gigglesmo3

Airborne Toxic Event at Orpheum Theater in Boston, MA on Nov. 19, 2011
With special guests, The Drowning Men & Mona.



This is a hard recap to write, because I want to write EVERYTHING. About how & why I fell in love with Airborne Toxic Event, about all the times I've seen them before, and every other possible tangent that could come to mind during this recap. I'm a excellent fantastic oral storyteller, not so much with the written.

This is my 4th time seeing Airborne Toxic Event (ATE) and the 3rd time seeing them this year, my 2nd time seeing The Drowning Men (TDM) open for them, and my 1st time seeing Mona. This is also the 2nd time I've been to this venue. The 1st time was almost 9 years ago when I saw Coldplay. That concert was significant to me, because Ok Go opened that show, and that was the 1st time I've seen them and I became a huge fan of theirs ever since. I'll never forget that concert. And I'm pretty sure I will never forget this one.

I purchased these tix presale on ATE's website. When I purchased the tix, it didn't tell me which seats I got. So I didn't find out until I got to my seat that I was in the 3rd row center (HOLY SH*T!)



The venue is very cool. Old theater, very cool vibe, really nice acoustics.




Warning: My pics are crappy, the lighting wasn't the greatest, I gave up with the regualr camera half way thru ATE and just stuck with my Ipod, but the pics are bleh.

The Drowning Men was on 1st, which disappointed me, because the theater was half full, and their vibe works well with a full audience. I still enjoyed their set, nice to see the whole band this time (last venue was small and not well lit). There were a few hardcore TDM fans standing in front of the stage. That made me happy to see. I don't remember any of the songs from the 1st time I saw them, but I still enjoyed their vibe. I plan to get their album, just because they seem like cool guys.







For one song, they play the theramin, and well, that's just really cool in my book.
This is my crappy pic of the theramin


Here is a better picture of the lead singer playing the theramin from the last concert



Best part of their set – Lead singer tells the story of them driving here the night before from NYC and their bus/trailer got hit by a drunk driver (no, that's not the best part, but I'm getting there). So ATE went back at 5:30 in the morning to pick them up and they all slept on their bus. So they dedicated the last song to ATE, then ATE came out on stage with crew & the Mona, carrying champagne, beer, etc and it was a huge party on stage. The concert could have ended right there, because that was such a wonderful moment. I took all these crazy pics, but I wish I had taken video instead.








Mona was next, and I really didn't know what to expect. They were surprisingly good. (Confession: I'm usually very hard on openers/midliners. Most I usually don't care for. I didn't pay to see them, so they usually annoy me). I was not annoyed by Mona, I found the songs really enjoyable. I also plan to check them out as well. Before their last song, ATE came out and put beers next to each of the band members. :)












Oh, when we arrived at the venue, I picked up a copy of “All I Ever Wanted” live DVD. I've wanted it ever since I watched this. That was my b-day present to myself. I can't wait until I can watch & listen to it. If you are a fan of their music, I highly recommend purchasing it.

Now it's time for Airborne Toxic Event. Let me introduce you to the band because I refer to all of them by name. Mikel is the lead singer. Anna is the violist, keyboardist, tambourine player, and over all sexy awesome woman. Steve is the lead guitarist, some times keyboardist. Darren is the drummer. I don't have any pics of him tonight, because he sits way in the back, but he'll come up eventually. And lastly, but certainly not the least, is Noah, the bass player.


The 1st time I saw ATE, we were standing near Noah's side of the stage. At that time, Noah reminded me of Constantine Maroulis and that really bothered me. Since then, Noah changed his look and I've learned a great deal about how talented he is. I have a thing for bass players, especially ones who play upright bass.


(what's not sexy about an upright bass?).

Noah is by far my favorite bass player. The last 2 concerts, we were on Anna's side of the stage, so I was happy for this concert that we were seated on Noah's side. Warning, I'm gonna gush a lot about Noah in this recap because I really do think he is the greatest, and because he performed right in front of me all night, it was awesome!

Before the band came on stage this giant bird was over the stage, instead of banner. (I think when I saw them in May, they had umbrellas) The bird is a bit freaky, because it has an arrow going into it, and blood gushing out. And because it looks really heavy and I'm afraid of it falling on the band members. Also, there were feathers on the microphones, that was new.



