Dieting Diva!

Okay....so I have been having this horrific battle with a really nasty little 6 pounds for over a month now. I'm not talking about monthly bloating where the scale swings heavy for two or three days and then is back to normal. Things have definitely been sticking to the heavier side of the scale. No doubt about it. So I made sure that I was getting good workouts and lifting weights....still the scale is stuck and my shorts are tight. I got frustrated and picked up the Atkins diet again and lasted like a whole 2 days on it...I just CANNOT do that one. It makes me SOOOO unbelievably cranky. So then I just went back to the good old fashioned way of counting calories. I made it a point to write down every single bite and morsel that crossed these lips....every single one. And then after just a couple of days...guess what....results!!!! I am really into it now and it helps me SOOO much to see what my daily calories are at and to have to stop and think how a seemingly harmless "little" snack might impact my daily picture. Chris downloaded this really cool Calorie King calorie counter program for my computer. It gives you a two week trial period to use it for free...then if you keep it is costs you 30 bucks. It is an awesome program to be sure and I want to keep it forever. It has a huge bank of foods listed so all you have to do is click on them and add them to either your breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack list. Or, if a food you eat isn't on the list, it lets you add it and then it is there on your list for future reference. It keeps a chart for you of your weight and your measurements. It tallys your calories, takes into account your exercise (which you enter) and adjusts your calorie allowance accordingly. It also has a place to journal if you like to write about your eating and the feelings that go along with it. A really, really cool program. It is SUCH a help! I still have about 3 pounds to go and they are going to be tough ones I think. But I am VERY motivated and ready to be comfortable in my clothes. I DO NOT want to have to get into my jeans right now the way I am. I can get into them....but it ain't pretty....not to mention the fact that I really do need to be able to breathe in my jeans and right now that is not a realistic option! I do believe the summer has made me stagnant and bored. Too much time in the house...too much boredom. I confess....I find myself eating out of boredom. So.....I am very thankful for my calorie king counter which is keeping me SO in line right now and SO on target!

Not much else happening. We went to church today and our Sunday school class, or ABF as they call it here (adult bible fellowship)had everyone divide into "committees", so to speak. You went to the area that you were most interested in working with, whether that was social, or service, or teaching or connecting new members, etc. I went to connecting new members, mostly because I still am not feeling connected. I told them all about our Round Table class in Florida. Half of them were very interested and totally recognized the value of the circle and being connected with a stationary group for a period of time. Then others, mostly the ones that have been there for a long time and are connected to everyone...they did not like the idea of having to sit in an "assigned seat". Wouldn't ya know it....the very ones who need it the least just don't get it. They think that just being greeted at the door is sufficient....never mind that noone may speak to that couple at all once they get past that greeter. Of course...people here do things really differently than people in the south. Sometimes I miss southerners SOOO much. Not always and not even terribly often. But when it comes to dealing with making people feel welcome...there is no place like the south. I guess that's about it. So I have a couple of weeks to come up with some ideas about how we can improve the way or class helps newcomers get connected. I am hoping to get a bit more connected as well in the process. People really do seem friendly enough here...but it seems to run only so deep and there are many more cliques than I imagined. There were a few back in Pensacola as well....but it seems even more so here. Anyway...

After church we came home and had lunch, put Clara down for a nap....spent a little "quality adult time" and just hung out at home. Then this evening we headed to Target, where I finally bought the jog bra that we actually went out to buy yesterday, but instead came home with a new car...which, incidentally, I love! I have to say that after having a minivan for the past 9 years....I SO love the feel of the SUV. I felt like a regular hot mama! It's just an awesome feeling. After the Target trip we came home and grilled out, the kids swam, we all ate outside and enjoyed the evening, Then it was baths and stories and bed for all the wee ones. I am reading the new Harry Potter to the boys. They love it and are heart broken if we don't have reading time. School starts Thursday...HOORAY!!!! I guess that is all for now. My ear is itchy. Doesn't that mean something in superstition land? Hmmmm? Life is good here in the desert...darned good!