Time Management!

Amy

I decided today I was going to discuss time management with you all. Anyone who knows me is already laughing at that statement.  I am HORRIBLE at time management  and I am late to EVERYTHING. I tell people all the time that I will probably be late to my own funeral. Heck I was late to my own wedding. Lol My husband hates this about me. And I know it is rude for me to be like this. I don't mean to be rude. I make every excuse as to why I didn't get there on time but really I just didn't manage my time properly.

So every week I look at my calendar to see what I have coming up for the week. 9 times out of 10 my week is packed with doctors and therapy appointments for my youngest as well as sports and other things for my oldest kids. Every week I hope I have even one free day with nothing on it so I can plan something fun for us to do and most weeks that doesn't happen. And not only are my weeks busy with places to go I also have alot on my plate with things the doctors and therapists want me working on at home for Savannah. I told them it's getting a little overwhelming all that I need to do in a day to keep her healthy and happy. Kids take up a lot of time no matter what but Savannah has 2 therapists and 8 specialists that are all telling me something I need to do to keep her healthy.  Some things are small like medicines and some things are very time consuming.  I literally was sitting here this morning making charts for her so I could remember everything I need to do on a daily basis with her. Which sounds ridiculous but the amount of things are becoming so much that if I don't have reminders I won't 

remember it.

The point of me telling you all of this is that I am making all these charts and have all this stuff on the calendar for my kids but I don't bother to put myself on the calendar. Why do we as mom's do this? Why are we not important enough to be on the calendar? I always tell people if you don't see me put you on the calendar then it probably isn't going to happen. And I know it sounds stupid to schedule time for yourself on your calendar but for me if I don't start to do that then I am never going to workout and take care of myself.  The nice thing about my calendar is it reminds me a half an hour before what I have to do next. That way I am more likely to do it.

I also I have decided that not only am I going to put myself on my calendar but I also need to make myself a chart to tell me what I will be doing that day for a workout.  Sometimes I think I should go workout but then the thought of picking something to do for the workout is so daunting that I don't end up doing anything. So this week my goal will be to to get on my own calendar and manage my time better. This will very hard for me but I will never know if I can do it if I don't try. 

CONSTANT CHANGES!!

Donna

Age:38

Height 5’5”

Starting Weight  April 18^th, 2016- 178

Current Weight- 169

No one said this process would be fast or easy.  I have my typical ups and downs like everyone else.  I am 100% committed to this process though.  Depending on what day of the week it is, I sometimes feel like I’m doing great and other days I’m not nearly impressed with my progress. I know 100% that I will reach my goal.  What frustrates me is not knowing how or when I’ll get there.  If changing things is what I need to do, then I will do it!

My kids are out of school which means they leave with my husband in the morning to go to summer program.  This leaves me an entire new time frame in which I can exercise.  So today I started exercising in the morning!  I laced up my running shoes as soon as the family left and I ran 3 miles before getting ready for work.  I’m not a morning worker-outer but it felt really good once I got out there.  The other bonus is that I didn’t drink my usual morning coffee.  I know coffee has little to no calories but I’m guilty of putting flavored creamer in my coffee. If I’m going to start counting calories, then this could easily be 60-90 calories that I’m giving up.  I’m all about changes!

I looked at my meals and tried to trim some unnecessary calories as well…this is my meal plan for today. Sticking to similar choices like this will help keep me in a 1200-1300 calorie range.

Bfast- protein shake w/almond milk

AM snack-chicken salad w/apple

Lunch-turkey meatballs, brown rice, Brussel sprouts

PM snack-2 egg whites, strawberries

Dinner-Homemade grilled chicken salad, w/avocado

I have some big things coming up in the next few weeks and I want to make sure I can handle temptations.  I’m traveling out of town for 2 weeks with work.  I’ll be in a group setting so many of my meals will be eaten out.  This can still be a slippery slope for me.  My husband and I went on a date night Saturday and I handled myself better than I expected.  I drank water, no alcohol.  When it came to the dinner buffet, I chose wisely.  I skipped breads and desserts!! I stuck to meats and veggies.  My unexpected slip up this weekend was ordering ice cream for the kids at dairy queen. I had no intention of even eating ice cream but the store messed up the order and we were left with an extra banana split.  God forbid I just threw it away.  I know better…I shouldn’t have ate it!!!!  But I did….and here I am still talking about it.  The guilt was not worth it. Lesson Learned! 

