Did I achieve my goals in 2016?

It's time to check in on last year's goals to see what I actually accomplished!

Here are the goals that I set for myself last year followed by how it actually went.

Reach my Goal Weight:

Ummmm yeh. That didn't even come close to happening. I actually reached the highest weight of my entire life. Huge fail!

Foster Relationships:

This went really well for me! I feel like I made some really great friends this year and that makes me happy. :)

Earn My Previous Yearly Income:

I definitely did amazing in this category! I earned over $10,000 by myself and at home. Yay!

Venture Outside of my Comfort Zone:

I did this quite a bit during 2016. I took a cupcake decorating class and met new people. I went to some Direct Sales events. I put myself out there and made friends.

Continue Learning:

I continue to listen to podcasts and read books. I'd like to read more books though!

Take Regular Me Time:

I have done this pretty regularly, thanks to my in-law's for watching Little Miss Sunshine for me. It kind of goes in waves though-- I'll have plenty of time to myself for a while and then have a stretch of time with no me-time and I really see the effects of it. I definitely need that time alone and I've learned when it's time to take that time!

So basically I accomplished every goal except the weight loss one. No big surprise there, unfortunately! It's a battle I can never seem to win! 

But guess what? Accomplishing all of that other stuff shows that I'm pretty awesome anyways, right?! That's what I'll keep telling myself until I believe it!

Next up, setting my goals for 2017!

Making the Most out of the Days and Nights While Working Towards Good Health and Fitness

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HealingNightsSleep #CollectiveBias

 

 

It has been a couple of weeks since we moved our clocks back and lost an hour and I think we’re finally used to the time change. Isn’t it amazing how one hour can make such a difference? Instead of feeling sleep deprived, we’re finally making the most of the daylight hours.

As you know, hubby and I have been working toward better health and fitness. We’re both doing really well with the weight loss and have been working toward adding more activity and workouts into our week.

Primarily, we go for walks. It’s always fun to check out a new trail and explore the area. We love going for bike rides when the weather is nice. But pretty soon we’ll get getting our activity in by sledding and, dare I mention it, shoveling.

 

 

The funny thing is, I think I got a better workout from climbing up a playground ladder at lightning speed than I have from anything else I’ve done lately!

I should explain.

I will preface by saying that our Little Miss Sunshine is a dare devil at only 18 months old. Not much scares her. She loves to stand on the merry-go-round and walk around while it’s spinning. Her favorite pastime lately is spinning around in circles until she’s dizzy and then trying to walk. This is followed by loads of giggles.

 

While at the playground, she was walking across a very safe area of playground equipment bridges with rails. And suddenly, she made her way to the adjoining section of the playground shown below. From the ground, I told her to come back, but she just kept going until she was making her way up the steps to the tall slide.

I almost had a heart attack! I climbed up the 8’ ladder (the S shaped type to the left) faster than I thought possible and grabbed her as she was at the very top step to the slide. 

 

 

You wouldn’t believe how sore I was that evening. I couldn’t believe it. Yet another reason to increase my fitness level—so I can keep up with the little one!

Little Miss Sunshine keeps us on our toes and gives us a workout every day.

I believe another important part of healthy living is having an organized environment that’s free of clutter—it’s good for mental health. So I have been slowly working on getting rid of things that we really don’t need.

I have cleared my closet of so many clothes that I could probably open a shopping mall. Recently, I finally conquered a book shelf that has been making me feel unsettled every time I looked at it.

There have been so many 20-gallon totes filled with clothes and books that I’ve had sore arms from carrying it all around. You have to love good functional exercise too.

 

 

So much better. Clean home, clear mind.

Our diet has changed drastically. I’m cooking a healthy and balanced supper each night as opposed to feeling too tired to do anything except pick up the phone and order a pizza.

The plan that we are following is low glycemic so we have cut out sugar for the most part. At first, we had withdrawal symptoms—headaches especially. But it’s for a good cause—better health.

There sure is an awful lot of pain involved in getting healthy and fit, right? From headaches, to sore muscles, and let’s not forget a growling stomach—ok maybe that’s not considered pain, but it sure feels like it sometimes! 

At the end of a long and productive day, when my body aches and it’s keeping me from getting a good night’s sleep, I’ll turn to Advil PM for a Healing Night’s Sleep. A good night’s sleep is the only way to ensure productivity the next day.

 

 

I picked up a bottle of Advil PM at Walgreen’s in the Pharmacy section and it has been nice to have on hand.

 

 

It also helps to use the foam roller to alleviate pains and I always make sure to drink lots of water, which can help you recover faster.

