And the reason is.....

I decided to take a few weeks off over Thanksgiving. I did fine..I went up two and then back down two lbs depending on the day and time I weighed.

So I am back on track...mostly....and have decided to start running. It has been two weeks. The first week I ran a little over a mile 3 days. The second week I did the same but I had to walk for a minute or two..I don't understand why the 2nd week was so much harder?

I laid in bed last night thinking on all of this and do I really want to run? Is it important to me? Do I have to run to accomplish a goal I have set for myself or is it something else? I am not sure these questions have been answered.

I do know that I am stuck at 60lbs lost and my body will not budge! I know my eating could always improve and maybe that would do it?

One thing I am doing is fasting from sugar; baked goods and candy etc.. I am allowing myself honey in my tea and latte's. I usually go for sugar free with those anyway. My fast begins today!

And I am still nursing two of my babies so perhaps my body is hanging onto this weight for that reason. I haven't experienced this before so I am simply looking for any answer as to why.

I come back to the real reason I lost all that I have and am trying to lose more. Why I exercise and am doing a sugar fast. And that is because I want to be healthy! I want to be healthy for myself, my love, and my children. I want to have a long life and have it being healthy and able to enjoy it.  

And daily I remind myself, " You have come a long way baby!" 60lbs isn't too shabby!! 

A few healthy lunch ideas!

Hello fellow Losers,,weight loss that is! :) I hope you are all still on the road towards a healthier you!

I wanted to share two yummy foods I have eaten in the last several weeks that are low in calories and yummy! Don't forget good for you too!

Zucchini Pizza!

This is simple! You slice the zucchini into rounds and then put pasta sauce, cheese, basil or oregano on each slice. Then place into the oven on broil for just a few minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy!   My children loved this! Works great for a yummy lunch.

Veggie Fry
This next dish takes a little more time but is so worth it.
Chop as much onion as you want into slices along with zucchini and any other veggie you like. Place 1 T olive oil into a skillet and heat. Once the oil is hot add the onion and allow it to soften. Once the onion is cooked add the rest of your veggies. Add some spices such as basil, oregano, seasoning salt, etc or even a dash of worcestershire sauce. Cook until your veggies are tender. Place onto a plate and top with grated cheese. For less calories skip adding the cheese. It's still just as delicious!
 

Let me know if you try either of these dishes! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Happy eating!!

Catching up & 60lbs gone and lost forever!!

It's been awhile since my last post. Time gets away from me!

I am still chugging along. Things are moving more slowly now that I don't have as much to lose. If I exercise 5-6 times a week I lose more. I am trying to get that many days of exercising in but life gets in the way some days and it doesn't happen.

I am so thankful for every lb gone. It's such a wonderful feeling!

To understand what one lb of fat is like pick up a lb. of butter or a 5lb bag of sugar. How about a 10lb bag of potatoes? Imagine carrying that around all day? It would certainly zap your energy very quickly!

I am thankful that the Father has given me the endurance to keep going even after bad weeks and days. I have been able to get back on that horse and ride on! I haven't quit even though I want to after I have a bad day or three.. I know I don't have that strength inside myself...I haven't been as strong in other areas. I know where that strength comes from...Him and Him alone!

My current weight loss is 60lbs gone and lost forever!!!!!!!!!!! What should my treat be?? Give me some ideas!!  

If a picture could speak...

My weight loss journey to date..

1 week postpartum

1 month postpartum

5 weeks postpartum

6 weeks postpartum

2 months postpartum

 3 1/2 months postpartum

4 months postpartum

4 1/2 months

5 3/4 months postpartum

 And the present...8 months postpartum..57lbs lost and gone forever!!!!

If my weight loss pictures could speak what would they say?

I hope it would be this:  You can do it!! You can!! You can get healthy! You can lose weight and be the best YOU that you can be!! You can change your life! My desire is to encourage you and to inspire you!

I am not stopping here. I am still going and still losing weight...there is a number in my future where I will maintain but I'm not there yet.

Come on!! Join me!!

Exercise

I took a hiatus from exercising and am now getting back into my routine.

I experience burn out so taking a break helps me feel refreshed and ready to begin working towards my weight loss goal.

So, I am starting with a 1 mile aerobic walk (Leslie Sansone) with weights so I am getting strength training into my workout. Then I do 15-30 minutes of Yoga.

I am shooting for every day for a total of a 7 day week of exercising. Then once I have worked up to my usual of 4-5 miles I will go down to 4-5 times a week.

I want to start attending the meetings for weight watchers instead of just doing it online. I think the support will be beneficial. But to be honest I am struggling with going. I don't want anyone to know my weight..and I keep thinking once I hit this weight I will go..Silly? Ya, probably but it's what I'm feeling...

I need to pray more about this and just get on over myself!!
A recent picture..

Me with my baby girl Avlee


  

Still here!

I have been on vacation but we're home now and I am back with an update. I have lost a total of 55lbs now and all of my pregnancy weight gain!!

I tried on a pair of pre pregnancy jeans and they fit! That felt pretty good!!

I am still working on losing more and chugging along. I am hoping that by the time my baby girl is 1 I have lost all that I want and I am just maintaining.

I am learning..

Today is my weekly weigh in day and after weighing in I have discovered I have lost a total of 51lbs!!! And I have 4lbs of pregnancy weight gain left to lose. Then I plan to lose a bit more until I begin maintaining my loss.

Yesterday I went to Target and tried on clothes. It's hard for me because all I still see in the mirror so often is that person who is much bigger than I am now. So I sort of have to force myself to go smaller with my clothes sizes.

