3/9/15

Life Happens (and that is okay)

It has been WAY to quiet over here on the blog! But I am learning life happens and that is okay. I have to learn to adapt and change with things. To be honest that is not something that I am not very good at. I am a very routine person and when my routine is thrown off, I seem to spiral out of control and then I have a hard time getting back on track. That goes for all of my life, not just for my weight loss journey.

Source

For the last two weeks, we have had a week of snow days with a week long stomach bug that felt like it would never go away, and then a week of struggling to get back into the routine of life. I can say that last Friday was the first day in a long time that routine happened and it was an amazing day!

There is just something about spiraling out of control that puts me into a FUNK. Everything seems to crumble around me as I try to grasp on to some sort of hope that I will dig myself out of my funk hole. When I am in a funk, I am grouchy, I don't want to workout (so end up not working very hard), I don't want to eat ANYTHING in the healthy department, and I really am just not very fun to be around. I am not a good wife, mommy, or friend!

Last Wednesday, I knew that I was close to rock bottom, when I asked my husband to get me a box of Lucky Charms. I knew in asking him for that box, that I wouldn't eat just a small bowl of a cereal (this is my absolute favorite cereal). I knew what would transpire, but I did it anyway. So I ate a huge bowl on Wednesday night and then again on Thursday for breakfast and for lunch. I ate the ENTIRE box in three meals. I felt so sick, my stomach was SO upset and angry at me. At THAT moment I knew something had to change or I would just continue to spiral out of control and everything I have worked SO hard to accomplish would be undone.

So what do you do when it comes to this? Here is what I did and you know what it worked!

1. I sat myself down and had a good long pep talk with myself.
2. I prayed a lot for strength and to regain my will power
3. I divorced certain foods that are triggering my spirals (this I am sad to say included chocolate)
4. I started a 21 day "No Junk Food Challenge" (via Pinterest)
5. Created an action plan
6. Shared my plan with my accountability partner

So I am ready for my week of Clean Eating, Hard Workouts & LOTS of water drinking.

BONUS SHARE: Here is the workout my friend and I tried out this morning. It was a lot of fun and moved really quickly!

Source Pinterst

We set a timer for 30 seconds with a 10 second break in between each move. It went really fast so we were able to squeeze in a 4th round (you'll notice that there are 10 exercises repeated 3 x's). We took closer to a 30 second break after each set of 10 for water!

I would love to hear from y'all. How do you break out of a funk? What do you do when you begin to slipping off the wagon?

***Please note that by no means am I a professional. I have no formal training of any kind. I am just a girl writing about my own weight loss journey and sharing things that worked for me. Before starting any new life change, please consult your Dr.

2/23/15

Weekly Weigh-In #3

What a week! It was a tough one looking at what I was eating and when I was eating it! I like to think that at almost a year on this journey I have learned all the lessons I need to, but this is not one of those journeys. I have to constantly look at what I am eating and how much I am exercising and make changes when needed.

I was proud of my week. I made adjustments and I was drinking my water. I can't attribute all of my weight loss to that though, because I ended my week with a stomach bug. Not my idea of a perfect week, but I was so excited to get on the scale on Sunday and see I have lost a little of 40 pounds on my journey and I am at a weight I have not been at for close to 14 years. There may or may not have been a little celebration dance in my bathroom. Here is the break down of my week...

The Results...

Pounds Lost This Week ~ 4 lbs

Total weight loss since April 2014 ~ 42.5 lbs

Pounds Till next Reward ~ .5 lbs

Next Reward ~ A Stephanie Day

Goals For The Week...

1) Hit my goal for my Water (trying out a new app on my phone for tracking water).

2) Continue tracking my food, so that I can look for improvements.

3) Continue with the Couch to 5k program (Week 7 here I come).

2/19/15

Running Junkie

Have you ever wanted to start running? Well if I can do it, you can too!

