Good Weekend and Moving On..

I was not looking forward to this three day weekend..at all. I'm one of the really weird ones who actually doesn't like weekends as much as weekdays. During the week, there is routine. On the weekends in my house, it's like a freakin' free for all!

However, I was thinking this afternoon what a pleasant weekend this has actually been thus far. I got in a good cardio session on the eliptical both mornings and am now up to 50 minutes with a steady increase on the resistance and intensity. I usually also try to do more eliptical in the evening and will do that tonight. I've been able to spend some good time with the kids, including playing dolls with my little one this morning! I snuck away for a few hours last night to meet a friend and go shopping at a KILLER mall. Drove over an hour home from the Mass Pike with hardly anyone on the road because I'm pretty sure everyone was either at the Pats/Broncos game or home watching it. I made it home in time to watch the second half of the game with my husband.

Our former nanny, Mara, came over today to visit and it was a great visit!! I miss her so much. She was such a huge help to me. I didn't plan on her for dinner, but we decided on a stir fry. I made a huge veggie stir-fry for her, Lizzie and I as the kids and Matt wanted something else.

When we are at the store together and I was grabbing all the different veggies, she said in her awesome Brazilian accent "who are you and what have you done with my Julie?" That made me feel good! :)

I have been doing very well staying within my calorie range and sticking firm to what I will and will not eat. Cravings for refined sugar and carbs have greatly diminished and I'm really thankful. It hasn't been that hard. My head is in the game and I've just decided what I want for myself.

My goal for this week is to take a much closer look at my sodium intake and increase my vegetables and fruits. I will often have a turkey wrap with a Joseph's flax tortilla wrap. 70 calories...5 net carbs. **360** whopping mg of sodium!! YIKES!

Also, I'm finally adding back in weights for the first time since before my surgery. That has been one of my biggest "fears" since surgery. I *probably* coulda/shoulda started this in August (when the doctor said it was ok to use weights) but I still wasn't feeling great. Prior to surgery I was having this weird thing happen with weights that my heartrate would *soar*...like to 170-180!!! ..yet I could do cardio fine and it would be tough to get above the 150s. There was a name for that that the neurosurgeon used but I can't for the life of me remember it.

So, it's time. I'll start slow and I know it'll be ok. No more excuses!!

I have to be honest. Brain surgery *was* a legitimate excuse. *Now*, almost a year later, it's a convenient one.