off to a good start...

Today is my first day off this week and I'm off to a good start.

I got up, ate some yogurt and turned on The Biggest Loser Workout on the Wii. I started a 4 week program and am attempting to lose 13 lbs (I think that's what it set my goal for). If I can do that, then I will be where I was at the end of 2009, when I completed my 365 consecutive days of exercise.

My arms are wobbly--today was upper body day (upper body - light 24 minutes/65 calories burned).


then I did a cool down (light - 8 minutes/8 calories).



The last 3 days I worked, but only the first 2 were normal workdays. Monday I walked 15,943 steps (7.55 miles) during my workday, and Tuesday 13,300 steps (6.30 miles). Wednesday/yesterday, not so many...4,507 steps (2.13 miles). The reason for the lack of steps is a pretty good reason though. They are finally putting my heart rhythm reading skills to work! They are training me to be a Monitor Tech/Health Unit Secretary! Finally! I was super nervous, but my preceptor told the director that I am doing "freakin' awesome" and from what the director says, she doesn't say that, and she has trained a lot of people. What a blessing, and confidence booster!! My preceptor said that if I continue the next 4 days of training, like I did yesterday, she is going to push the director to hire me as the new, muchly needed, full time, day shift, Monitor Tech/HUC. Woo Hoo!!!!!! It's patient care, behind the scenes, with a little bit earlier schedule, but something that I LOVE doing :). I like being a CNA, but overtime is a turn off because I am so exhausted after my 3 day stretch working 12 hours each day. Overtime doing this is VERY doable. I wouldn't mind one bit.

The downside of this new job (in my eyes) is the lack of steps. Maybe it might be a good thing though, because since I started working, I haven't been able to get a grasp on the actual number of calories I have been burning (calories burned using METs, vs calories burned on my HRM--which is a HUGE difference) and I haven't had the energy to exercise on my day's off, like I had envisioned when I was a SAHM. Because I don't know how many calories I am exactly burning, I can't do the math correctly to know how much to eat, to lose weight. I feel like I haven't been eating enough, which is probably why I am so exhausted. Yesterday I was not so physically exhausted when I got home either. I felt great. We'll see, and I'll just pray on it. God answers prayers. Maybe this is a God thing, because after all, in order to do what I am training to do now, and might possibly be doing in the future, you have to have a minimum of 1 year of experience doing it already (which the director is very adamant about), because PCU is a critical care unit (a step down from ICU).

Anyway, that's what I have been up to. I plan to be back tomorrow. I have been lurking the blog circuit and reading your blogs, but I've just been silent.

See you tomorrow!

I can do this. I am a star.

I feel itchy, oh so itchy...

The past 2....now 3 days have been interesting. The last 12 hours have been the most interesting.

I went into work as scheduled on Monday and was sent home mid day. I was called into the directors office at lunch and was given some good news (remember that monitor tech class I took in November to learn how to read ECG strips, but then they didn't train me because it wasn't in the budget?). I was avoiding the director, as much as I love her, because I had been told all day that I would probably get sent home if she heard me (I lost my voice), and so when she called me in, I assumed that was what it was for. She said that they were going to train me, and I exclaimed in my raspy half-voice, "I am so excited! Thank you!"

Immediately she responded with "What's wrong with your voice?" I thought, "awe crap." lol. So she sent me home and said we would discuss the details on Tuesday when I got back to work, if I was feeling better.

By Monday night, I felt a whole lot worse and called in sick for Tuesday. I decided that if I didn't feel better Tuesday mid-day, that I would make a doctors appointment, and I did.

I went to the doctor and he prescribed an antibiotic, Azithromycin, and some cough medicine. He said take 2 of the antibiotic the first day, and then take one for the remaining 4 days. Less than an hour after I took them, I noticed some hives developing on my stomach. I tried to eat dinner but had no appetite (me??? no appetite?? something is definitely wrong lol). An hour later, they were all over my stomach and my bottom. The pharmacy said to stop taking the antibiotic (ya think?) and start taking benedryl so I did, but they kept getting worse. And worse. And worse. I called in work for today as well (Wed) so that I could get things fixed at the doctors office. I went to sleep and woke up covered in hives--head to toe (face, palms, arms, neck, ears, legs, back and all--even armpits!) and they aren't slowing down. How nervous would the patients be to see me if I had decided to go to work today. lol.

Anyway I called the doctors office this morning, and the answering service put me through to his cell phone. He wasn't any help. He said to take benedryl--50mg every 6 hours, which I am doing already. He hasn't seem them, but isn't too concerned with my "rash." lol.

Anyway, back to square one. Hopefully I can go see him, and he will fix the antibiotics and give me a steroid for the hives. This isn't the first time that I have had hives, and I've learned in the past that the only way they go away, for me, is with a steroid. I will play his game though. ;)

Still no exercise, and I am still sick and oh so itchy.

There are so many worse things to have out there, than hives, so I can smile. Definitely not the end of the world, and I am already laughing about it. It makes my hubby nervous though. (that makes me laugh too).

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday!

I can do this (although I'm not quite sure what I'm doing). I am a star.

Excuses, excuses and more excuses

So it's been like a month since my last post, and I have gotten so far behind in updating here, that I don't know where to start.

I have been exercising at least 4-5 times a week, no less, sometimes more. I am averaging 12k-13k steps at work, and I have been sick twice in the last 3 weeks (son got a cold, then me, then son again, then hubby and now me again). I'm sick right now. I even look sick, which isn't very nice to hear, when you spent over an hour putting on war paint, and primping. lol. It's kinda funny at the same time though. It's not a head cold so I am laying off of the exercise till it goes away.

I did most of the 30 day challenge for February on the Wii EA Sports Active, but missed a day (a work day) and it threw me off on the "game" and so I started it over again in March, but missed 2 days because of being sick/work schedule. My son stopped taking naps during the day and so my "me time" is gone as a result. Lots of excuses I know. Now that it's written and I can visualize my wall, I think I can start to chop away at it. Maybe I need to use a calendar and schedule things in. Regardless, I need to do something because I am gaining weight again. I need to start w/ the measurements and do it all again like I did during my 365 days of exercise in 2009. I can do this. I know that I can.

I also started a bible study with my MIL on Wednesday nights, which I won't be able to do the next 2 Wednesdays because I am working. I need to make my relationship w/ God a priority again and I think that just in general I just bit off more than I can chew for the moment. Exercise is still very important though.

I know that I am not eating enough, but it's so hard to eat when you're busy, and food is the last thing on your mind. AND my oven doesn't work. It is a broiler. I burn anything and everything I put in it, and it makes the thought of food annoying for me, becuase the oven heats at over 550F when set at 300F (my thermometer wont register anything over 550 and the numbers weren't slowing down before it got to "high"). More excuses. I think I am cranky too, so I am venting... sorry.

Anyway I need to go to bed. I feel pretty crappy. I thought I would just pop in to say "hi" while my water is heating up for my theraflu.

I promise to pop in again soon.

Thanks for sticking with me! You guys are great.

I can do this. (I did once before!) I am star.