So I found this really awesome website this week where you can learn some great photography tips and have fun with the challenges, it’s http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/
This week their theme for the photo challenge is Jump For Joy. The picture I’ve entered below is of my brother and best friend. He asked me what I needed and I told him to imagine today was his last day of high school and the only thing left was graduation, so now just jump for joy! He did and I snapped. Enjoy!
Be sure to hop on over to the I Heart Faces website below and check out some other great entries! Be sure to comment if you like the pictures!
This week for my weight loss journey my eating hasn’t been the best. Still not getting the healthy recipes down. Mainly we still cook the way we have but I’ve just changed my portion sizes. By that I do mean I eat smaller portions! There are a few times where I have slipped and eaten more than I should. My weight has gone up, down, back up and down again. It’s a loss, gain and a loss!
I have started eating breakfast on more days than none, since before this me eating breakfast was just a thing of the imagination. It never happened. I’m one of those people who would rather sleep in until the very last minute, then rush around getting myself and everyone ready to rush out the door and have to run right back in because I had forgotten something.
Here’s to breaking that habit!
Something I would love to have the motivation for is getting up before everyone else, go downstairs to our huge home gym that is the laundry or dust catcher (which ever I’m lacking on cleaning for the week) and work out before having to trot off to work.
I did eat a salad a couple of times for lunch last week. I slipped up and had a cheeseburger and medium fry from McDonalds one day after months of not eating there. That did a number on my stomach..”ugh” to the fast food grease monkey! My exercise I upped my daily steps. Actually shocked myself a few days not realizing or remembering doing so much walking!
Something else I added this week is getting small workouts and exercise in my cubicle office. Are you in a cube world? No? Well let me tell you, it can be a funny site to walk by and see someone standing in place doing leg lifts, but I did it anyway and wow did my thighs feel the burn. I walk laps through the cube aisles too because it’s too cold outside, I’m sure my neighbors think there is something seriously wrong with me…but hopefully soon when I’m doing the “Pants on the Ground” dance because mine became too big for my smaller waist I don’t want to hear any comments or funny remarks! =)
Progress:
This past week I lost 1 more pound! Woot woot! Hoping to keep shedding and steer clear of the mean ‘ol plateau monster!
So the past two months my home life has been somewhat crazy. No not somewhat…that’s putting it lightly. It has been a rollercoaster. Not the kind you’d put your two year old on and watch their little face light up with happiness and laughter. I mean the kind that once it takes off your heart is pounding with anticipation of what may be coming. You start up the hill, you’re cheering and cheering. Then you reach the top and you know at any second now you are going to shoot over the top and hit the drop, with twists and turns. Let the screams begin kind of rollercoaster.
THAT is what my life has been like lately.
We have had so many events take place recently, some good and some bad, that sometimes I don’t know whether I want to laugh, cry, break down or kick and scream! Recently I’ve fallen off the wagon and have gone back to emotional eating. Things have gotten really tight financially due to going down to one income it has put a strain on being able to eat healthy. Hopefully this changes soon.
I am tired of picking up something to eat to satisfy my need and then wanting to cry because I feel horrible after eating. I look at myself and I think “How is that going to help you lose this weight?”. This last week I decided (again) that I am no longer going to do that. So the changes I finally made this past week are:
I am not going to stress over what I have no control over. Let Go & Let God!
I bought a HydraCoach and I am now drinking water. That has been added to my day. I’ve already noticed a difference.
I went back this week to doing my best on making healthier choices in any situation, even when funds don’t allow it. (Portion control always helps)
I have been up and moving a lot more. Adding more steps each day!
With that being said…I lost 5 pounds last week. 3 of those pounds are due to sickness and being up all night with that, BUT I will take that loss baby! Woohoo!
I’m determined to lose this weight..it’s time for a change!
If anyone is familiar with the movie Lemony Snickets A Series of Unfortunate Events then you know who Aunt Josephine is. If you have not had the pleasure of seeing this hilarious Jim Carrey movie I suggest you check it out.
Any who, in this movie Aunt Josephine (played by Meryl Streep) is the aunt who takes the orphaned kids into her home and she’s a highly paranoid person. For example the following is some of the things she would say to the kids:
Don’t go near the stove flames may burst from the oven
Don’t stand in front of the fridge it could fall over and crush you
Be careful of the door knobs they could shatter (glass) and the shards could fly into your eyes
These are some of the things she’d say to them.
Why am I talking about this? Well because I’m tired of my boyfriend @trippdoogan calling me Aunt Josephine because of the things I say.
Dude STOP it! HA! I may have self diagnosed OCD but I am not a paranoid schizophrenic.
OH! In defense of Aunt Josephine, every thing she was afraid of happening, happened! So take that!
