Feb. 13th:
Don't worry about what others think, worry about what you will think of yourself if you never try.  We may look awkward trying new things, but as long as fun is had, who cares?  <3

Better, Baby!

"It never gets easier, you just get better"

Feb. 12th:

The level of task we lay before ourselves never changes, we just build strength the more we perform the tasks.  So go forth and get better.

For the next month, I will be packing my house and preparing to move.  We offered on a place and were accepted, eek!  I'm buying a condo, I think that makes me an adult now.  At any rate, I will have less time for these motivational blurbs, so I'm asking for forgiveness in advance.  They may just be the picture with a quote I like, and no explanation at all.  I will do my best to find super good quotes!  Keep up the good work, I'll be back to wasting pixel space before you know it <3

Rawr!

Feb. 11th:

There are a bazillion (literally, I counted) motivational quotes on pinterest.  This sums it up nicely, exercise requires some motivation.  You may not on a daily basis be in peril like in the above picture, but wouldn't you want a chance of getting away?  When you exercise, go to your ability, but always try and push it a little, just to see how far you can go.  Before you know it, you'll be picking fights with T-Rex at the local bar just for fun ;) 

Rawr! Rawr! Rawr!  <3<3<3 (three times the love Tuesday)

Know thyself

Feb. 10th:

I often find myself overeating when I'm bored or have nothing to do with my hands.  Watching tv is particularly difficult to do without chips or popcorn.  I try and keep water on hand for times like that, it helps me feel full and gives me something to do besides stuff my face with a bag of doritos.  If I am going to sit for awhile, I have a hobby that occupies both hands and yarn.  Can't have messy fingers, nor can you eat and crochet at the same time, so that helps too. 

The point is to identify where you feel your weaknesses are and find strategies to overcome them.  You know yourself better than anyone, use that knowledge to your advantage! <3

Yes you can!

Feb. 9th:

Back to your regularly scheduled posts of inspiration.  I apologize for my lapse the last couple of days, but hey, if you've been reading my brain droppings up to this point you must be a glutton for punishment ;)  Or you just like my well versed nerdness.  Either way I'll take it.

It's easy to say "I can't because...x,y, or z."  To give up before we start because we have already decided that "it" can't be done.  Whatever your "it" is, be it a new job, a new relationship, new lifestyle, whatever your dream, tell yourself you can.  You may start with baby steps, but every journey starts with one step.  If you need someone to affirm you, then listen to me when I say, yes, I believe you can do it!  <3
 

Home is where my family is

Feb. 8th:

Okay, at the moment I'm looking for inspiration for myself, and this one resonates.  My job certainly worked this way.  I was in a position at work that had rotating shifts and I didn't mind it at the time but we needed one of us on day shift for our daughter.  Of the two of us, I was the one eligible to go to the instrument shop, and man did I drag my feet and moan and complain.  Now, I can't believe how good life is.  I work a regular shift doing something that I find completely fascinating with amazing people, not that there weren't amazing people where I worked before, but it just adds to the awesomeness of the situation.  So it seems that it is usually just my dislike for change that makes me miserable until I see what the change brings.

Now that the headache is gone and my stomach resides in its intended location, I can think a little more clearly.  Life is about change, and a home is merely a house where a family lives and loves.  So wherever I live will be home as long as my family is with me.  <3

Change...

"All great changes are proceeded by chaos"

Feb. 7th:

I feel a little upside down at the moment.  We have until April to evacuate our house because of renovation needs.  We have started to look at condos in the hopes of staying in the area so Elizabeth won't have to change schools.  She already wants to pack.  I'm dying and trying for her not to see it.  I hate moving, and I hate the unsurety but who knows what is in store for us.  I had hoped that the possibility of buying our own place would leave me with more optimism, but I imagine I'll feel better in the morning.   At the moment I'm working on a headache and trying to keep my stomach in its correct location and out of my throat.

I will try to be slightly more inspiring tomorrow, but at the moment I need some myself, the well is a little dry.

<3

The before and after...

Feb. 6th:
Prologue:
Around this time six years ago I was in the hospital welcoming my first born.  I still to this day am amazed that I was a vessel that brought forth life into the world, and that life runs around spreading cuteness and havoc in her path.   Happiest of birthdays to my minkey, you are one of my greatest motivations.  I want to be healthy so I can keep up with you and to show you how to be healthy too.