I look forward to someday having aches and pains from completing a triathlon or running a marathon rather than just from chasing after Little Miss Sunshine!

Working towards our health and fitness goals will be worthwhile someday and a little discomfort now will seem like nothing when the time comes when we finally achieve our goals.

 

How do you manage the aches and pains required to achieve health and fitness goals?

If you need a little assistance from Advil PM or other Advil products, you can save with these offers so you can get a healing night’s sleep.

Inspiration Sunday

My Sense of Self

Happy September!

I love September for a variety of reasons: it means that fall is coming (and I love fall), my birthday is this month (even though I’m hitting the big 3-0)…and yeah, pretty much I love September because my birthday is in September and my hubby spoils me. ha

Anyways, I am feeling better today—not 100%, but it at least feels like the fog is lifting. I’ve been making myself sleep until I really feel rested in the morning, which means that I miss out on my morning “me-time”, but I think it’s best for now. I feel excited about starting a new project or going somewhere and that means that I’m feeling positive about life again…that’s a huge relief!

It really helped me to write my post yesterday and just express what was going on in my mind. It helped me to process it all and have a good cry. I’m sorry for when I’m a Debbie Downer, but I want to keep record of this entire process.

When hubby got home, he offered to help me clean the house and told me I would feel so much better if the house looked organized. I pushed myself to do it and it did make me feel better, especially when I came downstairs to an organized house this morning. Hubby didn’t even help me very much…I see how that works. lol

I want to focus on eating foods that are good for me. I have salmon in the oven for lunch today. I need to get groceries because we don’t have a lot of food in the house right now, but I’m trying to use what we do have. I know that we will all feel better if we are eating healthier foods, which means that I really need to practice preparation.

I just don’t want to believe that I will be like this for the rest of my life. It’s all up to me and the choices that I make. It will probably mean exercising and eating healthy when I don’t want to or when I don’t feel like it. It’s required at first and eventually you learn to want to exercise and to want to eat healthy. I can’t wait to get back to that place again.

My life has changed so much. I went from working (and having weekends and evenings off) and doing what I wanted, whenever I wanted--to staying at home (a job that has no “off” hours), and prioritizing my child before myself.

Mothers are required to be selfless, and part of my struggle has been losing my sense of self. I used to think that my identity was wrapped up in my job and my weight, to be honest. And when I no longer had an employer or a position and my weight was heavier than ever, I just felt lost.

Over the past few months, I have begun to figure out what I like to do and what goals and aspirations I have. Yes, I am a wife and I am a mother first and foremost, but I am still a woman with interests and goals.

I’ve begun to put more effort into my blog because blogging is something that I truly love to do. I’ve started to read books again when I have the chance. I’ve been teaching myself photography—I purchased macro lenses and a backdrop to experiment with. I set a goal to write a book. I’ve begun to really write. I’ve been dabbling in web design. I have a variety of other things that I want to do when I am ready.

I’m slowly finding myself again and I am learning that who I am is not contingent on my title or on my weight, but who I am is determined by who I choose to become.

9 Tips for Achieving Healthy Living Goals & Finding Life Balance

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SamsClubMag #CollectiveBias

Almost eight months have passed since you set those new year’s resolutions. Are you closer to achieving those goals or have you made steps in the wrong direction?

My progress has been slow, but I continue to make small changes with the ultimate goal of creating healthy habits that will last a lifetime and not just a couple of weeks.

With August being Health Awareness Month, it’s a good time to take a look at your health (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) and make sure that you are finding the right life balance. It’s a balance that takes mindful planning to achieve.

These tips are some of the ways that have helped me achieve success with my healthy living goals in the past and making this list has been a good reminder for me get back on track with my goals.

 

1. Do the Prep Work

There’s a lot to say for convenience. I am notorious for making bad food choices when I’m hungry. I’ll open the fridge and say, “There’s nothing to eat…”, and proceed to stuff my mouth with whatever is convenient.

Here’s the good news—with a little preparation, even healthy foods can be convenient.

For example, cut up fruits and veggies and have them ready to eat in the fridge. Fill small plastic storage bags (or small reusable containers) with the recommended serving size of your favorite snack to prevent overeating. Cook chicken or salmon on the weekends so that it’s ready to grab for a quick and healthy lunch during the hectic work week.

 

2. Prioritize Quiet Time

We live in an over-scheduled, noisy, and violent world. It’s important to take time to be quiet and listen to nothing other than our own thoughts. If you’re not used to this practice, it may seem difficult at first—but after a while you will come to treasure those peaceful moments.

