FMM: This or That

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

 

This or That? 

 

 

1.  Meat and potatoes or pasta?  meat and potatoes. I love all food but if I have to choose one or the other, I have to go with the way of meat and potatoes….must be the Irish in me!

2.  Do you prefer Apple or Android?  android. I have been burned by apple and iTunes more times than I care to remember so when I finally bought a smartphone it was an easy choice to go android.

3.  Do you kiss and tell, or do you keep it private? I guess I am sorta private except when I am chatting with my beastie! Ok, even then I am pretty private. I just think what happens between my and the husband should remain private. But then again, I brag about him as often as possible.

4. If you had to choose one, would you choose Facebook or Twitter? facebook. I used to be a twitter addict but lately, it is just too hard to keep up.  I prefer conversations and interactions. I find all that on facebook these days. Twitter just doesn’t do it for me!

5.  Christmas or Valentine’s Day?  Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I never liked Christmas as a kid. My parents divorced when I was very young and holidays pretty much sucked. When I became a mom, I decided to change things and when I met my Big Man we made Christmas our holiday. We start the holiday off with just our little tripod…coffee for the grown ups and presents for the kid. Then I heat up the brunch foods I have prepared in advance and wait for our moms to visit. I have food and drink spread out all day and I invite anyone to stop by anytime throughout the day or night. I love to entertain and feed my friends and family.

And seriously, Valentine’s Day was created by greeting card companies. I don’t need a holiday to tell my hubby I love him..I do that every day because I DO love him every day!!

6.  If you joined a band, would you prefer to do vocals or play an instrument? I played flute in middle and high school band. AND I sang in the choir. *secret* I always want to be a singer in a band. A bluegrass/folksy/country band.

7.  Hot weather or cold weather? HOT! I really dislike the cold weather!!! My ideal location would be somewhere sunny with temps ranging between 65 and 85. Tropical island, perchance?!?

8.  Calorie counting or tracking points? neither. I suck at tracking and I really hate it. When I track, I count calories. But really, I don’t track.

9.  Yoga or kickboxing? Both. I took a round of kickboxing classes a few years back and I do love it but these days yoga has my heart! I am enjoying the learning process and I already see a future for me and yoga. In fact, yoga is part of my secret dream.

10.  East Coast or West Coast? East Coast Baby! I have spent my entire life on the east coast…mostly sounthern New Jersey. It’s home. And if you talk to me for like five minutes you will know I am a jersey girl! I don’t think I will ever lose that east coast/ jersey girl attitude I have!

 

Now it’s your turn….this or that?!?

 

P.S. Thanks Kenlie!! I missed ya last week!! I have not participated nearly enough but last week I looked at least three times for your FMM post! I wanted to play! LOVE you girl!

Dear Scale,

After months and months of neglect I finally decided to pull you out of the cabinet and step on you. Oops, your batteries were dead and I could not use you.  It took a little over a week to get new batteries but I finally did it. I went grocery shopping on Sunday and purchased batteries (along with the staples) for you.

Oh Scale.
So simple and so complicated.

The act of buying batteries for you had me stressing out. Not because I would give you those batteries and you would tell me how much I weighed. Honestly, I know you will show me a higher number than the last time. My angst came from actually purchasing said batteries. I know, you’re thinking why would that caused angst?!? My budget is strapped so tight that if its not on the “lists” and its not absolutely necessary, it doesn’t get bought.
(I don’t see the budget problem being solved anytime soon, but this is a topic for another blog post.)

Oh scale.
How I used to dread stepping on you. How I used to hold you as the keeper of my good feelings. If you had a smaller number than the last time, then I must have been good. Larger number, was I bad?!? Once upon a time I did believe both of those statements.
Today (well, Monday), I opened that back of fully juiced up tiny AAA batteries, inserted them inside you, oh dear scale, and I stepped on. As your display box beamed blue dashes and you warmed up, I realized I didn’t feel dread or apprehension or really anything.
I don’t need your numbers to tell me I’ve gained weight. That’s a job for my jeans. I don’t need your numbers to tell me I’ve been eating too much junk and just too much period. And I don’t need your numbers to tell me I’ve been very lazy non-active.
I’m late to the party.
But I am learning that more than needing to lose weight, I need to simply take better care of myself. And to take care of myself I need to work on my physical and mental health. Part of this means acknowledging my weight and how its effecting my physical and mental health. Guess what, scale, none of this has to do with you.

Oh scale, you are simply a tool.

Like a hammer or a screw. I will use you for the job you were intended to do. The only job for you, scale, is to tell me the number of pounds I currently weigh. If I am being a good girl or not is none of your concern.

