Hola Amigas (and any Amigos)

Here I am, ready to report!  Today was just a really nice day.  Kudos to the mother-in-law for being a trooper to take the kids to music lessons and even drop off a DVD at the library.  She said she is not cut out for it, though.  LOL

I started my morning off right by doing a 1-mile walk.  I did the warm up and mile 5, the speed walk.  It's a 12-minute mile and you feel it, too!

Instead of skipping breakfast to save points, I had a low-points breakfast.  I enjoyed a vanilla flavored Oikos Greek yogurt, blueberries, and 2 turkey sausage links.

5 points+.

Seriously, do NOT skip breakfast just to save up on points.  EAT!  By not eating, you are really setting yourself up for major failure.  Be sure to eat protein, too, even if you have to resort to a spoonful of peanut butter.  I have learned that this is a very important "rule" of not starving for the entire rest of the day.

Just about 3 hours later, I was sitting at a booth with my sweetie.  Basically, he watched ESPN highlights while I yapped about things that really don't matter to men.  ROFL  It's okay.  He gave me FULL attention.... during commercials.  Hehe  I thoroughly enjoyed chips, salsa, naughty cheese dip, a fajita taco salad, and a side of rice.  Oh yes, it was that worth it to me!

I want to say 40 points+.  

What is your opinion, please?  I don't want to aim for too low at all, but I also don't want to wipe out too many points.  I dunno - I figure with chips, salsa, cheese dip, meat, veggies, shell, guacamole, sour cream, and rice... 40 is fair???  Whatcha think?

I do want to say that this place has the most amazing Mexican food EVER.  The meat and veggies are never drenched in grease/oil/whatever like other places we go to.  YUM.

Next, we drove down to the shoe store.  It was about another 30 minutes away from the restaurant.  I got very nervous before going in.  I do have to say I was the only overweight person in the place.  But yanno, I'm a human being who wants to change and needs to change.  I just "got over it" and went on in.  :)  Pretty neat store!  They met me at the door and asked my name and found a worker to work one-on-one with me. There was no wait at all today.  It was Fleet Feet Sports.

The husband once again lucked out with ESPN to watch while I yapped with the sales lady and tried on shoes and inserts and moisture wicking socks.

I found out my right foot is 0.5" longer than my left foot.  Apparently, that's a very common thing to have 2 diff sized feet.  Get this - she said I needed a size 9.5.  WHAT???  I have been wearing an 8.5 here at home.  I knew they felt a bit snug sometimes, but a whole size bigger?!  She explained that if you wear an 8 or 8.5 in a dress shoe or "every day" shoe, you usually need a whole size bigger in an athletic shoe because your feet expand as you exercise.  I was very skeptical, but she came back with 2 pair of shoes in a 9.5 and I really loved the fit!

She immediately noticed my super flat feet.  I told her about my knees dislocating.  She said I had a very straight foot and needed a straight designed shoe.  It was eerie for her to watch me walk.  I even got to walk outside, though, on flat and uphill sidewalks.  Turns out, the outside walk up the ramp is what helped me make my final decision.

Sadly, my shoes aren't the cutsie, stylish shoes I was hoping for.  No.  People like me with severely flat feet need practical, supportive shoes that have a good insert in them.  We tried on several other arch enhancing inserts, but they made the shoe fit oddly.

I made my purchase.  I'll just be up front with you.  The shoes are a brand called Brooks.  I had no idea what they cost because you just don't factor that in when you are deciding how the shoes feel.  You can just tell that you don't go there.  LOL  I found out my socks were $10 for one pair and my shoes were $140.  When she said $160-something, I had to pull out my skills from drama class in high school to act like "that's cool, not expensive at all."  ROFL  Instead of using my debit card as planned, I put the shoes on the credit card.  I thought my husband would die, but he said he was expecting that.

WELL I WASN'T!

But upon using the restroom, I saw this sign over the water fountain:

I immediately tried to apply that to me.  Maybe, just maybe, this shoe will help my feet not to hurt after an outdoor walk.  Maybe the fit and the moisture wicking socks will keep the blisters away and I can be a happy walker.

Then, of course, I thought the sign was actually probably about Cinderella, not Staci.  ;)  So anyway.  I let you get all up in my biz by telling you my shoe price.  I guess I'm just so shocked!  The credit card is 0% interest for a year, so no big deal.  I told my husband these shoes could be my Vday AND my bday present.  That's just craziness.

So here they are, socks and all.  LOL

Like I said, not really lookers.  I was hoping for some bright neon colors or whatever and a smaller design.  Nope, not this flat-footed girl.  But if these puppies will help me not mind exercising and aid in weight loss, I will cherish them.

In fact, I was going to make tomorrow a rest day but now I want to walk - even if it is on carpet in my living room.  Ha!  It's *amazing* the amount of support this shoe gives my feet that my old ones didn't have.  I guess Walmart isn't really the place to buy everything, huh?  Ha!

Next we went to the mall to buy hubby some more dress shirts for preaching.  He also needed new shoes.  He wears shoes out seriously like every 2 months because of all the walking he does as a meter reader, so he just gets cheap shoes.  He was thrilled to see Sears had some $40 tennis shoes on sale for only $19.99.  Whateva... cheap skate!  Bwahahahaha

Then we drove to our favorite ice cream stop.  He got "the usual" - aka Peanut Butter Galaxy - but I wanted something different.  I went for Red Velvet Wonderful.

I'm saying 15 points+.

I got a small.  So did he.  Once again... I really don't know.  I'm just throwing out a number.  I seriously don't want to go to the site and see the real info.  LOL  Plus, I subbed out one ingredient for a different one, so it wouldn't be accurate.

Photo op!  I was able to get one I was satisfied with. I hate seeing how I gained back all (plus some) in my face, but it is what it is.  Man, my husband DESPISES that saying.  LOL  Oh well.  It just is!  ;)  I hate that he was hiding the good side of my hair.  MEN.  Hehe

And can you believe that we ate lunch at 11:30 and ice cream at 2:30, and I haven't eaten the rest of the day????  It is now 10:47 pm, and I am just 100% honest NOT HUNGRY.  That huge-calorie Mexican meal fills me to the brim every time.  I always overeat there.  I admit it!  But  I didn't feel sick after leaving today.  I actually felt good.

I did have 3 bites of something.  The husband went out at around 8:00 pm and got heart-shaped Dunkin Donuts for the kids.  They have been so set on having these.  I thought they might run out on Vday, and I sure didn't want to bring them into the house tomorrow!  So since we had The Marble Slab, they got a donut.  I was SO, SO PROUD.  I figured I would eat one... yanno, cheat day.  Instead, I took one bite and thought "this really isn't that great."  I took another bite.  Then I took a lick of the inside filling and asked the husband to ditch it.  It used to be a heart, and here is what I ate.

3 points+.

For once in my life, it just wasn't worth it.  It wasn't worth the taste.  It wasn't worth the defeated feeling I would have after.  It wasn't worth the # on the scale tomorrow.  It wasn't worth running my blood sugar up.

It just wasn't worth it.

In a nutshell:  Even though I was gone a majority of the day, I still managed to drink all 80 oz of water.  I am short 2 f/v servings today.  I don't have any ripe bananas, or I'd eat one real quick.  I suppose I'll live if I don't hit 5 f/v servings, right?  Be sure to let me know what you think about the 40 points+ for lunch.  I value your opinions.  I am so worn out tonight, y'all.  I can't wait to fall asleep!  Night!