I am not an expert on Running and I don't even know if I would call myself a runner just yet. But running is quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do! I have fallen in LOVE!!! When I am running, everything melts away. My mind is clear and I can honestly say that during my run, I feel like I can take on the world! I get lost in my music and my worries and problems just disappear and for 30-45 minutes I am completely free!

Free of Worry!

Free of Stress!

Free!

I have never really been a runner before. I always worried about what people were thinking about me as they ran/walked/drove by me! Here is a small peek at what was going on in my head...Did they notice all the jiggle going on? Do I run funny? Am I running in correct form? Is there a right and wrong way to run?

But THEN one of my bootcamp instructors started talking about this 5K and it sounded like so much fun! I had lost about 20 pounds and I thought maybe just maybe I could learn how to run and practice enough to be able to run a 5K. I had heard about a program called Couch to 5K, so I decided to check it out. I found an app on my phone that I thought looked good.

The one that I ended up choosing was 5K Runner. It is 30 minutes, 3 times a week, for 8 Weeks! I could totally do that! So I started and I loved it! It was hard at first, but soon enough, I found that I was SAD when the app told me to "slow down and walk". Here are a few screen shots of what the app looks like...

A couple things that I love about this app...

1) It works with my music, so I can still rock out to my tunes. I am in love with the Rock My Run App.

2) I have the Audio Coach set to on and just when I need it, a voice will come on and tell me, "Awesome job runner, keep going".

3) Each day there is some some inspiration and it never fails, it is just what I need to hear that day.

On my first go around, I made it to week 5, day 1 and then the time changed and it made it a lot harder to run (I ran after I finished put the kids to bed). I also learned I don't love running in the cold! But I finally got tired of my excuses and started running on the treadmill at the gym. I decided not to start over from Week 1, but repeated Week 4 and went from there. It was amazing how easy it was to get into the groove again. Since I am on the treadmill I have started running at a certain pace and then when I'm supposed to slow down and walk, I slow my pace to a slow jog. I just can't help myself...I want to RUN!!!!

And GUESS WHAT!?! I signed up for my 1st 5K!!!

My son's school PTA is doing a fundraiser for St Jude's and I couldn't pass it up! I am nervous and excited all at the same time! I really want to run the whole thing and the timing couldn't work out better. I will finish up my Couch to 5K training the day before the race.

So grab your running shoes and get going. It doesn't matter how fast or slow you run...you are RUNNING!

Some Pin-spiration ~

Source

Shared on...

Saturday Soiree, Meandering Mondays, Mama Moments Monday, Motivation Monday

2/16/15

Weekly Weigh In #2

It was not too long ago, when weigh-ins like this would happen and I would get SO discouraged. But I can honestly say that while I think I could have done better, I am still proud of my week! A loss is a loss in my book! After almost a year of tracking my weight loss I have realized I have one week a month that I tend to gain or lose very little...I also bet that you can guess why that is. It is when my lovely little monthly visitor comes for a visit. I tend to not be able to control my eating as well and also feel like I am starving ALL the time. I have learned to grab healthier options, but I can't always stay away from the chocolate! So here is how my weigh-in went this week...

The Results...

Pounds Lost This Week ~ 0.8 lbs

Total weight loss since April 2014 ~ 38.5 lbs

Pounds Till next Reward ~ 4.3 lbs

Next Reward ~ A Stephanie Day

How did I do for my Goals Last Week...

1) Create a weekly meal plan for the rest of February ~ Didn't accomplish this one

2) Find a "Fish" recipe to try for next week ~ Still looking for just the right one

3) Find some new and interesting lunch ideas that are heavy on the Protein and low on the carbs ~ Trying out a few new ones this week

4) Plan out my "Stephanie" Day ~ Part of it is planned

5) Finally go to Starbucks to do my last reward (I have gone 5 weeks without Starbucks and this is a LONG time for me) ~ Enjoyed this so much on Saturday!

6) Continue with the Couch to 5k program (Week 5 Day 2 here I come) ~ I managed to run 3 days last week and today managed to run for 25 minutes straight today!!!

Goals For The Week...