So the inner demon that rationalized eating the banana split because it had fruit in it, is also the same voice that feels irritated and frustrated that I’ve only lost 9 lbs in 8 weeks.  Then my rational brain says that losing an average of one pound per week is great.  If I could conquer the mind game in this whole process I’d be smooth sailing!!  It’s like a self-sabotage, a daily internal struggle that I am battling big time.  I will not let you win, Demon!! 

As you can see, I haven’t had the most exciting of weeks but I’m truckin along!!!  Here’s the recipe for the chicken salad!! 

It was OUT OF THIS WORLD!! The trick is to refrigerate it before eating…the longer the better!!!  So YUMMY!! 

http://cleanfoodcrush.com/chicken-salad-on-apples/

Here’s to another week of hard work and great food choices!! My size 12’s are getting loose and I want to put them away for GOOD!!

Getting My Groove Back!

Libby

I write this blog today with the wisdom of a brand-new 39-year old woman.  Age is not really something that I focus on, I really think it is only a number.  When my birthdays come around I don't think about my life's accomplishments, how my time on this earth is dwindling away, or really anything other than, I wonder what I got for my birthday. : )  

As I ring in 39 and leave 38 at the door I am happy to say that this is the year that Libby "gets her groove back".  Last year was a difficult year for me, it was one of those, I think I am going to take a break from life for a little while.  I was still fulfilling all of my roles as a mother, wife, daughter, community member...but I was not really living life.  I put everything on hold that I usually do to take care of myself.  I stopped working out, I did not care what I ate, I stopped nurturing friendships...I checked out of me.  

My solitary behavior and ignoring my emotional and physical needs was becoming an issue.  I was out of shape, over weight, miserable, tired...I was out of control.  

I knew I was out of shape, so last week when I started training for the half I expected physical challenges.  The surprise for me was the mental difficulties that I faced.  There are two components to working out, physical strength and mental strength.  The mental part, for me, is the toughest to train.  My head is powerful and I am always telling myself, your body is stronger than your mind is telling you, DON'T STOP.  I think our minds are powerful in all areas of our lives and overcoming the will to defeat the negativity that enters our brains is difficult but doable.  I am not going to run a half-marathon in a week, physically or mentally.  I will continue to rely on my family for support.  My grandma, who helps watch the kids and cook meals, my sister and brother-in-law to smoke us during runs and my husband who is my training partner and my motivation.  When I watch him struggle up those hills, he is my hero.  When I see him run back to get me, I know I picked the right partner for all things in my life.  I am still working on what my new running mantra will be.  In case you are unfamiliar, it is what runners say in their heads when they are trying to override mental weakness.  At least that's what I think it is.

Last week was the "REAL" start of my transformation. I am happy to report this is not a do-over Monday...YAY!  I weighed myself this morning and I am down from 147 to 144.  That is a loss of 3 lbs.  Sweet!  The diet I mentioned, the Fast Metabolism Diet, is actually working out really well.  My husband and I are both doing this together and well he is really my strength through all of this.  He is clutch with the meal preparation and planning, I am really impressed with his motivation through this.  

Our physical activity was through the roof!  We included the kids as much as we could, and that makes me feel double amazing.  We are doing the couch to 13.1k and it is NOT easy.  Here are the courses that we ran last week, can we say, "no hills please".  

We also took an awesome hike along Long Level and it was beautiful.  My kids got to explore and I really had no idea this was here. I have lived here for 34 years.  We will be doing this again. 

All-in-all, I have to say, this week was a success and I am on my way to getting my groove back...watch out Stella.

Every choice is not a good a choice...

Chanon

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.... Well 99.9% of the time I absolutely hate my pictures.  This picture with one of my best friends is among the .1% that I like.   The smiles say it all!  

We were having a fun night learning about make up and colors that highlight our eyes.  We both got a good laugh when we reflected on the amount of times we actually wear make up.  The special occasions, the date nights with our husbands or the make up party that we attend. Make up is like that, we can choose to take the time to apply it and enjoy the glow or we can choose not to take the time and embrace our natural beauty.  Either choice equally acceptable... Either choice is the best choice for the person choosing.  

I wish exercise and healthy eating could be that simple.   Any choice is a good choice, whatever you choose is equally acceptable.  

It's just not that simple. Our bodies need the healthy foods and the exercise or else else we pay the physical consequences of our ill decisions.    We can't choose to eat healthy only on special occasions or On date nights.  

