5 lbs and countin

Hey all!  So, as was posted on my facebook, I have lost 5 lbs in my first week.  Let's hope that my next few weeks go just as well!  Wahoo!

So, yesterday was quite amusing because I was chillin with some of my gf's after step class, and they were talking about using almond flour and zucchini in things, and here I am thinking that I did really well by having McDonald's Snack Wraps instead of a Big Mac.  Yes, yesterday I went to Olds with Jenni, Hayden, and Mateya.  Of course, when you go to Walmart with kids, then you MUST go to McDonalds.  So, that is where we went.  I was pretty happy that I didn't over eat.  Yay me!

So, keeping up with eating fruit and veggies when I am snacky and keeping my meals small and healthy.  Here's to eating healthy!

Calorie Counting??

Hey.  I know that I didn't write in yesterday, because I was SUPER tired yet again.  My wonderful soon-to-be-sister-in-law gave me a tip about this website called myfitnesspal.com  It is AMAZING.  It is like weightwatchers only free!  It counts all your calories for you, and will log your progress, and is just all around really helpful.  I don't know how often I will put the entries in, but I am going to do my weekly weigh in on Monday morning first thing (well, after I pee).

So, my question is, does calorie counting really work???  I think it does.  I think, for me, it makes me more aware of what I am taking in.  Now, according to this chart I am allowed 1200 calories a day, and I do not stick to that like it is the law.  I just use it as a guideline.  I usually go over my 1200 calories, but compared to what I was eating a week ago, I feel like I may have cut my calories by at least 1/3.  I feel better, I have more energy.  I am not feeling SO full after each meal.  I feel comfortable.  I am not hungry anymore, I am satisfied.  And, Sean and I went to Harvest House for dinner on Friday night (he used the money he was saving for his gun, because he wanted to have some outside of the house family time!).  I had 1/2 of the "Loaded Cheese Toast" (Cheese, Green Onions, and Bacon on an open faced pinnini bun) and then I ordered a salad for my main course.  I couldn't eat it all.  I was full after I ate half of it...and I didn't finish it!  I just left it there, and I felt 1000x better than I would have, had I eaten the whole thing.  Yay me!!!

Today, eating at mom and dad's all day, I was a little worried, because they always have such wonderful yummy food...that I can sit and eat all day long...but I didn't!!  I kept to what I felt comfortable eating.  I had 1 piece of pizza for lunch, fruit throughout the afternoon and 2 pieces of pizza for dinner with 2 different salads.  Then, when we went out for our family photo shoot I didn't feel like I had a "Food Baby!"  WAHOO!!!!!!  So, here's to hoping that I love the pics that were taken of me today, because the photographer is AMAZING!!!!  (She is also a very good friend of mine, and my employer! ;oP)

Thanks to everyone who has been commenting and encouraging me.  I REALLY appreciate it.  It really does give me the Motivation that I need.  So, please, keep it coming.  It helps me focus on the positive of why I want to lose this weight, and not to focus on the negative...basically thinking I'm fat!

Flexibility is key!

Hey everyone!  Day 2 of my new lifestyle, and it isn't as hard as I thought it would be, but again, I am only on day 2.  I had the kids all day again today so I thought...why not take them back to Kiever's to have just as much fun.  They had a blast...I did too with Alana, but I got a little surprise when I went to take my one day-care kid to the potty.  She had fully pooped her pants and I had to clean her off while we were out at the camp site.  It was EVERYWHERE...I just threw her in the shower and got her all cleaned up.  It wasn't as dramatic as it usually is, but it still was not very fun!

Breakfast: 1 smoothie consisting of - 1 yogurt, 1/2 a nectarine, 1/2 a banana, 3 slices of apple, 1 cup of milk, and 2 handfuls of blueberries.
Snack: 2 eggs scrambled with 1 sourdough english muffin
Lunch: 1 Can of Campbell's Tuscan Meatball soup.
Snack: 1/2 cup of veggie straws & 1 sandwich with roast beef, gravy, and mayo.  Soooo good.
I have no idea what I am making for dinner...we'll just have to wait and see.
 
