MEASUREMENTS 9/27

I am going to start this blog out, with my BEGINNING measurements. The first measurements I took during this entire process.

 Monday, January 28th I took the following measurements:::

[ I only tracked these few measurements at first, because these were the only ones I needed to use the livestrong.com body fat calculator]

Weight: 245

Waist 50"

Hips 56.5"

 Neck 16"

The livestrong.com website using the Body Fat Calculator.....66%. .

Click HERE to see the Livestrong.com Body Fat Calculator I use!








LAST MONTHS Measurements are first::

August 27th, 2013:


Current Weight: 213   

Waist:39"

Hips: 49"

Neck: 14"

Forearm over birthmark: 10.5

Upper Arm: 13.5"

Calf, an inch below the knee, widest part: 17.5"

Mid thigh: 21.5"

Upper thigh: 26.5"

Body fat %:  51.59

TODAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Current weight: 211

Waist: 37.5"

Hips: 48"

Neck:: 14"

Forearm over birthmark: 10.5"

Upper Arm: 13"

Calf, an inch below the knee, widest part: 17"

Mid thigh: 21"

Upper thigh: 26"

Body fat %: 49.16%




This means, that since February, I've lost:

34 pounds

12.5" in my waist

 7.5" in my hips

2" in my neck

16.84% Body Fat


I must say, I am SO shocked and happy to see the numbers from the beginning until now!! Over a FOOT lost in my waist!!?? That's insanity!! And my body fat percentage is AMAZING!! I still have so far to go, but progress IS progress!!!

Now......this past month,  I've only went down 2 pounds, 1.5" in my waist, 1 inch in my hips,  half an inch in my upper arm, my calves,  my mid thigh, and my upper thigh......

Doesn't impress me!! BUT I'm heading in the right direction at least... I am a bit frustrated because this month I have worked out 5-7 days a week consistently.... but I need to focus this month on getting more than just that hour a day. Also, I am confident that seeing the nutritionist is going to help. Just yesterday I dropped off my weeks worth of what I've eaten to him. He is going to review it and we have another meeting this upcoming week. I'm going to continue to log what I eat, so we can keep looking back at it. Up to this point, I've noticed that I've been eating 1700 calories consistently without even realizing it. I am going to take that down to 1500.

 At this point in the game, it's not just about self control as far as working out, or eating 'mostly' good... The working out at this point is a given. It's just a habit, a part of my day. The eating ' mostly good" is what I need to work on. I was happy to get this far by eating mostly good, yet allowing myself some junk into my daily calories, ,but now it's time to kick my eating habits into super healthy gear, and start knocking out some more pounds faster! He said his goal for me was to lose another 6 pounds between now and the new year.... in 3 months. I say, let's do at least ten. I know at this point in the game things slow down a bit as far as weight loss... but I'm determined to do everything ' right', to up the speed of this whole process.

The more I lose, the more energy I'm finding I have, and the more determination. When I only get my hour in, I feel frustrated that I didn't have time to do more! I think an hour on the elliptical is good, but I need to get more exercise from other sources.

If anyone who is big into health and fitness is reading this, PLEASE send me some advice!!! I wish they had a 'nutritionist' for working out... I guess that would be more like a personal trainer, right? I am lucky that I get to see the nutritionist for free through the tribe, but personal trainers are expensive! :/

Sleep = < 3

The past few days have been tiring ones! I'm thinking that stems from the fact that I went out for a few drinks on Saturday night... I'm getting too old for that! lol... I can feel my entire being , feeling drained for days afterwards. I just feel mentally and physically exhausted! The fact that I danced for hours that night may also play a part in that. I woke up the next morning with my legs feeling like I did a thousand squats the night before! I probably did, on the dance floor!! LOL ...... ohhh boy....


So, I last left off with my blog on Thursday. I consistently got in my workouts all last week. Saturday we had a fun day planned with the kids, but I DID get my hour on the elliptical in first.

Sunday, I worked 11-7 and did not make time to work out. 11-7 shifts take up a majority of the day, and while I would typically work out in the morning on such a day, I made the executive decision that sleep was a bit more important on that particular day.

Monday, today, I didn't work out either. I got a 'butt dial' phone call from my dad at 5a.m. as he was getting ready for work, and I had a heck of a time falling asleep after that. I was out of bed at 6:30 to get my brother and Deslin ready and off to school, and to then get myself to work from 8-4. Once I got home, I hurried to make dinner.

