Going back to the Spark...

I went back on Sparkpeople.com for the first time in a long time today.  Trav and I joined Bally's the other day (great deal going on till the end of the month!), and he's been dropping pounds without even trying just by cutting out junk food.  I cut out junk and nothing happens.  *sigh*  I have more weight to lose than he does, and I have to put forth more effort to lose it, so I'd better get a move on!  I was thinking of some things I could do to help me lose weight more efficiently.  In 13 weeks, I could lose approximately 25 lbs., if I try REEEEEALLY hard.  That would put me a a pre-first-pregnancy weight!  Not quite to my goal, but close.  Anyhoo, I was thinking of some things that helped me lose weight.  The first was getting up in the morning and drinking two big glasses of water first thing, and take my vitamins.  That starts me off with a quarter of my water intake already in, plus a full tummy and a balanced start to the day.  The second was to eat a good breakfast.  Even if it's a smoothie on the run, at least I'll be getting protein, fiber, and fruit servings.  The third is working out whenever I can.  This will be easier now that I'm a gym member again, and the gym has kid care.  That makes all the difference in the world to me.  Now that I'm working full-time again, and working day shift to boot, I'm really active during the day...less sitting on the day shift as compared to the night shift.  That should help as well, when coupled with better diet and less intake.  The fourth is meal preparation.  It helps a LOT to have salad fixings all prepared in the fridge so that all I have to do is open a few containers and throw a little bit of this and a little bit of that in a bowl for a salad.  That an having some good stand-bys already made, like chicken and shrimp salad, and cubed cooked chicken to throw on top of salads, hard boiled eggs, that sort of thing...quick, good quality protein for snacks or quick meals.  I need to do this.  I need to do it for me.  I want to be healthy.  I'll probably never be thin, and I don't care.  I just want to be healthy, have some endurance, and look better.  I hate seeing pictures of myself and sighing and wishing I were more fit.  Having said that, I got some pictures of the family from our Newport Beach trip, and they were actually pretty decent.  I'll throw them in on the next post.

I had a dream last night that I was pregnant.  Wishful thinking, I guess.  This cycle is all off anyway...when I got sick with that terrible stomach flu, it came about a week late.  Now my moon cycle is not coinciding with my biological cycle, and everything is just whack.  Oh, well.  Maybe it will get back in synch on its own.  Speaking of pregnancy, Trav talked to Scott yesterday.  Donna and the baby are doing well, and she's showing!  Baby bellies are so awesome, especially when it's your own!  I remember how I felt when I woke up one morning and suddenly I had a little bump.  Then the bump grew and grew, and people started noticing that you're pregnant, and you had to start wearing maternity clothes because nothing else would fit.  I love it!  And I'll bet Donna is the cutest little momma in the world!

I want to grow a patio garden.  Some herbs, some veggies, and some flowers.  I've been looking into the best ways to do it.  I wonder if we should wait until we settle in somewhere long-term?  Well, planting season is pretty much here, although I suppose I could start a little bit late.  I also want a worm farm after we settle in somewhere, for composting and castings for my plants.  

Are some people just more balanced than others?  Why do I almost constantly feel like I'm having a hard time balancing my life?  Is it because I'm a multi-purpose mom?  I just feel like I'm falling a bit short in the wife and mom department from time to time, because of work and all.  Surely there's a way to make it work.  And throwing in school in a few months (hopefully), how is it all going to work?  I know it CAN work, I just don't see it.  Trav is taking on more and more in the cooking and cleaning department, which makes things considerably easier.  That's how it will work.  We will work together, as we always do.  

The Mac is good!  I'm still figuring it all out, but I'm comfortable on the internet now, anyway.  I was using the PC for mostly everything up till a couple of days ago.  

We're watching Matthew today.  A nurse that I work with was having a hard time finding childcare for her 4-year-old on weekends, so I figured a little "mad money" for Trav and  a friend for Deklan would be good.  It's working out well so far, and it's a load off for Maria, so it's all good.