Down 10

I have reached a new middle number!

Officially down 10 pounds!

 

A month worth of cutting back on sodas, sweet tea and over-eating, has paid off.

 

Yesterday as I was getting ready for church, I grabbed my pair of dress pants, buttoned them and noticed they were a little more snug than I had thought they should be. I glanced in the closet and noticed another pair of black pants hanging towards the front of my closet. I looked at the pants and realized they were the pair I would normally wear because the other pair was too small. Yes, I was wearing the smaller sized pants and they buttoned! They weren't too tight on my butt and my 'muffin top' was no longer overflowing! Cue the party music!

 

Today I stepped on the scale, expecting it to be remaining at the same number it has the last few days, but lo and behold it showed up a lower number! Whoop, Whoop!

 

I've noticed within the last week that my previous baby bump has thinned down and is not as gross looking as it previously had been. That's a plus in my book.

 

Hoping your weight loss journeys are going well. I know I have definitely been having days where I want the greasiest, nastiest cheeseburger on Earth, but I don't. We just have to remember that having crap like that won't help achieve the goals we're setting and one day down the road we will be thankful we didn't have that greasy, nasty cheeseburger! ;)

 

Maybe I'll have a "-10 picture" posted soon.

Anniversary | Number 2

July 23rd marked our second wedding anniversary. So much has happened in those two short years. We now have a home of our own, a beautiful little girl and more love than you can shake a stick at. (forgive me for the bad analogy, it was the first one that came to mind)

| Flashback |

Our first anniversary was a day I will never forget. My husband was a co-dean at the local church camp and had been away all week, our daughter turned a month old on that very day & my best friend moved over 900 miles away.

I remember being at my parent's house and laying Aria down for a nap in the back room. I heard the door open and sobbing ensue. My throat started to clench up (tearing up as I type) as I walked in the other room. Becky was standing there hugging my mom and I couldn't hold back the tears. It's hard having your best friend move so far away. I didn't want her to go at all, selfish reasons. She came in and held Aria; it was tough watching her hold my precious, one month old baby, knowing she wouldn't be home to watch Aria grow up. I am so thankful for technology and that it could allow us to still stay in touch, just like she was here.

As I walked out to her Escape, filled to the ceiling with all her belongings, it was hard to say goodbye. It was as if I was starting my countdown in my head to the days until she came back to visit, as I still do. I know I cried for most of the day and tried thinking about other things instead of her going, but I knew it was the best thing for her and she would accomplish so much by making this journey to a new place. ( I know I talk like she died and went to Heaven already)



Becky & I  |  Wedding Day |  July 23, 2011

| Back to now |

Becky is still out in Colorado and enjoying it! I plan on sending Aria out when she's older to spend time with her. Who knows what shenanigans they will get themselves into.

This anniversary was much different, no crying involved. Aria is now officially one year and one month old. Time flies so fast! We all went to dinner at Lonestar, our favorite place to eat in town. Yes, we took our daughter on our anniversary date. I know most couples would think that's insane but she is the love of our lives and we felt having her there to celebrate just seemed right. We went to dinner early to avoid a bigger crowd since we were taking Aria. Afterwards we visited the place that is a part of our love story to grab some dessert; Joe Sippers Café, the place where we first met & where Nate proposed.

 

 

Nate spelled out "Marry Me" in Hershey Kisses  |   February 14, 2011

I'll leave you with some photos from our wedding day. Our photographer, Britt Bailey, did a tremendous job at capturing the love that we felt that day. She is truly amazing at what she does. Truly gifted!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

| Photo Credit :: Britt Bailey |



 

 

 

 

27

I'm 27 now. I think?! Do you get to the point that you remember turning a certain age since it's a "monumental" birthday but then you forget your age any year after that? Just me?

