12 Weeks to a Healthier You Challenge check-in and update

As I mentioned in my goals post, I didn't do so great with exercise (January's focus) for the challenge this month.  I did fairly well sticking to the original goals of my "Trim Healthy Me" challenge, aside from the exercise part, but honestly I'm going to have to tweak that challenge too.  I can handle not eating much sugar.  I can normally handle drinking plenty of water (although I didn't do so well with that while sick--but I did keep guzzling tea!).  And usually I can handle exercising 3 times a week, too. I lost almost 4.5 lbs. in the past month, getting me back to my maintenance weight, and I also lost 3-4 inches overall, so I was super happy about all of that. But for the final two weeks of my personal challenge, I am dropping the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan somewhat.  I had been doing great with it for breakfasts and lunches, and I ate a TON more salad in the past month than ever, which was so wonderful!!  But this month our grocery budget is going to be really tight, and I'm not going to be buying much--if any--meat.  I'm going to have to stretch the meat we have, with soups and pasta, etc.  I just can't put the brain power into the THM plan right now, so here's what I'm going to do:

• Separate my fats & carbs as much as possible, but not stress about when I can't.
• Get back on track with drinking 3 bottles of water, at least 5-6 days/week.
• Exercise 3x/week.
• Eat fresh fruits and veggies when we can afford it, but not stress about it when we can't.

That last point is where I'm modifying Crystal's challenge.  Her plan for this month is to focus on fruits and veggies, while I feel like I did really well with this in January, but not well at all with exercise, so basically I am going to flip-flop the challenges and focus on exercise this month.  I hope that makes sense. :)  Hopefully this month I'll be more faithful about checking in weekly to let you all know how it's going!

Trim Healthy Me Challenge Update

Okay, I *planned* to get a bunch more posts written between Jan. 1 and today.  I also planned to update weekly about how my health & fitness challenge was going!  But the past 2+ weeks have been busy as we've tried to get back to a normal school routine . . . Jim has also been home more (currently working from home building furniture most of the time), so we've been adjusting to that . . . and anyway, blogging kinda took a back burner to real life.  :)

So, here is an update, FINALLY, about the first 2 weeks of my 6 week challenge!  Overall, it's going well.  I've been able to lose about 4.5 lbs. (depending on any given day--sometimes it's less!) of the holiday weight gain, which has put me back at right around the same weight I've been maintaining for more than a year (127ish).  I still have a goal of getting to 120, but one step at a time . . . and for right now I'm just happy that the extra fluffy feeling is gone and my jeans are fitting normally again. :)

I haven't gotten my 3 water bottles in every single day, but overall I'm hydrating well and drinking at least 2 per day.  I have hit my exercise goal of 3x a week, either walking or running on the treadmill for at least 15-20 minutes.  While I know 5x a week would be even better, I'm still trying to figure out a good routine and for now I'm going to stick with 3x.  I figure it's a whole lot better than nothing. :)  I have been doing pretty well with no refined sugar.  My only "cheat" was last night when we had a little birthday celebration for my mom.  I made the dessert mostly healthy, but it did have some chocolate chips (semi sweet) in it, and there was also sugar in the sweet & sour sauce we had with our egg rolls, and the raspberry sauce that went on the dessert.  I only had little bits of all that, so I'm not too worried. :)  I'm very thankful for being able to enjoy the healthier "skinny chocolate" alternatives (this peanut butter skinny chocolate is the BEST) made with xylitol, though, so I can still have my chocolate fix most every day!  And I've been mostly eating Trim Healthy Mama style at breakfast and lunch, but doing plenty of "crossovers" (mixing fats & carbs) at supper.  I think I'd do better with weight loss if I didn't, but this is what works for me right now since I need to fix frugal suppers and eat what the rest of the family is eating.

I decided to jump in with Money Saving Mom's "12 Months to a Healthier You" challenge, which I think will be just what I need to keep me focused on good health all year long.  (This month's focus is on regular exercise.)  So I'm going to try my best to update each Friday from now on, since that is the day she posts her updates and has a link-up for others to do so, too.

If any of you are doing your own challenge, how's it going?  Let's encourage each other!! :)

Time for a new challenge!

Okay ladies, it's almost the beginning of a new year . . . and you know what that means, right?! ;)  Yep, it means that I'm all fired up to give myself some new challenges and set some new goals.  Even though Jan 1 isn't till Wednesday, I wanted to give you a heads-up about my healthy living challenge that I'm going to be starting that day.  I'm calling it the "Trim Healthy Me" challenge, because I'm planning to try and follow the principles from the book Trim Healthy Mama as closely as possible.  Now, this particular challenge is a personal one . . . however, if any of you want to join in for the accountability, you are MORE than welcome.  I love the encouragement that comes with numbers! :)  If you want to do your own personal challenge, there is no need to follow the same thing I'm doing, but I'd love it if you want to post a comment with your own goals!

Here is what my own challenge is going to look like:

• It will last for 6 weeks, starting Jan. 1, 2014.
• I plan to do a sugar detox during this time.  NO refined sugar, white or brown.  My sweetener of choice will be xylitol, but I recently ran out of it and haven't gotten more yet, so in the meantime I am giving myself a little grace and plan to use coconut sugar for coffee, and raw honey for tea. :)
• I will be trying to follow the basic principles laid out in THM, but again, I will give myself a little wiggle room with this.  Especially for suppers.  A lot depends on our food budget for the month. :)  So I will plan to stick to the eating plan at least for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, and do the best I can with suppers.  
• I will have a goal of drinking 3 bottles of water every day.  I have gotten away from this lately, but I feel so much better when I am properly hydrated!
• I will exercise at least 3 times a week.  At this point I'm planning to work my way through the C25K or C210K on the treadmill, but I may change that up now and then with other kinds of exercise.  I know 5 days/week would be better, but I'm starting small so I can ease myself back into it, since I have gotten away from exercise over the past couple months, too!

