Wow!! Neglecting the Blog….

BUT…..NOT myself!! The past couple of weeks have flown by but things are going great and I’m doing what I set out to do this month. Have success, take care of myself, and see some changes!

One of the biggest changes for this year that I wanted to see is the numbers on the scale to start dropping. I’m am thrilled (and somewhat shocked) that the numbers are dropping at a great pace!

January 1 weigh in for Shrinking Jeans challenge was: 215.8

When I saw that number I started crying! I couldn’t believe how out of control I had let the weight get. BUT…I had decided that 2013 was gonna be my year of success and changing for the better so I started making changes to make it happen!! Tracking ALL my calories in My Fitness Pal and making sure to EXERCISE every day!

I have been successful at doing both of these things….AND I am being successful in the weight loss!

Today’s weight (January 23) : 203.2

I was seriously doing a happy dance!! I was crying and screaming for joy all at the same time! I have lost 12.6 pounds in 23 days and I couldn’t be happier!

Everyone is asking, how? Honestly, I’m keeping the calories and exercise in check. I haven’t gone over my calorie goal the whole month. Sometimes it’s been ONLY because of the exercise but I’m staying within goal and that has made the difference.

I also have a serious thyroid issue that seems to FINALLY be getting under control with the prescription that the doctor gave me. So….with all this working together it appears I will be able to be successful finally!

The other biggie that I wanted to strive for during this challenge (and year) is to take time for myself daily. As a mom I tend to get busy caring for my son and the hubby, and household stuff that I forget about taking care of me, too ! This month I have spent some time every day just for me!! I’ve been reading every evening (except the 19th but I had spent several hours earlier in the day relaxing) and I’m finding I really enjoy reading at the end of the day. I’m reading my 4th book already and I don’t think I even read 4 books the whole year last year!

I’m still exercising in the mornings and (much to my disbelief) finding I am enjoying getting the day started with 30 minutes of exercise. It’s really a great feeling to know that after the kiddo goes to bed I can take care of the things around the house that need taken care of then I can relax and read, instead of trying to squeeze in some exercise!

It’s shaping up to truly being a year of success for me! I’m excited to see where I end the year.

So….how are y’all doing?

I’ve Accomplished….

One of my goals for this year is to write out things that I have accomplished that make me “feel good”. I mentioned that I wanted to post them out once a week so I can see them in post format, so that’s what I’m doing now.

Here are the first 9 days of 2013:

1/1: 30 minutes of exercise at 11:45pm instead of going to sleep without exercising. Goal met day 1.

1/2: Fun workout complete: Gorilla App from my IPhone and a Hula Hoop workout from the Wii.

1/3: Cleaned fridge and freezer – threw away all old stuff (4 trash bags full) and carried to dumpster.

1/4: Candlelight takeout dinner at home (that hubby suggested).

1/5: 6 weeks of lessons planned for school.

1/6: Groceries stocked up on for healthy meals to prepare.

1/7: Arose at 8am, exercised early, school done and a mom’s night out!

1/8: Did #FabAb workout even with sore lower back (didn’t want to do anything but sleep with pain pills!)

1/9: Did cartwheel at Perot Museum of Nature and History…and I have video to prove it! No, you can’t see it!

Week 1, 2013

Week 1 of challenge at the Sisterhood is complete. I feel I followed my plan pretty well. And it has paid off in a big way. More on that in a few minutes.

The only “off” time I had was from some kind of food poisoning type thing. I ate dinner Friday and by 11:30pm I was in the bathroom. I pretty much spent the next 4 hours there. Saturday was spent on the couch or the bathroom. Sunday I was back to normal but didn’t push the food. I ate only “safe” foods. Since then I have been getting more back to my normal healthy choices.

Exercise has gotten better as this week started. I started using the Wii Ea Sports Active to exercise In The Morning!! Yes, I started the new schedule of working out in the morning. I am NOT a morning person and I really don’t like working out until after noon and preferably in the evening BUT right now for me to get a workout in I need to do it in the morning. I have been getting up early (for me) and exercising before doing anything else. It has made a difference for me.

