Thursday, May 31, 2012

Hello, and good evening to my faithful blog-reading friends :) I had a friend over today to play on my Kinect with me, it was a lot of fun, I burned some calories :) still need to get a bit more done this evening....not feeling super motivated to do much...but I will try to get some motivation going :) I think next week I am going to look into finding a nutritionist, I would really like some legit help with my diet :( I know that I am doing all the right things, but I need to know if some of the things I am doing are wrong, and I might not know it...didn't even come close to getting enough water yesterday, and when I looked on the fridge this morning, I realized that I didn't even have an entry for yesterday, so that explains why I go behind....I had no record of my efforts, so I couldn't tell at a glance where I was....today has been better, I only need to drink a little more to make my goal!!! Still sitting right around the same number on the scale....I know weighing everyday doesn't accomplish much, but after losing 3 lbs 2 days in a row, I think I got my hopes up that I had finally gotten the hang of this losing thing, but it turns out it is still gonna be a daily struggle....but I know that even though I am not seeing numbers drop on the scale, I AM getting healthier and THAT is the most important thing :) So, I am not going to get down about the numbers, just gonna keep plugging along doing what I know is good :)

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Alright, this is the first time I have even opened my blog since....Thursday??? It was nice to see a peak in pageviews yesterday, some of you missing me, and checking in....makes a girl feel LOVED!!! :) Sorry, friends.....it has been a very nice weekend spend with my Hubby, who injured himself working on the house, and I spent the weekend making sure he had no reason to get off the couch....it was nice being his personal nurse, and helper :) Then he ended up coming home early on Monday night cause of his leg, so I have kind of lost track of the days :( Anyway, I am back....I really don't have a lot of anything new, I am stuck (weight wise), it is important that even when you have a week that is more difficult (feeling bloated, and such) don't give up!!!! Next week will be better.....I have been trying to keep up with the water drinking, and getting all my different teas in....getting the tea drank....I still have quite a bit of water to drink today, I should probably be drinking one right now!!! Anyway, I hope everyone had a good Memorial Day.....did you make any changes to your usual picnic foods to make them a healthier choice? Did you take a day off??? OR did you prove to yourself that even during special days you can still stick to healthier eating....give you a chance to re-evaluate what is stuff we "have to have" for holidays....usually it is something that isn't going to benefit us, but what will you give up for a little taste of nostalgia??? Is it worth it??? Are you robbing your kids of their own nostalgia, just so that you can keep enjoying the unhealthy "traditions" from your childhood? Anyway, enough about that.....I am set to finish my week off GREAT!!! How about you??

Thursday, May 24, 2012

AMAZING!!!!!

As you know from my last two posts, I have had a goal to increase my water, I DID drink all that I was suppose to drink, and it really didn't seem like a lot, basically anytime I wasn't drinking anything, I would go get one....ha ha...I am finishing my last required drink of the day right now, and then when I exercise I will certainly drink probably another 32 ounces :) So, just doing 1 1/2 days of drinking the correct amount of water and I am SIX POUNDS LIGHTER!!!! That is right, 3 yesterday and another 3 today, I am OFFICIALLY lighter than I have been in YEARS!!!! I am sitting at 265, and can't wait to see what the scale says tomorrow :) I started the Dr. Oz tea regimen today, and overall it wasn't bad, I combined the Pu-erh Tea and the White Tea (which I accidentally bought White Tea with MINT....YUMMY) and drank 16 oz at breakfast and another 16 oz at lunch, I didn't add any sweetener or anything, it tasted fine on its own (could it be that I am beginning to LIKE tea???? Too strange to consider) Then I had 8 oz of Dandelion Root in the afternoon and it didn't taste very good, glad it was only 8 oz, that's like 3 swallows :) But I did add some sugar-free mint syrup, and that made it decent....then the best one of the day, 8 oz of Cinnamon Tea (Bigalow's Cinnamon Stick) I started to make 8 oz, and it smelled so delicious, that I added another bag and made a full 16 oz glass of it, I added one packet of Splenda and it is like drinking dessert, it is so soothing and relaxing (I iced it by the way), I think I will enjoy finishing off my dinner with this!!! Also, if your thinking about doing this tea thing, I will give you all the details, just leave me a comment, on here of on facebook :) or I will look around on the internet and send you a link :) If this tea thing does what it is suppose to, I should be under 250 very SOON :) Something I learned recently about tea (maybe the reason I never use to like it) your suppose to bring the water to a boil, then pour it, wait a minute or 2 THEN put the bag in, let it steep for only 4 minutes, there is this stuff called Tannin that is bitter, and the longer you steep the tea, the more is released, so since I started setting a timer and taking the bag out promptly at 4 minutes I haven't had bitter tea :) I think I am going to take the Memorial Weekend off from blogging, I am sure the hubby will be challenging me on the Kinect, and he has the whole weekend off, so I am going to enjoy a much looked forward, to weekend with the family :) Tune in Monday for the results on how much more I have lost this weekend from drinking.....ha ha....water and tea that is :) Hope you all have a WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!!!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Ok, guys....I know we have heard it A MILLION times, but I have to tell you, yesterday I started trying to drink more water, I didn't even burn as many calories as usual, I did around 450 active calories yesterday, the only thing I did different was increase water, and not even to the amount I am suppose to be drinking (over a gallon a day!!!) So, I stepped on the scale this morning, and I was 3 pounds lighter than yesterday!!!! I have actually drank EVERYTHING today that I was suppose to, so I am curious to see what the scale says tomorrow, I worked out today, and I think I have been pretty active...I am downloading my Slim Coach right now :) So, I will probably know the results before I am done with my blog :) So, as you may know, I have been fairly frustrated with my lack of progress, my goal has been 3 lbs a week, but since I finished my cleanse, I haven't lost anything.....there are some people that only need to make a small effort to lose weight, apparently I am NOT one of those people, I have been doing everything, at least I thought I was doing everything, I had diet (check) exercise (check), but somehow not drinking enough water has been slowing my progress, who knew....and let me be clear, I was drinking A LOT of water, I thought (8) eight ounce glasses a day was plenty, but not so.....I have heard that you can overdue it with water, but I would say if you stay somewhere around the formula of half your body weight in ounces of water you should be right on track :) Just looked at my data for today, and YES, I burned 850 calories and I had 55 minutes of heart activity :) I only did one of my water classes today, cause I looked at the data, and it seems that the second class isn't really benefiting me, cause I am not getting my heartrate up enough during it :) I mean, I am still burning SOME calories, but not anymore than I would be if I was doing pretty much anything else :) Also, I wanted to tell you about the meal I had tonight for dinner, I told Josh I felt like indulging, we went to Taco Bell, and I had the Cheesy Gordita Crunch Box (1 Gordita, 1 Supreme Burrito, and 1 Crunchy taco) Let me tell you, I should have stopped before I ate the Burrito, but I didn't, and it made me feel SO GROSS!!! I definitely overate, :( However, I checked my blood sugar 2 hours after, and it was in range!!! That is awesome, that means that I have done a great job of keeping my blood sugar in check, and the more I exercise, and watch my food intake, the better my overall health will get :) I got my tea in the mail today :) I am going to start my tea routine tomorrow....the White Tea has mint, so of  course, it smelled DELISH!!! The Pu-erh Tea didn't have much of a smell, but I mixed it with the White Tea, so if it does taste yucky, the mint will help :) I feel like this week is going to end much better than it started, although I am kind of feeling like there are so many things that I have to remember to do, I hope as I continue to do it, it will become a routine that I don't have to think much about :)

