found this article...

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/no-sweat-swaps-to-save-you-700-calories-2428974/

this is really worth reading!

My THREE GOALS: #1

The year I turned 29, I bought myself a gift.  It was something I had wanted to do for a long time.  I had lost almost 40 pounds, so it was a reward to myself.  This is the 2nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  It is the symbol for Beth or "Bet".  It is on the top of my right foot.  Pardon the cruddy, blury photo.  I took it with my phone.

Okay, so I bought a little black dress this past spring.  It was a 30th birthday gift/reward.  My plan was to put it on lay-a-way and set a goal for myself.  The dress fit, but if I lost five pounds before I got it out of lay-a-way, it would fit PERFECTLY.  I was going to wear it for myself for my 30th.
Here's a picture of the dress.  Like I said, the one I bought is black.  I tried to take a picture of the actual dress, but my photography skills (or lack of!) just do not do it justice.  Isn't it cute?!?

Well, guess what?  Life happened.  Unfortunately, I didn't reach my goal.  I actually gained the five pounds... plus several more.  Happy birthday, me, here's a few extra pounds.  :(

After MUCH consideration, I've decided that my first goal is to WEAR THAT DRESS.  I would like to say I want to wear that dress by my 31st birthday, but I don't want to stress myself out with a definite date.  I'll just say that BEFORE 2011 I WILL WEAR THAT LITTLE BLACK DRESS and I WILL FEEL GOOD IN IT!!!

Getting to the point that I can wear this little black dress really shouldn't be that difficult.  Getting to the point that I can comfortably wear this little black dress and feel GOOD in it will be.  I know that I can accomplish this goal I have set for myself if I can remained focused on the end result.  

I need to remained focused on what I know my AWESOME God wants for me, and that is for me to lead a healthy, happy life so that I may better serve him!

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has 

called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

                                                   -Philippians 3:14

So, here's GOAL #1.  I'm still unsure of what my other two goals will be, but will let you know

 just as soon as I decide!

I Am Resolved...

I know it's just the beginning of December, but it's not too soon to be thinking about my resolutions.  This year I WILL KEEP THEM... right?
Really though, I would like to!  I always make resolutions and fully intend to stick to them.  Isn't that the point?
This year, I am going to try and get creative.  I want to do some things a little differently.  I NEED to do many things a little differently.  All I have to say is BABY STEPS!!!
My plan is to come up with THREE GOALS for me to reach in 2011.  I'm going to call them goals this time.  Trying to reach a goal doesn't sound nearly as impossible as keeping a resolution!  I know I should probably set more than three, but I actually want to reach them.  If I set too many, I will give up in no time flat.
I am really good at setting goals for myself.  The problem I have is staying motivated long enough to reach them. I'm considering coming up with a few smaller goals to help me reach the bigger goals.  Weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.  I will set my THREE GOALS for 2011 within the next week or so.  Then before the year begins I will attempt to come up with THREE GOALS for the month of January.
If the monthly goals don't seem to motivate me enough, I will then come up with weekly goals for myself.  Whatever it takes to get back on track.  I CAN do this!
I know that I have to be realistic and not do anything crazy.  I know that baby steps will help me to not get quite so overwhelmed with the big picture.  Focusing on right now and not the big picture is so much easier for my super ADD self!  Yes, I have Attention Deficit Disorder.  Anyone that personally knows me and has spent any real amount of time with me knows this.  I was diagnosed as a child.
I was the kid whose teacher always said "She needs to be medicated." and I am SO thankful that my parents didn't listen to them right off.  I learned LOTS about life and how to somewhat manage mine without being medicated.  There did come a point where it was necessary and I remain on meds as an adult.
It's not something I like to advertise (although I just did by typing this on a blog), or something I am proud of.  It is just something that helps me maintain a normal, healthy, life.  There have been short periods when I thought I didn't need medication so I quit taking mine.  Looking back, it is obvious that my entire family suffered because of it!
Okay, FOCUS!
Within the next few days I am really going to think and PRAY about what THREE GOALS I need to reach in 2011.  They may not all three be related to my physical body.  I know that at least one or two will be.  I am trying to also seriously consider spiritual changes that I need to make and what goal or goals I could set to help me make those changes.
Please pray with me the next few days as I try to figure out what it is that I need to do with/for myself in 2011.
I'm praying for you!

