I have a roommate and she's quite the slob.
She doesn't own a car or even have a job.

She doesn't split the bills or pay a dime of rent.
When she wants new things, it's my money that gets spent.

Flushing the toilet is a courtesy that she often lacks.
Rarely does she respect my privacy or allow me to relax.

Everywhere I go. . . she typically goes with me.
With her; time to myself is truly a rarety.

I, alone, do the cleaning, the cooking, and the laundry
So, how is it that I find myself in this quandary?

I have a roomate, and I'd never choose another
Because she is my daughter and I am her mother.

Happy St. Pat's Day!

I'm in my skinny pants today!!! I haven't been in them for over a year now, and it feels great to be wearing them and they're not the least bit snug. Yay Me!

My legs are killing me from an intense workout on Wednesday and my upper body is a little sore from last night's workout.

I had a revelation yesterday. . . I drink on average 10-12 POUNDS of water per day. That's a lot of liquid running through my body. YES, to answer your curiosity, I'm in the bathroom all the time. . . about twice every hour, sometimes three times.

If you're not wearing green today, consider yourself pinched by me :)

I love Cheat Day!

After three weeks of sheer discipline, I've adopted a new, stricter nutritional plan, but I've also implemented a single cheat day each week. I enjoyed Cheat Day this past Saturday. What a sweet concept.

I have a friend who is a Personal Trainer and she wrote my program for me and told me that I need a cheat day. Not for my sanity, but for my success toward my physical goals. She said that cheat day, shocks your body and in response to the unexpected increase in calories, your body will be "jump started" and will work extra hard again. Considering the nutritional plan she put me on, I needed a cheat day each week for my own sanity too :)

Here's my daily meals. . .

Breakfast - 4 egg whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal w/ cinnamon & Splenda
Snack - Q-Smart bar (that was my idea, and she was kind enough to allow it)
Lunch - 6 oz. chicken (or lean fish) (no marinades or sauces), 1/2 cup brown rice
Snack - 4 egg whites, with oatmeal, rice, or apple with natural p-butter
Dinner - 6 oz. chicken (or lean fish) and lettuce
Post Workout - Protein shake (made with water!) - This is not my favorite!!!

The right veggies are allowed in there too. . . no carrots, corn, etc. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? Believe it or not, it's been really easy to stick with and I've not had the cravings and temptations that I thought I would. Knowing that I am allowed and encouraged to have a cheat day each week, helps keep it all in balance for me. Plus the fact that my clothes are getting very loose is helping keep me focused and motivated.

I tried on my bathing suit this morning, and I'm ALMOST ready to wear it in public. That was a good feeling. A few more weeks, and I'm confident that I'll be ready for the pool, lake, beach. . . you name it.

One more note on health, fitness, and body image. . . Yesterday Madison mentioned to me that her school now has fat free milk in the cafeteria. I was surprised by this conversation as I do not discuss body image around her at all. I stress making healthy choices, but never give her a reason to think of healthy with a fat/non-fat perception. This morning, we stopped by the grocery store to buy her breakfast (a doughnut nonetheless) and I asked if she wanted regular, strawberry, or chocolate milk. She said she'd like regular and then asked if it was fat free. I told her it was not fat free, but they had fat free chocolate milk, which is what she decided to pick. I just found it funny that she is conscious of those choices/decisions. I wish I was made conscious of those decisions at an earlier age to the extent that she is. . . Conscious, but not obsessed.

Enough Said!

I took this picture somewhere in Indiana this weekend on my way back home from an impromptu snow skiing trip.