What a year it has been....

Wow. I'm very surprised that my blog is still active! It has been a year since I posted anything and I must say that I feel bad. I have let myself down. I completely ignored myself and what little time it takes to make an entry. So, in the last year many things have changed. My husband transferred back home and four months later was offered another position 14 hrs from our home state! He took the position and had to move before my girls and I could go. He moved in March and we moved in July. It has been a drastic change and my girls miss everyone. I do too. However, staying true to my faith I know God has a plan for us. This is a new chapter in our lives!!! Things like Facebook, Smartphones, Skype and even the standard telephone/letter writing has given us the ability to not feel so far away.

Earlier in the year, I was able to get back on track with calorie counting and losing the baby weight from my second daugther. Just like everything, sometimes things do not go as planned. I was doing great until my last month at home. I gained a few pounds, but didn't sweat it. Then we went on family vacation. Oh did I enjoy the food....a little too much. Immediately following the vacation, we moved. Now one piece of information that I have left out is that I am a stay at home mom now. My oldest daughter is in school and my youngest still has quite a few years to go before starting. After moving, I thought that it would be easy to lose the weight since I had to unpack while my husband worked and running after my girls. As I sit here typing this, I am shaking my head. The pounds have continued to come on. During the day, I am really good about what I eat. Dinner time....not so much. I may have dinner, but while watching tv or a movie I do eat snacks. Here is the problem....when I first lost all of my weight, I got rid of my big girl clothes. Now that I have gained so much of my weight back, my smaller clothes are really tight or don't fit at all. In turn, I am searching through my closest trying to find the summer dresses, drawstring pants and even the bigger baggy shirts. My husband said that he hasn't really noticed a drastic difference. I notice it because I know what I looked like and felt like before. With that being said, I have had the pity party that included all the stuff that seems to be going wrong. I have waived the white flag and just gave up. I used every excuse why I cannot exercise.... I do not have time, I chase my toddler around, There are more important things that I need to do during nap time and I can keep going on. I wish I could wiggle my nose and make this weight disappear, but I can't. I have to dig myself out. After having a heart to heart with an awesome friend today, she told me that I needed to quit making excuses and the I am a stay at home mom so there is no reason that I can't do this and I should not have to get up even earlier just to do it. She has no clue how much that really hit home with me. She gave me the jump start that I needed. I told her that as a woman it is difficult to work really hard and only lose one pound. I want that extra boost. I have researched some supplements, but she told me about something all natural that I could try and she will be trying soon. Since she has a nursing background, I really trust her opinion. Needless to say, I went out and purchased the over the counter supplement. Fingers crossed that it will help give me the boost I need because I start tomorrow!

After feeling pumped about getting things back on track for tomorrow, I started to watch videos that individuals and professionals have made about this supplement, Garcinia Cambogia, I am excited. I know that this is not a super pill and it's not going to blast all of the fat off of me. I am realistic. If it can help give me more energy then great! After watching some videos, I decided that I needed a weight loss chart to post at home. This is what I used the first time that I lost weight. So I found one and printed it off. I will measure specific areas as well as record my weight because I know that the scale may not change, but my measurements can! Instead of physically writing everything down in a journal, the light bulb went off flashing "You idiot you have a blog....record your feelings there and update everyone on your progress!" That is why I am here now.

I hope to make frequent posts about my progress. I know that it may be bumpy at first, but I can make it. I regret not doing this sooner especially since my brother is getting married in a week and I will not look how I wanted. I have to quit thinking about the negative and start reflecting on the positive. I can lose the weight....I did lose the weight and I will lose it all and then some! After we come back from the wedding, we will not be going back until Thanksgiving. That will give me nearly two months to not only knock my socks off, but to knock my families socks off! It's a challenge and I am up to it....what else do I have to lose? (HAHAHAHA!)

New Start

So it has been 4 months since my last post. I need to improve and make time just for me! I am slowly changing some of the things in my life one day at a time. One of those being the need to lose my baby weight. While I have lost a little more than half, I have hit a wall only because I stopped counting calories and exercising once my husband was transferred home. My baby is about to start daycare next week...not looking forward to it, but I have no other choice and I am thankful she has been with me at work this long. This creates another time constraint for the morning. Before I would get up at 5 am and exercise before getting my girls up and ready for the day. Then my husband came home and I would rather spend the time cuddling. Now that I will have to drop off at daycare, my 5 am workout will be spent getting everything else ready in the morning. So I have a few options, 1) I can suck it up and get up at 4:30 to get in a 30 minute workout that will give me energy for the day 2) Just start working out at night, which is almost as hectic as the morning or 3) Do nothing and live with my size.

