Hello all! So last week I made the official announcement about becoming a "Local Joe." I feel like since then I have just gotten this extra burst of energy to keep pushing myself with. I honestly feel like its probably all in my head but hey...I'll take what I can get....mind over matter right? Well this last week I did something that I never thought that I would be able to do in my life....I ran 5 miles! WHAT?! LONGEST DISTANCE EVER!!!.....for me. :) I know all you "runners" out there are laughing a little bit at me because you are thinking to yourself "pshh....that's just my warm up," but I am totally ok with that. I love when you accomplish something that you never imagined being able to accomplish. I am starting to officially get excited about how far I'm going to be able to push myself with the Start2Finish program. It has hit me that I got picked as a Local Joe, it has hit me that I will be training for a half marathon, but it has NOT hit me yet that I will actually be running 13.1 miles!!!! But it will happen! For now, one day at a time.
Now for the exciting news!!! I leave for Nashville in 2 WEEKS!!! I can't believe it's been a year since I got the tickets to the CMA Music Festival! But that year has come and gone and in two weeks I will be on a plane to start my vacation! And boy am I ready! If I can get through these next two weeks with no tears it will be a win! Life has been so busy and I'm ready for it to calm down. However, I feel like every time I say that, it just gets busier. But hey....it's good for me right? I hope? ......
This Friday I get to go back home to my parents' and celebrate my Dad's retirement. As it gets closer and closer I realize how big of a deal this is! My dad is not even 60 yet and is retired! He spent 38 years with the same company. Though the names of that company may have changed, my dad remained. He had less jobs in his entire life than I had when I was 21. And let me tell you, he set an incredible example for my brother and I. My dad has taught me soooo much in so many areas, but especially in work ethic. I really don't remember my dad calling in sick very much to work when I was a kid. He went to work and he worked hard. He didn't come home and complain about work. He did his job and he did it well. So I am very proud of him to be able to retire at the age he did. But is he done working? Nope....he is continuing to work and provide for not only his family, but for various other families that he and my mom love and care about. I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am for the father that I have and the example that he has been to me. I hope that if I get married, my husband will have the qualities that my dad has.
Anyways....time to get off. I hope you all have a great rest of the week! Follow the hashtags at the bottom on twitter, facebook, and instagram to meet some of the other Local Joes.
#PFM14
#PFMJoes
Ps....don't worry, I will be posting weight and inch progress in the very near future!
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Thursday, May 15, 2014
BREAKING NEWS
Why hello there! I realize that it has been a really long time....ummmm....a month...since I've last posted on here and I apologize for that. To be honest....I was kinda avoiding it. I have been doing good on working out, ok on eating good, but not so great on the weight loss. I've lost here and there but it has been fluctuating a lot!! I didn't even step on the scale for 2 weeks because I was getting discouraged. I recently got a Planet Fitness membership so I can get up EARLY with my friend and do some weight workouts. That has been so great! This week hasn't been so good because both of us have "phoned it in" a day but tomorrow we will be back at it! I have seen a lot of improvements physically which is super encouraging but....I have not seen improvements on the scale and little in the inch department....sad day! I am seeing tricep muscles for the first time in forever!!! And....I ran 4 miles without stopping for the first time in my life last week! I'm really encouraged by those things but I keep getting caught up by the lack of movement on the scale. I know a lot of people will say that you shouldn't pay attention to the scale, that you should pay attention to the positives and how you feel. And I do feel better, I will say that. But....let's be honest...I have the weight to lose.
