Fat be gone Friday ::: Robyn's weigh in day

Good news or bad news first? ……….sigh…………I’m gonna just go for the bad news, get it out there and over with and then share my happy story with you.

So, here it is……. I’m up 2 pounds for the week………. Yech……… so sad, let me just take a minute to cry and collect myself.

That’s that! I’m done being sad, I’m done being hard on myself. We were vacationing and I had the best week. We went to Disneyland, the beach, Sea World, and then Disneyland again! My choices are to be hard on myself and give up because it’s too hard (that’s what I’ve done a million times in the past) or to forgive myself, recommit, and move on. It’s a new day. I am feeling optimistic. I can do this. I believe in myself. I am so excited for a great week. Really, I am ready for 9 great weeks. School starts again in 9 and a half weeks. I know it will fly by. Even our summer schedule gets hectic. But, I am committed to really getting my workouts in, drinking lots of water, only eating good carbs, and losing a ton of weight. I love summer.

Now, for my good news!!!!! About a year ago we went to Sea World with some of my hubby’s extended family. We had been taking turns riding rides and watching little kids who weren’t tall enough. My son Bear and I went to get on an awesome looking roller coaster. I didn’t notice at the beginning of the line the warning that some guests may not fit. They have a chair to try out if you are a “larger” guest. So, when I went to get on the ride and the restraint didn’t fit down over my tummy I was more than devastated. Completely mortified, embarrassed, there aren’t really words. My son didn’t understand why we had to get off. I did a little silent sob, wiped my face and told him Daddy would come back and ride with him. I really did a good job of putting my chin up and enjoying the rest of the day. But, when we hit the car to drive back to the hotel I cried. Like really cried. I was so disappointed that I had let myself get to that point. I was so embarrassed and so sad. I swore I wouldn’t come back to Sea World until I would fit on that ride. Guess what I did this weekend?!?! Yep you guessed it. I rode the roller coaster. I tried the seat out front to make sure before I got on. I was scared. What if??? I easily fit though with room to spare. I was so excited!!!!!! Yay, yay, yay!!! I’m excited to keep going so that I can do more fun stuff and feel comfortable, healthy, and happy in my body.

How many people can you fit on Shamu? We're with my brother Joe and his family. I love them!!

I took a picture of the picture :), I love that it says proof all over it.  It's proof that I fit, proof that I rode the ride!!! :) I'm riding with my brother Joe. :)

Of course, I am sad that I am up, but I am choosing to focus on my accomplishments and to not give up. I know that I can do this. I want to be healthier. I want to know that I am the best that I can be. I am choosing each day, each moment to enjoy the journey and to be happy in my now.

Weigh in Wednesday ::: Hope

Let's get real!

What's real is that weight loss stinks sometimes.

It's AWESOME and then it's sllliiidddiiinnnggg bbbaaaccckkk dddooowwwnnn.

That's just how it is.

You have your "Dang, I rock!" moments and you have

your "I'll work out tomorrow" moments.

I have had the latter moments all too often this week.

As I looked back, I realized I had only worked out once this week.

Well, I did do a ton of yard work, too, but I'm not counting that.

I'm talking intentional working out.

Only one time.

Ugh.

It's weird how that just sneaks up on you.

And my "I'm not going to eat that because it doesn't taste as

good as skinny feels" mantra wasn't playing in my head this week either.

It happens.

But here's the cool part.

You can recommit.

You can start again.

You can get back in the groove.

It's a constant cycle.

Here is a little encouragement I got from Michelle Myers on Facebook

(She's awesome, by the way. You should go like her page.)

She said: "If you dropped your phone, would you smash it until it breaks? Hopefully not! So maybe you splurged a little yesterday...or maybe you skipped your workout. That was YESTERDAY! Recommit today. You've got this!"

So I did.

I recommitted.

I have gone to the gym 2 days in a row now and I'll be there

tomorrow night too.

I do need to work on that not eating past 8pm thing, too.

I'm getting pretty slack about that.

The one thing I have stayed strong about is my water.

I can drink some water, let me tell you.

So now comes the results of my weigh in this morning.

dun. dun. dun.