I  started to re- read a book titled Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst this week. It talks about her personal journey with the decision to get healthy once and for all. To get the plan that works for her, follow it, stick with and win at this battle.   She is very specific about her plan and is clear that every person has to figure out what is best for them.  You see it is not as simple as the makeup card- all brown eyes wear this, hazel eyes wear this and blue eyes wear that. This healthy eating, wellness goal stuff is a personal journey for each of us. And we all need our list of our own reasons that keep us Driven.   

Every choice is not a good choice.  

We need to be specific about our good choices. We need to drill into our own bodies and figure out what our triggers are for over eating, unhealthy lifestyles and lack of exercise.    Sometimes we need to do this daily to keep ourselves on the plan.   We need to continuously remind ourselves that not every food choice is a good choice.  Not every lifestyle choice is a good choice. 

This week I made some really good choices and some not so great choices.  I needed to write this mental picture out for myself this week.  Some choices have much more lasting impact than others.    I need to continue to get serious about the healthy lifestyle choices I make daily.  I need to rely on God and my support system to help me.   

Exercise was one of the not so great choices this week... I struggled getting my time scheduled to have time to workout.   This upcoming week is already on the calendar!  

Best wishes for deciding what choices are best for you and for making the right choices that support your healthy lifestyle. And hey, a girl can wish that this journey was as easy as picking out new eye shadow.   Grace and motivation until next week. 

Chanon 

It's the final count down...10....

Michelle

Starting weight:  210lbs beginning of February
Current Weight:  159.7lbs
Height:  5'5"

Well I can say I am doing it!!  And what an amazing feeling it is to be on the FINAL count down of 10lbs to my goal!!  50lbs LOST (that's like carrying my 5 year old around all day every day!!)  The self confidence I have gained as I see my own strengths is so eye opening to me.  I finally feel good in just about everything I put on.  As for my clothes I have dropped 3 pant sizes, and 3 shirt sizes!!   I love wearing skirts and dresses now, which are very unusual articles of clothing for me in my wardrobe.

So my eating is back on track.  And I like to say that I am never starving, yet I am never stuffed....always satisfied.  I feel this is KEY to accomplishing my goal along with exercise!!  I was told that you should never feel hunger pains.  And that I usually do not with eating 5-6 times per day.  (low carb/healthy snack 2 hours after every meal).  It is not always the food that we eat that is truly bad, I know for a fact it was my mentality or behavior around food that kept me in an unhealthy life.  So glad I made the choice to change that back in February.

I like the 2 quotes below  :)
"If you work out, everything else will too."  Sheila Leard, RD, CSSD, CPT

"Your next meal is the best time to make a better choice."  Danielle Omar, MS, RD

So I will leave you with never let anyone dim your desire and ambitions!!  This is my journey and I am glad I see the light!! I will do this, I can do this, and so can you!! :)

Say Hello to my Lil" Cardio Friend

PANDA LOG 06.09.2016

HEIGHT:: 5’8”

STARTING Weight on 4-25-16 : 208

TODAY’S Weight: Not getting on that evil thing until 7-25-16

GOALS:  Fit comfy into any size 12, no muffin top and with a tight shirt!

Establish playtime on a daily basis that helps me achieve a strong body. Break old habits!

MOTIVATION and SUPPORT:  My husband, my family, my friends and my Lord.

--I was going to start my blog on a negative note or at least with negative thoughts. I'm going to start with a list of positives and see where this goes.

    --I've been eating a clean healthy diet of organic foods since April 25^th,  with a couple of slip ups of my power bars with grass fed butter being one and sharing a small fry with my soon to be daughter-in-law from Five Guys being another. I guess I have to include indulging in wine everyday too, but I am trying an experiment, no wine for a week, and see if it makes a difference in how my clothes fit. But, that is a lot of days of eating a whole food diet and I'm really proud of myself for not including any bakery indulgences or sugars besides from fruit. Yay for not over eating and keeping it clean and wholesome. #thegoodthings

--Every morning since May 18^th, besides two rest days, I have made the choice to workout. I see results, I feel stronger and I am feeling a little more confident.

--I started adding cardio to my routine on 6-6.

--I'm healthy, active and alive!!

