Weigh In Week 7--First Day of School!

Well, it's been another week! Time seems to be flying lately...and I've been working alot! Yesterday was the first day of my new school...a HIGH SCHOOL! Wow, never thought I would be in a high school! It went pretty well, however I guess I had high expectations that the kids would want to interact like they do in Elementary...boy was I wrong.

Well on to the point of this post. Last week I lost 2 pounds! It was a really good week full of challenges with food being provided and other things, but I stuck to my guns. Not because I "can't have that" but because that doesn't help lead me to where I really want to be by December. I have high hopes for myself and need to stay focused...providing the path to my deepest desires! In the past 7 weeks I have lost a total of 18.8 pounds.* I am only 11.2 pounds away from my first goal!! My second DietBet is over tomorrow and I keep jumping up and down over my goal line...hoping Wednesday or Thursday morning I will be below the mark! FitBit Flex here I come!!!

Hope everyone had a great first day back to school! Stay focused on your desires...find your "why" and GO FOR IT!

*Typical results are 2-5 pounds the first two week and 1-2 pounds each week thereafter.

Week 6 Weigh-In!!!

After a not so happy number on the scale last week, I am happy to report a 3.4 lb loss last week! Just goes to show just because one week doesn't show what you hoped on the scale, even though you followed everything right, don't loose hope! Just keep pushing through to the next week...your body is adjust to things and stabilizing itself and sometimes the scale just doesn't reflect that! My total loss since July is 16.8 lbs.* I also had a HUGE NSV this week! I dropped a size in pants and shirt!! WOOT! That's the BEST feeling EVER!!!

A quick DietBet checkin as well... I have 1.7 lbs to go to meet my goal in 9 days!! I can do this!!!! 

This week has been a really fun and stressful week. Yes I know those two things don't really go together but I began my new job and training can be stressful at times! I'm really excited for this year, but ready to dive in and learn more the "how to" then look at this and I'm going to talk to you type of learning. We also went to a concert, an open mic, and a baseball game! We got to see Darryl Bootland from the Allen Americans throw out the first pitch last night! It was really fun!! He even came by with his family to say hi! We have the best players in the CHL for sure. Here are some pics from this week.

Hope you have an excellent week! Welcome back to all the teachers! I ask you to pray for not only your students as they begin school but for your teachers as well! It's going to be a fabulous year!!



*Typical weight loss is 2-5 lbs each week the first two weeks and 1-2 lbs thereafter.

Cooking Up A Storm!

In effort to use some of the meals we haven't eaten much lately, as well as saving a little on my next order, I decided to do some cooking today! I made different types of muffins using Medifast Pancakes and Medifast Oatmeal. Excited to have my lunches premade this week to keep me focused and continuing to loose!

I first made some pancake muffins. I made Spiced Cinnamon Muffins with the spiced pancake mix and also Chocolate Chip Muffins! These will be great to microwave and then spray a little ICBINB spray on it! YUM!!

Then I moved on to making oatmeal muffins! I made three types: Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry, and Peach. These look just as delicious and are extremely nutritious!

I forgot to add...those black and red cups were part of the fun too! Each muffin is in the shape of a 5 pedal flower! So cute and fun! You can get them on amazon and they come in different shapes! These aren't the exact ones I got, but very similar!

 http://www.amazon.com/Freshware-CB-305-12-Pack-Silicone-Reusable/dp/B009ANCUCO/ref=pd_rhf_gw_s_t_12

Over all it's been a very productive Sunday!! WooT!

Week 5 Weigh In

On Monday, I did weigh in, but I didn't post because I was bummed. My plan was to wait until Tuesday and weigh and post that loss saying I forgot Monday...we all do that sometimes right...but I realized that's not being honest with myself. This past weekend we drove down to Nacagdoches for my sister Rachel college graduation. After the ceremony we went as a family to lunch. I thought I was doing really good....shrimp salad, dressing on the side, and grill the shrimp--no butter or oil! We then drove to Houston for the Rangers v Astros game where I was really good and only had a diet soda as a treat (I had plenty of water that day too). Sunday we drove to Galveston for lunch...where again I had grilled shrimp salad, no butter or oil, dressing on the side. I was feeling pretty good about my decisions!!

 

Then came Monday...I got on the scale and I was up 0.4 pounds. Now really is that a lot to gain? No, not really...but still a little disheartening when you are shooting for a goal, excited about the rewards, and that didn't help you get there faster. However, it's part of a weight loss journey. There could be many reasons why that number was slightly up...instead of the 3 pound average loss I have been having. First, I have had a stupid cold for the past week. I took some meds and who know if that affected fat burning. Second, you never truly know how they cook your food at a restaurant! Even though I said no oil or butter...they still could have put some on, or what was exactly in the seasoning? Third, sometimes your body just had a weird week and THAT'S OK! I have to keep my chin up and look at how far I have come...not the one little glitch and keep going! This is a journey for a reason. No one said a journey is easy...it's meant to be difficult so that we can learn along the way! So there it is...I gained 0.4 pounds this week, with a total loss of 13.4 pounds so far.

Goals and Rewards...

