Oh, How I've Missed You

Well, it has been a "one step in front of the other" kind of last two months.  I can mark off one of my BSHAGs - yay!  We've sold our house.  Right now we're living in a rental.  Moving from a 2200 square foot house to an 1100 square foot house is proving to be a challenge:) 
Now I just have four more BSHAGs for this year:
1.  I will lose 45 pounds.
2.  I will run a 5K and a 10K with my "success" run being at the Shrimpfest down in the Gulf.
3.  We will get out of debt.
4.  I will "coupon" our way to our 10th Anniversary trip.

Very excited about crossing one of these goals off the list, especially since it will greatly lend its help to us getting COMPLETELY out of debt.  I'm so excited. 

Another exciting tidbit is I completed everything on my list today but it has made me ready for bed:) 

Weigh-In #4 and #5

Well 3 out of 6 of us have a cold.  Needless to say, I'm tired, ill, my eyes burn, my throat hurts, and my nose is running.

I definitely need to take time to explain more of what's going on in my life but that will have to wait for another day.

Last Friday's weight was 163 pounds - yay!  Today's weight? 164.8 pounds - boo!  I went to Atlanta with my man this week and did not care what I ate.  This weight loss journey is going to be a challenging one. 
The good news is I started the 40/40 Challenge on Wednesday and have been exercising 40 minutes each day.  I would like to be down to 162 by next Friday.  I really need to get my butt in gear and quit eating junk!

My Princess

For the rest of my life, I am uncertain I will ever comprehend why God saw fit to bless me with a girl.  She is the most beautiful, amazing little girl I've ever known.  That being said she is my one child that can get under my skin faster than any of the others.  I have been in prayer for the last two days asking for God's forgiveness and restoration as I cultivate my relationship with her.  Because that's just what it is, a cultivation.  I'm laying the groundwork now for what our relationship will be in the future. 
She's bossy (like me), persistent, inquisitive (like me), and very tenderhearted.  These are qualities to be praised but some days (like yesterday) they get on my last nerve.  And I did not express kindness and compassion, I expressed frustration.  I can remember when I was a girl my Dad wouldn't express frustration at my tenderheartedness instead he would say, "I'm so glad you have a tender heart.  Remember to always keep your heart tender toward the Lord."  Lord, help me because honestly I love my girl SOOO much.  In fact, at our house we say "I love you to Pluto and back"  and sometimes my sweet baby girl takes it to the next level and says "I love you to God and back". 

Here she is in all her glory with one of her friends from dance class.

Tres is on the left.  Wow, I love my girl!

Weigh-In #3

So I did not stay completely in my calorie goal this week BUT I did do better and stay almost within my range.  The result?  I went from weighing 165.8 pounds last Friday to 163.8 pounds today.  Also by comparison of weeks in calorie consumption... Last week I on average exceeded my calorie goal by 400 calories and this week only by about 75 calories. 
I also have made myself exercise in some way, shape, or form.  Last night I did Just Dance 4 with the kids.  (The comedic value alone is enough to do it)
So here I am back at square one but feel confident this next week will show another two pound loss.

Today's my birthday so tonight I'm having dessert!

Spring Cleaning

Can it really be called spring cleaning if I'm doing it in the winter?  I repinned this pin from Oprah.com the other day and have been using it as a cleaning guide. 

I believe the title stated something like Spring Cleaning in 8 Hours.  Of course, I was hooked.  Wow, spring cleaning done in 8 hours?  Well I'm six hours in and seriously doubt I will be done in two more hours.  However, the article provides some really good info. 
I worked three hours on Friday on the Kids' room (Dos and Tres'), the main hallway, the kids' bathroom, and the kitchen.  I worked an hour on the Living Room, Dining Room, Laundry room and side hallway on Saturday and about two hours today on the Toy Room and finishing the windows of the Living and Dining Rooms.  I believe the plan would work best for a one bedroom, one bath home.  With a four bedroom, two and a half bath home I'm still working the plan.  I have yet to complete: the Master bedroom and en suite bathroom, half bath, Uno's bedroom, and Quattro's bedroom.  I'm not sure if I could get everything done in eight straight hours due to the size of the house but also I would really need to have the house all to myself for eight straight hours and I'm just not sure that is possible. 
What I do like about this plan is that the author tells you in what order to work your rooms.  For example, in the Kids' Room I:
1.  Dusted the fan, wiped down the walls, and vacuumed.
2.  Aired the room out by raising the windows.
3.  Stripped the beds and flipped the mattresses.
4.  Put on new sheets.
5.  Wiped down the baseboards and washed them.
6.  Swept the floors.

We put the house on the market this Friday.  We are still on the fence as to whether we should list it for sale by owner or with a realtor.  Your thoughts?

Friday Weigh-In #2

I tried to post this yesterday ( I was just way too tired Friday) but there was problems with the site.  So, here I am today. 
I weighed Friday and my weight was 165.8.  Yes, yes I did gain two pounds not lose two pounds like I had hoped.  Welcome to my life of trying to lose weight.  Now, no matter how down I can get about the gain, I'm still holding on to the belief that this time will be different.  I am determined to stay the course and lose the weight I have set out to.  I just may post the good, the bad, and the ugly along the way:)

To recap the last week, I'll look at the pros and the cons. 