So I’ve decided to apply for the Mamavation campaign #3! Why, you may ask since I didn’t make Top 5 last time? Well it’s because I’m not a quitter! I will achieve my goals whether I’m a Mamavation mom or not because of the wonderful support the Sistahood has! If I’m not chosen as one of the moms I will continue my journey as a “follow-along” mom just as I am now! I love being a part of the Sistahood.
Not sure what the Mamavation Campaign is all about…you can check out the full description at www.mamavation.com Below is a short summary! It’s an awesome campaign.
Mamavation is a social experiment and weight loss campaign. Mamavation is an opportunity for two moms (Mamavation Moms) to change their lives together by entering into a 7 week healthy living boot camp created to give them the tools they need to succeed. The will receive a professional nutritional plan created by a physician that specializes in nutrition, Dr. Renna, and a fitness program created by Tracey Mallett. They will also receive a treadmill from Smooth Fitness, Earth Footwear, an EA SPORTS Active, Tracey Mallett and Tae Bo DVDs. The program is managed by @bookieboo, with the goal of teaching moms how to live life better. The Mamavation campaign plans to give them the tools they need to succeed, in hopes that they will create a healthy lifestyle for themselves and their families.
Ok, so check out my video application! Help show your support by tweeting out to Leah (@bookieboo) the tweet below! Show your support that you believe I’d make a great Mamavation mom!
Hey @bookieboo! I want (@ro23ro) to be the next #Mamavation Mom. She has my support!
So the Mamavation campaign #2 has come to an end, but I continue to “follow along” on my journey to losing weight and living a healthier lifestyle for myself and my family.
During this campaign I’ve learned a few things about myself that I didn’t know before. Some good and some not so good. One is food is a source for giving me comfort. When something is bothering me, I eat. When I am sad, I eat. When there is something to celebrate, I eat! Everything about my life was a reason for me to eat. I was an over-eater! The second thing I learned is I am a strong person. I learned that even when life tries to kick me down and stop me from obtaining my goals, I was strong enough to get back up and keep going. There were times when I’d fall back into my old habits but instead of feeling sorry for myself, I shook it off and climbed back on my horse and continued on my journey.
The last few weeks my family has suffered losses. My cousin-in-laws mother was in a horrible car accident, the next day my aunt passed away unexpectedly, and the very next day my cousin in laws mother passed away. After that, we had the holidays to get through after losing our loved ones. During this emotional and busy time, I still managed to continue ahead with my healthier living and I continued to lose weight. I mourned but without food managing to help me through. I did it with finding peace in my heart and trusting God to pull me through.
I decided to weight myself yesterday morning and I was down to 199!! I hit my first goal of getting below 200!! I have lost a total of 11 pounds since starting the Mamavation campaign.
To all the new ladies, I encourage you to apply for the Mamavation campaign or if you aren’t wanting to be in the spotlight, you should definitely do the “follow along” as I have! It has been a life changing experience and I’m so glad I made the choice for myself and my family. I have noticed wonderful changes in myself, not only on the outside but on the inside as well!
To my Mamavation support group..thank you it wouldn’t have been this much fun without you! I heart you all!
Okay so I didn’t feel like typing everything up…YES I’m computer lazy today, busy busy day at work. I’m tired..so below is my video explaining my week. Enjoy! I hope anyway. HA!
So this past week, week 4 for Mamavation was a very emotional week for me! I spent Monday and Tuesday of the week crying off and on. I had some major problems going on at work, that sadly I have no control over. It’s a suck it up and deal with it for now kind of situation. I finally decided Wednesday morning that I wasn’t going to let it get to me anymore, I have survived much worse. During this whole ordeal I did continue to eat healthier. I am definitely glad last week is over.
As for my diet – I made an additional huge change in my eating habits and have done MAJOR portion control this week. I am actually satisfied with the way I’ve eaten this week. One night we did run through McDonalds for dinner and all I got was 4 nuggets. No fries or coke. So zero to minimal slip ups this week.
Exercise this week has consisted of walking, Zumba and Wii Fit which that I’m getting bored with, it’s too slow paced! I am still in love with my Zumba and even starting to catch myself in public busting out some moves! If Santa is good to me this year and I get my Vado you may just get to see some of that! =) I’m almost to the point of trying to go for a run. I’m looking forward to getting to that point! I have noticed such a tremendous difference in my energy level, my patience and focus since starting on this journey. I catch myself stopping after playing with the kids or walking and thinking “wow I’m not out of breath” I LOVE that!
Sunday was an up and down day for me. I found it disappointing when trying on my clothes of finding a cute shirt to go with the smaller jeans I am back in! I’m tired of t-shirts and hoodies to cover my belly. I want to feel comfortable again in my cute little shirts that are form fitting rather than extremely self conscious! I almost wanted to cry..I stopped and sat on the couch for awhile, then grabbed a few M&M’s to eat. Then I thought to myself, “Stop sulking, you are down in weight. You are doing it, making a difference!” So I felt better and went on about my day.
