Blame it on Taco Bell

My NyQuil-induced sleep lasted until 2 p.m., so I didn't get the French toast I was hoping to have for breakfast. (I'm weird like that. I don't like to eat breakfast food unless it's breakfast time. Hated it when the school cafeteria served waffles and sausage and called it "brunch.")

When I left the house to go to work, the day was so beautiful — sunny and warm considering we still have several feet of snow on the ground — that I wished I hadn't slept most of it away. Guess I needed it, though. I feel a little better now.

I wanted a burrito for lunch, but the place I wanted it from is closed on Sundays. I was a bit embarrassed that I didn't know that, but I usually don't try to get burritos on Sunday. (Figured that I had the Points for it, since I'd eaten nothing all day.)

Anyway, I ended up at Taco Bell. I thought I ordered the Drive-Thru Diet combo (two fresco grilled steak tacos) but I actually GOT the regular grilled steak tacos.

They're SO NOT WORTH the extra 4 Points — each. (Fresco are 3 Points each, regular are 7.) I picked the cheese off the second one and called it 12 Points for lunch.

That's the same amount I'd have spent on the burrito at Burritos Fiesta, but it didn't taste nearly as good. Nor was it as filling. I'll probably end up at BF tomorrow anyway.

Anyway, at 28 Points for the day, I'm counting it as another success. Yes, it would have been fewer had Taco Bell not screwed up my order ... but 28 Points still is decent.

My pedometer count, however, sucked even more today: Just 1,494 steps. Guess that's what happens when I sleep until 2 and then sit at my desk for six hours.

I think I'm less hungry as the days go by. More OP days under my belt and my whole attitude is changing.

Nice! Why is it so easy to forget these things when I stray?

On the budget front, I spent $7.07 ... all on food (combo at TB and a kid-sized yogurt from TCBY). I did think twice before getting a Diet Dr Pepper from the vending machine, though. That would have been another 60 cents, so I'm pleased with that decision.

Food	Units
grld stk tacos (cheese removed from one)	12
kid sz. tcby pb yogurt	2
1 godiva caramel-filled chocolate square	2
smart ones meatloaf w/ mashed potatoes	5
green beans & 1/2 sandwich thin	1
1 deep chocolate vitatop - yum!	1
(4got to enter earlier) quaker cafe square	2
svg spcl k w/ milk	3
Total:	28

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Another decent day

That makes two in a row! I feel so much better than I did earlier this week that I'm doing a little happy dance right now.

I ate a little more today than yesterday ... and succumbed to the lure of a chocolate-covered pretzel rod (2 Points) at the Barnes & Noble Cafe this afternoon before work. It was on sale for 49 cents, so when I saw it only had 2 Points, I just couldn't say no.

Do you guys ever end up eating something you totally didn't plan on just because you're out and it looks good? I'd just had a container of Stonyfield Farms Chocolate Underground yogurt, so I certainly didn't need a chocolate-covered pretzel.

Overall, including the bowl of Special K and skim milk I ate after I got home from work, I consumed 28 Points today.

That's not bad. Granted, I'm allowed 23 ... but if you factor in the 5 FPs I can add to each day (provided I have them, which technically I don't, unless I start my week yesterday), I'm right on track. Maybe I should start my week Friday, then! :D

I was a little hungrier today than yesterday. Maybe that's because it was a carb-heavy day, with sushi and yogurt for lunch, soup and an apple with peanut butter for snacks and a veggie corn dog and mac & cheese for dinner, then the cereal snack.

Must work on getting more protein. Some days I wonder if I shouldn't just start doing Atkins again. Then I remember that, even though I once honestly thought I'd be able to do the low-carb thing for the rest of my life, things changed when I met the carb-loving Boyfriend.

Still no exercise, though. I only logged 2,138 steps on the pedometer. Pathetic. :S (But considering I slept til 11 a.m., then sat on my butt at B&N and then work, I guess 2,000 steps isn't so bad.)

In the "adventures in life" category, I've decided I'm going to try something new with money.

In keeping with the WW theory that tracking helps you take control, I'm going to start keeping track of what I spend, and what I spend it on (bills, entertainment, food, whatnot).

I haven't quite worked out the system yet, but I did buy a little notebook to start tracking in (4 of them for $1.08 at the Dollar Store). It'll be something with a key code (E=Entertainment, F=Food, U=Utilities, A=Auto, R=Restaurants ... etc.) so I can see exactly where my money goes.

I expect I'll be shocked and sickened at how much I waste. Guess I'll find out soon enough, eh?

Now, it's time to take some NyQuil gelcaps and knock myself out until tomorrow. As long as I wake up in time to go to work at 4, all will be well.

