Journey Update Week 8

Hey readers!  It's been a while since I last wrote.  First thing is to update you on is my weight loss journey.  I went through a short plateau last week that really frustrated me!!!  I was stalled out and not moving and getting really upset about it. So, I learned that I had to drop my calories back down to 1200 and I did that for the last 2 days (not that I was crazy high or anything.. I was between 1300 and 1400 most days but under my calorie goal always).  I lost 2 pounds in the last 2 days!  So, I'm now down 18 pounds!   7 pounds to go until I can get my dog!  I can't wait!!! I keep seeing postings on facebook for dogs that are available and I want to help them all!

Everyone has been noticing my weight loss too which has been awesome and I did a little shopping and got myself smaller sized jeans (1 pair) and 2 smaller shorts, 2 skirts and 4 tops.  Not doing anymore shopping until my trip with my girls at the end of the month!  I'm hoping I'll be at my 25 pound goal by then!  Oh, I also chopped my hair off!  It looks super different and is REALLY SHORT!

Hair Before:                                                               

Hair After:

This ending of the school year is a busy one!  3 events for the kids this week - Daniel had his very first Tee Ball game last night, tonight he has a school concert (his first ever) and then Thursday, Nathan has Donuts with Dad at school.  I can't believe Nathan only has 3 days of school left!  I can't wait for school to be over.  I'm looking forward to being able to not worry about getting dirty after I have had my shower.  I really like my new hair cut.  If I do get dirty, it's a snap to dry and style :)

18 pounds being gone has made a big difference in how I feel.  I'm feeling more confident but I still have most of my extra weight in my middle section.  Some of it might be extra skin from having such big babies!  I was HUGE by the end of each pregnancy and by huge I mean HUGE belly - not everywhere else. :)  It has gotten smaller which is making me happy.  When, not if, it goes away, I'll feel accomplished for sure.  That is my most hated part of my body right now. Fortunately, I can hide it most of the time!

We are getting our deck done too... hopefully this week.  Our contractor informed me that he is down a guy this week which he wasn't expecting so I don't know where that leaves us.  I'm really hoping that we'll have a new deck by this weekend.  I hope and pray!  Our new patio table and chairs came on Friday and I want to get it all assembled but I'm not going to until we have a deck to put them on.

I think that is about it for me this time!  Thanks for reading - I love to write! 

Weight Loss Week 5

Hi there!  Today starts week 6 and the end of week 5.  I have lost a total of 12 pounds.  This past week wasn't a huge weight loss but I still lost a pound.  Not bad.  I indulged a little bit since it was Mother's Day.  I went out with my friend Jill Friday night to a really nice restaurant and has some absolutely fabulous food!  No regrets... I worked out like mad that day!  I burned over 800 calories exercising so I could eat what I wanted that night.  I even had a delicious glass of wine!  This journey has been so rewarding and life changing for me in such a positive way.

I'll be honest with you, this week was a major challenge for me.  It was super stressful and irritating and emotional - all triggers for me to go comfort myself with some chocolate or cookies.  I didn't do it.  Instead, my instinct wasn't to go stuff my face.  I wanted to go to the gym and sweat it out instead.  That realization in itself was major for me.  It kind of made the emotional ups and downs of the week worth it.  I got mad a lot last week.  One example of why - my 4 year old - Nathan.  I found him and Xander in my newly remodeled master bathroom holding my new nail polish upside down and open and pouring it all over the floor, vanity, side of the toilet, granite counter top, his hands, feet and face.  I think I had my first actual conniption.  I was so angry I screamed at him and scared him.  I don't think he'll ever do that again.  HA!  I apologized for yelling at him so much but he needed to learn that it's not ok to play with Mommy's nail polish - EVER.  This was just one thing - one major thing that happened that made me really upset this past week.

An up from the week was that while I was looking at some old pictures on Facebook, I found one from my 33rd birthday that I thought was a pretty good picture of me.  I saw the difference in my face between then and now.  I was stunned.  I didn't realize how pudgy my face was and how much thinner it is now!  Here ya go... comparison:

Before:

 

After ^^^^

 Can you see the major difference?  That was a huge moment for me.  Seeing it there in photographs really made it real.  Seeing the numbers on the scale helps and feeling my clothes getting looser helps too.  I really wanted to SEE a difference in my face, abs, thighs, arms, etc.  I can now.  People are starting to notice.  I got the best remarks from one of my pastors on Tuesday.  I saw him in the morning while I was heading in to Nathan's preschool to pick him up and he was leaving.  I hadn't seen him since I started losing and he noticed immediately.  He told me that it's working, I look great and that Chris should lock me up so he doesn't lose me!  HAH!  That really made my day and probably my week since I'm still talking about it!

