As usual! It's been a while since I updated so here's the scoop!

WLJ is still in affect and now more than ever! A few weeks ago I recommitted myself (how many times is this now?) and have seen great results so far - proving if you really work the program - it really works. A month ago I was maintaining around 153/154 now I'm hovering somewhere around 150 and hoping to see the big 149 OR LESS on Monday when I weigh in! Today I scale peeked and was at 149.8 and was so elated it gave me such a boost for the whole morning and kept me on track for the menu I had planned (instead of grabbing a ham and cheese croissant which is oh-so-tempting at Au Bon Pain in the ferry terminal).

In other news October is almost over - already! This is disappointing since it's pretty much my favorite month. Warrior Dash was on the 10th and I had a blast! While my training for it didn't go exactly as I planned (surprise surprise) I was still able to finish in under an hour - which pleases me even though most people in our group finished in like 30-40 minutes. Dan, who eventually signed up insisted from the beginning, that he didn't need to train and "running is easy" didn't do quite as well as HE hoped. I ended up catching up to him and our friend Ryan about 1/4 the way through the race and we stuck together the rest of the way which was kinda nice. The pictures from that day rule! What pleased me most though was that our entire group (about 15 people) ALL had a FANTASTIC time and everyone immediately agreed to doing it again next year! So June 2011 Warrior Dash - here we come!

I feel really good and finally like everything is on track - I finally finished putting all the pieces together and started my Etsy cookie shop - AND I got my first order on Monday so I've been spending the entire week baking, icing and packaging. Dan is, definitely, annoyed that the kitchen countertop hasn't been visible in weeks - what with all the baking pans and cooling racks and icing spills. But I'm sure the happier spirited girlfriend is well worth the mess :). Dan and I take vacation next week and I'm very excited.

Etsy HighScoreSweets

The whole week is going to be full of exercising, costume making and pumpkin carving - can't wait!!

Till then!

Lots to update!! = )

So I dropped the ball...= (
In more ways than one!
I did NOT meet goal before going to Mexico and have NOT updated this in forever!

However, NOW I am checking in and back OP.
First things first -- Mexico was AWESOME!! I had such a blast and decided to simply not let the fact that I did not hit goal effect my vacation and get me down. Plus we got 5 nights free to go back within the next year and decided our next trip there will be during the winter right after the new year -- so now I have something to work for again since my birthday is around that time too = )

Next up, I am happy to report that just because my vacation has come and gone does NOT mean I have given up my WW goals. In fact, once I got back (and found out I only gained .6 pounds on vacation - isn't that impossible?!) I amped up my efforts and have started losing again. I bought a new heart rate monitor which I am jumping at the bit to use (first time today!) and decided to do a 5K to get myself motivated for something.

One of the girls on the WW Message Boards (thanks again, Jerzey@Heart!) posted a link up for something called the Warrior Dash! Something that I am not SUPER PUMPED about and recruited about 8 of my friends for. It is basically a standard 5K BUT with obstacles along the way, like jogging up hills, through the woods, climbing through mud under barbed wire and climbing up cargo nets. I am totally jazzed and am starting my Couch to 5K program tonight since I only have EXACTLY 9 weeks to get prepped! ::fingers crossed:: Even if I don't "win" I am still excited to participate and train and while I couldn't get the boy to register and run with me, he is going to be there with bells on (and beers in hand) to cheer me on as I crawl through mud, jump over burning logs and cross the finish line! = )

Can you tell I'm excited?

Last note -- on a not really WW related front, I started a project within the past week I have been eager too for a while and am happy to report that it is starting to stand on its (very) baby legs! I have been wanting to start an etsy shop dedicated to cookies for parties and such and made my first real batch for my nephews christening - and I think they came out pretty adorable = ).
I will be putting pictures up on my etsy shop today and start pricing things so check it out and check back often for more stuff since it is DEF a work in progress (and HARD work to make all the cookies without eating the finished results!!). Plus if you know anyone who needs something like this -- hook a sister up and let them know = )

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HighScoreSweets?ga_search_query=high+score+sweets&ga_search_type=seller_usernames

(It's called high score sweets because eventually most of the merch will be video game/geek culture based...but teddy bears, rocking horses and baby onesies never hurt anybody!)