There are a variety of ways that you can make the most of your quiet time. Sit down and read that book you’ve been meaning to read. Journal your thoughts and enjoy the therapeutic benefits. Meditate or pray to benefit the soul. Even just leisurely sipping a cup of coffee and taking in the scent and taste can be centering.

 

3. Take Vitamins/Supplements

If you’re already taking a daily multivitamin, give yourself a pat on the back! There are a variety of supplements that can benefit body and mind. Taking fish oil can have numerous health benefits, including supporting heart health. If you have trouble sleeping, melatonin supplements can often help. Consult your physician to find out what’s best for you.

When shopping at Sam’s Club, I love to browse the Healthy Living section. They carry everything you could possibly need to stay happy and well. And they have the most heavenly produce section that makes it easy to eat nutritiously. I love being a Sam’s Club member!

 

4. Lend a Hand

Doing good for others is a natural mood booster. There can never be too much kindness in the world. There are a millions ways to give—donate your blood to save lives, volunteer in your community, visit the elderly, drop off a freezer meal at a tired new mom’s house, hold the door open for the person behind you, or shovel your neighbor’s sidewalk in the winter. The possibilities are endless.

 

5. Hydrate

The average human is made up of approximately 65% water. Think about that—over 1/2 of you is water! It’s pretty amazing to think about and proves how essential hydrating with H2O is to human life and health. I feel a million times better when I am well hydrated and I feel even better when I’m using a reusable water bottle—saving the environment one sip at a time!

 

6. Checkup on Your Health

Getting a regular health checkup can save your life. I’ve heard countless stories of people who, during a regular checkup, find out they are in the early stages of cancer, and the fact that it was caught early meant that they were able to effectively treat it. I’ve also heard countless stories of people who ignore the symptoms and end up finding out they have a terminal illness by the time they go to the doctor for a check up. Make yourself a priority and keep tabs on your health.

Sometimes achieving good health means having a health screening done and facing the facts so that you can set goals for improvement. Once you meet those goals, monitoring your health is important in maintaining it. On September 12th, Sam’s Club is offering an in store free health screening—the perfect opportunity to check up on your health.

 

7. Make Physical Activity Fun

I struggle to find exercise that I love to do and I know that’s the secret to being consistent with it. I love to go for bike rides and explore nature trails. I love to swim. Sometimes being active just means that I do whatever I have to do to keep moving—such as going to the mall and walking around window shopping.

I have also enjoyed running numerous 5Ks and saving my race bibs to make a fun collage, which is displayed in my workout room. I’ve earned one medal for participation, but it is a goal of mine to someday earn a medal for placing in my age group. Setting goals like this can make exercise more fun because you have something to work towards.

But the struggle is real and that’s why finding an exercise that you enjoy doing is so important. You have to love what you do!

 

8. Be a Lifelong Learner

You literally can never stop learning. Isn’t the thought of that inspiring? There is so much more to learn and discover!

One of my favorite ways to continue learning is to listen to podcasts while I’m cleaning the house. It makes an otherwise dreadful task more bearable. I am a bit of a nerd, so I listen to a podcast about grammar, but I also listen to podcasts about finance, personal development, creative inspiration, current events, and healthy living. I know that I am better because of it.

I also love to read, whether it be literature, news stories, or light hearted essays. The Sam’s Club Healthy Living Made Simple Magazine is a great source for keeping up with healthy living topics.

 

9. Unplug and Unwind

While scrolling through social media is enticing, you can waste a lot of time reading about the lives of others while you’re completely wasting away your own. Every once in a while, completely unplug—put the phone down, turn off Netflix, and shut down your laptop.

Grab some friends and family and have some good old-fashioned fun. Go for a picnic, play a board game, toss a ball around, or even run through the sprinkler. Live life. Enjoy life. You’ll never regret it and I’m also willing to bet that you’ll be much happier with the memories of a good time spent with loved ones than you would be if you sat on the couch looking at your phone.

Making good memories will give you something to smile about later—it’s just simply good for your health!

 

These are just a few of the many ways to find life balance for physical, emotional, and spiritual healthy living. Sam’s Club has everything I need to work towards my healthy living goals.

What’s your favorite item at Sam’s Club that helps you work towards your healthy living goals?

P.S. Don’t forget to get your free Health Screening at Sam’s Club!

Weigh in Day Surprise: The Journey of Renovation in Weight Loss and Self-Love

I really messed it up this past week. I mean really badly. I was out of control with my eating.

I think it’s because I have been stressing about having a guest today. I’m feeling a lot better at the moment because I finally finished cleaning the entire house, with the exception of our bedroom—which will be my next project. I mean really and truly clean—hardly hiding any messes! You know what I mean? ha

I also have been pushing myself outside of my comfort zone in some relationships. I am a work in progress and I am seeing change in myself that I thought would never, ever happen. And it’s rewarding to me. It has brought me peace of heart in a way that I cannot explain. But it has been a little stressful for me—but as I keep going, it will get easier and more comfortable.

