Stress is a 4 Letter word!

If you haven't had a chance already, please take a moment to add your email address the upper right had portion of my blog where it says "subscribe for blog updates" so that you can be notified by email when I update my blog. I am really sorry that I have been falling behind on my posts. I have been so preoccupied lately due to financial stress. My husband has been out of work for the past couple of weeks. He had Cochlear Implant surgery, and has needed to take the past couple of weeks to go though a rehabilitation process. No excuses though...moving forward. The menu for this week is shaping up. I went grocery shopping yesterday, and scored on turkey burgers, pre-made salad kits, fresh fruit, and grilled chicken breasts. I am a busy mom, so I do take a few short cuts with the pre-made salad kits and pre-cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts. Those things are great to have on hand to throw together a last min meal. I have been slacking on the exercise for the past week, and I hope it doesn't show up on the scale tomorrow. I am not going to beat myself up about it though, I am just going to work harder next week. I am going to bed now after a long night of baby sitting my nephews. If you know someone that might be inspired by my blog, please feel free to share it with them. You can email them by clicking on the "share" icon on the top right corner of my blog. You can also use this icon to share my blog on your favorite social network. You can also email or bookmark individual posts by utilizing the link below each post.

Time to take a breather...

I have been trying to do all that i can to get my 30 min of exercise in everyday. I even talked my husband into going to the mall with me to walk around. That resulted in a new pair of shoes for me. That was one expensive walk!! Note to self...shopping is not a cheap source of cardio. We went swimming again yesterday, and I did what felt like a bazillion laps! I also did a basic water aerobic routine and some strength training using water weights. I was more lazy than usual today though. I took a 2 hour nap with the baby today. I was really tired from all of the extra energy I have been exerting. I had a peanut butter sandwich for lunch, and a chicken, turkey bacon, pizza wrap for dinner...Yum! Who said healthy eating had to be boring. I also noticed, while gazing at my beautiful reflection in the mirror today, all of the water I have been drinking has paid off already. My skin is really hydrated, and looks so young and supple!! Whoever said beauty is only skin deep must not have drank a lot of water! I am off to bed for now, but I am hoping for an action packed weekend. I will keep you updated. TTFN (Ta Ta For Now)

The World is a Playground.

I had a really good day today. It was my weigh in day, and it's official, I have lost 8 pounds. I am at 405 with a starting weight of 413. It didn't rain today, which is unheard of for Florida!! I was happy to get outside today. We took the munchkin to the park today and she went on the baby swings for the first time. We walked there and back, so I got a good 30 min of walking today. She had so much fun, and so did I. When we pushed her on the swing, it just seemed like she wanted to go higher and faster. I just know that she is going to have me walking the tight rope or swinging on a trapeze at some point. She just seems so daring. That is a good thing I guess, because I really want to be the type of mom that experiences things with her instead of sitting on the sidelines watching life pass me by. If she wants to ride roller coaster, we will ride, if the wants to roller skate, we will roll. If she wants to bungee jump, she's on her own!! I just want to live life to the fullest, and when my daughter looks back on her childhood, she can say that we really had fun. That is what being a kid is all about right? I hope everyone is having a good week as has been inspired to GOYAAM (Get Off Your A$$ and Move)!!

A Day In The Life.

If you haven't had a chance already, please take a moment to add your email address the upper right had portion of my blog where it says "subscribe for blog updates" so that you can be notified by email when I update my blog. My darling daughter was super cranky last night, and did not go to slept until about 2:30 in the morning. Needless to say, I slept until about noon. I have been trying to catch up on laundry and housework for the past couple of days, so I didn't get out of the house until around 4:00. I had left over pasta with meat sauce for lunch since there was no time for breakfast. I used Barilla whole wheat pasta, 96% lean ground beef, and Prego heart smart traditional pasta sauce. That lovely dish was accompanied by a side salad with light ranch dressing. When we finally got out of the house, we headed to the beach. If you want a great workout, go to the beach and walk in sand. Wowzer...that was a hike! I had a lot of fun though. It was my daughter's 1st trip to the beach, and she absolutely loved it. We went in the water and walked on the beach. If you live in Fl, or are planning a trip, I strongly suggest visiting Pier 60 on Clearwater beach. We are talking a white sand beach with a play ground for the kiddos and an amazing seafood restaurant...not to mention the fishing pier that doubles as an amazing romantic date, because the sunsets are completely breathtaking. After the beach, we stopped at Publix and got some deli sandwiches for dinner. I had turkey and Swiss on a 5 grain bread and Lays Light potato chips...Delish! I hope everyone had a wonderful labor day, I sure did. I will be weighing in tomorrow, so stay tuned! If you know someone that might be inspired by my blog, please feel free to share it with them. You can email them by clicking on the "share" icon on the top right corner of my blog. You can also use this icon to share my blog on your favorite social network. You can also email or bookmark individual posts by utilizing the link below each post.

The Race Is On...

OK, so I know I have been MIA for the past couple of days, but my computer has been on the fritz. I have good news though I have been sticking to my calorie range and exercise routine, and I have lost about 8 pounds so far. I am really focused and motivated. I have been meeting my goal of 8 glasses of water a day and 30 min of exercise a day. I tried on a smaller size today, and it fit in the waist, but not in the thighs. What can I say, I have good birthing hips. It was a small victory though, and me and the sales chick did the happy dance. I did manage to get 3 new pairs of pants for exercise purposes. I am going to be super chic walking around my neighborhood! I can't wait to break them in. I think I am going to start walking again in October when it starts to get cooler. I do live in Florida, so I want to wait until it doesn't feel like I am walking around in the Amazon. I am off to bed. I am totally exhausted. Nighty Night!!

And She's Off...

My official starting weight is 413. The day stated off great. I got my 30 min of exercise today. I ate 2 packets of Honey Nut Quaker Oatmeal and a banana for breakfast, a Healthy Choice frozen meal, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, a cup of sugar free jello, and 2 slices of light wheat toast for lunch, a honey nut special k bar for a snack, and Grilled chicken wraps with lettuce, tomato, and light ranch dressing for dinner. I am allowed between 2180 and 2530 calories per day based on my weight. Yesterday, I had a total of 1690 calories. I did also get in my 8 glasses of water (Go Me!!). I had a splitting headache all day though...It's like I am a patient at a methadone clinic, and I am going through caffeine and sugar withdrawals!! I know it will get better, I just can't wait to see some results.

And She's Off...