Hello! It has been quite a while... This is because a lot has been going on and not really in a good way. Darren and I are getting divorced. So its the single mom life for me! I won't go into details about why, but it is for the best. I just hope my kids will be ok.
While this has been very hard, I have learned more about myself than I ever have in my entire life. I have learned what I need to be a happy and whole person. I have realized what I want out of life, and life is too short to be unhappy. I also have realized how many people I have that support me in my life. I am so grateful for everyone who has been there for me!
I have gotten a job as a teller at Wells Fargo. Its just part time but it has benefits and I can transfer anywhere I want. I am just so grateful I was able to get a job so quickly in this economy. I have dropped down to part time school. Its going to take me a while to get through, but I'm not giving up because I want my degree! I am going for Social Work and hope to get my masters.
Aiden and Kyler are doing great and loving school. They both now have glasses! I will post pictures when they come in. They are learning so much and have been so helpful to me lately!
My goals for this year:
Get out of debt
Fix my car
Move back to Boise
Buy a house
Keep a consistent yoga and workout schedule
Run the Dirty Dash and the Color Run 5ks
Be happy :)
I am going to keep this blog up about me and my boys so everyone can see our new adventures!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Goodbye Summer!
So I feel as though I was incredibly busy this summer but didn't get to do everything I wanted. I didn't go camping or float the river. But, I'm going to focus on what I DID accomplish!
1. Finished the kids quilts! (6 year goal done!)
2. Gathered everything (except for printing pictures) for Kyler's first year scrapbook.
3. Learn about fitness and start a better workout routine.
That doesn't seem like a whole lot now that I look at it written down... but I tell you what doing those things on top of every day stuff I was still pretty busy! The kids loved swimming at the river, swimming lessons, t-ball/baseball, and reading program at the library. They also learned how to do more chores by themselves! We also got to see my nieces and nephews for a few hours on their way back to Idaho falls. So for the most part it was a pretty productive summer. :)
Fitness results for end of August:
Weight: 143 (only lost 2 lbs! but I didn't exactly do the best with my eating habits this month)
Butt measurement: 41 inches
Leg measurement: 24 inches
Stomach: 36.5 inches
So to sum up the last two months of being really good with working out, gaining A LOT more muscle. I have lost a total of 7 lbs and a total of about 2 inches off my legs, butt and and 1 1/2 inches off my stomach.
So I really need to work on my eating habits..... lol
The kids have started school and are doing great so far! Kyler is doing so much better than I expected for first being in Kindergarten! He has a great teacher so I think he will do just fine. Aiden is in first grade and loving it and doing great as always.
I have started my school. Still full time and on the internet through LCSC. It is so nice having the kids in school ALL day! It makes a big difference in how productive I am on homework! I also got a part time job working about 10-15 hours at the LCSC Outreach Center here in Grangeville. The nice thing is I can do homework while I'm not busy! It will be so nice right now to have a little extra income! I have a new fitness goal to help motivate me to get into really good shape... I am going to climb Mt. Borah with a few friends next July! So I really need to build some stamina and muscle! It is a much better goal then trying to lose weight!
Here are a few recent pictures from this summer.
Left to right: Kalina (5), Jessica (23), Kyler (5), Aiden (6), Conner (7), Anakela (12), Leilani (10)
Me and Anakela
Aiden, Uncle Tyson, and Kalina (It was her 5th b-day)
Finished product :)
I put the first letter of their name in the corners so they could easily see which blanket was what.
Grandma Ruby Ward, Julie (my mom), Leilani, Jessica, and Anakela
1. Finished the kids quilts! (6 year goal done!)
2. Gathered everything (except for printing pictures) for Kyler's first year scrapbook.
3. Learn about fitness and start a better workout routine.
That doesn't seem like a whole lot now that I look at it written down... but I tell you what doing those things on top of every day stuff I was still pretty busy! The kids loved swimming at the river, swimming lessons, t-ball/baseball, and reading program at the library. They also learned how to do more chores by themselves! We also got to see my nieces and nephews for a few hours on their way back to Idaho falls. So for the most part it was a pretty productive summer. :)
Fitness results for end of August:
Weight: 143 (only lost 2 lbs! but I didn't exactly do the best with my eating habits this month)
Butt measurement: 41 inches
Leg measurement: 24 inches
Stomach: 36.5 inches
So to sum up the last two months of being really good with working out, gaining A LOT more muscle. I have lost a total of 7 lbs and a total of about 2 inches off my legs, butt and and 1 1/2 inches off my stomach.