1) Drink my Water (I have slacked off on this habit a little in the last week)

2) Keep looking for the perfect "Fish" recipe to try

3) Start a food journal, so that I can take a look at my diet and look for improvements

4) Continue with the Couch to 5k program (Week 6 Day 2 here I come)

2/12/15

5 Tips To Help You Get Started

Do you ever feel like you are standing in front of a brick wall and don't know how to move past it? That is the way I felt before I started on my journey. As my weight loss has become more noticeable to others in my circles, people have began to ask the question, "What are you doing"? So I figured I would share a few tips that have helped me to get started on my journey of weight loss. Here we go...

1) Just start! Take that first step! Jump all in! What is stopping you? I know for me, I was miserable for a LONG time. I kept waiting for change to just happen. I kept researching things and trying to learn how to change. But NOTHING changed. I prayed and prayed and prayed, waiting for God to answer my prayer. Then one day He answered it. It was crystal clear, I needed to take that first step. I needed to just pick a strategy and go. It didn't matter that I didn't have all the answers. I just needed to START! I needed to take that first step to change my life for good!

2) Gather Your Posse! Do you have someone to support you? Do you have a friend that may want to start the same journey or one that has already started. By surrounding yourself with love and support you are giving your self a better chance to succeed. This one has been HUGE for me! I shared my plan with family and friends! Having them walk this journey with me has been amazing! It has held me accountable. I have been able to share my ups and my downs (because lets be honest, there WILL be downs). They have been there for me when I didn't think I could keep going. When my Bootcamp ended for the Winter, one of my friends said, "come on to the gym, I'll help you" Those words took all that fear of joining a gym away. She has been amazing in helping me every step of the way! I now get up every morning at 4:30 AM and workout and I love it! She is even helping me train for my first 5K (post coming soon)! Having my small group of people around me really has been the BIGGEST key to my success. For so long I could only see how far I had to go. They have helped me see how I far I have come.

3) Pick a Strategy! You have to know what you want to change and why it needs to be changed. Maybe you eat healthy and just need to add exercise. Maybe you love to exercise, but your diet needs a makeover. Mine was both! I decided to go Paleo or at least mostly Paleo (post coming soon). It was a huge adjustment, but after a couple weeks I couldn't believe how different I felt! I also made the decision to not start exercising right away. I wanted to make sure I focused a lot on my eating. I then added in exercise 2 months later. I think my strategy helped me really focus on how I needed to make a LIFESTYLE change. This is what worked for me. I think for you to truly be successful, you need to look at your life and see what needs to change.

4) Set Goals! What do you want to accomplish? They don't even have to be weight loss goals. They can be things like drinking your water for the day or walking further that you normally do. I also have found that in the past I would set these HUGE goals! But they were so huge, that I often became so discouraged I would quit, because it was too hard. SO this time around I have made smaller goals. My 1st one was to get to my pre-pregnancy weight (this was about a 7 lb loss). It was so exciting to hit that number. Then I set a little bit bigger goal...I wanted to get under 200 lbs (a 15 lb loss). I worked SO hard and I hit it, right before we went to the Beach! I was SO excited. In the beginning of 2015 I sat down and set small goals in about 10 lbs increments and have small rewards in place. I am getting ready to celebrate with a Starbucks this Saturday for FINALLY breaking through a plateau.

5) Get the Tools of the Trade! Checkout what you have and what you need not only in your closet, but in the kitchen too. Are you going to track all your food? One of my favorite apps on my phone is My Fitness Pal. You can use this on your phone or computer. You can also find friends and motivate each other! Sign up for their emails too...I have found some great recipes, workouts and articles from them. A few other items I use in the kitchen are a food scale, a good blender for my smoothies, and a great water bottle or two (here is my favorite water bottle...great if you use essential oils in your water). Then stock your pantry and fridge with healthy food. BONUS TIP: After grocery shopping prep out some snacks, so when you are looking for something you can grab and go. I don't always make healthy choices when I am hungry and have to make myself something!