But anyways, I was expecting a gain this morning. I feel horrible. I look horribly bloated from the terrible food choices (sugary sweets). I don’t know how I did for points because I stopped tracking, once again.

In the midst of all of this, I am paying attention to how I am feeling, how I’m reacting, and I’m journaling it all. I just know I am going to conquer this lifelong demon that I have let control me (a part of myself without good judgment).

So get on with already, Alissa!

I lost 2.2 lbs. this week. Total loss of 9.4 lbs. I didn’t earn it in the least bit, but I’m going to take it and let it motivate me to do better.

Now that I think about it, I have made some positive changes and progress that doesn’t show on the scale but that I think will help me in the long run. I’m in the midst of transformation and renovation.

Everyone knows that a cocoon isn’t very beautiful, but the butterfly is.

When an old building is renovated, there’s a lost of dust, junk, and a lot of mess. But when an old building is renewed, it’s sometimes even more beautiful than it was in the first place.

This process is messy. It’s ugly. It even hurts sometimes.

But just like when I don’t have the energy to truly clean the house and it’s easier to just hide messes, I refuse to just hide my problems and struggles so that I don’t have to acknowledge them.

Not this time.

Not ever again.

I’m under construction right now, but after a lot of hard work and dedication (not just on the scale) I will be transformed into something more beautiful than ever before.

The walls I’ve built up will come down. The junk will be emptied out of the drawers (and my trunk - ha). I will be renewed and ready to face down those demons once and for all.

But for now, I am still a work in progress.

Self-Love < Cookies

Hello everyone!

I had a relaxing weekend camping and napping. It was just what I needed and I’m feeling much better today. It was so hot and humid outside that we spent most of our time inside the camper with air conditioning, so I’m not sure you would actually call that camping…! ha

I packed a lot of healthy food for us this time and it definitely made me feel better! However, we went to Chili’s for a meal and I convinced myself to order a salad because it would be better for me but I didn’t look at the points until afterwards! It was 38 points. I just couldn’t believe it. So that pretty much did me in for my points. Lesson learned—look up the points prior to eating!

Anyways, I’m back to counting the points today and hopefully I can undo some of the damage before Friday! Overall, I’m proud of myself for the improvements for most of my food choices—but there’s still room for improvement!

I did a lot of thinking this weekend about my next step. Talking about all of this in therapy has me wondering if my core issue is that I do not respect or love myself enough. Hence, I sabotage myself and make poor choices over and over again.

I think that a great plan of action would be to consider the impact of my choices before making a choice. Instead of thinking “I hate my body. I need to lose weight and because of this I’m going to eat a salad for lunch even though what I really want is sugary cereal”, I will think “Because I love myself and care about my health, I’m going to eat this nutritious salad for lunch because I know it’s what my body needs”. Make sense?

This way of thinking will help me to place value on myself rather than on food. I will learn to love and respect myself more than I love eating cookies. That sounds kind of weird—like I’m a cookie monster or something! But that’s really the choice that I’m making when I choose to overindulge in cookies—I want cookies more than I want to meet my goals and take care of myself.

I’m sure this sounds pretty easy to anyone who does not have issues with disordered eating. I’m starting to learn that maybe this is my problem. I never wanted to admit that I was a binger, but maybe I am. I am continuing to look inward to reach the very core of my issues so I can finally get to the bottom of my weight problems. It’s going to take a lot of work.

Seriously, just today I thought, “eating oatmeal would be something I could do to show love and respect for my body. Nah, I’d rather eat cereal.” So somehow I am going to have to want to meet my goals more than I want to eat or receive whatever comfort I receive from food.

Any tips for me as I attempt this?

First Day with my Passion Planner

Today was my first day using the Passion Planner and I am happy with my productivity. I hope I can keep this up!

My plan was to wake up at 6 a.m. but when my alarm went off I just couldn’t do it. There are some days that I am naturally awake at 6 a.m. but I was especially tired today. So I slept and I felt much better when I woke up at 7:30. I was bummed that I didn’t follow my plan, but it all worked out wonderfully because I was still able to fit in everything, except writing, into my morning before baby woke up.

That means I biked for 20 minutes, took a shower, meditated, did some laundry, checked my email/blog things, and prepared breakfast. I felt so productive and that was a good feeling. I was actually just lucky that baby girl slept later than usual this morning.

