I'm Baaack!

This week I was back on my game and kicked the lbs I had picked up last week. Plus half a lb. It hasn't been easy. In fact - it has been really difficult lately. Jake did a quick measurement for me last night though and as a sneak peak for next week's reveal on my stats.....drum roll please. I have lost 2.5 inches just on my waist! I am super excited to see a difference in inches and not just in weight. I can't wait to see where I stand next Sunday. I will have to do my weigh in before the Easter feasting begins.(2004)

Falling off the Wagon

I have been eating clean and keeping on track for over a month now. I was on my way to losing 20 lbs this week....then the weekend happened. Jake had his first weekend off in over 2 months and we decided to take the opportunity to go see his parents and spend some time with friends. We got up early on Saturday morning and headed out to the south suburbs. I had my coffee in hand and had made snacks for the kids. We were going to try and make this a fairly inexpensive trip and wanted to have fun at the same time. When we got to New Lenox the kids were starving. So Jake and I jetted over to Portillos (my favorite place to eat EVER). Normally I would wolf down a big Italian beef sandwich, smothered in cheddar cheese, and dipped. I don't usually stop there either. I typically would have a large cheese fry and a chocolate cake shake (nirvana). I passed up most of this. I had half of a large fry - and water. I was so proud of me. Then dinner happened. I have not hung out with several of my best college buds since last fall. So when the opportunity presented itself to get together with them, I jumped at it. I started the evening making good food choices, fruit, some pickles, then someone handed me a drink (of the adult persuasion) and it was all down hill from there. I had chips, and cookies, and pizza, and more drinks, and more drinks, and more drinks. The next day when I got out of bed, every joint ached like I was 90 years old. Never again. The occasional glass of wine, ok. Bing drinking like I am in college, is NEVER happening again. Instead of losing weight this week, I gained 3 lbs. Not cool. But I am back on track today and drinking lots of water, to flush out all the crap I ingested over the past 48-72 hours.

EIU brought us all together, Katie is the glue that keeps us together.

Back on Track

This past week started out with a tough challenge. On Sunday we had a birthday party for my niece. Going to a birthday party means, dinner, and CAKE! I opted out of dinner, and snacked on fresh veggies while we were there instead. Then I watched everyone else eat the cake. I told myself it was dry and looked disgusting (It really didn't). Then I went home and had a sensible dinner with no dessert.

Although I am not shedding the pounds like I was the first two weeks, I have managed to shed another couple of them this week. I didn't work out a lot this week because I had the most horrendous headache EVER. I don't think it was a migraine, but as close as I have ever gotten to one. I actually took some Excedrin migraine and it hleped. Baleigh actually asked me why I was going to work on Tuesday because she said I looked sick. I told her, sometimes you just have to power through stuff. And, I need to save my sick days for when she and Thor are sick.

All in all, a pretty good week. Pleased with my resolve to finish the next three weeks strong! (2005)

A Not So "Spring-y" Spring Break

This last week was the most difficult one I have encountered so far in my challenge. The kids were on Spring Break and since I work pretty much when school is in session, that meant I was off too! Its funny how life changes and Spring Break no longer means late nights and sleeping in. My two midgets were up with the sun every morning. We baked, and cleaned, went to the zoo, the motorcycle shop and  two days we drove up to Wisconsin to help my sister paint her new house.

I thought by being more active I could adjust my food intake from the high protein clean eating to a few other things. I included some homemade tamales (that rocked btw) and chili and corn bread. Unfortunately that meant I actually gained half a pound over the course of the week. I am back on track this week and hope to put up some good loss numbers. I am struggling with a head cold right now but am determined not to let that derail my progress. (2008)                                     

Week Two Complete

I have now been on my lenten challenge for 16 days. I am doing well so far. It was tough sitting at my parent's house last night while they ate pizza (my favorite food in the whole world) and I had some water and veggies. I managed.  This week was super crazy and stressful at work and I am so thankful we are on spring break now. I was able to start my spring cleaning yesterday and hope to finish it this afternoon. Keeping busy has helped me to avoid the bored eating. When I feel like hitting the fridge for something I do a couple sets of squats and sit ups and regret thinking about it. I am hoping I can maintain my weight loss when I get back to eating normal foods.

Along with giving things up this year, I decided to try a mini challenge each week. This week was to let my husband rest more because he has been working some long hours. This meant making him lunches, and dinners and making sure everything around the house was done before the kids and I left for school in the morning. This coming week I was going to try and show my appreciation of him, to him, in some small way every day. Not sure how I am going to accomplish this yet, but he deserves it. (2008)

Week one of Lent .... Done!

Today marks the one week I have been on my lenten challenge. I will post all my stats on the Saturday prior to Easter. But I will say, that after a week of eating no meat, no processed foods, and no naturally occurring sugars.... I am down by 9.5 lbs and fit into a pair of dress pants I got for Christmas but couldn't get buttoned. I refused to return them because they were so nice and I really wanted to wear them. Now they are ready for work tomorrow morning.

