Big Changes

I've been at 298.4 the past two days. I'm pleased. If I can stay here and not screw around like I did last week, my daily fluctuations should keep me under 300 from now on. I'll be happy if I can stay at 298 or even see 297 at Friday's weigh-in.

So, onto the big changes/decisions.

I've re-enrolled at WMU to finish the last six classes for my BA. I was unable to finish it in 2005 because I got laid-off and had to move to take a new job before my last semester. I haven't had the money to go back since then. Now, finally, I can finish. I'm so relieved and happy. This will open up SO many job opportunities; plus, I can apply to grad school (library science). I may wait a year or two for grad school, though, depending how things go in...



San Francisco!

Brent and I are 99% sure we're going to move there next summer. We were going to go this summer, but I really, really need to finish school. I didn't want to leave with so few classes left because transferring would put me way behind (I'd lose a ton of credits), and I'd have to pay out-of-state tuition, which is unbelievably expensive. No thanks. It just makes more sense to stay here another year, finish school, and save up for moving. There's a strong possibility I won't be able to find a job before we move, so I'll need a cushion in my savings account. Hopefully, I can fly out for some interviews, but I'm planning for the worst case scenario. Luckily, San Francisco's unemployment rate is super-low compared to most other areas of the U.S.

I say "99% sure" because Chicago is still on the table, mostly because we both like it and Brent is a huge Cubs/Bears fan. On the other hand, I am sick to death of the Midwest climate of bitter cold and sticky humidity, and I really want to live somewhere completely new and different. Also, Brent and I have a much, much better chance of finding jobs in our degree field in the San Francisco Bay area. Chicago's unemployment rate is higher than I'm comfortable with. So, as far as I'm concerned, we're moving to San Francisco, and I haven't heard any arguments against it so far (other than "earthquakes", but then I counter with "tornadoes"). Still, Chicago's on there because Brent likes to have options.

I'm pretty sure he'll pick San Francisco, especially after our trip there in June. I've never been there before, so I'm really excited to see the area. Plus, his best friend lives there, and he really misses him, so that's another push for San Francisco.

Regardless, we're moving somewhere next summer. Brent and I are completely fed up with our jobs, and we hate Kalamazoo. I didn't even want to move here in the first place; I ended up here thanks to an ex whining and pleading for me to move, only to break up with me the second I quit my job and started packing. I've been stuck here for five, horrible years, eager for the day I can finally leave and never, ever, EVER come back. Brent likes to point out that, were it not for that ex, we wouldn't have met, and we wouldn't be where we are financially, but I still snarl internally because I refuse to give that cheating alcoholic any credit for my present condition and happiness.

Anyway.

I am unbelievably excited to get a fresh start, with the man I love, in a city I love, at a job I (hopefully) like/love. I'll feel much better about myself with a degree on my resume, not to mention I'll be approximately 100 pounds lighter when we move, making me less nervous about job interviews.

As for the trip in June, I'll talk about that in another post. This one is long enough already. ;)

Weigh-in

Whoa. This was taken in Albuquerque. Kismet!Image courtesy of Ampersand Seven

315.2. I'm down from last week, and all of the PMS water weight is officially gone, but I'm still up from my lowest of 314.8 on October 24. /scowl

I changed my calorie limit on MFP this week, so we'll see how that goes. I also really, really need to watch my carbs. My doctor warned me that, even with the medicine, eating too many could stall my weight loss since my body still wants to hang onto them as fat. So I changed my macros on MFP to make sure I stay under 125/day. I'm also walking more, and I've added weights into my routine.

Hopefully, that will get me over this plateau. I've been dancing between 315 and 318 for several weeks. I took my measurements last night, and the only thing that changed is my waist (down a half-inch), so it truly is a plateau.

The same thing happened back in June, and then the weight started coming off like crazy, so I hope it's the same way this time. I can put up with a plateau every three months or so as long as I know it will GO AWAY.

The good thing is, I haven't given up. I still feel great and plan to keep eating better and exercising for the rest of my life, so even if the weight isn't moving, at least I'm still moving.

-=-

Speaking of moving, there's a good chance we won't be moving to Albuquerque next year, but we're still playing the "wait and see" game. Currently, we're thinking one more year here will do us both a lot of good, even though we hate this town. There's a long list of reasons I won't get into, but it's strange having everything up in the air like that. I'm sooooo not used to sharing my life with someone. I was single, by choice, for so many years, and I did whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Now I have to consider Brent (not saying that's a bad thing, just a fact), and we have to discuss it, weigh the pros and cons, etc. I'm definitely still adjusting. Even though we've been together for almost three years, we've only lived together since last June. When he was in Albuquerque, I was still on my own, in a sense.

-=-

And, speaking of Albuquerque, we leave on Sunday! I'm so excited. I'm ready for this vacation. Actually, I'm beyond ready. I'm already dreading going back to work. I wish we could stay out there for a couple weeks instead of just a few days, but I don't have enough vacation time, and Brent is swamped at work as usual.

I'll post some thoughts about the train trip later. Even though I'm stuck at 315 for now, I was 357 last year, so there are some NSVs I'm looking forward to. :)

Happy Friday!