First song was All At Once, this is my very favorite ATE song (which is hard for me to say, because I love them all so frickin much) but the Bombastic video is how I fell in love with the song. They usually play this song last, so this took me by surprise. I wondered all night what they were going to close with: The new single or Missy (which is from the 1st album and how they use to end their shows)?

After they performed Half of Something Else (another fav of mine) Mikel tells us this is the largest show they have done in Boston, which is what he said the last time he played in Boston, at the House of Blues. I'm pretty sure the HOB is bigger than the Orpheum, but I'm not sure if the HOB was sold out. But I could tell through out the night they were very touched to be playing there. Also learned that Anna is from Boston (how did I not know this before?) and her parents were in the audience. Here is my video of the banter.

Then they played A Letter to Georgia. I've never heard this song before, I think it might be from one of their early EPs. I will have to look into it, because it is a very beautiful song. Noah goes to town on the upright bass during that song.

Then they performed a cover of Book of Love by the Magnetic Fields. My friend swoons every time they play it. I had to get video of, it is too beautiful.

I can't really recap every song they performed, so I will just skip to Something New (which I just noticed was not on the original set list) where Mikel decides to go the side balcony seats to sing directly to Anna's mom.






In the mean time, Noah performs an awesome bass solo, of course I recorded it.




During Does this Mean You're Moving On, Mikel climbs higher to the upper balcony seats and tries to break his neck. I was nervous.






Here is Anna during Gasoline because she plays this really cool part during that song.



Steve was very awesome tonight. I don't usually notice Steve, he usually doesn't show perosnallity on stage, but tonight he was showing it.

I was happy they played Welcome to Your Wedding Day, because I love that song. But the audience didn't seem too into it, which is weird. Although it's a political song, it's a very high energy song. I loved it. Then thet went into Sometime Around Midnight, their 1st single. That song always gets the biggest reaction out of the audience. Its Intro is so kick ass awesome. Noah likes to use a bow on his bass guitar for this one. I love it. Next was All I Ever Wanted, which is their current single. I guessed they would end the whole show with this song. So by this point I guessed they were going to end with Missy.





Then they left the stage. I made a mental note of songs they hadn't played yet that they usually play before the encore: Happiness is Overrated & All For a Woman. The former is my absolute favorite from their 1st album and I was sad I wasn't going to hear it. The latter is an amazing song and I was a little surprised they didn't play it, and sad because Noah plays lead guitar on that song and has a fantastic solo on it. I also noticed that there wasn't much banter. Mikel LOVES to banter, one of the reasons why I love their shows so much. I had my camera and I was all ready to record all this wonderful banter. But they just went from song to song. I wonder if they were rushed for time.

Then Mikel & Anna came out for the encore. Mikel gave some banter. (Note to the lady screaming in the video: Anna plays a Viola, not a violin! STFU)

Then they played The Graveyard Near The House. I had not heard them perform this song before and I was eating it up. It's such a beautiful song, depressing, but in this very sweet way. I highly recommend you checking out this Bombastic video of that song.

Then they went into Innocence. I don't know how to explain Innocence. This is the 2nd time I've heard it live, but I've seen other videos online, and every time it is performed differently. I think last night's was my favorite. Starts off slow, delicate & beautiful. I recorded a little bit of Noah & Anna in it. Then the tempo picks up and it's like a rush of emotion. The song is long, I think last night it was around 10 minutes or so. It's such a great song.

Then they left the stage. WHAT?! They couldn't end with Innocence! They couldn't end without playing Missy! Every time they play Missy, it's epic! (I know that word is overused & misused, but accurate when describing this song). The 1st time my friend and I saw them, they ended their set with this song, my friend's name is Missy, so she particularly loves this song. But in the middle of the song, they performed a Smith's medley, which is one of my friend's fav bands. She was glowing during that concert. The 2nd time we saw them, Missy was the 2nd to last song of the night (right before All At Once) and in the middle they played a medley of “I'm on Fire,” “I Fought The Law,” and “Folsom Prison Blues.” It was amazing. They did the same the last time we saw them. So I will be dammed if I leave this concert without Missy (the song, not the friend [well, actually, I wouldn't leave without my friend either, LOL]) We saw some people leaving, and I kept shaking my head “No, this is not the end of the concert.” But I have also never seen them do 2 encores before.