So this is the basic framework for my challenge!  Over the past month, I have gained 4-5 lbs after maintaining within a couple pounds of my original goal weight for the past year.  My jeans are fitting a little snugger and I feel icky after eating too much holiday junk, so I know it is time for a CHANGE! :) I'm very much looking forward to how much better I will feel in 6 weeks!  I want to rebuild these healthy habits, and I'll plan to (hopefully) post about my progress along the way.

If you'd like to come up with your own challenge but need some inspiration, here are a few sites to check out: 

• 40 day fitness challenge from Smartter Each Day
• 8 week weight loss/get healthy challenge with free printables from Six Sisters' Stuff (I've done this one a couple times, and it is great!)
• Sugar Detox Challenge (this is an ebook for Kindle, available for $2.99)
• 42 Days to Fit (another Kindle ebook with a 6 week challenge, available for $4.99)
• Crystal at Money Saving Mom also just mentioned that she will be blogging the 12 Months to a Healthier You challenge; she'll post more about it in 2 days, so I'll try to remember to update this post then with the link!  UPDATE: Here's the link!

I started this post earlier, then helped Jim shovel the deck.  I have decided that if we have a lot of snow this winter (which seems like it will be the case, judging from how much we've got so far!), I'll definitely get some extra workouts with shoveling.  Whew!  And it's so cold out that I think that burned off some extra calories, too. :)

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links. :)

Living and Active Challenge Check-In, Week 2: "Dedicated Daily"

I made it through another week of the Living and Active Challenge!  I ran/walked on the treadmill 3 days and did the 30 Day Shred (level 1) the 4th day.  I didn't lose any weight this week, but I wasn't really surprised . . . hoping for a little more success with that this week. :)

Once again, this week's verse was just what I needed to meditate on.  I have had Matthew 6:34 memorized for years from the KJV, but I decided to try and memorize it from the ESV last week, to challenge myself a little more, and also because I like the translation a little better.  "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  Clare related this verse to our physical efforts in fitness, but also our spiritual walk with God.  In her devotional for last week she said, "We have a great responsibility to ask God for the strength, grace and wisdom for the day.  Then we need to take what He gives us for that day.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.  We can't rely upon others to give us what we need to be getting ourselves either."  This was a really, really important reminder for me, as I struggle often with giving each day to God and relying on His strength to get me through it.

I needed to meditate on this verse for other reasons, too!  As I mentioned in last week's post, my husband recently lost his part-time job, which had been a regular source of income for us for the past couple of years.  Right now he has several projects going for people, including a barn-building job that is supplying the bulk of our income at the moment.  But one night last week I was thinking about his work, and the "what if's" started popping into my mind.  "What if he doesn't get another big job when he finishes building the barn?  What then?"  The very next day my mind went back to this verse, and it was such a wonderful reminder to not be anxious about tomorrow.  God has given us what we need for THIS day.  He is helping us to store up as much as possible for the future, but ultimately we need to leave all the tomorrows in His hands!  Matthew 6:34 is a wonderfully comforting verse and I'm so thankful for the reminder to apply it last week (and daily :)).

Living and Active Challenge Check-In, Week 1: "Tied Together"

So, I promised I'd check in every Monday, and of course my Monday was so busy that I didn't have time to post till it's almost over. :)  Anyway . . . my first week of this 5 week challenge went well, and I was able to meet my goals:  4 days of exercise (alternated running/walking on the treadmill with doing Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred) and I memorized the verse for the week.  There were a few days that I was feeling super tired and highly un-motivated, so I was really thankful we only had to exercise 4 days to meet the requirements. :)  I lost a little weight at the beginning of the week, but gained it back by Sunday.  Hopefully this week will be a little better in that regard . . . we shall see!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm really thankful that Clare incorporates a spiritual aspect to this challenge.  Memorizing Ecclesiastes 4:12 was so good for me, as it forced me to meditate on it every day last week.  I memorized it from the KJV because that is most familiar to me for memorizing, although I usually use the ESV for my personal quiet time and church.  Anyway, here it is: "And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."  I loved how Clare put it in her little devotional: "We are stronger together than we are apart . . . The cords are not strong laying beside each other.  They aren't strong with laying on top of one another or being end to end.  The strength is in the weaving and intertwining of the three."  I'm thankful that one of my friends agreed to do the challenge along with me, and that I'm also reporting in on my blog.  There's strength in numbers!  The words about the threefold cord are so true.

But this verse seemed to apply even more importantly in a different way this week.  Some of you know that my hubby lost his part-time job that he's had for the past 2 1/2 years; we found out last Monday.  It wasn't really unexpected, as work had been slow there and he'd only worked one day in the 2 weeks before he was let go.  It was also actually a neat answer to prayer, since we'd been praying about whether he should quit, as more and more carpentry work was coming in.  But still . . . losing a source of income, even one that is only part-time, can leave you feeling a little shaky, in spite of the fact that we both felt God's peace about it.  It's been a kind of security for us, even though we knew it could end anytime.  I have often heard Ecclesiastes 4:12 applied to marriage, and that's the main way I was thinking about it this week.  In the past when work has been slow, my tendency is to worry and take out my worry on my husband, who is doing his best to provide for us.  This verse reminded me at the perfect time that Jim and I are a team, and along with God, we are a threefold cord.  When we are trusting Him and staying close to Him and each other, then we will be a stronger unit and have a stronger marriage.  When we take our eyes off Him and those ties loosen, we can easily fall apart.  I hope this makes sense--it's late and I tend to ramble when it gets late. :)  Anyway, I was thankful for this important reminder which came at just the right time for me!

I'm excited to see how Week 2 goes, and what God will teach me this week. :)

A new challenge for September/October!

I was so excited to see that Clare from Peak 313 Fitness is hosting her second annual Living and Active Challenge!  I actually hemmed and hawed for a few days, trying to decide if I should join in . . . but I think a new challenge is just what I need.  Now that the days are getting cooler, I'm more motivated to exercise, and I also love how she's including a spiritual focus for each week, along with a memory verse.  So . . . I am in!!

