December 29th? Seriously?

I am terrible with time.  Well, it goes by super fast lately. This whole year!  Ah!

Ok- So I didn't finish out my week blogs, I don't remember the specifics, but I can tell you I didn't stick to plan as much as I would have liked.  I found myself saying that I would get back on track "tomorrow" pretty often this past month.  Very quick recap-

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat opened and is closing tomorrow. So that whole month happened.  The show, cast, and crew are a lot of fun and I will really miss it all!  I caroled a bit this month, I fell on the ice and had to take it easy for about a week, and I didn't not work out as much as I would have liked.  I let myself slip a bit.

But, I don't want that to ruin all of the good things that happened this year.  Fitness wise- I made my Weight Watchers goal, I ran a half marathon, and I started teaching again.  Personally, I got married, we got an awesome dog, and I'm proud of all of the shows I've been in.

Looking ahead- I need to make this whole thing work- I'm great at losing weight, and I'm great at gaining weight.  I need to get back to where I was and figure out how to maintain it.  I'm not crazy far away from it at all (luckily!) but it's so easy to let things creep back to the way they used to be.

Goals for this year:

I registered for Boston's Run to Remember again!

I would really really like to find a marathon for next year.  If anyone has any ideas for a good first marathon, please let me know!

I still want to be more mindful of what I'm eating.  More consistently.  I have decided to add some fish into my life because sometimes dining out can be tricky and if I did eat fish, I could make some healthier choices.

I would like to blog more. :)


Everyone- have a safe and Happy New Year!

Day four- Thanksgiving!

It was an early day for sure, but a great one!  We traveled up to Bangor and back with the dog to spend the day with family.  I totally used some weekly points, but that's what they are there for :)

Breakfast: Belvita and coffee

Lunch/dinner/the only actual meal of the day: Tofurkey, butternut squash, homemade apple sauce, and a roll. 

Dessert: vegan apple pie from Whole Foods. Amazing.

Random snacks: veggie and fruit platter

When we got home, it wasn't so late we needed to sleep, so we watched some TV and because we hadn't eaten in so we had some snacks: Pumpkin beer, more squash, pita chips with hummus.

All and all, not too bad and still on plan.

We totally threw out the rest of the pie. 

Day three!

Happy Thanksgiving! I realized I didn't post yesterday. I was on plan all day food wise...
Breakfast: light wheat bread, peanut butter and a banana

Lunch: Subway veggie delight

Dinner: black bean and black eyed pea chilli

Various snacks: pita and hummus

Activity: taught Tabata and practiced BodyPump

Still no new DVDs...

I know Thanksgiving will bring no activity since we'll be in the car for a good part of the day, but I'm planning on sticking to plan foodwise...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Day two on plan

Day two! 

So far so good...

Breakfast: Cheerios with a banana and coffee with soy creamer and Splenda

Lunch: Curried tofu and broccoli and light wheat bread with Earth Balance

Dinner: Salad bar at Whole Foods- Arugula, baby spinach, Brussels sprouts, tofu, mushrooms, olives, some sort of mix of cauliflower and carrot thing.  Plus a small thing of tomato soup

Snacks throughout the day: Tortilla chips, pita chips with hummus

Activity:  Taught Zumba and BodyCombat with a bit of Turbo Kick practice at home.



Feeling pretty good! I've been struggling in class, probably because of my junky weekend.  I'm anxiously awaiting the new releases for BodyPump and BodyCombat!  Hopefully they will be here tomorrow!

We bough a Tofurkey with gravy and I'm going to make some butternut squash to take with us for Thanksgiving.  We also bought a Vegan apple pie.  THAT will be an exercise in portion control :)

Also- My goal for this week is to be ready to teach Turbo Kick next Tuesday!  I would also love to add a couple more Zumba songs.  (Today I added "Locked Out of Heaven" and "Shake Your Pom Pom")


Two down... fingers crossed for tomorrow!

Day one back on plan

Day one recap!

Breakfast: oatmeal and a banana with coffe (soy creamer and Splenda)

Lunch: Curried tofu and broccoli with squash oven "fries"

Dinner: Black eyed pea and black bean chili with brown rice

Snacks throughout the day: 1/2 serving of a Belvita package and pita chips

Activity points earned through BodyCombat and BodyPump.

I have a few points left plus the points I earned.  I'll grab something small for the daily and might just not eat the earned.