Oatmeal

I used to hate oatmeal... then I discovered that it actually DOES keep me full!
For a while I was in the habit of eating it for breakfast just about everyday.  It made a difference in my entire day!
Today I got home and before I began to study for finals I decided I needed to go ahead and eat something.  I wasn't real hungry, but knew I would be soon.  What to eat... hmm...
Grilled cheese sounds good!  So I go to the pantry and start to get out the bread.  Then I spotted it.  The box has been there since we moved in a few weeks ago.  Oatmeal.  I REALLY wanted that grilled cheese though!
Hmm... this was a tough decision, but the apple/cinnamon oatmeal won!

I decided to go for the oatmeal and then if I still want grilled cheese later, I'll have it for lunch.  Looks like I need to add oatmeal to my grocery list.  This is an old habit I'm going to start again!

FINALS WEEK... EEK!!!

The best part of being a 30 year old college student is definitely the fact that I get to once again experience finals week... HA!!!  

I am generally a great test taker.  This is one of the many traits I inherited from my Daddy.  It's something  I'm VERY grateful for.  I've never really stressed about them and never really had to even study in order to pass.

Since going back to school and becoming a non-traditional student or a "Momma" as one young guy casually called me (like he thought I would find that funny), I have done really well.  I actually REALLY enjoy school.  It's totally different for me to go now that I've been out for ten years.  I'm there because I WANT to be there.

The difference this time is that I am NERVOUS about these stinkin' finals!  I don't want to just pass the test, I want to do well on the tests!

So why am I blogging about this on my "Becoming a Healthier Me" site?  

There are actually many reasons...

Going back to complete my college education is part of becoming a healthier me.  I have wanted to go back for years, yet never had the courage to do it.  There are many reasons why I didn't go, but the number one reason was that I honestly didn't think I was smart enough.  Well, I'll just say it... I felt STUPID.

I've never been the smart one in the family.  I've been called many wonderful things ( I have the most amazing, encouraging parents I could ask for!), but smart has definitely never been one of my titles.  No one EVER said I was stupid, I was just an "average" student.  

I'm okay with that.  Looking back, I can see how decisions I made affected my grades/school work which influenced people's perceptions of my academic capability.  I did just well enough to get scholarships and that's all I needed.  

To be honest with you, I wouldn't change any of it... well maybe I should say I wouldn't change most of it.  As a teen, I was always VERY active and involved in extra-curricular activities.  All of it helped me to become who I am today.  It's all part of my story.

Now that I am back in school I do know that I may not be the smartest kid in my class, but I am DEFINITELY NOT stupid.  I have set goals for myself with my schooling/grades, and I intend to reach them.  Matthew 19:26 says 

"With God all things are possible."  

Did you get that?  ALL things are possible.  Even me going back to school and FINISHING!  I refuse to use the phrase "Don't ask me, I went to beauty school..." ever again!!!  Besides, even if I hadn't gone back to college, going to cosmetology school doesn't make me stupid.  I had to study hard and take a huge test in order to get my cosmetology license!  

Another reason I'm posting about finals is because I'm STRESSING over it!  Guess what stress typically brings for me???  Munchies!  So... WHAT am I going to do about that?

I need to come up with a goal.  Something that will keep me from gaining five pounds in a week while I'm in my academically induced coma.

This week I will work on FIVE things:

1. Memorize a new verse.  I have chosen Philippians 3:14- 

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

This is not at all a new verse for me.  I've heard it MANY times in my 30 years.  I've never actually taken the time to memorize the entire verse and reference.  