This morning I took my measurements, weighed in, and took a couple of "before" photos for my own reference.  I'll be interested to see if I look any different after 5 weeks of regular exercise. :)

I am also working on applying the eating principles from the book Trim Healthy Mama, which I had referred to last week.  Over the past week I've lost about 1.5 lbs. just by eating a little differently, and I am finally back in the 125's after holding steady between 127-130 for the whole summer.  My goal is to get down around 120 (if that's even possible ;)), but I realize that starting up regular exercise again might make me gain muscle weight.  But I'm OK with that if my inches start going down . . . :)

Anyway, I will be checking in here every Monday to let you know how the challenge is going, as well as sharing anything I learned spiritually from the past week, the memory verse, etc.  If anyone wants to join in, you should check out this post at Peak 313!!  (You don't have to be a blogger to participate.)  Everyone who completes all the challenge requirements for the full 5 weeks will be entered in a giveaway for a great prize package!  That's some good motivation, right there. :)

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

July's personal fitness goal: running/walking challenge

I had hoped to post about this last night in case anyone wanted to join in, but you can still join in, even if it's a day or two late. :)  This month I am hoping to take off the 4+ lbs. that went on over vacation, and I also want to be super consistent with my running, so I decided on a little personal goal,which I am calling the "Put One Foot in Front of the Other Challenge." :)

I ended up taking 2+ weeks off from running and exercise of any kind during June, due to being sick first and then being on vacation.  So last week I jumped back in and ran on the treadmill 3 times.  I definitely have a little work to do to get back to where I was before taking those weeks off, but it's a start. :)

So my goal for June is to get on the treadmill every. single. day.  Some of you may remember that last July, I did the 30 Day Shred every day . . . so this is similar, just running/walking instead of shredding. :)  (I still really like the Shred too, but for this month I want to keep it simple and do everything on the treadmill.)  My goal is to run at least 1 mile every day (plus extra walking).  By the end of July I would like to have run 3.2 miles at least once (I didn't make my goal of getting to that point by the end of June, obviously).  I'm going to keep careful track of how many minutes/miles/etc. I run and walk each day, and tally them up at the end of the month.  Maybe if I get more than 50 miles, I will give myself a prize. :)

Anyone want to join in or come up with your own challenge?  I'm also going to try to eat fairly healthy, but for this month my main focus is going to be exercise.  I'll let you know how it goes! :)

Weekly Goals: 06/03/13

Today is a lot cooler (yay!) and I ran 2.25 miles again this morning (second time ever!) and walked .75 miles, for a total of 3 miles . . . very happy about that. :)  I technically completed the C25K program last week, although I have not yet actually run 3.2 miles.  Completing the program means either running 3.2 miles or running for 30 minutes, and I accomplished the latter. :)  Working my way up to the former, though!  Today's workout of walking/running 3 miles took me about 42 minutes, which didn't seem too bad.  I am excited to see my endurance growing.

Anyway . . . enough about that.  Here are my goals for this week:

• Keep up with daily Bible reading
• Read 2 chapters of Choosing Gratitude
• Complete week 36 of school, plus academic testing
• Exercise 5-6 times
• Get up by 6:30 am every weekday
• Drink 3 bottles of water, 5-6 days
• Renew Medicaid application for kids
• Plant the garden

We are working our way through CATs (California Achievement Tests) today.  Phew!  This is possibly my least favorite part of homeschooling.  It's funny because as a kid, I really enjoyed taking the CAT.  But as a mom, it stresses me out.  The whole timer thing, and seeing my kids get wrong answers . . . and they (especially Sam) don't do well with the timer, either . . . Every year I think about switching to an untimed test and maybe one of these years, I will.  I do like the CAT because it is fairly quick and easy, though.  This year we are doing the online version, which is exactly the same as the 1970 paper version, just done online instead.  I thought it might be more fun for them . . . but I'm not sure.  Julia has issues with controlling the mouse and keeps clicking on the wrong side of it.  Sam does better with the mouse, but he just doesn't like testing in general.  I know I just need to RELAX and remember that the test results are not really an accurate gauge of how much my kids know.  I KNOW THIS, but I still get stressed out!!  And in NH, we don't even have to report these results anymore, so I don't know why I get uptight about it!!  We have to test (or have the kids evaluated) but the results don't even have to go to the school system . . . so really, this should be a fun thing, right? :)  Anyway, Julia is finished with half of hers, and we will do the rest tomorrow.  Sam is done with about a third of his.  We may spread the rest of his over the next two days.  I will just be glad to have it done . . . and when this week is done, we will be finished with this school year.  Yay!!!!!!!!  We are all looking forward to the break.  And crazy me already starting filling up my cart at Sonlight with next year's curriculum. :D  Next year we will be starting American history and I am really looking forward to that!!  Although I have to say that I learned a lot over our 2 year study of world history, and really enjoyed it, too.  Sonlight makes history fun! :)

Well, this was supposed to be a goals post and turned into a homeschooling post.  Oops, sorry about that. :)  I hope your week is off to a wonderful start!

My Health & Fitness Plan for April

Or maybe better titled . . . "My Ongoing Health & Fitness Plan" . . . :)  

So, I've kind of hit a plateau with my weight loss for the past several months, and I want to step things up a notch.  I'm maintaining a healthy weight, but I still have those last 6ish pounds that I'd like to lose, and I realize that if I want that to happen, I'm going to have to actually work for it.  Oh yeah, and eat healthier (and less :)).  

I thought about several options for this month.  I was considering doing another 8 week challenge like I've done twice in the past 6 months, but I thought something different might be more interesting for me.  Then I seriously considered doing a "Whole 30" Paleo eating plan to reset my system, and I even pinned a ton of Paleo recipes on Pinterest.  (For those who are curious about what a Paleo diet is, basically it means eating lots of meat, veggies, and fruit, and eliminating all grains, dairy, sugar, legumes . . . it's pretty restrictive.  Oh, and for the record, I don't buy into all that "this is what our caveman ancestors ate," since I don't believe in evolution :)).  I'm still thinking about doing a challenge like that at some point in the future, but I decided it wasn't the best idea right now.  #1, we have 3 birthdays in April.  I do try to go easy on the sugar anyway, but I didn't want to totally cut it out this month--I like birthday cake and ice cream too much. :)  #2, April is a kind of pricey month for us--besides birthdays, we have 2 cars to register and inspect, I had a license to renew, and we have car insurance also coming due this month.  So I didn't really want to blow the grocery budget with a lot of new foods or tons of extra veggies and fruit--even though I know those things are very healthy, it just didn't seem like a good month to jump into this. :)

Anyway, so I finally decided to create my own plan and it's pretty simple.  

