Progress is, well…relative.

I’ve been part of Team Weight Loss at my gym for 4 weeks now. I have gone every day (Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday) and I love it. The group I am with is fun and energetic and inspiring. My trainer is a riot. She’s very loud and fun and actually knows her stuff. My nutritionist is very nice, knowledgeable, and very forgiving for a newbie like me. I am still struggling/resisting tracking my food intake. They give you a really nice food journal and I’ve used it but more times than I care to admit, I’ve skipped tracking and had to go back and fill in the blanks. Oops. Tracking is a huge thing for me. I SUCK at it. This is not new. Counting calories is hard to because I am used to counting points. So, focusing on the calorie content and the Diabetic Exchange Units (that’s what this program recommends we follow) is even harder for me to grasp. But, I am trying. In my own way I guess.

Physically, I feel modestly better. My clothes do feel a bit looser. My goal for this session was not really focused on how much weight I can lose (although that’s there too), but to develop a lasting habit of going to the gym at least 3 days a week. People, that is huge for me. If I can sustain this workout for 3 days a week, every week, that’s progress. No more skipping the gym, no more sitting in the car willing myself to get out of the car, no more avoiding it. This is my goal for the first 12 week session. I thought I might continue this again after the 12 week session ends in April. We’ll see. It’s expensive and it has been very hard to be away from home 3 nights a week. But, I keep trying to tell myself that I would still need to go to the gym at night during the week. So, really, being gone from 530-730 is NOT that bad. I am home in time to put Chloe to bed and to read/hang out with Kaitlyn before she goes to bed. So, this is fine.

Don’t you hate the Mommy Guilt that seems to accompany just about every decision you make? Nice. Thanks for that, society.

So, ya, I am making progress, but perhaps not the conventional weight-loss progress that I thought I’d see. Maybe this habit-forming progress means more anyway? I say yes.

Giveaway Reminder! Don’t forget to enter my giveaways: Yo Gabba Gabba, Chocolate Cheerios, and Progresso Soup. Fun!

Read more...

I should be in bed...

I should be in bed. I should be asleep. I should be dreaming of cupcakes and new cell phones. Yet, here I am. I am sitting on my couch working on my blog, playing on Facebook and Twitter watching reruns of Roseanne. I keep staying up late and going to bed late and wake up early for work. Ugh. Not a cycle I should be repeating night after night.

I am happy tomorrow is Friday. We are going to the Healthy Living Expo on Saturday at the Minneapolis Convention Center. I was invited to taste test some new Yoplait yogurts and check out the other vendors and let y'all know what I think, so look for that post next week on my Reviews and Giveaways Blog.

Speaking of Giveaways...

You might want to go check out my Yo Gabba Gabba tickets giveaway. Just sayin...

Good Night.

Read more...

finding my center

I admit it. I let stress get to me. Easily. I let the little annoyances that should stay little annoyances become enormous dust ups in my life. When the girls whine about something in the back of the car, I don't try and shrug it off, I freak out, turn red and scream "QUIET!" Same thing with Jason. I am the master at turning an innocent statement he makes and twist it into the world's worst attack on me or my parenting or my food choices or the color of my socks. Seriously, it's stupid. At work, I deal with tons of different personalities, work ambitions, and really, generations. It's hard, but I love my job. I love my company. Yet, I make myself stressed out over stupid issues. I can't get past the petty arguments, the gossiping, and the lack of teamwork that happens from time to time and focus on the work that we do and the career that I want.

I am starting to feel marginally better from the 2 weeks of Team Weight Loss training. I feel more energetic and I like going. I think it's helping me realize how out of balance my life has been. I am either completely stressed out and a raging biotch or I am a complete slug on the couch. There hasn't been a happy medium.

I want that happy medium. I have to find more time to just focus and find my center. Whether it be a few minutes in the morning, take a walking break during the day, or doing Yoga on the Wii Fit at night---something needs to happen. It has to be something that I can fit into the schedule I have now, I don't want to add more time away from home. Maybe we'll do family yoga sessions? :) I think teaching the girls how to find calm and learn yoga is a good thing. Kaitlyn has a special after-school yoga class starting in a few weeks (we love our school district!) and I really think she'll love it.

What do you do to calm down? Do you use your Wii Fit to do yoga?

Read more...