Found mahself a job ... and misplaced 10 pounds

Teaching high school. I start this week. Eek!

Planning, stocking up on easy-to-cook meals, laundry, trying to take the edge off the house-disaster, getting Ninja ready to be without me during the day. That's what's up.

Ninja loves her caregivers - they are people I know well, including my mom - but we're still nursing and I don't know how she'll deal with going without me.

I need to get out of the house, though. The 24/7 at-home gig was not for me. I think returning to work full-time at a highly demanding job will be overdoing it, for sure, but if it's really bad I can quit in summer and never return.

What I hope will never return - how's this for a smooth segue? - are the 10 pounds I lost this month.

In December I stepped on the scale and realized I had just hit 170 pounds (and I'm around 5'5 or 5'6 in height). The heaviest I've ever been and I'm not accustomed to dealing with weight issues. SIGH! I was still 10 pounds over my ideal weight when I got pregnant but I didn't mind - I was fit and active.

I was too sedentary in 2010 and having a baby made me crave junk food like mad. Even chocolate and I don't normally even like that stuff!

Yep, at 170 pounds, something had to give.

I rejoined the gym (finally got time to do this). Trying to work out 3-5 times/week. I like gymming so I don't require motivation to go.

The main change I made, though, was to actually track what I ate every day. Guess what? WAY too many calories. I chopped that down, cut out junk food, and reduced carbs. Am never hungry and my cravings have gone away, hallelujah.

Feels so good to get my stamina back, to see my abdominal muscles return, to see my posture straighten, and to see the emerging muffin-top disappear. I've lost the pudge - 5.5 inches gone from my chest, waist, and hips, and now I'm just curvy. ;)

Gotta lose at least 15 more pounds to be back in my healthy BMI. My plan is to wear a hot fire-engine-red bikini during our March hot holiday. I'm gonna make it, too. YESSSSSSS...