• Exercise (treadmill) with C25K 3 days/week
• Exercise for at least 20 minutes with either treadmill or 30 Day Shred 2 days/week
• Track calories and water using My Fitness Pal (I am loving this app!!)
• Back off on grains, work on increasing veggies, meat, fruit and eggs
• Eat naturally sweetened snacks and cut out most sugar
• Be accountable on the blog and to friends
• Drink detox tea for 1 week of the month

So far this plan is working well for me and I'm enjoying it.  I've been wanting to try using My Fitness Pal for quite a while, because friends kept raving about it, but it was too frustrating before we got cable internet.  Now, it's easy peasy. :)  I am also loving the C25K app and challenging myself with this program!  Right now I'm repeating week 3 for the second time.  I am a bit nervous to move up to week 4, but I'm hoping to do that next week.  Slow and steady, right?  I'm hoping to check in about my progress once a week through this month.  Hopefully I'll see a couple more of those stubborn pounds disappear. :)

I'd love to hear if any of the rest of you have specific health and fitness goals for this month!  Anyone who'd like to join in with my plan or their own, is welcome . . . there's strength in numbers! :)

A post a day--Dec. 29: A new health & fitness challenge

I've been trying to decide when to start on the next 8 week health & fitness challenge . . . and I've made up my mind to begin this Monday, December 31!!  This will get me off to a fresh start right at the beginning of the new year, which sounds like a good time to jump in.  I know of at least one friend joining in this time, and anyone else who would like to . . . please feel free!! The official first weigh-in will be tomorrow, Dec. 30, and the food journal tracking, etc. begins on Monday.  If you participate, you do not need to share your weight with anyone, or what you eat . . . just keep track of your own points and pounds lost, and then we share those results with each other once a week.

I'm not expecting super results for my first week since we have New Year's Eve in there, plus I haven't gotten our Christmas tree down yet, so my living room set-up isn't conducive to exercising at the moment.  Hopefully we'll get it put back to normal over the weekend, or early next week.  But I definitely need to cut back on the sugar and start food journaling again.  These are two things that help me a LOT and the sooner I get started, the better.  :)

I weighed in once this week and I had gained back about a pound over the holidays . . . we'll see how tomorrow's weigh-in goes.  The damage wasn't as bad as I expected it could be. :)  I would like to get back in better shape over the next couple months, since I've really let exercise go lately, and I know I need to ditch the sugar to help get my energy levels up.  For anyone who wants to jump into the challenge with me, here is the info I posted last time.  You can read that post and it'll save me re-posting the same info all over again. :)  I'll be using the same printables from Six Sisters' Stuff, but we are not making it a monetary challenge--although I'd love to do little prizes if I can think of something fun to do for that.

So, here we go!  If you want to join in, get your running shoes on and get ready to challenge yourself! :)

A post a day--Dec. 15: My Weight Loss Journey

In the past few weeks, I finally reached my weight loss goal that I've been aiming for since January 1st. It was a Big Deal and felt so good to achieve this! :)  Obviously, I had hoped to hit my goal long before  November, but I had also given myself the whole year, and I'm so happy that I made it within that time frame.  Now I have gotten a little bit below my goal and am still losing.  I'd like to lose somewhere around 5 more pounds and then maintain that weight.

I thought it would be good to record a bit about my journey and some things that worked for me along the way.  My goal is not to make anyone feel bad or compare themselves to me.  If reading weight loss success stories encourages you, please read on. :)  If not . . . go ahead and skip this post!

Here's a bit of my story, going back a long way . . .  All through high school and college, I didn't struggle with my weight at all.  I used to say that I could eat whatever I wanted, and not gain weight--and it was true.  I didn't weigh myself very regularly, but I stayed in the same size clothes for years.  In college, I weighed in once in a while on a roommate's scale, and I hovered around 117 lbs. most of the time.  My freshman year, instead of gaining the "freshman fifteen," I actually lost some weight--probably around 5-10 lbs.--due to a really bad cold I had between Thanksgiving and Christmas, where my appetite seemed to disappear!  So anyway, I probably averaged between 115-120 lbs. up until I got married.  And then . . . I started to gain.  Not that much at first; I think it just kind of crept on, little by little.  Suddenly, in 2003, I woke up to the fact that I had gained around 15+ lbs. since we got married 4 years before.  And I didn't have the excuse of pregnancy--we didn't have any kids yet!

Sometime in early 2003 (the details are fuzzy because I wasn't keeping a blog back then!) I decided to really put some effort into weight loss.  I weighed 136 lbs, and I wanted to get back down to around 125.  I started carefully tracking my calories using a website called FitDay.  It was time consuming, but again--I didn't have any kids to take up my time, so I faithfully entered my foods each day, kept track of calories and fat grams, etc.  I also started walking more and doing some exercise videos in our tiny trailer.  Within a few months, I had lost 10 lbs and dropped a size or two.

Within a month or two of losing the weight, I got pregnant with Sam.  I had a healthy pregnancy and gained maybe 30-35 pounds total, much of which came off right after he was born.  But the lowest weight I got to before getting pregnant with Julia, was 136--back where I had been in 2003.  After having Julia, I again lost most of the baby weight, but only got down to 139 before getting pregnant with Josiah.  And after having Josiah, I couldn't seem to get lower than 135 and actually stay there!  I mostly hovered between 136-140 for several years.

Last year, after a number of half-hearted attempts to lose weight, I looked at our family Christmas picture and didn't like what I saw.  My face looked chubby, and so did the rest of me!  It was around this point that I decided 2012 would be the year that I would really get serious about taking off the extra pounds.

our Christmas picture last year--the one that made me take action!

