Freedom and Victory

If you are a regular reader, you know that I have been trying to lose weight for the cruise.  I had a goal of 12 pounds in 8 weeks.  Well, I'm at 7 weeks and I have hit the 12 pounds.  I'm super excited. 

And the best part about it is that I've given myself grace this time.  I have learned that you don't have to be perfect with your calories everyday to still lose weight.  There is so much freedom in that and it's something I never experienced before.  I guess that's why Weight Watchers builds in 35 extra points in a week.  For most people, that's a full extra day and a half of calories.  When I did Weight Watchers I never ate any of them.  Not one flex point in 5 months.  That's psycho.  And definitely not fun.  So this time I am allowing myself the freedom to enjoy some of the things I like without the guilt.  And I'm still losing weight.  Go figure!

Last night I started thinking about the clothes that I will bring with me on the cruise.  Well, I realized that all my summer clothes were too big.  So I went out and bought 2 pair of shorts.  Then I came home and was going to change out of my work clothes when I saw them.  3 huge bins that have been sitting in the corner of our bedroom for over 2 years.  They are my pre-pregnancy clothes.  So I pulled them out expecting to be discouraged.  There is some pretty small stuff in there.

As I began to try things on, I got really excited.  Some of the small stuff fit!  I found 2 pair of shorts, 5 pair of pants, a couple skirts, some capris, and a whole bunch of other fun stuff.  It all doesn't fit and that's ok.  It gives me something to work for.  But it gives me the hope and motivation to keep going. 

And it gives me back $45 that I will get when I return those 2 pair of shorts.

I'm in Trouble

You know I'm on a diet. You know I have a goal of 12 lbs in 8 weeks leading up to a cruise on March 7th. You may not know, but I've lost 10 lbs already and I still have 2.5 weeks to go.  I kind of figured...no problem...

Enter this tweet from Emily - "Target has the Easter stuff out. It's very...pastel. "

You may think of easter baskets, bunnies, plastic eggs...

Nope...this is what my mind thinks of...

Yep...Easter candy.  The best candy of the whole year.  It beats out Christmas and Halloween by a long shot.  When else can you get chocolate filled with creamy yummy sugar made to look like an egg.  I mean how do they do that.  It has a yolk.  I mean really.  What could be better?

Maybe this version.  No fun yolk, but it's an egg filled with caramel.  Chocolate...good.  Caramel....good.  What's not to like.

Then there's the classic Reese's Egg.  Kind of like a Reese's cup but way better.  Its so thick of the wonderful sugary peanut butter.  Too good to pass up.

And you can't forget about the fruity candy too.  What's Easter without jelly beans and what better jelly beans are there than Starburst?  

So you see my dilema.  There is good news.  I can walk right past these...

 

Good thing too because I was starting to get a sugar rush.  I guess I better go pop my Jillian Michaels video in because I already consumed enough jelly beans today to make it so I can't have dinner unless I burn some calories.

Saying Goodbye

My friend Emily over at chattingathesky.com encourages her readers to stop every Tuesday and to unwrap the little moments we have in our life, to really stop and think about the things that we are blessed with. I've written posts before but have been in a slump recently.

Today I couldn't help but think about Ryan's Grandma. She's the one who turned 90 in October. Well, she has taken a turn that we just don't think she will recover from. The doctors are saying that there is nothing else they can do and that her heart is just giving out. They are saying that she has a couple months left at most. We actually thought we were going to lose her last week but she seems to be pulling out of immediate danger.

So now we have been given a gift. A gift of being able to say goodbye. We can enjoy these last few months. We can visit her and just spend time with her. Thankfully she is still fairly lucid, although she does have moments that make you scratch your head.

I was not given this gift with my grand parents. My grandfather died before I was born. My grandmother died when I was preschool age. I remember her but saying goodbye wasn't an issue. My other grandfather died when I was in 3rd grade. I was really too young to know what was going on. My other grandmother (GiGi) died when I was newly married. When she was dying, I chose not to go say goodbye. I have to say that this is one of those regrets in my life. I know she knew that I loved her. I know that she was much less lucid and probably wouldn't have even known me, but I really have feelings of regret over this.

So now I feel like I have been given a second chance. Ryan's grandmother has been my grandmother for over 10 years. She has treated me like her own. And now I have been given the gift that I thought I lost with GiGi. In a way, I feel like I am saying goodbye to both of them. So during this season of life, I am unwrapping the gift of time and second chances.

Who Needs the Zoo?

This morning we went to the pet store today to get some bedding for the chickens. Ainsley was very interested in the fish and small animals. Here's a really cute video I took with my new camera.

Even More Today

10 Years ago today I married the most wonderful man in the world. We were young and innocent. We had great dreams. We were a tad naive in some of those dreams. I mean who retires at 30 and I am definitely not cut out to own a farm.

But we are so much more than we ever imagined at 22 and 24.  We have been through our share of things from unemployment to moving to a different state twice.  We have weathered times of job difficulties.  And we have experienced some wonderful things like buying 2 houses and having the cutest baby in the world. 

So today we are celebrating a life together, both in the past and the future.  We can look back with great nostalgia and can look forward with great expectations.  I know the road ahead will bring with it more joys and more heartbreak.  But we will do it together.  And that's just awesome.  I couldn't ask for more.

Check In

I told you a while ago that I was going to start a weight loss plan. Well, that was a month ago and here are some updates....

• I have started doing Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. The first time I did it I couldn't walk for a week. Now I can do it three days in a row and take a one day break. I guess I'm not exactly doing the "30 day" part but it still is kicking my butt
• I have started using myfitnesspal.com to track calories and exercise. I really like it. It's a website but it also has an app for my iPhone. There is even that fancy new badge on the right side of my blog.
• During my trip to FL I was able to run on the treadmill each full day that I was there. I did do pretty well with my food but allowed myself the treat of some Kahlua Cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory. Oh and it was soooo worth it.

The results are that I have lost 8 pounds in a month. I am very proud of that. I have 4.5 weeks to go until my cruise. I have a goal of 4 more pounds to go before then but am hoping to exceed that. I have 6 more pounds to go before I am at my pre-pregnancy weight. And I have 12 more pounds to go to get to my goal. I think all of those things are doable.

One of the things I have learned over my weight ups and downs is that it is possible to set far reaching goals that are attainable but it is always better to set goals that are maintainable. So that is where I am. Thanks for the accountability.

Ainsley is an Inside Girl

Yesterday was a great day to be outside in the snow. Ainsley didn't think so though. She doesn't like the snow. So we came inside and played. Here's a video of her in the snow and then inside. Where do you think she's happier?