The Healthy Lifestyle, Update

Hi friends.  I am about to share more of my weightloss journey with you.  I'm sorry if you don't like it.  It's just that, well, I am a teacher by nature.  I can't help it!  So, when I learn something new, through experience or just from reading about it, I love to tell you about it because I want you to learn too!

Well...

I've been on the journey still.  Since January (or was it late December?)  The journey is a long path that I will be on for my whole life.  It has many ups and downs.  I had a rough patch in there during late spring, when we were very busy and the healthy lifestyle kind of was set to the side.  It's so easy to make excuses! But on the whole, I'm headed in the right direction.  I'm so thankful for my friends who have encouraged me on the way.  My walking partner who comes to get me at 5:30am!  My buddies who track their food along with me at myfitnesspal.com . And my little (or not so little) family that is patient in their own way while I struggle with making different foods and taking time to exercise or write down my food for the day.  Thank you all.

Things that I am working on....that are working for me (as in..helping me to lose pounds!)....

**Planning out the fruits and veggies of the day.  Really.  If it is planned for me to eat them, then I don't think we are going to not have enough for the kids for the week and I can eat them freely.  I plan out all three meals of the day for the week and try to get four servings of fruits and vegetables for everyone in there.  I know you are supposed to eat more, but you've got to start somewhere!

**Using myfitnesspal.com is really helping too.  It is so important to keep track of what you eat.  It allows you to keep track of important nutrients too, not just calories, and it helps you figure out how much you can eat and still lose weight.  It calculates it specifically for you and your age, height, weight, special needs, and amount of exercise.  It varies daily with whatever exercise you did that day, so it's helpful to keep track!  It's a free website.  So go ahead and click over there if you like.  The food database is so much more inclusive than the previous website's that I had been using.  If you do sign up, let me know so I can "friend you" (silly i know) so we can encourage one another!

**I have set little goals for myself along the way.  Otherwise it can be overwhelming.  I have a weekly goal, a monthly goal and a final goal.  They change sometimes, but it helps to keep the forward momentum.

**I have found a fun reward for myself, because I need lots of encouragement and most people are too shy to encourage me about my weightloss.  So I encourage myself! My reward is...for every week that I stick with my goals (tracking food and exercising) then I buy myself fresh flowers and the end of that week.  I love flowers in the house, and sadly I am lacking them. (ahem, J, ahem...)  Now I get them and I feel good about spending that small amount of money on myself because I earned it!

**Just keep trying.  Not every day is going to be easy.  Some days I screw up.  Some days I'm grumpy and selfish and lazy.  Somedays I eat ice cream.  It's okay.  It's not the end of the world.  Just stop, turn around and get back on the path.  Do it quickly or you'll feel worse. (talking to myself here)

I'll leave you with a final quote....
"Do or do not.  There is no try."  -yoda
(did I get that right?)

Counting...

Calories.  Calories are so elusive.  Truly.  I never thought I'd be the kind of girl who would count calories.  To me, "those kind of girls", the calorie counting ones, are too rigid, controlling and dare I say it....mean!  That is how strange the thoughts of a girl (okay I'm 35, but still) can be in this day and age.  Are we not totally getting strange messages from our culture about bodies, and health, and beauty and weight?  Ick!  And somehow, I ended up here, being overweight, and really disliking the idea of counting calories, because I was afraid that somehow it would turn me into a cold-hearted woman. (or something)  Yes, I know I have issues.  blech!

Okay...so....having explained all of that....I would like to tell you that I am doing well on my weightloss journey, because....I'm counting calories.   I just finally decided to really be honest with myself about what I'm eating.  So I found this free online calorie counter and have been keeping track of what goes in my belly.  I like that the website explains how many calories a person can have a day based on their height and weight and helps you set up a goal.  It also has exercises and how many calories you expend for your weight and age, etc.  It's interesting and I find it helps me stay accountable.

The other thing I have done that is helping is that I bought myself a pedometer!  It's really quite fun.  And I find it is encouraging on days that I don't have time to spend a big chunk of time on exercising, to just watch how many steps I'm taking and just push myself to do more.  Currently I'm doing about 6,000 steps a day!  Thats about 2.5 miles, just taking care of my kids!

