Always wanting more

One thing I hate that I do with the scale, is that I always am left wanting more. This past week, I lost a total of 6.8 pounds and instead of being super excited about that, I was so ticked off this morning because I wanted it to be more. In reality, almost 7 pounds in one week is freaking amazing! I should be so dang excited about that. I am happy, don't get me wrong... I just wanted it to be a bigger number. Ha, to be a girl.

I have to keep reminding myself, its about how I am feeling, its about how my clothes are fitting, its about the amount of energy I have now, its more then that stupid number on the scale. Why do I keep my scale you might wonder... well, that scale is what helps motivate me. I didn't see the number I wanted to see today and so now I am motivated to stay on track with my eating and my workouts. If I see a number I do want to see, I know that all my hard work is paying off so I keep up the hard work and keep pressing forward. Either way, it is motivating me to keep pressing on.

What motivates you? Remember that motivation is what gets you started and habit is what keeps you going... They say (whoever They are) that after 2-3 weeks of doing the same thing, it turns into a habit for you. So just give it 2-3 weeks, heck give it a month. You can do it!

Side note - Casey lost a total of 2.6 pounds this week! I am so proud of that man!

H2O

One thing I am horrible at remembering over the weekends is making sure I drink all my water. While I am at work, it's a game to me... Sitting at a desk all day, helps me stay on track. However, I am a busy bee over the weekends and if I make myself a glass of water I usually forget about it for awhile.

This weekend I have tried to really stay focused on my water intake. I think I have been doing rather good, but it sure is a chore. In an odd way, I am ready to go back to work tomorrow... I like being on a schedule!

Why drink water you ask? How much should you have? See the picture below...

Treadmill success

Today I woke up with Casey (he had to work at 8:30 this morning, yuck) and headed to the gym. I love starting my day at the gym, 1. I get my workout over with and 2. I have energy for the rest of the day.

I had planned on going to an Intro to Crossfit class BUT I read the schedule wrong and went way to early... Then a worker there said he thought the instructor was sick. Oh well, so I started to do my own workout.

I did 10 minutes on the elliptical, leg workouts, 10 minutes on the bike, stretched and then I thought I would try and walk on the treadmill. Now, the last time I've walked on the treadmill was last year over the summer and while walking, my knee gave out and I fall. My leg was scrapped up and bruised... It was brutal! So, me getting back up on the "horse" was a huge deal. I started off slow and easy and by the time I was done, I was up to walking at a 4.0 (death grip on the handles just in case) and I finished a mile!! I am pretty darn proud of myself right now...

Sleep... it does a body good!

Move over milk because sleep is what does this body good! I have been blowing and going this week, to the point where a few nights I haven't slept as much as I should have. I am usually in bed by 9 p.m. every night and up around 5:30 a.m. This past week I have been staying up until about 10 p.m. and waking up at 4:45 a.m. (to help motivate Casey to hit up the Y before work). Last night, Casey and I were both SO tired that we agreed to go to bed at 8:30 p.m.... which we did! When Casey woke up at 4:45 a.m. to head to the Y, I stayed in bed and slept. I slept through my 5:15 alarm, I slept through my 5:30 alarm, I slept through my 5:45 alarm.... This continued every 15 minutes until 7:00 a.m.!!! I finally woke up, feeling refreshed and very late to work! Thank goodness I have a very flexible job and I am very thankful that Caleb is in pre-school and it really doesn't matter if he is "late" or not.

11.5 hours of sleep... it is just what I needed! Are you getting enough sleep? Are you waking up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world? Are you getting to a point in the day that you feel like you need a nap? Try to go to bed earlier at night (I know that is not as much fun, but sometimes it's what your body needs). Next week I am going to try to make it to bed by 9... try being the key word!

I hope you each have a wonderful weekend. Remember, just because it is the weekend doesn't mean you can go crazy and erase all the hard work you did this past week. Plan ahead, take snacks with you, hit up the gym, ask someone to help hold you accountable... there are so many things that are in your control that you can do to help you stay on track!

My plan:
Tonight - Casey and I will eat dinner at home, Caleb is going to my sisters and then Casey and I are using our free movie tickets to Movie Tavern to see Zero Dark Thirty. We plan on drinking water and not ordering any food.

Saturday - Casey is working all day so I am hitting up the gym with Caleb, then Caleb and I are meeting up with Casey's mom (Joy) and heading out to the open house at the Keller Fire station. Later that night, all three of us are heading to Haslet to hang out with my nieces. My sisters house is full of temptations for me, but I am going to stay strong, pack my own meals and stick to my plan.

Sunday - Casey is working all day again (yuck). The childcare is closed at the Y on Sunday so I think I am going to take Caleb to the pool again. Last week he was nervous and scared but maybe if I work with him every week, we can change that fear into excitement. After the Y we are going grocery shopping and when Casey gets off work, we will cook and pack all of our meals for the upcoming week.

