Big changes

I have some big changes and exciting things happening for the start of the New Year.  First, I'm working on a total blog re-design with the help of my awesome friend Brandi over at Thin After Twins, and I can't wait to reveal it!

Second, I've finally moved into the 21st century and signed up for Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook pages for this blog, so I would love if you stopped by any and all of these places to follow, like, pin, tweet, or just say hello :)

Third, it's time for a little reflection.  I know I've been hard on myself this past month for not staying as motivated as I should have been, but the reality is, I'm ending 2012 a whopping 35# lighter than I started it.  I still have a ways to go, but when I started this year at 232, I felt like I would never see the one hundreds' again.  I felt like I was too fat, too lazy, too (fill in your word of choice here) to make any serious headway.  I proved myself wrong.  This year, I ran in a race on Thanksgiving day that I've been wanting to do for as long as I can remember, but always felt I wouldn't be able to handle it.  I go through my ups and downs with motivation, and although I wasn't totally serious all year long about my weight loss, starting this blog at the end of August was the best thing I ever could have done for myself.  You guys are the reason I'm still here.  The reason I haven't given up this month.  The reason I want to keep going, try harder, get back on that wagon.  So thank you.  Thank you for following me, for commenting, for reading, for telling me I can still do this!  You have no idea what it means to me, and I'm so thankful for y'all every day.

So New Year's "resolutions" start today.  I resolve not to make any drastic changes that will burn me out, but instead make small lifestyle changes that I can live with forever, so that this will become not just a diet but a healthy way of life! I started my day with a green monster smoothie, as some of you may have already seen on Facebook, and I'm starting my first round of Insanity.  I'm going to also re-start C25K on my treadmill since the weather has gotten so bad outside I'm not going to be able to run outdoors for a while.  I'm hoping this time around I can improve my speed a bit, so I'm hoping by starting out again at week 1 I can push my speed for the running intervals.  I'm back to logging into MFP today too, I want my 100 day streak back!! 

So what about you, what are your goals for 2013??

Fat Sick and Nearly Dead

SOOO I haven’t exactly been doing well the month of December.  Like at all.  Like I’ve fallen so far off the wagon that I’m having a hard time finding it again. 

Why? I don’t know for sure, probably because it’s so much easier to be fat and lazy than it is to be healthy and active.  I know that I’m moving backwards now instead of forward, but I just can’t seem to make myself snap out of it.  This week has been a doozy on top of it; my hubs got hit with a nasty stomach flu that left him useless all day Sunday and most of Christmas Eve as well, and then Christmas was sort of stressful and I may or may not have drank 2308953 bottles of wine and puked my brains out all night L (Stay classy Karri, stay classy).  Wednesday I felt like such crap from my drinking that all I wanted was fatty greasy food.  I went back to work yesterday and was met with everyone’s Christmas leftovers, and now here we are today with another half day of crappy eating under my belt.  I’m too tired to go grocery shopping.  My head is pounding.  My jeans are tight.  I am UNDOING ALL OF MY HARD WORK.  On Wednesday night I decided I should watch Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead on Netflix to try and motivate me to get back on it.  It was a decent documentary, and it was pretty amazing to watch Joe’s transformation.  I was even inspired to try juicing myself, well that is until I made myself a green monster the next morning with waaay to much green and not enough fruit, and it was so nasty I nearly vomited it back up.  Needless to say I didn’t finish that drink.  And end motivation here. 

I know I’ll snap out of this funk…I just can’t see how right now.  I think my subconscious is stuck on the “we’ll hit it hard in the New Year” mentality, which has gotten me in so much trouble in the past.  I’m starting a round of Insanity on Monday with a group of girls so I’ll have some accountability, and I'm thinking about going to bootcamp tomorrow….but honestly I’m a little scared that I’ve ruined my endurance and I won’t be able to make it through a class!! I will promise to get in some form of exercise tomorrow, even if it’s just a run.  Baby steps, right? Now if this damn headache would just go away!