I am up 1/2 lb. from last week.

Not surprising really.

But I am determined to get back on track.

So, here I go...

Happy Girl Creative ::: Check It Out!

We interrupt this blog for a commercial break...

 

You might remember last month we featured a friend of mine

and her awesome new company

Happy Girl Creative

Mary, owner of Happy Girl Creative, created our blog header

for this blog and we love it!

We just wanted to give her another shout out as her business begins to grow.

 

Here's a little bit more about Happy Girl Creative...

 

Happy Girl Creative believes that party planning should be fun, and sending invitations can be both stylish and affordable. Why get stuck with sending the same ordinary invitations to announce your extraordinary event? You can select from our wide variety of invitations that are full of fun, style, color, and whimsy. If you don't see what you like or find what you are looking for, then you can infuse your own ideas with our creative style to make the perfect statement with our custom options. Let our passion for parties and design fill you with a sense of wonder and anticipation for your next event.

 

What does Happy Girl Creative offer?

 

 Weddings, Birth Announcements, Holiday Cards, Showers, Birthdays, Parties of any kind, Charity Events, Custom Birthday Cards from your child, Stay At Home Mom Business Cards, Stickers, Banners, T-shirts and more!

 

Where can you find Happy Girl Creative online?

Happy Girl Creative on Facebook

Happy Girl Creative on etsy

 

Here are a few examples of Mary's adorable and creative work...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fat be gone Friday (a day late)::: Robyn's weigh in (or lack there of)

Late Monday afternoon, this last week, my hubby informed me we'd be heading into California on Thursday!!!! Heading into California?!?!? Yay!!!! Heading into California!!!!! Panic!!!!! I was already feeling stressed to get all of our school stuff done for Friday. This new plan meant everything needed to get done by Wednesday. Challenge accepted, let's do this. It made my week a little stressful though. Exercise, diet, weight loss, laundry, packing, cleaning, ballet, baseball, what a crazy week. My body caved and I wasn't feeling very well. But, the kids and I mostly finished, and now the week is done and I am happily in my home state for a few days.

When the going gets rough the rough get going right?? Well, I forgot 2 things when I was packing. My make-up bag and my scale are in Gilbert, AZ and I am in Southern Cali!!! So, I can't weigh myself. I can't say I'm sad about that. :) I weigh myself everyday though and I think I would have been down on Friday. :)

I am relieved that school is over though and I'm really hoping to be focused on weight loss the next couple of months. I'm excited to have more time for workouts. I want to do some double workout days and really push myself. So, although I am on vacation for a few days, I am working hard for a  loss this week. I'm excited for results and success.

Short post this week, I'm off to play at the beach, spend some time at amusement parks, and snuggle my kiddos.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you again for all of your support! I am so motivated by all of you and your words of encouragement lift me. It's not really about weight loss. It's about being the best we can be.

Weigh in Wednesday...err, Thursday

I may be a day late, but better late then never, right?

I was on retreat for 3 days, so I had to take my scale with me to get my official Wednesday weigh in. I also had my final weigh in for my DietBet I was doing.

I have been really proud of myself lately.

I feel super empowered by my progress and the strength I'm gaining.

 

So I was doing a 30 day DietBet where you put in $25 and get others to do the same.

Then you all try and lose 4% of your total weight in a month. There were 7 of us and 3 of us made it!

Everyone was close, though, and it was awesome to see everyone losing weight together.

I doubled my money, so not a bad deal :)

Thanks to Robyn for giving me the heads up about www.dietbet.com.

Check it out, it's pretty cool.

 

During the retreat, I decided to run with a friend who started running with a "couch to 5K" program. He started last fall and is now running 10+ miles and training for a half marathon.

Pretty darn inspiring.

He said that he needed to do 4 miles that day, so I was thrilled when I was able to talk him down to 3.1 (a 5K). I wasn't completely sure I would finish it, but it was my goal as we started. We ran at 9pm at night, which with the Charleston humidity, was a great idea. It was pretty funny at times since our light was limited to the occasional street lamp and his very useful headlamp. When a car would come, he would yell "car", I would hop up on the curb, he would hop up behind me and then he would have to yell "mailbox" so I didn't plow into the mailbox in front of me.