So far so good...

Ah!

Ok.  I'm having big trouble staying on track for more than one or two days at a time.  It's silly. I'm thinking perhaps a post each day for a week may keep me honest.  I know it's Thanksgiving this week, but since there are limited things I can eat at a typical Thanksgiving dinner, it won't be much different than a regular meal for me.

So far today- Breakfast: Oatmeal with a banana and coffee. So far so good.

It's October? Excuses, a recipe, and a dog

Wow, time flies.  It's October, Ragtime has come and gone, Joseph... has started, I'm another year older, and I haven't really been running or counting points... I've been teaching and working out!  Just not as much as I would like.  I mostly blame the dog. Sort of. He's far too cute to leave sometimes.

So- August through the beginning of October, I was working on the beautiful and epic musical, Ragtime. I was very excited to play a dream role, Mother, with such a wonderful cast and production with Fiddlehead Theatre.

New Rochelle ladies with out giant hats and wigs

Tateh and Mother. And her giant wig.

Opening

So. The PointsPlus counting has been extremely lazy lately.  I have no excuse.  I know it's easy. I know I can do it, I just have had a hard time.  Mostly, I've been good for a few days in a row and then I'd kind of ruin it for a couple, then back to being good... I admit, I have not been to a meeting in a couple of months and I'm sure that's part of it.  I need to go back. It's been so easy to brush off for a while, though.  The holiday season is coming up, though, and I NEED the stability.  I need the support.  I am going back! (Sadly, next week.  Because this week, I am having a tooth pulled... ick)  But- I have been tracking since Monday.  And I'm feeling good about it.  Thursday will be the test.

Ok- "recipe" time. "Recipe" because I didn't do a whole lot to make this good.

I took a picture of it, but it just looked disgusting.  It was amazing, though!

Tofukey Chorizo and Pumpkin Millet

Millet- 1 cup dry

Water- 3 cups

Pumpkin- 1 can

salt and pepper to taste

Tofurkey Chorizo- 1 package

Onion- 1 large, diced

Red pepper- 1 large, diced

Garlic

Put the millet and water in a large pot and bring it to a boil.  Turn down the heat and let it simmer about 25 minutes.  Add the pumpkin and salt and pepper. 

In a skillet, cook the garlic and onion for a few minutes and then add the pepper.  After about five minutes, add the chorizo.  The spices on the chorizo were so yummy that I didn't add anything.

Serve together... I got about 4 servings out of this. It was amazing. But not attractive.  But amazing.

RUNNING STUFF---

It's been a while. I've been running maybe one a week. And not far. I blame this guy-

Ok. He's not totally to blame. But it's just so hard to leave him sometimes. And he doesn't like running. Not for more than a quarter of a mile. 

We adopted Winston in August.  He's a wonderful addition to our family! But he makes me slightly less productive than I would like to be.

Anyhow- I'm getting over it. Mostly.


More on running- I know I was supposed to run the Salem Wicked Half marathon in September.  It turned out that we had a ten out of twelve rehearsal (10am-10pm with a two hour break) and I wouldn't have made it on time.  Ah well.
BUT- once I have a better idea of what my next year will look like, I will start picking out next year's races and train!

Also- since I last blogged, I started teaching BodyCombat, Tabata, Circuit, and re-started BodyPump.  They're all going well and the different classes keep me busy and entertained.  I definitely prefer this to the 40239420 Zumba classes a week that I used to teach.  I still teach and love Zumba, don't get me wrong.  Now I just teach it 1-2x a week and I enjoy it.

PS- lunch time discovery- frozen Brussels Sprouts are horrid.

So many things....

Well, it's been a while and a lot has happened. First- I got married!  Kevin and I eloped in Hawaii in June. It the perfect week. Very romantic and relaxing. Perhaps too much food and beer... Here are some pictures for now, but I need to put an actual "Hawaii" blog together.

Now I have to admit... I'm having some trouble on the Weight Watchers front.  I'm having some issues staying on track and I know that's ridiculous.  I've been pretty good about keeping up with my exercise, though I've had trouble fitting the running in because I've been subbing a ton, but the food and drink is slightly out of control.

I know I can do it. I'm just struggling a little.  I'm hoping that admitting it here will help.  Ok.