One last thing…don’t forget to vote for my blog daily for the “Best Health Blog of 2012 Contest”.  You can vote once per day for as many blogs as you want, and you can do it with both Facebook and Twitter accounts (2 votes for the same blog!)

Thanks so much for your support, I’ve somehow managed to make it into the top ten!!  Have a great weekend!

 

Best Health Blog Award

Woo hooo!! I've been nomitated for Heathline's Best Health Blog Award! I realize there's no chance in hell that I'll win this thing, but it sure is nice to feel appreciated! Do me a favor and head on over to vote, you can look up my blog alphabetically, "Babe Before Baby" :)  And while you're there, show some love to my girls over at "In Progress for Good" and "Thin after Twins"!!
You can vote once per day per blog! Thanks for your support!!

 

 

 

Click here to Vote!!

Merry Christmas!!

Hope you get everything you asked for!!
Here's a pic of me and the hubs from years ago when he played Santa at my family Xmas party:


May your days be Merry and Bright!!

Winter Wonderland

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a week now and just haven’t been able to bring myself to do it.  Last Friday, my state experienced something so unfathomably awful, it’s hard to put into words how I even feel about it.

I grew up in Connecticut, and although I live about an hour away from Newtown and I have no children of my own, I have beautiful nieces and countless family and friends who are teachers. This tragedy has hit so close to home, but I am reminded how teachers are so very important in more ways than what we learn in the classroom. I am so proud to have a teacher in my family, as my best friends, as my role models. Please show your teachers how much they mean to you today, they are suffering as if these children were their own. 

With the Holiday season here and in the wake of a national tragedy, I am asking a small favor. Connecticut PTA’s are taking part in a fundraiser for the students of Sandy Hook. They’re not asking for money, but what they’re looking for is people to make paper snowflakes.  They can be as basic or as creative as you want, they’re just asking that you don’t use words, but anything else goes.   They’re going to use the snowflakes to decorate the halls and classrooms of the schools that the children will be attending after winter break to make their new school into a “Winter Wonderland”. Whether you want to make one or a dozen, it makes all the difference….think how much this small gesture will mean to these kids when they return.   So if you have a little time during this Holiday season please take a moment (include your family and friends) and make a little something these children will need to brighten their first day back.

Make and send snowflakes to Connecticut PTSA, 60 Connolly Parkway, Building 12, Suite 103, Hamden, CT  06514, by January 12, 2013.

If you want more information, check out the PTA's website here:

http://ctpta.org/About-CT-PTA/SANDY-HOOK-FUND.html

 

Thank you all for your help, it means more than you can ever know.  Hug your babies and loved ones, and try to remember, this year especially, what the true meaning of Christmas is. 

 

 

In Progress for Good

Today is a very special day, because Alisha from the awesome blog In Progress for Good has agreed to share her story here.  I've known Alisha for a few months now through the blogging world, and I have to tell you that this girl is as genuine as it gets.  I have never met a more inspiring person, and she's got a heart of gold! I'm honored she's willing to share with my readers, so without further ado, here's Alisha's story, in her words...

The summer of 2009 should have been one of the happiesttimes of my life.  This was the summer wefinally purchased and built our very first home.  And while that is exciting, I will alwaysremember that summer for very different reasons.

 That summer is when I faced the hard, cold truth and realityslapped me in the face.  You see, upuntil that point in my life I had been really good at ignoring my weightproblem.  I had been great at pretendingI was happy.  I had moved past a lot ofanger I had from horrible situations from my past.  But deep down, I didn’t feel I deserved to behappy.  Ultimately, crap happens ineveryone’s lives.  Mine was no exception!  I went many years, feeling I didn’t deserveto look good.  Or I didn’t deserve to behappy. 

The summer of 2009 was the final straw.  This is me in the summer of 2009.

 

Some might ask why I would share such an unflatteringpicture with the blog world.  There isone HUGE reason.  Because I never, NEVERwant to forget how I felt this exact day!