There is a 1st time for everything. They came back, and I started screaming, “There Was No Way We're Not Getting Missy Tonight!” But the song they stared to play wasn't Missy, it was Happiness is Overrated! And I thought I wasn't going to hear the song tonight, I was so unbelievably happy, because there is so much about that song that I love. Then Noah & Steve started being awesome right in front of my face, and I had to record it. <3

Mikel tells us how much he loves us and reminds me how much I love him and this band <3

THEN they play Missy. No medley this time, instead Mikel highlights his band members. Here is Noah doing another awesome solo.

I didn't get to record Steve, because he was on the other side of the stage at the keyboards and I knew he wasn't going to do a solo, but I wish I did anyways. Oh well. (it's not because I don't love you, Steve, I do).

Here is video of Mikel talking about Anna, Darren does an awesome drum solo, and a shout out to Mona & TDM. Then Mikel tells the story about the accident I referred to earlier. And Mikel AGAIN reminds me how much I love him. And they finish Missy in its wonderful glory.


At some point during one of the encores, I decided I was going to try to get a set list. I never think of it at concerts until it's too late. This night I decided, I'm close enough, gosh darn it, I'm gonna get it. When the show was over, I saw Mikel give a setlist away and I was like “NO! I need a set list!” And I started running toward the stage, I spotted Darren with a set list in hand, and I started screaming his name, he saw me right a way and came straight to me with a huge smile on his face. (I'm pretty sure I had a big smile on my face, too) So I got me a set list!!!!!!!!!!



It really was a wonderful concert, and I really love this band. I can't wait until I can see them again.

Gonna keep this week's update quick because I have big plans for next week. =)

Weight
2/17/11: 175
2/24/11: 174.2
Weight loss: -0.8 lbs
Total weight loss: -26 lbs

You can see all my recorded weights and measurements here .

Accomplishments this past week
-Lost 2 weeks in a row!
-I worked out 3 times this week!
-Didn't order out lunch all week!

Challenges
-Not eating enough fruits & veggies.
-Bought a box of Girl Scout Cookies and ate the whole box (in 5 days)

Goals for this week
Stretching is important, find a way to add Yoga to my week.

Quote of the Week
“If you kinda do it, it kinda works.
If you really do it, it really works”

See you all next week!

I know I have been quiet the past few weeks, but I haven't given up. I'm still going to my WW meetings, I'm still going to the gym and I'm still losing weight, maybe not every week and not as much, but I'm still making progress.

I'll be honest, since the New Year, it's been a struggle for me to stay motivated & excited. Some days I don't always eat the right foods. Sometimes I “treat” myself more often than not. Or eat something comforting.

Some days I don't want to go to gym, (because it's crowded, bad weather, I'm tired, insert lame excuse here). Yeah, I could work out at home, but I get tired easily on these dark cold winter nights. Thank god I got that trainer, otherwise I would skip the gym altogether. Even going just once a week makes a difference.

And there are times I don't want to go to my meetings. But I promised myself when I started this that I won't skip a meeting, because I KNOW when I skip one, a downward spiral will begin. And after each meeting I feel happy for going. I'm feel recharged, even if that feeling doesn't last

But I won't quit, because this is something I really want, something I really want to finish. Because I want to take better care of myself. I just want to let you know that your support & encouragement has really helped me on those tough days. Thank you all.

Ok, so where did we leave off...?

Weight
12/30/10: 179.6
2/17/11: 175
Weight loss: -4.6 lbs
Total weight loss: -25.2 lbs

I've reached the 25 lbs milestone. *fist pump*

I've updated all my recorded weights here , including the weeks I didn't update here on LJ.

See you all next week!

So I took a 2 week break from WW & Gym for the holidays. December was stressful and overwhelming. I wanted to relax and just enjoy the last few weeks of the year and not worry about my weight. I felt I deserved a break, since i had done so well, so far.

Weight
12/9/10: 180.4
12/30/10: 179.6
This week's weight loss: -0.8 lbs
Total weight loss: -20.6 lbs

Not only did I lose weight (despite taking the break) but I made it to my 10% Goal! Woah! I'm super proud of myself.