So…I’m excited to see where this challenge will take me. For now I will share with you my results from this weeks journey.

Goals for challenge:

Exercise 30 minutes a day…check

Spend 30 minutes a day for “me time” reading….check (in fact I just finished reading Carla’s e-book). That was the first book I’ve read for myself in a really long time!!

Write a “something good” post-it….check

Lose a minimum of 15 pounds…well on the way! January 1, weight was: 215.2
Today, weight was: 209.0

I couldn’t believe the scale so I got on twice just to make sure!! Yep, I lost more than 6 pounds in 8 days! I realize this is not gonna be a “normal” lose but I am thrilled with such a great lose this week!

JenJen did great as well with a 4 1/2 pound loss!!
Flame On is on Fire!!! We are both doing great meeting our goals and it is showing with our SUCCESS!!

Hope y’all are having the same kind of success!

I Was Made for More

One of the ways I’m spending my “me time” is by doing a devotional bible study.

Today’s quote struck me vividly…”I was made for more!”

Yes, I was! And so were you!!

I Got Me Some Goals!!!

The Sisterhood asked us to get some goals for the new year. It always helps to start the new year with goals…goals = chance of success!

Success is my WORD for the year, in case you wanted to know!

Here are my short term goals: Short term goals are for January and February…to go along with the challenge at the Sisterhood.

1) Exercise DAILY for 30 minutes. This sounds easy enough but I get lazy and don’t like to “get my sweat on” in the evenings. So…in order to ensure I do this I am “scheduling” a 1 hour workout session for myself from 9am to 10am every week day morning!! It’s on the calendar and I’m going to make it happen, beginning Monday morning when we start our new semester of school. During the weekends I really want to do something “fun” with my son. Maybe we will play a Wii game, or go hiking or biking. Or possibly even use the boxing bag together. Up to this point I have been squeezing in 30 minutes of exercise in the evenings. It’s been late and I haven’t gotten the “hot and sweaty” workout that I want but I have been doing it! That’s what counts, right?!

2) Write a “something good” post-it every day. I saw several posts on facebook that talked of writing out a good deed or something good note and putting it in a jar. At the end of the year you can look back at the good things that happened in the year. I loved this idea, so I put my own twist on it. I am writing out little notes of “things accomplished” or “things that make me proud” on a post-it note and putting them in a big basket. I’m planning to pull them out weekly and write them out on the ol’ blog. They may not mean much to anyone but myself but it will be nice to see the things I accomplished during the week.
This goal I’m taking all the way through the year….

3) Lose a minimum of 15 pounds during challenge.
I joined in with Roni’s DietBet and in order to be a contender for the money I have to lose 8.6 pounds in the month of January. I figure if I eat right, exercise properly and do what I know to do I can lose this amount of weight in the first 2 months of this year and during this challenge.

4) Spend a minimum of 30 minutes a day relaxing. As a mom I get busy taking care of the house, kiddo, and family stuff and forget to take care of ME! I’m changing that this year. So far I have used my “quiet time” to read and reflect on the day. It’s been nice and I’m looking forward to spending some “me time” nightly. It’s also been helping me go to bed more relaxed which is a nice bonus.

These are the goals I have set up for the challenge. I know that they are doable. I can do them. I WILL do them!!

2013 Is Off…..

I started 2013 like many of my friends and family, reflecting on the past year and setting goals for the new year. I also stepped on the scales this morning like a couple of thousand other people who have joined in the newest weight loss challenge from the Sisterhood. They have been my biggest support system since I started my journey of living healthier and losing weight. I will forever be a part of them as they will forever be a part of me.

The new year will have challenges, (every year does have it’s own set of challenges) but I am determined to live my life to its fullest. I’m starting 2013 off with a sinus infection and extremely low energy levels as is the case when I get sinus infections but I won’t let it get me down. Exercising daily (yes, starting today!) and taking time for me are my biggest goals for 2013. This includes eating food to nourish my body, sleeping enough for my needs at the time, drinking enough water, and spending some time to just relax. I tend to get busy taking care of others and doing for others that I forget about ME!

