Monday, August 31, 2015

August Highlights

August was the last full month of summer for us. Jillian starts school on September 1st, so we had to squeeze in as much summer fun as possible! Here are the highlights :)

{I did really well sticking to my carb-cycling diet! This was my attempt at a cauliflower pizza. I found a recipe that you were supposed to be able to pick up with your hands. Sadly, my pizza was too soggy. I don't know if I just didn't get enough water out or what. It was pretty tasty anyways!}

{My sweet girl enjoying the weather in the backyard. Her allergies have gotten much better, but we still have to do certain things to keep them at bay. I'm just thankful it's nowhere near what it was in summer of 2013}

{Headed to WI to see my folks! It usually takes two full days of driving. We have to stop every 2ish hours, (especially with Jillian being iffy about potty training still), and David even got sick at one point. We tried leaving at 5 am the first day thinking the kids would sleep for at least an hour or so. David didn't go to sleep and got car sick from an empty stomach. Learned our lesson!}

{These are the greatest things ever! We got them at a rest stop in Iowa, and they saved our sanity! They come with 4 pages that you "color", (it's just water), and when they dry, you can color it again! Best $5 a piece I've ever spent!}

{I never take enough pictures with my folks, but I took a few during our fun trip together! We stopped at a farm that had several attractions, and we got Jillian to pose for us!}

{They both loved the animals, (especially the goats), and the tiny buildings they were allowed to climb all over. It was a great little farm to visit!}

{David and Gee-Chaz having a harmonica jam session ;) This was one of the last days we were there. We always have a great time with Jemma and Gee-Chaz!}

{Back home recovering. I just love my babies' feet! I take more pictures than I should of their precious feet.}

{This is one of my favorite "treats" that are on plan with carb-cycling! It sounds like it wouldn't taste good, but I think it's delicious! Bonus, it doesn't make my stomach hurt like regular ice cream}

{Poor guy got sick for a little bit. Feverish for 2 days, but was over it after that :)}

{To give her a break for the sickies, Phil took Jillian to Sonic for a treat and fresh air. She LOVED time with her daddy, and getting to sit in the front seat with him to eat her hot dog. She looks like a teenager to me!}

{Got the Save the Date card for my bro's wedding this spring! Can't wait to have Julia officially join the family! She's the best :)}

{Summer nights are perfect for early bedtimes, and a little porch sitting with my hubby. The weather was gorgeous, and the beer was refreshing :)}

{I participated in the blood drive at church this year! I usually don't, and the last time I donated with this particular bank, I was in high school. Pretty sure my email isn't CAdiva04 anymore!}

{I love taking selfies with this guy! He makes my heart melt with his smile}

{We finished a puzzle Phil bought at a railway museum in WI. Jillian thought she was in the picture Phil was taking, so I had to take I picture of her pose ;)}

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Working Out

Well, my first workouts were not too terrible! I did get a little nauseous/light-headed at first, but that wore off after I was done. It seems to be correlated with my heart rate.

I am doing two workouts a day right now. In the morning, I am doing my Biggest Loser Power Sculpt DVD that I've had for years. In the evening, I am doing either C25K, or my Sweating to the Oldies video which is even older! {I got that VHS tape when I was in 8th grade}

I want to do a 5K on Thanksgiving, so I need to start training now. Jogging wasn't awful, but I can definitely tell I haven't done it in a long time. Also, my allergies were getting worked up in just the 30 minutes I went walking/jogging. Anyone a runner? Any tips or advice for allergies? I am open to suggestions!

Also, I'm not too terribly sore this morning, which made my morning workout a lot easier. And, in all honesty, if I was hurting too much, I would have just skipped it. That's how I roll ;)

I feel like I need a new workout mix too, just to get something fresh. Do you have a playlist? What songs get you moving?