Meal plan for next week
Breakfast: Casey - yogurt & turkey bacon / Jordan - turkey bacon & 3 egg whites with fresh salsa
Snack: Fruit (probably grapes)
Lunch: Mexican turkey burger patties served on a bed of spinach leaves with fresh salsa
Snack: Fiber bar
Dinner: Grilled chicken with mashed sweet potatoes and steam veggies
Snack: Protein Shake

Sore Body + Epsom Salt = Refreshed and ready to go

I have really been killing it at the gym this past week. Doing my interval trainings (cardio, weights, cardio, weights, then cool down) has left me really feeling it the next day. Its a good feeling to have, knowing I actually did something worth doing... but it doesn't always feel the best!

Last night, Casey went out with his friend after dinner, Caleb & Sky (a little boy I watch 3 days a week) laid down for bed at 7, lights out at 8 and then Sky left about 8:30.... I had a lot of ME time and I loved it. I completed my nightly workout, prepared my protein shake and then enjoined some T.V. time until Sky left. As soon as he did, I was in the bathroom filling the tub with some very hot water and some Epsom Salt. If you have never tried an Epsom Salt bath before, boy oh boy are you missing out. After about 40 minutes in the bath (when the water was getting cold) I got out, dried off and felt like a new woman!

Next time you are sore, invest in some Epsom Salt and trust me you wont be sorry! Oh and it can even work as a laxative... I have never tried it but I have heard good things.

Proud girlfriend moment - I mentioned Casey went out with his friend last night, well they ended up having a few beers (duh). He arrived back home about 10 p.m. and was very tired... BUT... 5 a.m. rolled around this morning and he was out of bed and headed to the Y so he could workout before heading to work. He is doing so good this week and I am very excited for both of us to weigh in Sunday morning and see how much our hard work has paid off, even though I have already been able to start telling by my pants not being as tight!

In the words of one of my dearest friends... "You're body really does love you when you treat it right!"

New Nightly Routine

We have a new nightly routine in our house and I am going to do everything in my power to make sure we stick to it. With Casey being on board, it has been very easy... but it only started 2 days ago, so we shall see.

Here are our new rules for after work:

1. TV is NOT allowed to be turned on until after 7 p.m. - going back to my method of "you have your own life so live it and stop watching other people live theirs out through a t.v."

2. Everyone needs to pitch in with setting the table, preparing the food and cleaning up afterwards. If you can eat it, you can help out!

3. After dinner is over, we need to get up and be active until Caleb's bath & bed time (which happens to be 7). If it is playing in the backyard with Caleb, taking a family walk, or cleaning up the house (mostly the playroom).

4. At 8 p.m. Casey and I will do a quick workout (posted below) and then we will be "rewarded" with our protein shakes.

So far this has method has been going good. I know we will hit our rough patches and not everyone will be on board every night, but we will just cross that bridge when it gets here.

Our quick workout:

50 Jumping Jacks

5 Push-Ups

20 Crunches

20 Mountain Climbers

30 Second Plank

It may not sound like a lot, but talk to me after you complete a round of it. Those 5 "simple" workouts will surely get your heart racing and give you a kick of energy. I found it on Pinterest (love that site) and figured what the heck. Since finding it, I have done it twice daily... give it a try!



TBL recap

I am a VERY emotional person who can cry at the drop of a hat. I have been this way for as far back as I can remember. I will be watching tv and a commerical will make me cry, yes, its that bad! You can only imagine how I am while watching The Biggest Loser every week. Casey will just sit there and laugh...

Last night while watching, I got choked up when the contestants were running their 5k's. 1st off, my very 1st 5k I ran it in 52 minutes... they finished in way less than! The tears started coming when each of them ran across the finish line. I know that feeling that they had, the feeling of knowing you just finished something you thought you would NEVER be able to do. Its one of the best feelings in the world. Then the tears started up because the doctors told me I would never run again... I can't wait til the day I find myself running across the finish line of my 1st 5k back into the running world. Never and can't are not going to be part of my volubulary anymore. One day I will run again (even if I have to have a robotic knee). One day I will cross that finish line. One day....!

I was very sad to see Pam go home last night but she kicked some booty when she got back, thats for sure! Damn girl... (haha).  She just proved to all of us sitting on the couch, you CAN do it from home. You dont need a ranch with celebrity trainers and a cook. You are in control, YOU can change your life, YOU can change your children's lives. Y-O-U!

Side note - I am so proud of Casey, he has woke up early the past 2 days and made it to the gym before work. He was SORE last night and could hardly get out of bed this morning, but he did. Last night we packed all of our breakfasts, snacks, lunches and dinners for the rest of week. We each have plans for the gym and we are going to stick to them. Together we will change our lives and change the path of Caleb's.

