Must-do list for 2011

Hello All.

I hope you all had a nice Christmas (or whatever winter holiday/event you celebrate) and are ready for 2010 to come to a close and 2011 to begin. 2011 is going to be a busy year for me and is already filling up it seems. Thinking of all I have to do/accomplish before July is already stressing me out... so I have decided to portion it out into bite-sized pieces and see if I can chew & swallow it all a bit better.

First up is to make some serious efforts towards the goals I have set out here in this blog. I really DO want to be fit by the time I am 40 and have about 15 months to do it, which is plenty of time if I will make like a Nike ad and JUST DO IT.

Second, I need to get moving on the study pile for my upcoming exams. I have about 6weeks left before my exam dates and have yet to really knuckle down to the books. It really is go-time and all my months of half-assery are up. Comps are not something I can just cram for the week before. Once I am ABD (All But Dissertation) things will be better.

Then in no particular order: I need to clean & organize the house, get my dissertation proposal finished and approved, plan my research trip, and get funding to go. Somewhere in there is a HS reunion in San Antonio in June, a wedding, and Lupe's 40th birthday in August. So far nothing is on the books yet for September - December - haha.

Part of what helps me to be honest is to keep posting here. Thanks for being so supportive and encouraging me this year. I hope to have great results to report back to you on all fronts! Some things for you to look forward to me posting about:

• Livestrong.com's My Plate - a food diary/calorie counter/activity log I started using.
• Comprehensive exams (and how I do).
• Dissertation Proposal
• Research travel plans
• a possible honeymoon/1st Anniversary trip
• a resumed exercise/activity routine (I can't be out of shape in Europe, I will have to walk everywhere and don't want to be the Obese American huffing and puffing from place-to-place.)

I also got a webcam from Lupe for Christmas so may venture into the world of vlogging as well.

So many adventures await!

I have been a dizzy, disoriented, grumpopotamus all day.

So, just so you know... steroids are not my friends. I have felt really awful all day today. Yesterday I started the steroids and took all 6 pills, I felt fine, no problemo. I took my muscle relaxer before bed and slept really, really well. Then it was time to get up... I just couldn't. Lupe left me in bed & went to work (I usually take him so I can keep the car.) I finally got up at 10am and felt like I had been on a 3-day drinking binge. I took my 1st steroid (5 total today) and had a cup of coffee and a bite to eat. Man, I have felt tired, dizzy, and disoriented all day. It is like being drunk or really hungover... not fun. I was also told that I can't take any over the counter pain meds while on the steroids so my shoulder really hurts!!

I am being a whiny baby. I don't like feeling this bad.

Meh.

And so it has come to this (as I knew it would)...

So... those of you who follow me on FB know that I went to the Dr. yesterday and that I have a bone spur in my neck (on one of the cervical vertebrae) which is causing all kinds of havoc in my left arm, back, and chest. What I left off of the FB post was that I also have a set of cervical ribs. I am some kind of lizard throwback since the only creatures with cervical ribs are lizards and birds. I seem to single-handedly (ribly??) prove the theory of evolution...YOU ARE WELCOME Mr. Charles Darwin. :) Evolutionary hilarity aside these extra ribs can wreak some serious havoc and the one on the left side is quite possibly impeding a nerve or two. So I am on some steroids and muscle relaxers with instruction to use my left arm as little as possible. No lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling is allowed. No handbags, no coffee, no nothing. Go ahead, give being one-armed a try. It is more difficult than you think. Anyway I go back to see my doc on Jan 14 to see what is next. It could be physical therapy; it could be an MRI and surgery. I will keep you posted.