There’s something about getting my shower in first thing that just changes the entire day for me. I definitely want to try to do that.

Once baby was awake, we ate breakfast and then headed off to get groceries. She was such a good girl this time and it made it significantly less stressful for me! Yay!

I got to sip on Starbucks while grocery shopping and picked up some cheap sushi to bring home for lunch.

My afternoon didn’t quite go as planned, but that’s ok. I had a conference call for a new partnership, and shortly after that baby woke up early from her nap screaming. Poor girl. She acted like she didn’t feel well. So I rocked her for quite a while…which is something that I never get to do anymore because she doesn’t usually sit still!

I had planned to take her to the pool for a little while but it was raining and with her not acting herself I didn’t want to risk it. Like I said, the afternoon was just all off, but I managed to do more laundry and prepare a good supper while also keeping baby happy as best as I could. We went outside when it wasn’t raining.

When hubby got home, we ate supper and then headed over to his parent’s to pick up sweet corn and the first garden tomatoes! So excited to try those tomorrow! Yum! One of the best parts of summer.

I made sure to straighten up the house again tonight so that things don’t just pile up and become overwhelming. I definitely want to keep that up because it’s much easier to do it regularly than after it piles up!

So that was a short summary of my day and while I’m happy with it, I feel like I’m just learning how I will be able to structure my day so that I feel productive. I know it’s not really possible to do it ALL, but I’m going to try to do the best I can.

I have four goals that I am working on, which the Passion Planner has helped me with.

1. Get rid of “stuff”/organize and keep the house clean
2. Take time to meditate consistently both morning and night
3. Workout 5 days per week
4. Writing & Blog goals

These are all small goals which lead to greater things eventually. I’m excited about this because I think I need some structure. Whenever I do anything, I always like to have a plan—so why not apply it to personal goals?

I’ve already decided that I will make a general plan for each day but fill in the details of the next day the night before. It’s kind of hard to plan everything too far in advance. I’ve found myself having to white out quite a bit!

Also, my planner looks super messy! But overall, I’m really loving this so far!

Do you use a planner?

Weigh in Day: My Body is Weird

 

After a couple of weeks without exercise or tracking my points you can about imagine what I would see on the scale. But guess what?

I lost 2.5 lbs.!

I am just as shocked. If you remember, three weeks ago I had a fantastic week and gained 1.7 lbs. I’ve jokingly mentioned before that I seem to lose when I eat more and exercise less. Once again this has proved true. My body is weird.

Obviously that philosophy is flawed, but it does give me some insight into the way that my body works. Starving myself won’t be beneficial, nor will bingeing uncontrollably. It’s that ground right in between of just normal eating of pretty much everything in moderation. And of course a focus on the healthy things. That’s how I lost the weight before and that’s how I can lose it again. How could I forget this?

Stats:

	This Week	Last Week
Weekly Points Used:	-	-
Activity Points Earned:	18	17
Activity Points Used:	-	-
Total Steps:	44,216	43,518
Weight Loss this Week:	2.5 lbs.	-

I’m glad that I had a loss because it puts me at 11 lbs. lost, which is just .3 lbs. above my lowest weight. I’m ready to get serious about this again and this time I will have the help of hubby. He is wanting to lose some weight again and I think we can do this together.

Next week will be the first week that I begin to use my Passion Planner to schedule my days. I’ve planned a 6 a.m. wake up to workout. I will have to see how this goes and if it’s something I think I could keep doing and enjoy it.

The other option is to workout in the evenings with hubby, but it’s too easy to decide I’m too tired at the end of the day and not want to do anything. I used to enjoy getting my workout out of the way first thing but I’m not going to hold myself to any specific schedule for the following week because this is all about determining when I enjoy working out the most so that I can be consistent with it. I’ll start with this plan next week and go from there.

I’ve also realized that I haven’t been cooking like I used to. In the past, I would try new recipes and find healthy ways to make delicious dishes. This week I’ve made some different meals and they have been very satisfying to the palate. I look forward to trying more recipes next week and also creating a meal plan, at least for suppers.

This is the perfect time of the year to eat healthy. We’ve started to get a lot of produce from hubby’s parents since they have a huge garden: Green beans, zucchini, carrots, potatoes, onions, kale, cabbage, just to name a few. I’m definitely gong to be searching for more zucchini recipes this year. If you have any, please share!

Have a great weekend!

How was your week? Did you meet your goals?

Redeeming my 10 lb. Reward and Planning my 20 lb. Reward

I met my 10 lb. goal back on May 8th and this past weekend I finally got around to redeeming my reward for losing 10 lbs. My chosen reward was a pedicure. I also wanted to treat my mom to a pedicure for all of the help & support that she gave me when I was first diagnosed with PPD—so it finally worked out that we could go.