Razzlefrazzlesnarkle. I've been hovering around 317 - 318 for a few weeks now. I got down to 316.4 today, which is the lowest I've seen in a few weeks. 315 was my all-time low a couple weeks ago, and I'm starting to think that was due to a HUGE water weight loss when I was on steroids for my URI. They gave me crazy hot flashes, and I'm pretty sure I sweat a couple pounds off that weekend. I was too hot in a tank top; meanwhile, Brent was practically hugging the radiator. We looked like a couple of senior citizens. ;)

Anyway, maintaining is fine, so whatever, but I want to hit my next mini-goal! It's so close! Since I've been here for a few weeks or so, I'm officially calling it a plateau. (Technically, a plateau is six weeks, but I don't want to wait that long to go, "Oh hey. Maybe I should switch things up a bit.")

So, since my body has become comfortable, it's time to shock it again. I'm still eating 1800 calories/day, but since I've lost 40 pounds, I really should lower that to 1650 - 1700. I also need to change up my exercise routine. I think my muscles have become complacent with walking, so I need to toss some weights into the mix and/or walk during lunch and do some weight routines when I get home.

I have a new upper body workout from The Firm I've been dying to try. I know you can't spot reduce, but I'd love to firm up my arms and chest so that when the weight does come off, I don't have bingo wings anymore. Plus, I love the look of a well-defined shoulder cap, especially on pear-shaped girls like me. It makes us look more hourglass-y and less bowling-pin-y.

I re-organized my bedroom the other night, and now I have plenty of room to work out. I just need to move our spare TV from the back storage area to the top of my dresser and then put the DVD player in there. :)

I did take measurements last night, and I've lost a little bit off my arms and an inch off my waist and thigh, so I'm not freaking out about the scale not moving. My weight will catch up with my measurements soon enough. My jeans are definitely getting more comfortable. They aren't so loose that I need to go down a size yet, but they aren't tight anymore either.

-=-

I promise I'll upload pictures and write about our Chicago trip soon. I keep meaning to do that after work, but then I get home and it's nice and dark and rainy and I just want to put on pajamas and be lazy. Since I've been taking progesterone supplements, I noticed my mood has improved considerably (yay), but I have cravings for foods I normally don't eat (like sugar - boo), and I've been sleepy-tired by 11:00 (yay, but I don't get to bed until 2:00 because I'm dumb, so boo-ish). I've been sleeping 1000000% better once I do fall asleep, so that's a huge "yay".

Anyway, I need to do that soon because we leave for Albuquerque in just a few weeks, and I should probably get one trip journal done so I have the energy to write the next one. The Albuquerque trip journal is going to be LONG. ;) We're going to be there for close to a week, we're doing "Christmas" while there, and we're taking the train. Last year, I took over 200 pictures, so brace yourselves. ;)

-=-

On that note, we've been in serious discussion about moving there. Brent is homesick; we have lots of friends (and Brent's family) there; the job market is good; it's a thriving metropolis with a population of close to one million people; there are always lots of shows, dancing at night clubs, and concerts; it has wonderful culture and history; and the restaurants are fabulous.

I'm not jazzed about leaving the Great Lakes since I grew up here and LOVE water, but Albuquerque has mountains, hiking trails, and hot springs. Plus, I could sled and ski during the winter. (Okay, I can learn to ski.) They DO have the Rio Grande, so at least it's something, but it doesn't have waves or storms like the Great Lakes. At least Albuquerque has four seasons, though. A lot of people think it's in the desert and hot year-round, but it's actually in the "high desert" area of northern New Mexico. They have a longer spring and fall, summer is hot but DRY (definitely more tolerable - I barely notice the heat), and the winters are cold with occasional snow in the city and lots of snow in the mountains. It's a bit too sunny for my tastes, and they don't get enough thunderstorms, but they do have changing weather patterns and I can always work second shift if I want to hide from the sun. ;)

The pros definitely outweigh the cons, and I'm Very Excited about this idea, so we're going to see where everything sits next spring and go from there. If Brent gets a considerable raise, we'll probably stay for the time being, but if not, he's thinking about asking them if he can work remotely. That would prevent him from having to find a new job and would give us sooooo much flexibility. Even if they say no, though, there are lots of computer jobs in Albuquerque.

Our lease isn't up until the end of June, but we have to give our landlords 90 days notice since they need to prepare for their summer renting season (we live in a college town). So, we really have until the end of March to figure this all out. Brent keeps saying it's a "long way off", but then I point to how quickly the calendar moves and stress that we need to re-visit this conversation shortly after New Year's Day since a cross-country move isn't exactly an easy feat.

So we'll see. :)

NSV

I'm at work today, so Brent said he would paint the bedroom. It's the last room to paint; I did the other two. He offered since I was dead tired and overwhelmed. He also cleaned out the storage closet and packed all of his stuff before I got home last night. Awesome. :)

This will allow me to focus on the rest of the packing tonight (there's very little left), and then I can spend all day tomorrow cleaning as much as possible. I want to get it clean to the point that all I have to do on Monday is sweep and wash the floors, which will be super easy once everything is moved out.