SO, now you are wondering..did I lose this week? YES!! I’m down 2 pounds this week! Picture below! =) Total of 9 pounds since starting my journey!
Thank you to all of the Mamavation crew! You all inspire me!
So for awhile now I’ve heard alot about Zumba and I’ve always wanted to do it. At first it was me watching videos on YouTube for Zumba and enjoying it that way. So this past week I decided to give into it and go for it!
My first night trying it was on Monday which was the Zumba Gold. Now let me tell you, the description for this class was “at a slower pace for the beginners and active older adults.” So with that description and it being my first night I thought “Yeah I can do this no biggie”. I went with my good friend Jessica a.k.a. @jessa_lee82 on Twitter. We walked in and the group was mostly older ladies except for the instructor, she may have been in her forties. We started off warming up, which at that point I was still okay. Then about 15 minutes in my umm glutes decided to feel like they were on fire! Then it moved down into my thighs..everything started burning! About 15-20 minutes in I thought “oh my goodness I may not survive this class”! I kept telling myself the further we got into the class I just knew these older ladies would slow down and I’d be going faster then them and looking half good. These Golden ladies do not play! They kept up with the best of them! After the class I had so much energy, I wasn’t exhausted. Felt great! The next day, not so much. I was super sore. I hurt in parts of my arms I didn’t even know there were muscles there!! My goodness!
We went back on Thursday for the Intro to Zumba. This class had more attendees then the last class and had a broad range in age group. It was about the same pace as the Gold. Ever since doing the Zumba I’ve loved the idea of working out or getting in extra walking. I recommend Zumba!! I was still wanting to get some exercise in when I got home, I was pumped with so much energy. I ran around the loop inside my house. Through the kitchen, into the dining room, through my bedroom, master bath back into the kitchen. From the look on my dogs face, I was an idiot! I did it anyway. Ran that for 2000 steps on my pedometer which put me over 12, 000 for the day. I felt GREAT! If I ever get a Creative Labs Vado (on my wish list, fingers crossed)…I may just give you all a little idea of what it looks like for me to do Zumba. Hilariously not so sexy! =)
With all that being said….my weight loss for this week? Drum roll………………………..
2 pounds! It was 3 this morning, but my picture was taken on Sunday! All good! 2 pounds is awesome! =)
Exercise – Walking , Running, Zumba, Wii Fit
Diet – Breakfast: I missed a few days, had vegetables. Lunch: Soup, Subway Dinner: We cooked at home I just did portion control. I did have blueberry muffins for breakfast yesterday!
New to Mamavation? Well check out the Mamavation website and feel free to comment my blog!
Okay so this week did not go as I expected…my number didn’t go down BUT my exercise and water intake drastically increased! I want to exercise now and it’s getting easier adding more water! The part that really shocked me is that I now find myself excited to get my workouts in and finding new things to do. So with that..below is my scale picture.
I’m not disappointed with the 2 pound weight gain at all. It could be for many reasons, one is my monthly friend just left after her vacation, another is I’m hoping it’s muscle or water gain. The main reason I’m not upset with it is because I know I worked hard this week, even through a stressful week I still pushed myself. There has family issues going on, problems at work and I did slip a little and snack more then I should, but not really bad! It’s okay…because I know this week I am going to totally rock and I WILL lose this week!
Eating: I added alot of fresh vegetables this week, some for snack. Fruit. I cut back and did portion control. I love Subway so that was added into my diet more this week. I made it a point to eat at home more and I find it easier to eat better when I do that. I’m burned out on fast food anyway, guess that is a good thing. =)
Exercising: I did alot of Wii Fit – Step, Yoga, Strength Training and Boxing. I LOVED unlocking the boxing portion! I could let out aggression with that also! HA! I did LOTS of walking this past week. Tonight I took a Zumba class and I must say that was a total butt whooping! It was amazing and I loved it. I think Zumba will be my thing!
This week emotionally was somewhat tough! Being that when I’m stressed, food is my comfort. That’s what I turn to and this week I was definitely tempted. We had some family issues, work issues going on and I did snack a little more but there were also times I would tell myself not to indulge that I am trying to be healthier. The devil is always trying to tempt me and this past week he was out in full force. I survived it and here I am…going to make a comeback and be even stronger then before!
As always let’s rock this…I love my support team, the mamavation moms and sistahood! Stay strong!
I mean the kind that once it takes off your heart is pounding with anticipation of what may be coming. You start up the hill, you’re cheering and cheering. Then you reach the top and you know at any second now you are going to shoot over the top and hit the drop, with twists and turns. Let the screams begin kind of rollercoaster. 
Carrey movie I suggest you check it out.
Why, you may ask since I didn’t make Top 5 last time? Well it’s because I’m not a quitter! I will achieve my goals whether I’m a Mamavation mom or not because of the wonderful support the Sistahood has! If I’m not chosen as one of the moms I will continue my journey as a “follow-along” mom just as I am now! I love being a part of the Sistahood. 