My goal is to lose ten percent of my body weight by March 7. (I have a physical scheduled for that day)  I have to lose about 2.5 lbs a week in order to do that, but I think I can do it!  J is being really supportive about this whole thing and I'm so glad he is cheering me on!  It helps too, to share here with you all.  I can't believe how many of you, dear friends, have sent me an email, or said something in person about this to me.  Thank you!  It means so much to me!

If you are trying to make some changes for a healthier lifestyle, I encourage you to set a small goal for yourself.  It might not be to lose ten percent of your weight, but maybe just to drink more water!  Or to just start writing down what you eat.  Give it a try!  We CAN do this!

Making Changes....

Making changes takes practice doesn't it?  Yeah.  That's where it gets tough.  Practice isn't always fun or easy, and sometimes you don't see the results for quite some time.  Yet, here we are in the midst of the practicing part as we work on some changes around here.  But we are starting to see some results!

I am pleased to tell you that J has finally made some headway in regards to his back pain.  The new chiropractor that he is seeing is helping alot and so is the fact that we got rid of our terrible, horrible, no good, very bad couch!  For real.   See?

I realized the other day that the only reason we kept the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad couch was because it would be considered weird to not have a couch!  Well, and also I would like my house to be a place of hospitality and comfort to our family and friends.  With no place to sit other than the floor that might be a challenge for some of you!   But then I thought.....well...if the man can't even sit on the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad couch without being in pain then who cares what other people expect or want or find comfortable in our home!  It's his home for pete's sake!  So the boys and I hauled it out!  Hurray!  And now we have the very comfortable floor to sit on.  Ha ha.  Perhaps sometime we will save a bit of money to get a new couch that is pain free, but until then I am rejoicing at the new opportunities this empty room brings.  Now, you can often find us all gathered round the coffee tables playing a game or moving the tables off to the side and getting out the sleeping bags for a movie.  So cozy!

Check back tomorrow for an update on my weight loss journey!  I'm making progress and have so much to share with you.  Thank you to those of you who've emailed me about this!  I had no idea so many of you would be encouraged by my story.  But that's how it works right?  We shape each other.  I'm so glad to be with you on this journey.  It keeps me accountable!  More tomorrow.....

love,
reba

The Year of "I Will"

It's named.  2011.  The year of "I will".

I will do what I know needs to be done, in a timely fashion with a cheerful heart.

I will stop and listen.

I will be present in the now and learn to experience what is happening instead of living in the past or future.

I will be more patient.  More kind.  More quiet spirited.

*I* will be the one to clean up the mess, even though I didn't make it.  *I* will help out.  *I* will.

I will love that person that is hard to love, even when I'm tired or busy.

I will be diligent in choosing a healthy lifestyle even when I don't feel like it.

I will.

Because I'm loved.  Because I want to model this to my children.  Because I want to be this for my spouse, and parents, and friends.

It's not a resolution.  It's a changing of the heart.  And a choice.  And it's only by Grace.

much love to you for this new year, friends....
reba

On Being Disciplined

This past week I have been pondering some things....wondering how I got here...to this place of being so overweight....wondering about the why....thinking about if I can really stick with this fight of living a healthy lifestyle.   It seems sooo overwhelming to me at times.  Which is actually kind of weird.  I mean, it's just eating normal and exercising.  It shouldn't have to be a huge deal....and yet, it is.  Huge.  

I thought about all of this all week, and the word that kept coming into my brain is Discipline.  I must be disciplined.  I must.  Be.  Disciplined.  

Ick.  I hate discipline.

That sounds childish I know, but it's true.  I am not very disciplined when it comes to choosing a healthy lifestyle.  And it's even more true, that I have many legitimate reasons that I ended up this way.  But after thinking about all of the "whys" all week I have come to one conclusion....The "whys" can go take a hike!  They may have happened.  They may be somewhat "true" as far as who I was or how I am today as a result.  But that is all they are.  The past.  Now....the present....is here!  And I have a choice as to how I proceed!  Isn't that exciting?

