Day 29: I'm on top of the world!

If you've read my posts in the past couple of days, you'll know I was buried under a mountain of math homework and desperately cramming for a math test that I just knew I was going to fail. I'd procrastinated on studying and just wasn't getting some of the concepts. In the end, I had to make the tough decision to skip one biology lecture (I get four absences and so far had perfect attendance) right before my test so I could cram rather than sit in a three-hour lecture and work myself into a panic. 

I'm not usually one to toot my own horn, but this time, I can't help it. TOOT TOOT! I got a freaking 99% on the test! And the one part I got wrong...I didn't so much get it wrong as there were three solutions to the problem and I only listed two, so partial credit. 

According to Shane, he knew I was going to do great even before I took the test. I'm thankful he has so much faith in me, even at times when I don't. 

Not to jinx us, so knock on wood (unless that makes it a double un-jinx)...but I feel like things are going really well for us lately. Not only did I do pretty gosh-darn awesome on that test, but I also figured out some computer science projects that were really giving me trouble. Shane and I are in a good place with our diet, our exercise routine is challenging and fun, plus we've started a 30 day yoga series which is cool. It just seems like we're on a roll, and I like it. Even our two doggies seem extra happy and perky. 

Don't get me wrong, any day our little family spends together is always awesome. But it seems like our days have been extra awesome lately. I don't know if it's because it's springtime, when everything is green and sunshine-y and full of optimism and new little baby chickens and ducks and bunnies. But if so, I hope it will stay springtime forever. 

Day 28: Wednesday weigh in (on a Thursday)

To see all past weigh ins, click here. To see my whole weight loss journey, click here.

I laid in bed last night, not able to sleep, knowing that I was missing something important. This morning I realized I had completely forgotten my weigh in post! Oh well, here we are now. 

There's not too much to update you on because we're still on the same routine and doing the same thing every day. It can get boring sometimes, but at least this particular plan is only four weeks, and we're halfway through. Let's see how it's affecting our weight...

My progress: I have maintained since last weigh in for a total of 44lbs lost.

I'm now at 182lbs.

Shane's progress: He has lost 2lbs since last weigh in for a total of 45lbs lost.

He's at 264lbs.

I'm not too disappointed by my lack of progress this week, just because I feel like I've been losing and gaining the same 5lbs for months and months. I am still really proud of Shane, because he's the one keeping us motivated, especially with the meal prep. I feel like our motivation goes in waves...he's strong and motivated to cook when I'm weak, and I'm able to keep him running laps when he's getting a little tired. It's when our laziness syncs up that we're in trouble!

Bonus: here's a shot of us enjoying a post-workout protein shake on our back porch yesterday. I'm so excited that the weather is getting nice and we'll be able to relax outside regularly :) 

Day 27: HOMEWORK...it never ends!

Today's post is going to be really short since I've just finished the massive amount of math homework I've been working on for two days straight and I need to go to SLEEP! 

I don't mean to procrastinate and put off homework, it's just that spending weekends with Shane instead of studying is just so much more fun and relaxing. 

As I mentioned in my last "going back to college" post, even when I don't put off homework, sometimes it seems like I could spend several hours each night on assignments. I guess that makes sense, because for every one credit hour of classes you're taking, you're supposed to spend 2-3 hours studying each week. I'm taking 11 credits, so that's 22-33 hours of study/homework time each week. Did I mention that I'm a perfectionist? So if I get a question wrong on the online math homework, I keep clicking "similar question" until I get it right so I can get 100%. Yeah, it can take forever. Don't even get me started on my sometimes tricky computer programming assignments, or my biology study guides. 

I don't think I've studied this much or put this much work into school EVER. The most I can remember working was elementary school, when it seemed like we'd be sent home with piles of packets and the occasional mystery picture (aka busy work). I remember once, 5th grade maybe, when my backpack was so heavy with school books that I literally toppled over backwards while sliding the door closed on my mom's van as she dropped me off at school. I laid there, scraped up from the gravel driveway and kicking like a turtle flipped on it's shell, waiting for my mom to come pick me up off the ground. As it so happened, she was still in her pajamas that day. 

