January review

Well time to review my progress on my goals.

Sat down with my "health" calendar- ouch! So my plan was to drink 6 cups of water every day and strength train every other day. I met my water goal 23/31 days (74%) and worked out 11/16 planned days (69%). Ugh! So my plan is to keep those two goals but also add in some running. I don't have the highest hopes for working out 6 days a week since I failed so miserably this month but hey, try try again!

On the plus side I am kicking butt on te budget end. I will be paying off two student loans next week- yes, that is about $17,000 I will be taking out of savings.  We looked at some of the things we were saving for and decided we could do without for a year and pay off loans instead. Part of my motivation? We are in this house until those loans are paid off ;) 

One reason I blew off my workout tonight was to spend some time meal planning for the week. I've decided that I REALLY need to clean up my diet.... I haven't had to look at it in almost two years between being pregnant and pumping but it's time if I ever want to see results from all my working out. Plus I want to make it a healthy habit so that Lucas grows up eating healthy too!! He devoured a container of carrots today- that's my boy.

I was going to follow the 21 day fix but be cheap about it and just look it all up on Pinterest- holy overwhelming! So I tasked my husband wih helping me :)

I hope there is room to include this new yogurt!

The vanilla cupcake is even better. Seriously- buy a lot! Delicious for 100 calories.

One thing I decided I won't be giving up- pop. Sorry. It's my one vice in life and I am enjoying it.

Ok time to feed baby, chug cough syrup, and call it a day. It's snowing out so probably going to cuddle up with Lucas Tomorrow and try to stay warm! 

When your workout DVD makes you cry...

....it's time to find a new workout.  Or give in to the fact that you have a serious case of PMS.  My husband apologized to me the other day for being moody saying "I must be on my man period."  Guess that makes two of us-ha!

I honestly sat on the floor for 10 minutes in near tears because I SO didn't want to do it.



Seriously...it looks so innocent!  But I sincerely hate Level 2!  I think that's part of the reason that I've been avoiding working out for a week.  But I did get it done last night... with the "loving" support of my husband. I asked him to look at my form and tell me if I was doing some of the moves correctly because I wasn't sure... his idea of helping my form was to make it harder for me and yelling "Push yourself".  So the opposite of helpful!

I thought about throwing in the towel on the strength training program and going back to just running...but then I looked down while in plank and saw my belly fat..UGH.  If you ever feel good about yourself, avoid any form of plank or pushup...it will keep you sane.  Trust me!

So I am taking recommendations for a good strength training program :)

In other random news, on the side of life that probably only mothers can understand, I have finally found bras that fit.  ALLELUIA.  Non-moms, you don't even know.  While you are pregnant, you have to find new bras.  Post-pregnancy, you have to find new bras (and good luck finding a comfortable nursing bra...and when you DO find said comfortable bra that fits, they will discontinue it leaving you with three that your mother has to sew multiple times because the underwire pops out).... and THEN, you finally quit nursing and guess what...yup, new bras again!  I went through about 8 at Aerie before I found one that fit.  Sorry, Victoria's Secret, your bras aren't meant for certain ladies.

And that is my overshare of the evening... yup, PMS all the way!

Motivate me!

I have skipped 3 workouts in the last week- I need someone to come poke me in the *** with a cattle prod!

Here are my excuses- I am emotionally drained. Yestersay there was something physically wrong with me- I got super dizzy at work and didn't think I was going to make the hour long drive home from work. I did but there was no way I was going to work out- making it through my shower was a moment wirh celebrating to me.

So I'm going to dig deep and find some motivation for my workout tomorrow- any tips and tricks will be shared! No promises haha

Sometimes you feel like a workout....sometimes you don't!

Just in case you don't remember where the "Sometimes you feel like a nut....sometimes you don't" song came from, I Googled it for you (because I couldn't remember either!).  Apparently it used to be part of a song for Almond Joy/Mound candy bars...don't worry, I didn't remember that either.  Just the catchy one liner.

So I have skipped working out not once but TWICE in the past week.....GASP!  And I feel pretty okay with it.  I used to beat myself up about it and feel so guilty but now I have to tell myself that it is OKAY. Last Thursday was an emotionally exhausting day.... we are in the process of talking about some big life-changing events that may or may not come to fruition but just TALKING about them is stressing me out.  I'm going to keep the details hidden for now since it's a lot of "what ifs" but just know that I am a sleep deprived, stressed out working mom who will yell or cry at the drop of a hat.

Yesterday I skipped my workout because I had to get up at 5:30 to have Lucas at daycare by 6:30 so I could go to a workshop 2 hours away...except the roads were glare ice and I saw 8 cars in the ditch so it took me 2.5 hours to get there.  So by the time I got home and got Lucas to bed, I could barely get myself out of my own bed to shower, let alone tackle Level 2 of Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30..

Speaking of (yes this is a random post--this is how my brain is working today!)....Level 2 is NOT a joke.  I thought Level 1 was difficult... HA.  Now I know why I have never progressed to Level 2.  The strength training and abs part are actually pretty decent if you aren't a wuss and use the appropriate level of weights (the second time I did it, I did grab my 5 pounders instead of my 3 pounders) but the CARDIO is crazy!  She's screaming "push yourself, it's just starting to get tough!" and I've already collapsed on the floor.  So it doesn't take much of a reason for me to skip doing it.  But my best guy friend asked me to do a half marathon with him in June (he is going to train for a full marathon) so I have to carefully consider that and get my butt back into running one way or another...

