My Weightloss Journey...One Year Down

Life has turned me upside down the past few weeks. Our home was opened as a provisional foster home and we have two new little ones. My daughter had an appendectomy, my husband has a hiatal hernia, my husband's car broke down, the two new little have both been sick separate times, we had hiccups in getting my stepson here for Christmas break and I have been swamped with paperwork to get certified for fostering. I've definitely been humbled this month.

I've managed to stay on top of tracking my food and getting my workouts completed. I didn't lose any weight last week but I also had an unwelcomed visitor. I did splurge on Christmas Eve and Christmas more than I wanted to.

I have one more week left of this year and I want to lose ONE more pound. This would put me at 60 lbs lost for the year. Even with PCOS, that's an average of 1.15 lbs per week. Although there were plenty of weeks that I lost nothing...

I keep getting compliments and questions about my weight loss. People ask if I am at my goal weight and a lot of them seem to think I have lost enough. The reality is I still weigh 178 lbs. I am still a size 13/14. I am super happy about that but I know there is still progress to be made.

Rather than focusing on the scale, like I have my entire life, I am going concentrate on strength training. I know that to change the shape of my body I have to train with weights. This will be a learning process for me.  

This is the first year that I have not given up midway through and gained all of my weight back. What exactly did I do to lose weight? I tracked all of my food intake. I use Weight Watchers' previous points system. I made sure to keep up my intake of supplements. I love AdvoCare. I workout. True story. lol I love FitnessBlender videos on youtube.com. I drink plenty of water and get plenty of sleep. Easy enough, right?

I would say the two things that made the difference was giving it to God because I know I can't do it on my own and I committed to the process through affirmation statements. Have a support system if at all possible. If you don't have one at home or work you find one online. I love Instagram because you can follow real people on their fitness journey and find inspiration and motivation.

I gladly welcome others to join me on this journey to get healthy! :)  

Importance of Journaling

Some women love shoes...I love journals and notebooks! I love putting pen to paper. I have my food journal with me at all times. Only way for me to track properly. I usually have a smaller notebook about 5x7 or a smidge smaller. This way it can easily fit into my purse.

I also keep a prayer journal. I find it easier to talk to God this way. Usually if I start to pray out loud (technically in my head) next thing you know I'm over in left field off on another tangent. Writing helps me stay focused on the Lord and to show all of my gratitude...and of course pray!

I only have a few pages left in my prayer and food journals. You know what that means! I got to take a stroll down the stationary aisle. I ended up with two new journals and then two super cute composition notebooks. I couldn't decide which I liked best...so I got them all.

My prayer journal has the scripture of Psalms 118:24 on the front. "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it". In love! I usually get up about 5:30 am to start my day and this will be a great reminder to be joyful!

The "yes you can" composition notebook will be my goals notebook. I am starting to write my goals in 12 week increments. As I accomplish goals and find things that aren't working I will need to update them. Three months seems like a great time to re-evaluate. 

The "anything is possible" composition notebook is just for funsies right now.  Who knows. I am sure I can assign a purpose to it.

I pulled a muscle in my left quad so I have been taking it easy today. I happen to have an appointment scheduled with a massage therapist tomorrow but I don't know if that will help? I will talk to her bout it. This is the first time I have had a pulled quad. lol Other than magnesium oil and a bit of heat I'm not sure what to do with it.

While I rest up I am going to start writing in my notebooks. Making my goals super official. To achieve your dreams you must turn them into goals. Then turn your goals into affirmations. Writing time!

Progress of 24 Day Challenge {Day 5}

I am super excited about my progress with the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge!!! I started on Monday 10/3/16. I had been stuck at 192.2 throughout September. Between our move and the kiddos back in school my stress levels where crazy high and with PCOS that just makes matters worse. I am happy I was able to maintain and not actually gain during September.

However, I know that I needed to step things up if I wanted to keep progressing towards my goals. My next goal is to get to 180. See where I started here.

  

I weighed in on Friday 10/7. That's 4 full days of my 10 day cleanse phase of the challenge. I have already lost 3.6 lbs!!! I've never been on a cleanse that was this easy before! I actually get to eat real food and I am not in the bathroom 27/4. I work full time and it hasn't interfered with my job. I feel pretty amazing too. I will tell ya around day three I was a little irritable. I vented to a friend and got over it and by Thursday morning I was feeling great.

 

I feel better than I have in a long time. I eat 6-7 times a day. I count Weight Watcher points to stay on track with my calorie intake. I know all too well how quickly calories can get out of control! I do follow the Herbal Cleanse precisely with the exception that I have added an extra dosage of OmegaPlex daily.

I will post an update after my full 10 Days of the cleanse and then my weight and measurements after the 24 days! So stay tuned!  

Quiting Coffee...What?!?

So I haven't posted in a minute. It's crazy how life can get away from you. We are back in the swing of school and all of the activities and homework that comes along with that. My youngest is in fifth grade this year and let me tell ya'll I am not smarter than a fifth grader! It's kinda embarrassing!lol

So I love coffee. If I could have had an IV drip hooked up I would have. Ha! I was drinking about 5-8 cups a day. Yes I am aware that was quite excessive. Here's the thing, my coffee would "wake me up" for about 27 minutes at a time (being a little dramatic here) but honestly it would wear off quickly and I would need more. I literally thought I couldn't live without it. I was addicted and dependent. I was still tired and oh so cranky.

