I'm baaack

We got back from Portland last Tuesday. Everything went well. My sister looked beautiful. I'm very happy for both her and her new husband. My boys were the only kids at the wedding, so we left after we ate at the reception. I couldn't really watch them because I was at the wedding party table and they were with DH at another table. He really took one for the team this trip. He basically was a chauffeur and a babysitter the whole time. He was good about it, though. I felt bad for him.
I gained two pounds during the trip, due to only fast food and restaurants the whole time. I am considering it a victory, however. It was only two pounds when it could have been more.
Now that I'm back and settled in, I'm tweaking my diet again. I'm poring over my raw food cookbooks again. Or is it un-cookbooks since there's no actual cooking involved? I am juicing every other day, because those juices can be pretty high in calories, so every other day evens it out a bit. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself:)
Yoga is going well. I didn't hurt nearly as much after last Friday's class. In speech/communications, I have actually gotten up and spoken two times. For me this is crazy! And for my nutrition class, we have a project involving keeping track of our intake for three days, two of which must be Saturday and Sunday. We have special software that came with the text, and all these reports to print out and hand in along with two questionnaires about our results. I'm looking forward to this project. I've already done my three days of food intake, and am just waiting to do the questionnaires.
According to The CR Way, I should be consuming 1600 calories a day for a 20% reduction in calories. They have me set for my age and activity level at 2000 calories as a base. So figure subtract 400 for a 20% reduction, making 1600. I don't know, that seems high to me, but then again, I've been trying to lose weight forever, so maybe I've been going too low. Anyway, I'm going to set my goal for 1600. I'll report back on how it's working out.

Ouch

Yoga is hard. I am in pain. Everything hurts. My butt, my back, my arms, my abs.... and this was from Friday, and it's now Sunday! I tried everything in class, couldn't do some things, but it was great. I'm going to love Friday mornings I think. Hopefully I won't be in as much pain next time.
I'm currently hovering at 190. Just one more pound and I can officially be in the 180s!! I'm sticking to my calorie goals, exercising, and drinking lots of water.
I'm still lifting weights three times a week and the yoga once a week. I'm still not feeling the treadmill just yet. I'll add it, just later. Trust me, it'll be there when I'm ready. It's just sitting there, taunting me.
I'm making a crockpot dinner tonight. Eggplant and pea curry over brown rice. Sounds yummy, we'll see how it comes out. Last night was salmon with potatoes and spinach.
School is going great. I even stood in front of my communications class and introduced another student! I'm pretty shy and introverted, so this was hard for me. But I'm glad I did it. The professor has us getting up and speaking in every class, so I'm happy I jumped in and didn't die or anything:) I'll hopefully get used to it. I'm thinking this semester I might be able to pull off straight A's. That will really help my GPA.
Well, that's it from my side, hope everyone who reads is doing well!

Packing

I know it's still a week away, but I'm almost done packing for the trip to WA for my sister's wedding. Hey, with two kids, I just know I'm going to forget something, and if I pack it all early, maybe I'll remember by the time we leave!
I'm doing well. Eating is good. Still struggle with the night time some days, but not most. About 2 times a week. I'm sleeping better. Exercise is spotty, at best. I attack with fervor some days, and can't be bothered others. Oh well, I would say I do get exercise most days.
I've been sticking to a calorie level of about 1400 a day. Sometimes higher, usually a little lower. Fat is at around 20 percent. I'm eating a lot of plain yogurt, cottage cheese, fresh fruits and veggies (green smoothies), and dinner is the usual lean protein and some sort of veggie. Last night I made a crockpot full of black beans, served with brown rice. My kids don't even know what white bread and rice is. And that's just the way I like it:) Well, the older one knows about the yukky stuff now that he's in school. Thank you, school district!
My older boy just started first grade yesterday. I didn't get emotional this year like I did the last two years for kindergarten and preschool. I was a wreck for preschool. We walked there, and I bawled the whole way back. Then kindergarten was a little better, just sniffly. But this year, no tears, no eyes welling up. He came back in a great mood and excited. He said his teacher is 'super nice'. I'm enjoying the freedom, even though my 2 yr old is still home. It's much quieter around here.
I'm back in school too. Yoga's great, I think that Friday morning is a perfect time for relaxing yoga stretching. I get to it before my day even starts. Nutrition was good, a little easy. Since I'm so diet-conscious to begin with, I didn't learn much about reading food labels that I didn't already know. Hopefully I'll pick up some new stuff. The teacher is nice, she is also the mother of all boys, so thus the only woman in a house full of boys. We bonded. The class is mostly young men, all athletes. I felt A) FAT and out of shape and B) OLD:) I got over it though. I'm a work in progress, baby! Come see me this time next year!