On January 1st, I stepped on the scale to get my official beginning-of-the-year weight.  At that point I was up to 142.8 lbs.  I don't share the numbers intending for everyone to make comparisons. :)  I hope you won't!  I'm only sharing so that you can see where I was then and where I am now, and to encourage you that your own goals are not unachievable!  For some of you, 142 may be a dream weight.  For others it might sound really heavy!  Everyone is different and my ideal weight is not likely to be the same as yours.  A lot depends on body type, bone structure, etc.

For sure, starting at 142.8 and looking ahead to a goal of 125, seemed a bit overwhelming.  I knew I was going to have to take some serious steps to get the weight off, and I was going to have to have discipline--something I'm not very good at. :)  I want to take the rest of this post to share some things that really helped me to keep focused and keep pushing ahead, even when it was hard.

Julia and me at the ocean in October--15 lbs. lighter and much more energetic

• The biggest thing for me was taking baby steps toward my goal.  The first month, I cut out all sweets and I lost 5 pounds just by doing that!  It was hard to "detox" after a holiday season of careless eating, but it was well worth it to jumpstart weight loss.  Another month, I focused on drinking more water.  Another month I worked on portion control.  In July I focused on exercising every single day.  All of these things added up to help me keep on track and also helped me not get bogged down with trying to do everything at once.
• I read some books that inspired me and motivated me to keep working hard.  The first was Candace Cameron Bure's Reshaping It All, and the second was Lysa Terkeurst's Made to Crave. While I enjoyed them both, I'd most highly recommend the second--I found it very helpful in so many ways!  
• I made exercise a regular part of my life.  Up till this year, exercise was something I'd have great intentions about, and would even stick with for several months at a time, but I didn't make it consistent.  Now I'll admit, I have not exercised completely consistently this year, either.  For instance, the past 6 weeks I don't think I've exercised at all--first due to being sick for about a month, and then because we moved our living room around to make room for the Christmas tree, and there's not room to jump around in there at present. :)  But . . . once the new year arrives and we get our living room back to normal, I'm planning to jump in again!  I discovered my favorite workout for the year--the 30 Day Shred--and I've gone through it almost 3 times now.  It's fast, intense, and gives me great results!
• I found out that personal challenges are really helpful for me.  As mentioned above, one month I challenged myself to do the Shred every day.  I picked July to do this--no idea why, since it is probably the hottest month around here!!  But I did manage to do it.  Another month I did a "skinny plate" challenge, and most recently I completed an 8 week challenge, which I believe is what helped me break out of my "plateau" that I'd been in for several months, and finally lose the last few pounds to reach my goal.

There is probably so much more I could say about this topic, but I know this post is pretty long already.  :)  I realize that what I weigh, and whether it varies between several pounds at any given time, is not really a big deal in the grand scheme of life . . . and it should not be my primary focus in life, either. :)  At the same time, I have seen several benefits of losing weight.  I feel better in general.  I've had to buy new clothes (which is definitely a benefit, aside from the fact that it costs money!) in several sizes smaller than what I was wearing at this same time last year.  I have more energy (especially when I'm exercising consistently).  My husband has been known to call me "skinny"--not just once, but multiple times!! (This may be the best benefit of all. :))

I hope my story has been encouraging to someone.  Even though I've reached my goal, I'm not crazy enough to think my story is finished!  I could just as easily fall off the fitness wagon, go back to eating whatever I want, whenever I want, and those pounds could creep back on far more quickly than they came off.  I'm already dealing with lots of Christmas goodie temptations. :)  So I'll be challenging myself once again in the new year, to continue to be disciplined and reach some more goals.  I would love to have some of you join me, if you'd like.  There is huge encouragement and motivation in accountability!

And now. . . I'd better get this posted while it is still actually the 15th. :)  Sorry for such a long-winded post, but 

8 Week Weight Loss & Exercise Challenge

So, I have a confession to make . . . I really fell off the healthy eating/weight loss/exercise wagon over the past month or two! Thankfully I've pretty much maintained the same weight through the summer, but I haven't lost anything (and consistently kept it off) since early summer.  I am struggling with portion control and just plain laziness! ;)  I still have 3.2 lbs to get to my first goal, and I am determined to get there before the end of the year!!  It would be really sad to have planned a whole year to lose a certain amount of weight (in my case, less than 20 lbs!) and not achieve that goal!  I know I have built up more muscle than I used to have, but even with that, I should be able to take off those last 3 stubborn pounds.  I  knew I needed some more motivation, as I do better when I have something to challenge myself toward, so I went searching online again for some kind of challenge.  I came upon this 8 week challenge from Six Sisters Stuff, and it sounded just like what I wanted.

So I'm starting tomorrow and hoping to accumulate a reasonable amount of points this week!  I'm wondering if any of you would like to join me, either officially or unofficially?  All you have to do is download and print out a PDF of the weekly charts and the food journal, then keep track of your points each week.  You get points for various things like exercise, avoiding sugar, drinking water, eating fruits and veggies, etc.  If anyone wants to join in and help keep me accountable, let me know!  And if not, that is fine!  I'm hoping to update my progress here on the blog each week to help me stay motivated, too.

I'll admit I'm a little nervous that I will slack off and not stick with this challenge, which is one good reason for making it public. :)  8 weeks is a long time, but hopefully it will help me build some good habits and give me some good results, too.

Monthly weigh-in and fitness goals--August

I decided to post this update first since I haven't made my list of regular goals yet. Here was my list of health and fitness goals for July, and how I did:

• Complete the 30 Day Shred for a second time, this time in 30 straight days--DONE!
• Continue to drink lots of water and limit sugar--So-so. I did great with the water, but not great with the sugar.
• Finally reach my goal weight and hopefully even go a little lower than that--Not done. :( Unfortunately I gained 2 lbs. instead!
• Possibly find a new challenge to tackle (in addition to my personal challenge of the Shred)--I didn't find another challenge, so this one didn't get done either.