Check out your shoes, make sure they offer great support. Last but not least, do you have some comfy clothes to workout in? Having a larger chest myself, I invested in some great, supportive bras (my favorite so far has been the Molded Underwire Sports Bra from Lane Bryant). Some of my favorite workout clothing has been from Old Navy. I try to hit up the sales and have slowly added pieces here and there. BONUS TIP: If you are like me and want to cover your booty, Old Navy online has a Tall section, so for some of my jackets that were not quiet long enough for my taste, I ordered a Tall (I'm 5'4" and the tall was perfect to give the booty coverage I wanted). I live in Old Navy Compression pants. My sister used to make fun of me, until she bought a pair. Then she told my mom she knew why I always wore them...it is like you don't have any pants on at all!

That's it! Not to bad is it? Do you have any tips or secrets on how to get started? Do you set small or BIG goals? Do you reward yourself when you hit those goals? I would love hear from you! I am here if you need an accountability partner/cheerleader/motivator! I would LOVE to help!

Here is some Pin-spiration...

Via Pinterest

Also seen on...

Be.YOU.tiful Link Up Party, Saturday Soiree Blog Party

2/9/15

Weekly Weigh-in #1

My first "public" weigh -in and I am proud of my week! The holidays were a little rough on my journey...it was a couple months of gaining and losing the same 10 pounds, a couple times over. So now that I am back on track it has been great! I finally felt that this week my eating was not out of control...I only had one day where I lost control and ate an entire sleeve of graham crackers & a pop tart. My biggest success in that department is that I didn't let the "guilt" of eating the junk win. I gave myself a pep talk and confessed about my junk food binge to my friend/accountability partner (post about this part of my journey coming later this week). The next morning I was able to jump back on the wagon and continue to have a great week! So let's get to the good part...

The Results...

Pounds Lost This Week ~ 3.4 lbs

Total weight loss since April 2014 ~ 37.7 lbs

Pounds Till next Reward ~ 5.3 lbs

Next Reward ~ A Stephanie Day

Goals For The Week...

1) Create a weekly meal plan for the rest of February

2) Find a "Fish" recipe to try for next week

3) Find some new and interesting lunch ideas that are heavy on the Protein and low on the carbs

4) Plan out my "Stephanie" Day

5) Finally go to Starbucks to do my last reward (I have gone 5 weeks without Starbucks and this is a LONG time for me)

6) Continue with the Couch to 5k program (Week 5 Day 2 here I come)

Here is some inspiration for the week...

This bible verse has been a huge help along the way in my journey.

1 Corinthians 10:13(NIV)

13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Here is some "Pin-spitation" for you...

Via Pinterst

Have a good week! Whether it is a weigh loss journey or some other journey, I would love to here how your week went...

2/4/15

Finding my WHY...

How did I decide that "this time" was really it?

Well I found my "WHY"!

Why do you need to find your why? Well I am so glad that you ask that question (and even if you didn't, I'm gonna tell you anyways)! Your why is the reason why you are doing whatever it is that you decided that it was time to do (that was a mouthful).

Without knowing what your why is, the chance of failure is a lot higher (or at least that is my opinion on the matter). This opinion comes from me trying to diet/make a life change (or whatever you want to call it) many times before and failing! I never understood why I wanted to change my life, just that I knew that it was the right thing to do.

Your why gives you purpose,

Your why gives you determination.

Your why gives you strength.

These are all things that you need to keep going when the mountain gets too tough to climb.

So HOW did I find my "Why"? This took a lot of prayer, thought and support. I was SO miserable and unhappy. I was exhausted all the time and struggling with headaches almost every day. Obesity runs in my family (not sure I believe if it is hereditary or just that I didn't know any better, but that may be for another post). I was tired of being sick and tired.

So I began to pray for strength and wisdom. I continued to pray waiting for an answer and waiting for something (anything) to change. Then one day it hit me like a ton of bricks...I didn't need all the answers. I didn't need to know anything. I just needed to start. Start moving. Start changing. God had been waiting for me to take the first step.

