I have a kindergartner!!!

 

There are no words. I am SO excited for her, but SO not ready for her to be gone all day!!!

Ava tested into the ELP or Extended Learning Program. It is a program for gifted and talented children. We are SO proud of her. She will do great! She has a love of learning and is very smart. I will miss having my buddy here. She goes full day just like the big kids. I love my little pumpkin!

Next Phase

My 90 day challenge is almost up!!! How have you been doing this summer??? I am SO happy with the changes I HAVE made. I am feeling healthy and strong.

However, I am not too proud to ask for help when I need it. That was the OLD thinking pattern. That I could do it alone. I know I can't. SO, Here's what is going to change for the next phase!!!

1. Remember when I made You Tube videos??? THEY ARE COMING BACK!!! Fit Fab Friday is COMING BACK!!!

2. What I ate Wednesday is coming back!!!

3. I am joining WEIGHT WATCHERS!!!

4. I am making my goal to fit into a size 18 by Jan. 1st.!!!!!

5. I am continuing my Facebook posts to HELP YOU succeed in YOUR journey!!!

We can do this together! Strength in numbers!!! Who's with me????

Alive!!!

I just got home from Jazzercise and had to write this! It may be the endorphins talking, but I feel so alive! I was SO sad and depressed for so long. I didn't feel like leaving the house, talking to people, or doing much of anything but sitting around feeling sorry for myself.

Jazzercise, healthy choices, better attitude, hope, belief in myself, and being positive has made all the difference.

You can CHANGE YOUR LIFE! You can heal yourself!

I am happier than I have been in YEARS!

I feel like I am LIVING my life instead of surviving.

I used to wake up and count the minutes until bedtime.

Now, I wake up excited for the adventure of the new day.

I have energy, joy, and feel good about myself.

I used to dread looking in a mirror, or the reflection while walking into a store.

I see my body now as this AMAZING gift. I am capable of anything!

I feel strong, healthy, and toned.

I have a LONG way to go, but I am facing my fears, creating new habits, and making goals.

I used excuses for so long. I was born this way, I was meant to be fat, I am addicted to food, I can't change, it's too hard, I am not strong enough, I have too far to go.

YOU CREATE YOUR LIFE!!! YOU CAN CHANGE ANYTHING!!! MAKE YOURSELF WHO YOU WANT TO BE!!!!

I love you all and thank you all for your support and encouragement!!!

Day 60, Amelia's Birthday, Updates

So today is day 60 of my personal 90 day challenge. Originally, I wanted to lose 30 lbs by the end of summer. I have made some awesome changes that really have nothing to do with the scale. I am super proud of that! I have been working out 5-6 times a week all summer. That has NEVER happened! EVER! I feel healthy, strong, happy, and confident. I have more energy and have learned to deal with stress in a healthy way. Our lives have been SO stressful this last month!

Rob switched to Graveyards, and is looking for other employment. Amelia turned 1! That has been really hard on me because she is my baby and the last baby I will have. Amelia is starting to talk, walk with assistance, eat real food etc. She is so happy and fun. She gives kisses, turns herself in circles, laughs at everything, and dances. She is a joy! Sawyer has decided on his own he was ready to wear big boy pants and go potty. He pretty much just started doing it one day and has had very few accidents! I am excited to be able to spend more one on one time with him this fall. He is learning and growing so much! Hard to believe he entered this world at 3lbs 11oz. We were so worried about what the future would hold for him. He has proven to be a warrior with a fighter attitude. Ava is getting ready to start Kindergarten and she was accepted into the Advanced kindergarten program so she will go to school all day. I am not ready for her to be gone all day. She is such a fun girl, so smart, and a big helper.

On top of all those changes, Amelia has gone back to waking up twice a night. I am guessing because she no longer is on formula and gets hungry. So that means I get up twice and I get insomnia and can't get back to sleep. I am one tired momma! In the past, I would have let that be an excuse not to go to Exercise. NO MORE! I just put my caffeine in my water and GO GO GO!!! 

The last time life was this stressful, I gained 15lbs in one month!!! This month I used Exercise as a release instead of turning to food! I am so proud of that!

So my results this month were -3lbs and 4 1/2". All things considering, I am proud of those numbers! I know I made great changes and NEVER gave up on myself or the process!

