Happy New Year...2013

Hello Everyone,

Happy third day of the new year!

I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year's.

We were so busy for the last several weeks. We finally finished our floors. Aside from getting used to the foot prints and refraining from cleaning them every time I see them, I love the floors. The color is wonderful and I love that we do not have as much dust.

I started focusing on my weight loss again on New Year's Day. I told myself I had to walk at least 30 minutes each day. I also planned healthy dinners along with my breakfast, lunch, & snacks. I have been drinking more water too.

I actually ran for 10 minutes of my walk on New Year's Day. It wasn't planned but I felt good so I did it. I was proud of myself for that. Yesterday I walked. I was not feeling well. Caleb was sick on New Year's Eve and Day so I was hoping I didn't catch something. I decided to walk but walk slow and take my time.

With walking and eating healthier I am feeling a lot better. I told myself that I know I feel better and sleep better when I work out so why can't I just find 15-30 minutes to do this?

I shouldn't be too hard on myself though. It was the holidays and we were very busy so I can say that while I was not focusing on me, I did not stop thinking about how I needed to get back on track after the holidays. Maybe that helped me not go completely overboard in some way? hmmm...

Yesterday I made Hungry Girl's pulled Pork. You can find her recipe for 'Cue the Pulled Pork here. It turned out pretty good. The serving size was a lot too, 2/3 cup. I don't think I will use pork shoulder again though, unless my local meat market will cut a lean 3/4 lb for me, I'll just stick with the tenderloin.

I also made Weight Watcher's Oven Fries. You can find the recipe for that here. I didn't have baking potatoes so I just used the red potatoes I had with sea salt that I crushed with the back of a spoon. They turned out great!

I served steamed asparagus for myself and small salads for both of us. I made apple cobbler for dessert. I bought a pre-mixed cobbler, peeled & cored gala apples, and added 5 Tbsp of butter. I served vanilla ice cream with it. YUM!

For some reason I was hungry all day yesterday. I drank water. That didn't help. I ate a string cheese, that helped a little. After lunch it was the same story. I had a few roasted peanuts (shelled), that didn't help. I tried an apple, that helped a little. After dinner same story again, I was hungry. I don't know why I get like that? Crazy! I thought I managed it pretty well though.

I was reading some one's post on facebook today about how they discipline their kids and it got me to thinking about Caleb and how we are doing as parents. It sure is hard! I have no idea if what I am doing is right or wrong. I know my husband and I are doing the best we can. We only want what is best for Caleb and his future.

Caleb is getting closer to wearing "big boy" under wear all day without accidents. He likes to wear them. I let him pick out a pack at the store a few weeks ago. He liked Diego. I previously bought Jake and the Never land Pirates, which he likes but not as much as Diego. I have to ask him if he has to potty constantly.

He gets to playing and forgets then has an accident sometimes. This usually occurs 10 minutes after I have asked him if he had to go, then I am cleaning or doing laundry. Sigh...Lol. He is doing really well though, I am proud of him. Now if I can just get him to eat like he did as a baby. He is so picky. Sometimes he won't even eat fruit.

His diet consists of Milk, some Roaring Waters or juice (not often), fruit, carrots, crackers of many varieties (I buy whole grain where I can), french fries both white potato and sweet potato, chips, gold fish, yogurt, applesauce, fruit snacks, raisins, pizza (on occasion), bread (on occasion), tacos (JIB or frozen mini beef tacos...terrible I know), vanilla wafers, pretzels, multi-grain cheerios, waffles...

It isn't horrible but it isn't great either. I give him a little of what we are eating. He always pushes it away. We both ask him if he wants a bite of what we have, he never does. I figure I will just keep putting it out there for him and maybe one day he will eat it? On the very rare occasion he has eaten a PB&J, grilled cheese, cheerios with milk, soup, chili, and deer tenderloin. I hope he grows out of this soon. His doctor isn't too worried since Caleb drinks so much milk and does eat fruit.

He is getting to a tough phase. He wants to argue about everything. It's a fight to get dressed for the day and for bed time. It's a fight to take a bath and get out. It's a fight to take a nap or go to bed, mostly the naps. If I say something is blue or orange then he argues that it isn't. Lol. He is very strong minded and stubborn. He is also very particular about how things are supposed to be or where they go.

He acts so much older than 2 1/2 that I often forget he is 2 1/2. I try to be consistent and keep a routine so he doesn't have any surprises and he knows what to expect. I also do what I say I am going to do. Sometimes he still pushes buttons and tests me.

There are days where it is just too much and I have no idea what to do, what is right? But no matter what, I always tell him I love him. I explain why he was disciplined for what he did. I always hug him. I tell him I am proud of him. I remind him that when he helps pick up his toys it helps me out a lot. I feel these things are important for him to hear every day.

I watch a few kids before and after school. I also watch some for a few days throughout the week. Caleb does not get a long with one of the younger boys. Caleb goes out of his way to push him or tell him that he cannot play with something. Caleb does not want to share with this little boy at all.

I put him in time out, spank him, or talk to him depending on how bad his action was. I talk to him about it no matter what and then have him tell the person he is sorry (if he hit someone or something like that).

