2 days of work under my belt.

Two days of work have gone by. I think I'm ready to start taking on the office? Well... ready or not. Doc is back from vacation and I'm going to be doing just that today. Here's hoping I don't make an ass of myself on the phones with the customers or give someone the wrong supplements. It's a busy day. I just hope that it all goes without a hitch so I can build some confidence. heh. I mean, I have confidence, but so I can validate it.

I've been cruising dollar stores these past couple of days; picking up household items and looking for a good, cheap water bottle. Looks like I'm going to have to break down and buy a nice expensive one (that I hopefully won't lose). And find a place to buy one. The outdoors stores aren't as frequent and obvious here. So much getting used to! 

Fluids

Monday - 80oz. 

Tuesday - 100oz. 

Goals

- Buy water bottle 

- write out this week's schedule. 

- take stock of what pots and pans are in this apt. 

- make a menu. 

- make a grocery list. 

My calories have been out of control in the evenings when I get home from work because I don't take time to stop and snack during the 5 hour shift... that happens to fall very awkwardly from 1:30 - 7:30. So I'm rushing to get there during what would normally be lunch (skipping it) and working through dinner time. Getting home and ordering something while I much on stuff waiting for it to arrive. TERRIBLE HABITS! I've only done it twice. But it has to change before I like it too much.

Here's how I want my typical work day to look. 

9am up. eat something. 

9:30 go to gym. 

10:30 home to shower

11:00 get dressed, pack bag. 

11:15 eat something and make snack to go. 

11:45 brush teeth, run out door. 

12:00 be to station or on train. Use train ride to make menus and list out thoughts. 

1:00 be to the work area with a little extra "train running slow" time, eat a snack. 

1:30 work. 

4:30 Take a little break. 10 min. Eat snacks. 

7:30 Off work... head to train, or to shops for water bottles. 

8:30 home. Make a real dinner and maybe a snack for tomorrow (kale chips?). 

9:30 clean up the house EVERYDAY. I'm telling you this one room, two people, one cat thing gets messy. 

10:00 sit down and dink around on my laptop, read blogs, write emails, update facebook. etc. 

12:00am bed. 

Let's talk about those "eat somethings" I would like it to look like this. 

pre-workout: usually fruit & yogurt, sometimes just one or the other. 

post-workout: peanut butter on toast. 

train snack: sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, or baby carrots

work snack: string cheese, almonds, apple. 

real dinner: protein + veggie + fruit 

laptop snack: cottage cheese. 

Yesterday it looked like this. 

9am Breakfast: raspberries + 1/4 c yogurt. 

11am snack: spoonful of peanut butter. 

8:30 pm: waiting for dinner to arrive... 3 spoonfuls of ice cream, a slice of cheese. 

9:30 pm dinner: cheese pizza, the entire 10" thing. 

So Friday... I have some shopping to do in order to make next week run a little better. This week, I'll find a way to eat what I have (not in one sitting) and make room for the stuff I'm bringing home.

Big Fat List Makin'- Brain Organizin' Love, 

Nanette

SSSD week 3 wrap up.

Weight: 298 (-0)

Measurements:
Waist: 45.5"(-.75")
Under waist: 56.5 (-.5)
Hips: 60.5" (-.5)
I'm back to the measurements two weeks ago! :)

Workouts
Monday - none
Tuesday - Walking around the park for 60 min.
Wednesday - Gym 60 min. (30 cardio, 30 weights).
Thursday - Walking around 30 min.
Friday - Walking 1 hour.
Saturday - Walking 1 hour.
Sunday - Walking 30 min.

Challenge: Try the ab machines at the gym. I did the rotate-y one... and the assisted crunches one. I think I get a better work out without them though. But the rotate-y one popped my back in the best way possible!

Honestly... I can't really say I committed to fitness this week. I deserve a -0 this week. Because I ate. Boy did I eat. Pizza, burger, cannoli, cheesecake, sushi, ostrich, nachos. If anything I'm surprised I was able to maintain.