I made lasagna roll ups. The kids LOVE them, and they are super healthy! I'm not sure if I posted my recipe before, but here it is:

* Boil whole grain lasagna noodles
* Once they're done, run them under cool water, then put some olive oil on them
* Put a big spoonful of a nonfat cottage cheese mixed with chopped fresh spinach
* Roll up the lasagna noodle with the filling inside, and place in a casserole dish or baking pan
* Pour some tomato sauce over the top
* Bake on 400* for about half an hour

We like wholesome, simple, fast foods in this house! Nutritious, delicious, and easy. What more do you need?!

I was so hungry while I was cooking that I had a turkey and spinach sandwich. After the kids each ate 2 of the lasagna rolls, we went to Deslins flag football practice. When we got home at 7:30, they were hungry again after running around for an hour, so they each had 2 more., then brushed their teeth and got on their jammies, did homework, and went to bed... they were both clearly exhausted.

It has been a busy day. And I'm still feeling pretty drained from the other night.. well, that and the lack of sleep. UGH. Thank goodness we don't do that very often. I don't know how anyone survives who does!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :S

After the kids went to bed around 8:30-9ish tonight,  I went on facebook for a bit, looked at some stuff on pinterest, gathered Deslins school clothes for tomorrow, etc.

Now it's 11:00 and I am just pooped. I wish I had worked out today, but I didn't. I could have made time instead of being online rfor an hour, but I didn't. I don't feel too bad, though..... I ate really healthy today and I can feel that I need rest! OH I also wore a pair of jeans today that haven't fit me right in a few years now..............and they look really good!!! SO excited about that. :)  It's like a whole new wardrobe is available to me, now that I fit things I haven't in a while!

I know that getting some good sleep tonight will better prepare me to not be so tired tomorrow, so I can get Deslin to school, then have breakfast/coffee, and then work out for at least an hour. But, I'm planning on getting at least 2 hours.....and then housework/ digging out my fall decor'.
 


Well, off to bed!!

It will be time for updated measurements within the next week!!!! Pray for me!! lol :)

Nutritionist Meeting!

My meeting with the nutritionist this morning went great! He was really excited about the fact that I had lost 33 pounds on my own in 6.5 months , and asked how I did it. I told him what I do and what I eat, and he said I am doing everything right!  The one thing he suggested was getting more dairy, because I only rarely have dairy such as a cup of nonfat milk with some protein powder after my workouts. I do occasionally eat yogurt and I like to have eggs a few times a week, but he said I need more. He suggested mixing plain greek yogurt with some Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix, to use to dip my veggies in. I can't wait to try it!!! I love greek yogurt as it is, and who doesn't like ranch!? I have only been using ranch occasionally, and typically have been using low fat italian because I don't like nonfat ranch...so I am excited about this!

He did say that at this point in my weight loss it is completely normal for things to slow down a bit. That has been something that has been bothering me, because I have been at 33 pounds down for all of September so far, even though I've seemingly been doing everything 'right'. I am SO not complaining though, because I am feeling fantastic! I've had so much more energy than I used to, and it feels amazing throwing something on and feeling good in it! I can definitely see my body toning up and changing, and I am beyond excited for what is coming.I looked at my previous posts, and I last posted measurements on August 27th-ish, so I will wait until the end of September to do so again. Most of my pants hardly fit me any more, so I'm excited to see the changes in my  measurements! Even though the scale hasn't changed much this month, I KNOW I have toned up a bit.

Now what my next step is, is keeping an actual food journal. I'm going to write down every single thing I eat, and how much of it. He and I are meeting again in 2 weeks to look it over and discuss what I'm doing.

We also discussed what my goals were.. I told him my very short term goal is to be under 200... because I HATE this number. I hate it. Physically I feel great. If I looked the same as I do now and you told me I weighed 180, I would be REALLY happy with where I'm at, although I'd still keep improving. However just the number 212 really gets to me!! I never dreamed I would be over 200 pounds. I do have to remind myself that it could be much worse, and that I'm heading in the right direction. When I think about it, that's a very exciting thing! Knowing that this number can and will only go down from here and that I'm on the right track.