July was kind of a frustrating month for me in this area. I was so happy that I accomplished my challenge of working out for 30 days in a row. It was one of the toughest things I've ever done (mentally--to keep giving myself pep-talks and not letting my lazy side tell me I needed a break) and it felt good to realize that I disciplined myself enough to do it. At the same time, I am frustrated at myself that I re-gained 2 pounds when I only had a measly .6 lb to get to my goal weight! I do think that building more muscle this month had a little bit to do with that, but I also know full well that I was not disciplined with my eating habits. I let lots of sugar in the door, and just overate in general. Bad, bad! Maybe I need all you friends to give me a pep- talk, too. :) While I am still in a pretty healthy range for my height, I also know I can go lower. I just have to work at it! I've been working hard all year, so I don't know why I slacked so much this month. Since we are leaving on vacation in a few days, I am not going to stress about weight loss for the next week. BUT, I am going to try to eat moderately and not snack too much (easier said than done while on vacation!!). I don't want to come home and find that I've gained 5 lbs! So here is my plan for August--at least the after-vacation part of August. :)

• Go back to eating from a "skinny plate" and severely limiting sugar
• Drink 3 bottles of water, 5-6 days per week (planning to do this while on vacation, also)
• Lose those pesky last 2.6 lbs!
• Exercise 4-5 days/week

One thing I forgot to mention was that I did lose a little bit in inches last month. I checked my measurements today and found that I'd lost another half inch from both my hips and chest. I totaled up my inches lost since the beginning of the year, and it comes to about 13.5" GONE from various areas. So I was quite excited about that!! :)

Edited to add a couple of links that encouraged me today as I was catching up on some blogs in my Reader: Both of these are from Clare at Peak 313 Fitness.

"Welcome to Life"

"{Shed & Share Wednesdays} Charity S."

I hope they might be an encouragement to some of you as well!

Monthly weigh-in and fitness goals--July

June was a pretty encouraging month in the area of weight loss and fitness! Here is how I did with my goals:

• Reach my goal weight (I know this may be a slightly audacious goal, but hey--I'm going to give it my best shot! :))--I came really close! Within .6 pounds of my goal. Hoping to knock out this goal, this month!
• Continue to drink lots of water and limit sugar--Did great with the water, but not as great with the sugar!
• Complete the 30 Day Shred--DONE! Yay!!
• Complete the skinny plate challenge and the June Tune-Up challenge--I did pretty well with these. I didn't stick to the skinny plate completely, but I did finish the June Tune-Up and lost several pounds . . . I know the skinny plate and all the exercise helped with that. :)

Here are my new weight and fitness goals for July:

• Complete the 30 Day Shred for a second time, this time in 30 straight days
• Continue to drink lots of water and limit sugar
• Finally reach my goal weight and hopefully even go a little lower than that
• Possibly find a new challenge to tackle (in addition to my personal challenge of the Shred)

I will be so excited when I reach my goal weight or below. I'm already thinking about a reward . . . maybe getting my hair cut, and/or buying some new clothes! It is fun to look back to January and see how far I have been able to come, with God's help.

Monthly weigh-in and fitness goals--June

Oops, I thought I had posted this when I wrote it a few days ago, and apparently I just saved the draft instead. I just realized my mistake, so here it is! And I should also add a note that since starting the challenges mentioned below, I've lost a little over 2 more lbs. and am only 1.8 lbs. away from my first goal! Yay!!

My weight-loss efforts really seemed to stall in May . . . I ended up gaining .8 lbs. over the course of the month, after yo-yo-ing up and down a lot. I wasn't too terribly upset because I knew I didn't do that great with portion control, although I did well with exercise and drinking my water. But it's still a bit frustrating to be within 3-4 lbs. of my goal and STILL not be there!! I've pretty much maintained the same weight (give or take a pound or two) over the past two months. So this month, I am trying something new. A new challenge! Or rather, TWO new challenges! Last month I participated in (and finished--yay!) the "Stay Committed" challenge from Fat Chick Fed Up at Daily Feats. It was very motivating to me when I was able to accumulate points each day and know that I had a goal in mind. Even though I basically just maintained my weight, I was still happy to finish the challenge and know that I had accomplished something! So I knew that I wanted to find some kind of a challenge for myself this month, too. I started searching around online a little bit and came up with two that I wanted to try.

The first is the "skinny plate" challenge from this site. I actually am adapting this somewhat for myself (I didn't officially sign up for it at their site). I am using a salad plate for my meals and only eating 3 kinds of food (including any dessert) per meal, but I am not being too exact with sticking to a palm-sized portion of food. I'm just being moderate and not piling up my plate. I am also allowing myself two small snacks per day, if I need them, and of course continuing to drink lots and lots of water.

The second is the "June Tune-Up" challenge from Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. I found this one and immediately knew I wanted to participate. I teamed up with my sister-in-law (you have to have a team of two people) and we are going to give it our best shot! Every Weds. we will post a weigh-in on the site. The top 10 "losers" will be posted every Thursday, and the team who loses the most will receive a prize at the end of the month, plus they are awarding prizes to a random team each week. So who knows, maybe we'll even win something! Mostly it is just fun to have a little competition and see how much we can shrink in a month. :)

I am also on my way to completing the 30 Day Shred this month--I am just over halfway through, and am quite excited about that! I love that I can actually see results, and even though the workouts are tough, I am pushing myself through them and even enjoying them (kind of :)). It's rare for me to find an exercise DVD that I actually like and don't end up bored with, but this one goes so fast and keeps me pushing so hard, that the time flies by and I feel really good when I am done.

So anyway, now for the stats. Here's how I did last month:

• Exercise 3-5 times each week (this week has been good so far . . . a 2 mile walk yesterday and a 20 minute workout this morning)--DONE!
• Start the 30 Day Shred DVD (first workout was today, and OH MY, am I sore now!)--DONE!
• Drink 3 bottles of water (75 oz.) 5-6 days/week--DONE!
• Lose 2-3 lbs. (I would LOVE to see my goal weight by the end of this month--wouldn't that be cool?! :))--Nope, not done!
• Limit sugar--Did so/so with this; I let a bit too much sugar creep into my diet, which probably didn't help with my weight loss or lack thereof. :)
• Complete the "Stay Committed" challenge from Fat Chick Fed Up at Daily Feats--DONE!