Measurements (Inches lost)[Total lost]
Arms: 12” (-0.5) [-1.5]
Bust: 42.5” (-1.5) [-2.5]
Waist: 41.5” (0) [-3]
Hips: 46.75” (-0.25) [-3.25]
Thighs: 25” (0) [-1.5]

I'm not seeing much significance with doing my measurements every month. I will only do them quarterly now.

Stats
Weight loss since last month: -1.4 lbs
Average weight loss per week since last month: -0.35lbs
Average weight loss per week since I started: -1.21 lbs


You can see all my recorded weights & measurements here

So I've reached my first huge goal! (Insert Happy face)
If I am feeling brave I may post a pic to show my progress. (eep!)

Next week will be a New Year, and I will start the year with new motivation!

Goals for this week
Get Back to tracking!
Think of a Winning Outcome.


See you all next week!

Weight
12/2/10: 181.0
12/9/10: 180.4
This week's weight loss: -0.6
Total weight loss: -19.8

0.2 lbs away from my 10% goal! POINT 2 POUNDS! The scale is laughing at me because I was so certain I would reach this goal by this week! It's not that I am disappointed in myself, it's that I wanted to celebrate this goal this week at my meeting with my leader. Next week I won't be able to attend the meeting because I will be at my work's holiday party. Next week is also my 16th week on WW, and we get a nice reward for being a WW member that long. I wanted to get my reward. I won't attend my regular meeting in 2 weeks either because I will be going home for the holidays. I'm a little bummed I have to wait until Dec 30th or maybe January to celebrate at my meeting. *sigh* I'll live.


You can see all my recorded weights & measurements here

( The Good, The Bad, and What's Next? )

This was an exciting & challenging week, Not only does this week mark 3 months for me on WW, but it was also Thanksgiving Week (which is always a challenge) and WW revealed its whole new program! Busy Busy!

Weight
11/24/10: 184.6
12/2/10: 181.0
This week's weight loss: -3.6 lbs
Total weight loss: -19 lbs

I have my suspicions that something fishy happened at last week's weigh in, and I'm gonna pretend it didn't happen. So I'm gonna say that in the 2 weeks I celebrated my B-day & Thanksgiving, I lost 1.2 lbs =) And even though 3.6 lbs lost sounds better, I don't feel it is accurate at all. Beside, I'm pretty proud of not gaining weight after thanksgiving *toothy grin*

( Read the rest under here )

Just a real quick update as this is post is really late

Weight
11/18/10: 182.2
11/24/10: 184.6
This week's weight loss: +2.4
Total weight loss: 15.6

yeah, I gain a little more than I expected.  I'm not entirely sure how this week will go, but not matter what happens, I'm gonna stick to my goal. I'm not going to let the past 11-12 weeks go to waste.  I'll see you all in a few days.

Weight
11/11/10: 183.6
11/18/10: 182.2
This week's weight loss: -1.4
Total weight loss: -18
Heh, I did it again. Nice! :)

You can now see all my recorded weights & measurements here

Accomplishments this past week
- Bought a pair of jeans, a size down, YAY!!
- Monday, there were three different cakes being offered at work, and I didn't have a single one of them *big toothy grin*
-I achieved my other goal of not eating more than 3 microwave dinners this past week. It was hard, because there were times that I was feeling tired/lazy/hungry, and didn't want to cook dinner for myself. But I stuck to my goal :)

Challenges
-It was a bit of a struggle to stay motivated and not lazy. Like I said earlier, many times I didn't want to make dinner, and it was hard to find the energy to work out.

Concerns for the weeks ahead
( I have lots of concerns, so I put them under a cut )

Weight
11/4/10: 185.2
11/11/10: 183.6
This week's weight loss: -1.6
Total weight loss: -16.6
YAY! I did it! (If you recall, my goal for this week was to lose 1.4 lbs)

You can see all my recorded weights & measurements here

Accomplishments this past week
-I worked out A LOT this week. Went to the gym 4 times this past week, plus did my kickboxing video 1 day. Also I met with my trainer again on Tuesday, and that definitely helped. And I continued to do strength training at this week.
-Saturday I went out to dinner with friends, shared a plate with a friend. Best decision I made. I have a bad habit of finishing my plate, but having only half of the plate allowed me to have a beer (a very yummy pumpkin ale) and I still felt very satisfied after the meal.