I think what is really bothering me is how carrying all this weight now is going to hurt me in the future. Now...before anyone gets upset about thinking too far ahead....hear me out. I think it is perfectly ok...if not wise....to think about how the choices you are making today affect your future. I realize that I am not in control of my future, the Lord has that taken care of, but I am still called to be a good steward of my resources. And not taking care of my body now is not being a good steward. It can't be good on my heart muscle to be carrying around all these pounds. So that is why I have been trying to increase my running, my cardio, and my weights. I think the key to all of this is going to be following a more consistent plan. That's where I fail....in consistency. However....there is a solution to that dilemma. (here is where my BREAKING NEWS comes in)
About a month or so ago, my coworker convinced me to apply for this thing called the "Local Joe." For those of you who have never heard of this....let me explain it a bit. In Wichita, there is Spring and Fall marathon and half marathon called the Prairie Fire Marathon. For the fall race they have this thing called the Local Joe. They choose a certain number of "average" people in Wichita and work with them and give them the tools necessary to complete either the half marathon or the full marathon. By "average" I mean people that either don't run at all or those that do run but aren't necessarily Boston Marathon runners. This year they decided to take applicants. Due to some HEAVY encouragement from two of my coworkers....SARAH & ANJI.....I decided to apply. A month had gone by and I didn't hear anything about it. Then...about 2 weeks ago I received a call from the sports commissioner here in Wichita saying that I had been selected as a finalist for the Local Joe. I was to attend a meeting....which "just so happened" to be on my day off....to find out if I was chosen. Long story short....I was. So now I am one of the "average" Wichitans chosen to complete the Prairie Fire half marathon on October 12th, 2014. Now....I am going to be completely honest here....when I got that phone call....excitement was not what I was feeling. Terror and dread would be more fitting of a term. HAHAHAHA...my coworkers and friends however made up for it with their excitement. All I could think was that I was going to HAVE to run 13.1 miles!!!!!!!!!! Am I crazy?! Yes.....the answer is yes. Dumb peer pressure! I will say though that as a few days have gone by, and the official announcement has been made, and I have gotten so much encouragement from friends and family, it has gotten me pretty excited! So let me give you some of the details.
Prairie Fire has teamed up with Go Run here in Wichita and will supply us with not only a new pair of running shoes, shirts, and registration for the half marathon, they are also giving us the training we need. They will be using the Start2Finish program that Go Run uses to train ANYONE for whatever race they are wishing to accomplish. They will design the proper program for us to accomplish our goals, whether it be to just finish a distance, or to get faster and improve our time. The program I will be using will be an 18 week program!!! However, they are really smart and are only going to give us the first 9 weeks so we don't get discouraged looking at week 14 or 15. Genius! Because I would be one of those that would look ahead like that and wanna cry. HAHAHAHA!
You might be asking "why do you keep saying us?" That is because there are 9 of us Local Joes this year. Some are like me and are running a half marathon for the first time, others are trying to improve their times, and some are running the full marathon for the first time. I am excited to see the progress all of us will make and I am really glad to have fellow Joes to get encouragement from when I'm ready to give up! I will post some links at the bottom of this post to give you a little more information on all of it.
Becoming a Local Joe is something that I feel like is going to change my life. I know that sounds a little dramatic but I'm serious. I think the Lord is going to use this to show me a lot and grow me in ways I would never expect. Completing this program is going to show me that I am able to accomplish things I never thought possible! And it is also going to help me to get in shape. I am 100% honest when I say that I am going to be in better shape in my mid twenties....yes that hurt to just say mid instead of early....than I was in highschool. I am super excited to get this thing started! I will definitely not be taking a hiatus from blogging for a month anymore because I know I am going to have a range of things to talk about and I am also excited to share with you my progress! If you want you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Runkeeper. I will post my handles below. Also, if you go to the Prairie Fire website that I will be posting below, you can find out who my fellow Joes are! I will also post a link to the Start2Finish program if you are interested in more information on that! I hope you will follow me and be as excited to see the progress of this journey I am about to embark on as I am! Have a great day!!! (FYI....if you follow me on any of these sites you will probably see lots of pictures of my dog Riggins. I am a proud mama when it comes to him.)