On a positive note- I have BodyCombat training coming up!  On a scary note- I totally injured myself!  I think it all started with Bye Bye Birdie.  I was positive I could still do a split, even though I haven't tried in years. Turns out, no, I can not. Also, I pulled my hamstring.  I let it rest a day, switched to a jazz split and it seemed ok, just a little tight.  (Bruised and cut the other knee, though. I'm old) That was about a month ago.  Yesterday in BodyCombat, I pulled my calf (same side- left if you're interested). I stopped and went home and took care of it.  I have an appointment set for tomorrow with a PT place.  It feels a lot better today, but I really want to take care of this now so I don't keep injuring myself.

Oh- and this is what I looked like while injuring myself in Bye, Bye, Birdie-

WISH ME LUCK! CLEAN SLATE TOMORROW!

Run to Remember Half Marathon

This past Sunday, I ran in my second half marathon (the first was the Wicked Half Marathon in Salem in 2007).   One thing I wish I were better at is taking picture while I run... though, maybe I'm amazing at it and have no idea, I didn't actually try.

I was worried on Thursday as I did my last pre-half run because it kind of sucked. It was hot and humid and I had been running in the cool rain so much that it was weird to get used to.  

Saturday, I think I may have over done it on the carbs.  No, no, I'm positive I over did it on the carbs.  I felt fine on Sunday, but I just had a one person carb party on Saturday (ok, and Sunday).  I mean, I only ran 13.1 miles... not 13.1 hours. (I did make sure I had those magic wheat berries, though)

Capris from Marshalls, tank from Old Navy,
sneakers, my number, my phone arm band,
heart rate monitor, bandanna, and NOT a
fanny pack... GU belt... shut up.

The night before, I set out my clothes because I was going to have to get up pretty early if I was going to eat a little something and then give myself some time to digest so it wouldn't bother my stomach as I ran.  I'm terrible at eating before I run.  (I will say, I felt great while I was running, so I should figure out how to do it without getting up at 4:30am to do it) 

So, I got out of bed at 4:45am and ate my breakfast while watching a really old episode of Law and Order.  that guest starred Julia Roberts.  

ugh

Breakfast of champions. I hope this sale at Target doesn't
mean the end of the Honey Pretzel variety of Luna Bars. 

I'm possibly still asleep here.

I got ready and drove out to Boston. I think I made it there at about 6:15am.  I parked in a lot close by (never again... we'll come back to this) and walked over to the Seaport World Trade Center.  

People were running from their cars to the start line....
cool it, guys, there'll be plenty of that later.

I wandered around the expo for a little while, avoiding the pushy sales people, picking up some free GU to add to my stash, and then walked over to my pacing area so I would have a space.

I was hoping to run around this time.

I hung out for a while and ate one chocolate GU packet 15 minutes before the start.  PS- they mean it when they say wash it down with water.  It just kind of hangs out and threatens acid reflux until you do.

So many people!

I decided not to use my GPS app because it's a total battery killer.  I just listened to my playlist.  Oh! I decided (a little late) to ask some friends for one song suggestion so that when it came up during the race, I would think of them and (hopefully) be happy.

Here are some highlights from my list- it was pretty great:

"Don't Stop Me Now"- Queen

"Sir Duke"- Stevie Wonder

"TV Eye"- Wylde Rattz (Stooges cover)

"Good Day Sunshine"- The Beatles

"Put It In a Love Song"- Alicia Keys featuring Beyonce

"Pump it Up"- Elvis Costello

"My Freeze Ray"- Dr. Horrible

"The Pretender"- Foo Fighters

"Pulling the Rug"- Imelda May

"Super Bass"- Nicki Minaj

"You're So Damn Hot"- OK Go

"All Fired Up"- Pat Benatar

"Live and Let Die"- Live version from Paul is Live

I started the playlist and my heart rate monitor a minute or so before we started... and we were off! And then we stopped... and then we ran!... and stopped... this happened a couple of times until everyone was off for a while and could actually run without bumping into each other.  

I was a little concerned because nerves and excitement raised my heart rate a bit at the start.  Also, there was the acid reflux no water GU feeling.  I just took a few deep breaths and tried to relax and enjoy the run.  The first water stop totally relieved the acid feeling, my heart rate came down to normal, and I just ran and enjoyed.