I have lived with the size for long enough and I have lived with fluctuating 2-3 lbs over the last month. Option 3 is not a choice! Before the birth of my second daughter, I spent time running and loved it. Just like anything else, I have used busy weekends as an excuse for not running. Now that fall is here, I intend to start running at least every Saturday as long as there is nice weather. Now I just have to figure out the cardio stuff....hhhhhmmmm... I honestly would prefer to lose 30 minutes of sleep in order to have the extra family time at night. I guess I have made my mind up. I'm going to attempt and set an attainable goal of getting up at least 3 times per week at 4:30 to exercise and run (really re-train) on Saturday morning. Since today is Tuesday and I did not exercise today, looks like the next three days will be early mornings.

As a mom, your children's lives consume yours. I do not mind it at all, but I know that I am not happy right now and I do not want to give up on my goal. I have also never been one to wear make-up or get all dress up for no reason. I have realized that I do not need a reason, honestly, I am the reason that I should do that stuff. It would make me feel nice and look nice. I have also found many ideas on Pinterest that I would like to make as far as clothing or accessories as well as other stuff for the house. Since we do not have extra money right now, it's time for me to start re purposing stuff. Here comes another goal, I want to try to make 2-3 things per month.

Wow, I have a full plate, but in the end I know it will be worth it and more quality time will be spent with my family instead of just sitting in front of the tv doing nothing!

Wish me luck!

It has been over a year since I posted anything. So much has gone on. I am happy to announce that I gave birth to my second daughter nearly 3 weeks ago! Of course, to back up a little...life in general has been hectic. Cadence started school this past August, which is the same time that I conceived Adelaide. She also joined Girl Scouts and I became a leader for the troop. In the last nine months life has taken off at warp speed.

I only have 1.5 weeks left until I have to return to work...I am dreading it. Plus Cadence has her last day of school tomorrow. So many busy things going on right now. I hope to get some time to really update my blog, but for now I will write when I can. I need to go... Adelaide is hungry and Mommy needs to feed her.

34 days and counting

I'm alive.....LOL. I am super happy that we are finally getting some nice weather again and it will be here through the weekend. Cadence and I have been growing a rainforest inside the house. LOL. This morning, we put all of our plants outside so that they could also enjoy the day.

Only 6 more days until Greg comes home. I have been missing him like crazy. These 45 day details wear me out. I took some time off next week so we could spend time together. We are going shopping...I need some new clothes. I don't plan on getting much because I do not plan on being this size long. :-) I also can't wait for him to see me! We have a date night planned and since we have not had a date night since August 2010, I think we are pretty deserving of one.

I added a new poem to My Molar Pregnancy. It's another one from my support group. I like it, but the other one is my favorite.

Sarah - Sorry that it has taken so long for me to get things in order. I know you know how it is. Working all day and then trying to take care of everything at home can get exhausting after awhile. At least Greg will be here next week so I can catch a break.

Time Off

I have had so much craziness going on in my life that I took a break from everything. LOL. Yes, I know I made the commitment to write on my blog everyday, however it was getting to the point that it was a chore and becoming unenjoyable. I was very exhausted and even took a week off from exercising as well. In retrospect that probably wasn't the best thing, but I was just tired and dealing with a fridge that wasn't working and the amount of food that we lost plus other things. I have returned. Yay. I plan on getting all of my updated weight pictures updated and my weigh-ins as well. Toot-toot....I am doing great. 30 pounds gone! I am staying right on track with about 10 pounds every month. I am hoping to lose 20 more pounds by my birthday, which is totally doable. My birthday is May 14th which would mark the 5 month mark. My friend and I sat down and figured out how much we should weigh for our height...at this rate I will be considering a healthy weight by August and to be on the lower end of that scale by October. For my height, I should weight no more than 135 pounds and no less than 105 or 110...I'm not going to be a bean pole, but I would like to get down to 125-135. I honestly do not think that I have been that small since Middle school! Wow....I totally feel like the fat kid. LOL. I have so much more confidence now and feel better in the clothes I am wearing. I actually look forward to going shopping even if I don't buy anything. I know that this is only the beginning and I have more that I want to lose, but I am off to a great start.