Most of my friends are like this but as I age I am finally learning a truth that has been told to me over and over: to take care of others I must first take care of myself!

I want success this year more than ever and to achieve that success I must step back and take care of ME. For me that begins today….

I did my weigh in this morning for the Sisterhood and was not pleased. In fact I was pretty pissed by it.

But “it is what it is” (my favorite saying) and I’m not going to let it get me down. Instead I’m going to do what I know to do….eat better food, exercise daily, and get enough sleep. By the end of this challenge I’m hoping to be under 200. Jen and I are in this challenge to encourage each other and get more in line with the goals we have for this year! Yes, we both want to lose weight but our priorities are to live healthier lifes!

I hope 2013 sees us all healthy, whole and well!!

Preparing for 2013

I want this to be a constant reminder to me…

I’m going to make this one of my mantras for 2013!

I have been doing some serious reflecting the past 48 hours about what I want for the new year. I came across both of these pictures on FaceBook this morning and decided they need to be a part of my 2013 “New Me”. I have signed up for 2 challenges to help me get the new year off right.

The first one I have already started – The Diet Bet that Roni has set up. I submitted my pictures and weighed myself and almost went into a mini-depression. BUT….instead I have decided that I will tackle this problem like I plan to tackle all my problems in 2013; with determination and strength!

The second one starts tomorrow morning with the Sisterhood of Shrinking Jeans has set up to get us started with in the new year! My partner in success for this journey will be Jen and we are gonna rock this challenge. We are both fired up and ready to tackle some major goals for ourselves in 2013. I will discuss more in tomorrow’s post with my weigh in pictures and goals for the challenge. For now just so you know the 2 pictures at the top of this post are going to be my motivation to tackle this challenge and 2013 with success!!

For now….2012 has just 8 1/2 hours left and I’m going to prepare myself for a successful start to 2013 by getting some lesson planning done and some menu planning done while I still have some quiet in the house (the kiddo went to play at a friend’s house and hubby is working!)

Many blessings on your new year!!

Change is inevitable. Progress is optional. – Tony Robbins

Although I really like Tony Robbins’ quotes most times this particiular quote doesn’t really do it for me. I personally believe that change is indeed inevitable but progress is NOT optional. Nor is is it progress if we are are changing!

I feel that this blog is a jump start to the change I am striving for in 2013. The past 2 years have not really been what I’ve wanted. I have struggled with weight loss, struggled with home stuff, and struggled with feeling like I am adequate. This blog is just one of the many changes I am aiming for during the upcoming year. 2013 is gonna be different. I am in control of making that change happen.

Why “juzcuz”? Because that is why this blog exists…JuzCuz….I want this blog to be a brain dump. I want this blog to be about my weightloss journey, my fitness journey, my life and all that it entails. My life is full of variety, so that’s what this blog will be. I am a homeschooling mom of a very active 9 year old boy. I am also a mom of a United States Marine who (fortunately) is NOT deployed and I will talk about my pride in my son’s choice as a Marine. I am striving to lose another 50ish pounds by exercising and eating a healthy diet….I AM NOT A DIETER!! I follow and support the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans as they are the best support system I have found online for helping find a balance in living a “normal” life and losing weight. I am also a huge supporter of the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure organization. I have taken 2 – 60 mile journeys and am signed up for the 3rd year in a row. My grandmother died of breast cancer and my best friend is a 1 1/2 year survivor.

I am striving to make 2013 a different kind of year. One of change and success. This blog will help to be my brain dump for everything going on in my life. I also want this blog to be a help to others. I am a “helper” and “encourager” by nature and that’s what I feel are my God-given talents. I am a Christian but not the “holier-than-thou” kind. If you want to know something feel free to ask. If you don’t then I will try to be a good example of what a Christian is. I am FAR FROM PERFECT….and PLEASE don’t expect me to be. I will fail you every time! I will talk your ear off about homeschooling (as I have been doing it for 18 years) and love to help others in their journey to homeschool their children. I also love talking about exercise programs and weight loss. I am in this for the long haul and love to hear about how others have found (or are finding) success.

This is my “JuzCuz”….I hope you will follow along and enjoy the journey with me!