Prairie Fire Site: http://www.prairiefiremarathon.com/
Start2Finish: http://gorunwichita.com/start2finish-2/
Twitter: @bethany535
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbuczinski
Instagram: @bethb06
Runkeeper: Bethany Buczinski
I think what is really bothering me is how carrying all this weight now is going to hurt me in the future. Now...before anyone gets upset about thinking too far ahead....hear me out. I think it is perfectly ok...if not wise....to think about how the choices you are making today affect your future. I realize that I am not in control of my future, the Lord has that taken care of, but I am still called to be a good steward of my resources. And not taking care of my body now is not being a good steward. It can't be good on my heart muscle to be carrying around all these pounds. So that is why I have been trying to increase my running, my cardio, and my weights. I think the key to all of this is going to be following a more consistent plan. That's where I fail....in consistency. However....there is a solution to that dilemma. (here is where my BREAKING NEWS comes in)
About a month or so ago, my coworker convinced me to apply for this thing called the "Local Joe." For those of you who have never heard of this....let me explain it a bit. In Wichita, there is Spring and Fall marathon and half marathon called the Prairie Fire Marathon. For the fall race they have this thing called the Local Joe. They choose a certain number of "average" people in Wichita and work with them and give them the tools necessary to complete either the half marathon or the full marathon. By "average" I mean people that either don't run at all or those that do run but aren't necessarily Boston Marathon runners. This year they decided to take applicants. Due to some HEAVY encouragement from two of my coworkers....SARAH & ANJI.....I decided to apply. A month had gone by and I didn't hear anything about it. Then...about 2 weeks ago I received a call from the sports commissioner here in Wichita saying that I had been selected as a finalist for the Local Joe. I was to attend a meeting....which "just so happened" to be on my day off....to find out if I was chosen. Long story short....I was. So now I am one of the "average" Wichitans chosen to complete the Prairie Fire half marathon on October 12th, 2014. Now....I am going to be completely honest here....when I got that phone call....excitement was not what I was feeling. Terror and dread would be more fitting of a term. HAHAHAHA...my coworkers and friends however made up for it with their excitement. All I could think was that I was going to HAVE to run 13.1 miles!!!!!!!!!! Am I crazy?! Yes.....the answer is yes. Dumb peer pressure! I will say though that as a few days have gone by, and the official announcement has been made, and I have gotten so much encouragement from friends and family, it has gotten me pretty excited! So let me give you some of the details.
Prairie Fire has teamed up with Go Run here in Wichita and will supply us with not only a new pair of running shoes, shirts, and registration for the half marathon, they are also giving us the training we need. They will be using the Start2Finish program that Go Run uses to train ANYONE for whatever race they are wishing to accomplish. They will design the proper program for us to accomplish our goals, whether it be to just finish a distance, or to get faster and improve our time. The program I will be using will be an 18 week program!!! However, they are really smart and are only going to give us the first 9 weeks so we don't get discouraged looking at week 14 or 15. Genius! Because I would be one of those that would look ahead like that and wanna cry. HAHAHAHA!
You might be asking "why do you keep saying us?" That is because there are 9 of us Local Joes this year. Some are like me and are running a half marathon for the first time, others are trying to improve their times, and some are running the full marathon for the first time. I am excited to see the progress all of us will make and I am really glad to have fellow Joes to get encouragement from when I'm ready to give up! I will post some links at the bottom of this post to give you a little more information on all of it.
Becoming a Local Joe is something that I feel like is going to change my life. I know that sounds a little dramatic but I'm serious. I think the Lord is going to use this to show me a lot and grow me in ways I would never expect. Completing this program is going to show me that I am able to accomplish things I never thought possible! And it is also going to help me to get in shape. I am 100% honest when I say that I am going to be in better shape in my mid twenties....yes that hurt to just say mid instead of early....than I was in highschool. I am super excited to get this thing started! I will definitely not be taking a hiatus from blogging for a month anymore because I know I am going to have a range of things to talk about and I am also excited to share with you my progress! If you want you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Runkeeper. I will post my handles below. Also, if you go to the Prairie Fire website that I will be posting below, you can find out who my fellow Joes are! I will also post a link to the Start2Finish program if you are interested in more information on that! I hope you will follow me and be as excited to see the progress of this journey I am about to embark on as I am! Have a great day!!! (FYI....if you follow me on any of these sites you will probably see lots of pictures of my dog Riggins. I am a proud mama when it comes to him.)