Below is a pic my friend, Meghan posted as a "throwback" photo.  This is me and my fellow high school senior cheerleaders back in 1997 at our last basketball game of the year.  I'm hoping to look this good again by next year!  Do ya think I can?  Or maybe get close...  My belly will never look the same again no matter how much weight I lose.  The stretch marks are bad.  LOL!  I'll never wear a bikini again but I'll rock my one piece or tankini hard when I get there.  Even now I think I'll feel more confident than I did in my bathing suit.

I was so small back then!  Even when I met my husband I wore between a size 2 and a size 4.  Then my thyroid stopped working right and it all went downhill from there!  I'm not going to let my thyroid get the best of me anymore!  I even went to the gym on Mother's Day and did my longest stretch on the elliptical ever - 40 minutes!  Woohoo!

I will keep going.  I will lose this weight.  I will get healthy.  I will live a long life for my kids.  I want to be around to see my grandkids grow up and their kids too.  My grandma is still around at age 85 and still doing great!  I hope and pray I have her longevity too!  Other than the thyroid and the slightly high cholesterol, I'm super healthy!  No high blood pressure - in fact the last time I went to the  doctor my BP was almost too low.

 I keep this scripture in my head all the time - especially now - "I can do all things through Christ Jesus" and that God never gives us more than we can handle. Keep that close to your heart, everyone!  He gives me the strength to get through this!!!

Well, I need to get moving for today!  Get my exercise in... I'm going to cut the grass for my main cardio work out.  Did you know that counts as cardio?  So does cooking!  Who would have thought?!?!? 

Have a great and super blessed week everyone! 

Week 4 Update

Today ends week four for me.  I have officially lost 10 pounds in the last 4 weeks since I started my lifestyle change.  I call it a lifestyle change because it's not a diet.  This is not a temporary change.  This is forever.  Once I reach my goals, I'll be able to scale back a bit on the exercising and the calorie restriction but I'll continue to watch what I eat and work out regularly in some way.  I'm looking around for dinner things to do for exercise because while using the elliptical is an awesome work out, it also becomes a bit redundant when it's all I get to do for cardio.  So, now that the weather is warmer, I've been taking walks and I'll be running around playing with the kids more too.  I took an hour long walk with Kona and while pushing Xander in the stroller.  I'm hoping I can convince my husband to either purchase a new Wii or get a Wii U because our current Wii is broken.  We can't play any games that use a disc - the disc reader doesn't work anymore.  I don't know if he'll go for it or not.  I really wanted to do my Zumba game for the Wii today but I couldn't because it's broken.  I also like to use my Wii Fit and I can't use that either.  Maybe that could be my Mother's Day gift... hee hee hee!

The best part is I'm starting to be able to actually SEE a difference and not just feel it.  My clothes are getting a lot looser.  I tried on some pants that have been tight since I bought them yesterday and they were loose!!!  That was an awesome feeling!  Also, 2 different people saw me and asked if I was losing weight because they could see a difference this week! YES! 

The part I'm really waiting to see a difference in is my face.  I'm sick of having a round face and 3 chins if I don't remember to stick my chin out.  I hate having 3 chins in pictures. It drives me crazy!  I'm starting to see a tiny difference.  I can see my cheek bones a little bit more now which is great!  Above the multiple chins.  Below is me sticking my chin out to avoid the multiple chins.  Haha!

Although some days are frustrating because there is no movement on the scale, I tell myself maybe it'll be tomorrow and be happy that it didn't go back up!  I've been losing around 2 -3 pounds per week.  I'm really happy with that!  10 pounds in 1 month is awesome!  If only that momentum would keep going... I have a feeling it will slow down.  I can't really cut my calories down much lower without not getting enough food and causing my body to go into starvation mode.  Myfitnesspal yells at me if I don't have 1200 calories at least in a day.  So, I usually will go have a small snack to get there if I need to.  I don't want to go into starvation mode!!

 This was me before I went out to a bachelorette party.  Please disregard the messy kitchen in the background.  This was on April 13 so about 3 weeks ago.  Below is me today.  I'm not sure how much of a difference you can even see because of the difference outfits.  But here ya go anyway!

And so the journey continues!  I thank all of my readers that are also my friends and/or family and have been encouraging me and cheering me on!  It really helps to keep me going and stay accountable!  Until next week... hoping I can tell you I lost 2 or 3 more! 

Week 3 Update!

I know you're all holding on to your seats... hahhah!  I have now lost 8 pounds as of a few days ago.  I could be down more by tomorrow... here's hoping and praying!