I did end up going to Yoga yesterday.  Sean kicked me out of the house telling me that I needed to go to loosen up my muscles.  It felt great to get out there.

So, that is my day so far, and I am going to go to bed EARLY!!!  I am so wiped out.

Day 1...new lifestyle.

So, today I am doing ok so far.  I am tired because I couldn't sleep last night, hence the 12am post, but I am EXHAUSTED today, so hopefully I will sleep good!

Today is day 1 of my new way of living.  As my wonderful friend Laura said, this is a lifestyle...not a diet. And, as for eating better...I eat really well, but my portions are the issue.  I could have a bowl of icecream every now and again, but if I eat 4 pieces of Lasagna just because it tastes good, then that is an issue...so I am going to start keeping a food diary.  I would love to have some feedback on this diary, and yes, today I was hungry.  But, if I re-teach my body how to eat then my stomach won't want as much.  So...here we go!!

Breakfast : 2 pieces of raisin toast with margarine and 1 cup of blueberries
Snack: 1 Nectarine, a handful of blackberries, 1 peach and a cup of earl grey tea
Lunch: 1 can of bean salad* 1 cup of blueberries
Snack: more blueberries (I just bought a whole bunch, so I eat a lot of them!) and a nutragrain bar
Supper: 1 cup (or so) of raw mixed veggies and homemade, whole grain pizza with onions, mushrooms,             spinach, and peppers and tomato sauce.  (Yummy).

I think I might have a small bowl of strawberry icecream with blueberries!

I was out a Kiever's lake visiting a friend at her camp site and I was running around after kids all afternoon, so I am not sure I can make it to Yoga tonight.  I am so wiped out I think I would fall asleep on the floor.  We'll see what 8:00 looks like when we get there.  And at Kiever's there is a wicked awesome playground.  Well, Jenni managed to climb the stairs and go down a slide head first all by herself, and it scared the begeesis out of me, but she had fun, so she went up and did it again, only this time I was able to catch her at the bottom.  Silly mommy.  The crazy part is that I was watching her like a hawk, but when I tried to stop her from going down the slide her pants and shoe came off.  But, she loved it!!!

This JUST IN....My HUSBAND ATE ATE ALL MY ICECREAM!!!!  I guess I will just be having blueberries and maybe a nectarine or peach for snack!  Goodness!!!!!  I can't believe he ate all my icecream!  That stinker!!!

*Bean Salad
1 tbsp veg oil
1 tbsp vinegar
1 pinch of sugar
1 splash of Maggi (spice)
1.5 tbsp calorie wise Miracle Whip
1 can of beans
(It usually has some onion in it too, but I don't have any)
Season to taste with Salt, Pepper, Dill, and Garlic.  YUMMY!!!!

So, it has been a while.  It is almost midnight and I can't sleep, so I thought I would write.  Things have been interesting lately.  I have been going to a weekly exercise program in town, and that is good...but I am not seeing the fruits of my labor just yet.  I am struggling yet again with body image.  Basically...I am just not feeling all that great about myself.

This was me last August (Left) and this is me this August (right)

I lost all that weight after Jenni was born and then I put it all back on, and I just can't seem to get it off.  I am doing activity at least 3 times a week (and I mean sweating my butt off activity) and I know that it all has to do with diet...and I REALLY need to change my diet, but I just can't seem to wrap my head around that fact.  I feel like maybe if I keep telling myself that if I just exercise regularly that I will just lose the weight, but so far it just isn't working.  I need motivation...that is what I need.  Motivation.  Lord, help me with my motivation to take care of my body properly...Oh how I wish it were that easy.

See, and here is the worst part.  I want to get my weight under control because of my baby girl.  I don't want Jenni growing up with the same issues pounded into her head that were pounded into mine.  I want to teach her how to make wise choices, and to not obsess about what she looks like.  It is who she is that matters...But, I can't seem to understand that for myself.  I think that others are judging me, even though they probably aren't...but the thoughts won't stop.  So, maybe if I wrote out my journey over the next few months.  I have a goal...30lbs in 4 months.  That is 10lbs a month, and so just over 2 lbs a week.  That is TOTALLY attainable.  SO...unless I get pregnant, which is also a goal, let's work on losing that weight together.  I need help to get to where I want to be, and if I can't get help over cyberspace, then where can I get it???  Well...that is a stupid question, because I can get the help with the support of my husband and my friends, but I need someone who will keep me accountable...someone who will really encourage me when I meet some of my goals.  The comments are good for me.