So I have landed the job. That stress is out of the way. I go into the office today to get my schedule and to begin to build structure in my life. I'm so excited! I will learn about nutrition. I will be able to get myself regularly to the gym. I will be able to afford living here for at least a little while and meagerly, but it will be something.

I have no more excuses. No more moving worries, no more cash flow worries, no more impressing people worries, no more Will I have to move back to Idaho? worries. The good mental place is being prepared. I will be good. I will be fine.

I still need to have a little quiet time with a schedule and some paper to write it all out. Quiet time seems to be in short supply here.

I'm really excited to try and get 100 oz of water in. I've been so dehydrated. This will also give me an excuse to get to a sports store and buy a nalgene or camelbak water bottle!

Big Fat Let's Get Going Love,
Nanette

The Job Update...

I got the phone call today while I was out with Jeff (dear dear friend) in Central Park.

I have a job! I start on Monday. Part-time in a nutritionist's office! I'm going to learn so many things there... mostly office related, but I'm sure I'll pick up some health tips along the way (maybe I can share them). I'm not going to give anymore details about where exactly I work for privacy reasons. But yeah... I'M SO EXCITED!!!

Thanks for all your support, guys. Now that I've finally landed something, I'm sure that structure will come back to my weight loss efforts. Set gym times, packing lunches... creating a new "system."

Also, last night, got a good round in at the gym. 30 min cardio + 45 min weights. I ate too much too close to the workout and nearly vomited on the way home.. gotta give that a little more time.

Another bit of good news! Jeff has offered to do a little basic tailoring of my work clothes for me! So I don't have to buy a whole new wardrobe just some essential pieces.

Big Fat EMPLOYED Love,
Nanette

Two days... and the second interview.

My no spending thing lasted two days. TWO DAYS. Because I left the house without a water bottle. I'm going to keep going and see how minimally I can spend though. Good for budget. Good for body.

I had a call-back interview today for a Nutritionist's office. It would be so great... I want it... But I fear that I kinda screwed things up a little in my interview today. They asked for pet peeves. I told them that poor communication is a huge pet peeve of mine. You know, the kind that leads to the confrontation that goes like...

"why didn't you (insert request)?"
"you didn't tell me that you wanted (insert request)."
and then I get all pissed that someone was IMPLYING instead of actually voicing expectations.

And the other pet peeve is tardiness...

I always run early. I make air tight, fool proof schedules so everyone gets what they want.

I shouldn't have said that. It's a Doc office. Everyone runs late. The doc runs late. He doesn't want to hire a harpie. Granted, I should have told him that I like to learn what people are like and then tailor my time expectations of them.

I just sounded really uptight and that's the last thing I left them with. I should have turned it around into a positive. But I didn't. There's a nugget of "didn't get the job" sitting in the pit of my stomach. It's sitting in a cloud of hope though. I REALLY WANT THIS. I could learn so much about nutrition working there! It would be SO beneficial.

I'm laying here...  wanting to throw a 4 year old tantrum. I know I can do this job. Just hire me. I'm friendly! I'm energetic! I'm organized! And over the moon for post-its! I wanna kick and scream until I get my way (probably an excellent way to burn calories). But it won't get me anywhere.

Sounds like a good time for the gym. Kicking and screaming and taking it out on my body. Getting out this nervous energy, maybe move me away from that crying tantrum feeling... that's coming from the niggling doubt that I blew it.

Big Fat HIRE ME, MISTER Love,
Nanette

Best Intentions...

So... here we are on Tuesday and I STILL HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE GYM.

Monday was a lot of running around. (grocery shopping, job interview, meeting an Idaho friend and stuff).

Tuesday was a lot of running around. (two interviews, a long walk through central park, a long walk through astoria to find the groupon restaurant laura and I were going to had closed permanently, then a long walk to find a different restaurant and then getting home late late).

Tomorrow... 90 degree weather, 89% humidity. I'm staying in for the most part. No interviews. I'll be researching temp agencies... and hoping for a call from the chiropractor/nutritionist guy that I interviewed with today (p.s. It seems like the perfect fit. Health and nutrition on top of getting paid, perfect).