So I really need to work on my eating habits..... lol
The kids have started school and are doing great so far! Kyler is doing so much better than I expected for first being in Kindergarten! He has a great teacher so I think he will do just fine. Aiden is in first grade and loving it and doing great as always.
I have started my school. Still full time and on the internet through LCSC. It is so nice having the kids in school ALL day! It makes a big difference in how productive I am on homework! I also got a part time job working about 10-15 hours at the LCSC Outreach Center here in Grangeville. The nice thing is I can do homework while I'm not busy! It will be so nice right now to have a little extra income! I have a new fitness goal to help motivate me to get into really good shape... I am going to climb Mt. Borah with a few friends next July! So I really need to build some stamina and muscle! It is a much better goal then trying to lose weight!
Here are a few recent pictures from this summer.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
30 Day Challenge Results
So I started off July taking Jillian Michael's 30 day challenge. I did her work out video 30 Day Shred, every day for 30 days. Ok, I did it every day except about 4 days throughout the month because I was feeling sick to my stomach. So I didn't quite get in the 30 days. BUT, I was incredibly consistent and I didn't slack off! My results, I have to admit, were a little discouraging. I didn't lose near as much as I was hoping for. I am trying to not focus on them though. I'm trying to focus on my progress! (However little it may be!)
I didn't measure myself like I should have at the beginning of the month. I measured myself on July 20 half way through the workout. I did weigh myself at the beginning and I weighed 148 lbs. I now weigh 145. I lost only 3 lbs! Even though I didn't lose very much I did gain a lot more muscle and have lost some inches! Probably about and inch total in my legs, butt, and stomach. I have noticed my clothes fit better and I feel stronger! Again, trying to focus on the progress I am not giving up! I am ready for my next challenge!
My measurements:
Legs - 25 inches
Stomach - 37
Butt - 42
(These measurements make me feel huge!)
Weight:
145 lbs
Now I found an awesome website that has a whole new program I want to do, but that will be my goal for September. For August I am limited because my kids are home so I'm going to stick with the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred video but I'm going to do it a little different. I have read that it is good to switch up your workouts. Don't do the same thing every day. Your body gets too used to it and it won't provide the results you want. Changing it up causes muscle confusion and will create more effective results. So since I've made it through the whole video I am going to do a different level every day. I'll start with Level One, then the next day Level Two, then the day after that Level Three. Then I will repeat it followed with one day of rest. So six days working out one day rest. It will be nice not doing the exact same thing every day.
Next thing I'm going to do is really start working on my eating habits. I didn't do as well as I would have liked. I was using the myfitnesspal online tool and was eating my exercise calories and then some. I also didn't hardly any veggies. So I'm going to try to be really careful on the quality of food and how much I am eating and see if this helps. They say 80% of losing weight starts in the kitchen and I need to take this more seriously. I need to burn off the fat so I can see the muscle I'm toning underneath!
I'll post my results in a month! :)
I didn't measure myself like I should have at the beginning of the month. I measured myself on July 20 half way through the workout. I did weigh myself at the beginning and I weighed 148 lbs. I now weigh 145. I lost only 3 lbs! Even though I didn't lose very much I did gain a lot more muscle and have lost some inches! Probably about and inch total in my legs, butt, and stomach. I have noticed my clothes fit better and I feel stronger! Again, trying to focus on the progress I am not giving up! I am ready for my next challenge!
My measurements:
Legs - 25 inches
Stomach - 37
Butt - 42
(These measurements make me feel huge!)
Weight:
145 lbs
Now I found an awesome website that has a whole new program I want to do, but that will be my goal for September. For August I am limited because my kids are home so I'm going to stick with the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred video but I'm going to do it a little different. I have read that it is good to switch up your workouts. Don't do the same thing every day. Your body gets too used to it and it won't provide the results you want. Changing it up causes muscle confusion and will create more effective results. So since I've made it through the whole video I am going to do a different level every day. I'll start with Level One, then the next day Level Two, then the day after that Level Three. Then I will repeat it followed with one day of rest. So six days working out one day rest. It will be nice not doing the exact same thing every day.
Next thing I'm going to do is really start working on my eating habits. I didn't do as well as I would have liked. I was using the myfitnesspal online tool and was eating my exercise calories and then some. I also didn't hardly any veggies. So I'm going to try to be really careful on the quality of food and how much I am eating and see if this helps. They say 80% of losing weight starts in the kitchen and I need to take this more seriously. I need to burn off the fat so I can see the muscle I'm toning underneath!
