Here we go guys. If you haven't been on my blog before welcome! I'm a 37 year old mother of 3 studying to be a health therapist. I have a long list of goals I want to achieve before I turn 40 and one of those goals is to finally put this weight behind me and move forward.
I currently weight 294 pounds and I am 6' tall. My BMI is sitting at 40. My total goal is to weigh 165lbs. I know that 100lbs in 3 months is crazy. 3 months is about 12 weeks which means losing roughly 7lbs per week. I am tired of being overweight and a lot of my goals involve increase my activity level. I want to be able to run half marathons at a faster pace and live a long and healthy life.
Why such a short time? Because realistically I want to lose this weight quickly. Bariatric surgery patients lose this kind of weight in the same amount of time often. I want to do this without surgery and while my health hasn't been impacted by my weight in a terrible way yet I know I can't keep dodging these bullets.
What's my plan? Obviously to lose that much weight that quickly there has to be a plan.
I'm going back to my roots and eating Paleo. Fruit, veggies, and meats. I'm also supplementing with meal shakes and protein shakes to help increase my protein. I am going to work on hitting my protein goal numbers every day. I'm going to use some supplements to make sure I'm getting a complete nutrition profile.
I plan on making sure I get to my 120 ounces of water every single day. I also plan on moving my body for at least an hour every single day. I currently have beach body, phorm 1, and a few other options for work outs to build strength that I'm going to utilize and I'm going to do a half marathon training program.
Follow along on my daily journey. I will be posting on here at least three times a week to improve my writing and stay accountable. I will post my first day pictures tomorrow. I will be successful. I can't keep pushing off my weight loss and my health.
One of my goals has always been to become a paid author. Welcome to one of the first steps I'm taking towards that goal. I'm back to blog a few times a week because I know the best way to improve a skill is to practice. I haven't stopped writing entirely but my writing has gone from fun and informative to strictly for school reports and assignments in APA formatting. I have no love for APA formatting and I miss my creative outlet I get from plain old writing.
I think I'm going to do some kind of writing challenge. There are many writing prompts that can be found on Pinterest. Maybe I will try and do a prompt every day for 30 days and see how it goes from there.
For the moment I just wanted to check in and say I'm alive and I'm back. Let's see where this goes. If you have any ideas for writing prompts please leave them in the comments below.
I'm 1000% sure we are all tired of hearing the terms quarantine, coronavirus, social distancing, etc. I know I am so over it but I continue to participate because I know that the health and well being of those around me is more important than my own discomfort.
During Quarantine I have done both amazing and horrible at taking care of myself. I've lost and gained weight. I've felt like a crazy person and a balanced person. I've been all over the emotional map. I've fought with others and myself and kept still. I'm at the point that I am beginning the process of starting a new job. On top of all those fun feelings and emotions from quarantine I am gathering steam for an entire life switch. Talk about an overwhelming cascade of emotions.
I have decided it's time for me to cleanse. Cleanse all of the unwanted emotions, cleanse all of the garbage I've been putting into my body, and cleanse all of the negative mental energy. I am doing several different things for each arena of cleansing.
Physical Cleanse
I am a big fan of working out and working out hard. For the next two weeks I'm not doing that. I'm not following a program. I am spending my time walking, stretching, and fluid dancing. I'm releasing all of the negative energy that I hold in my muscles and releasing the strains. When I am feeling overwhelmed or stressed I will go for a walk. Every morning and every evening I will stretch it out. I am allowing my body to rest and en joy instead of pushing towards an intense goal.
Nutritionally I am taking the next 13 days (1 day done) to allow my body to heal. I have never done a juice fast but was interested to see how my body would react. For the next 13 days I am committed to this experiment to see how I feel. This is not the right choice for everyone so be sure to do your research before doing any kind of fast.
Emotional Cleanse
For my emotional cleanse I am journaling for 15 minutes every single day.I am allowing free thought to flow through me and onto the page. My kids are also joining me on this emotional practice. We are also starting our day with gratitude, calm music, and quiet meditation.
I have stepped away from the book of Face for the duration of my cleanse. I find that so much stress and anxiety comes from scrolling through social media. For me, Instagram does not give me the same feeling. I get inspired and motivated by Instagram where I feel dragged down by Facebook. I am limiting screen time over all to increase being present in the world around me.
Spiritual Cleanse
For our spiritual cleanse we are practicing meditation twice a day. We are embracing the natural world around us. We have each made our own sacred space where we go to and practice silence. Silence plays such a significant part in cleansing my spirit and mind.
As I continue this journey I hope to write more on this blog. I fear I have neglected it in favor of unhealthy habits.
Have you ever done a cleanse before? What was your results?
