs time to decompress and I said don’t you think K needs time to decompress after being elbow deep in baby poop (not the word I used) all day??? Probably not my place to be commenting on other people’s personal situations but I just couldn’t control myself, the words just came out. Luckily T didn’t take any offense to it and just responded with a chuckle and his patented retort; touché.
As you know, I am like this at work too. The other week my boss made a comment which made me feel like he thought I was incompetent and it has stuck with me ever since. I hate not being able to let go of these feelings and now I have to wonder was that his real intention or was I just overreacting? I have also been known to take performance evaluations to heart and completely freak out when I feel I have been unfairly evaluated and did not receive what I thought I deserved. Is it that maybe a part of being oversensitive is that I misinterpret harmless comments and do not know how to handle criticisms when I receive it?
So, what do I do? I don’t want to be so oversensitive but I am not sure how to stop the feelings I get when people make jokes or remarks that make me feel like I am being judged or looked down on. I want to stop caring so much without actually stopping caring, if that makes sense. Is it a tradeoff or is there a way to be sensitive without being overly sensitive?
As I was writing this I received an email with a link to an article about 6 steps to deal with criticism. Can you say kismet? Since that article fits in ideally with this topic I just had to read it. The article lists the below guidelines which I believe need to be incorporated into my behaviors immediately.
- Don’t Take It Personally
- Think of Criticism Positively
- Deconstruct the Criticism
- Understand the Critic
- Incorporate and Embrace Thoughtfully
- Don’t Worry Too Much About It
I think these guidelines will really help me battle my oversensitivity both at work and in my personal life. If you have the same issues as me I highly recommend taking a look at this article. It provides the reader with tools and ideas that are very insightful. In closing, it provides a great quote from Aristotle which has helped to provide me with some perspective on this issue; “criticism is something you can easily avoid by saying nothing, doing nothing and being nothing”. Touché, Aristotle, touché.
thirtyfourandfabulous 