Surprised I made it through that without falling on my face, actually.

He was super encouraging and I think I would have quit a mile in if I was by myself.

So thanks Mike for pushing me and helping me run my first 5K outside! I was a sweaty mess and pretty sure I was going to throw up toward the end, but I made it! :)

 

So now comes my weigh in. Let me just say that the food at that retreat center is soooo good!

And I learned dark chocolate, while having it's own health benefits, isn't calorie free (shocking, right?!?). Before I left for retreat, I was down 2 lbs.

But at my weigh on yesterday, I was only down 1 lb.

Still SUPER proud that I lost weight this week though!

I am now in the 180's and working my way downnnnnn..... :)

 

Down 1 lb. since last week and a total of 33 lbs. so far!

 

Now I have to give a special shout out to my youngest son who graduated from preschool today!

I have loved watching him grow and mature this year.

He has come so far and I am so proud to be his mom!!

{my family minus our 2 boys who were at their elementary school this morning}

 

Also a big shout out to our oldest son who made his First Holy Communion this past Sunday!

 

 

Fat Be Gone Friday ::: Robyn's weigh in day

Friday already? The weeks are going by so fast for me as the kiddos and I are trying to finish up our school work. We have one week left!!! I’m so excited because I will have more free time and less stress. I’m really planning on focusing more seriously on my weight loss over the summer.  

I have been thinking a lot about body image this week. I have 2 tweeny girls in my house. They are beautiful, smart, and so much fun. I love being their mom. They are just beginning to develop self body image. They are becoming more aware of their bodies as little women. I remember being their age and becoming aware of my body. I became self conscious of my body in my preteen years. I recognize the impact that I have in my little girls development of a healthy confident self image. I am really thinking about that and trying to be really positive about my own body so I can be a good example to them. So often we say that our value isn’t based on the way that we look; that we want to be beautiful inside. But, as women I think it’s really important to be happy with our bodies, to really know and feel beautiful on the outside. I of course think being kind and good is more important than being beautiful, and I teach my little girls that. But, they just happen to be beautiful on the outside too. I want them to know that, to own it, and to let it empower them in their lives. I know that when I feel good about my body and my self image I am more likely to accomplish things in my life. It may seem silly, but I think it’s true. Beware a strong, smart, beautiful woman. That’s what I am working towards and that is what I am raising my little girls to be.

My hubby was out of town this week. It was hard. I only made it to the gym 1 day. That’s bad news for me. I am normally so dedicated to working out and that carries me through my lack of discipline in my food choices. But, I did pretty good this week. I drank soooooo much water. It’s getting hot here and I feel so much better when I’m well hydrated. I shoot for 100 oz of water a day. I think that saved me this week.

I am happy to say that I lost 1 pound this week which puts me at a total of 25 pounds.

I am feeling like I am getting behind in this whole weight loss journey. I’m not going to reach my 70 pound goal this year at this rate. But, I am just going to keep on keeping on. I’m really hoping for a couple of big months of weight loss over the summer when my home school days slow down. I am feeling healthy and happy and most of the time beautiful.    

Weigh in Wednesday ::: Hope

I Did It!

I broke down the wall and busted through that plateau!

I have been the same weight for 2 weeks now, but I have FINALLY made progress.

I am down 2 lbs. this week!

Woop!

I was a little worried because we have been on the go this week.

We stayed at Carl's moms lake house this weekend and ate s'mores and I drank a few drinks that had WAY more calories than I would have liked, but honestly, when I look back, I didn't do too bad on the food intake part. I ate a salad one night, I had a burger off the grill but no bun, and I just really tried to make better choices.

This is a lifestyle.

I have a mantra in my head that tells me I can't eat everything I want to eat.

I used to eat anything and everything I wanted. At anytime I wanted it.

It's almost like I spoiled myself rotten.

I am having to retrain my inner dialogue.

I can't eat everything I want. Sometimes I have to sacrifice.

If I want it bad enough, this is what I have to do.

So I'm doing it.

I do feel like I got out of my workout groove over this past month. I have rededicated myself to that.