54 days and counting

Today is Friday and I am super excited. I have a lot to do tonight after I get off. It shouldn't take long since I won't have Cadence with me. I plan on going to bed early tonight in order to get plenty of rest for the morning. I just hope it's not going to rain or be extremely cold. I will just have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Greg will be in town in exactly one month! I can't wait. I miss him sooooooooooooooo much.

55 days and counting

It's Thursday and nothing special. Not really too much going on. I had to get peanut's stuff together for Mama. She will be spending the night tomorrow night. I will be participating in a 5k this weekend. I am pretty excited about it. I am not running just walking for the most part. I think it will be rewarding to get the first one done just to see what it feels like and then I can work on improvements from there. I just have to figure out how to correct my running so I do not get these stupid shin splints. They hurt like crazy, but not to the point that I am in pain walking. My body just needs time to adjust.

56 days and counting

I am much happier today because it is hump day plus Greg has exactly one month left in Arizona. Yay. I hope to make great progress over the next few weeks. I'm not really noticing my stomach getting flatter and I need to start focusing on that area. LOL. Always something.

This weekend, Cadence and I are going to the car show. I can't wait. It will be nice to just relax and hangout. Why can't weekends be three days long?

57 days and counting

Yesterday, unfortunately has carried over today. I am just frustrated, but things will get better...they always do. So instead of having to worry about sitters, we have decided to walk/jog/run in the subdivision that we work in. We completed about a mile today. There is a huge difference in a flat level area versus curves and hills. LOL. I'm feeling the burn today.

Workouts are still going great.

58 days and counting

Today was absolutely horrible! The only detail that I am willing to share is that it was a bad day at work. I wish I could just win the lottery like the millions of others who wish the same thing. Ugh well, it is what it is.

On a plus note, a friend and I ran a mile at the high school track in 13:45! I was pretty satisfied with that. I really want to try to run daily and be able to complete a 5k in 30 minutes. I want to do that prior to then end of the Summer. I have a lot of training to do.

59 days and counting

Today really wasn't too busy. I was a little slow moving this morning since I was woke up at 7 am. I'm not complaining...it gave me time to do my stretch routine...not really a workout more of a resting workout. LOL. Off to church we went, the message was wonderful and I really enjoying going there.

After church, we met up with my best friend to meet her parents from out of town. It was nice to meet them. We piddle for a bit and then went home for a late lunch. I attempted to take a nap, but that really did not work out as planned. Ugh well..I will sleep tonight. We are now winding down for the night....a cold night...Sheesh, I'm not ready to be cold again.

60 days and counting

SO....two months exactly until my deadline...I am super pumped about it and once that day comes and goes, I will still be tracking and posting on a regular basis.

Although I did not do everything I wanted today, I still got a lot accomplished. I got up and did my workout. Afterwards, Cadence and I went to get the oil changed and pick up tax stuff. Thank goodness we did not have to pay in this year. I am very thankful for that.

Once we got home, I was a mad woman on a cleaning spree. The weather was awesome, so I cleaned out the car first. Once inside I took care of the kitchen, many loads or laundry and cleaned the living room. I also folded all of the laundry. It's not put away yet, but it will be tomorrow night. I went for a super simple but yummy dinner and even soaked beans that will be cooking over night while we are asleep.

I am ready for the warm weather to stay.

61 days and counting

They day is here....I have not cried at all today and I wasn't sure how I would really react. It has been a bittersweet day. A few times I just starred at the clouds and tried to imagine what my babies are doing. It was a beautiful day and I am thankful for that. They may not be here, but Happy Birthday little ones! I love you all more than you ever know and will some day meet you.

Cadence and I went to dinner at El Acapulco. It was yummy and is really nice to spend time with her. We plan on spending the rest of tonight in our pj's just being lazy. Tomorrow starts a new day....I missed the last two workouts due to exhaustion so I will pick that up tomorrow along with getting my room ready to paint. It's going to be a busy one.

62 days and counting

I am dragging today. Not only am I sore, but I also did not sleep well last night. I am so ready for the weekend...Hopefully, Cadence will sleep in a little.

Nothing eventful really happened today and too tired to right about anything else.