Onto the post...
After seeing The Biggest Loser's winner before and after photo, I figured it was time to share my own in the blog.  So here it is, I lost 68lbs over two and a half years.  I went from a size 18 to a size 8.  I went from not running at all to a 9 minute mile.  I started working out just 30 minutes a day, five days a week.  I mixed up some kick boxing, weight lifting, and elliptical cardio, whatever sounded good.  I started cooking more of my own meals, drinking less soda way more water, and cut out the sweets.

The last four months I've been following a monthly workout calendar developed by a pilates instructor, which you can find here if you are so inclined.  Subscribe to her blog, and she emails you the password for the  monthly calendars.  I love the challenge of trying things I've never done before and seeing how far I can go.  I currently workout about an hour in the morning and then add either biking or running cardio at lunch.  In the evening, I've been trying a 90 day plank challenge and a 30 day ab challenge, so far only takes a few minutes to do both, as they progress it will take more time, but for now, I'd say total I'm exercising about an hour and a half a day.


I'd say my daily calorie range is around 1500-1600.  I haven't been paying as close attention to how many calories I'm eating because I've been more focused on what kind of meals I am preparing.  If I load up my meal with veggies and a normal portion of protein, I'm not worried about calories because I know am eating right, if I'm partaking a meal that isn't super healthy, then I pay closer attention to portion and calories because it is too easy to over do it.  Cut your plate in half when you eat out if you're not eating something listed as "lite fare" or if it has the calories posted for you.  Even with the calories posted you will often be eating half just to get a more normal portion. 

I probably spent between three to six weeks in the beginning being slightly neurotic about logging food and figuring out how to eat through out the day so that I wouldn't feel hungry.  Eating, for me, was the huge learning curve.  Exercise comes easy, I'm not built for all types, but I am built to move.  I enjoy working up a sweat, no joke, its exhilarating and makes me feel alive.  My dietary choices are still something that I will have to work on for the rest of my days.  I have a kind of all or nothing willpower when it comes to sweets, especially chocolate.  I can succeed at abstinence, but if I try and do the moderation thing, like just one piece of chocolate candy it's akin to opening the flood gates and before I know it, the chocolate box is empty.  We all have different issues that got us to our before picture, but we can all work towards our after pictures.  With some support and some sweat, we can achieve anything we set our minds to.

On a final note about before and after pictures, the important thing I'd like to note about mine is this.  In both pictures I am happy with myself.  In my before picture, I weighed more than I'd like, but I was happily married and had a healthy two year old.  I worked at a job I enjoyed and was having a good time with my bible study group.  I'm about to participate in a pie eating contest in that picture.  In my after picture, I am still happy with  myself, I'm still happily married, I have a healthy six year old, I still enjoy my job, and in the after picture I'm wearing my Christmas gift from my husband, new workout clothes.  The thing that separates the two pictures is the 2.5 years of daily choosing to stay on a path towards better health, but I celebrated all the in between victories, all the five pounds lost, the ten pounds lost.  The first major goal, the 4% of body weight lost in a month, the last weight goal, the first time I did a pull up.  Life is worth celebrating, every step of the way, but celebrating doesn't always mean pulling up to the buffet and thwarting all your hard work.  I've tried to find other ways besides food to celebrate achievements, new clothes being my most favorite, but whatever moves you is the key.

Epilogue:

I'm no nutritional expert or doctor, but to lose 155 pounds in seven months, sounds unhealthy for  most people.  If she's happy and healthy, I have nothing but respect for the work she put in.  However, for most of us, that is an unrealistic goal.  Fortunately, we have more than seven months time to achieve what we are after and it is worth more than you could ever imagine.  If you are working towards a stronger and healthier version of you, here's an internet hug from me to you (((HUG)))!  You can do it, I believe in you! If you ever want to ask me anything about what I write about, or life in general, or want to share your achievements, please feel free to message me! <3

Forget Atkin's, try the new pregnant woman diet!

Feb. 5th:

My baby turns six tomorrow, so maybe I've got a little baby on the brain-itis, but run with me.  I thought of this one all by myself!