No matter how ready I am to go back to work. No matter how much I have prepared. No matter how many weeks before I have gone to bed early and gotten up at am. I find myself absolutely exhausted. I love going to work. I love what I do and I have the absolute best co-workers and supervisors. I am 100% focused during my work day and my days fly by. However, being focused 100% of the time after having enjoyed a nice easy going summer takes so much energy. When I got home from work this week I was wiped out. In fact, I let myself sleep until 6 AM because I didn't make it to bed on schedule. Today still ran smoothly. I still had a great day and got LOTS done but my body and mind were fighting me 100% of the time. I have a great reminder to go to bed early this week so I can get up on time and press play. I successfully completed all my workouts, had lunch every day, and hit my mile markers and I'm planning on preparing this weekend for next week to bring lots of success. Speaking of preparing that's what I'm heading off to do. I'm mentally too beat to keep writing right now. Only 3 more days and my blog every day for a month challenge is done!
Gratitude:
1) I am grateful for a full day of work
2) I am grateful for coffee
3) I am grateful for sleep
4) I am grateful for sleeping in
5) I am grateful for alarm clocks
6) I am grateful for my schedule
7) I am grateful to get things done
8) I am grateful for being back at work
9) I am grateful for packed lunches
10) I am grateful for lunch Things I've accomplished
1) I made it through my first week of work
2) I woke up with plenty of time to do my make up
3) I'm keeping my eyes oipen even though I'm exhuasted
Fair Warning guys this is going to be a short blog. I am EXHAUSTED. My body woke me up at 4:30 this morning because I thought I was going to be late for my workout. I was not, I was early. I had an awesome day but right now my pretty eyes are nearly sealing shut with eyeliner as I type this.
This blog is about someone who is very dear to my heart. The boy peeking around for the pillar above. He's just a little boy in this picture. He's now a 13 year old teenager. He's all the annoying things a teenage boy is. He's loud, obnoxious, talks mostly in memes, and he gets in trouble a bunch.
Connor has spent his entire summer grounded. My husband is a throw the book at him kind of guy. We started a system this summer where they can earn their way out of being grounded by earning a certain number of points. Connor was at 3000 points and going up. Honestly, he's a good and kind kid but he hates doing work and he hates being told what to do. My husband and Connor go head to head and he gets grounded after every interaction even more.
Connor was to the point where he felt like there was no way out. He completely quit doing anything. My entire day was spent staring at him staring back and it wasn't good for us. My husband is of the opinion Connor should stay grounded until he finally digs his way out of this debt. I want Connor to have a chance. Yesterday, I didn't erase his points but I reset them to 500 plus his weekly 600 and told him he had to earn all of his weekly points and his grounded points before he could be ungrounded. My husband was SUPER angry about it.
I'm not complaining about my husband in this post. I simply do not understand that way of thinking. I don't understand the idea that a child should never be offered mercy. However, I understand that I am particularly merciful. Mercy is one of my spiritual gifts right up there with compassion and hospitality.
These are the thoughts I ponder tonight. I pray my son grows into a strong, brave, brilliant, kind, hard working, and wonderful adult in spite of me. I pray he follows his passion and his heart. I pray he always finds laughter in every situation. I pray my son builds his empire of robots and conquers the evil in the world. He is so good... so very very good and I pray that maybe he knows just a little bit how much I believe he can do anything. I love him with every fiber of my being. Thank you for being my son Connor. You are my special boy.
Gratitude List
1) Connor
2) Connor's humor
3) Connor's stories
4) Connor's taste in music
5) Connor's' ideas
6) Connor's imagination
7) Playing games with Connor
8) Playing disc golf with Connor
9) Going swimming with Connor
10) Being Connor's Mom
Things I have accomplished
1) walking hand in hand through the woods with my kid
2) teaching Connor to walk and talk (of which he's become quite the expert)
3) being Connor's cheerleader
Does your husband and oldest child get along? How do you protect your child and respect your son? Do you think Mercy is a good thing?
I did something crazy. Something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I have put myself out there on a YouTube channel. I am making a video diary of my weight loss journey. One of my greatest fears is when people think I'm incompetent. I work really hard to give people the best impression of myself but being on YouTube is a completely different experience. I have no control over what people think of me.
I know nothing about video editing. I am using my Iphone 6s. I am editing with whatever software is on my computer. Basically my YouTube channel is everything outside of my comfort zone. Why am I doing this to myself?
I am doing it because I want to grow. I want to stretch myself. Here are my 10 life goals for the next 10 years:
1) I want to travel the world.
2) I want to write a book a year.
3) I want to be a public speaker who empowers and inspires others.
4) I want to be completely out of debt.
5) I want to be a successful beach body coach.
6) I want to be my healthiest self inside and out.
7) I want to remodel the dream home that I currently live in.
8) I want to raise good and kind adults who change the world.
9) I want to make it possible for my husband to retire early.
10) I want to save 1 million dollars.
Why am I sharing my goals with you? These are the reasons I'm putting myself out there on this blog, on YouTube, on Instagram. I want to make a difference in the world. I want to help people become the best version of themselves. I want to become a public speaker and writer professionally. I don't get to those goals by sitting comfortably at home playing video games and watching TV.
I am challenging myself one day at a time. Right now I am focused on one main goal. That main goal is to become my healthiest self inside and out. My entire focus is on making healthy choices for me inside and out and that's scary. The scary part isn't so much the workouts or the nutrition but changing and being vulnerable yet growing a thicker skin. I can't let myself care about what other people say about me. I cannot have any fear.
