#Mamavation Monday - Picking up the pieces

It's tough being down. When I'm down I feel like no one cares so I fail to reach out for help. But this time was different. I asked for help. I asked for support and I got it. Things are still shaky and might be for a while but I have to learn to lean on God and keep asking for help and support. This post is a little vague this far, so I'll fill you in a bit. I have been in a dark hole for the past few weeks. I have felt as if depression was taking over. A lot is going in right now with work, family and more. I became overwhelmed about a week ago due to some consequences that arose from medical bills and lack of health insurance. I became overwhelmed at the fact that I, once again, started emotional eating and gained quite a bit of weight in a very short period of time. I am taking steps to get help with this depression and stress. I just ask for your support, thoughts and prayers.

I am glad to report though, that after reaching out last week, I got my eating under control and lost a whopping 5.6 lbs!! That victory was sweet and was proving that asking for help doesn't make me weak but helps me gain strength.

A special thanks to someone who was very generous this week and made this upcoming Christmas season one I'll likely never forget. God will truly bless you for your servant heart.

#Mamavation Monday - Under the Weather

Hi ladies! Sorry I haven't been very active lately. We have been battling a big bad virus at our house complete with stomach issues, high fevers and ear infections. It first hit my 5 year old last week and he was having bouts of fevers upwards of 104 degrees. We had a couple of visists to the ER with him. He was wiped out. I was scared to death for him, I have never seen him so sick. He missed almost a week of school. Then it hits my 3 year old, not as bad as it hit his big brother, mainly because we got it under control quickly. Then it was mine and my husbands turn this past weekend. I am still not feeling the best and my head feels like it's going to pop at any minute, however, I took lots of vitamin C and other immunity building supplements and I am convinced if not for that it could have been worse.

I did get some exciting news this past week, I got a new job within my company. It is full time which includes benefits (READ:  CHEAP(er)HEALTH INSURANCE!) and I am super excited. One of my best friends also got the position with me and we have made a plan to use our breaks and lunches towards good health and be sure to focus on healthy foods and activity together. Looking forward to that!

So not much more to report. We have been working/going to school/stuck at home on the weekends for the past 3 weeks now and it is getting old quick-like!

I apologize to our Mamavation Moms, I haven't been able to give them my full attention, and I praise Shannon (@ariesmommy) for picking up my slack. Love you FOREVER for that girl.

Pardon my nasty feet. I haven't had a pedi in I don't know how long... It's on my Christmas list...

#Mamavation Monday -Drowning

Have you ever been swimming before and ended up caught under water and panic for a moment because you're not sure your going to get back to the surface in time? If so, you know how I have felt these past couple weeks. I feel like I have so much over my head and every time I almost reach the top I get pushed back under. With all of this I have gained some major weight. It's too easy to get back into old habits when everything around you is going at 90mph. A part of me thinks that I will never be healthy because I don't have the strength to cope when things get rough. Then the other part of me knows that in these times I rely too much on myself and not at all on God or my family. I am a fixer. I feel the need to be the one to fix all the problems or situations around me when it's really me who needs the fixing. I am trying to start focusing on myself more. I need more time with me.

I joined the newest 2 week challenge which starts TODAY so, here we go. My lunch and snacks are packed and ready to go!

Thinking it's time for a pedi...

#Mamavation Monday - Step Up!

Hi ladies! :-) Hope you all are doing fantastic today! This week I am posting about stepping out! And by out I mean outside of the box, out of your comfort zone and hitting 10K steps per day. My co-mentor Shannon ( http://www.twitter.com/ariesmommy) came up with the idea to start a step challenge! I think it will do us all a bit of good! (STOP! Take a minute to go sign up for this challenge here - http://t.co/Hf1ZDPVa) Me particularly, I have slacked off on my daily steps big time since the last campaign and it's time to turn it around! That has also reflected in my weight loss, or lack thereof! I am a predator of a busy life. I use that as an excuse to lazy eat and flat out be lazy! I have gained a few lbs back, but now being a mentor (and getting a better work schedule) has motivated me to get back in track!


So now for the scary stuff. Scale picture. *shudders*

 I learned in both of my campaigns to not let the scale rule my thought processes when it comes to losing weight. However, that scale is what sends up a red flag saying, "Hey, you! These number are going the wrong way! Let's do something about it!"


I hope you all have a blessed week!

#Mamavation Monday - Ahhhh

Ahhh... I took a couple days off of work last week to give myself a 4 day weekend and it was so worth it. I feel more relaxed and on track. I got meals prepared in advance (my poor crockpot is on overdrive!) and a plan of action. :) I also got lots of R&R, which was very nice!