It's amazing how much you forget when you go through the class saying "when will I EVER use this?" I have forgotten a lot of basic algebra and geometry concepts that would make my time in precalculus and beyond so much easier. Now that I'm seeing more of the possible applications, I'm hoping the knowledge will stick around a little longer this time. 

I may never 'get' math perfectly, but hey, Google won't judge me for how many times I have to search for stuff like "how to divide fractions", and for that I'm thankful. Even if most of the sites that come up are obviously for young children. That just means they explain it better, and likely with pictures. 

Day 26: National Puppy Day!

Howdy folks, Shane here filling in for the great and wonderful Lauren while she studies for her math test.

National Puppy Day was today and it certainly was a beautiful day! To celebrate I'm going throw up a few of my favorite pictures of our babies Charlie and Sheldon.

Aww look at that beautiful family portrait. Charlie and Sheldon forgot their ugly sweaters but I think they look super cute!

Here we see a Sheldon in the wild worn out from a long day of barking at unknown beings outside the walls of our fortress.

In case you didn't know a maltese can turn into a shoulder mounted defense systems in case of attack from the above unknown beings. 

 When Charlie's nerves are shot from a long day of being defended by Sheldon from unknown beings he likes to snuggle down into a nice electric blanket.

Charlie also does well on the shoulders but he is more of a fashion accessory, than a defense system.

We love our pups and everything they have to offer as man's best friend. I hope you all had a great National Puppy Day, let us know how your day went, did you do anything fun with your puppies?  

Day 25: Shopping spree!

Today Shane and I went to Lowe's to pick up supplies for several projects around the house. We've got a lot to catch up on now that it's warm enough to work outside comfortably. I noticed some peeling paint around the back door today and we've still not stained our new decks yet. We've still got to wait until dryer weather for that one, but we can at least get started on some other items on our list! Like new shutters (ours are wooden and rotted), new front porch lights, plants for the front yard, and raised vegetable beds for the back yard. 

Don't listen when people tell you that you need a truck to haul stuff. We've proven time and again that a VW Golf will do just fine ;)

It was supposed to rain this afternoon, plus a friend borrowed our drill, so replacing our lights was as far as we got. Here's the before shot:

Our front porch lights were a dark brown / bronze color when we moved in, but since then they'd faded to light brown. They weren't our style anyways, but now that the paint looked so terrible, we decided it was time to find them a nice new home on Craigslist. 

The new black front porch fixtures will match our new black shutters, and they're a much more classic style than the old ones. On the right is our old garage light and new one. Our house needed some more night lighting, so this one will do just the trick.

Cross your fingers that the weather stays nice and we'll be able to work on some of our other projects soon!

Day 24: We're cheaters

Today Shane and I woke up early and hit the gym for our core and circuit day. It was pretty tough and I'm proud of us for making it through. Here's what we did:

10 pushups

20 kettlebell swings

30 situps

40 squat jumps

50 jump ropes

And do the whole thing 5 times through!

The whole routine took us about an hour with lots of water and breath-catching breaks. Once we were done, an older lady who was walking the track told us that we inspired her to keep going. She said she normally gets tired and wants to quit, but if we could be doing all the crazy stuff we were doing, then she should surely keep walking! That was nice to hear and I'm glad we were able to help motivate someone else. 

We had our own motivation to make it through five rounds, and that was the cheat meal we were going to eat after the gym! Our diet plan is pretty strict, but it also has one cheat meal per week. The only rule is that you shouldn't eat fast food. Shane was craving a burger with pimento cheese and sweet potato fries, so we chose Burger Up for our delicious delicious meal. This is one of those types of places where they make their own ketchup, so you know it's good.

I went for the cheeseburger with bacon and sweet onion rings. All the food was super yummy...but honestly after a week of eating the way we have, it was a chore to finish our meals. We had to keep taking breaks for our food to settle, and Shane ended up with about half of my onion rings. Next week's cheat meal will most likely be something more veggie-friendly.