SO....That is what I am going to do...Do weekly weigh ins and see if I can reach my goal!  Granted...if I do get preggers then it will be kind of silly...but...we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

August 17th, 2011 - 195.5
Activity this week - 1 hour of Step Class and 1 mile on the treadmill.

Spring is here!!!

So, this is officially our second spring in this house.  Last year we didn't really do much to take care of our yard.  Mostly it was because I was preggers and Sean was either working his butt off doing 12 hour days, or was in school.  So...I am sure that our neighbors were extremely embarrassed to be living beside us.  They are the older, love to garden, type people.  In other words, the complete opposite of Sean and I.

Well, this year Sean and I have decided to no longer be an eye sore for our neighborhood.  So this last weekend Sean and I did a whole bunch of work in the yard.  I weeded and tilled the front flower beds, I weeded the side and corner beds, Sean and I raked all the leaves and we cleaned out the main flower bed.  I even pruned the rose bushes, and Sean got rid of all the hollyhocks.  So, now our yard looks great!  And then to top it all off, I mowed the lawn.  Yay for me!!!!  So, we have about 15 garbage bags of leaves and grass clippings.  I have started a compost heap in the back, but the dump has a giant heap and they don't charge you for bringing your compost.  So...away the bags are going!!!!  It is so nice that our whole yard is clean and so now all we have to do is keep it up...

Our Garden Gnome Balder

Now for the house.  I reorganized my living room again.  I was just tired of how it was, so I moved stuff around.  I am happy with it.  Today I did all the dishes, am running the dishwasher, doing laundry.  I am trying to get my house clean, but it just seems like as soon as I get a handle on one area of the house then another area becomes a complete disaster.  It is like I can't win!!!  And...my kid isn't even mobile yet.  She just sits in one place and plays with her toys.  What am I going to do when she starts roaring around the house like a hurricane????

On a completely different subject...I am a beaming big sister.  

My little brother Luke, is no longer a little boy.  I went home to visit my family over the last week and I got to spend some time with my younger brother and his (at that time) girlfriend Darilyn.  It was the weirdest thing...I was looking at him, and spending time with him and I realized that he was a man.  He lives in his own rental place with Darilyn and another one of my brothers, Steve.  He isn't living under someone else's roof, but he is the man of his own house.  And, yeah, his house is a bit of a dump, but he takes care of it the best that he can.  I feel a little sorry for Darilyn because the house does look like a bunch of boys live there, but when she gets a chance I am sure that she will put a bit of a feminine touch into the house.  But they take really good care of the yard which is nice.  So, then the day after I left Luke proposed to Darilyn.  They are getting married!!!  I am so happy for them!!!!  So, not only am I so proud of Luke and the man that he has become, but I am getting a new sister!!!!!!!  Yay!!!!!! 

Well, Jenni is getting 4 new teeth right now and it is not the most fun event ever, but it could be a whole lot worse.  
 
So, I bid my readers adieu.  Thanks for listening!!!!!

A New Chapter

This weekend was a very sad weekend.  One of my best friends here in Three Hills moved away.  She isn't really that far away, and I will still be able to talk to her on the phone and see her every 3 weeks or so...but she isn't here anymore.

It just makes things a little different.  See, before this was my go-to girl.  If I was having an issue, or just really needed parenting advise, or just needed a girlfriend to cry on...she was there, just down the block.  She is a true friend who loved me BECAUSE of who I am, not IN SPITE of who I am.  I know that we are still friends, and we will forever be friends, but it just is not the same.  I am not as heart broken as I thought I was going to be because I know she isn't that far away, but it is just different.  I have other friends in town too, but none of them are the same.  Obviously, because no one can be the same...but still.  See, of all my friends in town who love me because of who I am don't have kids.  It just makes the friendship that much stronger.

So, all that said.  I am going to miss you friend, but I know that the telephone will be great!!!!  Love you!!!!