I believe in teaching him what is right and wrong now so when he is older he will have an easier time. While some may think he is too young to understand, he is not. He is very smart and while some things may not make sense to him, he does understand others. It depends on each child how they should be disciplined, in my opinion. The more I am consistent with consequences to his actions the more he will learn what he should and shouldn't do.

I am no expert and I probably do a lot of things wrong. But I do know that I love my son and I want to see him grow up to be a respectable young man. I want him to feel like he can come to me for anything and talk to me about anything. I want him to be successful and responsible.

I have received many compliments on how well my husband and I are raising him. He is very well behaved in public and at other people's homes. Caleb has been such a great kid and we just adore him. He plays well with other kids (just not this one little boy) and really enjoys learning. He will be going to pre-school soon and I know he will do great!

Sometimes how you raise your child can cause quite a conflict among others. I don't know if I seem too strict or not strict enough. I will keep learning as I go. :)

What would you do if your child got along with other kids fine but one child he did not get along with?

How would you get your kids to eat different foods?

Well that is my thoughts for now. I'd love positive feedback. :)

Have a great day! The sun is shining here in MO even though there is snow on the ground and it is cold.

Work Hard Stay Humble

Happy Thursday!
 
This week has been wonderful! Monday I ran for a full 15 minutes without stopping. I feel like it is getting easier to run longer. Especially if I focus on something different. The first 5 minutes felt great and he last 5 minutes were a little tough but I did it! I am running on my toes more than flat footed like I did when I started out. I don't know what the proper way to run is but I know I sure feel lighter when I do. After a brief cool down walk I decided, what the heck, I'll try running a little faster for a few minutes. I usually jog at a 3.5 so I bumped the speed to 4.0 and off I went. It was amazing! I was laughing at myself because I felt so light on my feet like a gazelle or a ballerina. You know how graceful they are and how they just glide through the air. I felt kind of like that. Is that weird? LOL. I finished 5 minutes of running at 4.2 speed. I bumped it up because I felt like I could go faster and I did. I was emotional afterwards but I didn't cry. It was more triumph and pride. I felt as if I could do just about anything if I put my mind to it. AWESOME!
 

After my run...I was happy. :)
 
Tuesday we purchased a new car since my car was almost 10 years old and pretty much on its death bed. So we traded my Cavalier for a Mazda 3. It's super cute and sporty. Love it!
 

 

On Wednesday it looked like it was going to rain and I had already decided I was walking outside so I went ahead and did it. I bundled up my son and put the leashes on my dogs and we set out. Everyone that sees us pass always says it looks like I have my hands full. I guess so, I have a jogging stroller and 2 dogs. LOL. My dogs are always crazy the first mile of our walks. They drag me and pull and smell everything. I remember a time when they were so well behaved on our walks. I think my hubby needs to walk them again, they listen to him and walk so much better.

I was feeling pretty good so I decided to jog down one street and up to another. We took a short break then once we hit another street we jogged again to the end of that street. When we got to the pond in the front of our subdivision I jogged again. I got almost to the end of the street and Aly stopped and I didn't realize it so she got jerked by the leash. I stopped and looked down and she was pooping. GREAT! She is the only one that does this to me. LOL. Brandi has never stopped to poop, only to pee. Then I got to carry a poop bag the rest of my walk. Fabulous! We went back to the pond where we fed the ducks bread that we brought with us. Caleb enjoyed feeding the ducks. He never took interest before so it was cool seeing him have fun with it. Of course the ducks wouldn't get very close with my two crazy dogs nearby but we were able to toss bread to them.

We headed back and I always start to dread the huge hill on my journey back home. I need to take a picture of it someday, well it would be more than one because I don't think I could get it all in one shot...yea it's that big. I've never timed myself walking up it so I am not sure how long it takes to get up it. I'd say maybe a little more than 5 minutes, maybe. So today I tried something different to help me get up the hill. I had jogged down so my energy was pretty low already so I decided just to take the hill slow. Usually I go fast hoping it will be over sooner and then I always feel like I'm going to die at the top. LOL. I paced myself very slow. Controled my breathing and did my best to stay at a slow pace. Towards the top I was looking down at the ground and before I knew it I was approaching the top of the street. Cool. I then just needed to make the turn up the next street to the top of the hill. Once at the top I was not winded and felt great! Oh and my iphone was playing 4 Non Blondes What's Up, "And so I wake in the morning And I step outside And I take a deep breath and I get real high And I scream from the top of my lungs What's going on?". I'll have to do that again!