I'll post my results in a month! :)
Monday, July 30, 2012
Pre and Post Workout
Whatever kind of workout you do there are a few things you should always do before and after your work out.
Pre-Workout:
Don't work out right after you eat. Your body is pumping blood to your stomach to help digest your food. When you try to work out while you are digesting your food, your blood has to go to other parts of your body messing with your digestion and causing stomach cramps. It's also hard to work out your stomach muscles when you feel full.
Always do a warm up. It doesn't even have to be very long, a few minutes even. Just to get your heart going and body temperature up to start burning those calories.
Post-Workout:
One thing I have learned that has helped me recover faster from my workout is stretching! Stretch for at least 10 minutes, holding each stretch any where between 10-20 seconds. You muscles won't be as tight when you wake up the next morning will make you not as sore. Which will make your next workout more bearable! It is so hard to work out when your muscles feel tight and sore from previous workouts. Trust me, take the extra time to stretch!
After your workout always replenish your body and muscles with a protein shake. This is something I have just learned how important it is to do! Protein shakes will help your muscles rebuild. It will help you feel energized after your workout and not tired. It will help give you energy through the rest of the day. If you do your work out at night after work, still drink a protein shake. It will help keep you from snacking on unhealthy things late at night. Protein shakes help you recover from your workout so you are not near as sore the next day! I have been pushing myself really hard on my workouts and the next day I would feel so sore I had to force myself to workout. After I started doing protein shakes I can push myself harder every day and I barely feel it the next day.
Your protein shake needs to have: Whey Protein and BCAAs. Whey protein and BCAAs will help rebuild the muscles you are breaking down while working out. It will help you build lean toned muscles!
I use 100% Whey Protein powder from Costco. Another good brand is Muscle Milk. I would highly recommend either of these! You can also look on Amazon for these products.
I usually will workout about 1 1/2 to 2 hours after I eat. I work out for about 1/2 hr then stretch for 10 minutes. Afterwards I will have my protein shake which will keep me full for about another hour and a half until I eat my next meal.
Protein shakes can have anything in them! Make a fruit smoothie and put a scoop of powder in it. You can also just mix ice, milk/water, and a scoop of powder in a blender. Put it in water/milk and shake it up. My favorite is to freeze bananas and take one frozen banana, 1/2 cup water, and 1 scoop of powder and blend it together. The bananas will whip up to the consistency of a milkshake. It is SO good!
Any questions feel free to ask!
Pre-Workout:
Don't work out right after you eat. Your body is pumping blood to your stomach to help digest your food. When you try to work out while you are digesting your food, your blood has to go to other parts of your body messing with your digestion and causing stomach cramps. It's also hard to work out your stomach muscles when you feel full.
Always do a warm up. It doesn't even have to be very long, a few minutes even. Just to get your heart going and body temperature up to start burning those calories.
Post-Workout:
One thing I have learned that has helped me recover faster from my workout is stretching! Stretch for at least 10 minutes, holding each stretch any where between 10-20 seconds. You muscles won't be as tight when you wake up the next morning will make you not as sore. Which will make your next workout more bearable! It is so hard to work out when your muscles feel tight and sore from previous workouts. Trust me, take the extra time to stretch!
After your workout always replenish your body and muscles with a protein shake. This is something I have just learned how important it is to do! Protein shakes will help your muscles rebuild. It will help you feel energized after your workout and not tired. It will help give you energy through the rest of the day. If you do your work out at night after work, still drink a protein shake. It will help keep you from snacking on unhealthy things late at night. Protein shakes help you recover from your workout so you are not near as sore the next day! I have been pushing myself really hard on my workouts and the next day I would feel so sore I had to force myself to workout. After I started doing protein shakes I can push myself harder every day and I barely feel it the next day.
Your protein shake needs to have: Whey Protein and BCAAs. Whey protein and BCAAs will help rebuild the muscles you are breaking down while working out. It will help you build lean toned muscles!
I use 100% Whey Protein powder from Costco. Another good brand is Muscle Milk. I would highly recommend either of these! You can also look on Amazon for these products.
I usually will workout about 1 1/2 to 2 hours after I eat. I work out for about 1/2 hr then stretch for 10 minutes. Afterwards I will have my protein shake which will keep me full for about another hour and a half until I eat my next meal.