I'm super proud of myself right this minute.  I pushed myself and did 30 minutes on the elliptical at home.  For some reason, our elliptical at home is harder than the one at Planet Fitness.  That one was easy to do 30 minutes.  At home, a little tougher but I think I'll be able to do more than that tomorrow or the next day.  I feel stronger and like I have more stamina.  When I started, I did 5 minutes and had to take a break and then 5 more and break and then 5 more.  Being able to keep going and not feeling super hot or sweaty is awesome!!!!!  I'm not trying to toot my own horn.. I'm just excited that I was able to meet that goal today : ) 

In June, I'm going on a girls' weekend with 3 of my friends.  I am really hoping to be negative 20 pounds by then....  Do you think I can do it?  I really really really hope so!  I'm hoping that over the summer, I'll reach my first goal of 25 pounds lost and I'll be able to get another dog!  My real first goal is that 10 pound mark.  I'm so close I can taste it. 

I really hope that I'll be able to see the weight loss when I look in the mirror soon.  I can feel it - my clothes are getting looser for sure.  I had to go smaller on the bra back strap which is exciting!  I want to go down a few sizes before our trip so I can do some shopping at the outlet mall with confidence! 

The best part about all of this, is that I am at the point where I KNOW I can stick with this.  I can do it.  I'm working out in some for every day.  My initial goal was 5 days a week but I'm doing it every day and I technically earn extra calories when I work out but I'm not really using them.  It's nice to know that I have them to use if I really want something like some cake or chocolate or something.  I have found some great recipes and low calorie snacks that are quite tasty so they are making it easier to stay on track for sure.  YAY! I'm sharing them with friends and family too.  I'm on a health crusade for myself.  I know that I'm feeling strong in this because of God.  He's keeping me focused and determined.  I WILL DO IT! 

Over the weekend, we went to Greenfield Village to take our boys to the Day Out With Thomas (the train).  We had a fantastic time.  We ate at the Eagle Tavern for lunch and had food from the 1850's.  It was delicious and I was happy to find something that worked with my diet too!

This picture above is of my mother-in-law, Jocelyn with Nathan.  Mom is suffering from some Lime Disease right now so we got her a wheel chair to make it easier on her for getting around the village.  Nathan had a great time getting to ride on Grandma's lap. 

 Here's me and my Xander.  He LOVED getting to ride on Thomas and I loved that he wanted to sit with me and we got to see Thomas when we leaned out the side a bit.  That is how I got the below picture.  I'm hoping that as the weight loss progresses, I won't be having to worry about having 3 chins in pictures anymore!

 This was my meal at the Eagle Tavern - Corned Beef and Cabbage with roasted potatoes and carrots.  Delish! I also had some Hot Mint Tea that was great too!

This is a picture of my father-in-law - Mark and Daniel on the train ride. Even at 6 years old, Daniel really enjoyed riding on Thomas. 

Thomas went by us at the main gate and we got to wave as he went by.  Xander was so excited!!!!

I'm blessed also to have support from my family and friends.  Even with eating out almost all weekend, I stayed on track!  I'm enjoying sharing my journey with all of you.  I hope you are all enjoying sharing it with me.

Update!

So, today ends week #2 of the weight loss reboot!  I have successfully lost 6 pounds so far!  This has been a MAJOR lifestyle change for me and when I say major I mean M.A.J.O.R.!  Giving up eating what I want when I want has been tough as well as giving up some of my down time to exercise and/or go to the gym.  I don't' have has much down time to watch my shows and relax in the evening and I'm not having a glass of wine as often as I'd like.  I can't eat as much as I'd like to when it comes to pizza or cake BUT, I'm happy not to.  The results are worth it to me! 6 pounds in 2 weeks is GREAT!  If I keep up at this rate, I'll be down my 25 pounds in no time!  How awesome would it be to be down that much before I go on my girls' weekend trip in June!?!?  TOTALLY AWESOME!

Using My Fitness Pal  to keep me on track has been perfect for me!  I have the app on my phone so I can see how many calories things are when I'm on the go and track my food then and there so I don't forgot how much I had.  I highly recommend it and if any of my friends want to join me, I'd be happy to motivate you!

I have to give props to God here.  I truly believe that with God, I can do anything.  I prayed a lot about my weight and my struggle to change my lifestyle.  I really really really want to be healthy and thin and happy.  I want to be comfortable in my own skin and confident in my appearance and not have to be so self-conscious about how I look all the time.  I'm on my way!  God is giving me the determination to do this and the perseverance to see it through.  I trust HIM!