When deciding how to change your eating habits, eat like you were pregnant.  I don't mean the old stereotype of "eating for two" or eating shrimp with ice cream (or whatever strange cravings pregnancy hormones elicit).  Rather I mean to say, nourish your body as if there is a vulnerable growing life inside of you that is dependent on you to make good choices.  Eat fresh fruit and veggies to get your mix of vitamins, eat lean protein to help build muscles, eat carbs in a healthy balance to everything else. (Twinkies are not the kind of carb I'm talking about).  And yogurt, let's not forget wonderful yogurt.

With regards to smoking and drinking, you are an adult and obviously you would do ok with some moderate drinking, but smoking, even in moderation is not a healthy choice, but it is yours to make.  

In reality, your body is a vessel to a vulnerable growing life, you! If you've made the decision to change and make new habits, you have become like an infant, everything is new and seems too big.  Treat yourself as you would an infant, with love, patience, and the best start on your new life by trying the pregnant woman's diet.  Totally free for the first trimester ;)

<3

All we need is love

Feb 4th:

In my search for something to write on today, I found a disturbing amount of untrue sayings. Nonsense like "I'm getting healthy to wear what I want" or "get sexy or die trying".  You can wear what you want and you are sexy by your attitude, not a number on a scale.   Please workout because you love your body and want the best for it and to know what you're capable of.  Our worth is not defined by the skinniness of our jeans.  Smile in the knowledge that you are already beautiful <3

Go for broke.

Feb. 3rd:

We can make some things easier, but in the end, there is work to be done.  Every day working towards the impossible, is a day closer to it being achieved.  It's an amazing feeling to do what you didn't think possible two weeks prior.  What drives you?  Find it, and go hard! <3

One life to live

Feb 2nd:

Hope this makes up for my ultra girly post yesterday.  I try and run with what is eating at my brain, and yesterday's topic just had to be done.  But today, woo boy, in the sea of sappy quotes I was sifting through this one jumped out and gnawed on my face.

For all intensive purposes we are aware of only one life on this earth to live.  So how do you want to live it, lamenting the things you didn't do or basking in the knowledge that you did your best to enjoy this gift.  It may not sound very feminine to say I want to be a badass, but I sure as heck do.  I want to climb mountains and crawl through mud, I want to sweat and feel my heart race.  I also happen to like dressing up and crocheting, and on occasion I wear profuse amounts of pink.

Baddassedness comes in many forms, find your personal flavor and rock the heck out of it!<3

Beauty standards are temporary

Feb. 1st:

Beauty.  There's a reason why there's an industry based on it.  It preys on our inner desire to be desired.  But there's a nasty little industry secret, if they keep changing the standard for beauty we will keep paying to try and keep up (flash back to my snake oil post here).

Insert history of beauty lesson in photos here --->

  The standards change but the driving force is socioeconomics.  Where do we fall in the scheme of society and what are we expected to do?  Are we supposed to marry and produce children, cool you can look like a full figured woman but in those days its hard to achieve that look because unless your nobility, you're working out all the time and food is expensive.  Times change, we get the right to vote and work outside of the home, guess what, you don't need all that excess in the hip area for making babies, or breasts for that matter.  Except now high calorie food is more easily come by and life in general is more sedentary for the average Jane.  Add in some jewelry, corsets, fashion, and makeup requirements and you got a money making machine

What is a woman to do?  Here's a novel idea, make your own standard of beauty.  You are beautiful just by being the unique person you are.  No amount of thigh gap, cleavage, or cheek bones can make you any more beautiful than you already are.  So when you walk into a room, hold your head high, you're the only woman in the room with your unique mix of traits.  You are fabulous and no one can tell you otherwise.  So keep in mind that those magazine photos are there to try and sell you something by making you believe you aren't pretty enough.  Don't let them!  Don't give them any power over you.  You are strong, fierce, and beautiful.  You have control over what you think, don't let them shame you into doubting yourself. 

Sorry guys, I know this topic has a parallel for you, but I haven't lived it so I don't have the life experience to expound on it.  However you have my deepest empathy for having to live up to photo shopped ideals of handsomeness. You are all handsome in your uniqueness too!

Keep rocking your bad selves! <3