Here is our food log for this week:

Meal 1 – 2 hardboiled egg whites & oatmeal toast with a teaspoon of honey

Meal 2 – Pre-Cardio Shake

Meal 3 – Turkey meatloaf cups with a spinach salad

Meal 4 – Fresh salsa chicken with brown rice and black beans

Meal 5 – Protein shake – skim milk, ice, banana, ¼ cut fresh oats, 1 tablespoon of this power protein p.b.

AND tons and tons of water!!!

Yesterday you said tomorrow

Yesterday you said tomorrow... well guess what folks, it is tomorrow! What have you promised yourself that you would do tomorrow (today)? I promised myself I would really focus on eating better. I realized going to the gym, isn't my problem... its what I eat before and after the gym, that is "weighing" me down! The sad part of it all, I know what I should and should not be eating. If I know that, why do I keep breaking promises to myself? I am a firm believer on never breaking promises to ones you love... well, you are suppose to love yourself the most and here you are (or here I am) breaking promises to yourself over and over. It has got to stop people!

My scale has been at Casey's house since before Christmas and I finally kidnapped the sucker back. I know that I should not be obsessed with the scale, but I really think it keeps me motivated. If the number is to high, it kicks my butt into gear. If the number is going down, it helps me stay motivated. Since no having my scale on a daily basis, I have really let myself go in the food department. I weighed myself this morning, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it was... but it wasn't as good as it should be. With that being said, the scale/number has lite a new fire under my booty.

I am going to get this in check, I am going to change my eating, I am going to stick with it this time... I have to! I know what to do, I have promised myself I will do it, so now its time to shut up and do it.

What did you promise yourself that you would start tomorrow... because, it is now tomorrow!

My weekly plan

I laid in bed last night tossing and turning and thinking about everything going on in my life. I realized that I haven't really blogged that much since Christmas break. My life has been so hectic these past couple of weeks and when I do have some down time all I want to do is just be still. I am swamped at work (doing the job of 2 people), taking care of Caleb (the job of 100 people, lol) and taking care of mine and Casey's relationship (which has never been better). I really need to stop and take care of me more...

I haven't given up, I am still pressing forward... however I am in a rut here lately. Its so cold outside and I HATE the cold. I do not want to get out of my warm office at lunch and go work out. I promised myself that I would go everyday last week, well that didn't happen. Stupid cold. As I laid awake last night, I realized that the cold is just another excuse. If I really want to make this be my healthiest year ever, I need to stop making such lame excuses. This week, I vow and promise myself that I will make it to the gym everyday except Sunday.

Monday - I am going to Larry North over my lunch break. I will do about 45 minutes of cardio and target my abs afterwards.

Tuesday - I have lunch plans so after work before I pick Caleb up, I will go to the Y and will do 30 minutes of cardio and then focus on my arms.

Wednesday - I will go to Larry North on my lunch and do 45 minutes of cardio and target my abs

Thursday - I will go to Larry North on my lunch and do 30 minutes of cardio and focus on my legs.

Friday - I will go to Larry North on my lunch and do 30 minutes of cardio. Then after work, I am going to talk Casey into meeting me up at the Y and do another 30-45 minutes of cardio and then target our abs.

Saturday - Casey is off work, so we will be heading up to the Y... I will probably just do a full body workout.

Sunday - REST!

I hope each of you have a great week. Remember when you make a plan, you are more likely to follow through with it. So, make a plan, tell someone and follow through!

Happy 2013

Happy 2013 Y'all... I do NOT do resolutions so don't worry, this isn't a blog about all the things I promise myself I will change and then end up giving up on by March. Instead, I believe that every day is a fresh new start. Every day I try and promise myself something and if I do not succeed, I try again the next day. After all, this is life... no one is perfect!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break and a safe and happy New Year's Eve! I know I had a wonderful time not worrying about counting carbs and spending time with both my boys! Caleb is 3 and so Christmas this year was extra fun... plus on top of everything, I have a LOVING boyfriend who made sure I was spoiled on Christmas. I just love those boys to pieces!

I was horrible the past 2 weeks and you know what, I have no regrets at all. My pants may be a bit tight, the scale might not say the number I want it to... BUT... I had a wonderful time and made TONS of memories and that is what life is really all about.

However, today is a new day and I am back on track. I am back to work, back in my routine, back to going to the gym on my lunch break, back to no DC3 (no diet coke, carbs or cheese)... I am back! I do want my pants to fit and I do want the number on the scale to be a certain number. I have come to realize that I will have to battle my weight the rest of my life and I will continue to battle it until the day I die... but I will also continue to live life.

Here are a couple of things I would like you to remember this New Year: that fad diets don't work (neither do magic pills), going to the gym isn't going to solve all your problems, you didn't put the weight on over night so it isn't coming off over night, do not give up if you mess up just try again the next day, and most of all remember this is life and no one gets out alive (haha)! Good luck with all your resolutions (if you made any)... But just remember to be healthy and be happy because that is what life is all about!