New Me

Okay, okay. I know. I lied. I'm on and off, and not reliable as far as this blog goes. You, my reader, never know when I'm going to be updating you here. Sorry. I'm trying! I have been busy! Let me tell you how busy: I get up for the day at 5:30 am. I work out for an hour, then I do Bible study for an hour, and then I get Daughter up for school, then Son up for breakfast and the day, then I get myself ready, and then go to work. I work from 9:30 to 4:30, then come home again. I help with homework when applicable, fix dinner, eat dinner, do bath time, play with kids, and then settle them down for bed, usually about 8:00. Then I'm cleaning up the house, and then I'm tired and go to bed. So. forgive me. But let me tell you how I'm doing this. Let me tell you how I have a little energy with which to be sitting here, typing this story out after laundry, cleaning, chasing the 18 month old boy around, and after answering a million questions from 5 1/2 year old Daughter.

My friend called me, asked me if I wanted to feel healthy and have energy again, and I hopped on the opportunity... 'cause I didn't feel good. I felt old, at the tender age of 27. I felt old and worn and unable to play with the kids like a young parent should be able to do. I couldn't run around the yard with the kids. I couldn't keep up with them. I couldn't think half the time time, because my brain was fried. And I was wearing a size 24 jean. I weighed in at 258 pounds. I had way too many inches around my hips, my thighs, chest and arms. I never realized how big I got, until I measured. I HAD to change this. So, I did. I am.

I started with a 24 Day Challenge with AdvoCare. The first 10 days is the "Cleanse Phase". Spark, Catalyst, Fiber drink, protiens, fruits, vegetables, and OmegaPlex is all I consumed during this phase. I'll break that down for you: Spark is like a healthy red bull... I replaced my morning coffee and my afternoon energy drink with Spark; comes in great flavors like Fruit Punch, Mandarin Orange, and Cherry. Catalyst is a pill that helps muscle growth (and I promise you feel it!). The Fiber drink is what it sounds like; but tastes amazing... I didn't know I was drinking fiber unless I thought about it. For breakfast, I had eggs (welcome to the farm, I have plenty of those!) and a piece of fruit. Then I had another Spark (take Catalyst when you drink the Spark, they go hand in hand and make your workouts better), and then for lunch I had grilled chicken salads from work.
During this phase, I went on a 9 hour road trip to Houston for Spring Break. I thought I would cheat; I thought I would fail. But I didn't. I went out with friends on Day 6, cheated a bit with sushi and vodka.... I had 1/2 a piece of birthday cake on Day 7... I didn't let it spoil the rest of my day. I ate healthy and drank water the rest of the trip! I didn't miss coffee and coke like I thought I would. The road trip was tough, but not as hard to keep up as I thought. I kept some lunch meat cubed for snacking, some carrot sticks, celery stalks, and almonds. Gas stations suck for healthy food... it was the hardest part! But I was prepared for this and packed a cooler.

Days 11-24 change things up a bit. There's the addition of MNS packs, ThermoPlus, and Meal Replacement Shakes. I also increased my OmegaPlex, and there's the option for Carb-Ease, which I didn't do because I kept the carbohydrates out of my diet. So, in the morning: Spark, Catalyst, pre-breakfast MNS pack, workout, Bible study; breakfast MNS pack with a Meal Replacement Shake (I love the chocolate, the vanilla is okay, and I hear the Berry is irresistible). Snack on some fruit, then Catalyst, Spark, pre-lunch MNS pack, and optional Carb-Ease. Lunch with the remaining MNS pack on the daily strip. The strips are labeled clearly to avoid confusion, and I skipped a day of them on accident, and can tell the difference with and without them. I'll never forget them again!
My favorite meal for this phase was the Hamburger Salad. I created this at work, since I'm around burgers and fries all the time and started craving them. I make a bed of lettuce (mixed green and spinach), tomatoes, pickles, grill a 4 ounce patty of lean beef, onions and mushrooms, and put a little mustard on top of the patty which is sat on top of the vegetables. Viola. I didn't miss burgers for long!
Dinner at home was usually chicken and a bowl of steamed veggies. The kids would get the same, but sometimes I'd add some macaroni and cheese for them, or rice on the side. Some nights, they ate completly different food than me, like pizza or McDonald's, even. I tell you this because I ate my chicken and veggies while they ate what they wanted, and I survived.

