Ready to Read

I have an embarrassing confession.

Even though I graduated with an English degree in December 2012, I haven't read a new book cover-to-cover since then. Yep, you heard right. I'm an English major who doesn't read anymore. Isn't that so sad?!

That's not to say I haven't attempted it. Though the number is pretty small, I have made a few valiant attempts to try.

• My boss gave me a free copy of Gone Girl last spring but I stopped in the middle because a lot of people were giving it bad reviews. (Apparently it's a love-it-or-hate-it book.)
• A friend sent me a non-fiction self help/memoir book (The Happiness Project) that I was super excited to start, but I can't concentrate on it for more than a few pages so I'm stuck in chapter 3. (I find the author's tone a little haughty.)
• Another friend lent me a reputable diet and nutrition book that has awesome advice and pictures, so of course all I paid attention to was the pictures.
• My husband is horrified that I've still never read The Hobbit all the way through so he bought me a beautifully illustrated version for Easter. When we both sat outside for an hour reading and enjoying the nice weather the other day, I only got to page 25. I just kept reading the same sentences over and over every time something distracted me.

When I was a kid, I DEVOURED books. I was the weird quiet kid that always had something glued to her face at school, at home, at family gatherings, at sporting events. My family once got rear-ended by a mini van while we were on vacation, and I didn't notice because I was reading Shiloh and the plot was getting pretty intense. True story.

When I went to college, becoming an English major seemed obvious because I was all like, "Hey, I like books! I can write good! I'll just keep doing that!"

Well, it's quite possible that that decision is part of my current problem. While I absolutely loved my college education and had magnificent professors in Truman's English department, reading 20-40 books per semester really killed my interest in reading for pleasure. I had to learn how to skim, speed read, and fudge my way through assignments because I didn't have enough time or energy to complete everything. Even the ones I was really, really interested in barely got my full attention. I couldn't tell you what happens at the end of The Night Circus because I didn't get that far.

In struggling with my weight issues this year, I've realized that some of my motivation to exercise and eat right has to come from a place that is unrelated to weight. I've gotten too complacent and comfortable with the work-eat-Netflix-sleep-repeat cycle I've been on for a year and a half. Don't get me wrong, Chris and I still do interesting things other than spend all night on the couch, but those moments are few and far between some weeks.

If I want to change my diet and activity habits, it will probably help to change some of my other habits as well. I should spend more time outside. I should choose books over TV and movies when I'm feeling lazy. I should put more effort into running errands and finishing household chores BEFORE I dive into Netflix mode late at night.

I got a new library card after work today for a location that's closer to my house, and came out with a few selections that hopefully will peak my interest. If so, I'm seriously considering looking into Kindle/tablet prices to make reading easier and more convenient. (As I've mentioned before, I'm incredibly lazy.) However, I'm always open to new suggestions! If you have a book you absolutely love and think that I would too, please let me know in the comment section or on Facebook! You don't know how much I'd appreciate it!

Thyroid shmyroid

Well I went to see an endocrinology specialist today, and his main piece of advice was, "More salads."

Kidding. He did say that, but he also noted that I am teetering on the edge of needing to take thyroid and/or diabetes medication if I don't get my weight under control. Ouch. He also did an ultrasound on my thyroid, which confirmed his suspicions that it is inflamed. I had yet another round of blood work done -- six whole vials! I don't really know what they were for at this point, but I assume it's to look at some numbers more closely. Then it's just exercise and eat right until both he and my primary doctor can see me again for a follow-up in three months.

This morning was pretty stressful for me. I'm glad nothing looks too serious at this point, but I really don't want to start taking any medication. I left the doctor's office feeling stressed out and frustrated. I may or may not have cried on the drive to work.

I realize that although I've been doing okay with eating better, I need to keep improving instead of stagnating or allowing myself too much extra junk food at night just because I ate a salad for lunch. I also need to get serious with exercise. Chris and I have a lot of gardening and yard work plans this spring, which helps a lot, but it won't be enough to show true improvement unless I'm diligent about working out every day. With another dog to walk (who's much more vocal about his yearning to go outside), that will be a nice boost of motivation, I suppose.

At this point what I really need is something or someone that will encourage me and push me to get moving. The call of the couch and the Netflix menu is so hard to resist, especially after a stressful day, but I can't remain stagnant if I want to get healthier. Obviously. Why is it that obvious things are so hard for me? Siiiiigh. If anyone wants to take the position of my personal life coach, the job is open.

The past couple days have been a pain in the NECK! Get it?

Well, I'm out of commission this morning due to some wrenched neck muscles. Add that to tire troubles yesterday, and this has just not been my week! But at least it gives me a little time to finally catch up on blogging before the chiropractor's office opens. You all know how terrible I am at updates, so I appreciate you bearing with me and waiting with bated breath for my next post. (Ha.)

I went to my one-month weigh in and checkup with my doctor last Wednesday, where she explained the results of all the blood they had to take. Overall, I'm a pretty healthy person! No cholesterol or blood pressure problems, no anemia, no diabetes (though the numbers were on the high side of normal and I have a family history of the condition, so I'll need to watch it) and I've lost a total of about 6 pounds since last month through just counting calories. A small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

The one area she found troubling was the same issue I had back in high school that turned out to be a non-issue. Some slightly abnormal numbers indicated a possible thyroid condition, though nothing seemed immediately alarming. She wants me to see an endocrinology specialist next week -- the same specialist I saw when I was 18 -- so he can check for himself and make sure I don't have hypo/hyperthyroidism. (I don't really know the difference between the two.) My guess is that he'll say there's nothing wrong...again. However, I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry. Too bad it'll be a $30 co-pay for him to tell me to lose some more weight, eat healthier, and that he'll "keep an eye on it."

In terms of eating healthier, losing a few pounds really has motivated me to continue on this path. Having never owned a scale before, weighing myself was scary and terrible at first, but watching the numbers go down is exciting. Like always, some days are better than others in terms of eating right, but it's starting to feel more normal to cook and eat healthy things on the regular rather than having maaaayyybe one healthy meal a week. I'll give myself a pat on the back for that!

That's about it. Oh, and Chris and I adopted another dog last week. He's a lovable St. Bernard mix with a big bark and a gentle personality. His name is Bingley. (From the Pride and Prejudice movie, where Mr. Bingley is tall and awkward and has red hair. Great name, huh? We're nerds.) Lookie at how cute:

This is the shelter photo. I liked the bandana.

We also finished our Dave Ramsey class and we loved it. We learned a lot and hopefully will be able to figure out how to apply it to our lives in a way that works best for us. Right now we're mostly focused on finishing paying off our last credit card, taking care of our bills on time, and saving money. I'm glad we're doing this now, rather than dealing with a financial crisis ten years from now and relying on the class as a last-ditch attempt to avoid the poor house. I like using old-timey metaphors.

Okay, that really is it. See you later!