I told him that my real goal, is to be at about 150, but once I get to that point I'm going to still keep at it and push myself harder and farther physically after that. He said that his goal would be for me to be around 204-205 by the end of the year. I agree that it would feel great to go into the new year 40 pounds lighter than last year, however... I think I can do better than that. I'm going to give it my all and see what I can do!


Joe and I are going to get gym memberships so we can go do more strength training. A few times a week is my goal for now, and we'll definitely be upping it from there. We'll probably be getting the memberships this week or next. The great thing is, the gym is 24/7 too so it works perfect with our busy and ever-changing schedules. I really miss weight training so I am excited to start back up. I am finally confident with myself enough to go to the gym without feeling like I look horrendous. Of course I will still do the elliptical at home, and the WII fit routine. I am thinking about buying a few DVD's too to change things up a bit.  I am SO excited for all of this!!!


It's a lifestyle change all the way around. I just told Joe this morning that working out now is just as 'normal' for me as brushing my teeth. It's just a daily thing I have to do to keep my body and my mind  healthy. I get so down and feel so horrible on days in the past when I didn't work out. It's just what I do now! I mean the occasional skip day once a week or once every week and a half is fine, particularly if it's a really busy day. I am a FAR way from being at the point a lot of people I know are, health and fitness wise....but I'm definitely well on my way! 




This is just the very beginning for me.

Where I'm At; Where I've Been.

It's been quite a few days since I posted last!

Not much is new. I have been consistently getting my hour in every single day.

I had noticed that when I was eating 1500 calories, I was SO tired and lethargic that I could hardly muster up the strength to work out, or wake up in the morning. I just wanted to sleep! I did some research and according to a bunch of websites I found, my body currently needs 2780 calories to maintain it's weight... and a bare minimum of 1700 for my body to function. SO, seeing as I was only consuming 1500 and burning off almost 1000 most days, it's no wonder I was having constant headaches and constantly so tired!

So, I've upped my calorie intake and am still eating really healthy. If I'm craving something, I have a little bit. For example, Joe came to my work today to have lunch with me. I had a salad with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and turkey with ranch. He had beef stroganoff and a piece of chocolate cake. It was a smaller sized piece, and we split it. It totally took care of my chocolate craving.

Since upping my calories just a bit, I have been OWNING my workouts. I used to get about 850 calories burned during my hour on the elliptical, but now I am consistently getting 950-1000 calories burned in that hour. What has also been helping, is getting my workouts in early in the day as often as possible. On days I start work at 5-8am, I have no choice but to get my work out in after work. However on my days off or when I go in for 11-7, I make sure I get it done first thing after my morning coffee. It's been really great, since I have the most energy after my morning coffee, and then at night I can take my time getting the kids to bed instead of rushing them, and I can relax and read or watch a show with Joe or clean or whatever without having to stress about making time for my workout on top of being tired.

All in all, I have felt great!! Today I woke up an hour before my alarm went off, and was wide awake and in a great mood. I hopped out of bed and made some Whole Grain Cream of Wheat for us all before Deslin had to go to school and I had to go to work. Everyone liked it! I've always liked Cream of Wheat when I was younger but I for some odd reason never made it since having the kids.I figured they'd like it though, since they love oatmeal.

Anyways that's about all for now!!! I have an appointment with the nutritionist on Thursday and I'm excited to tell him what I've been doing, and listen to his suggestions!! I am down to follow ANY diet that will help me lose weight fastest! :) I'll update again after the meeting! :)

9/8 My Worst Enemy

8 years ago, this was me:

6-7 years ago, this was me:

Although I put on about 80, yes, 80 pounds with my pregnancy, I didn't regret anything, for a second. Looking back I do wish I had made myself aware of how to be healthier, and how to take better care of myself while pregnant. But no regrets! I love my children more than I can even begin to explain!

I figured oh... it will be SO easy to get back to where I was. Chasing after babies, running around, I will lose this weight in no time!


This, was me 6 months ago. February of 2013. This was me at my sisters baby shower, where I actually looked like I was more pregnant when standing next to her, even though she was around 8 months pregnant at that time.This is the picture, that made me realize that although I had ' tried' in the past to work out, and to think about my health... I really needed to DO it. Not just try. This is the picture that made me ask my mother in law to delete every single picture of me that day, and I sat in my bed bawling.