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

I am posting my  blog a little bit early, so, if you haven't read yesterday's blog, be sure to scroll down to catch them both :) Alright, so the word for the day is WATER.....I went to see my Chiropractor, Dr. Holmes today, and he told me that a person should drink half their weight in ounces of water.....so, I weigh 270, so that means I need to be drinking 135 ounces in water.....135?!?!?!?!? I am certain I haven't been drinking that much, I have been drinking maybe, MAYBE half that amount :( Then I got a wonderful blog comment from a friend of a friend and she said the same thing.....so I take this as a sign that it is something I need to focus on :) So far, today.....I still need to drink around 100 oz to get my liquid in for the day....so, I guess I should grab another water when I am done here :) I have already met my calorie burn goal for the day, but I intend to do more....I have some beautiful plants I got from a friend of a friend today, that I need to get in the ground, so that will be a good workout :) It is a beautiful day here in MO, it is days like this that it is easy to find things to do to get active, but what about when the weather starts getting hot??? We are suppose to have a high of 97 on Saturday, so I need to start thinking of how I will get active when it is too hot outside :) Having my Kinect really helps, and the air conditioner blows right in the prime Kinect spot :) Also, I haven't said anything yet (at least I don't remember it) but I ordered some teas from Amazon, I have been reading some stuff from Dr. Oz about drinking specific teas during specific times of the day to help with overall health and weight loss :) So, I will be getting them in the mail tomorrow, so I am going to start drinking more tea, and we will see how that works (I am not a fan of tea, but if it will help I am willing to give it a try) I will update you on how the tea is working, and I will also tell you how it tastes and how easy it is to work multiple teas into my day....I am sure I will be drinking it iced cause I really don't care for hot tea :) 

I have something else on my mind today.....I was reminded today how hurtful people can be....Why is it that the people we love the most are the ones we are the least careful with??? We would never talk to a stranger or our co-worker the way we talk to the people we claim to love, and also......why do we allow the hurtful, negative feelings in our lives to affect us??? I know that being healthy includes not only physical health, but also mental, and spiritual....and mental health and spiritual health go hand in hand....I know that with all that I have been through in this last year, it is my relationship with my family and more importantly my relationship with God that has gotten me through it :) I am not going to spout any kind of nonsense about meditating or being at one with yourself, or getting in touch with your "own" spirituallity, cause the truth is, that it is a personal relationship with Christ that is the spiritual well being I am referring to.....I know plenty of people will tell you, that you can do things your own way, but there are some concrete truths in this world, and saying that gravity only exists if you want it too, will not keep you from falling on the ground....Accepting not only that God exists but that He wants to have a personal relationship with you is an absolute truth, to have perfect balance with body, mind and soul you need to come to this acknowledgement :) I said all that to say this....the only way you can treat people right, and also be able to handle being treated wrong is by living a life that would please Christ, by showing His love to others, our ability to love on our own is nothing compared to the unselfish love that we are capable of through Christ :) So, in my journey to better overall health, I need to put equal focus on the health of my body, mind and soul.....:)

