Updates galore!

Well I have several updates and all are good! 

I'll start with sodas. We both went 3 weeks without soda when we decided to have one when we went out to eat. We both agreed that it didn't taste that great and that we both felt yucky after our early dinner. We ate at Chuy's and probably ate more than we should have, but we have done that since we had stopped sodas but we felt worse this time. The following day was Easter and we all went to my awesome sister-in-law's house. Aaron decided to have a bottled Diet Coke with breakfast and I had a bottle Dr Pepper after lunch. Again we both agreed that it just didn't taste a good as it did before. This was really encouraging to me because I no longer have the cravings that I would have here and there and I think those cravings went down because the drink just didn't taste that great. We have both had one here and there but it still doesn't taste that great. We have really only had one if we end up getting fast food and it comes with a drink. I'm drinking 99% water and I think Aaron is pretty much doing the same. 

Now for an update on Aaron's follow up doctor appointment. His blood work came back fine so that is really good. His echocardiogram showed something (he wrote it down but I don't have the name with me) that can be bad but thankfully it doesn't look as bad for Aaron. It is something that has about a 50% chance of being passed to the kids though so his doctor suggested that our kids have an echo. The doctor also asked if Aaron's parents have had echos and if he could get copies of the results. Now for the part that Aaron doesn't like - he is having to wear a monitor for 30 days. I feel bad but I'm thankful that the doctor is doing what he can to figure out what caused the previous episode. He told Aaron that he thinks he can fix the problem if he can figure out what caused it to happen. He goes back May 8th and I know he is probably counting down the days! 

I'm nearly done with my 30 days on Shakeology and while I don't have anything amazing to report, I don't have anything bad to report. I can't decide if it has really helped to increase my energy or reduce my cravings. Maybe I'm just so overweight, tired and depressed that it is hard for me to notice. I guess if I notice a difference when I am off of it for several days then I'll know! I do not like using my blender everyday (it does taste better with ice and some peanut butter - for the chocolate) but now I'm just using my blender bottle. It doesn't taste as good but it is faster and clean up is less! 

My exercise has not been going well but that is about to change! I have been looking at the 21 day fix and got a surprise that it is on the way to me! I'm hoping for several things with the program but my biggest are:
-loose weight and inches, I have a lot to go so I know it will take several rounds
-feel comfortable in my skin - this hasn't happened in a long time
-be able to wear my wedding rings and my Aggie ring again
-be able to shop at the stores I like and feel comfortable in shorts and tank tops. 

More than anything I want to feel comfortable with how I look. Growing up I always had issues with my legs and of course I would give anything to have those legs back! I think the only times I have been 100% comfortable with how I look was when I was pregnant. I was amazed both times with what my body was doing and what it was about to do. I hated being sick for over half of each of my pregnancies but I really did love being pregnant. I haven't felt comfortable in shorts since my first year of college when I was 17-18 and I have been wearing capri pants ever since. I would LOVE to feel comfortable in shorts. Texas gets HOT and our area gets HUMID! I also really really want to be able to wear my wedding rings and my Aggie ring again. I miss them both very much! I worked hard for my Aggie ring and I miss people being able to know that I'm also an Aggie. Sounds silly but I want people to know that I'm an Aggie and not just an Aggie fan because my husband is an Aggie. We bleed maroon in this house. Aaron has said that if he was being mugged that he would hand over his wedding band before his Aggie ring! I haven't been able to wear it since I was pregnant with Alex and I haven't been able to wear my wedding rings together since about the same time. I wore just my band for a while but it has been a little over a year since I have been able to wear it :(

My last update is that I registered our son for kindergarten!! How is this possible?!? It seems like just yesterday he was born but he will be 5 in August. Time just goes so fast. 

So those are my updates for now. Our 9th wedding anniversary is Wednesday so I may have a post about that and the last 9 years!

A Trip to the ER & Some More Progress

I did not write about this last time because it was still pretty fresh. March 12th, Aaron called me to say that his heart was beating really fast and that if it did not stop he was going to go to the ER that is across from his office. I started to get the kids ready so that we could meet him there. He called back saying that he was going and that he would let me know if it stopped on his way. I was trying to stay calm but I was a little freaked out. Aaron does not like to go to the doctor so I knew he had to be concerned for him to willing go to not just a doctor but to the ER. Once he is there he finds out that he is having an SVT (supraventricular tachycardia). His heart rate was 230! While the doctor was listening to his heart and his breathing he converted on his own and his heart rate went down to 90. By the time I got there the doctors had drawn blood and we had to wait on the results. Thankfully the ER let me back for a few minutes but I could not stay with him because the kids were with me. Aaron's dad got there and was able to go back and then keep me company and take the kids if Aaron had to stay overnight. Thankfully he got to come home that afternoon. While in the ER he was advised to cut out caffeine and adjust his diet. He followed up with the cardiologist the next day and has been doing well. 