I also gave myself a spray tan, brightened my lips, whitened my teeth, added mascara and eyeliner, removed the freckles on my nose, reduced the size of my nose and did a little nip and tuck to a couple of areas too. Full disclosure, I had fun “photoshopping” this photo—lol I’ve never done that before and started playing around and had some fun. I kind of like my new nose! hehe

Anyways, the pedicure was absolutely wonderful. The place that we went to pampered us. It was the best experience that I have ever had getting a pedicure and it wasn’t even that expensive.

It was a good reminder that I need to start taking time like that for myself every once in a while. It was rejuvenating. Ok, this is what we actually look like. haha

I had a great time with my mom chatting and laughing. It was a lot of fun!

While we were browsing the brochure of services, I decided what my 20 lb. goal will be. I’m going to get a facial! I’ve never had one before and it just sounded really nice. I think it will also make me feel good about myself, like getting the pedicure did.

Have you ever had a facial? What did you think?

Weigh in & 2015 Goal Check in

I was 100% on track for the first time in about a month and do you know what I was rewarded with?

A 1.1 lb. GAIN!

Isn’t it funny how that works? I have been feeling a little “off” the past couple of days…like my body is up to something. So, I’m guessing it’s water weight or something.

I had a lot of NSVs this week, so I’m not really worried about it. I started the Couch to 5K, I was significantly more active, and I only succumbed to emotional eating once. I am seeing progress!

	This Week	Last Week
Weekly Points Used:	49/49	--
Activity Points Earned:	27	11
Activity Points Used:	11	--
Total Steps:	51,990	37,286
Weight Change:	+1.1	-1.6
Total Weight Loss:	-10.2 lbs.

---

It has been quite a while since I checked in with my 2015 goals—so I thought I would do that today since it’s the beginning of the month.

Lose Weight	I’m down 10.2 lbs. since April.
Exercise Regularly	As of this last week I have been walking more and also started the Couch to 5K.
Be Present (unplugged)	I’m still working on this one, but I feel like I have made a little bit of progress. I try to pick up a book more often instead of my phone.
A Single Step (towards being a writer)	I am making progress. I am working on establishing a schedule and setting aside time to write. I have book plans. I’ve contacted an old professor for advice. I’m working on believing in myself.
Make New Friends	Hmmm… sort of. I’ll count new friends when I actually spend time with someone in person. So no, haven’t met this goal yet.
Budget	Ummm… Nope.
Purge	This past month, my biggest accomplishment was purging my tank top drawer. I sold almost all of them. I also attempted to sell some cookbooks, etc. but no luck.
Blog More	Most definitely. I’ve really been enjoying it, although sometimes sharing makes me feel insecure when I don’t get many comments.
Read More	I finished reading What You Can When You Can, and have started reading three more books. I should probably focus on one…
A Better Me	Since being diagnosed with PPD, I have made incredible strides. I’m certainly not perfect, but the therapy has helped and I’ve been doing a lot of emotional work and soul searching.

Not too bad! Looks like I better get back on budget and start making some new friends—the year is half over!

Have a fantastic weekend!

How was your weigh in?

Weekend, Motherhood, C25K, Aspirations, and Gratitude

I had a much needed restful weekend. After Friday night, I actually didn’t leave the house once—I didn’t even go outside. And for me, that’s what I need to center myself again and recover. When I feel like that, I just don’t want anyone to see me—which I think is a pretty common feeling of those who suffer from depression.

We enjoyed supper out at a Mexican restaurant on Friday—it was delicious. My strategy at Mexican restaurants has always been to avoid the rice and beans. I’d much rather use points on the flavorful food. Most restaurants will bring you a salad instead if you request it. I also always make sure to get my meal grilled or “soft” instead of fried. This saves points and calories.

On Saturday, I straightened up the house that routinely falls apart when I fall apart. I cannot stand clutter. I am on a mission to get rid of things—I’d like to make a few extra bucks doing so but that takes time. So I guess I’ll go slow, but it needs to be done.

In the afternoon, hubby actually told me to have some time to myself and to finish up a movie that we started that he didn’t like. That was wonderful, plus he spent time with baby girl and she loves her daddy. I watched The Grand Budapest Hotel, which wasn’t all that spectacular but it was somewhat interesting to watch. I just enjoyed some much needed alone time.

