The more things change, the more they stay the same.

My oh my, has my life changed since my last post (shamefully over a year ago). My girls are growing up like little weeds with something constantly being scheduled on their behalf. Alyssa will be entering the 1st grade in August & Liza will be starting Kindergarten. We've just wrapped up a successful softball season & a great musical for both the girls in June. We also redecorated the playroom this past week converting it into a bedroom for the girls - I've never seen little girls so excited about a new bedroom. It was precious! Our biggest change, was the addition of our "surprise" baby, Branham. He was born in January this year. We've had a pretty hectic 2012 so far - a pretty rough birth (I ended up with an emergency, unsterile c-section), Brock got mono, I had a severe infection (hospitalized for 6 days), two kidney stones (which required I have surgery 3 times when Branham was 6-8 weeks old), and did I mention that Brock got mono (turns out it lasts forever for adults - at least the feeling like poo on a stick part)? Anyway, we seem to be on the mend (except for Brock, but hey - 6 months down & approximately 6 more to go before he feels normal again according to the other adults we know that have had it).

Of course, with all this change, some things have managed to stay the same. I'm still struggling with my weight & needing to get healthy. I started this blog quite a while back to serve as a motivational/accountability tool for me to get my stuff together & get my health back before it became too late, however, I've allowed life to get in the way & have not prioritized like I should/needed to. As they say, if at first you don't succeed - try, try again. That's where I'm at - ready to try again. I will say that I had the most success from a health stand point when I was blogging regularly. I felt like I had people to be accountable to & that helped to motivate me towards my goal. I realize that I probably have all of 2 people who are probably interested in my goings on now, but we have to start somewhere.

I'm back approximately to where I started weight wise (which I will be willing to reveal at a date in the future when it is just a bad memory). This means I need/want to lose around 80-90 pounds to really be happy/where I need to be. I'm not ashamed to ask for help - so please, feel free to encourage me all you want along the way. I realize that for me, it starts with exercise. I think I remember what constitutes that. I will certainly miss having my sweet friend, Lana, here in town to help me this time, but I will be channeling her all the way - LOL. I just have to remember that I'm capable of doing much more than I give myself credit for & I can't take the easy way out just because it hurts/I'm tired/insert your own lame excuse here.

Well, I guess I better get off to bed since the girls have swimming lessons in the morning. Wish me luck! I'll keep you posted (no, really I will this time).

Hello Again, Again!

For the few of you who may still have any desire to know what's going on with me, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or anything. I have decided that it's about time that I revive this old blog & let it do for me what I intended when I started it - serve as motivation & accountability for me. I have been a slacker - basically for the entire year of 2010. I did what I typically do and let my life be an excuse for not meeting the goals I have. 2010 was busy - the girls have been in dance class and gymnastics, I've been coaching JV cheerleading at the high school where I teach, Alyssa had her first role in the Nutcracker at South Jackson Civic Center, plus all the normal day to day things that we all have going on. So, I have constantly told myself that I didn't have time to go work out or cook a healthy meal & I've been a bit of a slug.

Well, 2011 is here & I have new goals for myself. I'm done whining about not having time & going to find it - or make it. I have to make my health a priority before it is too late! I'm not setting the kind of example for my girls that I want them to follow & my understanding is that the same gender parent has the most influence on children - so it's time to influence my beautiful girls in the way they should be. Once again, our Marcrom's Pharmacy is getting ready to kick off their Lose to Win weight loss competition, and once again I believe that I'm going to participate, but this time, I want to do more than just walk through the motions - I want to actually compete! I'm changing teaching assignments in my building & cheerleading is almost over for the year, so I'm hoping that also helps me put priority of the things that I should. For any of you who are left, please pray for me. I need all the help I can get!

Hit the double digits!

Well, I've been working hard in the gym for four weeks now & I can certainly tell you that when I take a rest day, it feels kinda funny like I should be working. It is all slowly paying off. Monday mornings are my official weigh-in day & today I was down 10 pounds since I got started. Although I'd like for it to come off a little faster, I'm good with this. I realize that it took time for me to put this much on & will take time for me to eliminate it also. I also realize that I still need to do some major tweaking on how I eat. Although I am making better choices, I am not being very disciplined yet. I need to make an effort to keep up with my calories & how many grams of fat/carbs/protein that I'm taking in to make sure that I have both my exercise and diet working well together. Well, I'm off to enjoy what's left of this snow day. Hope you all are off to a great week!!