Monday, May 21, 2012

I had 119 page views yesterday!!!! That is crazy!!!! I got some feedback from my blog yesterday, most of it was positive and affirming....I especially liked the information my friend Rachel King posted on my link, I remember how healthy her family ate and they were all very healthy strong people, and their table always looked like a Sunday dinner, but it was healthy, whole food :) I also want to say that even though I make extra effort on many areas of my kids life, such as, when I drank pop, I didn't give it to them cause I wanted better for them, and honestly, I think we gauge our success by whether or not we did better than our parents....even though I am very strict about sugar, and I insist that my kids try veggies, I don't make them eat them all, but I make them try them at every meal, but Caroline's go-to dish is Macaroni and Cheese....she loves it, on any given day for any meal, if you ask her what she wants to eat, she will tell you, Mac n Cheese.....Do I let her eat it, yes, I do....I have tried making homemade, I have tried healthier versions, I have tried adding protein, or veggies, but the truth is, she loves just the generic, plain variety....do I let her have it every day? NO....she may get it once a week, and the is the compromise I have made....kinda wish I hadn't started her on it, but it use to be one of my weaknesses, too....since the cleanse, I really don't enjoy it, but I do include a protein with the mac n cheese, and I give her a proper portion size, if she asks for more, she gets a piece of fruit or something healthy instead of seconds, I say this to say that I don't think you have to turn your kids world upside down, just set some boundaries and include healthy choices daily, and also get rid of some of the bad choices....I had a dear friend make some comments about the choices she has made/allowed for her kids, and one of the things she mentioned was that everyday her kids get a "fun" snack and a "healthy" one.....what confuses me, is what makes the one that's bad, "fun", and why can't the "healthy" one be a fun snack, too??? My kids love to eat applesauce, and string cheese, I also let them have graham crackers (half of one sheet) they like to eat nuts, and raisins....also, she mentioned how "expensive" it was to cook a healthy meal for her family of 8, but I got to thinking about this awful myth that goes around, and in one area it is true, if your buying specialty foods that mimic the unhealthy ones.  I am not in favor of going into debt for "healthy" food that really isn't any better for you than the unhealthy variety......the truth is, even a "healthy" cookie still has more sugar in it that a person needs, and your life would be better without it :) Back to the MYTH....on the other hand, it is not true that eating healthy is more expensive, for instance, you could eat a pound of potato chips, and it would leave you wanting more, and you would spend what, $3-4 on it, or you could eat a pound of green beans, and you would feel full and satisfied and you would spend 1/2 that amount....healthy food fills you up and keeps you going, so you need less of it, but junk food will leave you with sugar spikes that will only increase your cravings for more, it is a vicious cycle....I remember when I have tried in the past to eat healthy, I would buy enough food for the week, but I always bought too much, and I ended up wasting it....I still struggle with it, I will go to buy zucchini, and instead of buying 2 smallish ones, I will buy 4, and 2 is more than enough, it is pretty deceptive how far veggies will go....My friend, Rachel King, has a great mom,(she is also my sister's mother-in-law) who works hard to provide healthy meals for her family, and my sister told me today, that she adds veggies to meals in place of all those extra carbs....so I encourage you friends, to go to the store or the farmer's market and try to makes something that has more veggies than anything else, and see how much it cost, and how filling it was :) I made a delicious meal tonight that had about 2 lbs of chicken thigh, 2 1/2 lbs of asparagus, and 1 lb of a frozen veggie blend of green beans, wax beans, and baby carrots....I cooked it all together and added the lemon pepper Philadelphia Cooking Cream....it was delish, and it will feed my family of 4 for 2 meals :) and my kids ate all of theirs (Josiah with some coaxing)....so my point is that if you want to make healthy changes, then do it, and if you are happy with the choices you make, then don't make excuses for why you don't change....I think you will be surprised at how much your kids will adapt to the changes, if they realize that it is not optional :) I am still trying to tweak my diet and exercise to get optimal results, so hopefully we will start seeing some number changes, SOON!!!! Also, for the last 2 days, I have been a "dolphin" in my fitness routine :) I am only 3 animals from the top spot...the Cheetah....I don't know that I will ever make it there, but it feels really good to see that my fitness level is increasing, and that my desire to workout is also increasing....but I have to say, when I am sitting on the couch all comfy and cozy, it takes A LOT of will power to get up and start working out :) To each of my friends out there, whatever your fitness level or eating habits are, I love you, and I want to inspire people to make important changes in their lives, because it is good for you, and the ones you love....change can be hard but there is always a pay out for those who stick with their good choices :) Thanks for reading my blog :)

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Up on my soapbox!!! :)

Today, as I was walking into Target, I passed a mother with a small child in her shopping cart....the thing that got my attention was that the small child (probably around 2 or younger) was drinking an ICEE!!!!! I can't think of any reason why a small child needs to drink a sugar coated sugar drink....my kids always ask for one when we go to Target (or any other store that has them), but the answer is always irrefutably NO.....I certainly don't want to step on anyone's toes here, but could someone please give me a GOOD reason why we reward our children for being good by giving them something that has no benefit to them, and ACTUALLY is harmful to them, why do we give in??? Why are children allowed to decide what they get to eat???  If your child wanted to drink Drano, you would never just "give in"....or if they were asking for a beer or cigarette....why do we think that giving your child more sugar in one sitting than they should be eating in a week is a good idea??? Where did we get the idea that sugar = love??? Or is it that giving your child whatever they want = love???? I know it is hard as an adult to walk away from foods that we love, but maybe it would have been easier to do, if we weren't bad eating habits as kids....I allow my kids to have some sugar, but I keep a very close eye on the amount......for instance, we go to the bank on Monday, and we are given 2 dum dum lollipops....when we go to the store, they are given said suckers, and that is pretty much the extent of their sugar for the week, maybe they will get a cookie (a small one), we went to a birthday party on Saturday, and I gave the kids cake and ice cream.....they ate a little of it, but didn't clean their plate, it is because they hardly get any sugar, that even if I gave them free reign to eat a whole piece of cake, they just take a little and then they don't want any more....to me, it is evidence of good parenting :) I don't just give my kids what they want, and I don't reward them with food.....I think that a lot of my struggles with eating are a result of bad examples from my childhood, on the one hand we were taught that at places like buffets that we need to "eat our money's worth", and when we had holiday get togethers, we would gorge all day, we weren't really given a lot of sugar, but every Sunday night after church, our dinner was cookies, or ice cream or some other dessert and that is all we ate because we ate so much for Sunday lunch, no one was hungry for dinner before Sunday night church....Not very many people know this, but when I was in high school I struggled with an eating disorder, I finally got to the point where I felt that I needed to tell my parents about it, so their answer was to make me eat yogurt and drink juice, and then they just told me to NEVER do it again....that was it, so I continued to struggle with it until I met Josh....I told him about it, and he was so concerned and worried about the damage I was doing to my body, and he made me PROMISE that I would never do it again, and I didn't want to let him down, so I kept my word.....I don't want to make my parents sound bad, cause I really have GREAT parents, they just weren't raised with proper food perspective either....one was taught to eat too much, and the other was taught to eat too little and that junk food was ok....After getting married, I realized that Josh was also raised with poor eating habits, too....I think if I polled most of my friends they would say the same thing, cause the truth is, no one knew as much about food and proper eating back then, as they do now, but now that we have all this knowledge why aren't we using our better judgement....WHY are people still buying their kids bug juice??? Why are people still giving their kids cup after cup of full strength juice everyday, juice has the same amount of sugar as pop, it is just as bad for their teeth and bodies if they are given too much, I let my kids have 1 8oz glass of half juice half water, and other than milk, that is the only juice they get for the day, anything else is water.....I DO NOT want anyone to think I am criticizing their parenting, I just want to encourage each of you to re-evaluate what you think is right for you and most importantly you children, don't you want to give them a better chance at having a healthy outlook on food than you have??? I want to give my kids every opportunity to have the best, and to make the best choices.....kids are not capable of making the right choices on their own....that is what parents are for.....if your not taking an active role in choosing for them what to eat, and what they watch on TV, or where they go and who the hang out with, then your just being their babysitter, your not PARENTING......I know it is a lot to change at once, I have encouraged you to look at your own life and make at least one change to a better life, now I would like to encourage you to do the same for your kids....show them that you love them enough to teach them what is right :) Look at the labels on the things you give your kids to eat, how much sugar is in it....and while we are on labels, if there is a label to read than it is pre-packaged food....of course, frozen fruit and veggies have labels, and of course that is ok, but really think about what your putting in your kids, and what you are teaching them by the choices you either make for them, or allow them to make for themselves :)