So Ms. Scale, you will be seeing more of me as I recommit to getting myself to a healthier place.

Love Always,

Jen

Dear Summer,

Dear Summer,

Oh summer, how you sucked.
OK. OK. You gave me some GREAT moments.
But Summer, you were a bitch for most of the time. I could go on and on and tell you all the ways you sucked but I really don’t want to rehash it all.
Cold days.
Rain for days and days.
Nice day….perfect for the beach….oh yeah, there were a few and I worked most of them.
Work…yeah, work was tough. Money is tight and a few bills/issues hit us very hard this summer. I was stressing and still am (especially because school is starting without a contract and the S word has been heard) but as I was chatting with a friend I had a huge a-ha sort of moment.
I was sort of jesting when I said “aaahhh, well, all we need is love…..right?!?” My friend is dealing with her own issues but she basically told me that they are OK with the money part but the love part is where they are struggling. I sat with this conversation for a long while. In fact, I’ve been sitting with this for days. My husband and I have been married for a little over 6 years and since almost the beginning our vows were tested.

Let’s just say, I’m glad summer is over and school is starting.

I am craving the routine that comes with school.

For most people the New Year starts on January 1, but for me (and probably most teachers) the new year coincides with the new school year. Most people set goals and intentions and whatnot with the new year or the new school year. And I have been thinking…I don’t need to set a new intention but I do need to REcommit to making me happy and healthy.

I am starting my 7th year teaching alternative high school and unfortunately this year we are starting without a contract. I will need to be more involved with the goings on in my union and I will need to be available for more meetings. My Q is starting high school next week and she has joined the school’s Color Guard. Q practices 2-3 nights a week for 3-5 hours at a clip. I am only required for driving to and from practices. Next week we add in friday night football games and competitions (or competition practice) most Saturdays.

Busy schedules and crazy stress are too often my excuses. Well, what was my excuse all summer?!? I did have a slight injury I was dealing with but I let that small injury take over my well being. I stopped taking care of myself. I let the stress and suckyness suck the joy from me. I felt like a blob. It was too hard to push myself beyond feeling sorry for myself. And anytime I attempted to pull myself out of this funk, I failed or felt like a failure and repeated the couch sitting and funk brewing. The weather seemed to coincide with my mood…this was the summer of sucky weather. Another excuse to stay in the house in my funk.

It wasn’t pretty.

I was quite pathetic.

I felt quite pathetic.

Truth, I still sort of do.

But I am putting one front of the other and taking baby steps back to healthy and happy living.

Yesterday, was the first step. I tracked everything I ate….not so much to see how many calories I was eating but the act of tracking helps me slow down and think about what I am eating. I hate tracking but I know I need it right now. I need to see what I am feeding my body and I need to see/know how my body reacts. I am still fighting my gremlin (stomach issue, I am seeing a gastro doc for this issue but its already been a LONG process to try and figure out what is wrong…this is a whole other post) and I think a food log might help my doc help me.

Not only did I track, I stopped to make the best choices. I needed to be at our high school (the district I work in has 11 schools) at 7am for union duties. I packed a cooler with breakfast and lunch so I would have good choices. Thank goodness I did! The only thing offered at our meeting was bagels or sweet scones….and none of them were bakery fresh. Bakery fresh I would have gone for but grocery store bagels just don’t do it for me!

I also put my pedometer back on my persons yesterday! I logged about 6800 steps. I call my pedometer Pedro because my cell phone auto-corrects pedo to Pedro and I got tired of fixing it and decided the little guy needed a name! I keep Pedro in my bra and he counts steps and I don’t have to do anything. Pedro is a simple Omron pedometer not a fancy fitbit and I realize right now, I am glad I kept this old school. Yesterday’s step count is just from running all over school getting ready….and I had to sit in 3 hours of meetings….not bad for day 1! Today should be even better.

I will be adding in exercise. I haven’t been very consistent with anything. I want to make yoga a very important part of my daily life. Lately, I stop and stretch (or, if you like, pop into a yoga pose) all the time but I haven’t done much in the way of an actual daily practice. I will get back to that because its important and it makes me feel so good!! I will also schedule walks into my week. Right now, I don’t want to schedule myself some crazy workout plan I will not stick with but rather one I can build and grow naturally. My body likes movement…I need to remind myself this every day!

Summer is officially over for me!

In a few hours I will be back in my classroom and my students will walk in for their day one!

As much as I usually love summer, this summer can suck it!

I am craving a routine. I am craving healthy habits.

Bring on School! Bring on Fall!

xoxo,

Jen