I really didn't think there was a problem. I would drink it black often so I wasn't using my Weight Watcher points on in. A little over three weeks ago I was getting nauseous throughout the day and it happened for about 3-4 days. It seemed to happen around the same time I'd have coffee. It was seriously upsetting my stomach. I had to stop drinking it.

A month ago I would have thought I'd die without my coffee. Here I am three weeks later. Alive. I feel great. I haven't quit caffeine 100% but it has been reduced soooo much. I drink a Spark in the morning and then have a cup of hot tea in the afternoon.

I feel different. I am not sure how to explain it. I am less tired and less anxious. I have an anxiety disorder so I am sure that the coffee was not helping that at all. I am happy that I quit.

I know that I could NOT have done this without my Advocare Spark!!! I have been using Spark off and on for about two years. I'd use it for workouts or a late afternoon pick me up. I started having it every morning when I gave up the coffee. Spark is a unique blend of vitamins, minerals, nutrients and the right amount of caffeine.* I love it! It helps me focus, gives me enough energy to feel sustained and I get so much done during my day compared to the pot of coffee I was drinking before. It isn't like a crazy burst of energy which is what I like. I don't want to feel crazy out of mind. I do a good job of that on my own ;) My favorite flavors are cherry, fruit punch and pink lemonade.

Find out more about Advocare on my micro site. I signed up to be a distributor after two years of using Spark, CorePlex and OmegaPlex. I immediately got a 20% discount and free products. Advocare now has a preferred customer option if you want a discount on your products. You can even get up to 30% off!!! If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me.

I am starting the Advocare 24 Day Challenge. Come back to see how that goes! Hope y'all have a great day. Don't give up on your weight loss journey!

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Weightloss Journey Update: Ups and Downs

The journey is hard right now. Ups and downs are expected. The downs suck. I have been completely sidetracked. I am exhausted mentally and physically. I am trying to juggle so many things. I started relying on food again. I am starting to recognize the emotional eating cycles.

I haven't worked out in a week and a half. I haven't actually cared. That's a bad place to be. I hate it. I skipped my weigh in last Friday because I didn't want to know. I'm going to guess a weight gain. My sacroiliac joint is acting up and has been creating pain and issues with walking at times.

My family and I took a three day weekend and went to the beach. It was nice to get away and have fun. We were headed down to Texas anyways to take my step-son home. Spent time with family while we were there too. While I was there I picked up an audio CD at a rummage sale. It is called Body for Life by Bill Phillips. It helped me refocus on my goals. It is getting me out of my slump.

I know I can be hard on myself. I think we are always harder on ourselves. What would I say to a friend? It wouldn't be things like: you suck, you're a loser, you should be ashamed, etc. Why do I tell myself these things? I would tell my friend it's okay, your mistakes don't define you, you can do this! These are things I should be telling myself. This goes back to affirmations.

I will make better plans. I will make healthier choices. I will get through this rough patch. I will weigh in this week, no matter what! I am already back on track today.

Sometimes I find that if I am going hardcore, a break is nice. It can jump start me back in to the game. The problem is when the break is too long and your old lifestyle drags you back. Not going to let that happen. I need to extend myself some grace. A week off isn't going to kill me. It's over. I can't change it now. I can only move forward and try to stay positive.

Life is a Balancing Act! Stress and Weight Loss

So this summer has been hectic to say the least! We had a graduation, a wedding, drove to Texas and back three times in June. My Grandma and Aunt from Washington came to visit. My son turned 13. Now, I can't believe my kiddos go back to school in a week! Time has literally flown by! Working on getting the kiddos to bed at a decent time is not going to be easy. They are already fighting me on it!

Last weekend my hubby's car left us stranded out of town. We then spent a few days looking for the right one to purchase for him. We were blessed with the great deal we found. On top of that we want to move closer to the kiddos' school. They actually go to school 19 miles south of where we live currently. Then I drive north for work. We may have found a rental and should know by tomorrow afternoon. We've been trying to move out that way for a few years but nothing stays on the market long. Although we know that everything will work out, it is stressful.


I have a recall on my van so I have to take it to the shop tomorrow to get it fixed. I get to take a shuttle to work...super fun. Then we have open house for school on Tuesday. Taking a long weekend before school starts to go to the beach and my daughter is having issues with her feet.

Typically when life gets out of hand I get distracted. I refuse to get distracted no matter how crazy life gets! This time I've just kept swimming...metaphorically that is. Ha! Plus I keep doing my affirmations. They really do help!

I'm continually tracking my weight watchers points in my food journal, exercising, drinking my water and getting my 8 hours of sleep in when possible.  I follow the basics of weight loss. You can't go wrong by following these steps!

I had my weigh in two days ago. I am down 1.2 lbs.! Yay! The week before the scale didn't budge at all. Of course Aunt Flo was visiting for the second time in July. Thanks PCOS.
 