I needed to make a change and this time is was NOT ALL ABOUT ME!!! It was for my kids and my husband. I want to be able to grow old with my husband and watch our kids become adults and live their lives. I want to be able to keep up with my kids while they are young and as they grow! I want to enjoy this time with them. I want to be able to get down on the floor with them and play instead of laying on the couch falling asleep with a headache as they watch TV. I want to get outside with them and run around and play! I want to play tag and hide and seek. I want to be able to live in the moment with them. Then the biggest reason that flashed before me...I don't want my children to EVER feel the way that I do. I don't want my daughter to ever fear or hate the scale. I don't want them to ever feel sick and tired of being sick and tired.

So that is my "WHY". Why I wake up every morning at 4:30 AM and go to the gym. Why I continue to learn about fitness and look for exciting new workouts (see my "workout" Pinterst board for some of the things I have found). Why I continue to learn about nutrition and the ingredients that go into our favorite foods. Why we are getting ready to start a 30 day challenge of NO EATING OUT (yes honey, we are really doing this)! Why I am determined to start meal planning and begin introducing my kids to new foods of all color and that don't involve opening the freezer and getting out a box.

Here are a couple of pins I have found on Pinterst that have been huge motivators (check out this board for more inspiration)....

Via Pinterst

Do you know your "WHY"?

Also liked up at

1/31/15

Facing the Scale...

Do you remember when your battle with the scale started? I do.

My hatred for the scale began during the 6th grade. I can still remember going from this skinny bean pole to getting boobs & hips and gaining 30 pounds during that year. Why do I remember this so vividly? I remember this because my teacher showed us our weight as we were walking in to the class and she accidentally showed my friend in front of me my weight and I can still hear the words that came out of her mouth filled with total disgust, "That is NOT my weight"!!!

WELL it was mine. Before that moment, I don't know if I ever recognized skinny vs. fat or even that people looked at other as skinny or fat. BUT after that moment I was very aware of my weight and that I was heavier than my friends around me.

My Freshman year of high school I made the cheer leading squad and was told by one of the coaches that I would need to work on losing weight, because she didn't think any of the uniforms would fit me. It took a toll on me and my self image. I began to see myself as fat and that I needed to lose weight. As a Teenager that knew nothing about nutrition, I thought the best way to do that was to just not eat. My Junior year I gave up sports and things at home were getting a little crazy. This is when I began my emotional eating! I love food and food became a comfort for me. As the numbers on the scale began to creep up I just shoved my feelings down with food.

After High School I moved to Atlanta and became a nanny. When I began my 2nd Nanny job, I was introduced to Weight Watchers. Both parents did it and I loved counting points and keeping track of my meals. I lost 20 lbs in a couple months and felt great! But that is where I seem to hit a wall! I lose just enough weight to start to feel good and then I hit a wall and slowly slip back to my old ways.

During my first year of marriage, I crossed over 200 pounds, BUT instead of doing anything about it I ate more to drown my sorrows. I continued to gain weight for the next 2 years until I hit 230 pounds. My neighborhood did a "biggest loser" competition and Gold's Gym was one of the sponsors. Two trainers came in and talked to us about diet and exercise. I decided it was time...so I joined the gym and hired a trainer. I trained hard, but only managed to lose 15 pounds...at that point I didn't understand the "secret" to losing weight!

Then SURPRISE I was pregnant! I continued to work out with my trainer for the first 5 months of my pregnancy and managed to keep my weight under control, but as soon as I stopped my weight went out of control. I gained 60 pounds during my pregnancy and I was miserable. I did not lose my baby weight. For 3 years I struggled with my weight and fought so many emotions.

In 2012 I knew it was AGAIN time for a change! I was tired and felt sick all the time. I wanted to be healthy and happy. I was weighing in at 243 pounds and I really was miserable. I couldn't believe that I had done this to myself and couldn't imagine why I continued to eat.