Challenges
-I ate maybe a little more this past week than I usually do . Not excessive, but I used up all of my Weekly Allowance points and half of my activity points (which I rarely use) and I was worried I wouldn't reached my 1.4 goal for this week. Yeah, I know I worked my butt off at the gym this week, but I thought it would even out to not losing anything.
-I need to eat less frozen meals. I depend on them too much. They are helpful on portion sizes and when I don't have time to cook, but I really need to reduce how often I eat them. This past week I had 1 four days in a row, including 2 in one day, yikes! Totally not healthy.
-I really like using the weights at the gym, but it takes me an hour to use them all. Adding my cardio, that's 2 hours at the gym. I really don't have that kind of time.  I'm gonna have to find a way to cut that in half.  I may just stick with the circuit workouts my trainer has me do.

Goals for this week
-I'm shooting to lose another 1.4 lbs this week. See if I can do it 2 weeks in a row.
-Eat less frozen dinners, no more than three this week.

See you all next week!

Weight
10/28/10: 187.4
11/4/10: 185.2
This week's weight loss: -2.2
Total weight loss: -15 lbs
SWEET!

Some Stats (because I'm a Number Nerd)
Weight loss since last month: -6.2 lbs
Average weight loss per week since last month: -1.24 lbs
Average weight loss per week since I started: -1.67 lbs
I call that very good progress. I'm happy :)

Now, some more numbers. Because it's been 2 months and I measured myself today. (I was supposed to do it 11/2/10, but I forgot, so did it today instead)

Measurements (Inches lost)[Total lost]
Arms: 12.5” (-0.5) [-1]
Bust: 44” (-1) [-1]
Waist: 41.5” (-0.5) [-3]
Hips: 47” (0) [-3]
Thighs: 25” (-1) [-1.5]

You can now see all my recorded weights & measurements here

Accomplishments this past week
-Really proud of myself on Friday. I planned to work out in the AM, which is always hard for me. The alarm went off, and I began to talk myself out of it, telling myself I need the sleep. Within 5 -10 minutes, I reset my alarm for a later time. Not 5 minutes after that, I was out of bed and ready to work out.
-Did more strength training this week. On Saturday, I did some circuit stuff I learned from my trainer, and Wednesday I did some weights at the gym.
-I found the women's area at my gym (took me long enough). There are a lot of weight machines in the room, where I can feel more comfortable using those machine without feeling so many eyes on me.

Challenges
-I feel my momentum slipping. There, I said it. However, I find taking a good look at myself in the mirror to be motivating. I know some people don't like to hear that, but it's the truth. I need to be happy with what I see in the mirror. And right now I'm not. And that's not gonna change if I quit.  Also, I found my meeting today to be very re-energizing. Putting my perspective back in the right place. Lastly, I see my trainer at the gym again this week. Hopefully he will kick my ass back into place :)

Goals for this week
-I'm aiming to lose 1.4 lbs by next week. I hesitate in writing that, because I don't want to be upset with myself if I don't achieve it. But I find that on the weeks I do well I tend to not do so well the following week. Then the week the after that I give myself a specific weight goal, and I do better those weeks. We will see how that goes for this week. If it doesn't work out, I won't make that type of goal again.

See you all next week!

Weight
10/21/10: 186.4
10/28/10: 187.4
This week's weight loss: +1
Total weight loss: 12.8

Oops! I totally expected this. I kinda over-indulged this week; Two parties over the weekend, went to eat on Monday, ate leftovers on Tuesday, and forgot my lunch on Wedneday so I had to order something out. Even though I worked out more this week than last week, this weight gain does not surprise me at all. And I'm really not bummed about. I'm still ahead for where I planned to be for this week, and bumps WILL happen. Its cool. I've learn that I can indulge, just not every single day, heh.

You can now see all my recorded weights & measurements here

Accomplishments this past week
I'm proud of myself for Tuesday. I had planned to do strength training as my work out for when I came home from work. When I was driving home, I was feeling really tired, and began to talk myself out of strength training. I was considering doing a video because it will be shorter & less thought will be involved. But then I remembered that my goal for this week was to do more strength training. I was determine to stick to that plan. As soon as I got home I  quickly changed so I wouldn't lose my motivation, then I got a phone call from a friend. I really wanted to talk to this friend, but I was afraid we would be on the phone long and I would lose my motivation. After 30 minutes, I thought about it for a few seconds, then made my self work out. I'm kicking laziness in the ass!