No excuses.

And back to the exercises that I feel help me the most.

I have decided to do another 30 day challenge.

Do it with me!

Our core's will be strong after this one!! Whew.

The planks are what I'm worried about the most :)

 

So to recap: I am down 2 lbs this week.

That's a total of 31.5 lbs GONE!

(Not lost, because I don't intend to ever find them again)

I am on the verge of the 180's people so stay tuned...

 

Fat be Gone Friday::: Robyn's weigh in

I decided to write some this morning before I weigh myself. I don’t want my success or failure on the scale to affect my attitude just yet. J Guess what I did this week?!?!? ……… I graduated from college. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Management. I am ecstatic. I actually finished my last class in December but wanted to give myself a little time to lose weight before I walked in the commencement ceremony so that I was a little more comfortable in my own skin. It was one of my best days. My husband found the best seats and as I walked through the tunnel entering into the University of Phoenix stadium there was my little family above me. They were going crazy, my kiddos jumping up and down and screaming. I was all smiles. My hubby looked so proud. As I climbed up the stage and my name was read I felt completely comfortable with myself. I held my head high, shoulders back and walked on to that stage feeling pretty!!! Wow! That was so fun. I waved my fake diploma in the air at my little family all the way back to my seat. Look at me. I made it on the big screen several times and didn’t shy away. I smiled and waved and was so proud. Who knows what’s next? I feel like I can accomplish anything I want to though.  

  

With such a big accomplishment there were definitely celebrations including food. J This entire week has been a difficult food week for me. I ate things I shouldn’t have eaten for sure. But, I ate in moderation. When I went to the doctor this week I was down 35 pounds from my appointment in the fall. My doctor was thrilled with my progress. My blood sugar levels are fantastic. (Still on medication for now) 

I feel my attitude continually changing and my self-confidence growing. I am taking better care of myself in every aspect of life. I care more about my appearance and feel cute most of the time. (That’s huge) I can’t believe how much happier I am just in daily activities because I feel better about myself.

I realize that today, weigh in day, is not the end all be all. It is a step in my journey. So, no matter what the scale says, (wish it didn’t even have to be a part of this journey) I will continue to do what I am doing. Happily! I am changing my lifestyle and it feels great.

Insert sigh, gasp, and long deep breath as I weigh myself………………………………………

I am up .5 pounds this week

It’s my first time being up this year. Am I sad? Of course. But, I still feel positive and optimistic. I still feel confident that I can do it. I am so motivated and excited for this week. There’s more to life than weight loss. But, man does weight loss make life sweeter. J

Wednesday Weigh In ::: Hope

So this morning as I stepped on the scale and it said the exact same thing that it did last Wednesday...and the Wednesday before...you would think I would have been frustrated.

Instead I thought "Yay! I didn't gain!"

This morning, someone posted this on Facebook

It got me thinking about this body that God has gifted me with.

This incredible body that has given birth to 4 children.

This body that has climbed 30 foot trees to set up challenge courses.

This body that has gone from sleeping on the church floor for a lock in to washing windshields all Sunday for a fundraiser to leading meetings in the afternoon and then leading youth group that night. This body that has run on little to no sleep and then been up at 2 am when someone wet the bed

and it does it all over again the next day.

My body is INCREDIBLE!!!

God has entrusted this body to me for a short time.

It is my responsibility to take good care of it.

Sometimes I don't do as good a job as I should.

But then there are times that I do.

Whether or not the scale numbers go down doesn't define how good or bad I have done that week.

Feeling awesome about my progress and feeling stronger each day defines my weigh in each week.

It's true, I WANT to see that number go down

and down

and down

and I will.

But today, I am focusing on this body that I have right now.

It's doing incredible things that it hasn't done in a very long time.

I'm running now.

Running.

Me.

And I'm enjoying it.

Yup.

My body rocks.

Today I chaperoned my oldest son's field trip to the zoo and the coolest thing kept happening. Other moms, who hadn't seen me in awhile, would come up and tell me how great I looked, how they were following this blog and they gave me encouragement.

It was so awesome, truly.

Then I took my son to the library and I ran into

another friend who came over to chat.