Healthier choices mean I wake up super early, I workout on program, I pack my lunches, and I live on a schedule. Healthier choices mean I do not let people take advantage of my kindness. They mean I leave situations that are bad for me mentally and drag me down. Healthy choices mean I choose my friends more wisely. Healthier choices mean I stick up for myself and I say no to what I don't want to do. Healthier choices mean I get to choose how I spent my time.
Healthier choices mean I share my story with the world because maybe just maybe I can help one person out there. It means I don't sit and dwell on a difficult past but push towards a brighter future. It means I fall in love with my husband more and more every single day.
Healthier choices are sometimes uncomfortably choices but that's okay. My choices are stretching me and helping me grow into the healthiest version of myself inside and out. Gratitude List:
1) I am grateful that my 30 days of blogging are almost up. (Only 5 more days)
2) I am grateful for a school that sponsors free events for my kids to get to go to.
3) I am grateful that my children like to be outside.
4) I am grateful that I push myself.
5) I am grateful for to do lists.
6) I am grateful when I finish a good book
7) I am grateful for water bottles
8) I am grateful for time to pack my lunch
9) I am grateful for a lunch pail
10) I am grateful for a working lunch.
Things I have accomplished
1) I have survived summer break.
2) I have prepared my budget spreadsheet for one of my three departments at work for the year.
3) I have organized my work desk.
Yesterday was the first day of my work year. I love my job with all of my being. My work motivates me and keeps me going. There is always something new to learn or something different happening and I am kept on my toes 100% of the time. This is exactly the kind of work I have been wanting to do my entire life.
Doing what I am doing at a small university was a dream on my goals list for YEARS. In all honesty I didn't think it would ever happen again. I didn't have a college degree. I had experience in the field but from back when I attended college for two years. Working at a University was a pipe dream for me. After I left my job working in sales I took some time to re-evaluate.
A friend of mine offered to share her timeshare down in Florida with me. I had never been away from my family for 10 days and I really needed a break. While I was on vacation I took a stab at getting a job at one of the local universities. Before I left my vacation I had a schedule for an interview.
I will never be more grateful for that call or that interview. The issue I have with loving my job so much is that if I am not careful I will work ALL the time. I am a workaholic. I have to diligently keep my work and life separate. If I do not I will bring work home or never leave. Even now if I have a day off during the week I usually find myself at work.
How have I learned to keep my work and life balanced? Well to be honest it is a work in progress but here are 4 tips for keeping work and life in check.
My first year working at the university I would check my emails everywhere I was. I downloaded the work app and every time there was as ding my brain went straight to work. I would answer questions on the fly. This took time I had set aside for my family and put it back towards work. The worst part was that I was not getting paid when I answered questions from home. I make an hour wage and I make that wage only when I'm on the clock. Not checking emails at home or on my phone keeps work at work and home at home. There is nothing so pressing that we cannot handle it tomorrow.
Sick time and vacation time is a benefit of working at many jobs. My first semester where I work I only took sick time when I was dying and I always, always felt horribly guilty. While confiding in one of my co-workers she reminded me Sick time was my right. She mentioned she used her sick time for appointments and if her kids needed mom home. They would not give me sick time unless I was meant to use it. What an idea! I no longer feel guilty if I need to stay home or I make an appointment or my kids need me. I do not feel bad if I need to take a personal day. That is literally what it is there for.
Keeping balance is not only about keeping work at work. Do not bring your personal problems into the work place. When you are at work invest 100% of what you have to give into your job. Do your very best. I drive about 15 minutes to work. During that time I blast my favorite music and sing on the top of my lungs. I clear my head and say a little prayer to let go of anything that is going on at home. If you give 100% when you are at work and leave your work at work you can leave with that sense of I did the very best. Your co-workers will appreciate not being dragged into your personal drama as well. This is one I struggle with because I am a sharer and I work at a caring environment where everyone wants to get to know you better. This is still something I am working on and will continue to work on.
4) Make your last task of the day something you can finish.
This may seem impossible but set aside the last 30 minutes of your day for a task you can complete. When I complete my final task for the day I walk away with a sense of finish. When I have a task open that's all I can think about while I'm at home with my family. Completing that final task is the period to your busy day at work and you can go on with your life knowing you are on the right track.
Bonus Tip:
I always clear my desk at the end of my day. I love walking in to a clean desk and it resets my mind to tackle a new day. I do not do well in chaos.
Gratitude Practice
1) I am grateful for sick days
2) I am grateful for vacation time
3) I am grateful for personal days
4) I am grateful for a job with benefits
5) I am grateful for an awesome job
6) I am grateful for my goals
7) I am grateful for my 4th year
8) I am grateful for my education
9) I am grateful for my dreams
10) I am grateful for my office
Things I have Accomplished:
1) I work at my dream job
2) I have obtained a college degree
3) I have started my 4th year at one job.
Goal (Written as if it has already been achieved):
I have an awesome morning and evening schedule! Does your schedule change when you are working vs when you are staying home? Do you think it is easier to stick with your goals while working or while at home? What suggestions do you have for maintaining a work life balance?