Challenges
As I mentioned above, I over-indulged this week. I need to learn that I can eat special things, but I still need to control how much.
Still having trouble getting plenty of sleep


Goals for this week
Track Everything this week!. I'm usually very good at this, but I didn't this past week, it definitely showed on the scale.

Music is My Fuel
Peacemaker - Greenday
A Praise Chorus – Jimmy Eat World
New Slang – The Shins
All These Things That I've Done – The Killers
Why Bother? - Weezer
One (Blake's Got a New Face) – Vampire Weekend
I Want It All - Queen
These Hard Time - Needtobreathe

See you all next week!

Weight
10/14/10: 188.8
10/21/10: 186.4
This week's weight loss: -2.4
Total weight loss: -13.8

You can now see all my recorded weights & measurements here

Accomplishments this past week
Making more visits to the gym. I'm not as uncomfortable going there as I was a few weeks ago.
I didn't go crazy over my points this week, Yay!

Challenges
-Other than the gym, I've been pretty lazy this week with exercising. I only worked out 3 days this past week, I normally work out 5-6 days/week.
-I attempted my new yoga video, didn't turn out so great. I couldn't get in the mind set for it.
-I seriously need to get to bed earlier. I have a hard time waking in the AM, I'm a zombie when getting ready for work, then I end of forgetting part of my breakfast or lunch. I think it happened 2 or 3 times this past week. Screws up my food plan for the whole day. Not to mention, it takes me an hour after I get to work for my brain to start working so I can actually do some work. In other words, I NEED MORE SLEEP. (I can't wait until we change the clocks back to standard time, yeah it sucks the sun sets earlier, but my sleep patterns are better in standard time).

Goals for this week
-Mix up my work outs more this week, don't just go to the gym, continue with my strength training & kickboxing video
-Cook a new recipe this week

Cutting it short this week so I can get to bed ZZzzzzzzzz

See you all next week!

Weight
10/7/10: 189.2 lbs
10/14/10: 188.8 lbs
This week's weight loss: -0.4 lbs
Total weight loss: -11.4 lbs
Not bad, I'll take it.

You can now see all my recorded weights & measurements here

( Read more... )

Weight
10/7/10: 189.2
9/30/10: 191.4 lbs
This week's weight loss: -2.2 lbs
Total weight loss: -11 lbs
Wow! I've lost 5% of my weight! I've reach my first milestone *confetti*
Ok, I'll be honest, I was shooting to loose at least 1.5 lbs this week, and I didn't think I reached it because I just didn't feel it. So I am really happy that I did. 

You can now see all my recorded weights & measurements here
( Read more... )

I decided I want to keep all my stats in one place to make it easy to look at, to see the progress. I will update this every time I get weighed & measured.

( Read more... )

The Numbers
Weight on 9/30/10: 191.4 lbs
Weight on 9/23/10: 194.4 lbs
This week's Weight Loss: -3 lbs
Total Weight Loss:  -8.8 lbs
YAY!

ETA on 10/2: Here are my monthly measurements, click here to see last month's measurements

Measurements (Inches lost)
Arms: 13' (-0.5)
Bust: 45” (0)
Waist: 42” (-2.5)
Hips: 47” (-3)
Thighs: 26” (-0.5)

Not bad, total inches lost is 6.5 or 7.5 if you count each arm and thigh, which I guess I should, right?
I'll measure myself again on 11/2.

Accomplishments this past week
-I lost 3 lbs, did you see that?!
-I returned to the gym! I even went twice this week!
-I stuck to my workout plan for this week, which is a first for me.
-I made a point to do some physical activity everyday, even if it was just walking. I also find it important to keep variety in my daily workout to 1) prevent getting bored quickly and 2) working different muscles each day.
-Saturday evening I told my mom I planned to walk in the morning, this kept me motivated to stick with that plan instead of being lazy and changing my mind.
-I ate less frozen dinners this week. Frozen dinners are easy when I don't feel like cooking, and can't think of something to eat, but not a good idea to eat them often. Due to a bad shopping mistake, I ended up making dinner that lasted me for 4 meals this week. So that worked out in my favor.
-Despite my challenges for this week (see below), I'm not beating myself about it. It's a learning experience. I need to stumble a few times before I can get it right.

