Ending the Year Content

It's hard to come on here and recap my "goals" for 2015, because quite frankly I took down my goal sheet early in the year.  About a month into the new year the only goal I was committed to was completing my half marathon in May.  And that I did. 

But a personal issue occurring in early February left me reeling.  Compared to some it may not seem a lot, but in my little corner of the world it was the hardest thing I've ever been through.  It is still too personal for me to share publicly.  

As my world began to rock and roll in ways I never dreamed I'd experience I suddenly decided my weight was of little consequence.  A few times I wanted to quit my half marathon training, but I needed to prove that I was not a quitter.  Plus, my running became therapeutic.  Saturday long runs became time to think, to fight my emotions by pushing my body through mile after mile.  

I knew I did not want to gain any more weight and was conscientious enough to not allow that to happen, even losing a few pounds before our big summer move, but I couldn't seem to work on losing weight and work through this personal crisis at the same time.  

Then we moved, began settling in a new city and, my emotional upset from the spring had begun and continued to improve and I finally began to feel a bit inspired to start losing weight again.  So, I started a challenge for the last 100 days -- during which time I challenged myself to lose 10 pounds, among other things.

And as of today's writing not only did I not lose that weight, I gained a little more the week of Christmas.  Quite honestly by the week of Christmas I decided to simply enjoy treats and not worry about the scale, because I had been doing some reading and planning and knew I had a plan falling into place for January.  And I just wanted to enjoy things.  I wasn't feeling my best, but I just decided to let it go and worry about it after the holidays.  

Now here I am today.  The scale is up and I feel I should be judging myself and my success on that one thing.  I am a bit upset for not completing the majority of my goals for 2015, but I'm just not depressed about any of it. 

The situation that occurred almost a year ago has brought about a change in me greater than anything losing weight could've changed.  

Someday I may share it, or I may not, but please believe me when I say while I'm a bit upset I didn't reign things in physically, and I weigh a bit more now than I did at this time last year, the weight of some serious emotional and spiritual baggage has lifted and I feel lighter than I have in years.

And for that I wouldn't change a thing about this year. 

Back at the Gym

Just like I planned, I went to the YMCA yesterday and took my first Bodypump class in a long, long time.  Whew!  

My son, who is 15, wanted to go and had to do an orientation first before being allowed to use the free weight area unattended.  So, I walked on the treadmill while he did that.  

Then he was cleared to get to work, but when I asked him if he wanted to join me for the Bodypump class he agreed.  I knew it was strength training and he was game.  

The class went well.  It was a full little room, but we were able to follow along pretty well.  I have my critique of the instructor, some direction was hard to follow, but overall she did fine and I'll let it go at that.  My son still has trouble with his knee from the ski accident he had in March 2014 and all the squats and lunges became difficult for him.  But he's good at only doing as much as his leg can handle and then taking a break. 

The class kicked our butts for sure, which (ahem, unfortunately) didn't take much for me just now and we were glad we went.  Although, my son informed me next time he'd just workout on his own.  :)  

Today one of my daughter's went to shadow at my husband's office and the other one joined us at the gym.  She and her brother did some weight lifting and then played basketball while I used the ARC trainer.  

Again, my quads were on fire and I felt so out of shape.  OW.  But, I know I'm on the right track to getting in better shape.  

It's fun having kids who like being active.  I am very proud of all of us for taking the right steps to be in better health. While it may hurt a little, it sure feels good to be back at the gym!

Healthy Holidays Challenge Update and the YMCA

Well, this week hasn't been the picture of "healthy" unless you count the emotional health that has been strengthened by time spent with family and preparing and enjoying a nice holiday.  If you judge my health by all that, then it has been a wonderful week for me!  I'm counting that as a plus and staying good with that for an update. 

However, I've enjoyed enough treats that I quite honestly am beginning to get sick of them.  Isn't that funny?  It's true. My poor body is ready for exercise and healthier food choices. 

So, that's why I was super excited when my husband agreed to an errand today... We signed up for a membership at our local YMCA. 

My son had to add his thumbs up of approval and excitement at having a gym membership again.

We looked into gyms and thought about the Y when we moved here, but with other financial priorities we decided to put it off.  I looked more into the YMCA and then recently saw they had a special dubbed "Play Now, Pay Later" special for December which waived the application fee and started monthly payments in January. 