And to end this on my random "things I want to blog about" list.... For those of you who think I am hard core with my budget, I just hired a cleaning lady today.  It is going to make my marriage a lot more stress-free because I won't be nagging my husband to get the house cleaned and I'm going to be happier because I don't have to worry about cleaning.  So where is that money coming from because I still have my mind set on being dept free by April 2016?  Well I will tell you... $20 from gas, $50 from food, $10 from home budget, and $20 from myself and Mike from our fun money for a grand total of $120 a month.  Yes it means we won't be eating out EVER and yes it means less shopping for me, but it will be worth it.

And that's all I have for you tonight... sorry for the lack of pictures.  I had Day 2 of yesterday's workshop so another long day which is my excuse for not walking around the house right now to snap corresponding pics.... love me or hate me... just keep reading!

Day 5- going strong!

It's funny how 5 days of sticking to something can make a person so proud. They say it takes 21-28 days to make something a habit.... Sigh. So many days to go. I was very proud of myself today for resisting cake at work.... Until my husband ordered a Caseys pizza and I had 2 slices. Guess I had used up all my temptation resistance for the day haha! Alas, I put my workout clothes and got it done anyways. Mike didn't have to work until 5 so I thought I could get it done before he left but Lucas had other ideas of watching Mommy workout while he played with Daddy. So I incorporated him in it- nothing like doing fast feet and skater jumps holding a 17 pound baby. Those moms who post themselves doing 30 minute workouts with their babies amaze me... Or they doped their kids with Tylenol prior to starting. Because there is no way my child would play independently for that long or let me use him for my weights.

I was going to have Mike take pictures but I was wearing a really awesome outfit- lime green tank, hot pink shorts and purple shoes. You'd never know that my husband and I finally went and got my push present (a year after he came up with with the original idea) and I now have something adorable workout clothes and new running shoes.  

My sister in law and I are kicking around the idea of doing a 10k in Disneyland over Labor Day weekend.... So I'm going to have to use those shoes to use sometime soon. But for now I'm going to focus on strength training for the next couple months and then start running again. Need to build my muscle back up! 

It's colder than cold and lots of snow today- makes visions of running in sunny California seem far far away! 

Sometimes you need a laugh...,

So I just have to share a laugh with you all. So Lucas loves this book that is meant to teach kids when and how to call 911. He loves it because when you press 9-1-1 it makes a lot of noise. But this one page cracks me up. 

If someone is sick and blue in the face and won't wake up, I think 911 is a little late. But not in this case- on the next page she is in a hospital bed with a get well soon balloon and alive and well.

It's these little things in laugh that crack me up these days! 

10 days into the new year- how you doing?

January 10th- did anyone else set New Year goals and if so, how are you doing?

I am spot on with working out every other night and at 90% success with drinking water every day. I haven't been tracking my eating a fruit or vegetable with every meal but I know there are some times it hasn't happened and other times I have stretched it- pretty sure marinara sauce does not count because it's made

from tomatoes haha. Good thing I didn't see any other goals related to health because we had a family Christmas today (my oldest brother and his family were in Disney World over Christmas so we did it today with them) and I definitely consumed a ball of raw cookie dough in addition to other goodies. Yum yum!

I also sat down and looked at our budget and debt snowball and if we are spot on with our budget and my husband picks up an extra 1-2 shifts a month, we can be debt free by April 2016. My dream goal has been to be debt free by 30 which is April 13. 2016. It will be hard work, dedication and a little sacrifice but hopefully we can do it.

Hopefully you are all sticking to your goals as well! Even if you don't believe in making them for the new year, I think it's always good to have SOMETHING in your life that you are working for.

Happy new year!

IWell it's always good to start a new journey by looking back at where you came.

I had a 75% success eye with my 2014 goals. I paid off 3 loans (the original goal was 2!), ran a 29 minute 5k (the original goal was 30), and lost all the baby weight (and then some until I quit pumping- back to pre pregnancy weight now, thank you holidays lol). I did NOT read the Bible. Got a good start but then fizzled out once lucas was born.

I'm having a hard time with 2015 goad because a goal is supposed to be something you can measure. I know I want to get back into running so I will put a 30 minute 5k back on the list (really need to stop going on a running hiatus in the winter so it doesn't take so much to get back into it!) and I want to pay off two more loans. So those are measurable...

But my other two goals aren't so measurable- I want to live a healthier lifestyle and be a better person.

So what does that mean? Be a healthier person... I need to get back into shape! I helps Mike carry up the Christmas tree yesterday to the attic and I thought I was going to die. My dream would be to strength train 3 days a week and run 3 days a week but I'm going to start with baby steps of strength training every other day. Just did week one of Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 and I thought I was going to die. I have a feeling I will be movif veeeerrrrryyyyy slowly tomorrow! I'd also like to clean up my diet now that I'm not point and burning an extra 500 calories a day. But that's going to take a lot of baby steps so for this month I want to eat a veggie once a day and drink 6 cups of water a day. We will see how that goes. Like I said- lots of baby steps to one really unmeasurable goal!

Be a better person is really hard to define. You know those people that when you think of them, your first thought is "they are such a nice person!" I want that to be ME! I know that I need to be a better friend, particularly to my two oldest and closest friends. Really haven't found that balance between being a friend and a mom. Doesn't help that my child only likes to nap in my arms when I'm home so I don't have a lot of free time but I still need to try harder. I want to be the one to remember those moments going on in other peoples lives. I have a friend who texts me as soon as Lucas' doctors appointments are over to ask how it went. So maybe remembering those things will be a first step... And being nicer to my husband ;)

So there it is- my 2015 plan. Seems like a lot to tackle but one day at a time!