Aside from changing my eating habits, I have also started working out. Just a little bit this week but will kick it up a notch this coming week. A group that I belong to called, Bad Ass Warrior Goddesses has inspired and challenged me to become a better me. They have a monthly work out challenge that I am participating in. I am also going to start running 3 days a week and will incrementally kick it up until I run a minimum of 15 miles a week on average. I am so thrilled to be on my way to a fitter, healthier me....and if the side affect is that I look really hot.... I think I can deal with that.  until next week. (2013)

Lenten Challenge

Yesterday was the beginning of what is usually one of my favorite months! I love March. St. Patty's Day, spring beginning to show signs, spring break, etc. Instead I spent an hour shoveling our driveway, because we had 6 inches of snow dumped on us! yay!

Since Lent begins on Wednesday I decided to start my Lenten Sacrifice a little early. Its not like anyone around here can make a decent Paczki anyway. I am giving up red meat, cheese, any processed food (this does not include homemade bread, as long as it is unbleached, whole wheat), sugar and sugar substitutes. This means no more mid after noon runs to the vending machine for peanut-butter m & m's, no more pop, no granola bars, desserts. I am limited to fruit, veggies, chicken/fish, rice, and quinoa. It is going to be very interesting to see how this next 7 weeks go. I thought I would include a few picures of my weight fluctuation over the years. Don't laugh.

October 2007. Thor (my son) was 1 and I was 3 weeks away from giving birth to our daughter B.E.A.N. I weighed in at the hospital at a whopping 285 lbs.

March 2008. 4.5 Months after the birth of our daughter. Pretty sure I weighed about 220 lbs. here.

April 2009. I was probably about 165 lbs here. It took 3 months of Army Basic Training and running 8-10 miles a day to maintain this. I know I have distorted body image issues now. Because, when I looked like this I never once felt thin, or sexy. All I saw was that my boobs shrank, and I has loose saggy skin on my tummy, along with hideous stretch marks.

June 2010. My 30th Birthday! I was about 180 lbs here. I felt fat, and uncomfortable all night.

December 2011 - I was holding fast at 180 lbs, and could barely get my uniform buttoned for this night. I was still passing my body fat tests so I wasn't too concerned. But I didn't feel good about the way I looked or how my clothes fit.

July 2012. Post Army, I gained about 25-30 lbs. I was tipping the scales over the big deuce again and trying to figure out my life in the civilian world, being a full time mom again.

December 2012 - I loathe this picture. I thought I looked ok, until I saw this. I know a lot of money was spent on this photographer, but I refuse to have any of these photos in my house. I decided to start loosing weight for my best friend's wedding that would be in September.

September 2013. I had joined weight watcher for the summer and lost about 20 lbs. I was still weighing in at around 190 lbs. but I felt a little better. Then the winter from hell hit. I gained more weight this winter than should be legal. I am determined to shed the unwanted pounds and become the fit, amazing looking me that I was in 2009.

Today is the first day....

Today is Valentine's Day and what better time to start loving myself. I was recently inspired by someone who I have only briefly met in person. She married one of my favorite buddies from College and is a truly awesome momma  and so completely badass. Last year she started a blog about her journey to awesomeness and I am going to do my best to do something as great as she did.

In 2008 I knew I had to do something. I was overweight, after two babies in two years and was struggling to find some peace with the way I looked physically. I started the Weightwatchers plan on my own. Counting points and eating well under what I was allotted. I shed about 60 lbs just in time to join the Army in January of 2009. I lost about another 40 lbs in the next 4 months. Over the course of the next 4 years I slowly gained most of that weight back. Lots of factors played a part in that. I went from a very active job to one where I was on call and yet very sedentary at the same time. My physical training time was interrupted many days because of more "mission essential" projects. I was still able to pass my body fat tests and a PT test so I thought I didn't have to worry about it. Then I switched units and my whole world came crashing down. I was labeled "fat" by my Company commander because I did not look like a Barbie in my uniform. I am 5'5" and as my dad always used to say, "built like a brick shit-house". This does not make for the most aesthetically pleasing picture when you stuff that in a shapeless green sack of a uniform. That commander made it his personal job to make sure I was put in the worst working environment and punished me with some of the crappiest details he could. I fought this by eating my feelings and gaining more weight. I was running one day and when I stopped, I had a giant purple bruise on both hips. I was told my medic to keep going, nothing was wrong with me. A week later I took a nasty spill and tore up my knee. That was the day I decided I couldn't take the mental torture along with the physical anymore. I counted down the days until the end of my contract. Every day gaining more weight. I now weighed more than I ever had and nothing fit. I was in anger management counseling and it didn't get better until I signed out on terminal leave from the Army on May 28th 2012.

Even after I had lost 100 lbs I NEVER felt thin. I looked at my stretched stomach from 2 kids in 2 years, and all the weight fluctuation. I looked at pictures and I always had short big (muscular) legs. I dreamed of long, lean ones that looked great in shorts and heels. It didn't help me that my boobs shrank three cup sizes at that time as well. Yes, I had been breastfeeding, yes I lost lots of weight... but why did I have to lose the one thing that made me feel sexy? Don't get me wrong, my husband has NEVER made me feel anything but sexy. He has loved me at every stage of our lives together.

Today I am going to stop making excuses and I am going to make me the best version of myself. I need to take time for me and I think everyone will benefit from it. I am going to take a page from Sarah's book and post some pics that will show my journey.