I'm also extending a personal challenge to myself. I've already paid for groceries for at least a week. I have an unlimited metro card. I have a gym pass.

Aside from $10 for laundry in the next two weeks. I'm going to see how many days I can go without spending a dime in the city. Boys buying things for me doesn't count. NO PERSONAL SPENDING.

Tuesday: Check - Laura got dinner and I packed lunch.

I'm slowly putting weight back on from the food poisoning. So this is also a health thing. I have a ton of produce in my apt. I just need to eat it... and veer from things like ordering pizza or ostrich burgers or fried things.

Tomorrow, I may be staying in, but I can sit down and have some time to myself to think about my schedule and get my mind in the game. Scheduling a sacred workout time and a menu from the stuff I just bought (ummm... $.75 for a thingy of raspberries, awesome). It'll be nice to have some non-fevered quiet time. Also, I commit to working out tomorrow. Hold me to it, folks.

Think. Center. No dates. No interviews. Just getting my brain and body in sync.

Me + Central Park + a tunnel. 

Fake Rock Climbing. 

The courtyard of the place I Interviewed today. Everyone looks so posh. I need a makeover. 

I love random graffiti... and they have such good taste. 

Big Fat Get It Together Love,
Nanette

SSSD Update!

Weight: 298lbs (+4) gaining back the weight from sickness. 

Measurements

Waist: 46.25" (+.75")

Under waist: 57"(+.5")

Out at the park this week. 

Hips: 61" (+1") 

6 hours of exercise!
Tuesday: 1 hour - walking. 

Wednesday: 1 hour - walking

Thursday: 2 hours - walking + trainer. 

Friday: 30 min - walking (LAZY)! 

Saturday: 30 min - walking (girls night... too much food). 

Sunday: 1 hour - 30 min elliptical + 30 min weights Upper body. 

SIX HOURS!  I made it! Granted, I kinda nickle and dimed the walking time because I didn't get the gym pass until Thursday. 

I'm not shocked by the numbers this week, since last week was the midst of the illness stuff. But the good news is, is that I didn't gain it all back. So I still consider it a solid -2lbs. Also, last night was salt salt salt and mojitos. 

Today at the gym was absolutely fantastic. I can do this every day and not worry about it. 

20 min on the elliptical. 

chest fly. 10 reps x 3
Rows. 10 reps x 3
Lat raises. 10 reps x 3
Tricep 3 ways.  10 reps x 3
Crunches. 10 reps x 3

Squat machines. 10 reps x 3

I also found the tiny stretching area. So I have a place I can do my bodyrock/Zuzana Lights stuff too and have a place for it where I won't have to worry about waking the neighbors. I'm really quite pumped. Today I felt like I owned that gym. I got what I needed done! 

This week...  

Try a new work out or machine. 

Easy-peasy! There's a whole gym that I need to explore. I want to venture into the "core machines" which I've never used before. 

Big Fat Feelin' Better Love, 

Nanette

The Dates...

Okay... I promised... so here we go.

Saturday (landed): Date with the boy on the upper east side. We had pizza (my first of the trip) and watched movies at his place. He's going to school and that's about it. No work. But he lives with the parents so he can survive. They go to Martha's Vineyard on the weekend so it wasn't too awkward. But leaving time came and he refused to walk me to the subway. Instead HE GAVE ME DIRECTIONS. I asked him again "So, it's my first day in this city and you're just going to GIVE ME DIRECTIONS? Why not just walk me?"

"I've got stuff to get done before my parents get back." {Immediately feel like he's not interested AND like I'm in 8th grade}. Kiss grade: B

Sunday: Friend date with my old housemate, Tracy. She's one of my favorite people in the whole world.