I woke up, as usual, in my brand new bedroom, in my brandnew house.  I went to get dressed.  I stood in my closet.  I searched. I went to my drawers.  I searchedsome more.  Typically, I would grab asweatshirt and comfy pants, but it was a hot 110-degree day and I knew I wouldroast.  So I kept looking. 

That’s when the tears started.  Everything I pulled out to try on wasn’t evenclose to fitting!  I sat there, in mycloset, disappointed and discouraged.  Eventually,at the very top of my closet I saw a box labeled “maternity clothes.”  I knew what was in that box.  And with tears streaming down my face Iopened the box and grabbed my maternity capris, and the purple maternity shirtto go with them.

I was humiliated.

I was so large that even my size 20’s in my closet…you know,my “fat pants” didn’t fit!  I had to gofor the stretchy waisted maternity clothes, and those were tight.

After I gained composure, I put on my “everything is great”face.  I went down to play the wii withthe kids.  Yet again, pretending that itdidn’t bother me.  But when I see thatpicture above, I see the pain and embarrassment hiding deep down in that girl!  I never want to forget that feeling becausethose emotions are what continue to scare me straight!

233.9 was the highest recorded weight for me.  And slowly I started chipping away at thatnumber...again!  You see I had triedumpteen times to lose weight.  I’d triedLA Weightloss, Atkins, HCG, juicing fasts, etc, etc, etc.    Myprogress was slow.  I got down to about207 and found out I was pregnant with my youngest.  While we were thrilled, I also knew thismeant I would be gaining back what I had been trying to lose.  Thankfully, by the time I delivered in April2011 I was only back up to 222.

That is when the real work began.  That summer I knew I had to dosomething.  That summer I knew I had thechance to change. 

So, I began walking.

Not outside….I was a hermit and too embarrassed about mysize!
Not on a treadmill….we couldn’t afford one.
Not at the gym…my husband was working thousands of milesaway from us and I had no family near to use as babysitters.  (Plus, we couldn’t afford a membership.)  (Plus, I was a hermit…remember?)

So I began walking inside my house.

Sound silly?  Yeah.  I know it does.
But that’s what I did.

I literally had a wiiFit step board and would step on andoff that board thousands of times a day. Before the kids woke up, I’d try and get in 45 minutes.  When the kids went outside to play, I’d sneakin 30 minutes.  When the kids went downfor the night, I’d turn on my favorite TV shows and step up and down as Iwatched them.  I told myself there was NOTV unless I was stepping.

And that is what I did all summer long.

By the time my husband came home from training, he wascoming home to a new wife.  By the end ofAugust I was down to 175 pounds.  (Thatis 47 pounds in just over 3 months!)

It was tedious.  Itwas boring.  But I was consistent!

Cue nursing school!

 I wish I could sit here and say that in the next few months,I lost the remaining pounds and have been maintaining ever since.  Sorry. That’s not my story.

Instead, I started nursing school.  It was hard. My husband was still working out of town, only coming home for theweekends.  I was stressed.  I was overwhelmed.  I ignored myself, and I definitely ignoredthe scale.

By the time I finished my first year of school, I finally faced the scale againand was discouraged and angry at myself. I was back up.  Having to re-losewhat I worked so hard to shed. 

So, in May 2012 I got re-focused AGAIN.  I started walking, again!  In July I decided I wanted to be a runneragain.  I started with the C25K and thoughtI was going to DIE!  When I ran 1 minutestraight I wanted to puke. 

 

But I was consistent! (Are you catching a theme?)

Slowly, I’ve continued to tick pounds off.  And just this week I hit 80 pounds lost! 

 

Am I where I thought I’d be by this point?  No.  Ithink we all want to lose the weight as fast as humanly possible, or is thatjust me? 

But here’s what I want you to take from my experience…..

1.     It CAN be done! It can.  I don’t care if you don’tlive by a gym, can’t afford a gym.  Idon’t care if you are a single mom, a working mom, a working woman.  We all have busy lives!  We do. But you CAN choose to put your health first!