Here are my pictures:

     

Last month                                                This month

 

 

 

 

Sorry they are blurry, Oh well you get the gist!

 

Here are the pictures from Amelia's first birthday. Enjoy!

 

 

Here are just random shots from last month:

He really wanted to show off his

 big boy pants. They are backward and inside out but hey!

Happy!!

Ava wanted a picture too!

FOODDD~

So I have some amazing yummy simple recipes tonight!!! Eating healthy doesn't in fact shouldn't be hard! It is easy and so tasty when you eat REAL WHOLE food!!! Cut the garbage!

If you know me you know I LOVE BARS!!! They are convenient, and easy. I have tried A LOT! Trying to find one that is natural and without a bunch of weird junk is pretty hard. They are either weird textured, chalky, or EXPENSIVE! I found two I LOVED but at $2.50 a bar I was going broke!!! I found a recipe to make my own. Tweaked it and now I present Honey Bars

Honey Bars

1 cup oats
1/3 cup vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
 1/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
2 TBSP Chia seeds
1 tsp (or more to taste) of Cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together. Divide into 7 equal parts and shape into bars (crumbliness goes away when you start to shape into a bar). Store in ziploc bags in the fridge or freezer.
Nutrition: 241 calories, 13 g protein, 21 carbs pair this with a half a piece of fruit (apple, Banana, orange etc.) for a great pre workout Meal!!!


Cucumber Sub
Make a sub sandwich with a cucumber instead of bread... just cut your cucumber lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and insert your sandwich ingredients of choice… SUPER EASY!!!
...
Laughing cow cheese, diced pepper/spring onion, low fat cheese, shredded cheese and low fat turkey/ham would be perfect!! 

Over Night Oats-310 calories

1/2 cup old fashion oats
1/2 cup frozen berries
 1/2 cup Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 scoop designer whey ( or other 100 calorie) protein powder
All put in a jar or bowl the night before. Eat in the morning warm or cold.

Try these! SO easy!!!

The Yellow Pinto

I recently read Dr. Phil's book Life Code: tips for winning in the real world. ( he talks about it every show so it must be good, eh?)

I, like Charlie Sheen want to be "winning" in life, so I picked it up.

It was a pretty good read, although I am not quite as cynical as the good Doctor, I learned a lot.

One thing he talked about was our personal image. What is the message you are sending out everyday?

How are you "branding" yourself?

What picture comes to mind when people think of you?

He has you describe how you WANT to be viewed like you would describe a character in a play.

It was fun for me and I learned I am not always sending out the message I want to be about myself.

He says you need to stay in that character at all times, and to sell it.

If you don't like what you are selling, change it!

Now there are things we can't control (without botox or surgery of course) like our nose, height, lisp, etc. but you can make those things WORK FOR YOU instead of trying to hide it.

He says the things you think you are hiding, are actually the things you are broadcasting about yourself (or maybe that was Iyanla VanZant that said that, I digress.)

My thing I have always been trying to "Hide" about myself is obviously my weight. I know it sounds stupid since it is an obvious thing you notice when you look at someone, but that is my thing.

Instead, own it ROCK it and do the best you can with whatever it is that you are "hiding".

I really love analogies. I remember things better if I create a visual picture for myself. So here is one for you,

Imagine that our bodies are all cars.

I know most people would want to be a Ferrari

I would love to be a hot pink convertible mini cooper

Small, girlie, fun to be with, carefree, etc.

I got this instead whomp whomp....


The Yellow pinto-
The car nobody wants to be seen in, might breakdown, guzzles gas, is clumsy and loud, and just plain shlumpy.

Well, you know what folks? That is the car I got so I can either HATE IT, try to hide it, hope I never see anyone when I go on errands, let it rust and rot OR

I can get it a new paint job, rebuild the engine, get some pretty air fresheners, buy some leopard seat covers, and hang some fuzzy dice in the mirror. PIMP MY RIDE!
(tacky? I think not, I say FUN! And they are pink!)

I can change the oil regularly, put good gas into it, wax it till it shines, and play AWESOME music.

I may never get to upgrade and trade in my pinto for my dream mini cooper convertible, but I can ROCK what I got you feel me???

What message are you selling? Is it the one you want?

Go buy some fuzzy dice........