Progress

Monday morning are my weigh-day, so Monday officially marked week one on this massive endeavor. I'm proud to report that I'm down 4.5 pounds. I did some kind of work out 5 days last week. When I initially met my friend, we started with approximately 30 second jog/60 second walk intervals for 20 minutes after a 5 minute warm up walk and finished with a 5 minute cool down walk before heading to weights & this week that has progressed to a 60 second jog/1:10 walk for the 20 minutes of intervals. I'm hanging in there as far as weights go too, however, I will admit that my arms & chest are definitely my weak areas.

I'm so appreciate of my friend who is willing to take the time out of her schedule to help me. She has truly been so motivating for me. The entire experience is teaching me a lot about myself already and this is just the beginning.

On another note, the 4th Annual Marcrom's Pharmacy Lose to Win Challenge is getting underway & I'm going to participate again. I will admit that I wasn't as committed as I should have been when I did it during the fall of 2008, but they have revamped some aspects of the contest & I am definitely working on revamping my mindset about food, exercise, and what I am capable of accomplishing.

Well, I'm outta here, but I'll keep you posted.

Slow & Steady

I've met my friend that's helping me with this huge endeavor both Monday & Tuesday nights to work out. Both days we've done a walk/jog session for about 20 minutes with a 5 minute warm-up and another 5 minute cool down. We've also spend 30 minutes each night doing weight training. Monday was arms & chest and WOW! I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to turn the steering wheel when I left the rec center. LOL. I actually came home & told my hubby that he would need to put the chicken I had marinated in the fridge in the oven for me because I didn't think I could raise my arms that far. After a hot shower the soreness was more tolerable, but definitely still there. On Tuesday we worked legs, which made me sore, but I don't have nearly as much trouble with legs. On Wednesday, I was supposed to meet her for a 5:30 am class, but I was still trying to get my lesson plans done for school and was afraid I'd be late for my morning supervision, so I bailed on that one. Anyway, it's still early, but I'm already feeling a little better. I haven't had a diet soda since Sunday & the headaches have almost gone away totally. Well, time for me to go, gotta enjoy the snow day I got from school!

Getting Started - FINALLY!

It took me some time to get things lined up with my friend who is going to be training me and with all the holiday things going on, I'm really just getting started today. I began today only drinking water and if you know me, this is a BIG one. I rarely drink anything other than Diet Pepsi or Diet Sundrop. Although I'm not pulling in a lot of calories with these, I know I'm not getting enough (ready any here) water. Also, my friend reminded me that the aspartmine in diet sodas do make you crave more sweets & I definitely agree. Besides, all those chemicals can't be good for me and that doesn't even take into consideration the bloated feeling from drinking all that stuff. Of course, my 3-day headache has begun as I knew it would, but at least in a few days the headache will go away & I will be on my way to a healthier me. I've been pretty careful about what I'm eating & I'm logging everything. We had inservice today, which gives us a rare opportunity to go out for lunch, but I resisted the urge to go eat Chinese with my coworkers and came home for veggie soup and a salad with some lean protein. I start my workouts tonight, so I'll keep you guys posted. Hope you are all having a great start to the year!

Back to the Drawing Board.

Ok, I realize that my last post was in June & since it's been so long, no one other than me is probably going to be reading this blog, but I'm going to use it anyway. If nothing else, it will serve as an online journal for me. It's back to the drawing board for me. I've let life get in the way of me trying to healthy & have done what I've always done & gained back the losses that I had made & am once again in the position that I need to start over.

After much thought, I've realized that I've tried nearly everything. I've done the low carb, no carb, grapefruit, Nutrisystem, LA Weight Loss, & Weight Watchers diets (just to name a few). I've purchased oodles of workout videos & equipment that promised amazing results in no time. I've even tried to just eat healthy on my own & get some regular workouts in. It's not that none of these things work, it's that I haven't made them work for me. The common factor is that I don't stick to anything on my own. I make some good losses - 20lbs or so, then I gradually, for no good reason, quit & go right back to where I was (or worse).

So, as I sat here thinking about the fact that I can't go on certain rides at an amusement park with my kids because I know I won't fit, or that the seatbelt in my friends' cars are a tight fit & worry about how much longer it's going to be before I can't get them around me anymore. I thought about the fact that I have to think about what direction I'm going to walk around my classroom to check my students' progress because I can't fit between some of the computer stations and how I'm constantly waiting on one of them to get mad at me and drop the F bomb in the middle of class (and I mean calling me fat). Although my husband has never been anything but supportive, I worry that he's going to get sick of being married to someone who is so different looking than the girl he first fell in love with.