I got into a good rhythm at the water stations... I was nervous about getting in the way, about drinking too much, not drinking enough... I eventually decided that I would drink a cup of water, drink a cup of Gatorade, and then dump a cup of water on myself.  It was a good system.

The first friend suggestion song that came up was Pantera "Five Minutes Alone", suggested by Brian M.  Good suggestion!  It came up around mile 3.

Around the 4.5 mark, we saw some police motorcycles driving towards us.  The cops were telling us to move to the right and slowly our group realized at once that that meant there were people that already had looped around in Harvard Square and were coming back.  The way back was a little longer, so they probably had... 5.5 miles left to go?  And we were on 4.5. Yep.  We cheered the two front runners on as they flew past us and then the next few groups.  After a while there was a more steady stream of people (a lot closer to the loop around.

I think Sarah J's song was the next friend suggestion- and perfect timing! I was losing some steam and Beyonce "Girls Rule the World" got me through mile 9 to the next water stop :)  That song was quickly followed by "I'm So Tired" by The Beatles and I became the idiot laughing alone during the half marathon.

Around mile 11 or so, I was treated to some Candide. Oddly enough, "Bon Voyage" and "Auto de Fey" are fun to run to. 

We got to mile 12 and I tried to pick up the pace... the final friend suggestion came on, Corey J's, "Call Me Maybe". Yes. He did.  (I totally did the dance from the video for one line while it played).  

The final song was a really awesome streak of luck (it was just on shuffle), "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison. That song always comes on when I'm having a bad day either on my iPod, phone, or even Pandora.  It cheers me up.  (Also, the only song I've ever 'played' on the guitar in front of people)  It was a really lovely way to cross the finish line.

Woohoo!

I found Kevin waiting there! It really meant a lot to have him there at the finish line. :) (I think I mentioned before that at the other half, I finished alone, ate a bagel, and then left...)  I went inside, got my medal and a banana and some peanut butter and then found him in the crowd.  We walked around a little, but decided we should get going to my faaaaavorite brunch place, Red Lentil (they do more than brunch, they're a Vegetarian place in Watertown, they just have amazing brunch). 

As I said, I parked in a nearby lot.  Kevin had parked in a garage a little bit down the road since he met me there.  I waited LITERALLY an hour in line to get out of the lot... Next time, I park in the garage.  A little walk is so much better than sitting in the car for an hour after running 13.1 miles, no matter how much you stretch.  

I'm smiling because I don't know how long it will take to get out of there.

My official time was 2:16:05!  It's 14 minutes faster than the other half I did!  

I think my next half will be The Wicked Half in Salem in September.  It was a pretty race (though it was super hilly) and I think being more prepared will greatly improve the experience for me.  I have 17 weeks until the race and already put the training in my calendar.  This time, I'm doing some work on speed!  So far, I've only ever just run at a comfortable pace and worked on mileage.  I followed the Novice Program on Hal Higdon's site.  This time, I'm following the Intermediate.  

Thanks for reading and for all the kind words of support from my friends!  I really had a wonderful time running this race and I really am looking forward to the next one!

Next day post half marathon pedicure :)

Pumpkin Chili! (Simply Filling and Vegan Friendly)

So I mentioned that I felt myself slipping a little bit last week. Saturday, I decided to try the Simply Filling Technique that Weight Watchers offers.  I had a lot of success when they had the similar Core program, so I figured, why not! Some of the rules have changed, but it seems like for the better.  I have never attempted Simply Filling (or Core) as a vegan, so I wasn't sure how it was going to go. So far so good!

The first day I was actually shooting with Malarkey Films on their submission for the 48 Hour Film Project in Boston.  I wasn't sure how it would work food wise, and I hadn't been prepared grocery-wise at home.  First I had to teach a Zumba class in the morning and then we ran over to the film location. I just grabbed some fruit on the way and figured I'd figure it out.  Luckily, they provided some amazing food including tofu, fruit, and veggies for lunch and vegan chili for dinner.  Oh- and if you are wondering, we made a buddy comedy, post apocalyptic musical.  I can't wait to see it on Thursday!

Anyhow- I thought I'd share the recipe I threw together for dinner tonight. I guess it's a Pumpkin Chili.  I'm so sorry that I don't measure anything...