Prairie Fire Site: http://www.prairiefiremarathon.com/
Start2Finish: http://gorunwichita.com/start2finish-2/
Twitter: @bethany535
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbuczinski
Instagram: @bethb06
Runkeeper: Bethany Buczinski
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Preparation is Key
A week from today is Easter Sunday. When I think about Easter from when I was a child, I remember Easter egg hunts, candy, money, and family. I remember once when we went out to Grandma and Grandpa's and they hid, not your traditional Easter eggs, but plastic eggs filled with candy and coins. And then if you were really good at spotting them, you might find a Reese's egg that had cash strapped to the back of it! The reason this sticks out so much to me is because it was one of the first and only times I ever beat my brother. HAHAHAHAHA! I know he wasn't letting me when either because he was legitimately upset when I found anything else. Oh brother sister rivalry! However, as I have gotten older (yes I realize that I sound super old when I say that), I have come to realize the greater meaning behind this holiday. I was preparing my lesson for Sunday School and was reminded of the greatness of the sacrifice that was made, the weight of the debt that was paid, and the spectacular events that occurred. If it is unclear what I am writing about, then let me clear it up a bit. I am talking about the death of Jesus Christ, God in the form of a Man. The fact that He lived a perfect, sinless, Holy life and yet died a brutal, painful, humiliating death that He did not deserve. And, He did it willingly to accomplish the will of God, to be the perfect, sinless sacrifice for sinners. I remember when I first came to the realization of this magnificent truth. I was lying in bed and looking at who I was. The person that I was. How ridiculous I could be (and still can be). The anger I had towards others, the sinful person that I was. And then I remembered what the Bible said Christ's life was. How not one evil thought crossed His mind. How he never responded in anger. How even when people were beating Him, spitting on Him, mocking Him, and torturing Him, He did not sin once. And that is when I realized my debt. The debt of sin. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." How that sin has to be paid for. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." And the weight that that carries!!! But that is when my eyes were opened to the truth written in that same Bible. Romans 10:9-10 "That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in Salvation." It was that night that the Lord opened my eyes to see my sinfulness, but He also opened my eyes to see the magnificent Savior that paid my penalty of sin so that I may have eternal life.
As I mentioned earlier, Easter as a child meant egg hunts, candy, and family. What it also meant was we would be going to church. Not because we wanted to, but because it is "what you do on Easter Sunday." It was one of those "church holidays." But now it is entirely different! I now understand what this holiday really means. I understand that we are celebrating Christ. We are celebrating the AMAZING work that He accomplished on the cross, in His death, and in His resurrection. So as Easter Sunday approaches I want to take this week to prepare my heart and my mind for next Sunday when I get to gather with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and celebrate Christ. I hope that if you understand what this holiday means, you will join your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and celebrate as well. If you don't understand the "big deal" with Easter, please feel free to message me and we can talk further. Have a great week!
PS- I have included my weekly weight/inch results at the bottom.
|
|
Initial Weight
|
Bust
(inches)
|
Waist
(inches)
|
Hips
(inches)
|
Right Thigh
(inches)
|
Right Arm
(inches)
|
|
Starting
|
244
|
45
|
40
|
51
|
32
|
15
|
|
Week 1
|
243.8
|
45
|
38.5
|
50
|
31
|
14.5
|
|
Week 2
|
243.3
|
44
|
38
|
50
|
31
|
14.5
|
|
Week 3
|
245.1
|
44
|
38
|
50
|
30.5
|
15
|
|
Week 8
|
246.2
|
44.5
|
39
|
51
|
30.5
|
16
|
|
Week 9
|
247.2
|
45.0
|
38.5
|
50.5
|
30.5
|
15
|
|
Difference from Starting
|
+3.2
|
0
|
-1.5
|
-0.5
|
-1.5
|
0
|
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Back on the bandwagon
Well hello there! So the last time I was on here I was explaining how I was getting back on the bandwagon with eating right, exercising, and cleaning my house. Well....it is going good so far! I had a minor set back last week when I wasn't feeling so great but I am back at it! I will document my weight and measurements at the end of this post.
This weekend I ran in the Diva Dask 5K! I was stoked to do this again because last year I was so close to running the whole thing without stopping but walked about .10 miles of it. :( Sad day! But...this time I had the knowledge that I can run a full 5K without stopping so I thought yes! I have this one down for sure....not the case. I don't know what it is about Diva Dash that I can't finish the thing without walking. I know part of it was due to me not feeling very well this week and not being able to get my runs in but...dang! I was really hoping to run the whole thing without walking any of it. My best friend Jaci ran it (and walked it) with me. She was such a trooper. This was her first 5K and she stayed with me the whole time rather than running the whole thing and running it at her pace. That is my friend y'all. We are the only ones that would claim each other but we don't know what we'd do without each other either! I love her to death!
I have also decided to try this push up challenge I found on Pinterest. At the end you are supposed to be able to do 40 push ups. Now...this isn't the barely bent arm push ups...these are the full on, lay a meter stick across your shoulders, push ups. So....we will just have to see about this!