By the end of the week, I will have this down!  Anytime I'm tempted to pull out some junk food, I'm going to recite this scripture.  Take that, Munchies!!!

2. Drink more water.  I would like to at least drink FOUR bottles of water a day.  This is something I always struggle with.  I may do well on day one, and then slowly start slacking.  I DESPISE water.  It is just not my choice of beverages.  I know that there are so many benefits to drinking plenty of water... skin, hair, appetite... the list goes on and on.

3. Here's another tough one.  EXERCISE.  Yuck!  I am SO not motivated to do anything physical.  Maybe that's why I've gained so much in the past several months.  Maybe that is why I had to try on FIVE different outfits this morning before deciding which made me feel the least self conscious.

I would like to exercise for at least 90 minutes this week.  I know that isn't really much for an entire week, but it is 90 more minutes than I exercised last week... and the week before... and before that... you get the picture.

4. Weigh and measure myself.  This is something I was keeping track of for a while and it made a HUGE difference for me.  I stayed more motivated because I was more on top of things.  I knew my numbers!  

I am going to once again begin documenting my weight and measurements.  I'm not sure if I'll post them on here yet.  We'll just have to wait and see about that one.

5. GO TO BED!!!  This is another one of those traits I get from my Daddy.  I am a night owl.  If I could have my way, I would stay up late every night and sleep until at least 10:00 every morning.  I am so guilty of staying up late and then having to get up early.  I live a sleep deprived life and it is all by my choosing!  I will be in bed by 10:00 every night this week.  Whew!  That's a tough commitment for me!

In closing, I would like to ask you to please pray that I will reach my goals and have a decent,
low stress finals week.  I'm praying for you!

-Beth

And then there was cake...

My wonderful father-in-law had a birthday this week.  To celebrate his turning 65, we had a little get together in our home.  It was a great time with family honoring a very special man!
The kids and I decided to bake him a cake.  It was SO much fun!  Everyone deserves a birthday cake, right?!?  An added plus was the fun I had with the kids while making the cake and cookies for Grand-Dad.

After the celebration there was some leftover cake.  I tried to send it home with our guests, but we were still left with quite a bit here at our house.  Now is the part where I admit that I am the one who consumed the majority of the leftover cake... big surprise, huh?

Here's the good part:

Today, as I was washing some dishes, I looked over and saw the remainder of the birthday cake.  I felt disgusted at the sight of it.  What a StRaNgE feeling for me to experience!  

I didn't feel guilty.  I felt disgusted.  It was like I just felt that it was something that was so unnecessary to keep.  It was bad.  That cake was UNHEALTHY and I knew I didn't want any more of it!  I immediately picked it up and dumped the entire thing into the running water in the sink.  

Aaaahhhh...

 Can we say "FREEDOM"?!?!?!?!?  It felt so wonderful to rid my kitchen, my home, mySELF of that stinkin' cake!  

Don't get me wrong the cake tasted amazing.  I will actually probably make it again sometime.  I just know that I did what needed to be done with the leftovers and said "NO" to keeping the remainder of my most recent late night sugar fix around.  :)

I'm thankful for...

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving!  While I absolutely LOVE Christmas (the REASON, the music, the decorations, the spirit, etc.), I will have to say that THANKSGIVING is my favorite holiday. 
The reason I enjoy Thanksgiving so much is not because if the food... although that is definitely a perk!  Thanksgiving is my favorite because it is a wonderful time to reflect on all that I'm thankful for and also enjoy family time.  It's a reminder of ALL that my AWESOME God has blessed me with.
This year, I'm really focused on the who, what, and why of it all.  I'm not even going to begin to list all that I'm thankful for on here.  There's simply too many things to list.  I'd be here for DAYS typing it all out.
I will say that within the past year, God has immensely blessed our family.  We've definitely had some very high highs and VERY low lows.
Looking back, I see that God is truly good... ALL the time!  I am SO excited to see what he has in store for us.