Olive Oil
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Salt
Cinnamon
Cumin
Corriander
Sriracha
Onions (I used two medium red and two small yellow)
Green Peppers (one and a half)
1 can of Pinto Beans
1 can of Chick Peas
1 can of Diced Tomatoes
1 can of Pumpkin

I forgot to take a picture of the chili powder...
I think you'll be ok, though

Pumpkin and Tomatoes

These are the beans that were in my cabinet

I started by dicing the onions and sweating them in a large pot with some olive oil and salt. Note- I totally would have started with fresh minced garlic, but I didn't have any, so I added garlic powder later.

Onions

I added the green peppers and let them cook through a while

Diced peppers

I added the canned tomatoes and some chili powder. I have no method to this... 

I threw in both cans of beans (pinto and garbanzo) and the pumpkin. And then random amounts of spices.... I will say I accidentally threw in a bunch of cinnamon, but it ended up being pretty amazing.

Just picture this with some brown rice.

I didn't get a picture of the plated product, but it really doesn't matter. As I said in a previous post, most things I make look the same.  Some sort of grain with a scoop of whatever random thing I've made.

Lifetime and other things

It's been a while since I've blogged!

First off- I hit Lifetime at Weight Watchers!

10% key chain with 25lb, 50lb, 75lb,
16 week, goal, and lifetime charms

This is the closest thing I currently have to an after picture... I'm sorry it sucks... It's even like a month old...

It feels great and a little strange, much like goal.  Like I have said before, I think when I started Weight Watchers a long long time ago, I viewed goal and lifetime as an ending, and I see now that it's really not.  For one, I still have to track food and exercise since NOT tracking food and exercise is how I gained weight.  I also still have lots to work on fitness-wise.  Please don't misunderstand- I am so proud of how far I've come with my weight loss (97lbs currently!!!) and my fitness level (more about that later), but I can always set a new goal to work on. I could run more miles, I could run faster, I could try a new activity, etc.  And I don't think that's a bad thing.

The Full Monty at Stoneham closed a very successful run a couple of weeks ago! It was a really great experience with some wonderful people and I got to wear this wig for one song- 

This happened.

and I got to share a dressing room with these hot chicks

Aw, I miss you girls.

I also had a cabaret this past Saturday at Arts After Hours. It was a lot of fun!  I think I saw Corey taking some pictures?  Corey, do you have any?

This is also the big audition season in Boston.  Ok. I'm done making excuses for not blogging....

So bad news on the marathon front- I will not be able to afford the Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge in 2013!  Turns out getting married is expensive and so is the race and a trip to Disney World. So... maybe next year. But I am still going to find a marathon to run in 2013. I'm open to fairly inexpensive, not too hilly, and pretty suggestions.  I am still going to run the Race to Remember May 27th.  (crap, I have to register for that)  The training is going pretty well!  My last long run was 10 miles and if it hadn't been raining, and I hadn't eaten tortilla chips before bed, I think it would have been pretty good.  I have no cold rainy running gear, so I ran in a wet and heavy sweatshirt.  

Ok- I'm going to admit something now.  I've had a rough week staying on program and I have no explanation.  Life can get in the way, but I know how to handle that, I just haven't very well.  I let myself have an extra beer or two on a couple of occasions, I indulged in the basket of chips at a restaurant, I had more almond milk ice cream than I should of, etc.  I've kept up the exercise, but I can feel myself slipping every now and then on the eating.  I'm hoping that putting it out there in this post will help me get back on track. If you see me pick up a chip, just slap it out of my hand (don't really do that, please).

Ok- onto my goals for this summer... 

1) I want to find a marathon to train for.  

I find that I like running more if I have a goal in mind.  Not just running faster or longer, but "I need to run this long or fast on this day, so I shouldn't skip this day of training".

2) I want to train to teach Les Mills Body Combat.

3) I want to play more than four chords on the guitar. 

I played along with the fabulous Josh Martin at the AAH show, but I would love to be able to play on my own without terror :)

4) I want to purchase and learn to play a ukulele.

Pink. Nuff said.

5) I want to be more mindful of the kinds of food I eat. 

I eat a lot of healthy food.  I also eat some junk food.  I really notice the difference in how I feel when I run. We had this wonderful pot luck between shows the last Saturday of The Full Monty.  People really outdid themselves!  Anyhow- I ate things like wheat berries, chick peas... whatever the hell it was that I brought... oh! Succotash.  I ran nine miles the next day, and if I didn't have a matinee, I could have run more. I felt amazing!  The ten miles I ran the next week? Not as good. The rain, sure, but the tortilla chips.  I counted them. They were within my points, but they really didn't give me much energy.

