Body Clutter: Chapter 7: Building your Routines

In order to incorporate healthy eating into your life, it needs to be a part of your ROUTINE. -Leanne

A babystep is choosing one new thing to become a habit. A routine is adding those habitual babysteps together. -FlyLady

When babysteps are incorporated into a routine, big things happen: You have a greater inner resolve to go forward, you can see your way to a new goal or two, and you start to feel almost invincible! -Leanne

To date, I have lost 53 lbs since the birth of my son. Granted, about 25 of that fell off in the first couple weeks, but still. That's still 23 lbs that I have had to work really hard to shed. It wasn't easy emotionally and sometime's its still not easy. As you may recall, in March of this year, I was a mess, convinced I could do nothing to change the way I looked. I felt fat and ugly. I in no way felt good about myself. I loved my new baby with all my heart, but I didn't love myself. I was so confused as to why I had put so much of my self worth into the way I looked. It wasn't until I finally made the decision to actually do something that a transformation of both mind and body started to happen. It started with babysteps and incorporating those babysteps into my routines. I can honestly say that as the past 6 months have gone by, those babysteps have turned into routines and I feel EMPOWERED by that and I am finally FLYing (finally loving my (your)self!!)

So why don't we take those babysteps and turn them into routines?

1. We have ourselves convinced from previous failures that there is no way that something simple can work for us. It has to be diffuclt and complex to work, right? No pain, no gain, right? WRONG! -Leanne

2. We think of exercising as something that takes up so much time that we just can't find a place for it in our busy lives, or we go into it overkill and push ourselves so far so fast that we inevitably burn out and quit...AGAIN! -Leanne

3. Another thing that often stands in the way of reaching one's goals is procrastination. If you put off planning, you won't have anything to work with. -Leanne

So how do we turn those babysteps into routine?

You start NOW!

You don't wait.

You make a plan.

You move forward.

You can do this!

Weighing in with Him- Vacation style!

Yesterday WOULD have been weigh-in day, but I am in St. Louis and my scale is back in West Texas!

Therefore, I shall be scale free until October 12. Yep, I am here for 2 1/2 weeks. Yes, my parents have a scale, but it's not my scale and according to my mom, her scale is truly possessed. And we know how I feel about possessed scales! So I will just weigh in when I get back home on October 12 ;)

You may ask "how can you be away from your husband for so long!?" Well, we live an hour away from the university (in Lubbock) where he is getting his phD and he has really been wanting to put in long hours so he can knock this dissertation out, but often he comes home around 6 pm so we can have family time (no complaints there!) With me being gone for a couple weeks, he will be staying in town with his buddies and putting in long hours at work. And I get to visit with my family and Little E gets to hang out with his grandparents (which makes my parents EXTREMELY happy!) So I miss him terribly when I am gone, but the goal is to get that phd done so we can move closer to family!!

Hubby called me with his weigh-in results so at least someone is weighing in!

Hubbys weight last week: 258.4

This weeks weight: 256.0

Total week loss: 2.4 lbs! YAY!!!! I am so proud of him!

Non Scale Victories

• I visited my family 6 weeks ago and I was 144 lbs. Currently I am 137 lbs. The first comment from my mom and grandma was “oh you look so much smaller!” Amazing how much a difference 7 lbs can make. But it is so encouraging to know my family can SEE the difference.
• Still going strong on 30/40/50 challenge. I intend to make myself a “badge room” on my page for the challenges that I complete!

Goals for the week while on vaca

• Bike at least 20 miles (on an actual road bike!) 1-2 times a week
• Walk 3-5 miles on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with ankle weights and Little E
• Drink Shakeology for breakfast 5 mornings (YUM!)
• Help parents clean out garage which requires some intense lifting and bending so that’s gotta burn some calories!
• Blog at least 3 times this week. With as busy as I have been, I have been only able to blog once a week. I HAVE to fix this. I have several chapters of Body Clutter that I need to post!!!
• Get the craft blog up and running!

What are your goals for the week? Make small changes and those small changes will become habits!

PS: my font is looking crazy on my end. Is it for you?

Weighing in with Him: the WHOOHOO version!

WHOOOHOOOO!!!

That pretty much sums up how I am feeling right now ;) Let me show you why!

