I graduated from cake decorating!

So this what all the complaining has been about. I think it turned out alright. I got my final Wilton certificate last night. There are plans for one more course in May - Gum paste and fondant. I think I'm going to miss all the hulabaloo about Thursdays. I do get to make a Canadian Flag cake for Wednesday so cake will still be part of my week. I suggested that the 5 people of the class get together for dinner.

I'm quite happy that a new month is on the horizon. I want a clear page of a calendar.

This weekend I plan to create a menu plan and ensure I bring lunch every single day next week.
I'm going to figure out to hook up that dvd player to the tv downstairs via a vcr.
I'm going to plan workouts for the week.

Enough with the winging it, it is time to put the plan back in action.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Oy vey, is it only Wednesday?

I feel wiped, exhausted and checked out. Yesterday I was in a course all day and it's been a long time since I had to sit in a lecture style environment. It was interesting but felt long. Got home and made 38 calyx green things for the bottom of all those fondant roses. Finished the 10 roses I still needed. Made 30 leaves and baked the two cakes I need.

Tonight is pack up all those roses and leaves. Fill and frost the cakes, cover with fondant and then make 40 tiny flower cut outs. I'm seriously tired of this cake. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow I tell you.

Two of my colleagues are getting their Canadian citizenship so I'm going to make a Canadian Flag cake for the staff meeting on Wednesday.

The 10lb challenge has resurfaced at work. I offered a few suggestions. We don't do it for money and (when we know who all is participating) I'll get stickers to represent each of us. We'll have weekly goals ie. water, fruits and veg, no chocolate, activity. Then at the end of the month the person with the most stickers wins a non food related little prize. I want us to focus on healthy behaviours not just pounds.

It's been a crazy week food wise. Between the paper due on Monday and this cake for class I haven't had a whole lot of time to plan my menu. I haven't stepped on a scale since Saturday.

Alas I'm looking forward to finishing this cake and having a bit more time to focus on school and me.

Whew!

This morning I dropped by the bank and asked them to check my debit card, and told them about my experience at Safeway. There was nothing wrong, no messages and no flag on the account. The lovely teller suggested replacing the card which I did as a precaution. I think I'll also change my pin monthly. I wasn't super worried as I kept checking my account online for any mistakes and never found any. Plus the bank never phoned or sent a message via online banking so I think the whole thing was Safeway's issue.

On Sunday I continued with my paper and finished it and then emailed it to work so I could look it over with a fresh pair of eyes before submitting.

I also made 28 fondant roses, I just sat and half listened to the oscars as I did this. I still have 10 to do but I'll do those tomorrow night. I'll bake the cakes tomorrow as well. Then Wednesday will just be assembly. I'm out all day Tuesday for a course. Out to dinner tonight. I'm seriously looking forward to not having to make icing for awhile.

Have a groovy day

The haze is lifting

At today's meeting Sheila got to goal. She's lost 114 pounds in 2 years and 3 months. Now I mention the length of time because of course someone in the meeting asked that and it immediatley irritated me. I strongly believe that it doesn't matter how long it takes and you shouldn't compare yourself to someone else. Of course I remember the day she started Weight Watchers and I don't like to think about how many years I've been going and I'm still 40lbs from goal. I don't feel badly or think I'm a failure in any way. It's more the cost of all those meetings. I wouldn't miss them for the world. Losing weight is as much an emotional battle as a pound battle. We all just take it a day at time.

I was up 0.2 and once again I'm okay with that. I tracked one day last week, went out to dinner the night before weigh in. I went to winefest but didn't last long as I couldn't stop coughing. I'm thinking the ice cream at dessert and the wine tasting didn't go so well. I cut out early, waited forever for a bus but was in bed at a decent hour. Never coughed when I got home and slept through the night.

I did purchase a new 3 month tracker as I'm serious about a fresh start. Picked up healthy groceries today. Had a bit of heart palpatations at Safeway. I used my debit card and the girl told me it says refer to Branch. My first thought oh f#@$ not again! I immediately though my card had been skimmed again. I was mad on the way home thinking I've been so careful. Well I got home and no call from the bank and I can access my online banking and there's nothing suspect. Now I'm wondering if it was an issue with the bank. On Monday I'll go to my bank and try it a bank machine so if there's an issue I can just pop in and take care of it. If there is an issue I'm going cash only from now on. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on the online banking until then.

So today I'm trying to write a rough copy of my paper and I'm half done and now on here. I'll try to finish it but if insipiration leaves me I'll be back at tomorrow morning.