I am finding that sometimes I just need to be alone with nobody telling me they need something, no complaining and whining, and no one touching me. I know that probably sounds horrible, but even just 15 minutes or an hour and I feel so much better and I’m re-energized and ready to go again. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family so so much and I love being with them and they are a blessing to me, which I am so thankful for. But do any other moms just not want to be needed sometimes? I’m beginning to see that just a little alone time is really important as a mom. Please tell me someone understands this! It makes me feel guilty to “say” it.

Sunday was just a low key day spending time as a family. Last night, baby girl actually laid her head down on my chest and let me sing to her and rock her. Usually she just can’t sit still anymore! That was precious and I savored that moment.

I think that avoiding stress was just what I needed. I am feeling better today and more energized again. I woke up early but felt lazy and just wanted to lay in bed. After breakfast, baby girl was pretty whiney so I decided I’d go for my Day 2 C25K run outside to keep her entertained. I knew I had to get it done this morning because it’s supposed to rain this afternoon (again). I had already made my coffee and everything—but I left it for later and went outside to get it done. (I’m enjoying that re-heated coffee now!)

This was my first jog outside pushing baby girl in the stroller. I liked pushing the stroller—it made me feel like I could hide behind it. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be—but my course was pretty flat.

The pushing of the stroller part was not that hard on my arms, I should say. After completing the workout, I still felt like I was going to die! It was so hot and I was sweating before I even left. There isn’t a lot of shade and the sun was so hot. But, it does make the workout go faster when you’re outside, except that I ended my workout on the other side of town and had to walk home almost another mile. But it’s all about activity.

I was interested to see how my stats compared with my treadmill workout. My average calorie burn per minute was the same. Since I was pushing the stroller, I couldn’t wear my Fitbit on my wrist to track my heart rate so I don’t know how that compares. My workout was also significantly longer since I had to walk so far home. The good news is that I earned 5,217 steps, burned 487 calories and completed 2.33 miles. I’m proud of that.

I was super duper red after my workout!! Told you that I was hot!

I signed up for our annual 4th of July 5K. My dad told me he would walk with me. I just want to walk this year—no pressure. I don’t want to be exhausted for the entire day from wearing myself out. Something is better than nothing! I think hubby is going to try to run it—we’ll see.

I feel like I have an awful lot of quit in me—but I am proving that I still have a little motivation in there too. I am proud of my progress so far and I think it’s important for me to build my self confidence and self image.

I have a whole bunch of thoughts to share with you on self image but I’m going to save it for another day because this post is getting pretty long!

Oh, another thing—I am officially going to work on writing my first book. Thank you for those of you who gave me the kindest compliments on my writing—it was just the push that I needed to take the plunge. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I have to start somewhere! It will be a collection of memoirs/personal essays on postpartum depression. I have shared quite a few of them here on the blog and I will edit those to polish them and also write many more.

I’m almost done here—but I just wanted to say how thankful I am for where I am in my life right now. I am overwhelmed most of the time, but this too shall pass as I overcome the PPD and work on bettering myself physically and emotionally. I am incredibly lucky to be able to go after my dream and I am thankful to my husband for providing so that I can do that. I have always wanted to write, but it seemed with working full time, going to school, taking care of the house, etc. etc. that I just never found the time to really put my mind to it. I have the opportunity to make time for writing now and I’m really excited about that. I feel like I’ve finally found my niche and my voice. I could also share a million thoughts about self image and identity on this one too, but I’ll save that for another post.

Have a great week!

Book Review: What You Can When You Can: Healthy Living on Your Terms #wycwyc

 

What You Can When You Can should be the healthy living bible; its concepts should be thoughtfully approached and applied to daily living for best results.

Many of us in the weight loss world tend to overthink matters when it comes to formulating a plan for our weight loss. How many times have you thought:

If I just eliminate (insert food group here), the weight will come right off. I will never eat (insert food group here) ever again!

I will buy (insert product here) and I will lose the weight in (insert number) days. After that, I will be able to eat however I want to again.

If I exercise for (insert insanely unrealistic number) hours per day, the weight will melt off. I will do this for the rest of my life and never miss a workout.

We are in a constant search for the secret to weight loss. There has to be a plan, a pill, a cleanse, a workout, something that will help us lose the weight. We cling to the most complicated of methods thinking this is the time that it will stick. Until it doesn’t and we’re left defeated having lost a great sum of money but not much weight—we may have even gained weight.

That’s the way the current weight loss and healthy living world work. So many of us are caught up in a cycle of starting an unrealistic weight loss plan with good intentions, giving up, and starting again on Monday. What You Can When You Can teaches that it doesn’t have to be that way, and it’s actually very uncomplicated.

The most influential message that I received from this book is towards the very beginning, in chapter 2:

“Perfect is never coming. You will never be perfect. Your life will never be perfect…So what’s the point of wasting time, energy, money, sweat, and tears on something that will never happen—on an unachievable ideal?”