63 days and counting

This week has been an off week, but nothing much has been going on. I am really sore from my workouts and I actually did a mile on the treadmill. I did interval training. I am thinking that I will just walk the 5K next Saturday so I do not harm myself. LOL. I will continue training and hope to run a 5K in 30 minutes by the end of Summer. That's one of the latest goals I have set for myself.

64 days and counting

Happy Valentine's Day to ALL! My honey sent me roses today. They are very pretty and smell wonderful. I started off the week with a new routine. Let's see how it works. Haha. I know I know....I am always changing things up, but at least it seems to be helping.

I wish my honey were here with me this week. I can only keep thinking about Friday.....deep breath.....it will be ok and I will ge through it.

65 days and counting

Today was weigh-in day and I am very happy to say that I lost 4.0 pounds for an 8 week total of 20.4 pounds! Yay, I made my goal of 20 pounds in 8 weeks. Now I need to lose 20 more pounds in 8 more weeks. Haha. I am feeling great and really starting to get compliments which makes it worth while. I will be running/walking in my first 5k at the end of this month. I can't wait. It will give me a taste of what is to come and the training that I need to do. I am so ready for the nice weather and for Greg to come back home so I can go out for runs!

Greg sent me Roses for Valentine's Day! It was super sweet of him. Cadence and I had dinner with my family tonight. It was a blast and I hope we can all get together more often for events like that. I suggested a picnic when it gets warmer.

66 days and counting

Today was a busy day. I was woke up a little earlier than I wanted to get up, but that's ok. Cadence and I went to church, which gave a wonderful message regarding marriage. Then we went to Gloria's to see the Grandparents. After, Gloria took us to lunch at Olive Garden. Afterwards, we went to help her at the store. She's  a little short and can't reach on the top shelves. LOL.

Cadence decided she wanted to stay up late in her room and did not go to bed on time. We will see how this works out in the morning.

67 days and counting

What a day....not sure what else to say about it. Cadence and I started off having breakfast together at the table. Then she played while I got my exercise in before we went out. We left the house around 11:30 am and headed for the Mall. Apparently, most had the same plan we did because I was sitting on the interstate waiting to get on the off ramp. LOL. Once inside the Mall, we window shopped for the most part and goofed off. She was anxious to get her smoothie so we went straight there first. That was the first time I had anything from an Orange Julius. It was wonderful. Upon walking around the Mall and making wishes at every fountain, Cadence found one of those photo booth things. So we took pictures together. It was fun.After leaving the Mall, we went next door to Whole Foods to get a healthy lunch.

Our next stop was Jo-Ann's Fabric. I wanted to get some fabric to make curtains for our bed room. Well, we ended up getting more than I expected. Cadence and I both got a pattern for a purse with fabric. We piddled in there for a while just looking and laughing at stuff.

Off to Wal-Mart for a few things. I am going to paint one wall in my room as an accent wall. I can't wait and that may be my project for next weekend. LOL. I want to do something to each room, but I am going to do the cheapest ones first.

From there we went to Lane Bryant in the Summit. I had a coupon fo $15 off a purchase of $15 or more. I ended up walking out paying $6.33 for three collared v-neck shirts!

Our last and final stop...Barnes & Noble. I got a coupon from Groupon that was valued at $20 and only cost $10. My mother-in-law had this cookbook that sectioned out the meals of the day and also separated them by calories. After further examination of the book, there were many recipes that I really wanted to try. Needless to say, I bought that book and got one for Cadence.

We were heading home at 6:40pm. Once we got home, we both cooked dinner.....Lemon Chicken Stir Fry....yum yum. To finish the night off, we both had facials and did our nails. It was such a wonderful carefree day. I loved every minute of it.

68 days and counting

YYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY.....watch out weekend her I come. I am so ready for the weekend and I got it started off with a great day at work.Followed by dinner with peanut and oh ,um, yeah trying on a size 14 dress to see how much more I need to lose to fit into it....I am pleased to say I can get into it and it's not even tight. I understand that dress sizes and pant sizes are two different worlds, but I have not been in a size 14 anything since 2003! It's been way to long.

Cadence and I ended the night with very loud music and dancing around the kitchen as silly as we could. Kinda reminded me of Practical Magic. That's a good movie. Ok, well I am going...until tomorrow....