Not much to report this week! I am happy fall is finally here. My favorite time of the year! I love the chill in the air, the pumpkins, apples and more that comes along with Autumn!

Congrats to our finalists for Mamavation Couples! I have already placed my vote! I will not be able to attend the twitter party per se as I will be at work, but I will check in from time to time to hang out and to see who our new couples will be! My advice is to use every resource you have to collect votes! I printed out "business cards" with all of the voting information and handed them out to everyone. I sent a mass message to all of my Facebook friends asking for there vote. Tweet at people in your twitter stream asking for their vote! You gotta work hard for those votes! :)

Have a great week everyone!

(Scale pic to be added Tuesday morning)

#Mamavation Monday 9/26

Hi girls! This week has been hectic! Been buy at work and at home, my sinuses and allergies have been oh, so bothersome, and my stomach had a bad day on Thursday. Im going to be completely honest with you all this week, I have been close to depressed all week. I hate that I am working evening shift again, it takes a lot of time away from my family and honestly just throws me completely out of routine. I have felt like I have been on the verge of crying every day this week which I should probably do to let myself release some of this pinned up stress! I am working towards getting into a routine but when my gears start turning someone throws a wrench in. I decided to take Thursday and Friday off this week unpaid just to have some time to relax and hopefully get some sort of plan in action. Needless to say my eating was less than perfect this week, but the scale didn't seem to show it as much!


Also I want to apologize for my lack of commenting on your posts. I had a chat with Shelley Weds night and she ever so gently slid it in that some of us sisters (me) are not holding up our end of the deal when it comes to commenting. So thanks to those of you who comment on my posts even if I don't get to comment on yours. I will try harder to get more comments in.

So this week my goal is to look to God when I start feeling overwhelemed or depressed. No more feeling sorry for myself. I still have lots of weight left to lose to be healthy, and feeling sorry for myself is not going to help me get to my goal. And besides, I've gotta look hawt before Fitcation 12! ;-) Have a great week sistas! Love you all!

Scale:

#Mamavation Monday - 5K results

Hello Mamavation! Thanks for stoppin' by!

This week's post is centered arounf my first 5K that I (attempted to) run on Saturday.

There were a lot of people who participated in this race, so I was a little nervous from the get go. Bottom line, I did not finish. I didn't really explain what happened in my video, but, what happened... I started out strong running, slow, I wanted to drop to the back of the pack, being in the crowd made me feel nervous. So I got in a good stride jogging and power walking and about half way through my right foot started burning along the bottom. So I slowed to a walk for about 1/10 of a mile. I picked up the pace and started to jog again and shortly after my ankle rolled to the outside and I fell. My ankle was hurting pretty badly, I don't think it was a sprain, just more bruised. Either way, I was having a hard time walking on it much less jogging, so I was pulled to the side at a station and was bandaged and iced. Some other runners who stopped along the way could tell I was disappointed (and a newbie to the race) and gave me some insight to my injury and why it probably happened. I am extremely disappointed that I didnt finish, but I get another chance soon as I have one more 5K to do from Mamavation campaign 9. I am going to train more vigorously for the next 5K. Make sure I get my leg muscles stronger and ready to hold me up while running. I also intend to run AND FINISH this same 5K next year. It won't defeat me again...

Some pics from my day...
The picture of my feet was me standing on the VA/TN state line! I was in two states at once! Pretty cool huh?




And my videos...
Pre Race


Post Race


Scale pic...

#Mamavation Monday - Schedule changes equals planning changes

Schedule changes can make life different. And staying on track is hard too, it takes dedication, planning and focus. After being a Mamavation Mom, twice, I have learned to not let myself get back into that lazy, "whatever goes" mode. A few days this week I did not plan my day according to my schedule and ended up going over on my calories for the day, because I was so hungry by the evening but was out of "planned" food. This comes along with a schedule change at work. I had planned my meals through the campaign based on my working day shift, so by 9pm at night, I was headed for bed. Now, I am working from 2:30 pm to 9:30 pm and so my previous meal plan does not fit my new schedule. So this week my goal is to focus on making a new meal (and workout) plan that fits my new schedule. I miss being able to come home in the evenings and walk outside in the coolness of the day, but when it comes to working and providing for my family, I haven't much of a choice. I love my job, and everything about it except for the unstable schedule.

I did not weigh myself this morning, I will tomorrow (Monday) and add my scale picture. I did have my monthly "visitor" to deal with plus a little added stress as my mother had her final eye surgery this week. Hopefully the scale doesn't reflect that.

