Day 1: Happy Hanukkah

Actually the title is misleading because this post is about the first day of my 30-day weight loss goal and has nothing to do with today’s occasion. Really! But Happy Hanukkah anyway.

Today’s post is all about me. (Of course all or most of my posts were/are about me!)

I woke up with a positive attitude (literaly with a smile) and ate a strawberry banana yogurt. I skipped coffee. Fried rice and hot dogs and scrambled eggs. I skipped coffee too. I told myself it’s going to be a great day. Then I headed to a car dealer for scheduled car maintenance and everything went down the hill.

The rest of my day went like this:

·         Service agent told me to wait inside while my car was being serviced for basic tune up. Should take about 30-minutes and they will provide recommendations and concerns if any. I said sure. He said they have a variety of bagels and cakes and hot coffee. I said I’m fine and thanked him. So I went inside the waiting room and of course as I had expected there were free breakfast foods and I meant delicious looking cakes in different flavors. I also smelled coffee and quickly walked the other way. Black coffee would have been fine but I had this problem of putting too much creamier and sugar that I’d rather not have the coffee at all.

·         I sat on a chair in an empty row with the wall right behind me. Then a woman with a kid sat right next to me. The kid must have been about 4-years old.  He was eating a chocolate. My kind of chocolate. The most favorite chocolate in my life. I resisted the temptation and watched TV. The morning news highlighted the looming fiscal cliff of 2013 and how it can shrink our paychecks. Half-way through it I headed back closer to the entrance door. Closer to the breakfast foods. I could really smell the aroma of a coffee wafting through the air.

·         Then service agent called my name and asked me to step outside. He was all that professional and nice I had to give him my sweetest smile. We performed the basic service, which cost $54.95, he said. I knew that as advertised on their website. I kept my smile glued on my face. We noticed the drive belt needed replacement, he said. I peeked on the paper he was holding and spotted the amount of $200.68. I swallowed a little and had to blink twice, but I was still smiling. We also noticed the oil pan gasket leaking and needed to reseal the gasket, he said. I dared not looked at the paper again. We also recommend the 4x4 service, he added.  What’s that mean? I asked. I noted in my head how pathetic I may have sounded after hearing the voice of a boy for so many times, asking “What’s that mean?” at the ad at the end of every episode of Fox’s TV show “Bones”. So anyway he explained what the service was about and I politely declined and he said he can postpone it until the next maintenance. Sure, I said while the smile completely vanished from my face after he told me the total amount of about $600 something. It’ll take another two hours, he said and reminded me of the free breakfast inside. Or maybe I just made that up, I didn’t know anymore because at that time I made up my mind of trying out the cakes.

·         This time I went straight to get a cup of coffee with lots and lots of creamier and lots and lots of sugar. Then I plunged toward the serving table, took a plate, and forked a piece of cake and a muffin. It was like a fiesta after all in an early Saturday morning.

·         I came home with little dignity as I shambled my first day of going easy on foods and focusing on self-control.

·         For lunch, I had a bowl of “pancit bihon” (Asian noodles) garnished with shrimps and different kinds of vegetables and strips of chicken. My mother made it the day before and I couldn’t resist the temptation.

·         I was so disappointed in how my day went by so I took vengeance and made a real nice green smoothie (apple, banana, baby spinach, and Olivia’s organic spring mix in a container).

So there, I ended the day with a big bang! Moving on to tomorrow…

Day 0: Back with a goal

I used to wear petite clothes and size 0 pants. I've tried with size 2 jeans and had to use a belt. I was never comfortable wearing belts. I hated the feeling of a belt wrapped around my waist. I was malnourished in front of my coworkers. Embarrassed and concerned, I made sure to eat plenty of foods. Twelve years later I gained about 35 lbs. and had to switch to larger sizes of clothing.  I became addicted to Starbucks drinks and junk foods and sweets and everything else available for me to eat. The mirror and photos of me were my enemies. I struggled to avoid the temptations many times and failed. Then my friend asked me to be the maid of honor of her wedding this coming January. Maid of honor. Less than 2-months from now. Maid-of-honor wearing God knows what. Yey!

The Goal: I came back to the Blogosphere with a goal in mind and that is to lose at least ten lbs. for the next 30 days and blog about it.

The Plan: Starting tomorrow I plan to control the foods I eat. It will not be a serious diet following serious instructions, but more toward building self-control and setting priorities to start a healthy and a better life.

The Back-up: Nothing

Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb

In the latest from the #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon, Eve Dallas tracks down those who break the law-including the ones sworn to uphold it.

Detective Eve Dallas and her partner, Peabody, are following up on a senseless crime-an elderly grocery owner killed by three stoned punks for nothing more than kicks and snacks. This is Peabody's first case as primary detective-good thing she learned from the master.

But Peabody soon stumbles upon a trickier situation. After a hard workout, she's all alone in the locker room when the gym door clatters open; and-while hiding inside a shower stall trying not to make a sound-she overhears two fellow officers, Garnet and Oberman, arguing. It doesn't take long to realize they're both crooked-guilty not just of corruption but of murder. Now Peabody, Eve, and Eve's husband, Roarke, are trying to get the hard evidence they need to bring the dirty cops down-knowing all the while that the two are willing to kill to keep their secret. [SOURCE]

Robb's latest book in the In Death series did not dissappoint me. I was hooked from the beginning even if I already knew the guilty party. I was curious on how Eve and her team would stop the bad guys. Peabody made me proud for doing the right thing and Eve for backing her up. The story focused more on Police procedural and less on the relationship between Eve and Roarke, but remained a captivating one. I can't wait for the next book.

1/2

A view from Verona Park (Essex County)

Ditching the thought of coffee and bagel I headed for a run. At 7 in the morning the sun was beaming right in front of my face. Runners and hikers alike, dog walkers, two grannies like love birds probably in their 70's, some kids with their parents, and few lonely hearts all mingled around the Verona park. I particularly enjoyed the serenity brought by the muted lake slightly populated by geese and birds. I ran a little and gulped some air, pushed my way to the top of the curve, around the lake and in to the tree-shaded area. I felt the morning breeze brushing against my damp skin as I trudged back to where I started.

It was an ideal Saturday morning after all.