I went to Whole Foods......

Yesterday, I decided that I would go to Whole Foods.  They just opened here in Greensboro about 2 months ago.  There has been a ton of hype about them, and I wanted to check them out, but heard they were outrageously expensive. 

I prefer The Fresh Market or Trader Joes (cost differences), but you know what, I was really pleasantly surprised.

I went at lunch time because I was out of everything at home.  Oatmeal, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, you name it, I DIDN'T have it for my lunch box.

So, I decided to go to lunch early (10:30) before the lunch crowd hit.

I got this:



Made a mixed green salad with spinach, romaine mix, chickpeas, tomato, onion, feta.  Got some pineapple and grapes.  Then they had this "Super Food" salad....that's what's in the upper right corner - kale, blueberries, pine nuts, tomato w/ oil and vinegar.  The soup was New England Fish Chowder. 

They had SO MUCH on their salad bars it was crazy.  It was like walking into a Golden Corral or something.

While I was there, I also got some ground buffalo (It's great if you have never had it...soooo much tastier than beef), blue cheese / bacon burgers, turkey/spinach/feta burgers, tuna burgers (see the trend here??), unsalted pistachios, 2lbs strawberries, container of blueberries.  All in all, I came out at about 70.00 and that really was not bad.  Especially because of the buffalo and the grass fed beef burgers.  I WILL be going back....it's going to be a weekly lunch thing, I think :).  Now, I don't think my wallet can stand spending that much there each week, but maybe once a month or so.  I DO have other stuff I need to buy each week and with all 4 of us home, that makes it tight.

Last night for dinner, I made Mini German Pancakes.  Please check out "Point-less Meals" recipe here.  They were fabulous!!  The kids and hubby loved them.  I made them with scrambled eggs and turkey bacon.

And finally, I'm at work today until about 3, but I ran to Dicks Sporting Goods to get some stuff.  The boy wanted some disk golf frisbees.  We needed more tennis balls.....have you ever tried to play tennis with only 5 of them???  It gets old having to chase them down all the time.  And a racket for my daughter.....hopefully she follows through and actually comes and plays with us.

Enough playing around......must finish boring regulatory stuff.......

So, when you skip weight lifting for 3 weeks

and you go back again

Guess what?!?!?!

You get sore as crap!!!!!!

OMG....I so did not want to get up this morning.  My chest, my shoulders.....I'm starting to feel it in my tricepts.....ugh!

I'm going to have to go to the Power class on Saturday morning just so I can stretch and work those muscles again.

The plan was this week to do the Power class Tuesday night, but they had a special 2-hour Cardio Tease thing going on instead and I didn't want to go to that.  So, I tried to use the machines while waiting for belly dance to start....It's about impossible to get to any machines, or even most of the free weights between 5 and 8pm.  It used to not be so bad, but now, it's nuts.

Sometimes I wich the gym in my town wasn't so ghetto.  It's full of teenage testosterone and you can't really work out becuase they have so little.

Which means, I belong to a huge chain gym in Greensboro where I work.

Don't get me wrong....I LOVE it....the trainers (well, some of them) are awesome, the classes rock (especially Zumba and Power), and it's just a great atmosphere.

It's just super busy between 5 and 8 :( .

Which is why I started doing the classes.  I got tired of the elliptical and treamill and machines and needed something different.

I don't think they give enought recognition to the group leaders.  They are always bragging on the individual trainers, but never say anything about them.  Granted, most of them are trainers too, but when you are like me and are poor (wait....we're not poor, just frugal....there is a difference), you go the "free" route and do classes.  Plus the atmosphere in the classes - you get to know the people that go week after week and you cheer each other on.  It's a huge lift when others start noticing your weight loss and say something!!!

Like last night....Adrianna (belly dance and core instructor) told me she could tell I have lost since we started.  That made me feel so good - because everyone else sees me every day and they don't see much movement until I've lost a lot more.

12 weeks and counting .... let's keep em coming!!!

26 Pounds and 13% Body Fat

Since starting to be serious about weight loss on March 20th of this year, I have lost 26 pounds and 13% body fat.  I've been on this journey for 12 weeks!  I was so happy this morning when I weighed in.  Upping my calories has apparently worked.  I went from about 1300-1500/day to 1875/day.  I had been fighting the same 3lbs for a few week and couldn't figure it out so met with a nutritionist at the gym last Friday.  I've been tweaking the calorie/carb/sodium/fat balance since then. 

Ugh!  It makes my brain hurt!

And it being Wednesday (and supposed to be wordless) I leave you with this.  Today, it's 58 and thunder stormy.  This picture was taken while we were at the Outer Banks...we were on the ferry between Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island.  See the storms in the distance??

A day in the life of the Regulatory Department

My days at work are so much fun.

I'm considered one of the meanest people in the plant....because I have to be the bad guy 9 times out of 10.

I work for a food flavoring and extract company.

All those ingredients on packages you can't pronounce?

I work with them.

Every day.

Seriously.

My day typically starts at 4:30am.  Get up, let the dogs out, bring the dogs in, feed them, make coffee, pack lunch, make morning smoothie (if that is my breakfast of choice for the day) or oatmeal, and head out the door.