It was that day, in my bed, when I realized how much I wanted this. How much I needed this. Not just so I would look acceptable in pictures with my babies, but so I could be a more active person in their lives and do more, and push myself to be more of a 'supermom'. I want them to see me working out, so they know it's important. I want them to work out with me. I want to go jogging with them someday. I want to do everything, and experience life with them to the fullest.

That's why I don't feel too bad, like I did at one point in time, taking 2 hours out of each day to focus on myself, to work out. I wait until they are asleep or in school. And yes, sometimes my dishes go undone. I have more energy these days to zoom around cleaning AND work out. Of course there are days where I'm tired, so I take a nap. I put my body's needs pretty high on the priority list,, because ultimately, I need to be here for them, and be a good example, and be a happy, healthy, mother. I don't need to be crying in my bed about how I can't find anything to wear. I need to MAKE changes, not just hope things will change one day.


This morning I had some oatmeal for breakfast. Then I took the kids to church. Can I just say, how amazing it felt to throw on an outfit and just GO without feeling self conscious at all?!? It has been a while since I've felt that. After church, there was a picnic, complete with games, and a bouncy house. The kids had a blast! They had snow cones and some chips. Silvana won cookies in the cake walk. They each had 2 today but I didn't have any. I DID have a hot dog for lunch, at the picnic. Silvana decided she didn't want hers, so I was carrying her plate around for a while in case she changed her mind. Then I had asked her if she was sure she didn't want it, and she said 'no'. So, I contemplated just eating it because the one I had was pretty good!

Shortly after, a woman I know came over and was asking me how I've been doing with working out, and said I'm looking great! It felt so good to hear someone say that. It motivated me SO much to stick to my guns. After we got done chatting, I immediately went over and threw Silvana's hot dog in the trash.

After the picnic, the kids & I loaded up into the van and went to visit my grandparents. While there, my grandma commented on how much weight I'm losing. I couldn't have been happier. My grandma is easily one of my handful of favorite people in my life.She has always been so inspiring, and so loving, and so wonderful. She has one of the biggest hearts I've ever personally seen, and she is always smiling. I felt so happy to hear her say that today.. it made me feel like she was proud of me just like she always had been in the past.

I guess I just felt like since I gained a bunch of weight like I was letting people in my family down. Like they were kind of embarrased of me. lol.....

Anyways, we had a busy and fun day, and I made taco's for dinner. The kids and I each had 2 with a ton of spinach too. At the end of the day after the kids were bathed, read to, hugged and smooched on the forehead, and snug in bed, I took some pictures of myself . They are such crappy quality, and I'm not posting them just yet. But I've felt like I needed a visual reminder for myself of how far I've come.  Well, the pictures weren't pretty. I mean, obviously. I have so far to go. It was frustrating. I've lost 33 pounds so far, and I just wish it 'showed' more after all of the hard work I've done.  I just felt so annoyed and frustrated and ready to give up for a minute. But that anger and frustration just made me even more determined. I realized that, I haven't given this ' my all' . I've had [ like last week, ] times when I haven't worked out for 3-4 days. I have had more than 1 cheat day in a week at times. I need to woman up & get it done!

So, after feeling completely pissed at myself, I went downstairs and did an hour and a half on the elliptical. I felt AMAZING. I planned on doing 2 hours, but I ended up having a pounding headache the whole last 45 minutes. I pushed through it though, I was determined to do more than my typical hour. I think the whole problem is that I wasn't drinking enough water the past couple of days.I also felt like sick to my stomach and nauseous when I was done, but I had a little protein powder in some fat free milk and that seems to have helped some. I think I'm pretty tired too, it is 12:30am right now.

I am going to get up at 6:30a.m. to get Deslin ready, then drive my brother and Deslin to school in the morning, and then do my hour of WII fit, complete with the lunges, squats, etc. It's a super intense workout for me at this point! Then I have a meeting with the superintendent. I'll probably need a nap once I get home, lol.

Well that's all for now. I need SLEEP!

9/7 - Skipping a bit!

The past 3 days I have not worked out. I don't even feel bad about it, especially after weighing in today! :)

First off....the first couple days that this week rolls around each month, I am SO tired, and SO moody, and all I want to do is sleep. lol... Thankfully since taking much better care of myself, my muscle cramps have completely disappeared when they used to be debilitating. I crave chocolate just as much as before, but just a little chocolate satisfies that craving so it doesn't set me back with my goals. I have felt super bloated and tired and crabby though. Ugh!