As you know, I have been doing my "mega walks" 2-3 times a week with Little E. Well, he goes to Mothers Day Out on Thursdays so hubby and I broke out the bikes 2 weeks ago. Here we are out on our bikes for the first time in a LONG time! We used to mountain bike several times a week when we lived in Missouri. It felt SOOOOOO good to go riding! My legs were screaming but it was a good scream!

We did about 12 miles on the dirt roads averaging about 10-12 mph.

Last Thursday, I went out biking solo and was pretty sure I was going to die on 3 separate occasions. I biked to church to get my keys from the diaper bag that happened to be with Little E at Mothers Day Out. That was 4 miles. Then I decided to bike an additional 13 miles.

Death Trap #1- I somehow ended up in the "ghetto" of Pville and was definately not in the best of neighborhoods. That was scary! Plainview is a nice town, but don't go east of the railroad tracks. Its rough over there!

Death Trap #2- I was riding out on the country roads and a rottweiler came snarling at me and I didn't realize he was chained up at first. I started pedaling super fast. I was convinced I was going to lose a leg before I saw that chain!
Death Trap #3- Picture above. Intense fog. I was sure someone was going to run over me as I was biking on the outer road of the interstate (I was NOT on the interstate lol).

Luckily, I survived.

And look! It rained enough in West Texas that the mud actually stuck to my tire!!

Last Saturday was RACE DAY! Here is hubby with his victory stance =)

And here is me doing my victory pose! 21 miles complete in 2 hours on mountain bikes! We were biking right into strong winds for the first 10 miles so we could only average 10-12 mph at first. Those last 11 miles were AWESOME as we were averaging 16-22 mph!!! ZOOOM!

So now for today's weigh in!

Last weeks weight: 138.6 lb

Todays weight: 137 lbs!

Total loss from last week: 1.6 lbs!!!!!

Hubbys weight last week: 260 lbs

Hubbys weight today: 258.4

Total loss from last week: 1.6 lbs

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Non Scale Victories

• I biked a total of 38 miles this past week! And it felt awesome!
• 21 miles of that was on Race Day for Cowboy Days in Plainview Texas and we finished it in 2 hours!
• Still going strong on the 30/40/50 challenge!
• I walked a total of 5.24 miles with ankle weights, the dogs and Little E.
• I tracked on MFP and stayed very close to my calorie goal.
• Completely unrelated to fitness, but remember my Craft Blog I am working on? Well, I have designed it. Its up and just nearly ready to make its debut. If you are interested in crafting, I will be sharing my new facebook page and craft blog in the near future!
• I finally tried a new recipe and it turned out fabulous. Check out this tasty recipe for CrockPot Turkey Lasagna! YUM!

And now I shall sign off with one last:

WHOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!

Weighing in with Him: /happy dance!

I realize that I weighed on Monday and I am just now blogging on Wednesday. I hope you still love me. It's just been a busy week! And we are only 1/2way through it!

Update on my mom- She is having tests done on the 19th so hopefully we will know something around that time. Praying, praying, praying they will figure out whats going on and that it is something that can be easily reversed.

Update on Little E- Although he still has his cranky moments, I think we are over the worst of it...until another pearly white bears its pointy little head.

Alright, lets get on with it, shall we?

Last weeks weight- 140.6

This weeks weight- 138.6 (WHOOHOOOO! )

Insert happy dance here.

Current Measurements:

Left arm- 11" - down 1/4"

right arm- 11 1/4" -no change

Chest- 38 1/2" - down 1/2"!!!

Waist - 36 3/4" - down 1/4"! Every little bit counts!

Hips- 37" - 1/2" inch GONE!

Right thigh- upper - 21 1/2" (new measurements--decided to do both parts of my thighs)

Right thigh- lower- 19" no change

Left thigh- upper- 22"

Left thigh- lower- 18 3/4" - down 1/4"

Get this. Since April of this year, I have lost a total of 18.25 inches!!! And yes, I am most definitely bragging!

*********

Hubbys weight last week- 260 lbs

Hubbys current weight- 260 lbs .... maintained! That's still a victory!

I hadn't shared hub's measurements yet, but I am about to. The original measurements were taken in April. And we finally measured him today. Prepare to be amazed.