After lunch, we took some laps around the mall, and on our way back home we stopped for the real planned treat that got us through circuit rounds 3-5. No frozen yogurt will ever be as good as our favorite place in Maryland (which is the only place I've found tart strawberry, so good), but Sweet CeCe's and their new smaller $3.99 flat price bowls will do. They're just the right size for a little swirl of your favorite flavor along with one of every yummy topping.

We weren't even hungry when dinner time rolled around, but we were good and got out our chicken and veggies anyways. Gotta get our daily protein!

Day 23: Happy First Day of Spring!

Shane and I are so glad that it's finally spring so we can get out into our yard and do some work! We ripped absolutely everything out last summer, so we've got a clean slate. Actually, we've got a mud pit. It needs a lot of work. 

Our first order of business is installing new shutters, and then once that's done, we can work on the flower beds underneath them. Shane's hoping our second order of business will be buying this gnome. I have to admit, it is pretty cute. 

I got so excited about the flowers I made Shane kneel down with me in the aisle to get a picture in front of the daffodils. 

We're still deciding what we want to plant, but hopefully soon our front yard will be full of springtime fun like this pretty pink dahlia! We're also planning some raised beds in the backyard for veggies. I'm sure our bunnies will eat most of them, but I'm glad to donate to that cause. 

Day 22: Wednesday weigh in

To see all past weigh ins, click here. To see my whole weight loss journey, click here.

Shane and I are trucking right along with our new diet and exercise routine. I'm proud of us, because I totally didn't think we'd stick to the diet part. Not when our St. Patrick's Day treats aren't chocolate coins but instead are things like this green monstrosity...

That's a whole packet of tuna, avocado, a little mustard, and Ezekiel bread. I'm super picky, and the only part I really liked was the mustard. The good part is the bread is so dry and grainy and wholesome that it's taste/texture mostly camouflaged the other junk. 

Ultimately I have to remind myself that we're trying to learn better eating habits by introducing better-for-us foods with portions to match. Plus we're also trying to lose quite a bit more weight, so we eventually won't have to be as strict on ourselves. 

We had a good workout at the gym today, and even made some new friends! We usually go early morning or at night, but today we went around 10:00 am, just in time to catch a 92 year old walking laps around the track. She was so cute walking in her little sweater set with her hair perfectly fixed. We also chatted with a few older people waiting for the Silver Sneakers yoga class. Shane got compliments on his owl tattoos and me on my purple hair, with one lady saying it made her day! 

We tried a new HIIT routine after our weightlifting today. I figured why not mix it up? We certainly don't have to do the same sprint routine every time. A quick google search game me this routine below. 

I don't know how ANYONE can do this whole routine in 20 minutes. Maybe our endurance isn't great, because we only made it through the lunges (item #6) and did a couple laps around the short track by the time limit. Oh, and I totally thought I was going to die. I even cheated on a lot of it (example: they wanted 30 burpees, I half-assed my way through about 8 total).

We didn't do a weigh in last week because we were eating terribly and I gained around 6lbs. We're back though, and our new diet plan seems to be helping already.

My progress: I have lost 1lb since last weigh in for a total of 44lbs lost.

I'm now at 182lbs.

So now that you see my 1lb lost, you know I also had to lose the other 6 that I went up before I went down. 

I'm extra proud of Shane this week! 

Shane's progress: He has lost 5lbs since last weigh in for a total of 43lbs.

He's at 266lbs.

He's doing great, especially because he's a picky eater too and doesn't even really like plain grilled chicken, but he's been eating it every day anyways. 

Slowly but surely, we'll get there. 

Day 21: Motivation Monday

Shane and I started a new diet and workout plan today, and whoa, the diet portion is rough. We're talking lots of eggs, which I'm iffy on, and Shane kinda hates...tuna, ick...avocado, also ick...raw, unsalted almonds...lots of foods that I have texture issues with, basically. I've always been a picky eater, and thankfully over the past few years I've been able to expand my food horizons a lot. I'm hoping that this diet change will help expand them even further. They'd better, because we've got a ton of eggs in the fridge and a box of tuna packets in the pantry. 