So Wednesday, was Silvana's first day of school. I got her ready for school and took her pictures, and  unexpectedly was offered to work 11-7, so I did. It was SUCH a busy day at work! I ran pretty much the entire time I was there. I didn't even get my second break. Needless to say by the time I got home I was not caring about working out, I just really wanted to get to bed as soon as possible. I just felt so lethargic and crabby!




                                                         [ My beautiful little lady!! :)   ]

Thursday I also worked, but it was a much better day. Everything went very smoothly and all was good. Yet, I still didn't get my butt in gear and work out. I just didn't feel like it! We made homemade pizza with the kids, then we all walked down to the park for music in the park. The kids had a blast playing as usual, and we ran into some old friends there so it was a nice evening. After the park we walked past the football field, and the kids wanted to go to the Junior High game that was going on. So, we went and walked around the track/ field a few times and the kids ran around and played with their friends. Then I noticed it was 9:30 by that time, so we told them we needed to get going home. After they were all ready for bed it was already SO late, and I had to work again the next day so we all went to bed. I was really tired, too and my legs had STILL been sore from the WII fit workout Joe and I had done earlier in the week!



Yesterday, Friday, Joe and I got up with Deslin and got him off to school, then we had breakfast with Silvana and gave her a bath. Her grandma came to get her at 10:30 because Joe and I had to work at 11a.m. I was busy yesterday morning emailing Deslin's teacher about volunteering, calling the office about busing issues, and setting up doctors appointments for the kids and a meeting between myself and the superintendent at the school. Then by the time I got home from work at 7:30, I was pooped out again. It was another busy day, and although it went well I was just exhausted. My mother in law had fed the kids dinner, so around 8-9 I gave them a snack and we all got ready for bed , and climbed into my bed at around 9:30 and fell right asleep.Joe was to be home from work around 11pm.

I got a phone call at 11pm , and ended up heading to the ER with a family member after Joe got home from work. I stayed there until 3a.m., and then they had advised that someone stay with this person over night to keep an eye on them, so I did. I set my alarm for every half hour so I could get up and check on them. Around 7a.m. when they were about to be up for the day, and I could see all was well, I headed home and slept until Joe left for work again at 10:30am. So needless to say I have been pooped all day. The kids & I have 'quiet time' where there's no tv, video games, computer, etc for 3-4 hours [ at LEAST ] each day, and today Silvana ended up falling asleep and Deslin was looking at a book quietly, and I fell asleep on the couch for a few hours. It felt SO good. I woke up feeling really good except just kind of irritable.



I made lasagna roll ups for dinner, which are super healthy and the kids LOVE them. Here's how I do them:

* Boil 9 lasagna noodles
* Chop up about 2c fresh spinach, and mix it together with about 1-1.5 cups of nonfat cottage cheese.
* Once the noodles are done and rinsed under cool water, take one out at a time, and lay it flat.
* Put a heaping spoonful of the cottage cheese/ spinach mixture on one end of the noodle, and roll it up.
* Place in a glass baking dish
* Once all lasagna roll ups are dished up, pour some tomato sauce over, and bake covered at 350 for 20-30 minutes.


I had 3 of the rolls, Deslin had 2, and Silvana had 3. They LOVE them, and they're so healthy!

After dinner the kids just ran around playing and screaming and being crazy. lol...

I got them in bed by around 9:00. We plan on going to church tomorrow. It's the first day of Sunday School for this year. I am intending on getting my elliptical work out in tonight, because I just feel like my muscles are craving it, and I HATE going more than 3 days without a workout. Typically my rule is to never go 3 days without, but given how busy and tired I was this week I made an exception! As I said before, sleep is just as important in all of this! But I need to figure out a way to get my workout in around being busy, because during the school year, most days ARE busy.

The disheartening thing, was  I was dumb enough to weigh myself earlier this week and it showed I had gained a few pounds. I was so irritated, even though I knew in the back of my mind that it was water weight & what not going on. But I was irritated about it nonetheless. I was just irritated all around, though, at everyone and everything I think.