One of the many passages I've remained focused on in the last year is Jeremiah 29:11-12... 

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you."

It's so amazing to look back (and forward), and see how his plan is unfolding.  I'm seeing the who, what and why of it all, and I'm THANKFUL for all of it!  It's all... the good and the bad, the happy and the sad... part of my story.  Part of our story.  Most importantly, part of HIS story!!!

Another scripture that I've been focused on is one that has been my favorite since I was a little girl.  In fact, I learned it as a song at GMA camp in Gary, Texas.  I still sing the song in my head when I think of this verse...

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."    -Isaiah 40:31

I am thankful that the Lord has taught me to wait.  And I am still learning this.  I am also learning to ssslllooowww dddooowwwnnnnnnn......
I need to WAIT on the LORD and SLOW DOWN and enjoy where I am right now.  Stop being so anxious, and appreciate the who, what, why and how of RIGHT NOW!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God."  -Philippians 4:6

I am THANKFUL for these precious moments that my AMAZING Father has given me, and I am THANKFUL that I am where I am RIGHT NOW.
 
 

"Be thankful in ALL circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 
-1 Thessalonians 5:18

Trying Something New.

So, I have decided to try something new.  My eating is OUT OF CONTROL.  It's not good.  I'm not going to lie, I've gained...  TOO MUCH!
I'm not nearly back where I started, but I definitely feel like I'm starting back at square one.  Which is okay.  I'm not going to beat myself up over it.

My new plan is to gradually eliminate a consistent amount of calories each day.  

Until the end of the holidays, I'm going to try to eat approximately 100-250 fewer calories each day than what I have been consuming for the past several months.  This shouldn't be too difficult considering one coke has 230 calories.  We'll see how it works out.
I plan on doing more after the first of the year, or even after the semester ends.  Right now I just HAVE to focus on God, family and school.  :)

Simple... right?

Yesterday I was driving and thinking.  I cannot remember a time when I wasn't self-conscious.  My entire life has been a struggle with FOOD... and the way I look.

When I was little I was too skinny.  There is actually a picture of me somewhere and I'm so skinny you can see my ribs through my busily printed Strawberry Shortcake swimsuit.  I wasn't thin, I was skinny.  My parents did what most would do, and let me eat milkshakes, and cherries straight out of the jar just before bedtime.  Basically, they let me have whatever just to get me to gain some weight.  I consequently HATE cherries and am also not really a fan of milkshakes now.

Then second grade happened.

I'm not exactly sure why my body decided it was time to change, but it definitely did!  My first memory of seeing my stomach was in dance class.  I was holding the bar during the warm up and looked down and saw my belly poking out under my navy leotard.  I remember thinking "I've never seen my stomach before, cool!".
Hmm... not so much!  If only I had known the amount of grief this stomach of mine would give me.

My question is WHY have I allowed my life to be so consumed by something that is so black and white???  I mean, REALLY?!?
It should be pretty simple.  Eat less, exercise more.  But it's not simple.

I LOVE FOOD.  

I HATE EXERCISE.  

Houston, we have a problem!  I will definitely elaborate on this in the days to come...

"Take A Pill And Cook The..." Comedy By Mark Lowry

Chris August - The Candy Song

I heard this a few weeks ago on klove.  Very cute!

A new name???

So, I'm seriously considering a new name for this blog...

just found this quote...

"What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets.  I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?" 
                   ~Erma Bombeck, "No One Diets on Thanksgiving," 26 November 1981

God's timing is amazing!!!

Something that was very recently pointed out to me is that my stress level is high.  While this is not really new news to me, it made me realize that I need to be more aware of my stressors and how I deal with them.
For example, I absolutely HATE the fact that I'm overweight, yet I overeat to (supposedly) cope with stress.  Now isn't that a healthy solution???