After a few months of my husband working at the new practice we figured it was better for our budget to do a membership to the YMCA for the whole family than pay double the monthly payment for only the two of us to go to a larger, fancier gym.  The YMCA offers we really need to stay active and bonus..it's only 5 minutes from my house. 

While we are all excited to have a gym to go to I'm super thrilled to go to fitness classes again!!  They offer classes I love and at a time of day that fits well in my schedule.  I told my husband I woke up so excited this morning just thinking about it. 

So...Monday morning I will be going to the gym -- one week ahead of the New Year's crowd.  :) 

Merry Christmas!

From my family to yours, we wish you a safe and happy holiday!

Card created using the Project Life App. 

Oh, What Fun!

Christmas is almost here and I'm ready!  While this season I've been involved in a Healthy Holidays Challenge, I have spent more time doing non-health-related things.  And quite honestly, I'm okay with that.  

The challenge has helped by being in the back of my mind and reminding me to not throw caution to the wind this month.  I may not see a loss on the scale, but I won't see a gain either.  I'm good with that.  It's been a very enjoyable season and that means more to me this year than making sure I'm losing weight. 

Since I've been so slack in blogging regularly I'm going to do a little wrap-up post of what the holidays have been like around my house a.k.a. "Dental Floss Lane".  

As a family we started off the season by enjoying a light parade in our downtown.

 Then my husband was so sweet to put up lights for us this year.  We don't always do it and I was tickled he wanted to this time.  My son is a great helper, whether he wants to or not.  lol

 My daughter won a scholarship from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and it was nice to see her commended for all her hard work.  That particular application required EIGHT - 8 - essays and she was one of thousands of applicants.  These are the recipients for just our area of Texas.  (she's in the red argyle sweater on the right.)

As a busy "Mom Taxi" I have learned over the year to take advantage of waiting by bringing along something to work on.  So, while my girls took their drive tests to transfer their licenses from North Carolina to Texas I brought along Christmas cards to address.

(Notice I'm in cropped pants and a t-shirt here?? The weather is so up and down here.. it's funny.)

I haven't baked so much as I have this month!! It started with fudge and these peppermint brownies by request of my daughters.  The fudge is a recipe my mom always made and I'm pretty sure it came out good this year, well I know it has because I've had a piece every day.  ahem... let's move on...

One evening my husband asks, "Do you have time to come in tomorrow for a cleaning?"  Oh sure!  I'm not in the middle of sewing up 20 mini stockings for teachers or anything.  lol 

It's always nice to see him at his practice and I threw on workout clothes, a little bit of makeup and took him to work and then hung around for a tooth cleaning and a picture.  :)  

The next day I finished up the stockings.  I made my first bunch last year for the teachers.  They were so simple and the teachers loved them.  Our new school's colors are "Kelly Green and White", which makes for nice festive fabric choices.  

Homemade stockings filled with homemade cinnamon roasted pecans also make for frugal teacher gifts.  

And coffee.... there has been plenty of coffee to get through the busy days, or to simply sit and enjoy...like I did Sunday afternoon when my husband brought me my favorite Starbucks drink -- a Flat White.

That about sums it up for now.  Today I will cook a little in prep for our Christmas Eve and Christmas meals and either bake or clean.  I haven't decided which one I want to do yet.  Since I'm pretty much ready for Christmas I'm at my leisure to do what I want with my days today and tomorrow.  Whee!

I hope your holiday preparations are going well.  Thanks for stopping by and sharing a bit of our holiday fun with me. 

Healthy Holidays Challenge Update #12

There is always one week during Christmastime wherein I am busy from sun up to sun down.  This was that week.  

My days have been full of sewing up mini stockings for teacher gifts, baking, running errands and enjoying some Christmas movies with my kids after school.  If I had a treadmill in my living room I would've gladly walked on it during the movie I watched each afternoon.

Or not.  My busy week is reaching the point of exhausting me.  

I've been enjoying my extremely full week and I'm glad I've gotten so many loose ends tied up in preparation for Christmas.  I know all my shopping, crafting, baking and everyday things I've accomplished this week have caught me up so that next week I can relax a little and get more intentional exercise in. 