Alright- that's it for now!  

Sort of curried black eyed peas.

So I had a request for some healthy vegan recipes.  A lot of times, I cook from recipes in cook books that I have and I think I probably can't post those. BUT- Here's what I made tonight. I have to warn you, mostly I just throw stuff together without really knowing what I'm doing. It usually turns out fine.

Sort of Curried Black Eyed Peas

1 tbsp of olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced
A dash or so of red pepper flakes
1 tsp minced ginger (I get it in the jar thingy because it lasts longer)
1 tsp red curry paste
1 tsp green curry paste
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
some smallish shake of cayenne pepper
1 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 15 ounce can of black eyed peas

Alright- so I sauteed the garlic in the oil for a bit with the ginger and red pepper flakes.  Once the garlic was kind of browned, I threw in the rest of the spices and let them make a little paste sauce kind of thing.  I added the can of tomatoes- not drained- and let the spices kind of settle in for about 5 minutes.  I drained the black eyed peas and added them to the pot.  I turned the heat down and let it simmer for like 10 minutes.

Yummy simmering goodness

Rice cooker!

Served over brown rice

I'm no good at presentation.  Pretty much everything I make looks like this.  Brown rice with stuff on top of it.  Regardless, it was yummy!

One Million Dollars? and other fun news

Last week, I was notified that I was one of 200 people selected as a finalist for Dr. Oz's Transformation Nation- Million Dollar You.  Luckily, they called because the email went to my spam folder.  Long story short, I had just a few hours to write an essay, fill out some paper work for a background check, and answer some questions on the phone.  Am I the only person that gets a little creeped out/freaked out when filling out background check paperwork?  Even though I know nothing will be there, I'm always afraid I'll miss a zip code or something simple and mess it all up.  *Side note- when I filled out my CORI form for the YMCA, I spent five minutes trying to figure out what to write down for "hair color". Natural? Current? Recent?*   It was a very long questionnaire involving past addresses, work places, and web stuff.

I'll spare the suspense, I did find out today that I have not advanced any further into the competition, but I DID earn an American Cancer Society Spin for Hope beach mat.  So, I think it all evened out.  I think what did me in is that I'm an actor.  I had to list any TV or movie appearances and I did have to admit that I appeared on The Scariest Places on Earth a few years back.  Plus, if you google my name or look hard enough on Facebook or any theater website, you're going to find some weird (but easily explained) pictures of me. Ah, well.

For example.  Me as Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show.  

In other news, I started my new Zumba class at the YMCA today.  It was a strange week to start (I realize now) because it's school vacation week.  I had two students. (Yes, two)  They were super sweet and had both done Zumba before, so that was great.  It's just a wee bit awkward dancing with two other people in a small room with mirrors.  Each Zumba teacher has their own style and I happen to be a huge fan of fast songs and booty shaking. The two ladies? Not such a fan of the second part and that was unfortunate considering my playlist for the day.  I even tried to lure then into it by pointing out that it's great for the core, but no such luck.  I figured I'd continue to shake my butt at them and they'd eventually give in and join, but nope.  They did the moves minus the shaking.  Ah, well.  At least they did the robot with me.

Also, I'm having a BLAST in The Full Monty at Stoneham Theatre.  I'm so lucky to be a part of such a talented, passionate, and kind group of people.  We've had some great audiences and are getting wonderful reviews.  And then there's the costumes and wigs... lots of fun!  

Fun costumes, but again, perhaps a reason to not put me on an episode of Dr. Oz

One more thing before I sign off, I was interviewed by the local paper about my work with Deana's Educational Theaer. I'm just one of many actors that are involved in this wonderful organization that strives to educate people of all ages about bullying and dating violence.  You can find the article here.

Goal! (and an eye patch)

This update is a week overdue, but you'll see why!

So, I made goal! March 29, 2012 at the noon meeting, I passed my Weight Watchers goal!  I was running late and had to weigh in during the meeting and then sneak in.  Jean (our fab leader) knew I was getting close, so she stopped for a second and asked if I made it.  The applause and congratulations felt very nice. In 12 or so years of being back and forth on the program, I had never hit my goal. It's a great milestone.  But if I'm being honest? It's not really how I pictured it.