So I rounded up 7 other girlfriends and we did an 8 week weight loss challenge. It was so much fun! It breaks down all the components of a healthy life style into easy steps (See Here for the challenge). I highly recommend it! We all pitched in $25 and had 2 winners of $100 each! It was so fun! I lost 20 lbs during the challenge and even managed to pick up a few good habits from it!

Soon after we got pregnant with Baby #2 (we had been trying for 6 months and I was at the point I thought it wasn't going to happen)! During my 2nd pregnancy I gained 35 pounds, but this time around I was able to breastfeed for 10 months. I not only lost all my baby weight, but managed to lose a few extra along with it! Then the holidays hit and I gained a few pounds and ended the year yet again making the resolution to loose weight.

In April 2014 I decided I was done. I changed my eating completely and slowly began to lose weight! In June I decided to take the next step and join a boot camp! I knew I needed support and what better way to do that then join a couple friends that taught the boot camp in my neighborhood. It was then I became addicted to exercise. I hit a BIG goal and finally made it under 200 pounds! I could not believe it! It was the best feeling.

I have slowly come to realize a couple of things.

Accountability is a huge part of my success
It is OK to cheat, but don't let it make you spin out of control
I can lose weight naturally, but it takes A LOT of work
Slow and steady and I WILL win the race
It is slowly becoming about how I feel and less about the number on the scale

I want to blog about my journey for a couple of reasons...

1) I believe I have a story to tell and if I can help one person not feel alone on their journey then I will have accomplished my goal.

2) I want to change my family and end the cycle of obesity in my family. I don't want my son or daughter to face the same challenges I have. I know that is possible and it can happen if I have faith. AND if I can share that with others then together, we can change the world.

So what can you look forward to...

Weekly weigh in updates
Favorite Recipes
Favorite Workouts
my meal plans
Other ways I am changing up my life
a little bit of Everyday Life mixed in
Plus SO much more...

1/25/15

About Me

Hi there! Hello! Welcome! My name is Stephanie and this is me and my family...

About Me...

I am a small town girl from Montana that moved to the BIG city of Atlanta. I fell in love with a Georgia boy and never went back home. We live in the suburbs of Atlanta with our 2 amazing kids and 2 grouchy kitty cats! I am a stay at home mom who loves to craft, throw parties, read, and most importantly spend time with family and friends. I am a self diagnosed food addict on a journey to change my life and break a long cycle of being unhealthy, having low self esteem, and self loathing. During this journey I am looking to embrace the change and add laughter to my everyday life.

About the Blog...

I originally started this blog when I found out I was pregnant with Kellen and it was a way to share the news with my family and friends near and far. Over the years I have blogged less and less, but now I have a story I would like to share.

My hope is to find others that are struggling just like I am and let them know they are not alone. In my opinion it doesn't matter if you have 5 pounds or 350 pounds to lose it is all hard and takes a change that needs a village of support!

I want to let people know it doesn't matter what you think you know or what you don't know, today is the day to take the first step to change your life and there is nothing stopping you, but yourself. I believe we all have the strength inside of us to face the fear of change, to banish the word "DIET" from our vocabulary and create a life change that will last forever.

And last, but not least (and probably most important to me) I want to change my family and end the cycle of obesity in my family. I don't want my daughter or son to face all the challenges that I have. I know that I have the power to do that and if I can share that with others, we can all change the world together.

So what can you look forward to...

Weekly weigh in updates
Recipes
My meal plans
Workouts
Other ways I am changing my life
A little bit of everyday life thrown in
Plus so much more...

My Running Adventures

Via Pinterst

By no means am I runner or have I ever been! I have always worried about what others think of me and when I ran, I could hear (in my mind) what people were saying to themselves, "look at that girl...why is she running...she is going to hurt herself with all that jiggle"! But last June those voices went away and I began to run longer and longer with the help from the Couch to 5k program (blog post coming soon). I didn't finish it for one reason or another, but I am back and running and I love it! There is a high after you finish like non other! I am training for my first 5k and I can't wait! I thought it would be fun to document my running adventure!

Let the Adventure Begin...