The Bible CLEARLY states...

"Be not anxious for what you shall eat, or what you shall drink ... 

or what you shall wear ... Isn't life more than food?

 ...and the body more than clothing?"  -Luke 12:22; 29

"Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds 

from the mouth of God."  -Matthew 4:4

"The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, 

but righteousness and peace,

 and joy in the Holy Spirit."  -Romans 14:17

"Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit ... 

therefore, glorify God in your body."  -I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19-20

Beginning tomorrow, October 27th, I have to keep a food diary for one of my classes.  This accountability will be great for me!  Here are the instructions for the assignment: 

"List all of the food and drink you consume and estimate as closely as possible the quantity and caloric content of each item.  Provide responses for the columns labeled Time, Meal or Snack, Where Consumed, Feelings Before Eating, and Alone."   

The template also includes several questions at the end of the daily chart.

I would like to ask that you please pray for me, that I will begin to (once again) have the will power to turn away from food and turn TO our Heavenly Father.  That is the ONLY way I will truly be able to overcome this horrible habit and also eliminate some of this pointless stress in my life!  I need to be healthy in order to be who God designed me to be! 

12 Week Challenge, DAY 2...

Yesterday went well!  I had a chance to get OUT and walk.  It is so nice outside right now.... I LOVE Autumn in Arkansas!!!!!!
Still haven't weighed... not sure I will... not sure it's worth the stress.  I'm just going to continue on the path I'm on and see what happens!  Maybe I'll be out of my "fat" jeans by Christmas!
I know I said 12 pounds in 12 weeks.  If I don't weigh, I'll never know how much I've lost.  Hmm... decisions.  Is it better to know some NUMBER that really doesn't matter, or is it better to feel good about yourself and how your clothes fit?

Twelve Week Challenge, Day ONE...

Well, it's day one of my 12 wk challenge.  I'm actually feeling pretty motivated today! 
One of my biggest challenges right now is finding ways/time to be more active.  When I got to school this morning, I decided to park in the furthest spot possible from where I was going on campus.  I know it's not that big of a difference, but I figure every little bit helps! 
I've also decided to try and walk in the afternoons before I pick up Camryn.  I should have just enough time when I get out to go tan and them park and walk in the neighborhood by the school for about 30 minutes.  Again, every little bit helps!  If I can get more physical activity in when I get home that's great, but at least I've done that much more than I typically would.
I haven't weighed myself in over a month.  One of the kids broke the scales.  I'm thinking I may wait to do it and see what happens.  Hmm...

12 Week Challenge...

There are only three secrets to a successful diet:

Less food, more God, more exercise.

I need to focus on not one, but ALL of these.  For the last several months I've made excuse after excuse.  It's time to make some changes.  I'm tired of not being comfortable in my own skin. 

My biggest fear right now is that my fall/winter clothes won't fit.  I lost so much weight last summer and so I had to get smaller clothes.

I refuse to go on some crazy weight loss program.  It's not worth the money OR the stress on myself and my body.  There's nothing healthy about setting some crazy goal like losing twenty pounds in a month.  I read that most people (95%) that do stuff like that gain it all back and then some.  I DO NOT want to be that person!!!!

While I have gained some of my weight back, I do believe that I have kept the majority of it off by losing it slowly.  If you lose weight slowly, you have to work to keep it off while you are in the process of changing your lifestyle.

I would like to lose ONE POUND A WEEK until Christmas...  that's TWELVE POUNDS IN TWELVE WEEKS!

One week ago today I started journaling everything that I'm eating.  It is something that is so simple, yet it makes such a huge difference!  I'm amazed at how knowing I'm writing something down for myself at the end of the day causes me to change my mind about eating something.  It's not like anyone is going to know... except me.  I'm not going to post everything on here everyday.  I honestly don't have the time and if I do, I need to be doing something else.