However, I wasn't so disheartened anymore when earlier today I weighed in again, and I had lost another pound from where I REALLY was last week! So I'm feeling great, because I haven't even worked out in 3 days! I have been watching what I'm eating as usual though, and drinking TONS and TONS of water.

Well, Joe is almost home and when he is we're heading downstairs to get in our workouts. I could easily just go crash out in bed again, because I'm still just feeling tired and annoyed. I don't even know why, and I guess it's not really for a reason it's just what happens, lol. But, the plan is to work out as of now. :)

9/4 - To have confidence!!

Yesterday I ate really well, no junk at ALL, and 1200-1300 calories. I felt so great! I also got in my hour on the elliptical.

Today was Deslins first day back to school! Joe and I got up early, woke him up , made him breakfast and packed his lunch. Then we woke up Silvana and we all drove Deslin to school, and walked him to his class!  He seemed really relaxed and happy to be back. He loves school! He kept saying, " The first day is the best day!" lol.

When we had gotten him all settled in to his class, Joe and I decided to go get some Subway breakfast. YUM.

I had:::
Egg white flat bread [ I DID have some bacon, too......] with spinach, onions, green peppers, banana peppers, jalapenos, and........ of course, pepper! Then when we got home I put a ton of crushed red pepper on it. THE BEST. I had half of it for breakfast, and half of it later for lunch.

Neither of the kids are sub eaters, so Silvana had a cut up banana with sprinkled cheese on it when we got home. She eats THE WEIRDEST things ever! Deslin is pretty bland and normal when it comes to his food. Some of his favorite things [other than fruit & veggies] are brown rice,shredded wheat, oatmeal, and whole grain noodles with just some sprinkle cheese on them. However, when he was around a year or so old, and we put food on his high chair table.. he would put it ALL in his glass of milk, and then drink it. :S It was always so gross, but he loved it so I didn't question it! haha


 Silvana's open house was from 11-2pm. She had a blast and built a bunch of stuff with blocks while we were there, and was having so much fun she didn't want to leave! They also had food there, and she ate a hot dog, grapes, and cantaloupe. I just had some cantaloupe, grapes, and cucumber.




After Deslin got home from school today he was SO happy at first. He came running up to us with a huge smile and hugged us, saying he had a GREAT day! I was so happy to hear it. However, through out the rest of the day he was just crabby as hell and pushing his limits. We had originally planned to go to the park, but decided he was clearly too tired and crabby to handle that today. We did end up taking them out for ice cream since the local ice cream shop is closing for the season in 2 days. I had a small oreo flurry. :S

For dinner, we made stroganoff and I had just a little of that, with crushed red pepper in it.

Once we got the kids to bed, Joe and I did an hour of WII fit. My muscles are ON FIRE! The routine we made consists of an hour of lunges, squats, leg lifts, jack knives, planks,  alll kinds of good muscle working workouts and some deep stretches. Feels so amazing!

We just got our showers in, and are heading to bed. I was called earlier this evening and asked to work tomorrow from 11am-7pm, and I almost said 'No" because I had today and tomorrow off with Joe, and wanted to spend time with him. But  what the hell. Why not? One day is almost $100 bucks so it's hard to say no. It adds up! :) Plus we get to spend a fair amount of time together most days anyway.



Tomorrow morning after I get Deslin off to school I'm going to hang with Silvana and get her ready for school and get some pictures of her before her first day. Then since I leave for work at 10:30 Joe will get pictures of her getting on her bus at 11:30 [ she only has half days this year.] . I do wish I could be here, but I'll be here to get her ready and get some pictures and chit chat with her beforehand. Besides, she is SO confident and ready... she has never been nervous about school. She came with me a lot to Deslins preschool to volunteer when she was a baby. I didn't work then so I was able to volunteer a lot, and I feel bad that I'm not able to as much with her. But, it'll be easier this year especially since she only has half days.

The other thing that has held me back in recent years as far as volunteering and what not, is sadly......the struggle with trying to find something to wear/ not feeling confident at ALL. I had a hell of a time trying to find something to wear sometimes when I would go to their school functions the last couple of years. My clothes were progressively getting a bit tighter,  and I just kind of got to a point where I just accepted that I felt like I looked like crap. It was hard! Today it felt SO amazing, to throw something on and have the first outfit I put on feel great. It fit right, and I felt like a 'normal' person.
 I guess I shouldn't use those words..  I don't mean to say people who are bigger aren't ' normal', but I am really hard on myself. I can look at people who are bigger, and think absolutely nothing at all negative about them. However, I'm much harder on myself without even always realizing it. I feel like I don't fit in because of the weight I've gained, sometimes. I just kind of gave up on a lot! But I must say, I have felt so much more confident lately, and I am really hoping it skyrockets from here!