The workout plan, well that's a different story. I love it. We'd been doing a routine (Ice Cream Fitness) that works with building lots of muscle through low reps using high weights. That means that I'd be bench pressing 80 lbs (whoa!) but only doing 5 of those at a time. The new plan has a lot more variety, with a little lower weight for more reps, and also short rest times to keep your heart rate up. It also has HIIT (high intensity interval training, like running intervals, etc) built in. HIIT and shorter rest times help you cycle through the important fat burning and cardio endurance phases. 

With the joint diet and exercise plan, we should be able to still maintain the muscles we have (and maybe grow some more) while shedding some fat. I'm not gonna lie, tonight's workout was tough and I'm going to ache in the morning, but it also made me feel exhilarated that my body could do these awesome things, like interval sprints. I am pretty nervous about Saturday's Core and Circuit day though. Reading over the routine had me thinking "I'm definitely gonna barf"...then I realized that was just one time through the circuit, you have to do the whole routine 5 times through. 

I decided that maybe it'd be a good idea to do some more motivational posts to keep myself, and any of you who are also trying to make changes, on the right track. The diet may be tough, and the workout may have me dripping with sweat and hair dye, but it's just one more step on my journey. I may not have to deal with orcs, ringwraiths, Gollum, or any other evil Middle Earth inhabitants, but if Frodo and Sam can carry that ring, I can certainly eat an avocado and do some jumping jacks. 

p.s. If you're interested in our new diet/exercise plan, we found it through Instagram (@instafemmefitness), or you can go to directly her website to get the guides (annavictoriafit.com).

Day 20: Happy Founders' Day!

I'd like to wish a very happy Founders' Day to my two favorite Greek-letter organizations, Delta Gamma and Phi Delta Theta! 

After Shane joined Phi Delta Theta and I later pledged Delta Gamma, I was pleased to learn that the two organizations had a bit of sweet shared history with Phi Delta Theta member George Banta, who is also the sole male initiate of Delta Gamma. Just take a look at this excerpt from the 1993 Winter edition of the Delta Gamma Anchora:

“A myth is a legend often based on some fact, and such is the Phi Delta Theta connection with Delta Gamma. In May 1878, 20-year-old George Banta was on a train returning to Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana, from a Phi Delta Theta Convention. He sat with Monroe McClurg and shared with him his concern over the fraternity political situation in Indiana, noting that Indiana needed another female Greek group. Brother McClurg agreed and offered a solution. In Oxford, Mississippi, where he was in school at ‘Ole Miss,’ there prospered a fine ladies’ group with a few other chapters in southern girl’s schools. The group was Delta Gamma, and Monroe McClurg was happy to put Brother Banta in touch with these young women.

"George Banta wasted no time in making contact with the Delta Gammas in Oxford, They, too, were eager for new expansion and invested him with the power to form chapters in academically well-recognized northern colleges. George Banta set about achieving their expansion goal, having been told to select the Greek letters of his choice for the new chapters. It was logical that when he organized the first northern chapter at Franklin College the Greek letter should be Phi, in honor of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. No doubt, the first initiate was his fiancée, Lillie Vawter."

We once visited the Phi Delta Theta headquarters on a trip to Ohio. My favorite part of the tour was seeing the set of china given to George Banta and Lillie Vawter at their wedding. I wish I'd taken pictures of it while we were there, but it was specially made with the Phi Delta Theta crest in the middle, with anchor and rope details around the edges (Delta Gamma's symbol is the anchor). 

While Phi Delta Theta and Delta Gamma were both actually founded in December, they both chose a date in March to celebrate Founders' Day. In fact, they chose the same day, the 15th of March. Today is the birthday of Robert Morrison, one of Phi Delta Theta's six founders. it also marks the founding of Delta Gamma's Eta Chapter at Akron, Ohio, in 1879.

Our experiences in Greek Life shaped our college years. Speaking just for myself, I learned a lot of valuable skills -- most notably my (relative) comfort with public speaking -- along with a crash course in leadership, friendship, integrity, and scholarship during my time as a collegiate member. I've some amazing lifelong friends. I also got some volunteer opportunities that I would've never thought of, and am so glad I was able to participate in. I saw Shane had a lot of great experiences on his end. I especially saw him grow and mature so much during his collegiate tenure, along with making another batch of lifelong friends. 