2.     Consistency is the key!  When you are consistent, results come.  It’s really that simple.  Some weeks it doesn’t feel that easy.  Some weeks you feel you busted ass to loseand the scale is showing a gain!  Thathappens.  It happens to all of us!  It’s frustrating and infuriating!  But all you can control is YOUR ACTIONS!  Be consistent and the results will alwayscome…maybe not on your watch, but they will come!

3.     If you fall, don’t stay on the floor.  First, I’m ¾ a nurse and that’s justgross…ewww, germs!  Seriously though, ifyou haven’t fallen down along your weight loss journey I commend you.  (And I also caution you, because IT WILLHAPPEN!)  The key to success is GETTINGUP ONE MORE TIME THAN YOU FALL!

4.     You deserve this!  I truly mean that from the bottom of myheart.  I realize I don’t know yourspecific story or situation, but I know you deserve happiness.  And I know you deserve health!  You are strong, use that strength to surpriseyourself!

Wow.  I mean wow.  I love Alisha, but this post made me love her even more.  Be sure to stop by her blog and tell her how much she's inspired you (and let her know I sent you!) http://inprogressforgood.blogspot.com/

One more wake-up and a guest blog

One more wake-up until Punta Cana! That’s how my niece measures everything, in wake-ups, and I think it’s the sweetest thing in the world…so I thought I’d share her sentiment.  SO I have a weigh in tomorrow, and I’m pretty sure it’s going to suck, but I’m not going to let that get me down because I’m about to go spend a week in paradise, chillin on a beach with a fruity drink in hand, and spending some QT time with my sis.  So are you all gonna miss me while I’m gone? I’m not sure what the wi-fi situation will be down there just yet, so you will likely be without a post from me for an entire week.  To fill this void, I’ve invited my dear friend Alisha who blogs over at In Progress for Good to do a guest post for me later this week.  Y’all are in for a serious treat here; Alisha is the most amazing woman I know, and despite major setbacks in life, has managed to lose 80 pounds! I won’t blow up her spot by giving away her whole story just yet, but be sure to check back for her post, you won’t want to miss this!!

Manic Monday...Bleh

I sure talked a big game last week didn't I? If you fail to plan, you plan to fail, blah blah blah.  Well this weekend was an epic fail.  I didn't go to bootcamp Saturday morning because my husband wanted to go out to breakfast; it could have been worse however, because we agreed to walk to the diner instead of drive, which was 1/2 hour each way, and I had and egg white omelette with spinach and feta, dry wheat toast (one slice) and no homefries.  Saturday night was not as productive.  My XMas party was filled with wayyy to much wine, pizza, and tequila shots (yup you heard right, tequila), which basically wrecked my whole day Sunday.  I was such a hungover mess (I'm too old to drink like that anymore!) that I had no motivation to get my lazy butt off the couch all day, and all I wanted was greasy hangover food to make me feel better, so enter Chinese food for dinner.  So this morning, the scale was not my friend (Suprised? Neither was I).  Today is a new day though.  Better choices, more water, and I woke up early and did a 45 minute TurboFire workout.  2 more days until Punta Cana and I CAN'T WAIT!!

Self-sabotage and Pinterest

Whelp my diet has sucked for the past 2 days and I paid for it on the scale this morning….back up 1.2 pounds.  I do this to myself all the freaking time.  I get to a low, “reward” myself with a treat (like a BAG of peanut m&ms), and push myself backwards.  Last night I had my husband’s work Christmas party, and although I didn’t do as bad as I could have, I did eat mozzarella sticks and fried pickles, mostly because I was so freakin’ hungry and the giant salad I ate first just wasn’t cutting it.  I have my BFF Xmas party tomorrow night where I will undoubtedly drink too much wine and then stuff my face with pizza.  I’m going to try to go way up on my activity levels this weekend to counteract some of this bad eating…. I can’t afford to gain weight this week with my Punta Cana trip in less than a week!  I have to get out of the 190s, I’m so sick of seeing this number already, and I really want to put some major distance between those 200s.  Hopefully I can stay motivated this weekend long enough to stop my self-sabotage!