Then it hit me. The one thing that I've never tried is a personal trainer. In the past, I couldn't have afforded it, but since I've gone back to work, I think I will be able to swing it now. I've contacted a girl who is amazing. She has set and exceeded so many goals for herself & I just know that she can help me now. If you are a Biggest Loser fan, I would describe her as a mixture between Bob & Jillian and exactly what I need. She's agreed to train me & now I'm just waiting on her to get herself organized & tell me when we are starting. I'm so excited that I just don't know what to do with myself. Once we get started I'll be posting my progress, until then I hope you all get another chance to do whatever it is that you didn't accomplish the first time (or 2nd or 3rd, etc if you're like me). Have a great evening!

Finding My Way.

Well, I haven't progressed as quickly as I had hoped at diving back into the exercise, but some progress has been made. I did go to Zumba last week, but was too sore to go on Thursday. On Monday morning, I had my interview with Coffee County & then we went out on the boat for the rest of the day. I'm not sure why I didn't think to put on sunscreen, but I didn't & I got absolutely blistered. Today is the first day that I can actually move my arms a little without being in a lot of pain. Needless to say, I haven't made Zumba this week either. Anyway, I have started a lower carb diet, this usually serves as a decent kick off for me & I am down a couple of pounds. I'm not going to get too excited until I have my weekly weigh in because we all know that I fluctuate a lot when it comes to the scale. I also ordered an Ipod Shuffle. The el cheapo MP3 I had was kinda difficult to carry around & I wanted something that I could just clip on & go. My brother-in-law has recently started running & has built up to running a little over 3 miles regularly & has lost a lot of weight. I really want to be runner - I'm not sure I'm made to be a runner, but I want to be one. I thought that if maybe I could get lost in some good music, I could teach myself to love running. At this point, I don't even walk that fast. Anyway, I found a different starter training program that looks like it could be a little more up my ally. Walking 5 minutes & jogging 30 seconds during the first week. When I've tried the 1 minute to 30 seconds intervals, I just about give out because just as I'm catching my breath, I have to jog again. Maybe I'm just lazy. Oh well, I'm going to give it a try. Well I'm off - the Bonnaroonies that are continually walking down my street have managed to break my mailbox & we're trying to fix it. Hope you all have a great weekend!

One More Week.

I am so counting down this last week of school (& next Monday). I am so looking forward to returning to Zumba classes again next week. My eating was all over the place last week. I just find it so much easier to make good choices when I'm getting some exercise in - which I did not. I guess trying to improve my diet wasn't that easy during Alyssa's recital week. LOL. Oh well, it was worth all the hussle & bussle, she did great & looked absolutely adorable on stage. I had so many people come up & tell me that she was the star of the show. I guess that's because she is the baby of the dance company & you can't help but notice the little ones.

On tap for this week, trying to get that nasty water in. Trying to locate some great, healthy recipes for my family (anyone who has some suggestions, please chime in here) & still trying to find some extra time to hit the road a few times this week. Hope each of you have a wonderful week!!

Failure? Don't Count Me Out Yet!

I've been out of sight basically since I took the interim teaching position. I've also been out of the gym & off the charts with consumption of junk. So, have I failed? After thinking about it, I'm going to say NO! I can only fail if I give up & quit trying. So here I am once again, starting over. I've gained back most of what I had lost - like so many of us do. I've also re-evaluated where I really want to be ultimately & have done a new weight loss ticker. My new goal consists of me dropping 80.5 lbs. I realize that this is no small task, but it is doable. I will admit, I even thought about trying to get in on a casting call for Biggest Loser (one of my favorite shows), but they are looking for family member each needing to lose 100lbs or more. Two problems with this request, 1) I don't think that any doctor would say that I needed to lose 100lbs - they would actually get me back to a weight that I haven't been since I was beginning my sophomore year in high school & as I recall, I didn't look that healthy then; 2) I don't have any family members that need to lose 100lbs either. So, looking at things from my glass 1/2 full perspective - that's an upside, I'm not big enough to qualify for the Biggest Loser. LOL.

I also want to apologize to you wonderful people who have been so willing to give me support in the past. I know I've let you down. Not only have I not been successfully trying to make the gym or watch my diet, but I haven't even included you on what's going on with me and for that I'm sorry! You all probably have no idea how much your support has helped & I hope you will all forgive me for the hiatus & lend me that support again - as I NEED it, DESPERATELY!!!