Which brings me to another conviction I've had lately... Facebook.  I'm spending WAY too much time on Facebook.  This past week I have also been including the amount of time I'm on Facebook in my journal.  I need to keep track of it! 

If I have that much extra time, I need to spend it doing something worthwhile.  Time in the Word, time in prayer, time with my kids, time doing something healthy (exercise), and time studying/doing homework.

I welcome any comments or suggestions.  I really need quick reads, or relevant scripture that I can check out when I'm struggling.  Most of all I need your PRAYERS!!! 

Would anyone like to join me on my twelve week challenge??? 

Our Daily Bread...

"The character of your children tomorrow depends on what you put into their hearts today." 

This is a quote from a reading in Our Daily Bread.  It's not that this is a really deep philosophical quote, it just made me think:  WHAT am I putting into my children's hearts?  What do they think is truly important in life?
I'm also reminded of a bumper sticker I recently saw on the back of a friend's car.  It said something like  "The most important things in life are not things.". 
This is yet another simple, yet powerful statement that made me think of my kids.  What am I teaching them?  Better yet, what am I showing them?
It's no secret that our actions are way more important than our words.  "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." -James 1:22
I've got to start thinking more about how my lifestyle affects my kids.  It is evident that my daughter will have some of the same struggles I do.  As of right now, my son is the exact opposite.  I know that could change at anytime though.
They want to have and do the same things I do.  They want to eat the same things that I eat.  I've GOT to make a conscious decision to be healthier on a moment by moment basis!
My body is not my own.  My children are not my own.  It ALL belongs to HIM!!!  How am I taking care of what belongs to my AWESOME GOD?


"Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body."    -The Message

"for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."   -1 Corinthians 6:20

Got this email...

I got an email with this today.  Feel free to let me know if you have anymore easy tips!



MONEY SAVING TIPS


Fatten Your Wallet by Slimming Your Waistline!
Trying to loose weight? One fun idea is to charge yourself every
time you have a sweet treat. Whether it's a candy bar at work, cake
at a birthday party or dessert after dinner, collect a $1 fee from
yourself before indulging. Having to pay to eat it will make you
start thinking twice before giving into a sugary craving, and after
you lose a few inches, you can use that money for new pants!

I'm going to lose 2 lbs. this week!

Gotta Make Some Changes...

Okay, it's time to make some changes.  Starting tomorrow I am going without CHOCOLATE and FRIED FOOD.  I've decided that I have to do this in order to see how often I eat these two unhealthy foods.  My goal is to stick with this until THANKSGIVING.  I may allow myself to splurge on my bday... we'll see!  :)




"I am the LORD All-Powerful. So don't depend on your own power or strength, but on my Spirit." 
                                                -Zechariah 4:6b 

This weeks self-challenge: exercise at least 30 mins daily, Beef 1 time only!

How do you make a fat girl feel fatter? Give her a chef's coat that's 4 sizes too big and tell her she gets to wear it in front of a few hundred people. :)

This week's self-challenge: NO BEEF

Special K Protien Meal Bar, coffee

Honey nut cheerrios, skim milk

Peanuts

Orange popsicle

Same lunch as yesterday + salsa with the chips. Also a handful of bbq chips... should've skipped those.

Honey nut cheerrios, 2% milk, black coffee. Down 2 pounds in a week!

Fiber one 90 calorie bar, water

1/2 stuffed bell pepper, salad, yellow squash, water

tall skinny peppermint mocha w/no whip!

1/2 PBJ sandwich, 10 tortilla chips, mandarin oranges, water, 1/4 of 20 oz. coke.

Honey nut cheerrios, 2% milk, 1/2 cup coffee.

Goals for the week!

Had an OKAY last couple of days.  It's the weekend!  I will say that I picked up a chocolate chip cookie today and put it down... WITHOUT eating it.  :)  I also passed on the donuts in Sunday School this morning! Small things, but BIG steps for me!

Tomorrow I begin making a very conscious effort to pay attention to what I'm thinking, eating, and doing.  No more "stinkin' thinkin'"! 

