three weeks ago today

Three weeks ago today I decided that I was tired of feeling sorry for myself for being over weight and out of shape. I was tired of buying "fat pants", tired of feeling out of control and tired of feeling OLD at the age of twenty-four. So I took the first step in which I decided I was going to change my life. Sounding a little dramatic? Maybe. But if you only knew my habits before that day compared to now it's truly a 180. I feel so great every day (okay, maybe not every day. I don't particularly feel wonderful after the days I kill it at the gym. lol) and I feel my desire to reach my goal only grow stronger with each passing day. To anyone who is reading this that has wanted to do the same I say this- JUST DO IT! Start by going through your cabinets and tossing anything obviously unhealthy. The chocolate in my pantry would speak to me as soon as I would open the door so out it went (along with soooo many other things)! Next, plan out a week of healthy, well-balanced meals and track everything you eat and drink. Lastly, make a workout schedule, even if it's talking a fast walk with your kids three days a week. Something. Anything! I must admit, I am at an advantage since my husband is currently residing in another country but once he returns home in January we're going to take this journey together. :) There are so many reasons I decided to this. A couple of them being that (1)I want to set a good example for my children so that they too can grow up and live a healthier lifestyle, then pass it onto their children and (2) I like money. And I don't want to spend all of it on medications in my later adult years. Medications I maybe could have avoided if I would have lived a less sedentary lifestyle. That's thinking way down the road but even breast cancer, which my mother had, can be decreased with things like less caffeine and more exercise. So here's to being proactive and to another very successful three weeks.. ::toast::

"So how are you doing?"

Hey ya'll. It's been a while. Between keeping some friends company, and playing the mom and dad role, it's been a bit crazy around here, to say the least.

Hmm. Where to start?

Kyle seems to be doing well. So that's a relief. He's starting to get a routine down which I'm sure is making the time tick by faster. He went for a jog the other day and randomly ended up at church JUST in time for mass. Coincidence? I think not. He said it certainly was the most interesting one he's ever attended. When you leave your room you must be in A/BDUs or PT clothes and you have the option of carrying your gun- so imagine that. Ha. We get to Skype every night. And we can call each other too, hassle free. I really can't complain. As far as deployments go we're about as lucky as you can get. That doesn't make missing him easier unfortunately. I miss my husband. I miss my singing partner. I miss my best friend.

Besides that I am doing really well. Today is day 1 3 on my improved lifestyle and I feel better than I have felt in the longest time. It's amazing actually. If you noticed at the top of my blog I've added a weight loss tracker. 4 pounds down, 17 to go. If I do reach my goal I will be at my pre-b abies weight! You remember how I was complaining about being exhausted around 1-2 in the afternoon? Wellllll, I haven't taken a nap in.. yup, 13 days! I feel totally normal all day long and, in fact, at 11:30 at night when I am still watching Army Wives I still feel wide awake. To get a taste of what I've been consuming, here you go:

Breakfast-

(those are egg whites)

Lunch-

Dinner-

I forgot to take pictures of my snacks in between. I had a yogurt for my first snack and four multigrain crackers with a piece of cheddar cheese for my second.

I've been averaging anywhere from 850-1,200 calories a day. I know, I know, that is not a lot, but as mentioned above I feel absolutely fine, and in fact full after these meals so I don't want to force myself to eat more. Eating 5 times a day probably helps with that, too. Calories are not the only thing I pay attention to, I also watch my carbs, fat and protein. I track everything on SparkPeople.com. It's a great website where you enter what and how much you of it you ate and it usually knows the nutrition facts. Some things I have to manually enter from the label but then it knows it and I never have to do it again. I measure out everything now. 1/2 tablespoon of light mayonaise on my sandwich, 1 cup of cooked broccoli- etc. However measuring meats and pasta has been tricky and that's why I recently purchased a kitchen scale. I am really excited about it and looking forward to knowing exactly how much I am eating everyday.

I have two friends; one who is a registered dietician and the other is a personal trainer, both in which I am talking to right now to ensure I am on the right track to a healthy weight loss.. it pays to have a lot of friends! ;)

For exercise I attend Zumba on Tuesdays and Thursdays and go to the gym where I do machines and more cardio on Wednesdays. That's also when I weigh myself.

Hmm, other than that let's see... my mom will be here in 14 weeks and I can't wait (Hi mom!).

That's it for now. Bye!