My grandmother's fudge recipe also came out rather well this year.  I know this from *ahem* personal tasting.  And I must say... score one point for me for keeping the family recipe alive.  With both my mother and her mother gone it just makes it special to me if the fudge comes out well.  (It involves marshmallows and sugar and boiling and much care... my mom always had a special touch with the fudge. )

So, as for the challenge I have not done any exercise this week, nor have I drank much water.  Water is always a challenge for me during the cooler months.  But I have enjoyed treats in somewhat moderation and the scale is maintaining.  I'm pleased. 

I'm also pleased that I know I'm not going to throw in the towel and gorge for the next two weeks, but I am going to continue enjoying some Christmas festivities and foods I don't eat the other eleven months of the year. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Feel free to share how your holiday plans are coming along.  

Healthy Holidays Challenge Update - Going Well

Thank you for the well wishes about being sick and such.  I am feeling better;  now I'm trying to get rid of the annoying phlegm and cough that doesn't want to leave.  Thankfully, there are no more real aches and pains and more energy for holiday happenings.  :)

Not only have I felt better with regards to being sick, I have felt better with regards to my health.  I've made better food choices and gotten some regular activity in.  Nothing drastic, but enough to see the scale make a downwards turn.  I'm grateful.  

Officially ...

1. I will exercise at least 30 minutes at least 4 times a week.  I'm getting it done.  For a split second I was tempted to feel bad because I wasn't running or doing anything intense and then I reminded myself my goal is to do intentional exercise 30 minutes, I am not committed to a race or a weight lifting match, so I shall not beat myself up if I am *only* walking.  
2. I will eat "weight-loss" portions and healthier options, tracking my food on My Fitness Pal, so I will see a loss of at least 10 pounds.  The scale is going back down and I'm grateful.  I've decided I probably won't share how much until I hit maybe 185, because I have been where I am today and not gotten past it lately.  I'll share when I feel it's more worth sharing and for sure on the last day of this challenge.  I do weigh myself regularly, so I'm not avoiding that don't worry.
3. I will drink at least 32 oz. of pure water a day.  This is also getting done.  Again, choosing water for a meal really helps me get more water in.  I'm a coffee drinker and that tends to make up a lot of my fluids, but I keep a 32-ounce water bottle on my kitchen counter and I am getting it down.  
4. I will bake and enjoy holiday treats within reason, making sure to track what I eat no matter how high the calorie count.  This is a yellow, because I haven't tracked so great.  However, until yesterday, I have done really well staying away from the sweets.  As I was baking yesterday I felt the need to "snack" on some yummy pretzel/chocolate treats I had made.  I'm not overly concerned, but I am being careful.  I was grateful to feel true hunger by dinnertime despite my sweet snacks and made sure to eat a smaller serving since I had helped myself to some treats earlier in the day.  
5. I will strive for a balance between challenging myself to stick to a healthier plan and allowing myself to mess up.  THIS is going really well.  I think I've had an "ah-ha" moment again and I've finally become desperate enough to make the changes that will help me get healthier and stay healthy.   However, I have made the decision that while some sacrifices will need to be made to lose the weight I am not beating myself up for bumps in the road, like the sweet treats yesterday.  I have another post brewing on how things are feeling like my old (newer) self again and I'm so grateful.

Thanks for stoping by!  I'm going to get some presents wrapped while my kids are at school and then do a little baking or sewing, I haven't decided which yet.  :)

Have a good weekend! 

My Truth

Thank you for the well wishes.  I'm not 100% yet, but I'm sure feeling better today.  Now on to something I've been thinking about for a while. 

In recent months I've heard two instances where people were confronted with weight issues and they took offense.  One is obviously overweight, was confronted by a doctor and felt crushed when the pouring out of the heart was met with [paraphrasing] "Let's take care of your weight first."

The other has recently lost some weight while making strides to eat healthier and exercise regularly, so when the pastor of the church comments [again paraphrasing] "people are overweight because they eat too much" the person vented to me about it.  

I sympathize with the patient for the hurt feelings.  I do not know the doctor, nor the delivery in which this help was offered, except as shared by the patient.   I know there has been a struggle with weight for a long while now, so the fact that the emotional stress was linked directly and solely to weight just felt like a slap in the face.