Shane and I didn't join our respective fraternities based on the history, but it does make it seem like it's meant to be. 

Day 19: Happy Pi Day!

Happy Pi Day! I'm watching the clock because it's 3/14/15, and at 9:26:53 p.m., the date and time will represent the first 10 digits of pi. 

In case you haven't taken a math class recently and/or don't know what I'm talking about, π (pi) represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. It cannot be written out completely as the decimals never end and never repeat in a pattern. Computer calculations have it going into the trillions of decimal places and are still working. (Read more about it here if you're interested). Thanks to Precalculus 2, I've been doing a lot of geometry and trigonometry, so I've been well acquainted with π. 

It's also Albert Einstein's birthday! 

Shane and I found it fitting to celebrate with our favorite kind of π...pizza pie! We got some Screamin Sicilian frozen pizzas at Publix and they were surprisingly delicious. Like it's fair to say it's the best frozen pizza I've ever had, and better than a lot of regular fresh pizza. It also didn't hurt that it came with a coupon for buy two, get a free Ben & Jerry's coupon. Yum! 

The pizza boxes even had these fun cardboard punch-out moustaches, which were kinda weird because they attached to your face by sticking cardboard up your nose. Perfect for a quick pic I guess :) 

How are you celebrating #NationalPiDay ??

Day 18: #FlashbackFriday

I'm behind a few days on posting because I'm on Spring Break, except instead of going to the beach, I rode around with Shane on sales trips for two days. We also went to Knoxville and visited with our families for a few days. But don't worry, I'll make them up one of these days.

So check this out. Like a week ago Shane and I were at the gym and a lady pointed out that both of our hair matched our jackets. And our shaker bottles. Even my earrings matched. We've somehow turned ourselves into living crayons. 

I feel like since I've had crazy colored hair (like three months ago), I've gotten a taste of what life's like for Shane. We both get stares, turned heads, and little old ladies saying "oooh I love your hair!" 

It's pretty funny especially when little kids say things like "look mom, that person has PINK HAIR!" The mom then tries to shush the kid, while I'm laughing. Little kids can't help it, they say exactly what they're thinking. At least this is a compliment.

I may not always have funky hair, but I hope Shane and I are always this colorful, inside and out. Life is more fun this way. 

Day 17: Blind Bags Anonymous

My sister Hannah has gotten hooked on blind bags, you know, where you get a sealed box or foil bag with a surprise toy inside. Just search "blind bags" on YouTube and you'll know where the obsession came from, and it's easy to see why! The mystery of which toy you're going to get is exciting and fun. Who doesn't like toy surprises? That's pretty much the whole basis for the Happy Meal after all. 

She started stocking up a few weeks ago and amassed a giant collection so Shane and I could come over and we'd have a Blind Bag Palooza. Here is our before pile. The picture does not do the sheer amount of blind bags justice. She got a wide variety of fun things to open. Our contribution can be seen in the brown paper bags with magic marker drawings on them. They're $2 grab bags from Crystal Visions at East Town Knoxville Center Mall, the one that sells pagan/wiccan supplies, those trolls with the glowing red eyes, and an assortment of "tobacco" pipes and samurai swords. We were curious. 

Where to start first? 

Needless to say, it took a while to open all those little packages, and I think even longer for me to set up this picture. Check out what we got! 

See those tumbled stones and glass earrings in bottom right corner? That's what was in our grab bags. I'm sure they have some sort of mystical powers. 

There are a lot of popular blind bags right now, one of the most sought out being Shopkins. As you can see from the picture below, they're adorable anthropomorphized versions of things you would buy at the grocery store, and they come two at a time in a little shopping basket. They also include a little checklist that looks like a grocery store receipt. Hannah has been known to drive all over town to find them. 

There's around 145 different Shopkins in season (series) 2 alone, so that's a lot of little shopping baskets laying around the house if you're a collector. 

Here's a few more of the Shopkins...