Self Sabotage

So its been a while since I updated here and in all that time I don't even have good news to share regarding my WLJ! I am totally sabotaging myself!! But the time is nigh to kick my ass gear since Mexico trip approaches more quickly every day. I really need to limit myself to the points I have and exercise everyday but I notice that not only am I eating "junkier" food lately but, also, a lot of it - old habits die hard, huh?

Also, I find myself feeling so stressed out everyday and I am sure that has something to do with it. I constantly feel like I am forgetting to do something (or actually am forgetting to do something) and walk around with this feeling of anxiety. Like right now. It is 6:23. I woke up at 5:30 with the TV and lights all on, and my boyfriend sleeping on the couch with the living room in the same disarray - I got up to shut everything, started worrying about flowers for Mother's Day and couldn't go back to sleep until I found a florist near my Mom's house who would take an order the day of Mother's Day without raping me on surcharges. BTW, FTD sucks and is super overpriced.

One thing of note to mention, which I can only imagine might make my WLJ more difficult is that I recently decided to start a little Etsy shop of baked goods. Specifically, I am interested in making geek culture sugar cookie designs and decorating them. It sounds kinda lame to be like "cookies, yea" but when I looked online for buying it seemed to be a niche I could fit into. I understand the culture and have read so many blogs about decorating tips, techniques, etc I think I could host my own cookie decorating seminar. Of course, putting those techniques into practice is really the key part so tomorrow I go to work baking up a storm and taking a picture of my delicious (hopefully) successes.

Alright, time to try to go back to sleep - or at least zone out watching Law and Order:SVU.

More Crunches!!

Today’s a double post since I hadn’t posted in a while. So the decision was made: this year’s vacation is to MEXICO. We’re scoping out All-Inclusive resorts and comparing the amenities but that means one thing to me – my work starts NOW.

I joined a (more expensive) gym so that I would actually feel bad if I didn’t go and have actually started to understand what people see in this whole thing. After hiring a personal trainer, who has been kicking my butt and going about 4-5 times a week, I feel very accomplished at my unusual “stick-to-it-ivness”. I bought a whole new workout wardrobe too so I actually feel good when I go and realized I like strength training a whole lot more than I thought I would.

So far so good! Now all I need to know is when I start seeing the results. = )

Less Cupcakes??

So despite this blog being about LESS cupcakes, everyone at my job is obsessed with this cupcake shop, Sweet Avenue. I have to admit, I can’t always resist. Their cupcakes are vegan so I tend to think that they are probably a little less fattening than regular cupcakes but who knows! Unless I have the nutritional info I can’t really get down to the bottom of this.

Meanwhile, I will have to keep OCCASIONALLY indulging.

Geeks Get Fit

Growing up with 4 brothers was like video game city and when I met my boyfriend he was, also, an addict (in fact while I write this he is sitting on the couch next to me playing Dead Space for XBOX 360.) He’s had just about every system and since we’ve been dating I’ve gotten to benefit, the casual gamer that I am. Mostly I spend my time doing the Zelda, Grand Theft Auto, Mario thing and when Nintendo came out with the Wii fit, I wasn’t particularly interested. We had the Wii, and loved it and Wii sports was awesome (especially the bowling) but I just couldn’t see a video game giving you a good workout.

I do not look like these people...yet.

Recently though, the EA sports active game has been popping up everywhere, with the release of the second game “More Workouts” it seemed the general consensus is that it is a pretty awesome workout and actually works! When I did a little more digging and realized I didn’t need the Wii balance board to participate I ordered it and all the accoutrements excited to test out another “fun” workout I could potentially stick to.

Day One (Thursday) was spent setting up my profile and taking all the fitness questionnaires but I was really interested in starting the 6 week challenge (the main feature of the game). I chose my day to day activity level as the least active since I have an office job…kinda. The workout took about 20 minutes and while I got a little sweat going I felt like it was partially from frustration of trying to get my avatar to respond and switching between all the different positions you have to hold the Wii-mote in for different workouts. I finished workout feeling that it might be a good supplement to working out but that on my “rest” days I would go to the gym to run or to yoga class, etc.

My living room is also not this clean...ever.