 

I researched all yesterday to find places to go for my upcoming birthday. Aparently you are supposed to know what you want to do a year in advance if you want to find a very nice B&B. Oops! So I settled for the next best thing. I found a very nice B&B a few miles farther than where I wanted to go and it got great reviews. Plus the lady is a celebrity chef at our local Dierberg's. That means the food is going to be awesome. I booked it. I am so excited! We are going December 1 (a month after my birthday because of deer season). I figured we would hit a few wineries off 94 on the way. Maybe check out Daniel Boone's Homestead in Defiance? Then once we hit our destination and check-in we can explore the town. It is full of history and lots of walking can be done so I can get some exercise in before breakfast in the morning. hehe. This will be our first vacation since we had our son so we are super excited, even if it's just for one night. :D

 

I woke up this morning and the tops of my thighs are so sore. It is tough sitting down. I told my hubby, I wish it was my inner or outter thighs that felt sore then they could tone up faster...Oh well, I'll take whatever pain I can get. It just means I am doing something right to look and feel better later. Also, I did a check on my weight. I do this periodically throughout the week just to see if I need to add another exercise or watch what I am eating to keep me on track. My scale today said 200.6 lbs. OMG! I am so close to seeing a "1" in front of my weight, ONEderland!!! I am so proud of myself! I called my hubby to share my excitement with him. I will be under 200 by my 30th birthday! :)

 

Today we are going to the library in the county so Caleb can see his cousins. I find it silly that I can't check anything out since I am not a resident but whatev. At least we can join in on the activities and fun.

 

I plan to go to the Friday morning WW meeting again. We are going to the pumpkin patch on Saturday and I won't be able to make that meeting. I will go in early to weigh-in though. What are your plans for the weekend? Any fall activities or parties?

 

Wish my hubby luck! He is going hunting for the first time this season tomorrow and again Saturday-Sunday. Last year it was so windy and he didn't get one. We still have plenty of meat but if he doesn't get one this year we won't have much meat before next season.

 

So I have to be real...I am having a "lucky streak" I guess with my weight loss and it is not normal to lose weight this fast. The norm is at the most 2lbs a week. So yes I am enjoying the fast results and it has kept me going. I do fear in a month or so (the holidays) how my body is going to react. My doctor said I will plateau at some point. When I do I will be bummed but I'll have to remind myself to keep going because even if it isn't showing on the scale, I am still doing good for myself and my body. I have to keep that in mind so I don't lose sight of my goal. That will be when I will need to re-read my previous blogs and get support from my friends and family and readers.

 

I still have struggles here and there. I have days where I do not want to work out. I have to make myself workout. With winter approaching and colder weather to come, it is only going to get harder for me to want to workout. I am going to have to devise a plan to keep myself motivated to workout. I am not worried about food here at home but for the holidays I am worried. Maybe I can do that dollar in the jar for every workout I do or something so I can buy myself something cool? Any thoughts?

 

Above all I know I have learned to control my eating. I am still learning to stop when full if the food is good. I try not to let myself get to that point by not having that much food on my plate to tempt me but there are times when that is not possible. I always remind myself that I should not eat more because I am starting to feel full and I don't always listen to myself. So while I have come SO FAR I am still learning. That's why I like to blog. I can keep track of what I am learning and changing to refer to. I also can get tips from my readers and motivation. Thank you all for that.

 

 



 



Quote of the day:

 

Work Hard Stay Humble



Saturday's Weigh-in and Exciting News!

Good Morning,

Happy Hump Day!

Sorry it has taken me so long to post this week's blog...super busy weekend. I don't know that I even realize what happened. Lol!

 

Saturday Weigh-in Day 10/6/2012

My weight: 205.6 lbs
Total: 23.6 lbs

I reached my 10% goal! I was so excited about this but I never got the chance to actually celebrate. I had a dress fitting later Saturday afternoon then Sunday I was gone all day for my neice's baby shower. I haven't even shown off my key chain to my husband. I feel like the excitement went away a little because I was so busy. Jerry had his upcoming interview weighing on his mind so I think we were both just preoccupied.

Monday

I was pumped to start Jillian Michael's 30 day shred...Except when I went to start it up it was on level 2...that was the only level I had...I know it sounds weird. My hubby copies our DVD's to Itunes so that we don't have to use DVD's...somehow my level 1 and 3 disappeared. So Frustrating!!! I was mad, very mad! It seems like every time I want to do something it never goes as I want or as planned or as smooth as it could. Any Who...I cooled my jets and decided to do Billy Blanks Boot Camp Basic Training. It was easy at first but got tough towards the end.

I am proud of myself for finding a way to still work out even though it wasn't what I had in mind. In the past I would have just said screw it and sat on the couch all day, being crabby. Hooray for me for making positive changes within myself.

 

Tuesday

Caleb had his scheduled flu shot at Jerry's work so we headed to Clayton for that. When we finished it was too early for lunch so we went shopping. The hubs needed new, black, work shoes and a wallet. Caleb and I went to Old Navy first. He needs a few nice outfits so we picked him up a few things including the cutest outfit for pictures and possible Thanksgiving!

I decided to try on jeans. My 16's have all been big on me by days end lately and they look sloppy on me. I grabbed a pair of 14's in boot cut and skinny (for my boots). We went into the changing room and after I wrestled with Caleb for 20 minutes to try on a few of his clothes I was sweaty...gross. Thanks phentermine. LOL. So it was the moment of truth...I grabbed the boot cut pair of jeans and pulled them up, buttoned them and looked in the mirror. HOLY COW they fit and looked great! No freaking way! I was so excited and happy! Sure 14 isn't a small size but it IS, however, a smallER size than what I have worn in the past several years so heck yes I was excited about that! I tried on the skinny 14's too. I didn't like how they looked on me personally and they felt big in the butt/hip area but they would be great for tall boots which is the only time I'd ever wear them. I put them back for now because I am not ready to wear boots just yet. I also put on a cute white vest, size large, but when I saw myself in the mirror...I don't need anything puffy right now. LOL. We will wait for puffy clothes. Skinny clothes are what I will stick with for now. I did buy a size large 3/4 sleeve sweater and 2 size large cami's...yay!