Shopkins weren't the only thing we got! As you'll see from the picture below, we've got a few Lego minifigures (two Explorers and a King), a surprise Doctor from Doctor Who (we got the first Doctor), some Hello Kitty figurines, etc. See those things with the giant heads? They're called Fash'ems, and they're a little weird to me. They're squishy and filled with water, and the outsides are almost sticky. Seems like they'd get real dirty and fuzzy real quick.

We also got some Minecraft blind boxes, an assortment of My Little Ponies, more Hello Kitties, and those cute figurines in the back, which are Tokidoki Unicornos. 

If you have never been to a Five Below, you need to check it out. That's where Hannah got these fake Kinder Surprise eggs. The real Kinder eggs, in case you've never heard of them, are chocolate eggs with toys inside, kind of like the Wonderball chocolates we had in the 90s. You can get them in pretty much every country besides the United States (they're banned here because of an FDA regulation, and people get fined at the Canadian border for trying to bring them across). 

These ChocoTreasure eggs are still technically illegal per the FDA regulations, so it's just a matter of time until they're forced to stop production. Sadly, the eggs contained some of the lamest prizes of the bunch. One did have a cute tiny Hello Kitty figurine, and a couple had stickers, but most had little cardboard people like the ones below. I ate several of the chocolate egg shells and quickly regretted that decision. 

We had a lot of fun opening and sorting our prizes. I know what you're thinking, what are we going to do with all of these? Well, Hannah is collecting some, Shane and I are keeping some of the others (our china cabinet, which used to hold liquor, is slowly being converted to a toy showcase), and anything we don't want or have duplicates of will be given to friends' kids.

You never know, maybe this is just practice for when Hannah is a YouTube star and gets paid to do this! 

Day 16: The Horners of Catan

Welcome to game night!

Shane and I have always been into games and love playing them with family and friends. We've got quite the collection too. This year for Christmas my mom got Shane one of the games he's been wanting for a long time...Settlers of Catan. 

The game isn't quite as involved as The Cones of Dunshire, so we've got a basic grasp of gameplay and low-level strategy. Shane and I have played several different two-player rules variation games at home (it's a 3-4 player game), but as with anything, friends and family make it way more fun. We even bought the expansion pack (up to 6 players), which came in handy when we had pizza and played with several friends a few weeks ago. 

Our latest converts are Shane's mom Debbie and dad Steve. They were really quick to pick up on it, and it was the most involved game we'd played thus far! Steve won, and Debbie came in second, so Shane and I will have to sneak and read some online strategy guides before our next game with them ;) 

 

The game involves the occasional theft of one card from a fellow player through the Robber and the Knight. Debbie didn't have access to any of the stone quarries from her spot on the board (with stone being one of the important resources needed to build things), so whenever it was her turn to steal, it was a running joke that she was looking to find Steve's stone cards. He was a good sport about it though, and when it was his turn to steal, he'd turn right around and get something back from her! 

Win or lose, we all had lots of fun, and I think everybody is waiting for the rematch. I'd love to teach my parents how to play too (my sister already knows how). Then maybe we could have a mega Catan tournament together! 

Until next time, keep Effie Trinket's catchphrase in mind..."may the odds roll of the dice be ever in your favor."

Day 15: Congrats Bailey and Sam!

Today was the first of four weddings on our schedule for this year, celebrating the marriage of Shane's cousin Bailey! The ceremony was beautiful, and was officiated by Sam's (the groom's) dad, which must have made it so much more meaningful and special for them. 

I didn't take any pictures at the ceremony because I was sitting five pews from the front and it felt rude to pull out my iPhone. I only managed to get a couple at the reception because we were having too much fun to stop and take pictures. Here they are: 

The wedding was held at Graystone Presbyterian Church in South Knoxville with the reception at The Standard, a really neat historically renovated event venue downtown. I loved the welcome sign out front :) so cute! 

Sam and Bailey threw a fantastic party. The food was delicious, the band was great, everyone was dancing...what more could you want?

Left: Shane with Bailey

Top right: View of Sam and Bailey's first dance from the balcony

Bottom right: My mom works for the florist they used, she probably made this centerpiece!