Friday, May 18, 2012

Oh, sweet blog friends, I know I have neglected you for the last couple days, but it was Caroline's birthday yesterday, and Josh took the night off work, so we spent the whole day together as a family :) I am thinking about canceling my Y membership, since I have the xbox, I am actually getting a great workout at home, but I want may keep the membership and do both, or maybe just suspend it for now :) I am more active than I think I have been in a long time, but I am not losing any weight :( I feel great, have lots of energy, but still stuck at right around 270, some days I am 269, and some I am 271, but just sitting there.....it is really easy to get discouraged and eat whatever you want, the train of thought goes something like, if what I eat isn't doing me any good, then it shouldn't matter....well, I know it does, I just really need to tap into the perfect combo of exercise/diet.....I know that if you eat too little, it can keep you from losing, and the same for if you eat too much.....maybe it is cause I don't eat snacks throughout the day, maybe I need to break my meals into smaller amounts and eat more often....hmmmm.....I know I am burning through a lot of calories....maybe I will look into finding a nutritionist, I don't know how that works into my health insurance, but if I could just sit down with one for one meeting, it might put me on the right track as far as how much to eat for my size and activity level :) I don't know that anything else is going on right now, I still need to be drinking more water, and get to bed earlier, I keep forgetting to get the sublingual Melatonin when I am out, I am sure that would help, it seems that I am always feeling very tired around 7 to 7:30, but after the kids go to bed, I must get a second wind, cause I find myself not wanting to go to bed....I may not blog tomorrow, cause it is Sat, and I spend most of my time on the weekends with the hubby, and I also have a friend's daughters birthday party to attend tomorrow, so I will be pretty busy, please check back in on Sunday night to read my newest blog :) Have a great weekend :)

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

I am gonna try not keep gushing on and on about the Xbox Kinect, but it is AWESOME for getting in shape...I got the Nickelodeon Dance for the kids, and 3 people can go at the same time, and I was dancing with the kids, and it was a good workout for me :) So, even when having fun with my kids I am burning calories and getting my heart rate up :) I have had a higher heart rate activity every day since I got the xbox, that I had even on the day I did the MS walk....and I thought I really pushed it on that day :) I am trying to figure out a way to stay active each day, and still have time to sew....I wish I could figure out how to get my heart rate up while I am sewing....it is a fairly sedentary past time....ha ha....it is a really difficult thing to figure out how to do the things you enjoy and still do healthy things, too :) I think it is all about making better choices, and finding things to do when I am not doing anything else :) Maybe watch less tv, so that I can do activity also :) It has been so encouraging to have so many supportive comments and having cheerleaders cheering me on :) but I would LOVE to have people working alongside me, making changes towards a healthier life...I would LOVE to hear your stories of the challenges you have faced, and what you learned, and how you feel about either conquering or even if it wasn't a success, I still want to hear that I am not in this alone :)  Also, I forgot to tell you, that the Refrigerator Oatmeal was a COMPLETE success....the kids even ASKED to eat some this morning, I was so thrilled that they were very interested in eating something that I know is very healthy for them :) I am going to make some new ones with strawberries and peanut butter in them :) I think the kids will love it :)

Monday, May 14, 2012

Ok, so I lost a pound!!!! I still haven't passed my low weight yet, but I believe I am going to start seeing major results :) When I got my slim coach it gave me a great way to track my activity, and set activity goals, and now that I have a Kinect Xbox, there is just no stopping me :) I looked at my heart chart for today, and the trend is a nice incline, and my heart activity peaked several times throughout today :) that means that I am being active for longer stretches of time throughout the day :) so far today was my best ever for heart activity....now if I could just do something about these sore muscles....but I just keep powering through, and I am sure at some point I will stop hurting...ha ha....I was just thinking about how sore my ENTIRE body was after giving birth to my oldest daughter (I felt like I had been beaten up AND hit be a truck)....I think I am MORE sore now, than I was then...ha ha....nothing like using muscles you don't normally use :)  Well, I have been eating healthy all day....more veggies, less carbs :) So, combine that with my new rigorous workout and I will begin to see results from my healthy new life :) Tonight as Josh was leaving for work, I realized that he didn't grab his big cup, he was starting to back out of the driveway, so I ran.....I ACTUALLY RAN, to catch him, and I was not panting when I got back in the house, it really felt good to be able to exert that kind of energy and not be weak and tired afterwards :) I feel like I should set some new goals, but I am at this point where I need to just stay steady and strong and stick with the current goals :) Well, hope you all have a great evening, and just keep heading in the right direction :)

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Sorry that I didn't blog last night....as it was the same last week, I was spending time with my hubby, and we had Caroline's birthday party yesterday, and also I have been spending time working on my fitness program on my xbox....so far, I know that I have been WAY more active than I usually am on the weekends, and days that I don't go to the gym.....I know that I have actually sweated (don't know if that is a word), and had my heart rate up....ok, since I got my Kinnect, I have actually had better heart activity than when I walked on the MS walk.....that is saying something :) I am really excited about the results I am getting at home :) Turns out I have a REALLY competitive nature....I keep trying to get a better time or get further, and a higher score :) The problem is that my body ISN'T as competitive as my mind....so at some point I have tired myself out to the point that I don't get any better....but there is LOTS of stuff that I haven't even tried on the "game" yet :) So for now, I have to break up my workout into maybe 2 sessions a day...I could do just one, cause I already reached my goal of 30 minutes of heart activity, and burned TONS of calories, but I didn't get as much done on the "game" as I wanted to....so I might get back on later tonight :) for some bonus work :)  Now lets talk about weight.....I have gained a pound each day for the last 2 days, so hopefully I will start seeing some lower number, I am doing everything right, but honestly, I took yesterday off, but that shouldn't have caused me to gain weight, cause I really did a good job eating right, I just didn't count calories or carbs, and I had a bun on my hamburger, but even though I gave myself permission to not care what I ate, I still found that I wanted to eat healthy, and I didn't want to indulge in bad stuff :) I did, however, have a small piece of cake and some ice cream for Caroline's birthday, and now I am back to following the rules :) I really hope to see some excellent results from my new efforts....I will tell you, I don't think I have worked out this much 3 days in a row, ever :)