Protein shakes can have anything in them! Make a fruit smoothie and put a scoop of powder in it. You can also just mix ice, milk/water, and a scoop of powder in a blender. Put it in water/milk and shake it up. My favorite is to freeze bananas and take one frozen banana, 1/2 cup water, and 1 scoop of powder and blend it together. The bananas will whip up to the consistency of a milkshake. It is SO good!
Any questions feel free to ask!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Think of it as a Lifestyle Change!
So this last summer I have finally had the time to get my butt in gear and start working out. I wanted to lose some weight but also wanted to create a lifestyle change for myself. I didn't want to lose the weight and go back to my old habits and gain it all back. I decided to make a lifestyle change where I regularly work out but also watch my diet so I could keep what I worked hard for. I also wanted to do this to have more energy, feel and be healthier, and feel GOOD about myself! I had no clue where to start and so I started doing a bunch of my own research and I was overwhelmed and surprised at what I found out! A lot of my beliefs about working out and getting results were wrong. I have noticed a few others trying to find a way to lose weight and I decided to share with others what I have found is working for me. Because I have so much to share I will probably spread this out over a few posts and will continue to when I learn knew things.
Everyone has different limits, different likes and dislikes about different work outs. This is just what I have found that is working for me! This is a journey for me and I am not where I want to be, yet, but I will update my results. :)
First off One thing I learned, that was kind of disappointing but made sense, is that 80% of losing weight starts in the kitchen. Getting fit happens in the gym! (Or when you workout/exercise) If you are not changing habits with what you eat, you WILL NOT get the results you want! This is really hard for me because I LOVE my sweets! I am not a fan of veggies so that one is hard for me. But if you just realize that this is part of what it takes to lose that weight, you need to start rethinking your diet.
DO:
Eat 4-5 smaller meals throughout the day. Make sure they have some sort of fruit and vegetable and protein! Protein can be nuts, cottage cheese, peanut/nut butters, string cheese, lean meats (tuna, fish, chicken, turkey). Protein is essential to help keep you feeling full and recovering from working out.
Watch how many calories you are taking in. WWW.MYFITNESSPAL.COM is a great calorie tracker. It has really helped me know how much overeating I was really doing. It also helps you know how many calories you need to be eating to lose the weight you want.
Drink 8 cups of water a day. I always have 1 cup in the morning when I wake up before breakfast. Then 1 cup before every time I eat. Then if there are times I'm getting hungry between eating I drink water. Most times when you think you are hungry, your body is just thirsty. Drink more water and you will feel more full and won't need to eat as much! Drinking water also helps your digestive system work better when you do eat. It causes your body to not store as much fat! So stay hydrated!
DON'T:
Eat processed foods as little as possible. Try to make things from scratch more, you have less preservatives and additives. Stay away from high fructose corn syrup! It chemically alters your body to not know when you are full! Buy less pre-packaged stuff! Packaged stuff has more calories and just aren't good for you.
Cut way back on sugar and salty foods. Sugar causes your blood sugar to spike and store fat. Salty foods store as fat as well. (More on the glycemic index and blood sugar spikes later).
Stop eating about 3-4 hours before you go to bed. I usually go to bed around 10:00 so I try to stop eating by about 6:00, 7:00 at the latest. Your body knows about the time you go to bed so your digestion starts slowing down. Anything you eat within that time period will have a hard time digesting and store as fat! Eating at night will also cause you to sleep more restlessly. Getting enough sleep is crucial to keep your body energized and healthy. I sleep so much better when I don't eat late at night! If you get hungry and just can't wait till morning eat something healthy. Like carrots, apples, or even a string cheese (protein will help you feel a little fuller). Sometimes I'll just eat an apple and string cheese and drink some water and then I will feel pretty full again. But this is only if I just can't wait.
REMEMBER:
Consistency is the key! If you want to see results when it comes to weight loss, you have to start in the kitchen. You have to be consistent! Think about how long you have had these habits you want to change. Doing good for a week won't give you the results you want in a week. You have to be committed to making this a lifestyle change and stick with it for a while.
I've had my bad habits for practically my 25 years. So I have to keep reminding myself that one week, even one month, won't put me where I want to be. I have to stick with it for a while to get to where I want to be weight and health wise.
Good luck to you guys and I hope this has helped! I would love feedback on anything you might know about diet or exercise and if my post has helped you! :)
Everyone has different limits, different likes and dislikes about different work outs. This is just what I have found that is working for me! This is a journey for me and I am not where I want to be, yet, but I will update my results. :)
First off One thing I learned, that was kind of disappointing but made sense, is that 80% of losing weight starts in the kitchen. Getting fit happens in the gym! (Or when you workout/exercise) If you are not changing habits with what you eat, you WILL NOT get the results you want! This is really hard for me because I LOVE my sweets! I am not a fan of veggies so that one is hard for me. But if you just realize that this is part of what it takes to lose that weight, you need to start rethinking your diet.