I lost 18 pounds. I lost 14 inches total, between my chest (4 inches gone), waist (4 1/2 inches gone), hips (2 1/2 inches gone), thighs (2 inches gone) and arms (1 inch gone). I didn't work out hard, I didn't work out with weights. I just did the beginner stages of the Can You 24? Work out DVD. I went from 3 real push-ups in 24 seconds to 10. I lost 2 jean sizes. I gained myself. I gained energy with the kids, and I gained some confidence.

So..... Are you ready for this change?
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Whatever you do... make sure you're happy and healthy. THAT'S what matters. :)
Have a great day!

Implode

Have you ever been a friend to someone who abused the friendship? Of course you have, everyone has, right? Or is it just me? Because let me tell ya'.... I have been the victim of multiple friendship scams over the years. Does it sway me from making new friends? No. Does it make me wary of people? Yes. I don't trust easily anymore, but I am always meeting new people and willing to try to earn their trust. Don't misunderstand that... I love people. New people. And want to meet them (you).... I just have to get to know you before I trust you with secrets... with my life, my kids, my family, my thoughts, desires, dreams, wants. You get the picture.
But some people... they're good. They get into your trust circle (yeah I'm totally thinking about Meet the Parents here), and they know they're in the inner circle, and then...

Trying

I lied. As soon as I think I have my life settled enough for me to start doing stuff again, I have a week that is so crazy that I can't think straight on a Friday night. I think I'm ready to give up, maybe just for now, but maybe for good. I don't know... I love to write, share my stories, and keep a circle of communication up with my readers, but I'm at a loss as to how I'd be able to pull all of it off when life gets to me. I'm tired and overwhelmed and tonight, just want to cry.
I've been getting up all week at 5:30 am so I can get stuff done around the house. I plan on doing laundry, cleaning up the living room and kitchen, or writing after I do a Bible study. I get Daughter up for school at 7, so it leaves plenty of time to get it all taken care of, right? Sure, but not if Son is awake. He's getting up at 6:30. I don't get it. I can't do anything. This morning, he wanted to be held all the time. I couldn't put him down without risking him screaming and waking up the rest of the house. I just don't know what to do. I'm tired. I'm sorry I said "I'm back!" and then disappeared again. I'm trying. But sometimes I just can't get stuff done.

I'm Back!

I am bound and determined to make more time for my writing this month. January was full of family time and work, and I think I have found the time for writing in the mix of the two. I hope! I have missed writing and have missed corresponding with my readers. So this is my "I'm coming back!" post; so please, stay tuned for upcoming posts.
Some of the things I'll touch on this month:

• New puppy and training trials of a stubborn little Lab mix
• My favorite Princess and how she relates to me
• My worst haircut experience to date
• A few things that I don't understand
• Comfort zones and getting out of them for a better you
• A time when I was in the right place at the wrong time
• A bold move
• A goal within my reach, just not in my grasp as of yet
• What I'm reading and what's in my "to-read" list
• Many, Many More! 

Come back for more soon, or like my Facebook page for new posts, and join me on Twitter for conversation there if that's how you prefer to chitchat. 

Words Wednesday

I am in a Bible study right now, and we are almost half way through with it. It is a 40 week study that is amazing. I love it. I don't want to get into what I'm reading, what we're talking about, or anything specific with it here, but if you have questions, I'm here! Email me, facebook me, google plus me, whatever. But, I only mentioned the Bible study because it's very related to my "Wordless Wednesday" photo...
This is how I study. Bible. Notebook. Pencil. Wikipedia. Lots of room on bed to throw papers around. And usually, a piece of chocolate accompanies me, along with a glass of wine. Just one. Like Jesus did it!