I have two more weeks & 1 day left of school. Start over plan is as follows. For the next two weeks, control my diet as much as possible. Try to wean myself off of the diet soda (I know the calories aren't bad, but I've been reading that these really aren't a healthy option either), try to consume the recommended 8 glasses of water daily (this one is tough for me - I hate the stuff), try not to eat foods that have no nutritional value, and try to at least get outside & get in a brisk walk a few times a week until I can get back to my morning Zumba classes. Once I'm out of school, I'm planning to rejoin my wonderful friends at Zumba on Tues/Thurs & seek out some other classes that get me out of my comfort zone - I find that I work harder in a class environment where I feel like others will notice if I don't. So, here I am again, putting myself out there for all the world to see. Admitting that I've screwed up (AGAIN) & trying to right my wrongs - so don't count me out yet.

Hello Again!

Ok, so I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, but I have totally fallen off the bandwagon & been run over SEVERAL times. I knew going back to work would serve as a real challenge for me and it has. I have slowly but surely, gotten out of the habit of going to the rec center regularly and have begun eating crap constantly. I haven't weighed myself in a week or two, but the last time I weighed, I hadn't gained more than a pound of so, but like I said, that's been a week or two & I'm sure it is up now. I've let life get in the way of my goals. It started with a little stomach bug, then came my sprained ankle, then the girls got strep & the conclusion to my chaos came with Alyssa falling off a swingset & breaking her arm.

The good news is that I'm on Spring Break for this week & next. I had hoped to attend my normal morning Zumba classes during the break, but this week is a no go because of the arm. She broke it high enough that they can't cast & and she is in a sling. The doctor recommended that we not have her in preschool or other places around lots of kids for at least another week, since they tend to run around & act crazy and the chance of her causing re-injury is pretty high. Hopefully, we will get the A-OK next week & all will not be lost. In the mean time, I am going to try to buckle down and get to class tonight & find some time to do something at home if I have to. I have 9 weeks left of the position when we return from break and I'm counting down every day. Besides leaving my children, falling into this habit of all work and no time for myself (and exercise) was one of the things that I was most fearful of when I took the position. Oh well, lesson learned - and as they say, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again! Hope you all have a great March!

Crazy Week.

It's been a crazy busy week. We had FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) Regional competition this week & I had to go to script practice Monday night (6-9pm) & then was at conference all day Tuesday (7am-5pm), by the time I got home, I didn't feel like doing anything. I did make Zumba on Wednesday & my other SIL came with me this time. I think she felt out of place, but we all do when we first start coming - I really hope she will try it a few times before she makes up her mind if it's for her or not. I didn't get any other activity in until Saturday, but I did go to the 2-hour mixed instructor class Saturday morning. It was a special class that they were offering to kinda give us a taste of all the different instructors & the type of classes that they offer. I made it through the entire two hours, but I did have to modify some. The kickboxing part really kicked my butt. I was considering trying this class, but I'm not sure I could hang with them for a full hour. I may try anyway & just see what happens. I met my SIL at the rec center this afternoon & we did a ten minute warm up on the elipticals & then headed over to the weight machines. We did several different machines & then walked the track for a bit. We were there for just over an hour. It was all I could do to even walk today - my legs were so sore from the class yesterday. I forgot to mention that in addition to doing some of the basics of the step class (without a step), kickboxing, & zumba that were led by the squat & abs queen at the end & so my legs & stomach is so sore today!!! I guess it's time to work on those areas more. Well, I'm outta here - I've got a bunch to get done tonight. Our students get the holiday tomorrow, but not the teachers - I've got inservice.

Adjusting.

Well, I'm adjusting to working FT again & trying to manage getting in some time to work out. I forgot how easy it is to let that stuff slide by when you are working. I did manage to make Zumba on Tues morning (my last day at home) & again on Wednesday night. The rec center was closed from noon Thursday until Saturday morning & then Friday night the girls came down with what appears to be a stomach virus - so I haven't been to work out since Wednesday night. The girls appear to be on the mend today, still not quite back to normal, but better. I've got to get some laundry done & the house cleaned back up from all the sickness, so today is probably out as well. My goal is to go Monday night & at least walk the track, do Zumba on Wednesday, & try to walk again on Thursday & play Friday by ear. This Saturday morning is normally the week we have Zumba again, but this week they are doing a 2-hr class with all the instructors to let us see what all they offer. I think I'm going to try it, I might not make it all the way through the full 2-hours, but I'll try. Then hopefully, I'll get to walk with my SIL again next Sunday. Hope you all have a great week!!

Blah Week.