It was a successful trip and I saved money too! Bonus!

We stopped by Jimmy John's for lunch then headed to Kohl's. I took several pictures of shoes for Jerry. He told me what he liked so I grabbed those in his size. Then I grabbed him a new wallet. I also took pictures of 2 shirts that I thought he might like and since he doesn't have a yellow or burnt orange shirt I figured it would be okay. He liked them both. Grabbed a tie to match the yellow shirt and headed out.

I made a super delicious dinner, Parmesan crusted Tilapia with asparagus and parmesan roasted red potatoes. I also squeezed in time for a walk last night. I walked at 3.0 speed at a 6.0 incline for 47 minutes. It was a great walk, I had to stop because we watched our neighbors little boy for a few hours and it was getting late. My Nike said I walked a 10K last night...haha funny! I think it got out of wack somehow. I sure felt the pain from Monday's Billy Blank work out though.

Wednesday

The hubs had an interview this morning, within his company, and I am so curious to know how it went. His current boss told him about an idea they had to keep him with them instead of moving to IT. As he told me about it, we were both getting excited at the idea and forgot about the IT position...Both would be great opportunities for him so I will be happy for him either way.

Gotta finish up my housework today. Laundry, cleaning, etc. Having busy weekends and not being home = dirty house! BOO! I need to work on Caleb's room too. He plays in there a lot and never puts toys away. He knows how to put toys away because he helps me downstairs and in the living room but his room, we need to work on.

I need to walk/run/or do billy blanks again today too. This has been the worst week as far as food planning and keeping in my budget! I need to get back to focusing on that pronto! First step was add up all of my points used since saturday for each day so I know where I stand today. YIKES! I have been so good at tracking since I started WW in August but this past week has been tough. I am still focused so I am not worried. :)

Also I started taking my phentermine every other day, as my doctor suggested I could do this month since I will not be taking it in November. I am thinking about asking for a prescription to get me through the holidays though. Looking through Pinterest's food has made me want all bad things lately. lol. Wish me luck!

I love how I feel and how I look! I want to keep going so I can look and feel even better!

I have several photos to share. I was able to fit in a dress I bought 1 year ago and a dress I haven't worn since I was 20.

Have a great rest of the week!

Quote of the day:

It will hurt.

It will take time.

It will require dedication.

It will require willpower.

You will need to make healthy decicisions.

It requires sacrifice.

You will need to push your body to its max.

There will be temptation.

But, I promise you, when you reach your goal, it's

worth it.

 

205.6 Saturday October 6 2012

205.6 Saturday October 6, 2012. 10% weight loss!

205.6 Saturday October 6, 2012.

 

205.6 10/6/12 Size 16 Dress. I was finally able to zip this dress up!

205.6 10/6/12 Size 16 dress

205.6 10/6/12 size 16 dress

 



Not giving up

Good morning,

How was your weekend? Mine was great! Got a lot accomplished and had lots of family time. We purchased my son's Halloween costume. I really hope it works out. I am waiting for it to come in the mail. If it does then I can start getting my costume together. We are hosting Halloween this year since my neighbors have a conflict that day. So I will be busy getting my house in order for that.

Weigh-In Day: Saturday September 29, 2012

My weight 207.8. I lost .6 more pounds last week. My total is 21.4! Last week was rough. I was upset about the whole issue last Saturday. The antibiotic I am taking was making me ill so I was either hungry or I felt sick. I felt out of control in a way.

I did, however, run twice last week which is great considering I wasn't feeling well.

My Focus:

I need to get back into routine this week since I am feeling a little better. I need to plan out my meals and make family dinners.

I need to walk every day and try to run at least twice this week.

I need to continue to drink lots of water.

What I am learning & making a habit:

I always need to track every bite or drink. (and I do)

I need to drink my water, at least a gallon a day.

I need to walk every day, at least 5 days a week.

I need to plan out my meals and continue to have good food available.

I need to practice portion control.

I need to measure everything.

I need to take it one day at a time.

I need to believe in myself.

Quotes of the Day:

 

You can feel sore tomorrow. Or you can feel sorry tomorrow. You Choose.

Small changes CAN make a BIG difference.

MOTIVATION is what gets your started. HABIT is what keeps your going.

Exercise to be fit, not skinny.

Eat to nourish your body.

And always... Ignore The Haters, Doubters, and Unhealthy Examples that were ONCE feeding you.

You are Worth more than you realize.

 

 

Friday September 28, 2012

I felt pretty. I felt skinny.

My shirt is an XL from JC Penney.

My Jeans are 16 stretch from Old Navy.

My jeans were baggy and falling off by the afternoon. I may need to try a 14.

