I’ve been craving the sweet shit like WHOA!

There is absolutely nothing sweet in my kitchen, except for a bag of Splenda/Sugar mix…and I’m not THAT desperate for sweetness, nor am I desperate enough to walk to the store just to buy cookies.

So I guess forced willpower works too, right?  Hopefully the craving will pass before I try something desperate, like Splenda/Sugar mix sprinkled on brocolli… hmmmm…

So yeah, I didn’t quite make my 20 pound goal for December, which is an understatement.  I went a little crazy over the holidays, and gave in to friends wanting to eat out, family meals, Christmas cookies, etc…etc… But I didn’t realize I had gotten THAT off track.

I won’t be ending January at 280.2 though, that much is clear.

My goals for this month are to:

• Keep and maintain a food diary.
• Walk/run an average of 14 miles a week, and track it on dailymile.
• Do at least 2 hours on the elliptical a week (four 30 minute workouts).
• Do at least three strength training workouts a week.
• Eat the daily recommended value of fiber each day.
• Bulk up as many meals as I can with vegetables.
• Use my support system in moments of weakness, instead of hiding from them, whether it be the blog or twitter, or using my long dormant Sparkpeople account.

It’s a new year, a fresh start, and all that jazz.  Make it count.

Well…it’s dead…er, not so much dead…but not drivable…safely…

I’m still trying to deal with all of that mess, but in the meantime, I needed groceries.

The nearest grocery store is only a walkable mile away, but I needed quite a bit of stuff, and I didn’t know when my roommate was going to be around long enough to make a trip.

So I went to PeaPod!

I have known about grocery delivery services for awhile, but I always thought that there were going to be much more expensive, which didn’t sit well for me.  PeaPod runs through the same company as the grocery store I regularly go to through (Giant Food), and they had a lot of the same stuff, at a lot of the same prices, and they have the same specials that the grocery store has.  They didn’t have everything, the most glaring example being these $1 instant mashed potato packets I’ve fallen in love with, but that is one of few examples.

Anywho, I played around with the order yesterday.  You have to spend at least 60 bucks so I knew I had to get a big grocery order in (instead of usual small “get what I need”).  I spent quite a bit of time browsing, but it was still a lot less time than I would have spent if I was at the actual store.  I also ended up with a lot less impulse stuff (ie…junk).  Seeing the total add up as I went helped to check me in check when it came to the impulse buys, because usually once I throw it in the cart I don’t know what the total is until it’s already said and done.

The delivery fee was super cheap (about 8 bucks), and I got two bucks off of that because I picked a “Greener” delivery time.  I did leave a nice tip when the groceries were delivered, but he carried all the crap himself up three flights of stairs, so it’s all good.

And there we go.  I got milk, I got a TON of frozen vegetables, I got bread, I got cereal (Fiber One), I got frozen meals (Pizza, skillet meals, etc…), I got sides, I got Diet Coke, etc…etc… Life is sweet.  I didn’t order any produce besides salad mix bags, because between my roommate and I, we don’t get to fresh stuff fast enough for it to be any good.  I was hesitant to even buy milk and bread, but I’m freezing one of the loaves to help it last longer.  With that said though, alot of the reviews I’ve read say Peapod produce lasts longer, because it comes from a warehouse that is kept cooler.

So there ya have it.  If you’re in a time crunch, or without proper transporation, I’d say it’s something to look into, especially if you want to get a big shopping order out of the way.  Once you place your order you have until 6pm that day to toy with it, so if you need anything you still can.  If you use coupons (which I need to), you can give them to the driver and they will deduct them from your total.  You also don’t have to be home for the delivery, but you need to make sure you select an “unattended” delivery time though.  I think I’ll use them again, even when I do get another car, because it’s still a pretty big time saver.

And that’s all I got!  Do you use PeaPod, or any other grocery delivery services?

Holy Crap!

At the beginning of the month I stated that I am going to lose 20 pounds this month…come hell or high water…or something…

So how am I doing?

My weight on December 1st:  276.4lbs

My weight today (December 15th): 268.0lbs

I’ve lost 8.4lbs so far this month.  Nice, respectable number I think.  I would have loved to have at least 10 pounds by now, and I would have REALLY loved to have lost 12-15lbs, but I am on the right track.  I have a lot of other stuff going on, and I’m not starving myself, or spending 23 hours a day in the gym (there were a lot of days that only had a 30 minute elliptical workout).

I have the rest of the month, and I’m still confidant.  Sure Christmas is coming up (which I’m not ready for. At. All.) but I got this

WooT!

As I’m typing this, I’m finishing up a 13.5 hour work day.  I know its a little bit different, since I work from home, but to sit in front of the computer for over 13 hours…it can suck sometimes.  I did get in 30 minutes on the elliptical though, so WooT to that.

For the past few weeks I have basically been working morning to night.  I haven’t really been to the gym, but I have been getting in 30 minutes on the elliptical during my lunch break, and every so often throughout the day I’ll take some downtime to do crunches, or something with my dumbbells.

I also haven’t been ordering Dominos or running out to get McDonalds.

I’ve gotten off to a good start with the 20 pound goal, but I don’t want to state the progress just yet.  In the past, whenever I’ve posted my weigh in, I’ve used to rest of the day as a “free” day.  I think I have enough control to not do it now, but I don’t want to jinx myself.  You’ll get a weight next week though, when we’re halfway through the month .

In other news, I think I’m going to buy a car.  I’ve been wanting to for awhile.  I’ve been needing to also, because my van is on it’s deathbed.  I’d love to buy a new car, but I don’t think I’ll be able to afford it.  Not only would I have to worry about a car payment (which I don’t have now), but I’d also have to deal with the insurance increase, all of which goes on top of debt I am trying to pay off.  Boo!

I can manage it if I keep the price right, but it will definitely cut into the McDonalds budget (awww…shucks…).

Anywho, as far as used cars go, I’m looking at a 2006 Toyota Camry, and a 2008 Ford Fusion. 

I haven’t seen either in person yet, but the pictures look pretty   The Ford has lower mileage (48000 as opposed to 97000), and its black (which I like), but its also about $2500 more, so we’ll see… Assuming my financing pre approval goes through, I’m going to head down either one day this week or next week to see whats up.

And…that’s all I have.  Hope you’ve had a good day!