Challenges
Well, I didn't do so well at the family birthday party. At the end of the day, I counted all my points and I ate A LOT of points. BUT, the next day I went over everything I ate, looked at how I could have done it differently and using that info to make smarter choices in the future. Oh, and I am SOO glad the next b-day at work my dept will be celebrating will be in November (Mine). Too many freakin b-days (and b-day cake) this month, it's been killing me.

Goals for this week
Have more faith in myself.
Keep exercising and continue to stick to my workout plans.
Go to bed before midnight, it's hard to work out if I am too tired.

Small Changes
"If you don't really love it, don't eat it."

Music is My Fuel
Sleep It Off – Green River Ordinance
Tripping Down the Freeway - Weezer
Soap Star Joe – Liz Phair
Rock Me Amadeus - Falco
Slow Ride – Allison Iraheta & Adam Lambert (Studio Version)
A Good Idea at the Time – Ok Go
Bar-Ba-Sol – David Cook
Accidentally In Love – Counting Crows
Heartless – Kris Allen (Studio Version)
J.A.R. - Green Day
Stuck in the Middle - Mika
Mony Mony – Billy Idol
Sweet Child of Mine – Guns 'n Roses


See you all next week!

Weight on 9/23/10: 194.4lbs
Weight on 9/16/10: 194.6 lbs
This week's Weight Loss:: -0.2 lbs
Total Weight Loss: -5.8 lbs
Um...Ok

Accomplishments this past week
-Did my kickboxing video again, found a section I love
-I tried the Pilates video, not really comfortable with it right now. I will revisit in the future, but I did feel the effects the next day, even though I only did 10 minutes.
-I got my ankle weights this week, and did my leg exercises with my weights.
-Despite feeling light-headed most of this week, and managed to walk most days, which felt really good.

Challenges
-Friend had a party on Sunday, I didn't eat well enough before leaving for his place. By the time I got to his place I was starving, and I ate crap, felt dizzy/light-headed, and even when I wasn't hungry, I still grazed.
-I felt ill most of this week, so I didn't get to work out as much as I had planned.
I'm not cheering about only losing 0.2 lbs this week, but I'm not entirely disappointed in myself. I'm still ahead of where I expected to be, and I'm in this for the long haul.

Goals for this week
Be responsible for what I eat. This weekend is a family birthday party,  make wise decisions.
Heading back to the gym this week, but need to remember to not over do it. I don't want to burn out too quickly.

Small Changes
“Plan ahead for special occasions by accounting for higher-calorie foods before you eat them.”

Music is My Fuel
Broadway – Goo Goo Dolls
For Reasons Unknown – The Killers
Start A Fire – Ryan Star
Mercy Me – Alkaline Trio
Who We Are - Lifehouse
Fever – Adam Lambert
C-C-C-Cinnamon Lips – Ok Go
What Makes You Happy – Liz Phair
Mother Mary – Foxboro Hottubs
Counting Crows – American Girls

See you all next week!

P.S. 
I just want to thank all of you who have given me kind words of encouragement, either here or in person. I really do appreciate it, even if it doesn't look like I do. I guess I am trying to ration all this encouragement, because I will really need it in the months to come. Thank you and I love you all.

Click here to read previous updates

Weight on 9/16/10: 194.6 lbs
Weight on 9/9/10: 197 lbs
This week's Weight Loss:: 2.4 lbs
Total Weight Loss: 5.6 lbs
Holy Crap!

Accomplishments this past week
*Woke up early and worked out before work because I knew I wouldn't have time for the rest of the day. That's huge for me!
*Did my leg exercises when I visited my mother. I tend to get lazy when I visit her.
*Started a kickboxing video this week, always good to try different things.
*On Tuesday I walked while at work and then went home and did the kickboxing video. Rather than doing one or the other, I did both. I felt energized!

Challenges
This was a challenging week. I ate more than I planned over the weekend, and I was lazy on Sunday and didn't work out. I felt like crap on Monday so I didn't work out. Plus 2 b-days at work this week, so b-day cake 2 days in a row. Ugh.
I really didn't think I was going to lose much weight this week. I was expecting to have gain some.

Goals for this week
Not to “should” all over myself.