"So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." --1 Corinthians 10:31

This week's goals:

1. Journal... EVERYTHING!!!  I will make better choices if I know I'm going to have to journal every bite that goes into my mouth.  I have even set my phone to text here so that I have no excuses!

2. Rest.  This is a tough one for me!  I need to make myself choose a healthy bedtime, and stick with it!  My starting target is to be in bed by 11pm every night this week.  I'm really bad about staying up LATE!  I know that rest is a huge part of being healthy.  I want to be more of a morning person, but it's hard when I'm up late everynight.  I really should go to bed earlier than 11, but I'm going to start there and work toward an earlier time.  Maybe next week I'll move it back to 10:45!

3. Drink Water, and LOTS of it!  I have never been one to drink water.  I have got to start making myself do this!  My daily target is 6 bottles a day.  That sounds like a lot of water to me, but I know it really isn't.  Plus, if I take a huge drink of water everytime I think I'm needing something to eat, it could make a big difference!

Rice chex w/sugar and 2% milk. black coffee. Baby steps!

Watermelon!

dinner:
2 pieces of pizza, 1 breadstick, and marinara.
route 44 diet cranberry limeade
1 scoop ice cream w/spoonful oreos, caramel, chocolate syrup.

on my 3rd bottle of water for the day!

Lunch...
Lettuce from the garden topped with tuna salad that I made with tuna, light mayo, relish, craisins, and apple.  6 crackers, and mandarin oranges on the side.  Water w/Special K protien pack.  I'm full!

Special K Cinnamon Pecan, 2% milk, black coffee. Parked far away and now walking to class! Today's goal: begin journaling... no cheating!!!

HA! It worked!

Testing...

Challenge to myself!

Okay, last week I gave up chocolate.  Went well!  The only time I cheated was when the TCBY people came by with free yogurt samples. 

This week I'm drinking LOTS of water!!!  Gotta get better with that!  My goal is to drink at least four bottles a day.  This is four more than I usually drink!  Also, I need to continue to limit my chocolate.  That is such a HUGE weakness!

My challenge for the month of April is to lose five more pounds. 

I reached my previous goal by March 24th!  On the 24th my weight was 162.5.  :)  So now I want to be under 160!  I know that this is something I can accomplish with HIS help!!!!!

Since my last post, our family has made some changes.  I am now a Senior Stylist at About You Color Salon.  I LOVE MY JOB!!!  It's not really like a "job" when you love what you do and also the people you work with!

Being busy has given me an excuse to slack off.  I've got to get back into the groove of being a working Mommy and now a full-time working Mommy of TWO kids, not just one!  It will get easier, I know, it's just taking some time to adjust. 

Another goal for this week is to EAT AT HOME. 
Not only is that better for me, but it's also better for us as a family!  I love that time around the dinner table with my family. 
Eating at home won't be so bad if I will make myself plan ahead.  Much of my problem is that I don't know what's for dinner, so then I just do the quickest thing and drive through somewhere.  I need some quick and EASY meals or EASY crockpot recipes.  Please message me if you have any suggestions.  I really like to cook, but for now, the fewer ingredients, the better!

A very special friend had a verse on her heart last week and shared it with me.  It's very applicable for my journey!

"After you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you and he will place you on a firm foundation."   --1Peter 5:10

God is good ALL the time!!!  Have a wonderful week!

164!  I'm only 1.5 lbs away from my pre-holiday weight! :)

My first short term goal is to lose 6 pounds by March 24. I set that when I was at 166, so I'm only 4 pounds away!  That is 1.5 lbs less than my pre-holiday weight.

My overall goal is to be 145 by my 30th birthday, August 31st. I know that I have to be realistic and choose a goal is easily attainable.  I NEED to take my time getting there.  That's why I set my date that far away.  If I don't take my time, I'll just gain it back.