PS, unrelated, but I’m on Pinterest now! Follow me by clicking that big ol’ button on the right of my blog ;)

'Tis the season

Oh holiday parties, how you kill me this time of year.

I have my first weigh in tomorrow for the droppin 4$$ competition that I started last Wednesday, and I also entered another competition online through dietbet.com (Super cool website that does all the work for you!) This competition is MUCH bigger…as in the pot is over $4000!! It’s different, however, in that you’re only competing against yourself; you “bet” $20 that you can lose 4% of your starting weight in 4 weeks, and as long as you hit that number, you win! Easy peasy, right? So as long as I can lose 8 pounds by Jan 2, I’m golden (and I’m sure plenty of the other 200+ people in the competition will be too, so I’ll probably only get like $22 for my prize, but it’s still motivating nonetheless!) 

So now enter the complications.  I’m not worried about tomorrow, but after that, it’s going to be rough.  Thursday I have the hub’s work Christmas party, Saturday night I have my annual ornament swap/holiday party at my BFFs house, and then next Wednesday I leave for a full week to lay on a beach in Punta Cana!! I’m so excited for my vacation, but I’m a little nervous about what it will do for my weight…I’ve never taken a vacation before and LOST weight, so this will be a challenge for sure!  When I get back on the 19^th, I’ll have my work Christmas party, another friend party, Christmas Eve family party, and Christmas day family party, then there’s New Year’s eve the following week! Phew!  I’m exhausted just thinking about all that!

I know you’ve heard this a million times before, but “If you don’t plan, you plan to fail”. 

So here’s my plan: take it easy.  This is not the last time you’ll ever see a glass of wine, or a chocolate chip cookie, or a slice of pizza.  Eat in moderation.  Don’t deprive yourself, but don’t ever overindulge.  The last thing you want is to look like a bloated uncomfortable mess in that pretty party dress! If there’s something there that you’ll only see once a year, have some; enjoy it, and don’t stress about it.  Keep tracking calories, as bad as they may be, keep on moving every day to keep your calories in check by exercising as much as possible.  Don’t give up.  Don’t savatoge yourself by saying “Whelp, I already screwed up today, might as well just give up until tomorrow (or Monday, or Wednesday, or whatever the case may be)”.  Just. Keep. Going.

And I will.  I will conquer this holiday season, and I hope you all will too.  We can help each other, but no matter what, don’t stop.  Don’t give up; we’ve come so far and we’re so close to the top.  Keep your head down, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.  We'll all get through this, one step at a time!

Thankful

I know this is a little late, given that we’re way past Thanksgiving by now, but I wanted to take a moment to express how very thankful I am for this little world I’ve discovered through blogging and Facebook groups.  I have met and become very close with an incredible group of women, all at different points in their weight loss journeys but all equally motivating to me as I go through my own.  Some of these women have lost incredible amounts of weight, like Alisha and Denise, and are living proof that if you stick with it, you WILL see results.  I know I’ve never met these women in real life, but I feel as if I know them.  I mean really know them, like they’ve been my best friends forever, and that they just GET me and all of the struggles I go through.  They challenge me to get my steps in every day, they motivate me to keep going when my weight loss stalls, and they cheer me on through every milestone that I achieve, even the minor ones.  Last night, I shared this photo with them from my Thanksgiving day race, and included the caption “who’s that fat girl running!?”:

 

Their responses almost brought me to tears.  One instantly replied, “you mean, who’s that FIT girl running!?”, and another then said (and I quote) “You look like a Nike Ad.  Like the strong girl who just happens to be beautiful too”.  I think that that is, by far, the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me (thank you Marcee!!), and it made me even more grateful to be a part of this amazing group of women.  I’m sure that I would have given up by now had it not been for them.  So thank you. Thank you for being part of my crazy life, for being a part of this sometimes crappy weight loss journey, for keeping me going when I want to quit, and for letting me a part of your journey as well.  Special shout out to my Heathers, and to Heather in particular because I wouldn’t be here now without you.

And now, I'll leave you with a little motivation for your Monday....