Small Changes
“Add vegetables to everything”

Music is My Fuel
Zero Gravity – David Archuleta
In The Summertime – Mungo Jerry
Minority – Green Day
Friday I'll Be Over U (Spanish Version) – Allison Iraheta
Cousin – Vampire Weekend
Mutiny Below - Ludo
I Want You Back – Jackson Five
Poker Face – Lady Gaga
Big Machine – Goo Goo Dolls

See you all next week!

If you missed my blog from last week, you can check it out here

Progress
Weight on 9/9/10: 197 lbs
Weight on 9/2/10: 200.2 lbs
Total weight loss: 3.2 lbs
Wohoo! *confetti*

Accomplishments this past week
I had a lot of motivation this week. Really felt excited for this adventure I'm on, rather than feeling burdened. I picked more filling foods to eat so I didn't feel starved after meals. I'm surprised by how much I worked out this past week. This past week I did:
Leg Strengthening exercises – 2x
Walked (for 30 minutes or more)– 3x
Workout Videos – 3x
Also, I've been pretty positive this whole past week. Let's hope this lasts.

Challenges
-Finding time & energy to exercise after work AND make dinner, instead of a microwave meal.
-Finding more time for my leg strengthening exercises, my knees need to be stronger so I can do more cardio.
-Remembering to stop saying “yes” when someone offer me free food or treat at work. That one is tough since my desk is right next to the kitchen. Plus free chocolate everywhere is tempting. I was good all week, then today there was free chocolate on the counter, I grabbed a piece, not even thinking. Not that I am depriving myself of chocolate, (because, um, NO!) but I had my food planned for the day, and I was going to wait until after today's meeting to treat myself to some chocolate. That's ok, I took my reward early.

Goals for this week
-Make wiser choices when eating out.
-Make exercise a priority, not an “if I have the time.”

Small Changes
WW has this article “28 Small Changes That Will Make a Big Difference.” I want to post one every week, because I like this list, and I don't want to forget about it. Here is the first one:
"Water, water, water, water. (Your skin will look great, too!)"

Playlist
Music is fuel for me. Just as important as air & water, especially when working out. It keeps me motivated, energized & entertained. Each week I want to share a sample of my playlist to show what fuels me at each workout.

Take Back the City – Snow Patrol
Geek Stink Breath – Green day
The Way You Make Me Feel – Michael Jackson
Maria - Blondie
Televsion, Televison – Ok Go
Here It Goes Again – Ok Go
First Time - Lifehouse
Billy Brown - Mika
Bones – The Killers

See you all next week :)

I've decided I want to lose weight and feel better about myself.
In the past, I have feared “attempting” to lose weight, because I have failed so many times and I always feel like shit for it, and I don't really like feeling like shit.

Now I am no longer attempting, I'm choosing to do this. Because that's what weight loss is about, choices. Do I chose to eat healthy foods or do I choose to over eat and choose to feel guilty about it? Do I choose to work out or do I choose to be lazy and choose to feel ashamed about it? Because if I Think I'm going to fail, then I will fail. I need to decide that I CAN do this and have some faith in myself.

To give myself some support, I will blog my progress here. Kind of keeping myself accountable. Also, so I have something to look back on and be proud of.

This is my starting week, so here is some ugly info:

Age: 29
Height: 5'2”
Weight: 200.2 (as of 9/2/10)
Measurements: (as of 9/2/10)
Arms: 13.5 inches
Bust: 45 inches
Waist: 44.5 inches
Hips: 50 inches
Thighs: 26.5 inches
Dress Size: 18, XL – 1X

I will track my weight weekly, and my measurements monthly. After I hit some milestones, I'll post pics to show off my progress (maybe).

GOALS
For my height, “they" say my weight should be between 109-137 lbs. As of today I'm choosing 130lbs as my goal weight (I reserve the right to change this after I lose 10% of my weight). That's 70 lbs to lose. I have time frames, but I am keeping them private at the moment in case those time frames are unrealistic. We will see how long it takes for me to reach my 1st milestone.

Accomplishments this past week:
Making this decision to lose weight, Joining Weight Watchers, Started doing my leg exercises again, Started walking again.

Goals for this week:
Do SOME activity every day, even if it is just my leg exercises. Try to walk for 30 minutes at least 3 days. Do some cardio this weekend. Attempt to incorporate some light activity at work.

I will report back in 1 week.
Wish me luck!