She told me she was following this blog, too and encouraged me, as well.

Then there are the people that post on my facebook wall and send me messages of encouragement or tell me that they have been

inspired to start getting healthier...

This whole process is more than I ever thought it would be.

So to all of you who have taken an interest in

mine and Robyn's journey, thank you!

Thank you to all who have given me encouragement.

YOU ALL are keeping me motivated.

Here's to next week...

Fat be Gone Friday::: Robyn's weigh in

If I would have written this blog post before I weighed myself this morning it would have been a very different post. So, I’m trying to keep perspective and remember my week before the weigh in. When I sit down to write a post and I’m not feeling super positive I really try hard to pull myself together before I share my feelings with the world. I really want this little blog of ours to be a positive influence and uplift anyone who stops by. On the other hand, I am a pretty matter of fact kinda girl. I do not pretend to be something I’m not. The truth isn’t always positive, and weight loss is soooooooo hard. I know that so many of you will relate to my struggles. So here is my truth:

I ate super fresh and healthy this week. Lots of raw veggies. It’s weird how your body craves things. I was completely satisfied and didn’t really feel hungry. Shocking! I really watched my carbs. I haven’t eliminated them. But, I only really eat them once a day and try to make them healthy carbs. I did eat a cupcake at the T-ball team party last night. It was worth it. JI also exercised like crazy. Lots of running this week. I’m going farther and faster and feeling really strong. I still hate (that’s a bad word in my house) running. But, I love pushing myself and surprising myself. I made really good choices this week and am proud of myself.

I had a stressful week. Things have been super hectic with the kid’s schedules and we have had a little bit of upheaval in our family. I am a worrier. So, I didn’t sleep well and I could feel that the lack of sleep and stress was affecting my well-being. But, I did not stress eat. Amazing!!! I tried to really think things through while I was exercising and burn off my nervous energy.

So, when I stepped on the scale this morning I was hoping for a big number. Good nutrition and lots of exercise should equal weight loss right? Well, weight loss is not like a math equation that always has the same formula and answer. It’s much more complicated than that.

I lost 1 pound this week…..

for a total of 24.5 pounds.

That .5 is really important to me J

I shouldn't be discouraged about a 1 pounds weight loss right? But, I am. I worked so hard for just 1 pound?

I know that this is really a life journey. It’s not just about reaching a goal. It’s about living healthy and being happy. Weight will always be a struggle in my life. So, I’m going to try to switch my thinking. I’m going to try to stop focusing so much on the end goal. (Although, I’m really excited to be skinny and go on a shopping spree.) I’m going to focus on my accomplishments. 24.5 pounds is nothing to sneeze at. I easily could have gained weight over the past four months had I not been doing this. I feel great physically. I am fit. I can run 4 miles without stopping!!!! I like the girl I am right now. I will just keep on keeping on with a smile on my face.  

Weigh in Wednesday ::: Hope

Where were we?

Oh yes, I had just lost 4.5 lbs. and was feeling great.

Well, I'm feeling the exact same today that I was last week.

Probably because I weigh the same.

Yup. No loss, but no gain either.

Carl has been out of town since Sunday so working out has been tough.

I did get to the gym a few times this week and I even ran.

Yes. I ran 2 miles at 2 different times this week.

What I haven't told you {probably because then it will make it real} is that I am signing up for my first 5K at the end of June.

Now let me just say that I AM NOT A RUNNER!

I have actually hated to run ever since...well, forever.

But I started to run on the treadmill one night and thought

"I'm not dying right now. Let me see how long I can do this for."

So, I'm a bit nervous about actually running outside and in front of other people, but I am also proud of myself for trying something new.

It's been awhile since I tried something new :)

I have also been upping my exercises.

In case the squat challenge wasn't enough,

I decided to throw in a circuit exercise too.

Here it is:

Do this simple (yet effective!!) circuit three times through everyday for one week. 

Want more? Increase your reps or repeat 5 times throughout the day.

 

I haven't done my measurements lately,

but I will definitely be doing those soon.

I am already having to wear a belt to hold up my {2 sizes smaller} jeans.

Here's to next week being another BIG week :)