I feel wonderful, don't get me wrong. I guess I always viewed goal as an ending.  I thought I would be completely satisfied with my body when I got to goal.  Again, I'm happy and very proud, but I'm not done. I'm not done and I don't really know when I will be done.  I'm not sure what my personal goal number is.  I know that I have fat I want to lose and muscle I want to build. I know that I want to be a smaller clothing size. But I also know that I want to be a better athlete, a faster runner, I want to have more endurance and flexibility. I'm trying to shift my goals from a number on the scale or on the tag of my clothing to something more important (like the later goals above).  I want to be healthy. I feel so much better than I used to and I want to keep feeling better.  I guess I'm learning that I'll never be "done", but it doesn't seem as frustrating as it used to.

I tried to find a "before" picture online, but I'm having some trouble finding one from almost 90lbs ago.  I'm sure I have physical pictures somewhere, I'll just have to find and scan. BUT- here are a couple of my most recent "before" and my recent headshot as an after-

This is from a wonderful trip to Maine in 2010.
I think this is probably  50-60 lbs or so more than I am right now.

This is from Halloween 2011 (Joan from Mad Men) 50lbs heavier than now

This is my current headshot from a couple of weeks ago. I don't have anything else more recent right now,
but I think I can see a big difference in my face and 

Now... eye patch, you ask? Yes. Eye patch.  I've taught and taken many many Zumba classes with no injury to myself or others.  Last Friday (the day after I made goal), I subbed a Zumba class at Vavavoom Fitness.  It's a bit of a drive for me, so I got there nice and early. I chatted with some new students, said hi to my friend Deena.  At 9:30, I introduced myself, started the music, ran to the front of the studio to start... and scratched my cornea with my thumb nail.  Yep. There's really no better way to earn the respect of a class than to accidentally gouge your own eye out.  I was double over with pain for about 10 seconds and then got it together.  I thought "I'm subbing... I can't leave... " I somehow made it through the class with only a few moments of blinding pain.

After the class I wondered if I should get to the eye doctor or maybe the ER?  I looked in the mirror and could see a scratch on my eye.... probably not a great sign.  I walked outside assuring everyone that I was totally fine and got in my car.  So far, so good. I started to drive away wondering where I should go... then realized my eye was not feeling wonderful... so I pulled into the Target parking lot and called Kevin.  "So... if I scratched my eye, should I go to the eye doctor or the ER?"  So, I went inside of the Target to wait for Kevin to pick me up (since by now I couldn't reeeeeally see) and sat at the Starbucks with an iced coffee.  For some reason, every mom that came into Starbucks decided to park their toddlers in shopping carts next to the table I was sitting at.  I'm sure that a sweaty girl with one eye swollen shut wincing in pain wasn't scary at all to them.  I went and bought some sunglasses, sat back down at Starbucks and called the stage manager (of COURSE I was scheduled for rehearsal that night).  Kevin arrived and helped me to the car.  I got in, closed my eyes, and didn't really open them about for 26 hours.

Now.... I know no one likes eye pain, but wow I hate it. Me at the eye doctors is like someone trying to put eye drops in a dog's eyes.  I just told the doctor  "I'm not opening my eye, you're going to have to just do it."  We got home and I just laid on the couch. I wasn't hungry, I didn't have to use the bathroom, it was just blinding eye pain.  I spent most of the afternoon and night lying on the couch listening to the Food Network with either sunglasses on over closed eyes, or with the comforter over my head.  Except for the few times and Kevin had to force antibiotic ointment into my eye.

The doctors and nurses had told me that eye injuries generally heal pretty quickly and I should be feeling better the next day.  I woke up Saturday morning to the same pain, more worry. I had to call out of rehearsal again and just kind of lay around with my eyes closed. (this time, I listened to the audio book "Bossy Pants" by Tina Fey.  A much better choice.

Kevin got me some gauze and an eye patch to try to keep the bad one closed and help the good one open. It worked! Not too much pain.  After an afternoon nap, I woke up feeling like I could open the scratched one.  I opened it and felt pretty good.  It was a little sensitive to light and got tired easily, so I got to sport my eye patch.  I even got to wear it part of the day at rehearsal the next day.  Jealous?

It's completely healed now, but I totally flinched at my own hands Monday when I put up my guard in Body Combat.