 

 

I don't remember ever being a size 14. I feel like I went from a 10/12 straight to a 18/20/22. Did you ever feel that way? No? Okay well I did. While I know a size 14 isn't a small size it is the smallest I have worn in at least 9 years. That is a good feeling. I go on Saturday to try on bridesmaid dresses. I am hoping to be able to fit in a size 14 dress. I'd love to be a 10/12 by the wedding in May 2013.

 

What I am noticing:

 

My rings are still big on my finger. I may have to put my spacer on soon.

 

The bra I am wearing has always been a little big in the cup but now I have it on the smallest hook. If I have to go smaller I will not be able to wear it.

 

I am wearing size Lg Capri's from Old Navy. They are not tight and are comfy.

 

I am wearing a men's size Lg T-shirt. Some men's size small are big but some are small. This particular shirt was a little snug about 2 1/2 months ago when I bought it. It is now a little big and roomy but not baggy.

 

My feet seem to be smaller. I already know that my new shoes are too big but the Brooks I bought 2 years ago from Fleet Feet were fitting fine. Yesterday my foot slid all over in them while I walked.

 

My family have noticed my weight loss.

 

I am not in a lot of pain after my workouts/walks. I have the expected soreness which is good but no other aches or pains.

 

I have energy.

 

I choose healthy foods more now than I did before.

 

I feel good. I feel healthy.

 

I was able to sit in my In-Laws lawn chairs comfortably and there was room left when I sat. Such a good feeling. I don't have to be embarrassed now.

 

My bath robe wraps me much better than before.

 

I am noticing a difference in the mirror.

 

I am making positive changes. I am turning them into positive habits.

 

 

 

 

 





Tuesday and October

Hello readers. I hope you had a great day today. Say "hi" sometime. I'd love to hear from you.

Diagnosis

 
...Drum roll...
 
Acute Bronchitis & Sinusitis...So I am now taking antibiotics, using an inhaler, using a nasal spray (I think it's a steroid), taking OTC decongestant cough meds, and using a humidifier at night.
 
Now that I am...hopefully...on my way to feeling better I can concentrate on other things.

Has anyone else caught a bug that they can't get rid of or that is just plain keeping you from feeling like yourself?
 

News

 
I contacted someone looking for a sitter last week. She wanted to meet me on Monday. So we decided it would be a good investment for my babysitting to have nice floors (instead of the cold concrete with rugs on top) downstairs.
 
My oh-so-very-talented and wonderful husband spent the weekend laying the new floors for me. It looks so much brighter down there...and much nicer too! Now we still have to add base boards, transition pieces, some more lighting, and a ceiling but all-in-all it looks so much better now that it is done. Do you have a talented spouse or significant other?
 
Tomorrow, Wednesday, I will be watching a 2 year old little boy for a few hours. I am so excited for Caleb to have a friend to play with a few times a week. I plan on doing some color, number, shape, and sight word activities with them and of course they will play. Do you or did you stay home? Do you or did you take your kids to an in-home day care?
 
I am going to have to adjust my schedule so that I can plan workouts for each day (once I am feeling better...of course) around when I have kids all day. Currently I workout either in the morning while Caleb watches his shows and plays or during his naps. What is your schedule like? How do you fit in work outs every day?
 
Meanwhile, I have been planning a surprise baby shower for our niece who is due at the end of November. Two of my sister-in-laws are helping me plan it. I think it will turn out great once the day arrives. Have you ever planned a baby shower?
 
I decided to make a diaper cake because they are so cute and I liked the one I had. I am doing it a little different so I am hoping it will turn out. I will post pictures if it turns out soon. If you have made a diaper cake before please share tips and advice.
 
Also, I was asked to be a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding. So we are going to try on dresses to order a week and a half...the day before the shower. ahhhh!
 
My dad invited us to his company picnic on the 14th so we will be doing that.
 
We will be going to the pumpkin patch with my "awesome neighbor friends" on the 20th then on the 27th we will head to Grant's Farm for our annual pre-Halloween fun night. Do you have great neighbor's or not-so-great neighbor's?

I love my neighbors! We will plan a night to carve our pumpkins and make pumpkin seeds. Then we will dress up and go to Grant's Farm for their fall evening activities. What are your favorite fall activities or what do you do with your family?

Halloween night we gather at our neighbor's house (like 5 households & friends gather at one) combine our candy, put out food, and hang out by the fire pit. It will change a little since majority have little ones that will go around the neighborhood. But it is still a great time! The best part is that my Birthday is the next day. :) How do you celebrate Halloween, if you celebrate it?

So basically from now through November it gets pretty, crazy busy around here. I need to keep my mind focused on my goal.

I took care of my yard work that had fallen behind since I fell ill. At one point I thought, I don't want to walk today, I'm tired. Yea, I was. I've been sick for over a month and have an infection so of course I was tired. I told myself to just walk and that is good for me right now. Have you ever felt too tired to do your workout? How did you push yourself to do it anyway?

So that is what I did while Caleb napped. Once I got going I decided, oh sure I can run. I was exhausted after 5 minutes. I did run at 3.8 instead of my normal 3.5 so that was part of it. So I walked a few minutes then ran again. I wasn't sure I would make it. It was very hard to keep going, but I did. My feet and ankles hurt. My back hurt. My knees hurt. I had stomach cramps too. I pushed through and I made it another 5 minutes. I felt good afterwards but it was hard during. I had to remind myself that I always feel better afterwards. Do you feel better after your workouts?