 

On the morning of my birthday, my mom came and got Aria so we could go to St. Louis by ourselves and not have to base the day on nap times and a cranky baby in a mall. Thank you mama! Nate and I ventured over to the St. Louis Galleria so I could, fingers crossed, get a new phone. Remember mine fell in the toilet...cough, cough ... thanks Aria. Once we got to the mall, we darted straight towards the Apple Store and like a total nerd, I stood at the counter thinking "why is no one coming to help me?". A nice young man with his iPad came over and said, "you look like you've never been here before, can I help you with something?". Wow, that obvious, huh? He then informed us that we had to schedule an appointment in order to be seen about a problem with a product and that I would've saved time by getting on their website and scheduling that prior to coming. Good to know....now! He was very nice and scheduled us for the earliest appointment available, which was three hours from when arrived. Poop! What are we going to do in the mall for three hours? I'm not much of a shopper. I take after my mother when it comes to shopping. I want to, as she says, "get in, get what I need & get out". ......Yes, I am a girl that rather not shop. Gasp! Whatever?!

 

By that time it was around 11:00 a.m. and for me, who ate a banana on the ride over, I was getting a bit hungry.  The Cheesecake Factory just so happened to be located inside the mall so we decided instead of driving around town looking for a different restaurant, we would just eat there. Nate & I both had some pasta that was super yummy! I passed on ordering cheesecake due to my new "Fat Amy" mindset. "mmmmm...betta not"

 

Our fabulous lunch only took a half hour so we looked around at some of the stores, got Nate some much needed shorts, found a dress at H&M and lo and behold...they had a COACH store. (angels singing) I walked in and immediately began searching the store to find the wristlet that I had been drooling over online for weeks.

 

 

Sadly, I didn't get it that day due to the phone issue (keep reading) but I've still got my eye on it for maybe a future purchase. I can't let this beautiful thing sit on a shelf in a store. It's too pretty not to have.

 

Our appointment time rolls around and while standing in the store, it was fun to "people watch". I noticed an elderly man looking at one of the macs and an employee was helping him learn how to use it. I overhead the man say "so I click this button and it will let me log in as a guest? I can't log in under my name?". At that moment I knew I would never have the amount of patience as some of these employees have to work with the non-tech savvy people. And yes, I get that my age group grew up as all this technology advanced so we were the guinea pigs per say and can easily adapt to all the new things coming about, so no, I'm not downing on people that don't know how to turn on a computer.

 

A lady comes over with her iPad and begins to ask questions about what happened to my poor phone. She took out a piece from the side of my phone and said "when I shine the light inside here, if it's a light pink color, then that means you do have water damage. (I knew I had to be up front about the water damage considering it was obvious now-a-days for them to check it, it was just unfortunate that it isn't covered under the Apple Warranty Plan.) Then I hear the woman say "well, since the indicator is bright red".......there goes $230 to a new phone! So, she brings out a new phone is a slim box, slips my Verizon card in the new phone and bam, there's my phone getting 99 text messages.

 

The woman was very helpful and although I wasn't looking forward to spending the money, it sure is nice to have a phone again. Thinking back on a previous post, I am trying to be more conscious of how much I actually use it, especially when I am at home with my family.

 

Once I had my new phone and all it's glory, Nate and I headed back towards my parents house where Aria was staying. We made it there around 5:00 p.m. and the guys started cooking up the steaks and mom was cooking away on the side dishes. I played with Aria and my niece until my sister was able to get off work to join us for supper. My niece was so worried that my sister wouldn't be able to make it in time, mostly because she was the one bringing the cupcakes. I didn't blame her. My sister is a good cook/baker so I was looking forward to the yummy cupcakes myself.

 

S'more cupcakes | Messy but soooooo good!

 

 

Before we could eat cupcakes, my niece had to serenaded me

with her rendition of "Happy Birthday".  She is the sweetest! 

 



 



It was a wonderful day. I was so glad I could share it with my family!