Pros:

1.  I exercised 6 out of seven days.

2.  I did log my eating on MyFitnessPal each day.

 

Cons:

1.  I went over my calorie limit 5 out of 7 days.

2.  I refuse to eat healthy food which obviously is detrimental to weight loss.  There's something in me that would rather starve to the point where I eat everything in sight instead of pick up the carrot and eat it. 

 

So, for this week my goal is to stay within my calorie limit each day.  I don't think I'll set a pound goal. (I probably will I can't seem to get away from wanting to see the numbers change)  Okay, so what do we think of a three pound loss?  Or should I stay with two?

Friday Weigh-In

I'm still surprised that as of November I had no goals, no aspirations for the new year.  Boy did that change by the end of December.  As stated previously, I have five B-SHAGs (Big Scary Hairy Audacious Goals) and my number one B-SHAG is probably my scariest, hairiest one to me: lose 45 pounds. 
Why is it that we get hung up on the same things over and over?  For me, food is my downfall.  To those that do not know me, I'm 4'10" which translates into my weight shows up in spades on me.  After Quattro (after being the key word), I weighed 170 pounds.  170 pounds on a 4'10" lady is a lot.  So I decided I would lose 50 pounds.  I think I wished I would lose 50 pounds.  As a result, I lost a total of 5 pounds in all of 2012 but at least it was a loss. 
Sunday, I believe was a turning point for me; however, I believe my prayer life has helped me come up with the B-SHAGs I've created for this year starting back in November. What I mean is, I believe the Lord has been doing some prep work in my life. On Sunday, my pastor said something, something that when I take it out of context seems silly and ridiculous.  He said, "God will make the impossible, possible".  I get that other people are facing major obstacles: job loss, disease, divorce, etc.  But for me, my weight has been an impossibility for as long as I can remember.  Not that I've always been overweight but I've never been petite like my mom and sister who are 4'9" and 4'8" respectively. I've made years of poor choices and exhibited lack of self-control.  Those choices really became an issue back in 2009.  I wanted to get pregnant again and Tres was two so I thought it was a good time.  However, I'd been crying over anything and everything, breaking out with acne (I was fortunate, I didn't have acne in high school - at all), moody, and irregular cycles.  I went to a holistic store and bought hormone cream and thought that would do the trick.  Finally, I went to see my doctor (probably should have done that first).  What I didn't realize was the hormone cream was acting similar to birth control pills (which I have never taken due to personal beliefs) in the fact that the cream was forcing me to have a regular cycle.  The regular cycle made me think everything was okay.  So my doctor did blood work on me and revealed that the hormone levels in my blood were showing I had PCOS.  Poly cystic Ovarian Syndrome.  For me, this condition was weight related.  Translation?  My body wasn't ovulating and insulin resistance was a big factor.  I was devastated but honestly didn't know what it all meant.  Over time, I've become more familiar with the syndrome.  At the time I was 160 pounds and began working out and lost 5 pounds.  In April 2011, I became pregnant with Quattro and I was pumped!  However, 155 was the heaviest I had ever been starting a pregnancy.  By the time I went in to the hospital to deliver Quattro, I weighed 186 pounds!  Too much for a 4'10" girl. 
Fast forward to the end of 2012 and I finally went to see a doctor because I was so tired everyday.  Now my big issue: Insulin Resistance, a precursor to diabetes.  And why do I have this?  My weight.  The good news and the "Aha! moment" all at the same time?  This is not a life long condition.  It can be COMPLETELY reversed with weight loss.  I am intelligent individual - now is the time to change my condition.  So the reason for this long post?  I am going to detail out my plan, open the door for any comments you may have, and finally, post my weight as of today.  I will track my progress toward achieving my #1 B-SHAG.
Since praying Sunday that God would make this impossible thing in my life possible, I have been listening to any guidance or encouragement as related to me losing weight.  I noticed a post on a news site about a man that lost over 125 pounds by counting calories and I was intrigued.  You see, the only times I have seen significant improvement in my weight has been when I count calories.  Well this guy did just that.  He still ate foods he loved, he just counted calories and moved.  He's documented his success on his blog 344pounds and I'm liking what he has to say.  I'm currently reading his book, "344: How I lost 125 pounds by counting calories" via Numero Uno's  Kindle Fire.
Here's my plan:
1.  I will track my caloric intake via MyFitnessPal.  My daily allotment is 1500 calories.
2.  I will exercise for 15 minutes a day plus do 5 set ups and 5 push ups.  Monday through Saturday.
3.  I will lose two pounds per week.
4.  Sundays will be my absolute free day (eat whatever and no exercise).  In the event that I do not lose two pounds in a week, I forfeit my free day.

 

This is me, in all my glory:)  We do not own a full length mirror (I'm sure my weight has had something to do with that decision as well).  As of today, I weigh 163.6 pounds.  I'll post next Friday my progress. 

 

Now, to tackle this messy house:)