 It felt amazing to not have to stress out and spend an hour trying to find an outfit for myself before I could walk Deslin to his class. It definitely makes me proud of how far I've come, and reminds me of one of the main reasons I started all of this in the first place.... to be a great role model for my babies, and to be there for them no matter what! I would hate to have health issues that would set me back, or set me apart from being an active person in their lives. I hate having to hesitate before doing something because I'm worried about how I look! I'm so glad I have stuck with it!!!!  I have a ways to go before I am where I want to be health wise, but I am very happy that now I can feel confident! I used to HATE being in pictures with the kids, or anyone at all.. and that really made me sad. I want to be in their memories, I want to be a part of things and not just the one taking the pictures of them having fun. I want to be next to them, having fun with them!!

                                                [ LOL... Silvana could have smiled! =P ]



Anyways, that is a [believe it or not] quick skim-through of what our day consisted of. I try to stick mainly to the facts that have something to do with what I've eaten/ and how I've worked out but I know I get off track sometimes! 

I plan to work out on the elliptical tomorrow night after I get home from work at 7pm...
That's all for now!! :)

9/2- Labor Day!

I haven't blogged in a few days because I have been SO BUSY! And haven't had much to say. Deslin's actual birthday was on the 28th, and his party was on the 31st. He had a great time both days, and got everything he wanted and more! :)

I ate a little worse than usual, yet remained within 1500 calories. On his beach party day I had a spinach and egg white sandwich with coconut oil for breakfast, then at his party I had 2 hot dogs and 2 cupcakes. I actually didn't tally up those calories..... that was all I ate that day, though. So, although I have cheated a bit, I'm glad I didn't go tooo crazy.

That being said, today I have been back on track. I added up all of my calories throughout the day and have had 1, 135 as of right now and considering it's 9pm, I won't be eating anything else. What I ate consisted of a LOT of veggies, some turkey a couple times throughout the day, and then a granola bar. I'm very happy that my calories alll came from healthy sources! :)


This morning when my alarm went off, it was 8:00 and in all honesty, I pretended not to hear it.. lol! Joe got up though, God bless him, and made us some coffee. He brought me a mug of it in bed.
After our coffee, we headed straight downstairs and started watching the movie "Erased" while we worked out. We got an hour into it by the time my workout was over. I had just enough time to shower then head to work.

Now tonight, we just got the kids to bed. I am going to do my new, hour long WII fit routine. Months ago I made a routine on there that was somewhat difficult for me. Now, that same routine is far too easy. So, I deleted the whole routine and made a new one last week, consisting of about 100 squats, 100 lunges, 100 side lunges, a few minutes of planks, etc, etc adding up to an hour. It's pretty intense and really works me out good! Plus it's really fun, in my eyes. The first time I did it last Tuesday, I was kind of sore the next day... and the next few nights my back would crack everytime I moved, but strangely it felt really good. lol...I must have needed an adjustment!

Well, Joe is off at the store buying milk so Deslin can have some at breakfast time. So I figured I had time to do my blog quick before he gets back and we start the WII fit routine together. I love the fact that we both love working out together. We have been talking about getting a gym membership at some point perhaps. I think it would especially benefit him, since what he mainly needs now is a lot of strength training. He currently weighs a few pounds less than he did in high school. He has lost over 80 pounds since he was at his heaviest when I was pregg with the kids. He definitely had gained sympathy weight! But I am SO proud of him for how far  he has come. And annoyingly, he hasn't even really tried much. Men, I tell ya! They have it so easy! :P

Anyways that's all for now. I'm excited to be getting in my 2nd workout for the day! As I've said before, when I first started working out in February it was a struggle to do my half hour elliptical workout a few times a week. It totally exhausted me! But now that I'm doing an hour long workout most days of the week, adding a second hour long workout each day has GOT to help me pick up the pace with this weight loss! Time shall tell, and I am excited to see what it has to say! ;)