Friday, May 11, 2012

I am taking a break from decorating and getting ready for Caroline's 5th birthday party to tell you all about HOW SORE AND TIRED AND SORE I am!!!! Today, hubby decided to get something for me, cause he thought it would be really motivating to get active on the days I can't get to the gym....he got me an Xbox 360 with the Kinnect.....I "played" on it for well over an hour, and the kids were loving it, I got the fitness one, and the console came with an adventure game that you have to hit, and jump and kick and all sorts of stuff.....my legs hurt, my back hurts, my hips and arms hurt, and I know it will get worse cause I haven't really stopped moving, yet....but here is the good news....I have burned almost 1,500 calories for the day, and I had heart healthy activity for 78 minutes, more than an hour of that occurred while I was "playing" for about and hour and a half...so most of the time, I was actually burning calories and having fun.....I am sure that I am gonna be one sore girl tomorrow, but I feel like while I was exercising, I just wanted to keep doing it.....there is a down side....the fitness game, called Your Shape, is more than just a name, there is an actual person on the screen that has "your shape" a little disconcerting, cause even though I don't beat myself up about how I am shaped, it still isn't easy to be in denial when your staring at your virtual self...ha ha....Well, I am very happily enjoying the very same diet that I hated when I started it back almost 2 months ago.....I know that maybe none of you have tried to do a proper cleanse and have ACTUALLY stuck to it for more than a couple days, but I can tell you from experience, that if you stick to it like glue, one day at a time, and stay on it for 3 weeks, even if you are determined to go back to your unhealthy lifestyle, the healthy diet will stay with you, I was doing low carb, and there is a lot less veggies in low carb, and I was really missing them, I started dreading meal time cause I couldn't think of what to eat, cause what I REALLY wanted was veggies, LOTS of veggies :) We are having the normal cook-out food tomorrow, burgers and hot dogs (just for you, Sam) ;) , but I have started a new tradition, it has been going on for over a year now, when we have get togethers, I like to have a veggie tray, something fresh and healthy, so that people who want to make good choices for their body are able to do so :)  Well, I am going to have to get back to work, I still have presents to wrap :) She is gonna be so EXCITED to see her Strawberry Shortcake stuff :) Have a great night :)

Thursday, May 10, 2012

 Ok, I have neglected to mention that when I checked my weight on Monday I was up to 271 :( But since Monday, I have lost a pound a day, and I am back down to 268....I got the stuff to make the refrigerator oatmeal I told you about, except I forgot Greek Yogurt (didn't forget as much as have had a hard time finding it) but I saw a lady in line in front of me at Sam's Club with a large container of it, I just didn't want to go back and get some, so tomorrow, I will go out and get some :) Anyway, I got some super cute wide mouth half pint mason jars, and I ordered the plastic lids on Amazon....I have included the link to the website for these delish looking breakfast idea :) http://www.theyummylife.com/blog/2012/03/293/Overnight,+No-Cook+Refrigerator+Oatmeal+--+A+healthy+breakfast+made+in+mason+jars+in+six+different+flavors!

I figures up the calories, carbs, and protein for all the recipe variations, and they are as follows:
  • Maple Syrup/Blueberry--Cal-229/Carb-40/protein-14 
  • Mango/Honey -- Cal-226/Carb-31/Pro-14
  • Applesauce/Cinnamon -- Cal-229/Carb-31/Pro-14
  • Chocolate/Banana/Honey -- Cal-244/Carb-34/Pro-15
  • Peanut Butter/Banana/Honey -- Cal-332/Carb-35/Pro-18
  • Raspberry/Vanilla -- Cal-204/Carb-20/Pro-14
I hope you enjoy this, I haven't tried it yet, but I am going to make them, probably Sat evening, cause I don't want to fill up the fridge before Caroline's party :) So, I had a "shake" for breakfast this morning, and ate salad for lunch, tonight, I am gonna have some chicken, and veggies :) I have been looking forward to meals more since I have switched back to mainly fruit and veggies :) And since I am losing weight again, I think that may be the answer :) Well, I am gonna get off the computer here, make my kids and me some dinner and try to get myself active, and burning some calories :)


Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Well, I was at Sam's Club today, and I got some more veggies and pineapple, so I am going to start my day with shakes like I did when I was on the cleanse, and I am going to eat mostly veggies, I will continue eating protein, and I will be adding some dairy....I will NOT be cutting coffee out of my diet, so we are good there :) So, I mentioned last night this "cake diet" well, the basis of the diet is that you eat a high carb breakfast and then eat low carb the rest of the day, and it has gotten great results, so instead of cake, I am going to do either the fruit in the shakes, or I will eat oatmeal with fruit in it, so it will be higher in carbs than I have been eating, if I stick with it for a week, I should be able to see if the results are positive or negative :) Also, I was asleep by 11:30 last night :) So, per the advice I got from a friend (thanks, Renee) I took a Melatonin at 9 pm so hopefully I will be more than ready for bed before 11 tonight :) I also am just finishing up my 8th water of the day, I know I need to drink even more than that, but it is a step in the right direction :) I have decided that the best way to lose weight in a healthy way is to eat things  that I know are good for me, in healthy portions, and NOT eat the things that I know are bad for me.....just doing a low carb diet, is hard to get a lot of veggies, and really no fruit....I felt like after I got done with the cleanse that I have really been missing all the fresh fruits and veggies I was eating on the cleanse, so I am just going to go back to the eating that I know felt right, and I felt good on that eating plan, and I was losing weight :) I also got this great recipe from my MOPS group for refrigerator oatmeal...it looked super good and easy, so I will post it on here after I give it a try  :) Well, that is my new plan :) I will keep you all posted with how everything is going this week :)