One more thing....a really important thing.  Being disciplined has always felt icky to me because I have never known anyone whose self control is motivated by love.  I have seen all kinds of motivations behind self control (needing to be in control, self worship, trying to manipulate someone else...) and they have all seemed really ugly to me.  Ick.  And somehow, through no credit of me at all, I am in this place....this place where I am actually motivated to make these changes because of love.  Wow.  Isn't that incredible?  I am amazed at the good work that God is doing in me, which might sound strange to you, but trust me...I couldn't be even talking about this, if it wasn't for His unending love for me!

So for the sake of accountability I thought I'd let you know my goals for the week. 

1.  To make a specific goal regarding numbers...including a healthy weight and BMI

2.  To keep waking early and getting some exercise.

3.  To keep watching what I eat by writing it in my journal.

Please pray for me and cheer me on in this journey!   I can't do it without your support.

This post is part of Motivation Monday.  Head over to Inspired to Action to hear more about it.  Leave me a comment about what you are working on in your life and I'll pray for you!

Baby Steps

Motivation Monday strikes again!  Last week I shared with you all about the beginning of my journey to a more healthy lifestyle and I'm glad to be able to say that this past week has gone pretty well.  I am not quite ready to measure results.  And yes, maybe that is not very brave of me....but I am so easily discouraged about my weight and I want to focus on making good choices not on results for now.  I want to build habits into my life that will stay for a long, long time.  One thing that Kat has taught me, (yeah, I totally think she is my friend...LOL...and she doesn't even know me) is that it's important to take baby steps.  Making goals is important, but it's even more important to break it down into doable steps so we can be successful!

So...this past week my goal was simply to remember that I had begun.  No, really.  I forget sometimes that I am overweight.  Which seems really dumb, but for real, I forget.  So I have to be intentional with remembering that I am overweight everytime I decide to put something into my mouth. (or grocery cart)  This week my goal was to stop and think before I ate something.  And I think for the most part I was successful.  That doesn't mean I didn't eat that second thinmint cookie, but it was much less fun to do it, remembering that I really didn't need those calories.

This week my goal is to be consistent with my early morning routine.  (yes, I have a routine.  I have four kids.  If I want any alone time I have to be up at the crack of dawn)  I need to get up by 5:30 in order to have time to read my bible and walk the dog (or do pilates if the weather is too cold) before breakfast.  So.  That's that.  I did it this morning and it was super!  Pilates makes me feel about an inch taller every time I do it.  I jokingly asked J if I looked skinny after I worked out this morning (I really did feel soooo good!) and he said, "um...I think it might take more than one time" LOL.  Oh...right. *sheepish grin*

I hope that my sharing this with you, friend, somehow inspires you to make that change, whatever it may be, in your life.  We all have things that need to be worked on, don't we?  I encourage you to make a goal and figure out what your first baby step might be.  It's possible you know.  It really is.

If you are feeling brave, or want some support, leave a comment about what change you are working on and I'll pray for you.  You can also head over to Inspired to Action to read more about Motivation Monday (and win some free music too!).

Choosing Life

Hmmmm....how to break the ice before I share with you my biggest struggle.  Um, yeah.  I guess there isn't an easy or clever way to put it.  So.  *Deep Breath*   I need to lose about 100 pounds.  Yeah.  And I'm starting now.  And.... I felt like I outta "go public" about it because I need the accountability and you might just be inspired.  :)

The why?  Because I want to be healthy.  Because it is my responsibility to take care of my body.  Because I love J and want to grow old with him.  Because I want to be there for my boys as they grow into men.  And because I just know that there will be *girl* grandbabies and I want to be around for that.

The plan?  Eat less and exercise more.

The plan for the plan? (you know what I mean right?)  Writing down what I eat, so I can keep track better and walking the dog every morning and supplementing with extra workouts when I can.  And drinking lots of water.

The mantra?  "Choose Life. Choose Life.  Choose Life!"  This is a spiritual journey for me.  I'll share more about that in the future perhaps.  Please pray for me as I take the first steps towards overcoming an attitude of self reliance and self worship.

I hope to blog about my journey every monday as part of Motivation Monday (through Inspired to Action...one of my favorite blogs!)  I know that Tree Shadow Farm is a journal of our family adventures, but this is going to be a big part of it for awhile.  Thanks for supporting me!

signing off to go find my pilates video...
love,
reba