Monday: Date with Graphic Designer. We talked online for like... 10 minutes and then decided to go to dinner together. He took the train to my station. We explored the neighborhood for a little while (which was nice to have company while doing). Then went to a place called "The Farm" for dinner. Cute guy. Shorter than me. But he's cute. And apparently he makes money. Heh. We talked about living cheaply and about how we both agree we'd rather have a good savings account than a fancy overpriced apartment. We got into some huge discussion about the current presidential race. I'm predominantly Democratic, though I don't belong to a party. But there's no way in hell I'm going to get behind Romney after he's buddied up with Frank VanderSloot and Tom Luna. No Second date so far. No physical contact whatsoever on the first date. But he was sweet and I WALKED HIM TO THE SUBWAY.

Tuesday: Date with the Stock Broker. I met him near City Hall. (But didn't take my camera, sorry guys). He took me on a walking tour of the area. Took me through a Century 21 and told me to pick out whatever I wanted. I told him I couldn't do that. I just couldn't. We walked by the 9/11 site and watched some of the construction. Then went for sushi at this place where all of the owners and servers knew him by name. He talks a mile a minute, so I had a hard time getting a word in edge-wise. Then he started telling me who I was since I wasn't doing much talking. "You're too quiet. You stick out. You're bright eyed. New York will take that out of you. You don't seem to have a personality (my personal fave). You are naive. You are going to be easily taken advantage of here." And I know that most of it was coming from an Impose a personality place... and partially from the protection place... and the you've been warned place. But seriously?! No personality? Maybe if you'd SHUT UP for 5 seconds or maybe ask your date some freaking QUESTIONS instead of just telling your date what's she's like... maybe you'd find that she does have a personality... and manners to boot! No kiss. But a very lovely time aside from getting mad for that bit.

Wednesday: Date with the Israeli guy. We wandered for a good 1.5 hours through East Village. I was aiming to get away from traffic and loud noises and he was trying to aim us toward hustle and bustle. So I was feeling a little impatient off the bat. Then his nerd potential started to slowly reveal itself. Obsession with asian cultures, kung fu, japanese tea service, anime. Which is a BIT much for me. But he's 100% sweet. Like me, he's 100% poor. So we split the cost of things. He's terrible at math. Because it wound up with me paying $4 more than my share. But really? It's $4. I'm not going to make a big scene over it. (rather, just report it to my blog). We went to Union Square and he was all sweet. Kissed a little. Then walked me to my train... and waited for it to arrive before catching his own. Kiss score: D.

Let me break this down for any of you boys out there... Awesome kissing does NOT START with your mouth open. That's something you work UP to. Little kisses that get bigger. Not I'm going to eat your face like a sandwich.

Thursday: Date with Madison Square Garden Sports Journalist. Little asian guy. We've been talking for like... 2 months. Nice. Nervous. We went out toward Atlantic Avenue (see monopoly) and wandered around for another 1.5 hours. It was pretty late, like 1am, because he has odd working hours and I didn't feel like going to bed yet. So we wind up on the Brooklyn Promenade (romantic-y bay outlook area/park). And he tries to get all frisky. I'm okay with kissing. But anything else, ESPECIALLY on the first date, ESPECIALLY in public. Not so much. I physically had to remove his hands from me and say "I'm serious when I say stop it." So there's a little rape-y vibe happening there (good thing I've got 4 inches height and 130lbs on him). And he happens to be the absolute worst kisser I've ever experienced. I've never clinked teeth before. Or felt like my face was going to be chewed off...   or felt like I was kissing a drinking fountain. Not sexy. Overly aggressive in every way. Such a turn off.

Friday: Friend date, turned date with Record Store guy. I've been talking to him for 2 months or so as well. And we both sorta agreed that friends is a good place for us. That being said... I was going to go meet my new friend. I took a train 2 hours out of the city to hang out. I stayed over at his other friend's place. Record Store guy was so nice and funny and easy to spend time with... and again, we were pizza and movie-ing. But this time it was great. And we were doing just fine with the friend date... until he kissed me. And thank the up-aboves he did! FINALLY a good kisser. I was losing hope for NY. He drove me back to my place on Friday... and dropped me off at my door. I want to see him again. But I'm not sure I can with the distance.

Saturday: I become the queen of poops and dating stops for a little while. I had to cancel the second date with Israeli guy. But we rescheduled.

Big Fat Boys Are Confusing Love,
Nanette