I don't know if Brent's ever painted before, but it's just primer. He knows how to take curtain rods down, and he can figure out a stupid paint roller and brush. I need to trust him more. I'm sure I'll be pleased when I walk in the door later and see the bedroom is finished. I need to give up some of my control freak-ish-ness. I always take on way too much work and end up tired/overwhelmed/cranky. I've always had issues accepting help from people, even when they're begging to help out.

Update: Not only did he do a smashing job with the primer, he also packed up most of the bedroom and the rest of the bathroom, took the (empty/dry) paint cans to the dumpster, and reattached the original shower head (we'd installed a hand-held shower head last summer). This was all accomplished in four hours. That man has more energy than a ferret.

-=-

My scale came down a pound this morning. Heh. I will never understand body weight and its inconsistencies. Anyway, I need to stop worrying about the ups and downs. I put on some underwear this morning that has always been SUPER tight. It's sort of a cross between boy short and hipster, almost like those tighty-whities boys wear. I bought them by accident (they were folded in with the hi-cuts at Lane Bryant). I always had issues getting them on, so they were in the bottom of my dresser drawer. They'd always cut into my thighs, and they were tight in the hips.

Well, when I pulled them out of the drawer this morning, they went right on and didn't feel tight at all. I didn't even realize which pair I'd grabbed until I caught myself in the mirror and thought, "HEY! These are the tight ones!" I hadn't worn them in a few weeks, so it was a nice NSV. :) Even my new jeans are starting to fit a little better.

Again, I will never understand body weight. I know I'm not gaining any muscle since I haven't been doing strength exercises, so I don't know how the scale can go up and down while my body is shrinking. Maybe I carry water weight in weird areas or something. :-P

Conversation This Evening

Sarah (packing the kitchen): "I swear to god... when we move to Illinois or California, we are selling everything. I'm not doing this again."

Brent (staring at Diablo): "Okay."

Sarah: "Seriously. Anything sentimental can be shipped ahead or put in my car, but everything else goes. We'll buy all new stuff at Target and Ikea."

Brent: "Okay."

Sarah: "I have four cheese graters, three pizza cutters, at least seven lids that don't belong to any pots or pans, two corkscrews, eighteen spatulas, three stock pots... this is stupid. I'm not packing all of this again. As soon as we move, I'm making up a ton of boxes for Goodwill. We don't need multiple spatulas."

Brent: *spoons cereal into mouth and stares at Diablo*

Sarah: "Are you listening?"

Brent: "You're bringing the pizza cutters and spatulas to Goodwill. We'll get more furniture in Chicago."

Sarah: "Close enough."

Moving Early

Our landlords called today and said our new place will be ready at the end of the day Sunday. They asked if we'd like to move in a few days early.

Um, yes!

We're moving next Monday. Brent got the day off from work, and I worked some magic to get my shift covered so I could take a vacation day. Thank goodness I have an extra day off this week. Maybe I was psychic or something, because I really need it. I have to finish the rest of the packing, and then I have to paint the living room, breakfast nook, and bedroom with primer. I was nice and offered to do that since they were kind enough to give me permission to paint. They're supplying the primer, so it's a win-win. Good thing I saved my rollers and brushes.

My friend, Beth, is coming over Wednesday to help with whatever I need. I know how much she hates painting, so I might put her in charge of keeping the TV tuned to dramatic shows like "Bridezillas" and maybe have her do little things like hand me power tools as I remove the curtain rods or wipe down the shelves in the cupboards. I hate asking people for help, so I always give them these totally b.s. jobs when they offer, which is kind of silly, but whatever.

Beth is also helping us move on Monday, provided she doesn't get called into work. Kae took the day off too (any excuse to get away from the office, she said), so we should be pretty set. I told Tony (Beth's husband) to drop by after work since we'll still be hanging out and will probably order Chinese take-out for dinner. Kae loves helping me unpack, and she's been part of pretty much every move, so she's going to help me get the immediate stuff unpacked and sorted while Brent hooks up the electronics and all that nonsense.

Today was a flurry of emails and phone calls as I coordinated everything. I had to change the hook-up dates for all of our services and change my address pretty much everywhere since all of my online bill payments come out around the same time.

I'm so excited! Exhausted and overwhelmed, but excited!

-=-

My weight is still being stubborn, so I grabbed the measuring tape. I've lost nearly two inches off my stomach (dude!) and one inch off my underbust (bra strap). I also entered a few more measurements into my spreadsheet since I hadn't been tracking those. I knew the weight was coming off somewhere since my clothes are getting more comfortable, so now I'm going to pay more attention to my upper body (where I lose weight first) whenever the scale pisses me off. I can see my cheekbones again too, and my shoulders have a bit more definition.

I think I'm going to start incorporating upper body strength workouts. I want to sculpt my bingo wings so they look hot once all the extra fat comes off. I had some pretty decent guns in high school.


I wasn't even flexing.

This picture is also evidence that I will still have some serious junk in the trunk once I hit my goal weight. ;) One of my SCA friends always used to say I have a "natural bustle".