Weight Loss Rewards | Part One

When trying to lose weight, you need to be encouraged in so many ways. I think if a child, animal, etc. can get rewarded for their achievements, then those battling with their weight should get some type of incentive too, right? Losing weight is a hard challenge and doesn't come easy to most. Staying motivated is a big struggle, especially for me and even though I am only down a few pounds so far, I would like to have an incentive myself. Yes, having a hot & healthy bod would be a wonderful reward in itself, but I'm talking gifts to yourself. While searching on Pinterest, I began looking up what others are doing as a rewards program in their own weight loss journey.

Number one thought in starting this is not rewarding myself with food. I know that having one bad meal will not make me fatter as one healthy meal won't make me skinnier. But I also know that in my struggle with losing weight, if I allow myself to have 'the bad stuff', then I will only fall back into that routine of wanting those foods. In reading other blogs, people have stated that giving yourself one day a week as your "cheat day". I agree. If you allow yourself to be able to have one day to look forward to, to indulge in your guilty food pleasure, then you are more likely to stay within your healthy guidelines throughout the rest of the week. As the weeks go on, you'll be more likely to keep making the better and healthier choices during your 'cheat day'. I know that before I started this, I would begin drinking a soda and after about a third of it, it would leave a bad taste in my mouth. Thank God! That makes it so much easier to let it go.

 

My "used to be" go-to drink was sweet tea. As in the only water that I consumed prior to starting this weight loss was the water I added to make my tea.

So sad... I am not even kidding!!

 

 

The chart above shows how much water you should consume throughout the day based on your own weight. I now am drinking A TON of water and unfortunately having to pee every five seconds. But, the bright side...I'm getting healthier!

 

I am a milk addict as well; which isn't a bad thing, but regardless, it isn't water and milk isn't going to hydrate your body. It'll just make you not suffer from osteoporosis. Thank you Sally Field for letting us know that tid bit.

 

Nate made some sweet tea yesterday while our family was here visiting and I DID NOT EVEN FEEL A WANT TO DRINK IT! Gasp! Can I get an 'Amen'?  (I am listening)

 

....back to the topic

 

What are your rewards for losing certain amounts of weight? I have heard to buy a bikini, go for a pedicure or massage; the list goes on.

 

I plan on going with a five pound increment chart. To reach my goal weight, which is the weight I was when I graduated college, means I need to lose 25 lbs. from my start weight. Not awful, but much needed! I am still thinking hard as to the rewards especially since I know I don't need to buy a new purse because I lost 5 lbs. but that's personal opinion.

 

I'll have a few printables on the next blog to share that will hopefully help with your own weight loss as well. Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend!

 

 



 

   

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The Bad Day That Made Things Better

I have no phone. End of the world right? Aria was playing with the Fisher Price Animal Application on my phone when she woke up Saturday morning. I went to the bedroom to get ready so I could go run errands and Nate was in the living room with Aria while editing away on his recent Senior Photo Session. Aria decides to make a trip into the bathroom and I hear a "plop" noise. O....M....G.... She didn't?! Yup! It was in the toilet. What a booger! My cat like reflexes went to grab the phone, dry it off and put it in rice. Call the doctor, stat! After getting it to 'rehab', I knew Aria would have passed the thought of remembering she even did the deed, so I didn't go back and smack her, although I know that should have been my first course of action.

Still fuming from the phone incident, I then notice that our tea pitcher is leaking all over the refrigerator. Are you kidding me? So, I began to clean out the refrigerator (which needed done regardless) and as I'm cleaning, Aria feels the need to help me. Everyone knows that a one year old doesn't know how to clean. Wow! By then I was beginning to get so frustrated to the point of crying. Big baby, I know. I take out the bottom piece of glass, clean it and when I go to return it to its shelf, the plastic piece holding it up in the middle breaks off. Blood pressure raises. I then throw everything back in the fridge and give up. I had a pity party the rest of the day until I began to really think about it.