We have both now cut out sodas and have been soda/caffeine free since Friday March 13th. I have also been working hard to not have sweets. I have a major sweet tooth but I have not really felt the cravings. Even at the store I have not been tempted by the candy at the check out line. I bought some sugar free popsicles and I have only had two. Normally if it is in the house I will eat some everyday until it is gone. God is giving me great strength to do this and stick with it this time! We are also eating out less because it just doesn't satisfy us like food from home does and this also helps our budget!

We finally got the elliptical in the house on Sunday! I'm excited to have it in our room and I'm trying to figure out when I want to work out. Aaron has been going in to work early so I have been getting up early so I can get a shower before the kids get up. I will likely work out while the kids are in school or in the afternoons once I pick them up since Molly doesn't go everyday. I have not lost that much weight but I have noticed my clothes fitting differently. I'm hoping to get some of the weight off and then start training for a half marathon. I have been wanting to do one and I think once I get some of the weight off I will feel that it is a goal I can obtain. 

Progress

Well the elliptical still is not in our house but between soccer practice and then going to my parents house for part of the kids spring break, we just ran out of time! It is our big goal for the weekend beside just having fun as a family. I'm hoping the weather will be decent so we can go to the playground or go for a bike ride. Our 4.5 year old is doing awesome on two wheels and our 3 year old is learning to balance on a strider bike. Our son learned on it and was riding on two wheels in just a few days. He was older than our daughter when he learned but she is doing great. I'm excited to ride our bikes to take our son to school next year! I love bike rides and I know it will be fun to go for family rides.

I may not have the elliptical inside yet but I am down about 3 pounds. Not huge but it is nice to see the scale going down. I haven't really tried either. No exercise other than chasing kids :)  All I have done is try to eat less and drink more water. Aaron and I are both cutting out sodas so hopefully that will help some too. I did not win the Shakeology giveaway that I had entered but a girl I have been following on Instagram for a year or so decided to do a focus group and I got in! I am getting a months worth of Shakeology for a discounted price for my review. I'm going to be having it for breakfast every morning or lunch if I decide to have a different breakfast. I'm excited to see how it works for me. I also have printed out abs, arms and squat challenges to do along with the elliptical. 

A girl I follow on Instagram uses the hastag operation love yourself. I may have to adopt it and add the hastag teach our daughters to love themselves. I'm doing this for me and my family but most of all I want my kids, especially my daughter to have a positive body image.

A Friendly Family Competition

After my last post my brother-in-law Andrew approached me about a competition. It is a couples competition with my me and my husband as a team and Andrew and his girlfriend Janet as a team. Below are the terms:

Starts March 1st and ends October 1st
Weights are combined per couple so that individual weights are not know
The couple that looses the most weight gets a kid free dinner on the losers dime. 

That is it! Nice and simple.  We were not all that sure about doing it at first but decided we did not have any thing to loose except weight!  I also figured that the desire to beat his brother would help drive Aaron as well as me. We are about to get the elliptical in our room and I have printed off several elliptical workouts. I have also printed off a squat challenge for me to start in the morning. Sorry Andrew but we are going to beat you!!!

I also had a friend from high school contact me after reading my other posts about becoming a beachbody coach. I have been curious about Shakeology and recently entered a give away for a few packs. I told her that being a coach had not crossed my mind because of the weight I have to loose.  She said it could be a plus because I am going through it with those I would be coaching.  I am not sure about it just yet but it is something that I am going to consider.  Being able to help others would be awesome and the possibility of bringing in a little money is great too.

Tomorrow will be day one of the squat challenge and hopefully the elliptical will be in the house on Wednesday! 

It has been awhile......

I knew it had been a while since I last posted, I just didn't realize how long!  One reason I had held off was because we had been told that Aaron was going to be one of the newest Jackson Kayak regional team members.  It took a while for it to finally come through and I had hoped to make an announcement on here because I am so proud of my husband!  Once it finally came though we were busy with some other stuff and now here we are, about 3 and a half months since my last post.

Unfortunately I do not have anything great to report in the weight loss department.  I can report that in early December for various reasons (non that are good), I stopped taking my depression medicine. I am still off the medicine and doing well for the most part.  I have moments where I question being off them but I do feel that I'm handling things well. I'm working really hard to think about all the things I am grateful for and to pray. 

I am working hard to get the house organized because we plan on being here for a really long time. We are working hard to get our budget worked out and I know that these things will help me be less stressed.  Aaron and I are working to get our elliptical in the house so that we can both get moving.  I really want to run a half marathon and while a treadmill would be better, an elliptical is what I have to help get me moving when running outside is not an option.  I have never really considered myself a runner. In middle school I could run a pretty quick mile but I don't think I ever ran more than 2 or 3  miles at a time.  It was normally just a mile for a warm up.  I did take a running class when we were in The Woodlands and I was starting to enjoy the time alone with just my thoughts.  I'm hoping to not rely on music while I run except for maybe having it just in case on long run.

