Flying Home From Pittsburgh

1. If your kid is old enough to talk to you, and even I can understand him (sorry, I don't speak baby very well), then he is old enough to understand you telling him to not kick the seat in front of him on an airplane.
*Oy vey...*

2. If a person is wearing headphones, reading a book AND intentionally avoiding eye contact, it means that they absolutely do not want to have an in-flight conversation with you. These are all international, multi-lingual clues!
*So please stop looking at me out of the corner of your eye, hoping to make eye contact. I don't want to talk to you, ya weirdo.*

(The next 2 are Jonathan 's add-ons.)

3. Always have assigned seats ahead of time. We only got to sit together for one of our flights. On the one we were separated on, I sat by "I wanna talk, why won't you take off your headphones?" Guy. And Jon sat next to some smelly guy.

4. Always have a 6+ hour layover in Chicago, so you can leave the airport and see some sights before the next flight (and he can track down all the food he misses).

(And the last one is from both of us.)

5. There should be a rule stating that you showered a maximum of 6 hours before your flight. I can't believe how many "ripe" people we encountered today!! Woah.
*A little consideration for the other people breathing the recycled air, please!!*

Soooo glad to be almost home. Anyone that travels knows, no matter how great the vacation is, you always look forward to your own bed! — feelingwonderful.

I Finally Get to Eat!

When I was a kid,  I loved to collect all of the frosting flowers that nobody else wanted to eat off of cakes at parties. They could keep the cake,  as long as I got to eat frosting! Then one day,  one of my family members looked at me and said,  "Someday you won't be able to eat like that."

I was crushed.

My whole life after that point, I have been paranoid about becoming obese. Heaviness runs in my family, and I see the discomfort and health issues that my loved ones face. I am aware that it would be a lot easier to keep the weight off than it would be to try to get it off later.

Because of this fear, my weight has fluctuated from 145 to 165 for the past 10 years or so... even getting as high as 175 for a briefly depressed time. My way to deal with the issue has always been to cut out sweets, eat a lot less of the healthy food, and lots of running. It works to an extent. I always manage to make it back down to 145 before I level out and I can't live another day without ice cream!

I am currently hovering around the 150-155 range. I look in the mirror and hate how I look. People "my age" are actually starting to give excuses:
◇The older you get,  the harder it is to lose. ◇We can't stay young forever.
◇Pregnancy ruins your body forever.  You'll never get it back.

Yadda, yadda, yadda.

I don't think of myself as old. I don't have joint problems. My bloodwork from my last physical was on point. There aren't any chronic aches or pains, so I can't see any reason why I shouldn't be able to reach my goal. It's just time for a new approach!

So, I have some friends that are into the personal trainer thing... Unfortunately, it is not within my budget. Then someone told me about Bodybuilder.com and I decided to check it out. This is a pretty cool site for someone like me, who is still pretty much a novice. It gives meal plans, 12 week workout routines with the trainer of your choice, supplement suggestions and info, countless articles and forums, and even a section to track your own progress and get to know other people on the same road... all for Free!

Yep. True story.

In addition to all of that, I have a boyfriend that wants to get himself into a healthier lifestyle, and he encourages me to do the same! For once, I don't feel like I'm by myself in this! He encourages me to go to the gym with him,  helps me learn about supplements, talks with me about exercises...

I finally feel that at the "ripe old age of almost-38," I will finally have the support and tools I need to get into the shape that I have always wanted to be in. I have never been more excited about health and nutrition than I am now!

Speaking of nutrition, this new meal plan has me eating all the time (that is how it feels). As I said, what I had done in the past included cutting way back on calories. So, what you are telling me is that I am changing my lifestyle for the better and I'm STILL ALLOWED TO EAT??

Shut the front door! I think I'm going to like this....

Just in time, too, because I just signed up for my second Tough Mudder!

Very Spicy Taco Soup Recipe

TACO SOUP - Very Hot... Not for the weak stomached!

1 lb. 95% lean ground beef sirloin
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) diced tomatoes (I usually get the kind that has chilies already in it)
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 packet (1.25 oz.) taco seasoning mix
1 packet Original Ranch salad dressing mix 
1 to 1.5 cups water (the less water you add, the thicker the “soup”)
1 bag frozen corn

Fresh cilantro, chopped (as much as you like… I like a lot)

2-3 fresh chopped jalapeños or habaneras’ *this is optional* 

(**Remember to use rubber gloves while chopping! The oil is hard to wash off and will burn your fingers and anything else you touch!)

·         Brown the beef; drain the fat from the meat & add taco seasoning.

·         Put all of the ingredients into a big pot and bring to a boil. The longer you cook it, the softer the peppers get, so it’s up to you on how long you cook it. I usually only do until the frozen corn is hot.

·         You can top with sour cream, shredded cheese, and/or eat with Fritos or tortilla chips.

·         Leftovers can be frozen and reheated later if needed… but I usually make a double batch and it’s eaten in just a few days.

Somebody Bring Me Some Food!

So, I started Mid-Check today at work. I feel like I have jet lag already, and my shift isn't even over! It's not even 2am, which is funny, because when I was working nights, I routinely stayed awake until 2am or even later... I believe this shop just sucks all the fun out of being up late! lol. My answer to this jet lag feeling is 5 hour energy drinks at night, and melentonin (natural sleep aid) in the daytime... I'm not sure it's the healthiest way to go about it, but it's the best plan that I could think of.

Not really much to talk about today... I am mostly trying to kill some time, since I managed to finish the book that I was reading about 30 minutes ago, and I ran out of things to look at on Facebook. Nobody is posting, because everyone I know is in bed!

In other news, I had Carley for a whole 2 weeks... It was awesome, and she was finally able to spend some quality time with Jannian's kids, since they are here visiting as well. She was excited to go back to her Dad's house, though, because they are getting ready to go to South Carolina for a beach vacation. I'm very happy for her and I hope they have a wonderful time!

Ashleigh seems to still be doing well. I don't hear a lot from her. She's like me... doesn't call home very much, so no news is good news. But, she did text me for a few minutes earlier today, and it sounds like she is skipping the trip to SC to meet up with her Dad's side of the family, but is hoping to plan a trip down to Florida soon. That makes me happy, because it's been too long since I've seen her!!

I guess that's about it for now... Nothing new or exciting in my life happening currently, and no major thought processes that I feel compelled to share. Most likely, I'll post this, and end up deleting it in a week or so, seeing as it is most definitely NOT one of my best blogs...

Have a wonderful night, friends... and Somebody Bring Me Some Food! (I should note that I did bring in a freezer dinner to eat, but I mostly want to snack... because I'm bored... I am going to have to find a way to relieve this boredom if I'm going to stay on this shift! Eating is not the answer! lol)