For the past 5 months I have been putting a lot of time and effort into someone who deserved attention for all of their hard work and sacrifices. For the past decade this person has put their family and their family's needs above and beyond herself. This person is me.
I had a life changing moment when I realized that in order for me to take care of my family, I needed to first take care of myself. I saw myself withering away slowly in the mirror. I hated looking into that mirror. The pounds were slowly packing on, and that sparkle I once had in my eyes, looked very dim. I was getting frequent headaches and feeling sick and unhappy with myself. Something snapped and I decided that this past summer, I was ready to change. I started running every morning in the month of June. I ran around our 3 acres until I couldn't run anymore. I only made it halfway. I felt like giving up, but I woke up EVERY morning rain or shine and ran because even though it made me feel exhausted, sweaty, and tired; it made me feel good; like I could take on anything. Each day I began running just a little further than the day before until I was able to run laps around our 3 acres. I also began doing light aerobics and stretches that month. By the beginning of July, I had lost 6 pounds with 3 inches off of my waistline.
The following month I began taking notice of the things that I ate and drank. I enjoyed having my daily vanilla coke, and 2 cups of coffee. I loved sneaking a casual cookie or 2 or heck even 3 in between meals. I loved eating chips and Little Debbie snacks. If the girls didn't finish their meals, I would finish them because I hated seeing food wasted. I rarely drank enough water. I would only drink one glass a day if that. In July, I made the bold decision to not buy pop/soda anymore. I began drinking nothing but water, but still had my cup of coffee in the morning. I continued working out and running and by the end of July, I had lost a total of 10 pounds with 4 inches off of my waistline. I was seeing results, and it felt amazing. My skin began to glow and that sparkle was back in my eyes.
In August and September, I continued my new lifestyle of running, exercising, drinking 4-5 16 ounce bottles of water daily, and cutting all snacks out of my diet completely. I attended a fitness group and learned new exercises and met a wonderful group of people who were focused, driven, and fun to be around. I was introduced to the wonderful world of PiYo, Les Mills Combat, T25, and Insanity, and LOVE all of them.
By mid September I had lost a total of 15 pounds with 5 inches off of my waistline. I had to go shopping because none of my clothes were fitting right anymore. Everything I wore was baggy and falling off of me. Shopping actually turned out to be fun and not a chore as it once had been in the past.
I began switching up my daily exercises in the month of September. I had noticed I wasn't sweating as much while doing the usual exercises so I started doing some more intense cardio workouts; T25 and Insanity. I wanted to keep my body guessing and not bored with the usual routine. Every other day I ran and my husband began being my running partner. Our daughters would even run with us some evenings.
This week is the week I achieved my ultimate goal. I have lost a total of 20 pounds with a little over 6 inches off of my waistline. I am down 6 dress sizes. I am 5'4 and was 142 pounds in June and wore a size 11. Now I am 122 pounds and wear a size 3-5. I have never been a size 3-5, not even in high school.
I am so proud of myself. My birthday was yesterday and I couldn't think of a better present than to have my life back. My headaches are gone. My body no longer aches. I have this incredible amount of energy that I have never had before. It just feels amazing! I am not finished though. This new lifestyle is continuous. I plan on keeping up with my routine of daily exercise and healthy eating from now on. I am not just doing this for myself, but for my family. If I am not healthy and happy, then they won't be either. I realize this now.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Meeting My Goal
Friday, October 31, 2014
Happy Halloween!
The girls went out for Begger's Night last night. This year, Xiera wanted to go scary. She wanted to be a Chucky Doll. I found an old 80's rainbow striped shirt at goodwill in her size, a pair of skirt overalls from Justice, and a pair of red high top sneakers from Ebay. We got the red wig and blood knife from the Halloween store and I did her scary make up.
Zella is like most little girls her age and LOVES the movie Frozen. She wanted to be princess Anna of Arendelle for Halloween this year. I found the perfect costume for her to wear on Etsy. The store name is Bitsnscraps. She did a beautiful job on this costume for Zella.
I put her hair into french braid pigtails and put some freckles on her face and she was an adorable Princess Anna.
They had so much fun last night trick or treating.
Wishing everyone a very safe and fun Halloween this year!
Posted by crochetdlane at 9:08 AM 0 comments
Monday, October 20, 2014
A Visit To The Fruit Farm
We woke up to another beautiful fall day yesterday so we decided to visit the Brumbaugh Fruit Farm. The girls had a lot of fun riding zip cords,
going on a hay ride,
sliding down a giant tube slide,
and taking a walk in the enchanted woods.
The girls ran into their cousins during our visit and had even more fun.
We all had a fun time making memories with our beloved family and friends this weekend.
Posted by crochetdlane at 6:46 AM 0 comments
Labels: family, photography
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Fall is Upon Us
It is that time of year. The tree leaves are changing to those beautiful red and golden hues. Pumpkins are placed on porches, and the cool crisp air greets us at the door every morning and evening.
We have enjoyed our weekends this season by going to the many fall festivals.
We have rode countless hay rides...
decorated pumpkins...
found our way through corn mazes...
rode zip cord rides through the cool air...
and walked in the park while smelling the autumn air and crunching the fallen leaves under our feet.
Posted by crochetdlane at 7:53 AM 0 comments
Labels: fall, family, photography
Friday, October 10, 2014
A Fishtail Braid
After Xiera came home from school one day this week she had asked me to try to braid her hair. This was a real treat for me because Xiera loves her long hair down wavy, brushed, maybe flat ironed every so often, but kept down and untouched almost every day. This saddens me because I LOVED doing her hair every day when she was younger in pigtails with big pretty bows and adorable french braids. I had always wanted to try a fishtail braid on her hair and decided to give it a go.
I think for my first try, it turned out quite beautiful. She loved how it turned out too and allowed me to do it in this style the very next morning for school.
Posted by crochetdlane at 7:13 AM 0 comments
Labels: family, hairstyles, photography
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Looking Toward The Skies October Bloodmoon and Fall Sunsets
This October God has displayed a GORGEOUS array of sunsets for us to view. I just love seeing these beautiful murals from our Lord every evening. They are gifts; treasures from Him.
As I was getting Xiera out the door on her way to school, Wednesday morning October 8th, I was able to look up and see something spectacular. The morning sky was dark but very clear. You could see EVERY star in the sky. As I looked toward the moon, I noticed how red it was. I had never actually seen a lunar eclipse without a cloud overlay, so to see this as clear as I did, was quite incredible.
If you don't make the time to look up and see these "gifts" they will be lost forever and will only live on within our memories.
Posted by crochetdlane at 7:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: bloodmoon, lunar eclipse, photography, sunsets