I've got to focus on what I need to BE and not what I want to eat!  That's tough for me.  I tend to be a bored eater.  I eat when I'm bored.  I eat when I'm sitting.  That includes when I'm sitting in the house OR the car.  I have thought about making a rule for myself.  No food in the car.  At least no open food in the car.  That way I won't eat in the car. 

I also always need to keep a bottle of water with me.  If I'm thinking I need to eat, I should drink water instead.  That's one of my biggest issues.  I don't drink enough water.

Earlier this week, I was going through a box and found a food journal that i started in september of 1999.  It was funny to read it!  That was right after we were engaged. :)

Anyway, finding that motivated me to start it again. Journaling works! 
Instead of journaling on here, I'll probably just keep it in there.  That way I'm not doing it twice.  I will keep this blog updated with my current weight and other activity.

I know that God WILL help me focus on my ultimate goal, but also help me to take things one day at a time.  I need to do this in order for it to not be too overwhelming...  

"Give us this day our DAILY bread"!!!! -Luke 11:3

I know that I can do all things with HIS help!  "My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth." -Psalm 121:2

Day one of 2010

I know it's actually day TWO of 2010, but for me it's day one!

1/2/10

I woke up to arguing children... ahh the joys of parenthood.  Everytime I get frustrated I remind myself that we are all HEALTHY and that I should be thankful that they are able to argue. 

I am going to begin journaling again today.  It's not a choice, but something I HAVE to do in order to stay healthy.  I am much less likely to put that piece of chocolate into my mouth if I know I'm going to be putting in on here.  There will be NO CHEATING!!!  It's pointless if I'm not totally honest with myself.

I have started the day off with a glass of OJ and a bowl of oatmeal.  I want to be sure I get all my dairy, fruits and veggies.  That's something I learned w/WW.  I made my oatmeal with fat free milk and also put a hand full of craisins in it.

I took Camryn to see a movie today.  It was SO fun going on a "girl date" as she likes to call Mommy/Daughter dates.  So for lunch I had popcorn, diet coke, and 10 Jr Mints.

For dinner I had approx 1 cup of baked spaghetti made w/turkey and spinach noodles, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and one piece of garlic bread.

It wasn't great, but it's still MUCH better than I've done the last few weeks... or months.

Somehow I made it through two vacations AND the holidays and only gained a few pounds.  My clothes still fit!  When I weighed this morning, the scales said 166.0.  I'm pleased with that. 

My first short-term goal for the year is to be at 164 by next Saturday.  I think that's very realistic.  That's two pounds in a week.  We'll see!

It's a New Year!

Well, it's 2010!  WOW...
I have many things to be thankful for!  Here are a few:
-Most important is my AWESOME Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ!
-I have an amazingly supportive family.
-All of my wonderful friends-several of whom are like family (you know who you are).
-I'm on my way to becoming a healthier me and achieving an almost 40 pound weight loss over the past year and a half!

This coming year will also hold several milestones for me:
-In March, Mike and I will be married for 10 years. 
-I plan to shed more pounds and inches and achieve my overall goal of being the healthy woman that I believe God intended when he created me.
-In August, I turn the big 30.  Yipee.

Today is January 1, 2010.  Have you made any resolutions for the new year?  I have made a few.  I'm not going to be unrealistic.  I want to resolve to do things that are easy to achieve.  Why resolve to do something that you know will ultilmately end in failure and possible disapointment?

Here are a couple of my resolutions:
1. SIMPLIFY- my home and my life.  It's all about margin and I don't have much!  How can I be a true servant when I have no time or energy?  I need to get back to the basics of life... 4Him is now stuck in my head!
2. Journal at least 3 times a week- this is such a huge help to me!  Even if no one is reading it keeps me accountable to myself knowing that I'm putting something in print.

Well, that's about it for now.  I begin journaling tomorrow.  Feel free to msg me with your resolutions!  Have a Happy and Blessed 2010!