BeYOUtiful!

I have been riding my bike with my kiddos to take them to school and to pick them up. After I would take them to school I would ride my bike to and from the gym...it gives me a little extra workout before and after my workout. Ha! I really enjoy it. My kids are out of school now for 2 weeks for their Spring Break though...so instead I have been going to the gym in our complex. It's working out quite well, I'm glad I have still been able to make it into the gym every day. My kids play at the playground right outside the gym with their friends while I get my workout on! Sunday was my last day riding my bike to the gym until my kiddos go back to school. After my workout I found a note on my bike. At first I was a little worried, wondering...who was watching me...then I was flattered. Then I looked at it longer and thought about it. The writing looked somewhat familiar. Hmm...maybe it was from someone who knew I was at the gym, someone who I know already and love very much...I think this someone "tried" to change his writing a bit, but could only fool me for a split second. The truth was finally revealed...My husband and my kiddos stopped by the gym while I was working out and left this note on my bike. Aww!  I was even happier to realize this surprise, sweet note left for me was from my wonderful husband who still after almost 14 years is still my admirer. He made my day! He tried to pretend like he had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned it to him...and then the kids of course made it even more obvious. I love my family and I am so glad I have them to keep me motivated. I hope each one of you know that you are beautiful too and in everything you do... you just might be motivating someone without even realizing it...we are amazing, we can do amazing things...you must believe in YOU! There is always someone watching you...your spouse, your children, your family, your friends and even acquaintances...motivate these people, show them what you can do and most of all do it for YOURSELF! You deserve it! "There is no one youer than you" (Dr. Seuss, LOVE him! haha!) and just so you know... you are absolutely Beautiful!

Tested...

Eye yi yi! I have definitely been tested the last couple days. Saturday we went to the Renaissance Festival…they had a lot of yummy carnival/fair type foods. I tried to make the HEALTHIEST choice from what I had to choose from. (You couldn’t take any food into the festival. Or I definitely would have. But they don’t care if you’re watching what you eat. Ha!) I had a Taco Salad, which was more like nachos with lettuce on top. Haha! For those who don’t know… I LOVE nachos!  I tried to just eat the “salad” part of it though and only ate a couple of the tortillas chips. My kids also got those HUGE turkey legs; I had a couple little pieces off of them… I tried not to get too carried away.  My kids later on also got “frozen cheesecake”…it was covered in a crunchy chocolate shell with almonds on it. I did have to taste test them. Of course! They couldn’t finish them so we threw what was left of them away. That was a TOUGH decision! I am all about desserts and sweets, those are definitely my weaknesses. THEN on Sunday, my husband’s dad came into town and wanted to eat at Texas Roadhouse. My father-in-law ordered TWO appetizers…Fried Pickles and the Bloomin’ Onion. I tried to resist, but I had never tried a Fried Pickle…so I did have a little of these appetizers. I was going to pass on their AMAZING rolls too (my favorite part of Texas Roadhouse), but I gave into those although I didn’t eat as many of them as I usually do. HAHA!  Again, I tried to make a healthy choice for my meal and ordered a Grilled Chicken Salad with the dressing on the side. Luckily it was a late lunch, early dinner so I didn’t need to eat again and felt like I didn’t completely bust my food intake for the day. We were also invited that evening to meet out at the pool for a friend’s birthday to have some CAKE and ICE CREAM…We did go out and wish him a Happy Birthday and say hello, but we didn’t have any of the goodies. Boy did I feel TEMPTED and TESTED this weekend…BUT I feel like I was STRONG. Truth is, we had a “real life” weekend and I can’t stop living just because I am closely watching what I am eating as I am trying to lose weight at this point... It just means I have to THINK a little more before I put something into my mouth, it just means I have to know every day won’t be PERFECT, but I can keep going…and I can STILL reach my goals. I am hoping by sharing my real life situations, I can motivate others to try and make healthier choices. If you still give in here and there...that doesn't mean all is lost. Start again right away, the next meal, the next day...there's NO stopping us! So, here’s to believing my workouts and “smarter” choices will still bring me a good weight loss this week. I truly believe it will…I will keep you updated. My next weigh in day is Thursday!  See you then! 

First Week Weigh In...

It has been 1 week since I decided to change my life and be a healthier person. It feels like it has been longer than that though. This has been a long week with lots of changes not just in this aspect, but in my overall life. I mean… it’s been a WHOLE week and I’m not skinny yet?! HAHA! Just kidding, I know it takes time just like it took time to put it on. Thankfully I feel like it can be lost faster than it’s gained. With this being my very first week I hoped to lose a lot because I was right on with my food intake, I made healthy choices, and I worked out really hard. I am happy to say I lost just about 5 pounds this week. It’s not as much as I was hoping, but it still makes me very happy. It’s 5 pounds in the right direction, its 5 pounds less than I was a week ago, and its 5 pounds closer to reaching my goals. I’m also doing a lot of weight training so I believe as I am losing fat I am also gaining muscle. I’m not going to just focus on the number the scale gives me each week. I will also watch and see how my body is changing, how I am getting stronger and how my clothes are fitting. There are so many ways to see all the hard work put into it. I am looking forward to another great week.  I am also remembering this is a FOREVER thing and… I am totally READY for it! 

                     Starting weight: 216      Current: 211      Total Lost: 5

 

Weekend Success!

 I was a little worried about starting this journey right before the weekend. Weekends seem to be the time when we go out to eat as part of something fun to do as a family or when we get together with friends which also always seems to have food involved. I am going to be completely honest...I absolutely LOVE food! Haha! BUT  I am happy to say, I made it to the gym every day and I stayed right on with my food. Of course I could give in to what I want at the moment, maybe a bad choice of food or not going to the gym, but I stayed focused on what I want the most in the long run...like a quote I once heard (I'm not sure who said it), but..."Willpower is deciding between what you want NOW and what you want MOST."  We even got invited to a "Taco Night" on Saturday with our neighbors. I decided to eat BEFORE I went so I knew exactly what I was eating and so I wouldn't be hungry once I got out there. I know I probably could have eaten there and still been fine, but for this time I chose to just eat before I went. And yes. I still went out and....I didn't feel tempted at all. We talked and enjoyed sitting around the fire together. Food was NOT a necessity for having a good time. I always felt like I was rude to say no to food if it was offered to me, but the truth is it isn't rude. The people who love you will respect your dreams and support your healthy choices! I made it through the weekend and I am looking forward to a great week! I will post again on Thursday which is my weigh in day...I am hoping for a BIG loss this week because it's the first week. Usually the first week is the biggest loss… I know it's mostly water weight, but it's still exciting to be that much closer to reaching my goals. If I can do this, you can do this…so let’s do it!