I am focusing on 1 lb. at a time. Exercising and eating healthy actually helps me through the stressful times. I did have my cheat meal today. I ate too much chicken alfredo and I had a glass of wine. It's okay though because next time I intend to only have the serving size on my cheat meal. Plus I went for a 45 minute walk after dinner and am currently at 12,246 steps. Now time for sleep...

Balancing Life and Weight Loss

The last four days have been a huge blessing to me. My Granny and Aunt from Washington State came to visit! I have enjoyed my time with them fully. This is only the third time since 1995 that I have got to see them.  We celebrated my son turning 13; had a family dinner with my two sisters, their spouses and children and my mother. Lots of celebrations with lots of food! Not to mention we just had Fourth of July get-togethers the weekend before.

I knew going into these two weeks that I was going to focus on maintaining my weight. This would be a victory in its own.  Last Friday for my weigh in I was at 198.2…so I had a 2 oz. gain. So this I can live with! Now this week will be a different story! I didn’t want to obsess over what I ate and take away from spending time with Granny and Auntie. Tried to balance as much as possible. This is still a learning process for me...

The problem was all of the leftovers from the birthday party! I have cookie cake, birthday cake and ice cream setting around. Then we had lunch at my sister’s house Sunday and she sent the leftover cookies and chips home with us. Snicker doodle cookies are the devil I tell you! I ate 3 of them! This is why I just can’t keep stuff like this in the house. Plus it’s not healthy for my kiddos to be loaded up on sugar either. I have a headache from the sugar. I had been keeping my sugar intake below 24 grams a day, which is the recommended daily serving.

I’ve got to stay on track for the rest of this. I will do my daily workouts. I will get to sleep on time. I will not eat added sugar! This is a promise I am making to myself. I did well yesterday and today. The children and I walked to the park and played some basketball. The fireflies were out and it was so peaceful.  I enjoyed time with my kiddos and nature. Bonus, I hit my daily goal of 10,000 steps!

I am going to do a detox in the next week or so. About 6 six years ago my husband and I were in a car wreck and we had to go to physical therapy. The therapist there gave us a detox recipe that worked wonderfully. For some reason I am thinking it was from the Mayo Clinic…but I could be wrong. It involves Epsom salt, grapefruit and olive oil. So stay tuned for that post! lol

Why Can't Life Be Stress Free???

The struggle is real. No joke intended. I can easily allow my circumstance to dictate my mood. I know that I shouldn’t. I constantly have to remind myself to STOP! Snap out of it! Appreciate this day, this moment. Right now in my life my children are not little anymore. I’m grateful but sad at the same time. My daughter, who is a pre-tween, tests me and my nerves daily. Regularly feeling like a failure. It’s very stressful and trying not to slip into past habits. I cannot say that I have been 100% successful at this.

How do you beat stress? It can come in many forms like a strong-willed child, a messy home, work, money, even your marriage at times. Stress will be present in our lives. But I definitely believe that you can work towards minimizing the damage it causes.

Laugh. Or even just smile. I like to get on Pinterest and look at funny cat pictures or gifs. YouTube has a ton of funny videos too! At work, my co-worker and I giggle most of the day in between phone calls or while we are typing. Just by talking in ridiculous voices or mentioning something funny our kids did. I am blessed to share an office with her. This really helps on stressful days. At home, my kiddos and I watch “Try not to laugh” videos on YouTube. I usually lose on the first clip. lol

Workout. Get moving! The other day I was sooo stressed out with deadlines at work, the house was messy, my husband left his lights on and his car battery died so I had to drive on the other side of town to help, and honestly I was a bit hormonal. All I wanted to do was EAT! I can’t say I was the most pleasant to be around but I did withstand the temptation to slip into old habits. I actually had a desire to sweat. I knew I would feel better. My daughter and I went to play racquetball. We only lasted 30 minutes because it was still probably 90 degrees at 8 pm. We had a ton of fun and were drenched in sweat. I felt sooo much better!!! It was way better than the alternative of my wallowing in my own self-pity.

Write it out. Because screaming at the top of your lungs is frowned upon. Not to say I haven’t ever done this. I journal regularly and it seems to help. I am able to get my feelings out and they seem less intense. Don't forget to express gratitude for what you do have. So often we get caught up with what's going wrong. I know I am guilty of this. Plus I love cute journals/notebooks! 

Put on music. I have music on all day at work (unless I take a phone call). I listen to it on my phone and keep one ear bud in. I have been listening to Pandora's Workout Radio station for about 4 weeks. If there is a song I don't like I just give it a thumbs down. I like how it customizes the station just for me. You can easily create an upbeat playlist to keep on your phone as well.  

Sleep. Go to bed a little earlier than usual. Make sure you are getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Take a nap if you can. I love a good Sunday afternoon nap! Granted I only get one once or twice a year but they are wonderful. I have even went to my car on a lunch break and set a timer on my phone for 20-30 minutes. Of course I try to park where no one can see me. This is also a lot easier when it's not the middle of a southern summer heat wave and I don't have to use the air.

There are so many more things you can do but these three are super simple and easy to add into your daily routine. Are there other things y'all do to beat stress?