So I started thinking about what am I going to reward myself for hitting certain goals, and what are those goals going to be set at? In the past I used to set smaller goals and then reward with something I thought I was missing--unhealthy foods. I'd make excuses that it was ok, yet it would always derail me! This time I'm determined to have a different outcome. This time the weight loss isn't just about loosing weight and being a smaller size, it's about transforming myself into a different person. A person who thrives for optimal health. Someone who can run around a play ground with kids and not be tired after 20 min and want to rest. Someone who can run the race and FINISH! Someone who sits on the floor for hours with her kids cuz she can and wants to! So here are my goals and rewards:

1. DietBets-- I will continue to participate in the DietBets till I have enough earnings to purchase a FitBit Flex (and cuz I know I like the options of changing colors the 3 pack of colored bands too). That means I need about $150 in earnings...or do two purchases (1 at $110, and the other at $40).

2. Halfway goal-- Since I'm already about 1/2 way to the half-way point I thought I'd just make one there. I've been wanting two tattoos for a while now. So when I reach 170 I'm going to get my favorite scripture tattooed on my wrist. The whole verse is Jeremiah 29:11-3 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." I am going to take just verse 13 (the highlighted portion) and have it tattooed in Hebrew on my left wrist. It will look like this:

ובקשתם אתי ומצאתם כי תדרשני בכל לבבכם׃

3. Goal Weight-- My last goal (as of now...I'm debating a 3/4 goal) will be at 140 lbs and will be the other tattoo I have been wanting. About 3 and a half years ago my step-mom passed away from rectal cancer. It was really hard on my dad to watch her go through the pain. He sent me a text about 8 months after her passing of a tattoo he had just gotten. It was of a dragonfly with the words transformation. After her passing he talked about her transforming into a new body...one that no longer was sick, and that she was no longer in pain. I still remember talking to him about it today (and that says a lot cuz my memory isn't good). So for my last goal...goal weight...I am getting a dragonfly tattoo with the word transformation in Chinese. This signifies a lot for me. It helps me remember Vicki's life. It also is a sign on the transformations my life has gone through. Through Christ I am made clean, I am transformed into His image (2 Cor 3:18). I also have gone through a transformation through my journey towards optimal health. Things are changing already on how I view life...I can't even imagine what the next 4-5 months will bring! I'm not sure on the placement yet, and my tattoo artist have to work with the images as well. Here are a couple dragonfly ideas and the characters:

Dragonfly #1

Dragonfly #2

 

Dragonfly #3

Transformation

I would LOVE for you to let me know your thoughts! Gladly would take suggestions on the tattoos. Which one do you like the best? the least? Placement thoughts? Right now I am thinking my ankle or on the back on my shoulder (where my dad has it). Leave a comment and let me know!! :)

Somebody's Got A Case Of The Mondays....and it's NOT me!!!

Usually we all dread Mondays. It's back to work from a nice, short weekend that we just didn't want to end! However, through Take Shape For Life I have grown to LOVE Mondays! I look forward to the morning where I have my official weigh in for the week. I used to HATE weigh in days, but this program has changed that view for sure. I'll take ANY loss the scale says...cuz it's less than I weighed before! Some weeks are bigger than others, but that doesn't mean I'm not burning fat--I might have gained muscle!

Today marks one month since committing to myself, again. Yes I've had my ups and downs...I'm definitely not perfect by any means. Something a few weeks ago finally clicked that the moment here or there to stray isn't worth it...it's not worth my health. Sure once I reach my goal and transition into maintenance I can have chips and salsa on occasion. The key is sparingly :). Right now staying in fat burning is way more important to me than any food. I do not live to eat...I eat so that I can fully LIVE!!

Update on my last DietBet...well I WON!!! I was so excited, so I turned around and signed up for another on for the month of August. I am saving up my winnings to be able to buy a FitBit Flex for my prize. I only need about $30 more for that. Hopefully I get close to that this month! It's a great, fun way to compete with others, yet mostly yourself. Anyone that looses 4% of their weight wins a portion of the pot. Our pot this month is up to over $11,000! With about 400 players though that can get spread across many players :). Can't wait to see how it turns out!!

So what are my results for the week...well I lost 3.2 pounds last week! That brings me to a total of 13.8 pounds lost. I forgot to take measurements from the start, but now I have measurements to compare for the rest of my journey. I have 49.2 pounds left till my goal. If I continue at this rate I should be at goal around Thanksgiving. Perfect timing for a BRAND NEW ME!

Vision Boards are now hanging...just need to get the pictures and quotes that I want to put on mine. Hopefully they will be finished this week and I can update with a picture. In other news too we finally have our home study scheduled for our foster parent licensing. She will be here Wednesday at 2:30 and will probably be here till 9:00. It's a lengthy, in depth process asking us tons of questions together and separate. We would greatly appreciate your prayers! Hopefully by the end of August we will finally have this process wrapped up! Can't wait till we can start caring for children!

I also wanted to PRAISE GOD for providing a teaching position for me this year. It has been an amazing journey seeing HIS hand at work searching for a position this summer. HE has been faithful and provided an excellent opportunity for me as a 9th grade Special Education Math Teacher. I am excited, yet nervous! Again, appreciate prayers for this endeavor this year!!