This is what I did...I took some clothes to the dressing room. A shirt and two summer dresses. I put them on and WOW!! it was then I realized how much smaller I am and how cute I looked and felt in the dresses! That's a special feeling for us ladies! feeling beautiful...every woman should feel beautiful!!

I was able to purchase a dress and pair of pants in much smaller sizes...and they were on clearance. (the best part!!)

I guess I'm learning..it's hard but I am slowly accepting that I am smaller and I have lost a lot...

One piece of clothing at a time..

Weighed in and...

Well another weigh in day has passed and another exciting announcement from me!

I have lost 49lbs! 49 lbs gone and lost forever!!! So close to 50lbs now and very excited!!
And only 1 lb away from my 3rd weight loss goal and only 6lbs from ALL of my pregnancy weight gain being gone!!! WAHOO!!!!!

I had to come back to edit this post and add some recent pictures of me..

Going with the flow. Yes I (you) can!

Well, this:

This week my workouts will look like this: today a 2 mile, tomorrow 3 miles, Friday a 4 mile, Saturday 5 miles, Sunday back to 2 miles and so forth

is now a 2 mile with weights and last night a 3 mile walk with boosts...I think I always sabotage myself when I plan a routine ahead of time. I guess it works for me to go with the flow when it comes to getting my workout in. 

As long as I get in 4-5 days a week it's all good! 

As far as my eating I am doing really well this week! I have consumed less weekly point allowance and pretty much keeping to my daily point allowance! Yay me!

More of my clothes are fitting me. I haven't tried on any of my pre pregnancy pants yet..I wanted to wait until all the weight was off...gives me the jitters just thinking about it! 

I need to add some more recent pictures...I will try to get to that this week! 

I will leave you with a poem I really like!

It Couldn't Be Done
By Edgar A. Guest

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.

So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.

He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.

Are you right here in this moment? Are you believing the lie that you can't do it? Yes you can! You can do it! That change is only a moment away! 

Overcomer!

I wake up each morning to the wonderful aromas of baked goods coming from the kitchen. My children have assigned days they cook and they make some very tasty breakfasts. Cooking to them is a work of art.

Today my son Quentin (12 yrs old) made Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins. I am sure you can imagine how tasty these smelled!

It's hard! Very hard..so my trick is when I am feeling particularily strong I will allow myself one small bite just to taste them. When I am not feeling even the tiny bit of strength to resist them I stay away! Out of the kitchen...FAR AWAY!

Food is a source of temptation for pretty much all of us!

 So what can we do?  Well, finding little things that help us handle the food monster, having more healthy snacks and food on hand. Allowing ourselves those yummy treats here and there. Not depriving ourselves which leads to binging.

Find ways that work for you! You can be an overcomer!!  Let me share this song with you! You are an OVERCOMER!!

    

A New Start!

My first post! Well, here on blogger anyway. I have been blogging on Xanga since 2007 about health and weight loss. I have now switched my blog over to blogger and so I am starting again.

Let you tell me a bit about myself..
I have 12 children. 11 living. My oldest is 21 and my youngest just an infant.
I started my journey to healthy living at the very end of 2007 after the birth of my 10th child. A sweet beautiful baby boy who weighed in at 10lbs 5oz.!!

I joined Weight Watchers. First I just followed the program without any exercise and lost quite a bit but there came a point when I had to change my life in other ways also. I began to exercise and I remember that first week I lost 7 lbs! I was then very aware of what exercising can do for a body! What a change in can make towards living a healthy lifestyle!

By late 2008 I had lost 100lbs! Yes, you read that right! That's a lot of weight! And still hard for me to believe that I actually did that!

In 2010 I gave birth to my 11th child and again joined Weight Watchers at 5 days postpartum. I was able to lose all my pregnancy weight gain and 20lbs more. Awesome right?? I begin to take up bike riding on the trails with my family. Still to this day bike riding is my favorite form of exercise although since we have moved to Texas I haven't been able to bike ride as much as I wish I could.

Most recently I have given birth to my 12th child; a sweet baby girl..She is 5 1/2 months old now and the sweetest little girl! She brings so much sunshine into our lives!

And as you might have guessed I again have joined Weight Watchers and have lost 47 lbs so far. I have about 10 to go to have all my pregnancy weight gain off but I plan to keep going until I am to a weight I feel good at!

Since I am starting a new blog I am hoping to start blogging about recipes I have liked and different exercise programs and what I liked or disliked about them. I also post my exercise as an accountability tool for myself.

Speaking of that let me put today's workout here: 2 mile walk 34 minutes with weights.
I find it pretty amazing the difference it makes when I add weights to my aerobic walking workout! I am sweating and breathing harder much more quickly. Cardio is a great workout!

This week my workouts will look like this: today a 2 mile, tomorrow 3 miles, Friday a 4 mile, Saturday 5 miles, Sunday back to 2 miles and so forth.

Wednesday is my weigh in day so I figure my weeks as far as weight loss goes from Wednesday to Wednesday.

I am planning on starting the Weight Watchers meetings tomorrow. I have been doing the program online but as I find I am close to all my pregnancy weight gain being gone I need more support to keep going.

Also you will read in this blog references to the Father...my faith is very important to me and without His help I couldn't do this! The Lord Yeshua (Jesus) gives me the endurance and determination I need to keep going. I know without Him I couldn't do this!

One last thing...
Weight loss changes more then your appearance. It changes you inside. You go through a metamorphosis so to speak physically and mentally. So indulge me if I am poetic, emotional and a little silly sometimes. It's all part of losing weight, being healthy and changing into a Happy Healthy Mama!!