Scale pic: +0.6 (Not bad!!)

 

I will probably be a little late to Mamavation TV now on Monday nights as it is around 10pm when I get home from work, but better late than never!

Have a great week ladies!

#Mamavation Monday-Back into the swing of things

Hi ladies! (and now, gents!)

This past week was all about getting back into my daily normal non-Mamavation mom routine. I will admit, it was a bit easier than the last time. I cut back to working out 3-4 days instead of the exhausting 6 days. As for my food, I had a few days that could have went downhill fast but I grabbed the reigns and kept my wagon on the right path. And the results were great. Life in general however, is crazy. More bad weather came through, still battling fleas, and today (Weds) my mom had her final cataract surgery. Shew, I need a vacay!

Scale pic...

Have a great week ladies!

#Mamavation Monday - Happy Birthday Mamavation

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Mamavation, Happy Birthday to you!!!

WOW! 2 years, Mamavation! And I have been around for a little over a year of it! Mamavation has made a huge difference in my life. I have learned a lot about myself and made a lot of new friends in the past year. My sistas have been by my side in the rough patches and during my reign as a Mamavation Mom. I can not imagine a better community to be a part of to help me reach my goals. I haven't lost a great deal of weight, but I am 15 lbs less this year than I was last. HUGE thanks to Leah (@bookieboo) and all of her dedication to us. I know she has helped make a difference in many of our lives. Mine especially.

272.0

Speaking of weight loss, this week, I didn't. BUT I am sure I have gained some muscle. Thanks to @GruntStyle, Daniel Alarik, his workouts and his challenge the other night, I have gained some major muscle the past two weeks. I have been receiving compliments left and right that I am looking leaner! My pants are even a little more loose Awesomeness. So, as for this weeks gain, I am proud of it. I was awesome with my food this week, and with keeping track of it daily. I could have done better with my water intake some days, but hey, baby steps! Speaking of my weight, here is my scale pic for the week...

I am super excited for tomorrow night's twitter party! I can't wait to see who our two new Mamavation Moms are! All of our finalists (@Aries_Mommy, @Rachhabs, @NCCarterFamily, @Trica, @SalemMomma) this campaign are awesome women. They are a tight knit bunch who are very supportive of each other. 

My new running shoes are slated to arrive Tuesday! They were supposed to arrive a couple weeks ago, but due to some billing issues, the order was canceled. I am excited they are going to be here, I have been running in a pair of New Balance walking shoes, which are great for walking, but do not provide near enough support or cushion for running. I have been feeling a bit of shine and knee pain over the past few days which I am sure is coming from wearing the wrong kind of shoes while running.

Okay, now that I have rambled on, and on, and on, and on... I will see you all at the Twitter party! Good luck ladies!

#Mamavation Monday - Training takes discipline

Hiya gals! How is it going this week? So far so good here! I am excited to celebrate Independence Day with my family.

How did well did you manage to eat healthy over the holiday weekend (4th of July and Canada Day)? Any tips for the rest of the summer?

Well I am writing this on Sunday, but I plan on loading up on veggies and lean protein. I know there are going to be lots of desserts that I LOVE so if I do indulge it will be only a teeny serving of each! I am also planning on staying outside most of the time to stay active with the kids! I may even initiate a group walk around the neighborhood! 

So as you all know, I am training for a 5K. Training is hard. It takes discipline and lots of it! Lots of, "Wow, it's early, and I really wanna turn back over and go to sleep", but as you all know, that gets you nowhere fast. It's super easy to make excuses, and when excuses are made it makes you feel horrible later. So my new saying, "Make excuses, feel bad about it later. Get up and train, feel good and good about it!" I know, not that catchy, but it works! 

I am super excited for this next campaign to get up and running! There are some great applicants out there and I think any choice that is made will be a great one. Whoever wins, take full advantage of the tools you are given to succeed. I worked my tail off, but then when it wass all over I thought and still think to this day, "how could I have worked harder? what could I have done to have made it more effective for me!?" This goes back to discipline! You gotta have it ladies!! That and a good planner. Write down everything. From your workouts, to your meals and meetings/calls with mentors.

Here is my weight this week. Not great, I am in a bit of a slump, need a kick in the butt! Care to give me one? (  Y  ) (teehee!)

271.0

Have an awesome week and see you all tomorrow evening!

#Mamavation Monday

Hiya gals! This weeks post is gonna be short n sweet.

I went to the doctor this week because I was having some stomach problems. I thought that my UC was flaring again, and the doc said it might be a little but the problem was coming from some aggravating problem. I am back on my meds after a 3 month hiatus due to the cost of the meds and I am already feeling much better!