Well, last week was kinda blah for me. I didn't get out there & get much done at all. I've been feeling a little under the weather lately & trying to get a lot of things done before I go back to work. Thanks go out to my SIL who met me at the rec to walk the track yesterday. We didn't keep up with how many laps we walked, but we jogged 9 (that's 3/4 mile). Granted, we didn't do it all at once, but the fact that I did any jogging in a public place is a big accomplishment for me. I'm kinda stalling out on my weight loss lately. For the last two weeks, I've only lost 1/2 lb per week. I'll take anything, but it would be nice if I could get past this plateau. I know I'm going to have to get my eating under control. I'm hoping that might actually be easier for me once I'm in school with a set routine again. Well, I'm outta here - I only have a couple of days left to be home with my girls. Have a great week!!!

Trying To Plan

Well, I've been in the regular grind lately. Getting lots of Zumba in, but not so much of my C25K training. It's difficult to find time to be out on the road & it's been pretty cold. I know, I'm a wimp with excuses (LOL). Anyway, for now, I'm prepping for the transition of working for the remainder of the year. I'm trying to look at the rec center schedule & determine if there are any classes that I'm willing to try. If all else fails, I know I can always walk the indoor track. I know this is the part where you all are saying, "An indoor track?? Get your booty out there & do your C25K training!!!" Of course, I know that I should, but I'm afraid that they might call the paramedics to help me when they all heard my asthmatic sounding breathing when I try to jog. Oh well, I guess I need to learn to get over all my self conscience worries & just get out there. Have a great week!!

Clarification.

I realize from the anonymous comment that was made, that I wasn't clear in my previous post. I am not trying in any way to decrease my water consumption - I realize that I should be drinking more water in order to get healthier & lose weight. I was simply pointing out that I had failed & doing this. I guess that I just wasn't that thirsty & didn't think about making myself drink anyway. I think this happens to people a lot in the winter time. We don't get as hot, unless we've just completed a workout, & we just don't think about consuming as much water. Anyway, since it was taken that I actually decreased my water intake in order to lose weight, I thought that I would point out that I am a little smarter than that. By the way, Zumba class was great today!

Crazy Weigh Ins

Ok, I made Zumba on Tues morning & last night & am getting ready to head out in a little bit for this morning's class. My husband has had a 6 day weekend due to cold temps & snow & we have done nothing but eat (or at least if feels that way). My weigh-in this week was officially only down 1/2 lb from last weeks, but I've been hitting the scale nearly every morning & I'm fluctuating between a pound less than my official to a pound more - it's driving me nuts. Now, I've always fluctuated a lot & that's why I try not to let curiosity get the best of me & get on the scale more than once a week, but I just can't help myself. My water consumption is down - heck, my liquid consumption is down. Could it be that my body is a little dehydrated & holding onto any water weight it can? I don't know, but I can't stand for it to be up. I guess I'll try to up the water & make sure I get my cardio in & let next week be whatever it is. Have a great week!!

Got It Done!

Finally I'm back on track with the C25K training. I got out there in the snow today. Granted, there wasn't a lot of snow, but it was spitting on me the whole jog/walk so it still counts. Hmm, does this make me hard core? LOL Probably not yet, but I'll get there. Hope you all have a great week!

Zumba & Changes Coming!

Well, what have I been up to the last couple of days? Zumba last night & again this morning - have I told you all how much I love this class. I still haven't gotten any jog/walks in - I'll do my best to make up the time this weekend. It is CRAZY cold outside & will be hard, but I'll do my best to get it done. Now, changes are getting ready to hit. I've taken an interim position for the rest of the school year - so my workout schedule is getting ready to flip flop completely. I still have a couple of weeks left to get the morning classes in & then I will have to rely on evening classes & other things, but once June hits - I'll be right back in my morning Zumba classes. Well, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Not much to post.

Well, I haven't gotten a workout in since Sunday :(. I'm really going to have to work on that. Taking Monday off is really no big deal, but on Tuesday I usually Zumba & I wasn't feel too well. I'm still feeling a little sick this morning, I'm thinking that maybe I have a mild stomach bug. I know there's a lot of stuff going around right now. I'm hoping that I feel better this afternoon & can get a jog/walk in when Brock comes home from work. Then, if I am up to it, I'm heading to the rec center for Zumba tonight. On a good note, on my weigh-in on Monday, I was down 3 pounds. This means that I've lost that pesky 2.5 lbs I gained over the holidays + another 1/2. Also, although it's not official & I know that I fluctuate a great deal, I was down another 1.5 lbs this morning. Well, I'm out - have a great week!