Spring is Coming

I can feel it! I smell it in the air. I've gone on a couple long walks this week and they were amazing.

True, this is Michigan. The "spring weather" I say I'm feeling means that it's mid 40's. But still; the snow is melting, and I can see the grass! I'm loving it.

You know what else I'm loving? This week's 4.8 lb weight loss!!! I am on cloud nine right now. I had such an easy week. I didn't feel deprived. I ate amazing food; but I made so many little tweaks that I'm not sure which ones made the difference! Here were some things I did different;

• I ate anything that wasn't finger food with chopsticks (who says you can't eat salad with 'em?). This seriously slowed my eating down. I even DIDN'T FINISH MEALS AT TIMES. That's huge for me. I always clean my plate, no matter how big it is or how full I am. This way, I realized sooner how full I was.
• I flip flopped meals several times. I had a wrap and raw veggies for breakfast, oatmeal and fruit for lunch. Sue me.
• I ate a salad almost every day.
• I ate greek yogurt as an afternoon snack every day, after never really eating yogurt daily before.
• I stopped eating after 6:30 pm, aside from my 1/2 square of chocolate I eat before bed (if I've been good!)

I could get used to this! 9.6 lbs gone since starting weight watchers... and several weeks I just didn't try at all. I think if I can keep with this, I can really get to a good place. I feel good. I have energy, my bodily functions are getting regular (I know... TMI... but it's true!), and I love the choices I'm making. I still have 6 lbs to go until I hit the weight I was at when I got home from China, and 18 lbs until I hit the low I was at IN China. It doesn't seem so impossible!!

A month and a half left of classes. I think I can; I think I can! Between working 45 hours a week, taking 4 classes, dieting, trying to fit in more exercise, and being a loving and attentive wife, I seem to be getting about 4 hours of sleep a night. I'm a drone. Here's an example of a typical week...

Monday:
5:00 am: wake up and do 30 Day Shred
5:30-6:25: shower and get ready, pack breakfast and lunch for the day, leave for work
7:00-4:00: work
4:30-7:00: weekly laundry, house cleaning, preparing meals for the week (cooking quinoa, roasting veggies, cutting raw veggies, baking chicken, etc)
7:00-9:00: online forum for class
9:00-12:00: homework

Tuesday: same up until after work....
4:45-9:50: class
10:15pm - 12:00am: arrive home, straighten up the place, do homework

Wednesday: same up until work... again...
4:30-5:10: Hubby and I are actually home at the same time. We chit chat for about half an hour
5:30-6:10: Weight Watchers meeting
6:30-8:30: online class
8:30-12:00: homework and housework

Thursday: Same as Tuesday, except class goes until 10:15 pm.

Friday: same morning and work schedule
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm: grocery shopping
6:00 -8:00pm: dinner in or out with hubby, maybe even a movie... if it fits!
8:00 - 12:00pm: homework, studying

Weekends are sporatic. I have a 5 hour class on saturday mornings... then there is meal prep, homework, homework, homework, housework, church, and perhaps even saying hello to long lost friends and family.

On top of it all, I only have 5 hours carved out of sleep at night... and hubby comes home from work at 3:00 am, so it gets cut in half. I'm a light sleeper and as soon as I hear him come in the apartment, I'm laying there until he's eaten, showered, and come to bed. Are any of you like that? Since I know that I'm going to be woken up again soon (when he climbs in bed) my mind won't let me fall asleep in the mean time.

I know what you are thinking... I need to find a way for more sleep. But there isn't any. I am not an overachiever this semester, either. The homework time I've allotted allows me just enough time to do all of my required reading and finish assignments. I don't have time for making flash cards, in depth studying, tutor labs, etc. I have a really hard course load. Cutting homework time would mean taking zeros on assignments. I COULD skip working out, but it's only an extra half an hour... and usually I need it to give me the energy to stay awake through the day. Housework time is actually "me" time, a little. I can quiet my brain and keep my hands busy. Hubby helps, but I'm anal and he can't clean to the caliber I can. It will stress me out and keep me awake at night if I know there are dirty dishes in the sink or an unswept floor. So... I just have to tough it out. Forgive me for the fact that blogging is not fit into my schedule!!!

I know my weight loss would be better if I had adequate sleep. I know I could focus more on tests if I was rested. I know that *in theory* it's okay for the house to slip a bit for a month and a half. But believe me, they just can't happen. I'm happy, I'm healthy... and I'm just plain EXHAUSTED!!!!