Prayers are greatly appreciated as I continue to try and move forward with my exercise and weight loss!

Time to get on track

After a break, it is time for me to get back on track. I had lost a little weight but I have since gained it back and probably a little more. Our vacation and then getting sick didn't help! I just ordered a book called Trim Healthy Momma and I'm excited to see how it works. I have seen lots of success stories and I need all the help I can get!

I am also about to go in for a sleep study. I have been snoring extremely loudly and nothing I have tried and really worked. I'm also extremely tired all the time so my doctor recommended a sleep study to check for sleep apnea. I'm hoping that I have some answers and will start having a restful night sleep again.

I am also hoping that my hormones will go back to normal, my skin will improve, stomach problems will subside and joint pain will stop. I'll be sure to put updates about Trim Healthy Momma and my walking. I would like to start running again because I know it will really help jump start the weight loss.

A little background on me

Growing up I was pretty fit with out really trying. In the summer I would spend all day, every day at the pool. I also did cheerleading for 3 years followed by drill team. I still had body image issues but for the most part I was pretty comfortable with who I was and how I looked. Once I was no longer in drill team, I dropped weight and then 6 months to a year later it started to come back. I still stayed thin and relatively fit with out really trying.

After high school, I went on to Texas A&M where I lived in the dorms. I walked or rode my bike all over campus. I did gain some weight but I managed to stay close to my high school weight. I did get to the point where I would no longer wear shorts outside of the house and would only wear capri pants. I lived on campus during all of college so this helped to keep my weight down.

After college came a desk job which means a little more weight was put on. After breaking up with my long term boyfriend who had a ring and was ready for marriage, a little weight came off. A little while later a cute boy who was in most of my geography classes sent me an email with a picture of him meeting Green Day. We had kept in touch after college and we soon found out that we were both single. After talking for a couple of weeks, I went to visit him for Mardi Gras and as the saying goes, the rest is history.

About 14 months later my husband and I were married! With each stage weight has been gained. After we started dating a little weight was added, after we got married a little weight was added, after we moved to the Houston area a little weight was added, and then I got pregnant with our son. I was pretty sick for the first half  and I wanted meat and fruit. Thanks to this combination, I actually lost weight. When our son was born, I had only gained about 15 pounds from when I first got pregnant and I was extremely swollen. Within about 3 weeks of having my son, I was about 25 pounds below what I was when I got pregnant. I maintained this weight easily, thanks to breastfeeding, until I became pregnant with our daughter. The day our son turned 9 months, we learned that I was pregnant with # 2. This pregnancy was different and I gained weight. I breast fed our daughter but the weight didn't come off and stay off as easily this time around.

When our son was a about 2.5 months from turning 3 and our daughter was about 2 months from turning 1.5, I began staying home. I was happier, we were going to the park and weight slowly was coming off. Sadly things started to change. I finally had to face the facts that the mood problem I was having could probably not be blamed on my hormones. After going to the doctor, I was put on medication for depression. Depression bites and it is so hard to explain to someone who has not been through it or been around someone who is depressed.

I joined a running ground in our neighborhood and while I wasn't really seeing the pounds come off, I was seeing a change in my body. It was hard to get going thanks to all the extra weight I have put on my body. The depression didn't help either when the negative thoughts would start up. One frequent thought was, "you will never look good again in a swimsuit, so why try". Sadly I didn't keep up with the running at the end and of course that meant that weight came back plus some. The initial medication I was put on only helped for a short while before I was struggling again. The doctor added a second medication and so far so good. I still have bad days/weeks but I am on the right track and I am hoping to be off medication by this time next year.

We recently moved and it has been on of the best decisions we have ever made. My husband is close to work again, we love our house, I found a preschool for the kids and I am less than a mile from one of my best friends! Our son recently had his 4th birthday and after watching a video from his birthday, I decided something needed to be done now. I have hated the way I look for a long time and I am the heaviest I have ever been. It is hard to look back at pictures when I was smaller and I dread seeing people that I grew up with because I am so ashamed of what I have become.

I am beyond blessed to have the support of my family and close friends. My husband has not seen me at my physical best but I know how blessed I am to have a husband who still loves me at my physical worst. I'm not sure where this blog will go, and I probably won't share numbers (I'm just not ready for that step!), but if I can help encourage one person then I will be happy.

Right now I am walking 3 miles every other day using two different Walk Away the Pounds videos. My goal is everyday but that hasn't worked out this first week. I am also cutting back on Dr Pepper and working on what I put in my mouth. I'm hoping that I can use this as a way to stay encouraged and to hopefully help others. I know it will be helpful to be able to easily see how far I have come when I forget.