Extra Motivation

As another way to motivate myself in the weight-loss department, I created a digital 'vision board' that I will see while at my computer. Because I'm going to be in a friend's wedding this summer, wearing a strapless dress, I want to have toned arms and to be thinner around the middle. I also added some education-related photos because I've been struggling with being motivated to get my homework and studying done in a timely manner this semester. I'm hoping that seeing these images will make me want to get up and exercise more - - and, hopefully, I'll spend more time at my computer getting homework done, too!

Back to -4!

I had my doubts about this week because of the Girl Scout Cookies... But then, I was feeling under the weather and slept for 24 of 36 hours this Thursday night to Saturday morning. Even though I was over my Friday calorie limit by over 600, the last thing I ate was around 1pm. I napped for 4 hours before going to bed and sleeping another 11 hours. I woke up and weighed myself, and was 2 pounds less than the morning before. Yes, probably a fluke... but there is something motivating about seeing that lower number on the scale again.

At 3:30pm on Saturday, I'm 164 calories over my 1,200 daily limit. I'm planning on being sedentary for the rest of the day (at least between trips to the basement for laundry - down 2 flights of stairs and back up), but my desire to not let the number on the scale creep back up again, I'm going to make sure I only eat low-calorie fruits or veggies until bed time instead of the usual high-calorie snacks I crave. We'll see how it goes!

Temptation Wins This Week

It's the time of year for Girl Scout Cookies! Those tasty little cookies are so easy to snack on, and before you known it, you've eaten half the box. (Whoops...) Therefore, my calorie count has been higher than it's supposed to be for several days now. I've also not mastered the art of saving calories for dinner time. I end up having several snacks throughout the day (healthy, and not very many calories each) and they add up quickly. Dinner ends up being more than the calories I have left for the day. Something to work on...

Homemade Jewelry Cleaner

I came across several old pieces of jewelry that needed to be polished and/or cleaned and I didn't have any idea where to find jewelry cleaner like the kind my mom used to keep under the bathroom sink 20 years ago. I came across the below recipe on DIYnatural.com and decided to give it a try, minus the tea tree oil.

Ingredients:

• witch hazel or white vinegar
• tea tree oil
• baking soda
• an old toothbrush

Directions:

• Put the jewelry in a glass mason jar.
• Cover with ½ cup of vinegar or witch hazel. Add one drop of tea tree oil and swirl to mix.
• Allow jewelry to soak in the mixture overnight.
• The next morning, coat with baking soda and scrub with an old toothbrush, then rinse with water.

Before

After

What I learned: 
The tea tree oil is for disinfecting, but unlike the woman who wrote the DIY page, I don't wear my jewelry in the shower nor while cleaning a chicken coop, etc. I skipped the tea tree oil, and soaked the earrings overnight in the vinegar. For these particular earrings, the toothbrush didn't work as well, but I imagine it would come in handy on a high-quality ring with stones. Instead, I used my fingers to 'smooth away' the dark spots on the surface with the baking soda. The earrings now have a brilliant shine!

Back-slide

I went backwards a bit the past few days. A combination of consuming too many calories and not being active due to not feeling well. I gained a few pounds back. It's incredible how quickly it can change.

1,200-Calorie Limit

It's tough - but I'm sticking to it! I've been under 1,200 calories (or very close to it) for 10 days now, and already lost 4 pounds. I guess that goes to show how much extra food I had been eating without realizing it!
My clothes already fit better than they have in months... I'm going to keep chugging along. :)