Personal Note

Being supportive and positive is NOT comparing yourself to me and my accomplishments. It does the reverse, actually. Don't tell me I am doing so much better than you are -- this is MY journey. I invited you along to support me, not to make you feel badly for not working out or eating improperly. (by the way, I need this talk as much as some of my "supporters" because I'm very guilty of comparing myself to others) What happens when you make comments like that, is that I start feeling bad about my success as if my success is holding someone else back. I let my feeling bad about someone else's feelings and then I start self sabotaging because I don't want others to be upset with me. I'd rather be disappointed in myself than to cause someone else pain or sadness. This is a fault with in me. My journey is separate from anyone else's journey. I do want your support and positivity 100% -- but I just want you to know it hurts when you make comments that are comparative in nature and you put yourself down in comparison to my accomplishments. You are awesome in your own right and you don't need my journey to define you! I want to support you in your effort, TOO! Let's build each other up, not tear each other down. If you have a bad week, you have a bad week. You can get back on track, just like I can! We can do anything we put our minds to, we just have to be willing! So, please, remember that even if you don't mean for words to hurt, sometimes they can. Stop and think before you say something, "Would these words hurt me if someone said them to me?"

Have a wonderful Sunday and make this week your best week yet!!!

Things I am facing this week:
Caity has a wellness check up on Monday and 2 MRI's under anesthesia on Wednesday
My brother was diagnosed with stage 1 Melanoma and is facing surgery on Thursday
Matt is in a conference Monday - Wednesday
Scentsy Parties on Friday night and Sunday

All of these items will play a roll in how my week goes. I will be making a meal plan today and shopping tonight to pull off this week! (Lots of make ahead and crock pot meals!) I've shopped for the kids lunches for the week, now just need to make sure we have dinner meals.

On Tap:
Chicken and veggie soup (grilled cheese for kids)
turkey chili with black beans & kidney beans
Spaghetti
Breakfast for dinner (this is on Matt's night to cook)
Sushi (for work night, easy and transportable)
Leftovers!

Back in the Saddle Again

After a VERY disheartening weigh in this morning... I have had to recommit myself to my goals! I'm going back and reading my blog from the beginning to find out where I lost sight of my goals and where I started! One thing I know is I do NOT want diabetes and I'm headed like a freight train right for that diagnosis if I do not regain control of myself. M&M's, the fall ones, came out and I couldn't resist! WHAT???  Hello, that is SO not me anymore. Well, I've learned a valuable lesson. M&M's cannot live in my house, unless they are the plain M&M's and then I could not care less about them! BUT any other M&M's must be enjoyed outside of my home. Candy Corn, ewww, who eats that stuff? Me. HUH? Candy Corn? Was I desperate? OK, enough of beating myself up.

Bad weigh in = looking back, not pointing fingers -- I know who made the weight come on, there is no need to beat myself up for poor decision making, instead it's time to REFOCUS! (Hey Sarah, heehee, I gotta FOCUS!) So, what are my reasons for being on this journey?

1. To get healthy!
2. To be under 200 lbs.!
3. To not be the FAT mom!
4. To give my kids a role model!
5. To use the gifts God has given me and praise HIM with them!
6. To better enjoy life!

That's enough of that for now. So, now that I have these goals written out... how am I going to achieve these goals? Well, first and foremost, I MUST gain control over the food I eat. I love sweets. Now, let me stop and think about sweets -- do I need sweets every day? Nope. Do I want them every day? Yep. Are there ways around having sweets every day and not feeling deprived? Oh Yes!

1. Alternatives to sweets that taste sweet, but don't add the calories and inflammatory effects of sugar. (Coffee: Pumpkin Spice, Cinnamon Roll -- they taste sweet but have no sugar in them! Applesauce: Organic Unsweetened just add cinnamon! Tea: Spicy Teas! Sweet Potatoes baked in the oven, add cinnamon if necessary!)
2. Make the sweet WORTH IT when I have to have one. Don't settle for candy corn -- 20 pieces is 150 calories!!! If I am going to eat 150 calories of a sweet, it needs to be WORTH it, like a portion of a brownie or cookie, a few bites of creme brule, Kalico Kitchen cake (a small slice or share a slice with someone) -- make the dessert or sweet something that you can't have every day and that you know is worth every bite.
3. When a sweet craving comes on, try taking a nap or a walk, drink extra water, chat with a friend, distract yourself from the craving!!!
4. Do not bring sweets into the house, no matter how tempting the packaging. You know you can't resist certain sweets, so why torture yourself either by eating them or by depriving yourself when you know they are there!? Just leave them at the store.

Savory foods are a weakness as well... OK so I LIKE FOOD -- plain and simple. What I need to do is stop pinning recipes off of pinterest and start MAKING the ones I've already pinned. Find new foods that are HEALTHY and satisfy my savory cravings. Leave behind the chex mix and the cheese itz! I need to read back through the foods I used to eat and start eating them again.

As for working out... I've got that! :) I run 2-4 days per week, I do body back 2 days per week, I Zumba at least once per week and now I'm adding in TRX and line dancing (hip hop, not country). The exercising is not my problem... so we know the food needs to be the focus. 

What's the MAIN change I need to make: WRITING EVERYTHING IN MY JOURNAL!!! I know that journalling works! So, I must retrain myself to write down everything I eat. I used to make it a game. I need to get back to that. It works. Just do it! 

I know I can do this! But there is one more element I need! I need you guys to recommit to me as well. Hold me accountable. If I haven't blogged, ask me where my blog is, ask me what new foods I've tried... just keep me going by supporting me! I am a social creature by nature and positive social interaction really helps! Thanks for sticking with me on my journey! I CAN DO THIS! And right now I'm looking at it 5 lbs. at a time! 

Each 5 lbs I lose, I'm going to reward myself-

• pedicure
• hair cut
• hair color
• concert, sporting event or movie with my husband
• new shoes (NICE ONES)
• a Leather Grace Adele handbag (if you haven't seen them, ask me about them!!!)

I'll set new rewards as I knock off rewards (and ultimately knock off the pounds). 

Thanks for sticking with me on my journey. It truly has to become the life you live. There is no diet, there is no exercising to a goal and then going back to sedentary life. It's living healthy to live a good and productive life! I'm committed! I want to be the best me that I can possibly be! (Sorry for any spelling and grammatical errors, I'm not trying to win awards with my blog!)