And here are my new fitness goals for June:

• Reach my goal weight (I know this may be a slightly audacious goal, but hey--I'm going to give it my best shot! :))
• Continue to drink lots of water and limit sugar
• Complete the 30 Day Shred
• Complete the skinny plate challenge and the June Tune-Up challenge

By the way, I am trying not to be fixated on my goal weight, but I really would like to reach it because it would just be exciting to get to a weight that I haven't seen in 10+ years, and I know I can do it! But I do realize that my worth is not defined by a number on the scale. :) The most important thing is that I'm working toward being more healthy and fit, and trying to glorify God even in my food choices and disciplining my body toward a healthier lifestyle.

Miscellaneous DIY projects from this month

**I actually typed this post way back at the end of March, but never got around to publishing it because I planned to take some pictures and go back and add them in. Posts are always more fun with pictures . . . :) However, I STILL haven't taken any pictures of this stuff and I want to get this posted before I completely forget about it. So if you want to see pictures of the detergent or cleaning wipes, you can do that by clicking on the links and seeing the photos at the original posts, okay? :)

I thought it would be fun to post about the various DIY projects I've tackled this month. One of my monthly goals is to do something "homemade," and I did get this month's project done, but I also did a few other things--some that were new to me, and some that weren't, so I thought I would blog about those, too.

• Homemade foaming hand soap: This was the one thing I had planned to make this month, because our soap was running out. Back in December I had gotten 3 natural foaming soaps for a good deal, but they didn't last long. However, one of my main reasons for getting them was that I had read about how to make foaming soap, and wanted the bottles so I wouldn't have to buy them specially. :) When it came time to make the soap, I read the directions and realized that regular creamy liquid soap (what we have) wouldn't work. So instead I used some of the natural, clear dish detergent that we had. I just put in a good squirt (supposed to be a couple of tablespoons, but I didn't measure), filled up the bottle with water, and . . . voila! I actually like the lather-i-ness of this better than the soap that was in the bottles originally. :) This was SO easy, and can you say "cheap?!"

• Homemade laundry detergent: I've been making this for a while now, but today I had to whip up a new batch, so I thought I would write about it. I use the recipe found here at DIY Natural. It's so easy--1 bar of Fels Naptha, 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of washing soda. I grate the soap in the food processor, then blend everything together in it, as well. (Then I make sure to wash the food processor REALLY well afterwards. :)) Sometimes I double the recipe so I don't have to make it as often. A batch doesn't last all that long around here! I keep it in an old coconut oil jar along with a half tablespoon measure, and I use about 1 tablespoon total for each load of laundry.

• Homemade cleaning wipes: I used to love using Clorox wipes to clean the bathroom sink and the toilet. Just swish, swipe, and you're done! But they get expensive after a while, plus over the years I've come to prefer using more natural cleaners as much as possible. So I haven't bought the wipes for a long time. A while back I came across a post about making your own reusable wipes, using rags made from old t-shirts, soaked with a combination of water, castile soap and tea tree oil. So I whipped some up a few days ago. So far it seems to be working well, and I love the convenience! I used the instructions here, but later I noticed this post that I had bookmarked a long time ago, which is worth a look, also.

• Homemade elderberry syrup: We love elderberry syrup for cold season. Well, I shouldn't say we *love* it . . . although none of us are crazy about the flavor, I love what it does for colds. :) I have had several colds that started over the winter and got stopped in their tracks by this stuff. It is seriously amazing! My friend Jen gave me a cup or so of it back in the fall, and then I bought some dried elderberries from her so I could make my own. I finally remembered to make it today (too bad I didn't think of it when the kids were first showing signs of cold symptoms last week!). I feel a bit of a scratchy throat coming on, so I'll definitely be taking lots of this over the next few days. Here is how you make it; it's really easy-peasy.

1/2 cup of dried elderberries

3 cups of water

1 cup of honey (raw local honey would be best--I don't have this--yet!--so I used

store-bought)

Combine the elderberries and water in a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and

simmer for 30-45 minutes. Strain into a bowl, squishing the elderberries to get as

much juice out as possible through the strainer. Mix in the honey. Store in the fridge

(I use a mason jar) for up to 3 months or so.

I love trying new homemade things! Have any of you tried any DIY projects lately?

Monthly weigh-in and fitness goals--May

I'm a week late posting this, but I want to keep up with my health and fitness goals here so I can continue to be accountable to you guys. :) So here goes!

I didn't lose much weight this month--just 1.2 pounds, to be exact. I am pleased that at least it is still a loss, and bringing me that much closer to my goal. I did not do great (at all!) with limiting sugar last month, although I did do fairly well with drinking water (which, as I've mentioned before, has been one thing that's really helped me with losing weight). I also did not do well with exercise last month, something I'm aiming to change this month! Besides losing just over a pound, I also lost another inch off my waist and hips, so I was happy about that. That makes 4.5" lost off my waist since the beginning of this year, and 3.5" off my hips. Woohoo!

Even though I already mentioned some of these goals in my monthly goals post, I thought I would put them in here, too:

• Exercise 3-5 times each week (this week has been good so far . . . a 2 mile walk yesterday and a 20 minute workout this morning)
• Start the 30 Day Shred DVD (first workout was today, and OH MY, am I sore now!)
• Drink 3 bottles of water (75 oz.) 5-6 days/week
• Lose 2-3 lbs. (I would LOVE to see my goal weight by the end of this month--wouldn't that be cool?! :))
• Limit sugar
• Complete the "Stay Committed" challenge from Fat Chick Fed Up at Daily Feats

And I think that's all!

Drinking Enough Water 101

As most of you know, over the past month and a half I've been working hard on drinking enough water. (Did you know that now the "experts" recommend drinking half your body weight (in ounces) every day, not just the "eight 8-oz. glasses" of the past?) Thankfully I was already aiming for over 64 ounces a day when I heard about that! I thought it would be fun to share some of the things that work well for me when trying to get my full water intake every day.

