I'm Back

I took a true vacation from work at the end of the year. I was off from the 21st of December until today. I decided not to touch my computer because if I did, I would most likely log onto my work e-mails and read them. So this is the first day I have been on a computer in nearly two weeks. My time off was wonderful, but busy. I managed to not gain any weight, and to keep up with my regular cardio work out at the gym. I missed a couple of days, maybe three due to holidays. I had time with family and some really nice time with my new man friend. My weight stayed around 158-159 but hopped up once in a while. I still weigh every day just to check in and stay in reality. Today is the weight watcher weigh in. I feel I am up a bit due to some swelling/water retention from my high sodium new year's dinner. I made a really nice pork tenderloin, but used bacon in my green beans and baked beans. After all, it was a holiday meal, so I splurged with some fat. The beans were quite yummy. I never have bacon in the house and regard it as pure evil as food goes. I use turkey bacon if I have bacon. But like I said it was New Years and I splurged. Just feel a bit swelly in the feet. Have been enjoying the leftovers.

The cardio is still amazing. I did an hour yesterday. Also, sometime in the past few weeks or so I bought size 8 jeans - a new thing for me. And I also tried a size 8 skirt on and had the surreal experience of it being a tad loose in the waist. These things don't happen to me. I still wear a comfortable ten in pants, also. It just depends on the pants. I feel the cardio helping take my size down. Most days I don't feel like going down much more than another 5-10 pounds. I have decided to work on toning up, and getting closer to 150, and then see how I feel. A friend gave me a beginner yoga video and I am looking forward to checking it out. I feel like I can actually do it now. Also, I picked up a size S top on a clearance rack and it fit, snug but in a good way. Size S does not happen for me. I mostly wear an L and now at times an M. So these are surreal experiences attributed to size variances and a slightly shrinking body. I really loved the cut of that size S so I was determined to force it on my body. Since it was stretchy, it worked out surprisingly well.

I do a year end review every year. Tallying up the year's events, looking at progress and projecting areas for growth in the upcoming year. I have already identified that this year I want to improve my housekeeping and organization. I also want to cook more and have people over to eat. I had Manfriend over for Christmas Eve and New Year's dinner and it was nice. Would like to start including others. I have a brisket to cook with cabbage on Saturday and will see who I can entice over to eat it. Sharing the food means less for me, right? And having people over and feeding them gives me joy.

I feel refreshed and ready to take on my job and the new year. I feel overwhelmed with gratitude for my life and the people in it. Never a day goes by anymore that I cannot find something amazing about life. Something to rejoice about. Maybe it is because of what I have been through in my life and the challenges I still face. I went to church with Manfriend on Christmas Eve. My daughter went with us. I had not been to church in a long time. We just went to the church close to my house for the 11 pm service. Then on this past Sunday I went with him to his church. I think that of all the churches I have been to in my quest for a church, his is the one where I felt the most at ease and the most sense of belonging. More will be revealed on that. I hope to go back again this Sunday.

I will be working on my year end review this month and will share any wisdom I gain from it. One thing I already know is how grateful I am for all the wonderful support and friendship I have found here in the blogs. So thanks everybody. I missed you when I was off! And thanks for all of the awesome support and friendship!!!

PS - a word about Manfriend. Saw him in a tank top and sweats one day when I stopped by and became completely intimidated. I had no idea how big and muscular he was. It kinda freaked me out. I knew he was a powerlifter (used to compete) /body builder /trainer from way back but never really focused on his physique. Yikes. I feel like mush compared to him. When we talk about working out - which is not often - I just tell him I'm a girl and all I really want is some soft definition. I certainly don't want to look like him but I can appreciate that he knows what he is doing. The only suggestion he ever made to me was to do cardio only for 6-8 weeks before I got on the weights again after my car accident. Something about building strength and endurance. I find myself wondering what Mr. muscle man is doing with Ms. mush but I avoid that type of thinking today. Must be my personality, right?