It was a silly phone and a dirty fridge with a piece of broken plastic. Get over it! There are so many people in the world actually experiencing problems that are actual problems. This was...nothing! Not having a phone for 4 days now has been tough due to the fact I can't check Facebook, Instagram or send/receive texts or calls. Big deal! It's more time that I can spend with my family, stop staring at a screen and start enjoying more of my life. This realization is the biggest lesson out of this, aside from needing to always remember to close the bathroom door. When I do get my phone up and running again, I'm going to be more conscious of how much time I spend on it, especially when I am with my family.  

Check out this cellphone usage info graphic. It hits home and is sad how much we all spend on them.
Something to think about, isn't it?

...and it begins today

I will be first in line to tell you that I have never stuck to a diet, ever! Through high school and college, I spent time at the gym and was considered an 'in shape' person. After college, I moved and began to slowly go downhill. With my job, being a funeral director, it can sometimes be difficult to stay healthy, or so I thought. If we were busy at work, I would usually hit up one of our numerous fast food restaurants and inhale it before returning to work. On days that we were less busy, my co-workers and I would normally go out for lunch and who just orders a salad?! Yes, I should have!



Within the first few years of my job, I gained nearly 25 pounds. That is twenty five pounds of McDonald's Sweet Tea, fried chicken, greasy French fries, cheese burgers and the list goes on. After meeting my husband, I gained even more weight due to his amazing cooking skills. Dang him! In October 2011, I found out I was pregnant and in turn continued to gain an insane amount of weight. At the time of my daughter's birth I was 200 pounds. That number definitely had me feeling upset with myself.

Within the first two weeks after having my daughter, I was down 25 pounds worth of baby weight. I can give credit to an 8 lb. 9 oz. baby, 'water weight' and the calorie burning of breast feeding. Everyone says how much breast feeding helps you lose the baby weight and that was an added bonus I wasn't turning down. Unfortunately, I only breast fed for two short weeks. Call me a failure or whatever you choose but when it takes multiples times of pumping to be able to produce enough milk for one bottle, it's just not worth it! (steps off soapbox)

Now I sit, one year and one week after she was born and I'm still chunky. I get comments saying that since I am tall it's not as noticeable. I'm thankful for those comments because it lessens the harshness I feel about my looks but it still doesn't fix the obvious problem. By society standards, I'm fat and by the B.M.I. index (see here) I am obese. Yikes! I really dislike that word.

I don't want to diet and spend my days solely at the gym and never at home with family, but I also don't need nor want to spend my life being overweight. Especially when the time comes to have another child, I would really be upset with myself for not being a healthy weight to start a pregnancy with.

So with all of this being said, I am setting goals and hoping to reach them. Numerous goals are being set because I know if I only set the "I want to weigh this certain weight by this certain time", and if I am not skinny by week two I'll be ticked. All kidding aside, here are some of my starter goals:

• Stop looking every morning at the scale. It's like waiting for water to boil.
• Walk on the treadmill every morning. You know, the one you got months ago.
• Try eating better | More fruits and veggies | Actual food - not prepackaged crap.
• Cut back on eating out (I have been doing a little better lately about this anyway)
• NO SWEET TEA or SODA | Drink water and milk only

When I stick to these basic goals and get a firm foundation of cleaner eating and exercise I think I will reward myself with these shoes. (they are the next best things since Reebok EasyTone which they don't make anymore)

 

I feel like if I post on here that I am going to do this, it makes it that much more of a goal that I need to work harder towards and also holds me accountable to whoever may actually read this. (I might just be posting for myself and that's ok too...ha!)

 

I have a few friends that I grew up with that have had great success stories with their weight loss journey and I want to join the club. To Misty, Jessica, Kourtne and Promise...thanks for being inspiring! You go girls ;)

 

Here's to losing my baby belly, chunky thighs and that muffin top! "Clink" using my water bottle of course ;)