On the right track

This morning, I made a pledge to myself: Just for today, I'm going to log every bite that goes into my mouth.

I did, and it helped me immensely. I ate 24 Points (forgot to put in strawberries and SF Jell-O mousse before I exported my chart). I'm still contemplating heading home and eating 1 Point of popcorn, because I'm still hungry.

Long hours are not exactly my friend. But at least I've avoided the vending machine today. It was the first time in more than a week that I've stayed OP.

Let's hope it's the start of a nice, long streak.

Food	Units
svg. spcl k w/ 1/2 c skim milk	3
chicken bacon ranch salad w/ lt ranch dressing	7
small vanilla cone	3
quaker true delights cafe squares	2
apple w/ 1 t rf pb	3
hg pulled bbq chicken on sandwich thin	4
svg. progresso soup w/ extra 1/2 c green beans mixed in	0
Total:	22

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Must regain control

I started out today with the idea that today was the day I was going to take control of my diet again.

Boy, was that a mistake … or rather a series of them.

First, I woke up before 10 a.m. and didn’t actually get out of bed until 12:30 because I was busy writing. The good news? I added a very nice set of scenes to my novel. The bad news? I didn’t eat breakfast, so …

When I left the house for lunch, I was starving. I went out for half a sandwich and some soup — chicken & white bean chili — and ended up getting an oatmeal scotchie, too. Those are quite possibly my favorite cookies (with the exception of Thin Mints).

Then I headed to work, where the newsroom (that’s us) was hosting a Hawaiian luau in the conference room. Not only did I have 3 slices of ham & pineapple pizza then … but I ate two more later on, because the leftovers were hanging around the newsroom.

I skipped dinner, having eaten the two additional slices at about 6 p.m. … but then at about 9 p.m., I started munching on some trail mix. And when I got home from work at 1 a.m., I ate a pulled pork sandwich. (At least it was a HG recipe, so it was only 4 Points!)

Aargh!

I need to stop that, pronto! Hopefully, signing the paperwork with the attorney next Tuesday will help.

But I don’t want to wait until Tuesday to regain control. In the morning, after I dedicate some time to sending out two query letters to potential agents, I’m going to get in some kind of workout. I’ve been letting those slide, what with all last week’s snow shoveling (which doesn’t really count) and the chaos that has become my financial situation.

Who knew?

Did you know a $2 bill is worth exactly ... $2.

Since I'd never seen one in circulation, I was hoping it'd be worth much, much more. Alas, $2 bills are still in circulation, so even fresh, crisp $2 bills from 1976 are worth no more than face value.

Not what I wanted to hear, what with my finances in the mess they're in. I stress-ate my way through the weekend after discovering the d*** bill collector is still taking $200+ from my paycheck each payday. I NEVER agreed to pay them freakin'$400 a month ... EVER. (I believe we settled on $150.)

I can't live on $600 a paycheck when my mortgage takes $500 and my car insurance takes the rest.

So I spent the weekend stressing about money. I skipped my WW meeting for two reasons: No cash to pay for it and the home scale said 192.5 (up considerably from last Monday's total) ... that meant it would have been a waste of money anyway. :P

The stress eating stops now, though. I really want to follow WW at home on my own for the next month or so until I can get the wage garnishment stopped and go back to my meeting.

Until then, I have to do it on my own, for myself. I'm still so close to goal that I don't want to reverse my progress.

Winterpocalypse coming to end

Winterpocalypse ... storm of the century ... snowpocalypse ... hell ...

Whatever you call it, Flagstaff's week of big snows is finally coming to an end. It hasn't been pretty. Businesses' roofs are collapsing under the weight of all the snow and people are stuck in their houses. One of my coworkers' heat went out Friday and they aren't coming to fix it until Tuesday.

All this snow is great fun for the dogs, but for us humans, not so much. Enjoy the photos and be glad you're not here!

Up way too early

The Boyfriend woke me up at 4 a.m. today, calling because he'd let a friend borrow his truck and couldn't get ahold of said friend 9 hours later. No answers to texts or phone calls and he started to panic. He didn't want to be stuck at Gila River Casino with no money and no vehicle.

I told him to call back when it got light outside. I didn't know if it was still snowing out there, but I wasn't about to head down the mountain in this weather when it was pitch-black. Even if the snow had stopped, the roads wouldn't improve much until the sun came out.

So he called again at 6 to wake me up so I could get ready. About the time I got out of the shower and poured myself a bowl of Special K for breakfast, he called to say she finally called back — she'd apparently fallen asleep.

But since I'd already showered, I was wide awake ... so I've been up ever since. I'm not used to watching the sun come up! Not sure I like it, either. I much prefer days that I get up at noon (so I don't have to eat breakfast and have more Points for the rest of the day!).