Chest- In April- 47.5"

Chest- today- 45" Total- 2.5"

Right arm- In April- 15"

Right arm- today- 14.5" Total- 1/2"

Left arm- In April- 14.5"

Left arm- today- 14" Total- 1/2"

Waist- in April- 50"

Waist- today- 47" Total- 3"

Hips- In April- 51"

Hips- today- 48" Total- 3"

Right thigh- in April- 28.5"

Right thing- today- 22 1/4" Total- 6 1/4"!!!!

Left thigh- in April- 28"

Left thigh- today- 21 1/2" Total- 6 1/2"!!!!!!!!

For a grand total of 20lbs and 22 1/4" inches lost in 5 months!

I am so proud of us! /insert another happy dance here!!!

Nonscale victories

• I stayed hydrated 6 out of 7 days. Although I didn't win a 20 min back massage, I still see it as a victory because I was fully hydrated more days than not. I had one day where I was just not feeling well and if I drink or ate much, I was nauseaus. :(
• I completed a 12 mile bike ride on dirt roads in preparation of my 21 mile bike ride this weekend!
• I am continuing strong on my 30/40/50 challenge :)
• Hubby has a few workout buddies now at work and they have started to hit the gym together so soon, the hubs will be sporting some strong muscles!
• Completely unrelated, but I am really making progress on the planning part of my new crafting blog. I am planning on getting it up and running sometime within the next week or so!

Alright, I am out. I am going to be late to playgroup with Little E! It's a busy day. One of my girlfriends is coming over for a scrapbooking/playdate for the boys this afternoon and then we got choir tonite! Have a fantastic day!

Body Clutter: Chapter 6: Babysteps

While we all want instant gratification, we must be patient with ourselves. Just as a baby learns to walk little by little, step by step, we apply this principle of gradual change to our Body Clutter -FlyLady

My little E is now 8 months old. Over the past 8 months, I have watched him grow and learn. Everyday he learns something new and it just amazes me. What if he was to grow instantly into a young man? What if I didn't get to watch him make these gradual changes? I want to enjoy his journey and see him grow. His journey is what makes him who he is. I want him to take babysteps. I expect him to take babysteps. I should expect the same thing for myself.

So often, when we decide it is time to shed some clutter, we want it to happen not now, right now. It is just human to want instant gratification. We set huge goals and want them to be met quickly and when that doesn't happen, we tell ourselves we have failed.

We have set the bar so high that we can't ever meet our own expectations, and once again we fail. -FlyLady

We do this to ourselves over and over until we finally realize that babysteps is what is going to bring us success. We may have a huge "ultimate goal." For me, I want to lose a total of 70 lbs since the birth of my son. Rather than see that huge number, I have been focusing on 6-8 lbs a month. I feel so much more successful when I meet this small goals, and I know I will eventually reach that ultimate goal. I believe deadlines are great. In fact, I plan to lose my last 15 lbs by December. I would really love to lose those 15 lbs NOW but that's not realistic. I must lower that bar, make small goals, and that will lead me to my final goal. I have to admit, I struggled with this concept. I fell into the pit of "negative body image" because I wanted my body back after pregnancy "immediately." But now, I have come to realize that God didn't want that for me. He wants me to have to work towards that goal. He wants me to take babysteps. He wants to teach me patience. He wants me to know that He loves me regardless of my size. He wants to me to FLY (Finally love your(my)self). He wants me to trust in Him in all things. All these things he is teaching me through my weight loss journey. And I am thankful for this journey I am on.

Is there a babystep you can take to change your eating habits? Maybe its replacing one unhealthy snack a day with a piece of fruit. Maybe its dropping your daily soda to an every-other-day soda. Maybe its portion control. Maybe its tracking your calories (check out myfitnesspal app-its great!). Maybe its actually eating a snack to increase your metabolism.

Is there a babystep you can take to change your attitude? Maybe its finally deciding what motivates you and utilizing whatever that is (for me, its my blog!) Maybe its reading a certain book that changes your perspective. Maybe its telling yourself an affirmation everyday!

Is there a babystep you can take to change your exercise habits? Maybe its taking a short walk a few times a week with your family or dog. Maybe its wrestling with your children or playing outdoors. Maybe its going on a run or a bike ride twice a week. Maybe its hitting the gym with a friend. Maybe its having an accountability partner to babystep with you!