I’ll be honest though – Day Two kicked my butt! Only 16 minutes total workout time but between crunch and punches and crossover lunges I really felt like I was getting somewhere! I finally figured out the key to getting my avatars to respond accurately, I mastered pacing so that my “personal trainer”’ wasn’t constant scolding me and spent the rest of the day achy walking up and down stairs at work and in the subways. After the insistence of my friend Rich who yelled incessantly “Rest on your rest days!” I took yesterday and today off (I probably could have snuck a yoga class in today but spent my entire day doing about a months worth of backed up laundry…wait - do I get activity points for that? = D) and am a bit excited to wake up tomorrow and start my day off with my next session.

So stay tuned for periodic updates about the trials and tribulations of the 6 week challenge as I will be using the blog to keep myself on point! And if you wanna partake you can order your own “More Workouts” here: http://tinyurl.com/yaovxme

My Forays into the Unknown

Since I started my WLJ in August I have never really hit the gym. I am notorious for starting something and then dropping it within a few days. I downloaded the C25K app onto my phone - then ran twice. Downloaded and printed all the info I needed for the "100 pushups" program - and never even started! I even bought a 10 class card at my local yoga center (Over 100 dollars!) - and only went a handful of times...my lonely card is still sitting there in the filing cabinet unstamped. = (

So for my 2010 resolution I am all about sticking with it! Finding workouts that interest me and doing them, consistently, because I don't care how many cupcakes I pass up, my tummy needs toning.

My first thought was to check out the Jukari Fit to Fly class - a half trapeze half cardio class that was featured in multiple mags "Best of 2009 fitness" features but it seems there are so many strings attached! Of course with a class that seems that fun it is only available to celebs or those willing to pay hand over fist for it. With help from some fellow WWers we found the class is available at Equinox on 19th street over by Union Square, but you need to have a membership to partake. I'm in the works of getting a guest pass deal going on, but had to start looking elsewhere for a fun, similar workout when I remembered seeing an ad for a similar style class meshed with yoga - so I went on the hunt.

Meet AntiGravity Yoga!

I found AntiGravity Yoga at a studio on 37th street and decided to check it out last Tuesday. Since I am not even a ProGravity (?) Yoga expert I decided to go to the Restorative (read "gentle") class to keep it pretty light, the last thing I wanted was to go to a packed class and be the silly beginner who falls backwards out of the hammock. The website boasted that the classes fill up quickly so I was happy that I could probably grab a hammock in the back of the class and follow along with the group but when I got to the studio I was half mortified to find out that I was one of only TWO students for the class! My plan to hide and follow was thwarted! The Instructor, Emilia, spotted me for a newbie immediately and was very helpful and patient in getting me acclimated to the hammock, which is initially more scary than it seems!

This picture above is more what their regular classes are like, the gentle was a bit of elevated hammock work and then lowering the hammock down to assist with floor work, like elevating the hips in bridge pose, etc. Then more elevated work where we flipped upside down and dangled, like in a playground = ). By the end of the class I didn't feel like I had gotten an intense workout, more like gentle stretching and meditation. However, Emilia mentioned that the night classes really get a sweat going (which I can totally imagine, as regular Yoga does and this would probably kick my ass). I left feeling good, albeit a little down about my physique but it only inspired me to keep working at it ( so one day I might have the hot "yoga bods" like Emilia and the other girl in the class.)

I think perhaps I'll check out a night class where I feel like I'll probably get more of a bang for my buck but it ended up being nice to get the personal attention, which I probably needed. = )

In case you want to check out an AntiGravity Yoga class here's the link for where I went:

www.OMFactory.com

My First Post!

Hi All!

So after months of dragging my feet, and an entire day spent trying to think up clever names, here is my blog. It's mostly about trying to eat healthier, kick my ass to the gym and enjoy doing both.
I live in New York City and work as a Photographer and woke up one day with about 30 extra pounds of pudge. Now, however, I am 4 months into the Weight Watchers program, constantly gaining inspiration from their many members and finally shedding some of this stubborn weight! I love to cook, which makes it slightly easier to modify my "diet" but also love mashed potatoes and ice cream...so its definitely a challenge. I am hoping, like most weight loss bloggers to use this forum as a method of sharing my day to day journey and keep myself accountable mostly with my weekly workout goals as ever since I started this new life, I still am way to lazy to gym it everyday.
So tune in -- as I hope to update at some point daily!

Oh and here, for your viewing pleasure, is a picture of me so you know all about what I look like = D

Picture of me from college, by Evan Mann