I hope as I get better that I feel better during my runs. Especially when I start the C25K program. Has anyone completed the C25K before?

It's storming like crazy tonight. We had quarter-sized hail earlier. I just hope my little red head, Aly, doesn't keep us up all night. She doesn't like storms. Is it storming where you live?

Quote of the Day:

Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can.

My Workouts and Running

Hello readers. Please stop by sometime to say "hi". I'd love to hear from you.

Flashback

I remember back in grade school during gym class they would have us to the fitness tests and run a mile. I hated running except for when I was playing sports where I was doing it for a purpose. My gym coach would tell me to run so I would run the curves and walk the straights of each lap. I always finished in 15 minutes or so. Never liked it!

I played sports up until high school. I tried out for Pattonville's freshman soccer team. I didn't make the first cut. It was hard. Had I known what to expect maybe I would have trained for the tryouts. From that point on I never thought I would be good enough to try out for any other sport unless it was just for fun.

After high school I went to the gym with my boyfriend (who is now my husband). I just went because it was something to do and something we did together. We were members of 24 hour fitness and I loved it there. I would go in, change, stretch, do some ab work and then head to the treadmill or elliptical. I would do about 1-2 hours of cardio depending on the night and then I would move to the machines to do upper body or lower body strength exercises. Then on occasion we would go in the sauna, hot tub, or steam room after our workouts. It was fun to me. Without realizing it I got myself down to 125-135lbs. If I remember correct, when I joined the gym and the trainer was showing me around, he weighed me and I was at 140. Not heavy but not toned. So if I had only known that I could just keep doing that, I wouldn't have gotten where I am today. Well, there was also the very expensive monthly price to go to the gym. So there ended my gym time at 19-20 years old.

On occasion I would walk or jog around my apartment complex. When I had roommates we would do buns and abs of steel together. But I never really worried about my weight or what I ate. I didn't know I was doing anything wrong. I didn't know I needed to change anything. I didn't know how to be healthy. I thought I was being normal.

Slowly but surely as the years went on, my weight crept up. I never went to the doctor unless I was sick. They never said anything about my weight or if they did I never cared or thought it was a problem. I noticed when I would go shopping that I would have to buy the next size up. I never thought anything of it. Believe it or not I just assumed it was normal to have to buy the next size up as if it was apart of growing up. I don't know if I was that naive or just truly did not care about my weight.

Growing up I was told to watch what I ate or one day I'll end up fat. I never believed it. But then again I always thought I was fat. My siblings were all and still are very skinny.

If I ever stepped on a scale the number never seemed right. I just didn't believe that was what I weighed. I didn't feel like I was that heavy. I was in major denial.

I always loved photos of myself and I always thought I looked good. It was like almost to the point of me being conceited. I had photos of myself and some of family all over my apartment. Until one day I started to dislike what I saw in my photos and just stopped allowing my picture to be taken. It just went down hill from there.

Sometimes I ask, Why didn't anyone say something to me. Like in a kind way that I needed to change something. I just kept on gaining and buying bigger clothes. I guess if someone did say something to me I must have got mad at them for calling me fat. You know, taking the offensive side when they were just trying to help. Even though I am sure those were not their exact words. Not their fault of course, it's all mine. But I can't help but wonder why. You know?

I was an emotional eater.
I was happy, I'd eat.
I was sad, I'd eat.
I was stressed, I'd eat.
Pretty much anything, I'd eat.
I loved food and food never disappointed me.
Food was my comfort. My way of coping. My way of shutting myself out from the world.

Then I am sure I had depression but never did anything about it until I moved in to our house with my boyfriend (now husband). I took medicine which made me mean and completely not myself. I talked to a counselor and she was no real help.

I had to do it on my own. Figure things out. After many failed attempts at weight loss and one success doing WW the first time (I weighed 205 then stopped because I couldn't afford it.). I am finally ready to do it. I feel like I everything is how it should be in order for me to feel so. I am doing it for all of the right reasons. It feels right.

So last year I tried watching my calorie intake and walked about 2.85 miles 3-4 times a week through my subdivision. There are some hills that are pretty steep so I did get in a good work out while walking. I also did Billy Blanks Boot Camp and Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I was getting toned. I was getting small and looking good. I got my husband to start walking with me in the evenings on occasion, so we did family walks.

On one of our walks a car drove by as we were walking up hill, I think I was pushing Caleb in the jogging stroller, and they hollered "Your Wife has a nice ass" out of the window. Of course my husband didn't like that comment and I was a little embarrassed by it because I didn't see what this guy was talking about. But the comment also made me a little happy. Like, Yes I do have a nice ass. I have worked hard for it so thank you for noticing my hard work. LOL.

I would even lift weights down stairs on one of those huge machines that have all different types of ways to work out different muscles. I'm not sure what there are called...Any who...My husband would work out with me on those nights too. I was doing a lot. I had my mind focused on getting healthy and that was it.