 

Ok, that helped. Here is how I was feeling. As soon as I start making a difference in the appearance of my body and start feeling more confident, I start picking my appearance apart. I get so much harder on myself and start thinking that Im doing all this to make such a tiny difference, is it worth it? Why aren't my clothes looser? Why do I still have that dreaded inherited cellulite on the inside of my legs? Why is my husband losing three times more than me in a shorter amount of time. What's wrong with my system? Why do I hate running? That last one is because I am surrounded by runners and it seems so social and fun, but I hate it with every fiber of my being. Why, why why? I didn't realize I was allowing myself to think like this until I started my blog today. So I digress, back to the real deal here!! I'm making daily choices to get to a goal that won't happen over night. Patience is not my strong point, nor is hitting the accelerator to reach 100 and sticking to it. Slow and steady is the way I need to play this, it's the only way I will end up with all these positive changes being a part of my lifestyle instead of just another fad something or another. Baby steps is my pace and I know it. Even though I know this I still have to talk myself off the ledge about looking into a diet pill or starting some extreme program. I've been there, done that. I'm 48 years old and know that this journey has to be a daily deal with realistic changes that will last the rest of my life.

Just a little about my past dieting experience to give a picture of why this approach is the only approach that will work for me. At a fat age 13 I decided to start exercising and dieting. I ate a fish fillet and a small fry or a tuna sandwich and a glass of milk everyday after school and that is all I ate for a couple of months. I was starving all the time but seeing great results. I started riding my bike to a boys house that I liked, he lived a few miles away and up hills! My body went from fat to lean over a summer. I maintained a thin frame, sometimes not the most healthy way, until I was 29. I started gaining weight and feeling very tired all the sudden. I ended up in emergency surgery for a hysterectomy at age 32. By the time I had the surgery, I'd gained 70 lbs! I found out I had the beginning stage of cervical cancer and other issues that were thankfully all taken care of with surgery, less some parts of my body that I didn't need anyway. At age 34 I'd moved 3000 miles away from home, still huge and facing all new challenges. A couple years after we moved, I lost weight with the extreme Atkins diet, I lost over 40 lbs., but it was not sustainable or fun! I gained back 30 of the 40 lbs. and decided I needed to go extreme again. Four years ago I took Bee Pollen weight loss pills and lost the 30 lbs I gained. The pills made me less hungry but I was jittery. Because of choices I'd made when younger, jittery and addicted were not things I wanted in my life. It was hard getting off the pills and of coarse I gained the 30 lbs back. So here I am now and refuse to do anything drastic. I'm left with no other choice at this point than to force myself to have patients with this journey and make good solid choices every day.

I've got to share one of my new favorite recipes this week, cauliflower Alfredo. I put it over spiraled zucchini and it hit a “comfy food” spot like know bodies business.

http://pin.it/r-LQwrk

Peace,

Panda

Progress!

Amy

After the disappointment of myself over the past several weeks I decided this week was going to be different.  I was NOT going to have to write about another week where I did not make progress.  I needed to decide was I going to quit like I always do or finally decide that I was worth it and get my butt moving in the right direction.  Well I am happy to report I decided to invest time in myself and get moving.

Food wise I would say I am doing ok. Not phenomenal but not awful either. I am still making sure to eat breakfast everyday which I still find very hard to do. I also am still off soda and drinking much more water. Even getting water out at restaurants when I go most of the time. That for sure is progress for me. This past weekend we had to travel for a soccer tournament for my daughter so we had to eat out stay at a hotel all weekend. I felt like I did pretty good while at the restaurants making the right choices. I chose vegetables every time over the starchy food I used to choose. That is still very hard for me. I want the potato with lots of butter not the broccoli and salad. But I did the right thing and got the broccoli and salad. I know this will only get easier with time. Maybe one day I will crave salad like I crave french fries. Lol one can hope right? 

I have made my greatest strides this week with exercising. I still have to be honest and say I did not exercise everyday but I did exercise this week and for that I am proud of myself.  And not only did I exercise but I actually kind of enjoyed it. One day I went for a hike with my daughters.  That I really enjoyed.  The scenery was gorgeous and the hike was hard but not too hard. I also went out with my kids and played basketball.  Normally that is something my husband does and I am lazy and stay in the house but this time I didn't.  I went out and enjoyed the family time. It was nice. I also did a workout on the treadmill one night.  I ran/walked a mile. It took me 20 minutes but I did it! I NEVER run and I did this night. I almost felt like it had been so long since I had run that I may not know how to do it but I did. I just had to do short bursts of it but hey that it better than nothing.  Tonight I walked a mile around the Highschool track with a friend. That was really fun. Exercising may not always seem fun to me but what I realized this week is that I just need to be creative with it and find things that are fun that are also exercise. 

Next week I hope to keep working at it and keep up what I am doing. I'm glad now that I didn't give up. I have a very long road ahead of me but I have so much support and I need to keep going. Progress is good no matter how slow.