Alas, I hope everyone has a great weekend!

The picture of organization

Wowsers was Rocky Mtn Soap packed last night. I picked up the skin care line for 50% off and a couple of other things for 20% off and got a free hand cream. Zipped home, wiped down all the icing making essentials with vinegar as royal icing completely discombobulates when even the tiniest amount of grease touches it. While icing was mixing, I wrote a post it note for all 8 types I needed (varying consistencies and colours). Portioned out the quantities and then mixed colours and changed consistencies (with a wee bit of water) and boom done in 45 minutes.



Then I had to write my job analysis questionnaire. I had done speedy google research earlier and then remembered the textbook from the last class had an example. Now I just need to hunt down people to interview. Got everything done and didn't have to stay up all hours to do it.



Well Saturday will mark the completion of week 6 of my previously discussed 26 week Metamorphosis and things aren't going quite as I planned. I've done a heck of a job of maintaining. So maybe this will be the 32 week metamorphosis, mind you 20 weeks is a long time. I finally feel like I'm coughing less so I think workouts can resume starting with walking and yoga. No running just yet.



Tracking wise has sucked completely and with winefest on Friday this week is going a wee downhill. I'm totally prepared for a fresh start on Saturday for the new and improved 20 week metamorphosis.

Hugs!

Catching up

My apologies about not being on here for awhile. Life just happened.
Saturday-My Dad came in for a visit, fixed the leak in my basement that plumber dude said would take about $300 and I would have to get my water turned off by the city. Well it took one wrench and 4 minutes to fix. Yeah Dad!!!!!
I went to weigh in for the first time in two weeks. So I had one week off sick, didn't track a thing. The following week I ate out for lunch practically everyday and also tracked nothing. Add in the week before TOM and I wouldn't be surprised to see again. Well I stepped on the scale and it danced between .0, .2, .4 and .6 finally landing on a number to give me a loss of .2. Heck I'll take it.

Sunday - Ran around with a friend and saw 27 Dresses (so cute) and watched Knight Rider when I got home. I like it.

Monday-Read 4 chapters in my textbook as I was seriously behind. I have a paper due this coming Monday.

My week is shaping up to be busy. Tonight I'm meeting another friend at Rocky Mtn Soap Company for their skin care launch, then I go home and make icing.
Tomorrow it's cake decorating again but just flowers no cake and I need to have part of the paper ready because I need to interview my co-workers.
Friday is official audit day at work so I get to accompany the auditor. Friday night is dinner with friend and then winefest.
Sat - Sun - Finish paper and make 38 fondant roses.
Egad I'm looking forward to a relatively uneventful last week of February.

Still coughing so finding workouts a challenge with that and time wise.

Oh well, it will all come together.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Playing with Fondant

So my first foray into working with fondant went well. The class was super fast paced as there is a lot of ground to cover. Putting fondant on a square cake is a bit complicated dealing with corners.

I was inspired by Valentine's day. The bow got squished by my cake carrier but you can still get the jest of it. The cake underneath is chocolate with marshmellow filling. The pre bought fondant tastes awful. Our instructor made a marshmellow fondant that she flavoured with chocolate and rum extract. We each got to try a little and that was good. I'll look into that for the final cake.

In other news not much going on, weighing in for the first time in two weeks tomorrow so we'll see how that goes.

Half way through cake decorating class I got a mega coughing fit which lasted until I got home. Had super uneven sleep and was wide awake at 3:30am. Of course about 15min before the alarm went off I was falling asleep again. Though this morning I find I'm coughing less and with not so much umpff.

Only watched half of Survivor last night.

I'm totally pumped to clean my house tonight, the chaos is getting to me.

So I hope everyone has a great long weekend!

Happy Valentine's Day

If you're wondering what this picture is about, get yourself over to Snackie's site and discover Snackie's Self Love Day. I have never had a boyfriend on Valentine's day, well I lie once but he wasn't a Valentine's day kind of guy. This also tells you that my dating time frame caps out a year. I have no ill feelings about this day. I think it's nice that people get flowers and tokens of affections. When I used to work for The Body Shop this was killer day in sales but also made you a little jaded about some men's attitude towards Valentine's day.

I have always been an independant person, it helps being an only child. I'm totally cool with being single as I like to say I'd rather be alone then be lonely in a relationship. I have a hopeful attitude towards love and I'm a hopeless romantic combined with being a realist. If I find the man of my dreams that's great but I'm o.k if that doesn't happen. Let's just say I'm a roll with it type of person, make the best of the circumstances your in. I have no issues with buying myself flowers, but I do that when I want flowers not necessarily to mark a date.