1. It's important to like water. :) Okay, this is obvious, right? But I know lots and lots of people who do not like water. And truthfully, some water just does not taste good, especially if you live in a city. We have good well water here, but even that has its issues, including a sulfur taste/smell, so we invested in a good under-the-sink filter just for the drinking water. Other options include putting a faucet filter on the kitchen sink, getting a Berkey filter, or even just a Brita pitcher. If you just don't care for plain water, maybe try a simple solution like adding fresh lemon slices to it, or drinking iced herbal tea instead. Some people only like their water really cold . . . in that case, keep a pitcher in the fridge all the time and make sure you have lots of ice on hand. :)
2. Keep a daily log of how much you drink. Here's what works for me . . . it's super simple, but since the beginning of February it's been working like a charm. I usually write a daily to-do list at least 5 days a week in a cheapie spiral notebook. To the right of my list for each day, I write the word "WATER" with the numbers 1 2 3 under it. Every time I finish a bottle full of water (25 oz.), I circle a number. This is a great way to keep me on track! Another great tip that I read over at Fat Chick Fed Up is this: fill a pitcher up with the amount of water you want to drink in a day and keep it in the fridge. Keep refilling your glass or water bottle throughout the day, and when the pitcher is empty, then you know you have accomplished your goal for that day! Keeping track throughout the day is the one sure way for me to actually reach my goal . . . if I have it right on my list, staring me in the face, then it's really easy to remember to drink.
3. Schedule your water intake to start early in the morning and end by early evening. This was an "aha!" moment that I just had last night. You see, I've been doing great finishing my quota of water most every day. The only problem is, I would finish two bottles full by around suppertime, then I'd chug down the rest between suppertime and bedtime. Do you see where this is headed? That meant that I'd be up off and on for several hours while I was *trying* to go to sleep (or actually had already fallen asleep) to use the bathroom. And while I don't mind more trips to the bathroom during the day, I do not like having my beauty sleep interrupted. ;) So then the lightbulb went on last night and I realized a schedule/goal was needed for the day! This is my new aim: 1st bottle finished by 10 am, 2nd bottle finished by 1 pm, 3rd bottle finished by suppertime or at least by 7 pm. After that I can still drink a little if I am thirsty, but I won't be guzzling 25 oz. of water right before bed. I followed the new plan today and so far it has gone well!

So those are just a few simple tips that work for me. They may not work that well for others, but I thought I would share in case they may be helpful to more than just me. Water is so good for us, and I definitely feel better when I am drinking plenty of it. Plus it's a huge help with weight loss, too! :)

**Yes, that picture above is the same kind of water bottle I have! It's advertised as being 28 oz but from my measurements, it seems to be more like 25 oz. Either way, it holds a bunch of water, and I LOVE it! Well worth the investment, in my opinion! :)

I did it!!!

{image from www.sxc.hu}

Okay, this post really belongs in my January goals update. BUT, I am so excited about it that I wanted to share it with you all in a separate post--and also so I could share some helpful websites and stuff. :) I am really, really thrilled to report that I accomplished my January goal of LOSING 5 POUNDS!!! Now, I know that doesn't sound like all that much, and probably some of you are rolling your eyes right now. But it's exciting for me, because I don't think I have ever met a monthly weight loss goal before (at least not anytime recently), and this has given me huge motivation and encouragement to keep on working towards my ultimate goal of about 15-20 lbs.

I think that cutting out sweets for this past month was one of the main factors in being able to lose 5 lbs, and even though my official sugar fast ends tomorrow, I am not planning to go crazy and start stuffing chocolate into myself. In fact, I plan to save sweet stuff for a special treat and only indulge in very small amounts occasionally. I know I need to keep my sweet tooth under control, not only to help me lose the weight I want, but also for the other benefits that cutting out sugar has given me: increased energy, clearer skin, fewer headaches(!!!), and a less-foggy brain (maybe that one is my imagination, but honestly--I feel like I've been thinking more clearly and have been able to focus on things better for the past few weeks).

So, I am setting a new weight loss goal for February: 4 pounds! (Since Feb. is a shorter month, and also because I know that weight seems to come off more slowly after those first few pounds ! :)) Along with minimizing sweets and exercising, this month I want to work harder on portion control and drinking more water--two very important things that I struggle with!

I know my success this month came only through God's strength. I really struggle with self-discipline, and cutting out sweets was something I wasn't sure if I had the willpower to do, but with His help, I was able to do it and meet my goal. I am praying for the self-discipline to continue to work hard toward my goals and to make good choices, because it's VERY easy for me to fall into bad habits!

I also wanted to share some good resources and websites that are helping to encourage and motivate me along this journey toward better health and a slimmer me. :)

• Reshaping It All by Candace Cameron Bure--I actually just finished this book last night, and I enjoyed it. I appreciated Candace's emphasis on the spiritual as well as the physical aspects of health, and yes, I also enjoyed the photo section in the middle with pictures of her growing up/Full House years, as well as more current pictures of her family. :)
• Sugar-Free Mom--I discovered this blog recently and it has a lot of good recipes and motivation for going sugar-free. I haven't yet tried many of the recipes because I'm not sure yet if I want to try replacing sugar with stevia, but I have to say it was really encouraging to come across this site during my sugar fast.
• Fat Chick Fed Up--I found this blog through Money Saving Mom, and I have really enjoyed following this lady's weight loss journey so far! She is very honest and down to earth, and her writing style is a lot of fun, too!
• Peak 313 Fitness--yes, a whole blog dedicated to health and fitness--by a Christian lady! I'll admit I am not into doing a whole bunch of different exercises (yet!)--right now my elliptical is working fine for me--but I really enjoy this blog and especially the weight loss stories that are shared every Wednesday.

I hope some of these resources might be encouraging for you, as well. This month I'll also be reading through the book Made to Crave, to further motivate me in my journey. I was thinking about starting a once-a-week weight loss check-in here, for anyone who might want to participate, but now I'm thinking maybe once-a-month posts like this one, instead. Any thoughts?

Anyway, thanks for listening to my excitement about reaching this goal! Here's to another healthy month!! :)