One day while downstairs lifting weights, I said to my husband, "I'm going to see if I can run". He looked at me and said Okay. But the expression was more like, okay sure. Good Luck with that. Now don't get me wrong, he is very supportive of me. But he also knows me very well and I am pretty sure I haven't ran since I met him, since high school, freshman year. Well any way I decided I would see if I could run for 5 minutes. I started off and it wasn't too bad until after about 1:30...It was hard to breath. I felt like I was running with bricks. It was a heavy feeling, not a light feeling. I was sweating and gasping for air but I kept going. I didn't run very fast but I still did it. I finished my 5 minutes and sat on the treadmill to catch my breath. I am pretty sure I cried and I was so proud. I couldn't believe I had just ran on the treadmill. I really think I was mostly fearful of running on the treadmill more than anything. Then of course I was fearful that I would keel over dead from not being able to breathe.

I wanted to run again. So I would try to run a little longer each time I ran. I eventually made it up to 12 minutes. I looked at the treadmill and I was close to running a mile so I kept going. I was very tired. My whole body hurt. I was sweating. My feat hurt (I didn't have good running shoes at the time). My knees hurt. But I kept going. I finished my first mile EVER! I was so proud of myself. I cried again! I text'd my husband to tell him. He was proud of me too. I couldn't believe it.

I tried to run as much as I could. Even on my walks I tried to run for a few minutes (it seemed like a few minutes anyway) and walk a few. I would tell myself to start running at this mail box then stop at another certain mailbox. I really enjoyed it. Especially outside. I loved it! I started to get addicted to it. I wanted to do it all the time. I even got my husband to do it a few times on our walks.
It felt amazing!
It made me feel strong!
It made me feel like I could do anything!

Then the summer hit and it got hot. I stopped working out. I stopped counting calories. I stopped caring. All that hard work was wasted and my weight came back.

So Fast forward to present day...

I have been sick the past few weeks with this dreadful cough that will not GO AWAY! But I have ran about 10 minutes one day the past 2 weeks. I have walked a few times too despite my not feeling well. I wanted to try to at least walk M-F this week and yesterday didn't happen. So today I decided I would walk and run. I was excited, I couldn't wait to do it. I am not sure what it is but I feel good after and sometimes during.

I set up the TV for Caleb downstairs and I got on the treadmill (which is also downstairs), and started to do a warm up walk. I finished my workout play list last night and loaded it onto my husband's old ipod, which is actually newer than my ipod but he uses mine in the car. Oh well. So I had good music going and I felt good. I increased my speed as I walked until I got to a time where I could run. I bumped up the speed to 3.5 and set a goal for 10 minutes. I have no idea if 3.5 is fast. It probably isn't very fast but I don't care. I was doing it. I focused on the TV that was playing Dinosaur Train so that I would stay steady on the treadmill. After about 5 minutes I was noticing I was tired. Around 7 minutes I was start to feel sick to my stomach. So I told myself that I just needed to run 3 more minutes so try. I tried very hard but by 8 minutes I was pretty sure I was going to be sick. So I slowed my speed down and walked real slow for a minute. Once I felt better I increased the speed again, determined to get my 10 minutes in. So I started running again at 3.5. That seemed slow this time so I bumped it up to 3.6. I was able to run 3 more minutes before I felt sick to my stomach again. I was proud though, to be sick and still run. I was proud that I ran 1 minute longer than I set a goal for. I finished out my walk.

Also during my walks on the treadmill I have been using my 3lb weights. I work on my arms to the pace that I walk. I also work on the under part of my arms, where it's flabby. lol. I have noticed a difference since August when I started walking and using my weights.

My abs are pretty sore from crunches yesterday and my shoulders were a little sore from the push-ups. Good sign!

Coughing like crazy since my walk/run. Not good!

So I am going to keep up the pace of running at least once a week until I feel better. Then bump it up to 2 times a week from there. Then I will look into the C25K.

I am a work in progress!

That was really long...I guess I had a lot to say on the subject. Anyone else been through this before? Please share... :)

I had to share this...Too Funny and TRUE.

In bed, it's 6AM.

You close your eyes for 5 minutes, it's 7:45.

At work, it's 1:30.

Close your eyes for 5 minutes, it's 1:31.

Quote of the Day:

Ellen Degeneres: You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where the hell she is.