Thank you to everyone that has been encouraging and for recipes and advice!  You all help more than you know!

Today is a special day in our family - my son Nathan turns 4 today!  He's having fun playing with his brothers and his daddy right now so I have a minute to write.  I'm so proud of him.  He's a really great little boy and while he has his faults (we all do), he's an amazing, sweet, smart, funny and adorable kid!  I have been so blessed with my little boys!  I wouldn't trade them for anything.  My life is pretty darn sweet - my only real complaint about it is my weight.  I can do something about that, so I am! 

Once I reach my first goal of being  -25 pounds, I can start looking for a new addition to our family.  I can hardly wait to save a dog from a shelter or the pound and give him/her a family to love them and care for them. My heart breaks every day when I see posts on Facebook or Pinterest about dogs or cats that have been abused or abandoned.  It's so WRONG!  I have always been an animal love to the core and always will be.  SO EXCITED!

Lastly, I want to talk about another truly awesome thing that happened today!  My friend Katie got baptized today!!!!!  I am so excited and happy for her!  It was amazing to witness it and to see God's presence in her life and her heart!  Her fiance and my old friend Ryan couldn't be happier about it.  Truly a blessing to be a part of it!

OK, I'm done rambling now.  Thanks for reading and sharing in my goings on! 

Weight Loss Re-Boot Week 1

Well, they say getting started is the hard and sticking to it is harder.  I have survived my first week into this journey to a thinner, healthier and stronger me.  I can't wait to be that person! Up until yesterday, I stayed under my calorie goals.  Last night, I went to a bachelorette party and went a little bit over! EEK!  So, today, I was going to take as more of a rest day- mostly a day off but not happening.  I know that I can't be perfect all of the time and I decided last night to cut myself some slack and enjoy myself.  It's not every week that I go out to a bachelorette party.  In fact, that is one of 3 (aside from my own) that I have ever been to and it's been 2 years since my last one.  So, I'm not worried.  I'm allowed a little bit of flexibility and fun as long as I don't take it too far! 

I lost 3 pounds in my first week!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!  So, I have 22 left to lose to get my dog.... it's getting closer!  According to the program I'm using that is much like Weight Watchers but is free and there's an app for it, I should be down 12 pounds total by mid May which means I'll be half way there in 1 month!  How awesome is that?!?!?  I'm pretty stoked and very motivated to do this. 

I'm not doing it alone though.  I have a great support system in my hubby, Chris and my mom (she's my workout buddy at the gym), and I have some supportive and motivational friends too!  Encouragement and accountability are the best things for someone striving for a weight loss goal.  My biggest supporter is GOD.  I've been praying for a kick in the pants to make me get off my lazy butt and DO IT!  He gave it to me with the news of my high cholesterol.  I think I'll be bringing it down quickly with HIS help!  I'm praying daily for his continued strength and support and for him to keep me motivated in this journey!  I plan to build a healthy life style once I get to my ultimate weight loss goal, to maintain it and be comfortable in my own skin and confident again. 

I used to get looks from guys all the time (not that I really noticed buy people would tell me).  It's a bit disheartening when you're out with your friend who is the same age as you (a few weeks older in fact, and she gets carded when you're out and you don't.)  That has been bothering me for years.  Now, I really only get compliments on my hair - which is really nice but I want my old body back that I totally took for granted.  My weight gain isn't entirely my fault - mostly yes but some no.  Having the thyroid problem made me suddenly gain weight because it caused my metabolism to drop drastically.  I'll be on medication for my thyroid for the rest of my life - BOO. There are worse things though!  A pill every morning and a blood test every so often to monitor the levels isn't so bad.   I'm very blessed that I have such an awesome husband that loves me and still finds me sexy even in this bulky and lumpy body.  I can't wait to FEEL sexy again.  It's been a very long time since then.  I'm going to get there!

So, I made it to the gym 4 times this week and exercised every day whether at the gym or at home.  I've been eating healthier and found some awesome healthier snack and meal alternatives and I'm already feeling a bit thinner in the middle and stronger in my core!  I worked on my abs for 6 days straight!  I'm taking a day off today to let them rest... maybe.  That could change later though! 

Hope you all have an awesome day and if you're looking for motivation to get started, pray about it.  I needed it and I got it.  Ask you and shall receive!  I'll be glad to encourage you if you'll encourage me! Until next time.... 