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Ok....is any one else as confused as I am with all these diet options??? There are the pre-packaged kind, and there is the calorie counting, carb counting, fat counting......I just read about a cake diet, where you eat a piece of dessert (less than 300 calories) with breakfast, before 9 am, and the reasons for why it worked seemed to make sense, and people had lost weight by doing it, and then following a low carb diet the rest of the day.....It seems that just when I think I have it all figured out, then I decide that maybe I don't.....If you look at statistics, you will find one thing, and then maybe you look at real life you find something else.....I am seriously thinking about going back to the diet I was on with my cleanse....just fruits and veggies, a reasonable amount of protien, and that's it....I felt great while I was doing it, and had TONS of energy, and I was losing weight.....I really didn't feel deprived (except for no coffee), but I think I can add that back in and still have a pretty good thing going.....I keep saying it would be nice to have a nutritionist, but truthfully, I don't think they really know for sure either, cause everyone's body is different, and what might work for one person, might not work for another, and I don't think it has so much to do with human error either.....Well, these are my thoughts for the evening, I really think I need to restructure my eating plan....my activity level is right on track, but I need to have both sides of this thing under control....I have not yet arrived.......In this journey, I am now wondering if anything I discover will be of any value to anyone other than myself.....Is my answer to weight loss and healthy living going to be any benefit to you??? Will it be your answer, too??? I think the best thing to keep in mind is that we have discovered carbs (in high doses), sugar, bad fats, and processed foods are bad for you health, and we KNOW that fruits and veggies, and healthy proteins, and fats are good for you, so I think the real answer is don't eat what is bad for you, and eat what is good for you.....I think I might start eating oatmeal for breakfast, along with some healthy dairy choices, and fruit....then stick to mostly veggies for the rest of the day....I guess, I need to pick something and stick with it in order to find out if it was successful.....well, I will sleep on it, and think about it maybe for the rest of this week, and I will let you know before the beginning of next week what I have decided :) Think I am going to try to do some exercise routine tonight....We will see :)

Monday, May 7, 2012

Alright, I did it.....I fell off the wagon :( and YES!!!! I feel like a failure, and it has been very tough today to get back on, I didn't lose any weight last week, and I really did stick to my diet, but after a week of just staying the same, even though I KNOW the reason why I haven't lost anything has been disheartening, and frustrating....It is hard to stick to something when you feel like it isn't working, and it takes a lot of sacrifice to stick with it....Well, let me tell you, I had cookies last night, and I ate chocolate, and drank milk (2 glasses) I really feel awful, I feel like I have let everyone down, and even though my head said I really want those things, my body rejected them, I had a headache, and I have felt generally sluggish.....What have I learned from this???? Well, I am human, and prone to failures, I am NOT superwoman, but I never claimed to be perfect or even SUPER....but I am NOT going to be a quitter, I slipped up, I totally lost control, and I knew when I was doing it, that I was wrong, but then I also thought after having one, that I might as well, enjoy myself :( It wasn't as enjoyable as I thought it would be.....now that is behind me, the next few days will be harder, cause I have to get that extra sugar out of my system, but I woke up this morning with the mindset that I am going to stick with my goal today....and let me tell you, after a day of failure it is really easy to say, I will just start up again, tomorrow, and then you say the same thing the next day and the next....it was very important to me that I get up, dust myself off, and make a resolve to stick with it, just for today.....tomorrow, I will do the same thing....I just need to stick with it, one day at a time :) I worked out today, but I don't think I was as aggressive as I usually am, cause I am tired and sluggish....I don't know if I am going to stick with this "low carb" dieting, I am thinking that maybe I will go back to eating like I did on my cleanse, I miss all the veggies and fruit I was eating, and maybe that is where my plan has gone wrong.....it seems to me that I had an easier time sticking to my cleanse than I am having with sticking to my low-carb menu.....well, I am going to have to do some thinking, this is where a nutritionist would really come in handy.....I wish I knew where my parents stashed my owners manual after I was born....I am sure they were just too busy to read it or store it in a safe location, so that I could one day read it for myself...ha ha...Anyway, I am trying to get enough water in my system, I still need to drink about 4 glasses "ish" I haven't been sticking to my plan for making sure I am getting enough water, I really have just let everything go....now I must pick up all the pieces and start working toward my goal....again.....I really hope I don't have anymore posts like this....it is my goal to stay on the wagon :)

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Sorry, for not blogging yesterday :) I only got one evening with my hubby this week, so I took full advantage :) I figured, with all the events yesterday, no one would have time to read my little blog anyway :) So, I got to thinking about how many things we do everyday without thinking about it :) I use to use Miracle Whip, only Miracle Whip, never Mayo (which happens to have no carbs), and I didn't like mustard at all, but turns out mustard has no carbs or calories :) I never use Miracle Whip anymore, it has sugar in it, and calories, and carbs :(  So, why did I always use Miracle Whip??? Because that is what I grew up using....I prefer cream based soups, but what kind of soup has the most calories, fat, everything.....cream based soups......I have a friend that puts 1 1/2 cups of sugar in 2 qts of tea, that is more sugar than Kool-aid has.....I would be willing to bet, if she backed off to 1 cup, she wouldn't even be able to tell the difference, it is probably just a habit.....If I make Kool-aid (which doesn't happen at my house), but I only put 1/2 a cup in there, and it is still plenty sweet :) Anytime you find yourself just doing something without even thinking, that is the time you need to take a  look at your routine, and analyze your reasons :) There might be things you do, cause that is how you were raised to do it....I would be curious to hear anything that you have discovered about doing things out of habit :) So, I have met all my goals for today, but I think I am going to do a workout routine (I have a line dancing workout, that is easy to follow, and seems to be a good workout, as long as I can get past the pigtails and plaid...ha ha) I will weigh in tomorrow, I am looking forward to seeing what this next week will hold, weight wise, cause tomorrow will probably be a bad weigh in....well, not bad, cause I don't think I have gained anything, but I don't think I have lost this week either....so, even staying the same isn't the worst thing......My water consumption has been awful today, I think I have had 3 glasses, and 2 cups of coffee.....I will drink another 4 before bed (at least that is my plan) so that will get me into the low range of where I should be.....as far as sleep, I was asleep before midnight last night, and I woke up feeling more tired than usual, so either my late nights are catching up with me, or my body just doesn't know what to do with all that sleep, so tonight, after I get off the phone with my hubby, at 9:30, I will do my workout, and then straighten the kitchen, then do bedtime routine, so hopefully I will be in bed by 10:30 or 11 :) I will let you know how I did tomorrow :) I know that some of you have had struggles with sticking to your new choices, and maybe you feel like it isn't worth it, but I am telling you, it is SO WORTH IT!!!! You have to remind yourself why you made these choices in the first place, and you can't give up!!!! I want to be in regular misses size clothing by mid winter :) I also, would love to be skinny enough to have another baby, and get to buy maternity clothes, and I want to be healthy, so that I can have an active life with my family....have you written down your reasons for getting healthier, if you haven't, you should do it :) Have a great week, renew your goals!!!!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Alright, I know I am posting late, AND my goal was to get to be before midnight, but I am kinda pushing it, cause it is midnight right now...ha ha....Well, I will go to bed as soon as I am done with my blog :) I have had a good day, and I have been very busy, but I got my workout in this morning, and I did 45 minutes of heart healthy activity, and about 1 1/2 hours of exercise, I walked over 6 miles today, that seems to be my average on the days I work out at the gym....I know I need to get my diet figured out better, I haven't seen any weight loss this week, but like I said almost a week ago, I don't really expect to see any loss this week, however, I haven't gained anything, so that is a step in the right direction, also, I am going to start making a list of one or two things each week I am going to actively work on.....it is much easier to start and maintain one or two new habits at a time, rather than trying to change everything all at once :) So, for this week I have 2 goals, the first is to get to bed when the time still starts with a double digit number, so any where from 10 to midnight (for those of you who aren't mathletes)....My second goal is to drink more water.....I made a new facebook friend, my uncle Cliff (my hubby's uncle, but I guess I can call him uncle, too), he has made some fantastic health improvements in his own life, and he has been more than happy to help me with some excellent tips and advice, and the first 2 things that really stuck out to me is more water, and more sleep!!!! So, that is my weekly goal :) I will let you know the score throughout the week....knowing I have to answer to you guys, really keeps me thinking about the changes I am trying to make.....NOW that I have 2 goals for the week, I need to come up with a strategy for how to accomplish them :) As far as water, I am going to try several things, and see what gives me the best results....first of all, I am going to put the bottles of water that I need to drink for the day on a separate shelf from the rest of the water, that way I will know at a glance how I am doing, also, I am going to try to drink a bottle of water before each meal, or during......or maybe after....something like that, and also, try to drink a bottle of water before I drink a cup of coffee.....so, we will see how these tricks work :)  As far as sleep, well, I have been typing this blog for the last 10 minutes, and now I am past my goal already on my first night...ha ha....Well, maybe I won't count tonight, but for the rest of the week, I think I will set an alarm on my phone for 10:30, and that will be my signal me to start my bedtime routine, which I think will include Melatonin, so that by the time I am done with getting my house and myself ready for bed, I will hopefully be sleepy enough to get to bed, I will also set the timer on my TV for 30 minutes, that way, if I take 30 minutes to get ready for bed, then I will be asleep less than 30 minutes after that (I am always asleep by the time the TV turns off), that would mean I will be asleep before 11:30, if this plan works out well, then I will try to bump up my time to start my bedtime routine to 10, and then I would be asleep before 11.....This is a GREAT example of exactly what I have been talking about, you have to have a plan, and sometimes you have to reach your goal in steps, it doesn't matter how many steps you take to get to your goal, it is that your moving forward....how is your motivation these days???  What are your goals for the week to come???? Hope you have a great weekend.....Please pray for me, I am speaking at the Mother/Daughter Tea tomorrow :)