Get to work.

If it's Monday, Wednesday or Friday, suit up and go out to production.  Those are my internal audit days.  Some are good, where all the production employees are following all SOP's and cGMP's and such.....others are really, really crappy.  It can take me anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours do do this audit, depending on my findings.

Go back to office and bang head on desk....depending on findings.

Eat breakfast.

Check email.  Check material quarantine report to see what vendors I have to yell at.  Or, if I have to yell at the purchasing manager.  Or QC.

Type up audit and submit to management.

Make sure I have my corrective actions for said audits so I can complete my verifications and validations.

Currently I am 3 weeks behind.

Because some members of management are incapable of managing.  And can't complete corrective actions because they have so many of them.

Then do preventive actions......**management scratches head and give me blank stair**.....what's a preventive action?  **more banging head on desk**

Check email again.

Today we had a surprise DOT audit.  We are HIGHLY regulated by the government.  You put any 3 letters of the alphabet together, we are regulated by them....FDA...DEA....FAA....DOT.....USDA....etc, etc, etc.  They can come in at any time and audit us.  We also have Kosher, Halal and Organic audits - and yes, we are certified in all 3.

So, we spent 3 hours in this audit.  Short.  Sweet.  To the point.  No issues.

All my minions answered all the questions beautifully.

It was fabulous.  I am so proud.

It shows I can do my job.....and SOME of them actually listen.

Finally had lunch at 1. 

Make sure to scan documentation from vendors....insurance certs from vendors.....input any customer complaints....start investigations on complaints......make sure my boss knows his schedule and send out weekly meeting reminders for the meeting Thursday.  Check to see if production is working this weekend....because I haven't done a random audit on the weekend in a while and that is usually when they ignore SOP's and GMP's.  Walk through the labs and make sure everyone is on their P's and Q's.  Check email again.  Hang GMP audit results on the bulletin board.  Put out fires with customer service/receiving/shipping/new regulations.  Check for recalls from suppliers.  Check NIOSH on new items. 

I do love my job.

I work for a FANTASTIC company....and the people here are great.

It's just frustrating.

And more like 24 hrs a day, rather than 5 days a week.

I take calls on my cell up to 10pm....due to international times.

But, I can't let that hinder my journey :)

and I won't.

I'm an emotional eater.

But not when it comes to work, thank goodness.

That's only about 1/2 my day.

Hip Hop tonight...they are starting a power class tonight, but not sure if I'll stay.  May just go do the weight machines on the floor.  We'll see how I feel.

Fantabulous Weekend .. and a reflection on my Daddy

The weather was perfect this weekend!

I worked on Saturday (boo..hiss!!!), but still went and played tennis with the boy.

Now, I have to remind myself, I HAVE to eat at least an hour before working out.  Period.  If I don't I just feel weak and nauseous.  We were only able to play for about an hour....and that was with me taking one break to lay on the ground.  My serves were stupid, as were my volleys. 

So, Sunday, I went on my normal 3 mile walk with Jody, then went home and cooked the hubby birthday breakfast and then  we went and played tennis....for almost 2 hours !!  Mikey's goal was to make it to an hour and a half.  We have been playing for an hour each time we played now, and he wanted to build it up.  I could tell the last 20 minutes he was really tired.  Now, keep in mind, this is my college senior.  He weighs 196 - but doesn't look it - he's tall and muscular.  But, he's out of shape.  His stamina sucks.  We are going next weekend to get him some new running shoes so we can start training for 5k's. 

Breakfast - 2oz country ham (yes, sodium out the wazoo, I know!!), 1/2c grits w/ sugar free polaner, 1 egg + 2 whites.  The hubby and kids had toast and no grits.

June 3rd is always a happy and sad day for me.

It's my hubby's birthday.

And....it was also my dad's birthday.

Weird, I know, marrying someone who has the same birthday as my dad.  But he's the love of my life.  I couldn't live without him.  He's a great father, a fantastic cheerleader and he takes care of us.  Our 22nd wedding anniversary is in December.

My love on the ferry to Ocracoke Island :

Us at the top of the Hatteras Lighthouse

My dad would have been 64 yesterday.

He passed in 2008.  I miss him every day.  I never got to say good-bye.  The last time I got to talk to him was in August of 2008.  He passed on December 9th of that year....the day before my wedding anniversary. 

Part of the reason that I started this journey is that I don't want to end up like him.  He had multiple health issues.  He had diabetes.  He had congestive heart failure.  He had to have a defibrulator installed.  He had lung cancer at one point, 5 years AFTER he stopped smoking.  The last time I saw him in 2007, he looked like a 90 year old man.

What killed him?

A staph infection that settled in his difibrulator.

I love my daddy.

But I don't want to be him.

Even though I look like him.  Even though I'm built like him, and, unfortunately, so is my daughter, I don't want to be him.

I want to be better - an make him proud to call me his daugther in heaven :) 

I need to get some pictures from the photo frame digital thing my mom sent me for Christmas after dad passed and share them here.  I was definitley Daddy's Girl.

Have a great Monday all :)

Zumba tonight! Then possibly tennis with the boy, and walk with my bestie.