We're trying to get better at taking pictures with family at events, as we normally get home and have none. Thankfully these were taken by Shane's sister Julie. 

Left: Shane's mom, Shane, and me

Right: Shane, me, and Shane's sister Julie

This was the LEAST blurry picture we were able to take of the happy couple. We snapped this one during a quick break between songs. If you can't tell, they were having a GREAT time, as they should be! 

Shane took my favorite picture of the night. We'd gone up to the roof deck to check it out and passed Sam and Bailey right as they were going in to be introduced for their first dance. 

Best wishes to Bailey and Sam for a long and happy marriage! We love you!

Day 14: More SNOW!

Nashville had pretty much recovered from the crazy snow and ice storm two weeks ago. We even had a day here or there that felt pretty warm. I went to the gym in SHORTS and felt fantastic. 

Spring isn't quite here yet though, and that groundhog was so right when he said we'd get six more weeks of winter. Last night around midnight the rain turned into sleet and didn't stop. By the time I woke up this morning, we'd gotten around three inches of snow and it was still falling. 

So pretty! Charlie and Sheldon had a great time hopping around in it today. Charlie wanted to stay out there for a while, we had to make him come back in! Then Shane and I got out and tried to play in the snow a little bit. I was sad to discover it wasn't good snowman snow :( so we walked around our neighborhood to scope out the road situation. We even got to do our good deed for the day when we helped push a neighbor's car over an icy patch. 

Of course Nashville State cancelled classes for the day. Since Thursday is my last class day, I got to start Spring Break early! I cannot tell you how much I was dreading today's biology lecture, so I'm super glad to miss out on that one. Of course both my biology and precalculus teachers made sure to post make-up homework assignments online. Maybe I'll go sit in a hot tub somewhere while reading my bio book to make up for the lack of beach-like atmosphere around here. 

It was a great snow day with Shane and the doggies. I know I'm getting spoiled with another day off, but I can't help it! What can I say? I love spending time with those three, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. 

Day 13: Wednesday weigh in

To see all past weigh ins, click here. To see our whole weight loss journey, click here.

This week has been a rough one due to the fact that I got my wisdom teeth out on Friday. Besides spending the weekend in a Vicodin haze, it totally screwed up my food and fitness plan. Did you know that you're not really supposed to exert yourself or lift anything heavy for like a week after a tooth extraction? Dry socket is serious business.

I made it through Monday by doing the elliptical for 30 minutes plus a just few weightlifting things. Don't worry, I went way down in weight and only benched 65lbs instead of the 80lbs I was supposed to be doing. Although I have pushed it a little bit, and so far so good, I was still too nervous to take any of the classes at the gym like I'd planned. 

I did my first YMCA group class last Wednesday. I was invited by my friends Haley and Becca and I'm so glad they asked me to tag along :) I've always been intimidated by the classes at our gym because they look so intense. I wasn't wrong! Boxing was really tough, and the teacher didn't stop for the whole hour. By the end we were all thoroughly exhausted, and I had a sweat towel full of purple hair dye. 

Hopefully I'll feel more confident in my recovery and will be able to catch some classes next week. There's a great variety at the Y, and I think it's going to be a good way for me to shake up my routine and get out of the slump. 

Now here's what you all came for...

My progress: I have lost 2lbs since last weigh in for a total of 43lbs lost.

I'm now at 183lbs.

47.7% of my goal complete!

Shane's progress: He has gained 3lbs since last weigh in for a total of 38lbs.

He's at 271lbs.

30.8% of his goal complete. 

I honestly think I caught a lucky break when I had to step on the scale this morning, I have no idea how I managed to lose 2lbs. And I take all the blame for Shane's gains this week. If I had better willpower, my sore mouth foods would be stuff like applesauce and oatmeal, but instead it was a lot of mashed potatoes, chocolate pudding, jello, and frozen yogurt. And if I get to eat it, it's only fair that he does too! 

It'll be interesting to see our numbers next week as we've got plans for pizza with family on Friday and a wedding on Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed for us!