The rules of this day is to post what you love about yourself and to encourage others to post what they love about you. I love that I'm independant and that I'm pretty damn funny. I love that I can turn someone's day around and have them smiling.

On to other news, the coughing seems to be getting less. I wandered over to Rocky Mountain Soap Factory and picked up their cold/flu body butter and bed/room spray. The body butter acts like a Vick's vapo rub sort of thing but is essential oils. Well I sprayed my bed and room with the spray, put the body butter on and coughed more last night than the day before. I did notice the coughing was less intense so I don't know what's going on.

I had to prepare 3 cakes last night. Two for a birthday on Friday and finish off the cake for my class tonight. Well I kind of messed up on the first cake as I didn't really wait for the chocolate to get to room temperature before I folded in the whip cream so it's not so perfect. The 2nd one I was more patient. I was making two because we have about 17 staff and one cake feeds 10, but then I realized that the two cakes from class will probably come to work. I think that's enough cake, I'm enforcing calorie control on people.

My pvr is recording like crazy as I've been either busy or exhausted. I haven't watched Biggest Loser all the way through. I was watching the 6pm version when at 7 my pvr started to record two other shows. Well there's only so much one can do when that happens. I was taping the 9pm version. I did watch the 2nd episode of big brother last night but taped the first. The thing that's a bit irritating about later seasons of these type of shows is that everyone sort of copies previous people's game plans. The couple thing is an interesting twist but we shall see.

I'm beyond excited about Knight Rider and proudly declaring my geek status.

I had totally forgotton that Family Day is on Monday, normally this was an Alberta only holiday but I think other provinces are adopting it. I so need to catch up on some textbook reading as I'm falling behind. Some of the people in my class are driving me a wee bananas. You see I'm a recruiter and have been for 5 years. I'm taking Recruitmen and Selection, so there's a lot of people in this class that seem to have a very in the perfect world attitude towards this subject or are totally oblivious to labour regulations. It shall be interesting.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day everbody and be sure to treat yourself.

And the coughing continues

I hate all cough medicine, cough tablets, anything that tastes yucky. So I've been going the natural root i.e. Honey.

I'm just irritated now as I conducted my first interview since being away and had to excuse myself for a moment as I coughed in a frenzy. I know it will go away and I cough less each day but I'm ready for it to be over damn it.

Interesting tv night my friends. The beginning of big brother and Bob appears to walk out of the weigh in on Biggest Loser. I'm intrigued I tell you.

My delightful cake decorating buddy loaned me a pack of fondant so I can colour it for Thursday and I'll just replace the pack. That's so awesome so I can get a bit of head start.

Apart from that I just keep thinking of all I must do between now and the end of the week.

Have a great day everybody!

Back among the living

Back at work today after a week of feeling totally blah. This must be some sort of super flu as still today I'm coughing and sniffling. At least today I have consistent energy and feel like an engaged member of society.

My 3.5 days at home last week had a repitive patter of wake up, eat something, nap and repeat. When up I would turn on daytime tv and get pretty bored by it's offering. On the View they yell at each other. Regis irritates me. Rachel Ray I can take in doses. I don't even bother with Maury or the others. Oprah gets pvr'd everyday anyway. Dr Phil is no fun anymore.

My favourite soap - Days of Our Lives is painful to watch two days running, - nothing happens.

I couldn't read as every time I coughed (which was a lot) I'd lose my place.

This is not a whoa is me post, we need better daytime tv.

Didn't got to weigh in this week because I felt off and the coughing was still crazy. I didn't actually feel more better than worse until Sunday. It sorta sucks about the weigh in as I knew I'd be down. I didn't track a thing while sick, I just ate when I was hungry. Novel idea really, I was eating normally by Thursday and the loss stayed but now I'm back in the office so we'll see what this Saturday brings.

Of course I didn't go to cake decorating on Thurdsay but thankfully my decorating buddy picked up the lesson book and this week I get to make a cake with fondant. Golly! I feel like I went from kindergarten to High School. I'm a bit nervous as I don't have any fondant to play with and won't until I walk into Michael's cake in tow on Thurdsay.

So Friday will be cake a palooza at work. The class cakes will be here and it's my decorating buddies birthday. I'm making her a frozen mousse cake so that will come to work on Wednesday and live in the freezer until Friday. For a minute I thought I had a paper due this weekend too, but thankfully that's the week after. Plus my Dad's dropping in on Saturday so I've got a lot to do between now and Friday. No rest for the wicked they say.

