On a roll...

I am so excited! I was not only to meet my goals last week, but I lost an additional pound! YAY!
I know that every week will not be this amazing but I really like the way my progress is going so far! Seeing results is helping to keep me on track. Eight pounds down, that is eight pounds that I no longer have to worry about getting rid of.... bye-bye... FOREVER!

This week we will be having a house guest. My father-in-law will be visiting us. My family is so excited. The kids are literally jumping out of their skin; they can't wait to see Papa! Oddly, when I have house guests I usually eat better...Weird! but true... So I am not super concerned about my food choices this week; but I am concerned about my exercise routine. I guess I will have to improvise. If I plan on making this a life changing choice than I have to be ready for a "curve ball" or two...Right?

So goals for this week.... I want to loose 5 more pounds, exercise daily, take before pictures in my sports bra (YIKES), take body measurements, and post motivational sayings around my house.I have a lot of household projects to complete this week so I am confident that I will be able to stick to my goal plan. Boredom is my WORST enemy!

I do want to take a minute to thank all of the people who are supporting me in my journey to better physical and mental health! A big shout out to all of my "skinny bitches". Much love ladies!!!

Balance

Balance!?... Dare I say that word? This is my current obstacle. I know that everyone has busy lives. In fact, some people are WAY busier than I am and still have the ability to achieve a good balance between work, family, and taking care of themselves. I am currently struggling in this area.

Many of you know that I have a 15 month old, Chase. He is SO different than his sister was. He is extremely busy and determined. He climbs on everything! I swear if he makes it to the age of 2 without a trip to the ER it will be a miracle.

My daughter, Abagail, just turned 6. She is a goofy, fun spirited little girl; but lets face it, she is 6. She is a handful all of her own. She is experimenting with testing limits to see if her Dad and I will follow through with consequences, and wants to go and do things independently that I am not willing to let her do yet.

These two strong willed little turkey's wear me out! Not in a physical sense, but emotionally. I feel like I am constantly telling someone "No!" or counting to 3, or pulling Chase off of something. Not to mention that little evil word..."Why?". I try to be patient and actually answer "why", but lets face it, by the end of the day I want to SCREAM!!

So my truth is, my daughter goes to kindergarten at noon and my son usually goes down for a nap at noon too. Abbey is home at 3:30 and Chase usually sleeps until 2:30 or 3pm. So I have 2 whole hours that I could be devoting to working out almost everyday, but I just can't! I find myself trying to repair the damage on my house, (dishes, toys scattered, laundry, etc.), or just sitting and vegging. Sometimes I just feel like I cannot move!

Please do not misunderstand, I am not complaining. This is the life that I have chosen and I love it; and I do not question my choice for one second. But I have friends that have more children, a job, are involved with more activities, etc. and still manage to make the time for themselves. How do they get that kind of energy? Am I pooped out because of my weight? Is it just part of my personality? Or have I not made myself a priority yet? How do I achieve this balance? This is so frustrating!





Goals

I have to admit that today has been kind of a difficult day. I am a very emotional person and that is where my biggest weight loss problem begins. I am an emotional eater... Trying to learn a different way of "soothing" yourself when you are feeling; down, sad, upset, worried, nervous, etc. It is a very hard thing to "re-learn".
With that being said, I would like to focus on the positives today...

First and foremost, I want to give myself a GIANT pat on the back for reaching my goals that I put in place for myself last week. I lost my 2 pounds (YAY), walked everyday, and was able to get my "Paleo Diet" books. Hurray for baby steps!

I just started reading my books today and I have to admit that it has been a very interesting read thus far. I think that this nutritional plan might work for me. It is kind of exciting, but will be an interesting change.

So, this weeks goals: Finish reading the "Paleo Diet" and implement the teachings using the food that I currently have available in the house. On Friday, I will go grocery shopping (payday, lol) and buy all of the proper foods to continue on this new plan. I want to loose 5 pounds this week and walk 1 mile everyday.

Look out world, here I come!

Out and about....

Yesterday I finally got the opportunity to go and see my cousins, Jason and Rebekahs, new baby, Wilson. He is so stinkin' cute! He has got the softest lil' cheeks and the cutest lil' "wrinkled ol' man" face! I love it! I also got to see their first born, Hope. She is getting so big; giant big blue eyes, blonde hair, and full of personality. She is growing too big too fast! I really need to make it a point to get up there and see them more often. I have missed them. They are an inspiration.
While visiting I had the opportunity to discuss my new plan of action to take control of body, and concerns that I have. One of my main concerns is that I have a gluten intolerance. Not that it necessarily "concerns" me, but my education regarding "gluten" in general is not that great. I have always made meals that included some sort of pasta, bread, etc. So learning an entirely different way of purchasing food, cooking, and eating is a little intimidating and a bit overwhelming.
Jason and Rebekah are people who have already learned the value of taking care of their bodies and listened to my concerns. They also had some great advice. They suggested the "Paleo Diet" to me. I guess it is a diet that they use and have great success with it. It omits gluten and dairy (which my body does not agree with either) from your diet. I had heard of this diet before but never really knew what it was about. I just thought it was another fad. But this one sounds like it might be the right one for me or at least point me in the right direction.
So I have decided to take my friend Mandy's advice and make smaller goals that will contribute to my ultimate goal. (Thanks Mandy!) My goal for this week is to go to the library and research the Paleo Diet, continue not drink soda, to omit gluten (to the best of my current knowledge, to walk everyday and to loose at least 2 pounds. I only have a few days left of the current week. I'd better get crackin'! I can do this....right?