As for the pastor's comment, I do know this particular pastor personally and he is very thin and has never had a weight issue, nor has he lived around any immediate family with one.  Over the years I've learned to take was is true in what he says and let the opinions go.  

What was interesting to me after both situations was how we don't like to hear the truth.  

Because whether we like it or not...most obese people are that way because they eat too much and exercise too little.  I have known a few people who were doing everything in their power to be healthy and had hormone related reasons why their weight was very high, but most people are overweight because they consume more calories than they burn.

Now add to the overeating hormones, aging and genetics and being healthy can seem very difficult.

I know this, because it's my truth as well.  

My genetics will not ever allow me to be skinny naturally, but I do have the capability to be thinner and healthier when I watch what and how much I eat and get regular exercise.  

In fact, a recent anonymous commented pointed out what a failure I currently am and all I could say was, "Yep!  You're right.  I'm probably not going to lose 10 pounds by December 31st now."

When I alluded to this comment on my Instagram many instantly came to my defense.  While I appreciate their concern, the truth is still that I need to change.  Not because I'm a horrible person and being 192 pounds makes me ugly or not worth being around, but because my health is important.  

In fact, our pastor recently mentioned something to this effect, "people don't change because they aren't desperate enough."  

There's that truth again.  

Some would say but they are so desperate, but I knew for me I hadn't truly been desperate enough to work on getting healthier again.  I was desperate to not be heavy and to fit into my clothes better, but not desperate enough to change what I was doing  

So, I prayed and I repented.  Honestly, facing the truth and acknowledging what needs to change is so freeing.  

Then I got sick and couldn't post and could barely eat...yada...yada.  

But I'm here now.  Still recuperating, but inspired.  Because this past almost two years has thrown me for an emotional loop and I know I allowed myself to get lazy because it all seemed too much to handle.  

I also know this is all part of life and I'm okay with that.  But instead of getting upset when truth hits I'm choosing to see it for what it is -- truth, that if embraced, can bring about good change.  

I've been there before, in a happy healthier place,  and I know I want to be there again.  It's not easy, but it will be worth it.  

Oh, and when I found this quote this morning I knew it was perfect, because facing the truth and changing doesn't mean I'm "bad" it simply means I have areas that need improving.  

Updates, Thanksgiving and Being Sick

***Note:  This post is a bit of everything and not as neat as I like, but it's been so long since I posted I wanted to at least check in.***

Well, I'm completely behind on updates for the Healthy Holidays Challenge.  Our Thanksgiving included a short visit from my brother, his wife and daughter and after all the cooking and eating was completed we spent time watching cheesy Christmas movies and then shopping for ornaments the day after.  

We had pouring rain pretty much most of the week, but a break in the weather allowed us to get our Christmas tree last Saturday.  The break in weather also allowed me to complete my Thankful Journey 5K.  I took a nice fall during my run, spraining my ankle a bit, which I planned on blogging about until I got sick. 

But back to more fun things...

 We had to leave our tree upright in the garage to dry out a bit before we could bring it in for decorating.  While the tree dried out I pulled out my bins of holiday decor and started changing out the fall for Christmas decorations.  

So, the tree got up and we decorated it on Sunday, then Monday was laundry day and my nose started to run, and run, and run. 

Then my throat felt like it was on fire and everything got worse and worse and I'm on day 4 of being sick.  It's been a pain because I'm hosting a party tonight and still had a couple things to do.  Thankfully, I planned way ahead and could afford a couple days of complete resting in hopes of getting better.  I'm not 100%, but I am doing better.  

No fevers or infections, so we're going on with our party plans (me doped up on Mucinex and Tylenol).  My daughters said they'd be happy to host it if I could be up for it.  lol  

Needless to say, all the hustle of Thanksgiving followed by getting sick hasn't helped me stay on track with my challenge.  I haven't eaten as much while being sick, so that is nice.  (You know it's bad when I don't even really want my morning coffee. *smirk*) 

So, the best of an update I'm going to give you is the scale isn't up or down.  Activities of daily living have been my "exercise" this week and I'm hoping to be back to normal asap.  

I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving and are enjoying getting into full holiday mode.  I know we are!  

Thanks for stopping by!