Monday and Tuesday

Monday

Monday wasn't so bad. I felt a little better when I woke up and thought well I can get my run/walking in during Caleb's nap today, no problem.
Got Caleb in to big boy underwear when he woke up. He did very well. He had an accident because he couldn't get to the bathroom fast enough. Poor guy.
I was finishing up some laundry from yesterday and picking up around the house. Then checking in with him to see if he had to potty.
I haven't watched the final Teen Mom Check-In part 2, so I turned that on in the office.
I decided to do crunches and push-ups while I watched the show.
I felt like I did pretty good. I did 10 sets of push-ups, 5 times each and 40 crunches 5 times each. I switched back and forth between push-ups and sit ups.
My little buddy did them with me. It was so cute watching him try to do push-ups and sit ups like I did. LOVE HIM!!! He would yell 1...2...3...GO!!! He can push me to keep going any time. LOL.
So I was a little sweaty and felt pretty good after I was done. I logged them on WW's app and was bummed when I saw that you had to log these type of workouts by minutes. I barely did 5 minutes each, I didn't keep track of the time. So I just put 5 minutes for both and a big fat "0" points was given. OH Gee thanks! I am not going to worry too much about it though because I am sore today from it and I know I had to have done something whether I made "activity points or not". I'll take the soreness! :)
Back to Caleb... He still did great. I decided to start making a "Work-Out Playlist" so I did that. Checked on him. He was sitting on the floor, kind of. I asked if he was sure he didn't want to go potty. He got very mad at me. Then I figured he probably went. I was right. As soon as I lifted him up I smelled it. YUCK! So I took him to the bathroom and stripped him down.
UGH! Cleaning out poopy underwear is so gross! I know it is part of the process and all. He usually does really well but he has bad days here and there.
Any who...cleaned him up, Started more laundry to wash the dirty underwear. Laid him down for a nap. Then a friend of mine called. I talked to her for a bit then went to get ready to walk. While changing I started coughing and it wouldn't stop. GREAT! So I didn't walk yesterday. I thought I would feel better later in the evening but I didn't and I got caught up in my playlist.
I had the roast I made Sunday for dinner. It was so good! Oh yea, it wasn't done in time for dinner on Sunday night. We were so bummed! Darn potatoes were not done.
We watched the new season of Boardwalk Empire on HBO GO.
Discovered that my dogs had played "grab ass"...what I call it when they both attack & chase each other all through the house...on our bed last night because the few items of clothes I had out on the bed were messed up. Some of the clothes were even thrown from the bed, across the room, to the floor. SERIOUSLY?!?! Plus since it was muddy out they had left mud chunks all over the bed and all over the floor. AWESOME!
I do love my dogs, even if they drive me crazy sometimes! Wouldn't trade them for the world!

Here is a photo of my 2 Aussie's from today. Aly is red and Brandi is black.

Tuesday

My alarm went off and I actually stayed up for once. A little disoriented but awake, so I watched the news. Probably the worst thing for me to do because I always here or read something on the news that peeks my interest and then I never hear about it. Then I think I am crazy and seeing/hearing things. Oh well...
Jerry is running a little late this morning. He comes to tell me bye and heads for the door. Then I hear, "Oh shit!". I'm thinking, Oh no, now what?
I go in to the living room and he's in the kitchen wiping his shoe. He stepped on a dog terd. Fantastic! He tracked it all through the house. Luckily the terd itself landed in the kitchen but there was a nice trail of poo marks from my bed side out of our room, down the hallway, through the living room and into the kitchen.
That is exactly what I wanted to do today, shampoo carpets. Especially since I had just shampooed them about 2 weeks ago. I will do that after my walk/jog this morning.
So my dogs get what we call "clingers"...it's when they go poop and forget to pinch off the last bit and come into the house. Then they realize something's not right with their butt so they take care of themselves, therefore leaving behind a nice turd on the floor. I can only assume that is what happened here this morning but I must have been from last night since Jerry tracked it all the way from our bedroom to the kitchen.
Now I am up so I get ready for my day. Take my medicine so I can eat in half an hour or so. Then wait for the kids. Meanwhile, the dogs wanted to go ouside so I let them out. Then Caleb woke up. He was in a cuddly mood so he sat on my lap while I completed my food tracking from yesterday. I love these cuddly times! He is so sweet!
The kids arrived and the dogs came in...then I noticed mud all over the carpets. At first I asked if the kids had stepped in mud but then realized it was Brandi, my black dog. GREAT! Good thing I already have to shampoo carpets later. I figured I'd let the mud dry and then vacuum before I shampooed.
Once the kids are on the bus to school, I take Caleb in to get big boy underwear on. Then we have breakfast. He did well except he had an accident as he was coming down the hall to tell me he need to go "pee pee". So I set him on the toilet. He ended up pooping on the toilet which is so great! I just know that everytime he has to go poop he pees a little. I am sure the feelings are confusing still and he parts are still developing and all. He will get it though. All in all I am very proud of him for being so young and going potty most of the time on the toilet.
We headed downstairs so I could get my walking/run in for the day. Caleb was excited to play with his toys downstairs.
Earlier this year we fixed up a play area for him and the kids I babysit. It's nice for me too because I watch TV or a movie while I walk/run if I want. I'll probably blog about my run on it's own.
When I was finished we headed up stairs so I could vacuum and shampoo the carpets. Caleb played in his room for the most part, while I did that. I had the apple tv on playing my playlist so our pictures pop up as our screen saver. He likes to sit and watch the pictures come up. It's cute!
After I finished shampooing, I showered and we had lunch.
I feel guilty that I have worked with Caleb on anything educational the past few weeks. I usually try to get in some reading and go over his shapes and colors in the mornings. But he likes to watch PBS in the mornings too which they have educational shows on so he is still learning something at least.
I will figure out a good routine.
Until next time. Have a great rest of your TUESDAY!

Do you have pets? Do you have children? How do you manage your time?

Quote of the Day:

It takes 4 weeks for you to notice your body changing.

8 weeks for your friends

and 12 weeks for the rest of the world.

Give it 12 weeks. Don't Quit.