DO:
Eat 4-5 smaller meals throughout the day. Make sure they have some sort of fruit and vegetable and protein! Protein can be nuts, cottage cheese, peanut/nut butters, string cheese, lean meats (tuna, fish, chicken, turkey). Protein is essential to help keep you feeling full and recovering from working out.
Watch how many calories you are taking in. WWW.MYFITNESSPAL.COM is a great calorie tracker. It has really helped me know how much overeating I was really doing. It also helps you know how many calories you need to be eating to lose the weight you want.
Drink 8 cups of water a day. I always have 1 cup in the morning when I wake up before breakfast. Then 1 cup before every time I eat. Then if there are times I'm getting hungry between eating I drink water. Most times when you think you are hungry, your body is just thirsty. Drink more water and you will feel more full and won't need to eat as much! Drinking water also helps your digestive system work better when you do eat. It causes your body to not store as much fat! So stay hydrated!
DON'T:
Eat processed foods as little as possible. Try to make things from scratch more, you have less preservatives and additives. Stay away from high fructose corn syrup! It chemically alters your body to not know when you are full! Buy less pre-packaged stuff! Packaged stuff has more calories and just aren't good for you.
Cut way back on sugar and salty foods. Sugar causes your blood sugar to spike and store fat. Salty foods store as fat as well. (More on the glycemic index and blood sugar spikes later).
Stop eating about 3-4 hours before you go to bed. I usually go to bed around 10:00 so I try to stop eating by about 6:00, 7:00 at the latest. Your body knows about the time you go to bed so your digestion starts slowing down. Anything you eat within that time period will have a hard time digesting and store as fat! Eating at night will also cause you to sleep more restlessly. Getting enough sleep is crucial to keep your body energized and healthy. I sleep so much better when I don't eat late at night! If you get hungry and just can't wait till morning eat something healthy. Like carrots, apples, or even a string cheese (protein will help you feel a little fuller). Sometimes I'll just eat an apple and string cheese and drink some water and then I will feel pretty full again. But this is only if I just can't wait.
REMEMBER:
Consistency is the key! If you want to see results when it comes to weight loss, you have to start in the kitchen. You have to be consistent! Think about how long you have had these habits you want to change. Doing good for a week won't give you the results you want in a week. You have to be committed to making this a lifestyle change and stick with it for a while.
I've had my bad habits for practically my 25 years. So I have to keep reminding myself that one week, even one month, won't put me where I want to be. I have to stick with it for a while to get to where I want to be weight and health wise.
Good luck to you guys and I hope this has helped! I would love feedback on anything you might know about diet or exercise and if my post has helped you! :)
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Coach's Pitch and T-Ball
Friday, July 6, 2012
Enjoying the 4th of July
We had such a fun 4th of July! While Grangeville is a small town, they sure know how to celebrate the 4th of July. They always have a 3 day holiday called Border Days. This year was the 101 year anniversary, so they have been doing it for a REALLY long time! While we didn't do the rodeo thing or stay up late to fight the crowds to see the fireworks, we still had a lot of fun! My mom and I took the kids down to the toy scramble at 10:00 am. It is pretty much where they scatter candy and small toys all over the road and kids stuff a bag with all the goodies, Chaos! But the kids were happy! :)
We then went to the park and sat in front of Juanita's booth she had for the parade. The parade was too long and not really that good this year. But the kids got a lot of candy! Then went and got some corn dogs and curly fries. I got them a new hat and then took them on a few kiddie rides, their favorite was the bounce house. Then we got snow cones and went back to the park to play and walk around to see the different booths.
By then we were sugared out and tired so we went home and built a fire to roast hot dogs and smores. We then finished off the night with lighting off fireworks. Hope everyone else had a great holiday!
We then went to the park and sat in front of Juanita's booth she had for the parade. The parade was too long and not really that good this year. But the kids got a lot of candy! Then went and got some corn dogs and curly fries. I got them a new hat and then took them on a few kiddie rides, their favorite was the bounce house. Then we got snow cones and went back to the park to play and walk around to see the different booths.
By then we were sugared out and tired so we went home and built a fire to roast hot dogs and smores. We then finished off the night with lighting off fireworks. Hope everyone else had a great holiday!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