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, August 24, 2015

Carb-Cycling Update {1 Month Progress}

Now that I have done carb-cycling for a full 4 weeks, (the whole cycle according to my book), I thought I'd do a quick update to tell you my progress. On my next update, as long as things continue to go well, I will start including pictures :)

The Breakdown:
- I am currently doing the Turbo Cycle from Chris Powell's book, Choose More, Lose More for Life.
- I did not work out intentionally the last 4 weeks so that I could get used to the meal prepping and portion control side of this lifestyle.
- Even though this was the Slingshot Week for my cycle, I was sick Friday, and I could not eat on plan because I barely ate. This was the only time I strayed from the plan.
- I am taking vitamins everyday, but I will be including a calcium supplement starting Monday.


Struggles:
- Having to go to multiple grocery stores. (or purchase online), to get what I need to be successful. It's more annoying than anything really.
- Trying not to eat after my kids
- Having Phil offer me a treat, and forgetting that I am saying no for a reason. Being asked once is hard enough, but multiple times? Forget it! I'm usually less polite with my "no" after the second or third time. {Sorry honey!}


What's Been Easy:
- I actually do well with a structured meal plan. I like being told what to eat, when to eat it, and how much I get.
- I don't mind eating basically the same meal/snacks everyday.
- My guilt-free reward day is always great. Even when I get to satisfy any cravings, I usually don't pig out because I'm so used to my portion sizes already!


Non-Scale Victories (NSV):
- I can put on and zip up my jeans without having to suck in at all.
- Some of my undergarments are loose enough, I should probably stop wearing them.
- I can drink 1 gallon of water a day without feeling waterlogged.
- I have the desire to workout, and look forward to it.
- Staying on plan despite traveling, and being out of town.
- Finding like-minded inspirations on Instagram so that I can continually be encouraged.
- Getting great support from my parents, as well as my husband :)


The Nitty-Gritty Numbers:

{Starting Weight} - 225.6
{Current Weight*} - 210.8

I will start recording measurements next time.

*This is after a day of hardly eating due to being sick Friday. If I go by the number of the scale Friday morning, my current weight is 212.0

Overall, I would say it has been a successful month, and I look forward to see what next month brings!

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Let's Wrap This Summer Up With A Bow

I failed to mention that we were taking one final trip this summer. Phil was able to go to my parents' house with us this year, so no one was home to watch over the house. We made it back from Wisconsin in one piece. It'll be the last time I see my folks before Thanksgiving. Well, unless the Royals do well post-season again. {Another reason to cheer 'em on!} It's always good to be with them, and the week always feels shorter than normal. I guess that's a good problem to have though!

Even though we have a few more weeks until Jillian is in school again, Summer is basically over for us. No more out of town trips, or special BBQs. No more pool parties, or fireworks in our plans. We are winding down for school. I do, however, have a special night planned for next week. I haven't decided what day it will be, but we're going to play outside, then let Jillian and the parent of her choice sleep in our tent in the living room. She's been asking for a few days, so I thought she'd like to do it before school starts :)

Speaking of school, I recently got all of Jillian's school supplies. There is always one item I can't find exactly what they are asking for. It's frustrating, but I guess it's close enough because no one said anything to me last year. We are having the "Meet the Teacher" day next week. It's definitely an exciting time! Jillian has been asking to go to preschool for a few weeks now. It'll be nice to finally send her off to be with friends! It will be a little different because she won't have her hearing clinic preschool class to go to. She will be in school 3 mornings a week, which is plenty for now!

As I look back on our summer, I feel mixed emotions. We did several things, but I worry my kids were bored most of the time. All in all, I know when we did do things, we had fun. Lots of things have changed this summer, me included. There is so much I want to say, but there is a time and place for everything. Instead of unloading it all now, I will wrap up Summer 2015 in a sweet box, and be thankful for everything that did or did not happen. There is so much to look forward to for the rest of the year. It's hard to keep from smiling :)

But I Know What It Feels Like

This post is going to be awfully vulnerable and hard for me, but I really want to finally say it out loud. I got permission for my daughter ...