Still having issues every now and then with my heel and the plantar fasciitis but my new running shoes should be here Tuesday! WOOT! I am super duper excited to have some new shoes. Watch out 5k, here I come!

Unfortunately I will not be at #Mamavation TV this week due to a change in work schedule. I may try to catch up on my stickam app!

My weight for this week is 271. I think I have maintained but I don't really remember and I am writing this post from my phone. Lol I will add my scale pic as soon as I get to my laptop!

Have a great week all!

#Mamavation Monday - Ineligible

next week's goal - 17 miles

Hi girls! How was your week? Mine was good! Kind of a blur actually, it went by pretty fast. I have continued walking every evening after I get off work, and surpassed my goal of 9.62 miles that I set last week! My total hit 10.46 miles. My goal for next week is to hit a total of 17 miles on my Nike GPS app. I love this app, it shows where I have walked, my speeds, and love that it posts to Facebook when I begin to walk. Every comment or like that I get on the status update sends through a sound of a cheering crowd in my headphones. Awesome encouragement!

I also applied for health insurance at the beginning of this week. I was actually pretty confident in obtaining coverage, but unfortunately received this reply...

Wow. I had no idea I would be denied health insurance because of my weight. I was expecting not to receive coverage on my Ulcerative Colitis because it is a pre-existing condition, but to be completely denied. That hit hard. I need a 6 month long boot camp... I have got to get to a healthy BMI/weight so i can get health insurance. I worry so much every time there is a new pain or sickness that I am faced with. It's not cheap to go to the doctor. 

On a brighter side, the walking and calorie counting I have been doing lately is paying off. My weight did not change this week but my clothes are more loose fitting and I have had much more energy (besides the cold I battled earlier in the week).

269.0

I am getting ready to go out of town for the evening with my sister and her church group so I am cutting this short! See you all at Mamavation TV tomorrow night!

#Mamavation Monday - No more selfishness



Next week's goal, a total of 9.62 miles.



Hi girls! What a week it has been. I am very proud of myself! 4 out of 5 days this past week I pushed myself to walk after work and wouldn't stop until I reached a mile. I know, a mile does not seem like much to most people, some of you are knocking that out in 7 or 8 minutes, but a mile for me is huge. At the end of my Mamavation Mom campaign I was up to 2 - 2.5 miles per workout/walk. After I got sick again, I got out of shape and out of my routine. So starting back up this past week was hard. Some walks I cried, I wanted to stop, sit down in the middle of the pavement and have a pity party. I kept remembering what I used to be able to do, what I was up to and I was hating my body for betraying me, for getting sick and sending me backwards on my journey. I am sure you all have noticed, when I get sick I retreat. I back away from help, support and anything that "reminds" me of when I was healthy. I get depressed when I am sick. And unfortunately I am depressed thats when my emo eating comes out. So normally while people with Ulcerative Colitis lose weight during a flare, I maintain or gain. So this past week, being under my calorie goal and getting in 4 (!!!) days of activity is a step up for me. I have made it a priority to go straight outside after my shift ends and walk on the track at work instead of going to the tanning bed. (I was loving that tan! Please don't flame me for going to the tanning bed!)

Now on to the title of my post. Selfishness. I was thinking today as I stared into my cabinet. My cabinet. The one where I hid my cakes, cookies and any other snacks I didn't want my husband or children to eat. I give a lot to my family, but a lot of time but there are things I do that are totally selfish. I spend time on this great invention, the internet instead of taking a walk with the kids or just going outside and playing. So my goal for this week is to be less selfish.

My other goal for this week is to walk at least 5.5 miles. I set a goal for myself of walking a mile in less than 20 minutes and Thursday night I walked a mile in 19:56. I was ecstatic but in extreme pain and was super tired. Most likely from lack of water, my calves have been cramping up horribly around 1/3-1/2 mile. It's aggravating me. Any suggestions?

To the Fitcation ladies, I loved watching every moment of your trip on twitter. I longed so badly to be there with you, and you can bet your butt, I will be at the next one!

What gaps in your nutrition knowledge do you want to fill?

I want to learn how to what really works for my body. Having a stomach issue really messes with my menu.

This week's weight:

269.0

Not quite as much of a loss ( -1 lb) as I was expecting but PMS is waning, water is still retaining, but at least I wasn't gaining! (LOL Poet, maybe I am meant to be!)

This post is sponsored by Omron Healthcare and I’m writing this to be entered into a Omron Go Smart Pedometer giveaway hosted by Mamavation