Weight Loss Re-Boot

As some of my readers know, last year I embarked on a weight loss journey.  I did ok and lost 10 pounds.  I have kept those 10 pounds off but I have had a hard time losing anymore.  My schedule now that school is in, makes it more difficult.  I had no problem getting my exercises in and making myself healthier meals because we didn't have to get up and go anywhere in the morning during the summer months.  I made myself egg white omelets with fresh ingredients and turkey bacon with fruit a lot.  I don't have that kind of time before we head for the bus stop on weekdays. I usually don't eat before we leave. 

The reason for this weight loss re-boot is that I finally got my cholesterol checked again and it went back up to 214.  The doctor wants me to get it back down under 200.  I don't need to go on medication.  Just need to change my diet and exercise.  So, I plan to do it!  It's kind of the kick in the pants I needed to get off my butt and make it work.  I have a hard time giving up my relaxing time in the evening after the kids go to bed but I'm going to give up an hour of it to go work out 5 days a week if I can.  I could work out in the morning before they get up but I need the sleep too much.  I have Hypo-Thyroid-ism which causes me have a slower metabolism and require more sleep than the average person.  Chris most nights comes to bed after I'm asleep and gets up before me and he's fine.  I fall asleep watching tv a lot.  It's not normal. Unfortunately, this disease also makes it a lot harder to lose weight.  I'm praying I can do it!

Chris and I had a talk about my joining a gym.  I wasn't sure how he'd feel about it because we own an elliptical.  I like it but there's no really going slow on that thing and I need to get my joints strong again.  I tore my meniscus in my right knee when Daniel was a baby and if I over-use my knees, they get really sore. I also tore some ligaments in my shoulders and have had tennis elbow in my right arm.  I'm contending with Plantar Fasciitis in my right foot right now too.  Every time I get up after sitting for any length of time, my foot hurts badly.  I'm doing exercises to help it heal but it's still sore for now.   Needless to say, the elliptical causes my body to hurt too quickly and I need to do more than 10 to 15 minutes of exercise.  I've started taking walks.  Its getting nicer outside so walking is doable and nice because I can get our dog, Konie out for a walk too.  After talking about it, Chris agreed to the gym.

I like the idea of joining the gym, not only for the exercise but for the chance to have some me-time away from the kids and to spend some time with my mom.  She is already a member at the gym so we can go together and keep each other going. :)

My total weight loss goal is 60 pounds.  I'm not aiming for that right now though.  I'm aiming at more attainable goals so I will stay motivated.  So, I'm aiming for 10 pounds, then 25.  At 25, my reward is getting another dog.  I've been bugging Chris for another dog for a year now and he kept saying no because we don't have the space in our car for another big dog.  He asked me if I wanted motivation for this weight loss.  I said YES!   He said, when  you lose X amount of weight, you can get a dog. We then discussed the amount and agreed on 25 pounds.  I think after that point, I will be addicted to working out and I'll keep going and maybe by this time next year, I'll be down the 60.  Here's hoping and praying I can keep it up and do it! 

I'm really excited and I think Chris having that idea to motivate me was the perfect plan.  I really really really want another dog - not just to have one but because I'm passionate about rescuing dogs that would otherwise end up euthanized.  Dogs that have been abused (like Konie was), just need a home and someone to love them.  I believe every dog deserves a family.  My boys also want another dog and I believe Kona has been lonely since we lost our other dog, Buddy.  He's been gone for 4 1/2 years.  I also had a cat for 18 years and she died a year ago.  I'm an animal lover through and through.  I need to love them!  I know that probably sounds funny to some of you but I've always been that mothering type.  ALWAYS. I've always needed to have a pet too.  I've only been without a furry pet for 2 years in my life and those were the worst 2 years!  We had fish.  Fish are NOT pets.  You cannot PET a fish therefore they are not PETS in my opinion.  HA!  This is just my opinion.  I would love to get another cat but both Chris and I are allergic to them.  I wasn't allergic to my cat for a long time but developed an allergy after we got married.  Weird but true. So, no more cats for us. 

Anyway, that is where I'm at right now.  Today is officially day 1.  I tried to start Saturday but things didn't work out that well.  We did eat a healthy dinner though and I got to go for a walk with Nathan and Konie but I ate cheeseburgers for lunch (I didn't have breakfast and we were out all morning and afternoon so it was a convenience and desperation thing!).  Yesterday, we had a big Sunday Dinner at my mom and dad's including spaghetti, ribs, 3 different kids of dessert, green beans and baked potatoes.  It was delicious and I tried not to eat too much but I did anyway.  So, it begins today.  So far, I've had coffee.  That's it.  I'm hoping Mom will go with me to the gym tonight. 

Prayers for me and my journey would be awesome!  I mostly want to get healthy so I can be around a long time for my kids and just so I can feel better in my body and about my body.  Thanks for reading!