If each new week, we incorporate one new babystep into our lives, the journey won't look so scary or so daunting. Babysteps will set you up for success. You will find with each new babystep, you will begin to feel more confident. And with confidence, you can FLY (finally love yourself) and shed some body clutter!

So....what babysteps are you going to take?

Weighing in with Him

Oh man. My stress factor is high today! I would like to just scream at the top of my lungs but the baby is sleeping (finally!) so I better refrain from that.

Do you ever feel like your bopping along, happy as a songbird and then everything (even little things) starts to be overwhelming? That's kind of where I am right now!

The 2 main things (that aren't so much little things!) heavy on my heart right now are:

1) my mom - Here blood counts (hematrcrit and hemoglobin and iron) are 1/2 of what a normal healthy person should have. She is close to needing a blood transfusion. And we don't know why. She will be having tests this week or next. She has had a history of an ulcer so I am praying its just a recurrent ulcer because that is a relatively easy fix. But being a nurse, I tend to think of the worst case scenerio (cuz I have seen the worst scenarios in the hospitals) and my mind starts racing about what could be going on. Then my mind wanders off thinking "what if it is bad? what would I do without my mom, my best friend?" Oh gosh, it just makes me sick. My husband tells me I could write the "final destination" movies because I always can come up with worst case scenario...why I do that? I have no clue. Can't help what races thru your mind sometimes. The what ifs? I LOVE being a nurse, but sometimes ignorance is bliss and as a nurse, I don't get that option sometimes! I am using this situation to help me rely on the Lord, pray when my mind starts racing and just TRUST in Him. If you have a second, would you please say a quick prayer for my mom?

2) Little E is teething. And making me loco. He is usually a VERY happy baby with a pretty predictable schedule. Not lately. It is difficult to get him to nap. If I set him down to play, he cries. If I hold him, he wants down. As soon as he's down, he wants held. Its a vicious cycle. There are periods where he will non-stop fuss. I feel so bad for him. He is snotty as all get out and had a few blow out diapers. Does he have a cold or does that go with teething? I've heard both. He doesn't have a fever; his lungs are clear. I just don't feel like I can do anything for him. Tylenol, teethers, cuddling, loving on him. I am trying everything, but I feel like I can't do anything to make him feel better and it breaks my heart. Teething is exhausting for us right now!

Alright, let's move on to Weighing In.

Last weeks weight: 140.6

This weeks weight: 140.6 (well, at least I didn't gain)

I didn't lose any poundages. However, I did my measurements and my long distance walking is paying off!

Chest- 39" - down 1/2 inch from last week! Maybe thats those 30 push ups a day at work!

both arms- 11 1/4" - no change

Waist- 37" no change

hips- 37 1/2" - down an 1 1/2 inches from last week! I could totally tell because all my pants were falling off this past week!

Right thigh- 19" - down 1/4 inch!

left thing- 19" - down 1 1/4 inches! Those long walks and ankle weights are really working. My leg muscles are becoming more defined as well!

The hubby forgot to weigh himself yesterday so we will find out what he weighs next week.

Non Scale Victories

• Both hubby and I completed the hydration challenge again which means we both have earned another 20 min back massage!
• I went to the Farmers Market (for the first time!) and came back with about 6 cucumbers, 6 ears of corn and a bag of onions for $6 bucks total. I am so going to go to the farmers market on a weekly basis!
  
  
• On Monday, I walked 4.5 miles; Wednesday- 5.5 miles, Friday-5.33 miles. All walked with ankle weights, a stroller with an 18 lb baby, and two 60 lb dogs!

Check out my walking buddies and the pretty (pretty dry!) landscape!

• I tracked on MFP and stayed under my calorie goal all week.
• I have been faithfully been participating in the 30/40/50 challenge
• I completed my 100 push ups for 100 likes!
• I got called "skinny" twice at church on Sunday!! Friends at church are telling me they can tell that I am losing weight. My goal isn't to be SKINNY, but the fact that people can see a difference makes me SOOO happy!

My fail for the week was that I only blogged once :( Sorry about that. It was a very busy week and this one will be equally busy!!! But I promise to be better about blogging!

So what do you use to cope with stressful times in your life? Are you a worrier? I know I am not the only one who has the "what ifs" running through thier head. How do you cope when there is something of the "unknown" (like my mom's mystery blood levels)? Help a sister out! And if you have a moment, a little prayer would be so appreciated!!!