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Ok, I am feeling better today, trying to get back to my positive train of thought.....let me make something clear about last night :) Even though I made healthier choices for my eating, it is never a good idea to eat to comfort yourself....I should make it clear that I wasn't eating to comfort myself, cause if I was I would have been eating chocolate, and chips :) So, it wasn't as much comfort food as it was that I was feeling restless, and felt like I needed to be doing something, but I was so tired, and didn't feel like getting up and doing something (I should have exercised), but instead I worked my jaw.....not my finest hour....I wish I had been stronger, I should have had a plan in place, but frankly, this was something I just wasn't prepared for and now that I see this emotional weakness, I will try to find a better solution, but at the time, trail mix seemed like the best choice at the time, and sometimes that is what we have to do, and you can't beat yourself up over not doing better than you did....it is in the past, and that is where it needs to stay....in the PAST!!!!  I have a problem with dwelling on the past, and not being able to move forward because of my failures....I am back on track and ready to go :) I hope my eating last night didn't give anyone any ideas about quitting, or making excuses for not doing the best you can :) I am just having a rough week, but I am working through it :)  I have had  a pretty good day, but tomorrow will be better, and the next day will be even better :) Just keep working at it every day, that is all you can do :) Have a great night everyone :)

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Well, the week has finally gotten to me.....I am at my lowest, I am feeling like I have NO will-power....I just found out tonight that a dear wonderful man, who was like a grandfather to me, passed away....I probably would have gotten to see him Sunday, cause he was on his way back from his winter in Texas.....too much loss this week....I immediately started thinking about things I could eat, that it would some how make me feel better, but I reached for the trail mix....certainly NOT on my diet, but a much healthier choice than chocolate would have been.....I know that I am eating impulsively right now, and I am not following my diet right now, but in a way I still feel in control, because instead of just going on auto-pilot, I at least made a decision to go the "healthier" route, and it isn't even trail mix that has chocolate in it, just nuts and fruit :) After the week I have had, I give myself permission....I almost got a pop tonight at church, but I just couldn't bring myself to opening it and drinking it.....I have made the best choices I can, and still able to indulge....I don't intend to feel guilty or have regret for my trail mix, cause life is full of too much regret, I don't intend to do anything other than be proud of the fact that I am choosing what I eat, instead of letting it choose for me....Have a good rest of the week everyone, and remember to show those you love, how much they mean to you EVERYDAY!!!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

This was my lunch today :) Salmon and green beans :) It was delish, and the best part was that while I was eating, my son came up to mooch green beans, and my daughter wanted some of my Salmon AND my green beans :) She said she LOVED Salmon, and Josiah, of course, would have eaten ALL my green beans if I had let him...ha ha....Tonight for dinner, we had green beans again (my favorite veggie) and Josiah asked if he was getting to have green beans just like mommy :) and he was so excited to get to eat some like me :) That is pretty cool to me, cause even though I make my kids take a bite of everything on their plate, I have never tried to get them to like veggies, and knowing that just my example of healthy eating is changing what they want to eat is AWESOME!!!!