It’s hard to accept, but it’s the truth. And so, since we can’t be perfect, we can do what we can when we can and that is always enough. This means that the journey does not stop and end at various curves and hills in the road, but we keep on going whether we are creeping along at the pace of a turtle or we are running as fast as a cheetah. And guess what? We will probably find ourselves moving at both paces along this journey.

What You Can When You Can offers common sense tips on how to live a healthy life--from matters of the mind, food, exercise, home, and relationships, this book offers sound advice on each topic.

The concept is simply about doing what you can when you can. Instead of driving to the library, walk there. Park farther away from the store, maybe even blocks away so you can walk. If you can only fit in 10 minutes of activity at a time, do that instead of just giving up and doing nothing at all. Choose the apple instead of the chips. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, etc.

Doing what you can when you can also means that you can enjoy life, enjoy an occasional treat, choose to skip a workout to spend time with your family, etc. It means approaching healthy living in a realistic and maintainable way.

I actually wycwyc’d reading this book. I read a little bit each week until I had finally completed it. Three of us met each week at the A Journey to Thin Book Club on Google Hangouts and chatted about the book and how it applied to our goals and lives. We all three really enjoyed this book.

I highly recommend this book. It’s also special because it’s written by two healthy living bloggers, Carla Birnberg and Roni Noone.

You can find the book on Amazon (affiliate link):

What You Can When You Can: Healthy Living on Your Terms

Committing to Cardio

This post brought to you by an A Journey to Thin sponsor; content is my own.

I’ve been running my mouth about it for a couple of weeks now but it’s time to put my running shoes where my mouth is and take some action.

I’m committing to starting the Couch to 5K so that I can start reaping the benefits of cardio, some of which are explained in Women’s Health Magazine’s article titled 5 main brain boosting benefits of cardio exercises, which I can relate to my own life to help convince myself that I really need to do this.

I’ve been feeling a little blue again lately and I know that adding in cardio will get those “feel good” hormones flowing in my body. Not only will I grow my confidence, but (according to the article), I will also encourage brain growth and I’m down with that.

I don’t feel like I’m as productive as I want to be. My energy gets zapped way too quickly and by baby’s nap time I’m just ready to sit and relax with a cup of coffee in hand. According to the article, people who worked out were 23% more productive than on the days they didn’t work out. Coffee hasn’t been working its magic for me like I want it to, so instead of rolling out of bed and grabbing a cup of Joe, I’m going to start waking up at 6 a.m. for my cardio workout.

Last weekend when we went on a hilly bike ride for two hours, I started off feeling blue and ended feeling euphoric. The article references a study which indicates the exercise induced mood lift can last up to 12 hours—that gets me through the day! Exercise is great for stress relief and we all know I need that.

Why is it that the mind knows what the body needs and yet, while we never regret a workout, it’s a constant struggle to get it done? This is why I’m going to commit to get started by next week and possibly even tomorrow. I think that once I start forming better habits that I’ll be more inspired to continue on this journey.

I have no excuses—I have a treadmill and I can workout rain or shine while the baby naps. I also have a jogging stroller and could run outside if I need to workout while baby girl is awake. Not to mention, hubby and I could complete the workouts together. I just have to do it.

If you are interested in buying or using a treadmill or elliptical, you can refer to http://treadmill-ratings-reviews.com/ and https://fitness-equipment-source.com/.

Do you have any fitness goals you are committing to?

What My Future Self Would Do

After reading Roni’s post a month ago, I have been wanting to sit down and write about what my future self would do. I think that it will be insightful as to what my goals really are and how I could start working towards them.

• Set an alarm and wake up early to get a workout in first thing in the morning.
• Search for new healthy recipes to try and plan to make a new meal each week.
• Take time to sit down and read a good book.
• Have an organized and clutter free house.
• Do some form of strength training and have a toned body.
• Be able to go to the pool in a swimsuit and not feel self-conscious.
• Never let my weight get in the way of living life.
• Complete a triathlon.
• Be a good example of eating and living healthfully for my children.
• Eat vegetables at every meal.
• Have a BFF for girl talk.
• Take more care of my appearance.
• Write things that people would connect with and would make a difference.
• Have a workout that I truly enjoy.
• Finish a 5K towards the top of my age group.
• Be at a healthy weight.
• Would consistently reach 10,000 steps per day on the Fitbit.

As I look at this list, there are quite a few things that I can start working on now. For example, I should get started on that Couch to 5K program like I talked about. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by my goals, I will start making small steps toward achieving them.

What would your future self do?