Tonight I want to practise some of the decorating techniques they covered last Thursday. Tomorrow I need to frost the cake decorating cake (which I baked yesterday) and make the birthday cake. Wednesday haul the birthday cake to work and put together everything I need for Thursday, Thursday cake decorating and Friday clean house.

Oy vey, I think it will be early to bed tonight.

Not Dead

Just knocked sideways by the flu, felt kind of off on the weekend, it went downhill on Monday, home sick on Tuesday, went to work on Wednesday and they sent me home, home today to get to just rest and hydrate.

Flu med thoughts today.
I pvr'd Biggest Loser and watched it yesterday. Wow I can't believe that Kelly and Brittany were eating so low calories. That just goes to show you need to eat to fuel your metabolism.

I stepped on the scale this morning and of course it's showing a loss but that's flu related and not real.

Feeling more human today, hope everyone is doing well.

Week 4 begins and a battle of will this morning

Day 1 Week 4

When I went to bed on Friday I was truly dreading weigh in. I wasn't in control this week, I let my environment dictate my food intake and exercise was the lowest thing on the priority list for me. There were many factors the major one being I was just plain tired. It started with the -50 windchill and steam rolled from there. I know I can't use weather as an excuse but there are some interesting thoughts on how winter can effect us. I was watching the weather network and they had this guy (can't remember his exact title) who has some sort of physical/psychological background and he said that cold temperatures can shut down our bodies. We sort of go into hibernation mode. I don't know what he was basing his stats on but he said most people have a difficult time losing weight over winter.

Now I know that's not necessarily true, plenty of people lose weight over winter. I do think it takes a bit of added mental toughness to drag yourself out into the cold.

This morning I had a mega battle of the mind in terms of do I go to weigh in or not. I was so happy with my loss last week that it was breaking my heart to see a gain. I made a deal with myself that if my home scale said 182 then I'd go. Well when I woke up I was 183. So I waited about half an hour and weighed myself again I was 182.5. So I went and I'm glad I did.
Now once again the differance between my scale and WW scale totally confuses me. Last week there was virtually no differance between them. This week as I said mine said 182.5 and WW said 181.8. So that's a gain of 0.2. Whew! I'm o.k with that. Completely self inflicted and a price I'm willing to pay.

This of course means that this week there will be no excuses. I'm still going forward with the wendi plan and have written all the point targets in my tracker. Here are the goals for this week.
5 days of exercise
Solid water intake (2-3L per day)
Tracking every bite, lick and taste and staying to my points.

I'm feeling positive about the week ahead. I realize my first month of metamorphosis won't result in amazing results number wise but as we all know weight loss is more than the numbers it's the thought pattern behind behaviours.

I know with my whole heart that I want to succeed at this and that is what I have to remember. There's nothing wrong with taking a step backwards, it's about remembering to take a step forward.

Hugs to all and to all a fantastic week ahead.

A metamorphosis does have difficult moments

Day 7 Week 3

Thank you for the comments on my cake. Despite the trials and tribulations of putting it together I'm kind of proud of it.

Well I'm happy to see a new month and heading into week 4 of my metamorphosis. This last week has been rough between the crazy winter storm and a complete disaster at managing my time it's been a right off.

Food wise has been awful over the last few days. I'm not so sure how weigh in will go tomorrow. As I said I'm looking forward to new week and a fresh start. Sometimes it's so hard to keep in mind this is personal journey and that comparing yourself to others is not wise. I'm always happy to celebrate other people's accomplishments and at the same time don't want to know as it makes me question myself. A friend of mine told me the other day that she's so happy to be in the 170s again and while being overjoyed for her it made me feel a little blah. I realize that is totally stupid and that I will get to my goal. Sometimes it's just hard to think of how far you still have to go.

I noticed that a lot of people are using stickers on their calendars for goals. January didn't see a whole lot of stickers for me so I'm happy to be starting a new month.

My goal for February is to get 20 activity stickers on my calendar and to get a better time management system in place.

I had an interesting discussion with a co-worker about finding time to exercise. It really has to be a priority and I've never quite made it that step. So that's my goal to make exercise a priority this month. They say it takes 4 weeks to make or break a habit.

Bring it on!

Here it is....the cake

So now you all know what I've been going on about. The picture on the left is the cake from last night.
Fondant starts next week.

I'll post a normal post a bit later.

Enjoy this for now.