So, my mind is completely determined to make changes in my life for the better, but it seems to be a daily fight to get my body on the same plan...ha ha...I need to get my heart rate up everyday, so I my plan, in my mind, is to do some dance aerobics after the kids go to bed, but I feel so stinkin' tired today, I am gonna have to make myself....the fact that I am getting my blog up and it isn't even 7:30 is a perfect example of how tired I am today....I need to get to bed early tonight :) I finished the prom dress I was working on, so now I can focus on eating right, and getting more exercise....didn't take the dog for a walk today, but the day isn't over yet, I can still get some activity in tonight :) I have a lot on my mind today, about lots of things, but I can't quite put it into words, that would make sense to anyone else, but me......I am trying to figure out how all my feelings of anticipation, loss, failure, and determination fit together, and how I can figure out why I am having feelings of being defeated, and how to use them for good, and for success, instead of letting self-doubt eat away at me....I am typically a positive, low-stress kind of person, so dwelling on the negative has never been something I do, but I have discovered since the loss of my sweet Kyndall, that dwelling on the negative, or even allowing others in my presence to be negative is damaging to my WHOLE spirit, and brings me down on many levels....and I have never before had stress like I did this last year, I don't know that I really know how to deal with stress, I think I just shut-down and go on auto-pilot.....not so great for the spirit either.....so, what I have learned, is when I am feeling "off" I have to figure out the trigger and fix it, or deal with it....otherwise, I will be just stuffing it....I can guarantee that is not the answer....you can never run from your fears or drink away your problems, there is no substance (including food) that will fix the issues in your heart and mind.....the best way for me is to address the problem, currently I can't figure it out, maybe it is just that I am tired, but if it is more than that, I will soon figure out, what is triggering my negative thoughts.....I have a good idea that it is because I have been made aware over the last few days of other people's tragic losses, and I think I just feel my loss all over again, fresh and new.....I wonder how long I will keep allowing this wound to be ripped open again, and when will it be just a scar to remind me of what once was, but no longer painful.....yeah, there it is....I think I have figured out my current trigger :( Oh, how I miss my baby......there is no amount of focus and determination that can erase the feelings of great loss that I have. It was 7 months ago yesterday that she went to be with Jesus, and I still miss her.....I often push my pain to the side, because I have to be able to function, I have to be able to get through the day without her, I can't just live in my PJ's, I have people that depend on me, and I need to be needed by them, and I CANNOT dwell on what I cannot change, so therefore, I MUST focus my energy on things that I can see and feel, I must use this pain to facilitate positive change in my life, I must live my life in a healthier way, cause I never want to put my children through the pain of losing me until I am old enough for them to be willing to let me go cause it is for the best....I don't want to leave my kids suddenly, unless that is what the Lord's plan is.....but I MUST focus on creating positive change in my life.....ok, I know at this point I am probably rambling and have lost most of my readers attention, but I think I have somehow talked myself into working out tonight even though I don't really feel like doing anything.....I have to just remind myself why I am changing, and why I need to stay focused :) Hope you have a good evening.....
I  went to the zoo today with a friend from back in the day :) it was a great way to get some exercise, and fresh air, and have a good time :) We brought a picnic style lunch, and I brought a salad, some hard boiled eggs, and string cheese, but all I ate was the salad.....I didn't know how hungry I would be, and figured I better make sure to pack enough :) I checked my Slim Coach, and I had almost an hour of heart healthy activity!!!! And I, of course, met my calorie burn goal.....I still need to make sure I am active like this everyday....thinking maybe I will take Caliber for a walk tomorrow, that will be a work out :) I might even try to run a little with him :) I didn't even fill out my food journal for today, but I didn't have any sugar, I even ate some trail mix, (it was the kind with the M&M's) but I threw out the candy and just ate the nuts and raisins :) So, I was probably higher in my carb count, but maybe not, cause I really think the nuts was the only carb rich food that I ate, and so it wasn't that bad :) I don't know that I will get around to filling out my journal tonight....I am pretty beat from my zoo adventure :)

I am sure you have all heard the quote...."How do you eat an elephant??" The answer being.....ONE BITE AT A TIME!!!! I think this is a very good way to look at health changes.....(not by eating an elephant), but by taking it one small step at a time......I know that many of you are like me and often times feel  that the changes that are needed seem insurmountable, but the truth is "the journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step"....You don't have to become a Vegan, or win a body building contest to change your life.....It is important to look at the things that you do everyday habitually and re-evaluate whether it is a benefit to your health or damaging to your health......If you normally put 4 packets of sugar in your coffee or tea, then cut back to 3....it may be a little off at first, but with time you will get use to the change, then cut back another packet, before you know it, you won't be adding all that extra sugar to your drinks....I always say, I don't want to drink my calories :) I know that my way, by doing a cleanse, was extreme, and for people like me, that is a good thing, but you may need to coax yourself into these changes by one little baby step at a time :) The one good thing about cutting out the bad for a set amount of days or weeks, is you body gets so use to the lack of sugar that when you try to go back to your habits, your body rejects the old way :) Set a goal to eat at least one more vegetable a day than you are eating now, or increase your water intake by just one extra glass....whatever you know to be deficient in make an solid effort to change just one step in the right direction, and whatever you are doing too much of, just make one step in the right direction to stop those unhealthy habits.....let me tell you, if you think that for some reason you can be overweight, and eat and drink sugar coated sugar and not end up with diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems.....then your living in a Willy Wonka Dream World......it is much easier to make positive changes when it isn't urgent....and often times people with health problems like diabetes, never make the changes they should, and soon they are slipping back into their old habits and making excuses for why they cheat.....I want to remind you again why your getting healthy, it is not just for you, cause probably if your unhealthy, and you have been for some time, then you may not even remember what it feels like to feel good, you may not remember how much energy you use to have, so just doing for yourself isn't always enough, but what about your kids???? Don't you want to set a good example for them??? Don't you want to have the energy to play with them and have fun???? My daughter needs to learn to skip....hmmmm....I haven't skipped in a long time, but I am getting to a place in my activity level that I think I could teach her, but a year ago, even 3 months ago, I wouldn't have been able to do it (haven't tested this theory yet), but I am gonna try :) What about being there to watch your kids grow up??? Mom's are starting their families at much older ages than they use to, I will be in my 50's when my kids are starting their families, people who are overweight in their 20's are less likely to still have good health in their 50's if they don't get things under control NOW.....it is just about making small changes and setting small goals that will get you to better health :) Don't try to jump to the peak of the mountain in just one leap.....it is gonna take hard work and determination, but all you have to do is be determined to take ONE STEP TODAY, and then make sure you take another tomorrow, and don't turn around, DON'T LOOK BACK, Don't take one step backwards....just keep moving forward, even if it just a tiny amount, no one else may notice it, but you will know that you had a itty bitty success that will give you the strength and encouragement to have a bigger success tomorrow and even more the next day.....REMEMBER ......just take ONE STEP!!!!!