What sent me to the Dr. in the first place is a much more interesting story (maybe, I mean having lizard ribs is pretty interesting as only 1 in 200 people have them.). Because of the numbness and tingling in my left arm accompanied by severe pains in the left side of my chest and back my natural reaction was "oh shit, is this my heart?" Some of you know that my father died of a heart attack when I was 21. He was 43 and as far as we could tell it was his first and only heart attack. Now, his father died at age 55 of a clot in his aorta, so as you can see there is some heart history on my paternal side. My father was a heavy drinker, a smoker, was a bit overweight, and ate a not overly nutritious diet. For several years he complained of left arm/shoulder tingling & pain (hey, maybe he had lizard ribs, too!), indigestion, and general chest pain. The military doctors told him he had residual nerve damage from when he flipped his car at age 19 and they gave him every antacid ever manufactured (OTC & prescription). Turns out he had been having little heart attacks all along. The day he had the "first" heart attack they told us they just needed to balloon an artery or "worst-case scenario" do a bypass, but when they opened him up 3/4 of his heart was already dead and there was nothing they could do. The End. So you can understand why when I have chest pains and numbness in my left arm, with a bit of indigestion thrown in, I get a bit panicky. And of course panic/anxiety only made my chest hurt more.

So, the Dr. visit.

First off, my heart is fine. It sounds fine and the EKG showed a normal rhythm. (WHEW) My lab work from my recent physical is all great. I am super healthy . In fact all of my stuff it where it should be (lizard ribs aside). My cholesterol & triglycerides are normal, my blood sugar is good, everything is great. I am a picture of health on a chemical level...

BUT

and you knew this was coming as much as I did.

I AM TOO FAT.

Yea... I am basically undoing all my genetic gifts by carrying around about 125-130 extra pounds. Not to mention that the bone spur & lizard rib pushing on my nerve are aggravated by the extra weight load. So it has finally happened, my Dr. has told me I HAVE to lose weight. I see her again on 1/14 for the neck issue and I am sure she expects to see a decreased number on the scale.

Meh.

Yesterday sucked.

Getting the right start to my day

Ok, most of you know I am NOT a morning person, but the combination of Lupe moving to a day shift (7a-3:30p) and the truck deciding to break to the tune of $1000+ in repairs has made me have to get up EARLY in the mornings (on days when I need the car). So, here I am, Mrs. Grumpy AM having to get up, get dressed(ish), and drive by 6:30am... BOOOOOO! >(

The cold weather has finally arrived in TX, at least for a few days, and it was 24-degrees when we walked outside this morning. Me. No. LIKE. When I got back home, around 7:20am, I wanted something hot and substantial for breakfast as opposed to my usual 2 cups of coffee. But what is quick, easy, doesn't require breaking out multiple pots, pans, bowls, and/or other appliances?

OATMEAL!

YAY!

I fixed myself the yummiest bowl of oatmeal this year! It was rolled oats, dried cranberries, cinnamon, walnuts, and a small amount of butter & a spoon of sugar. It was SPECTACULAR, delicious, nutritious, and FAST! I am actually full and satisfied and WARM all over. Yay for oatmeal. I need to see if I can keep this up each morning. I like hot cereals... Cream of Wheat, Grits... mmmmm

Do you have a hot cereal you like? Any recipes you want to share?

She posts! She Scores!

I received an e-mail from Shutterfly just now stating the following:

"Thank you for your participation in the Shutterfly share project promotion.

We’ve confirmed your entry and are pleased to provide you with a discount code for $25 off your next order at Shutterfly.com..."

I am so excited! This is my first "compensation" for stuff on my blog! WOO WOO!

Of course, I have already ordered my Christmas cards from them, but I KNOW there will be SOMETHING else I want to print... like photo books of my ADORABLE nephew!!

If you have NO IDEA what I am on about go see this post and then come back. It will make more sense then.

I just wanna see a 6! (the number not the size)

I didn't weigh today. I am not sure if one should weigh everyday. I don't know if it is helpful or discouraging. A friend of mine was on an eating plan that had you weigh everyday then at the end of each week you averaged the weights to see what your weight was and would then compare your averages week-to-week (or something like that). Supposedly that method helped to overcome daily fluctuation, etc. Some people say weigh daily, others 1x/week, and still others say not to weigh yourself at all. Me, I just want to see a 6 as my middle number next week. I want to drop out of the 270-zone! It will be a big boost for me to maybe be at 268 next week!

So, weigh-ins? Do you do them? If so when, how often? What are your thoughts on it all?

what?

270.3 this morning... seriously! Grading mid-terms must make me lose weight!! haha It could be the no-soda thing, though. We shall see.