On another note, I was able to cook again this last week! I got to make a new recipe! It was a Pioneer Woman's recipe. Now let me just tell you....I LOVE THE PIONEER WOMAN! I kinda want her life! Hahahaha! Married to a handsome cattle rancher, living on a ranch, and getting paid to cook! What's up?! Here is a picture of the dish that I made. I substituted chicken for ham. And here is the link to that recipe as well: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/03/tortellini-primavera/ Now let me just say....I was definitely NOT able to eat very much of this because it is NOT Weigh Watchers approved.....BUT I was able to share with my coworker and roommates!
I was also able to make this Skinny Cake Batter Ice Cream that the lovely lady from church, that I have talked about before, gave me all the ingredients for. It was soooo good! And all you use is half of a diet soda cake (box of confetti cake mix mixed with 12 oz of diet sprite or 7 up and baked to box directions), 1 small tub of cool whip free, and a can of fat free sweetened condensed milk. Mix together and freeze, and it actually tastes like cake batter ice cream!
Speaking of sweet ladies at church....I just want to publicly say how thankful I am for my church and church family. We have recently had some tough events occur at church and yet everyone has responded so Biblically! It is incredibly encouraging and wonderful to know that you are in a Bible believing and Bible teaching church. And a church that responds to things Biblically! I am very thankful that the Lord brought me to my church!
Well I better close for now so here is my weight loss and inch loss chart....not great this time but gotta keep pushing!
This weekend I ran in the Diva Dask 5K! I was stoked to do this again because last year I was so close to running the whole thing without stopping but walked about .10 miles of it. :( Sad day! But...this time I had the knowledge that I can run a full 5K without stopping so I thought yes! I have this one down for sure....not the case. I don't know what it is about Diva Dash that I can't finish the thing without walking. I know part of it was due to me not feeling very well this week and not being able to get my runs in but...dang! I was really hoping to run the whole thing without walking any of it. My best friend Jaci ran it (and walked it) with me. She was such a trooper. This was her first 5K and she stayed with me the whole time rather than running the whole thing and running it at her pace. That is my friend y'all. We are the only ones that would claim each other but we don't know what we'd do without each other either! I love her to death!
I have also decided to try this push up challenge I found on Pinterest. At the end you are supposed to be able to do 40 push ups. Now...this isn't the barely bent arm push ups...these are the full on, lay a meter stick across your shoulders, push ups. So....we will just have to see about this!
On another note, I was able to cook again this last week! I got to make a new recipe! It was a Pioneer Woman's recipe. Now let me just tell you....I LOVE THE PIONEER WOMAN! I kinda want her life! Hahahaha! Married to a handsome cattle rancher, living on a ranch, and getting paid to cook! What's up?! Here is a picture of the dish that I made. I substituted chicken for ham. And here is the link to that recipe as well: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/03/tortellini-primavera/ Now let me just say....I was definitely NOT able to eat very much of this because it is NOT Weigh Watchers approved.....BUT I was able to share with my coworker and roommates!
I was also able to make this Skinny Cake Batter Ice Cream that the lovely lady from church, that I have talked about before, gave me all the ingredients for. It was soooo good! And all you use is half of a diet soda cake (box of confetti cake mix mixed with 12 oz of diet sprite or 7 up and baked to box directions), 1 small tub of cool whip free, and a can of fat free sweetened condensed milk. Mix together and freeze, and it actually tastes like cake batter ice cream!
Speaking of sweet ladies at church....I just want to publicly say how thankful I am for my church and church family. We have recently had some tough events occur at church and yet everyone has responded so Biblically! It is incredibly encouraging and wonderful to know that you are in a Bible believing and Bible teaching church. And a church that responds to things Biblically! I am very thankful that the Lord brought me to my church!
Well I better close for now so here is my weight loss and inch loss chart....not great this time but gotta keep pushing!
|
|
Initial Weight
|
Bust
(inches)
|
Waist
(inches)
|
Hips
(inches)
|
Right Thigh
(inches)
|
Right Arm
(inches)
|
|
Starting
|
244
|
45
|
40
|
51
|
32
|
15
|
|
Week 1
|
243.8
|
45
|
38.5
|
50
|
31
|
14.5
|
|
Week 2
|
243.3
|
44
|
38
|
50
|
31
|
14.5
|
|
Week 3
|
245.1
|
44
|
38
|
50
|
30.5
|
15
|
|
Week 8
|
246.2
|
44.5
|
39
|
51
|
30.5
|
16
|
|
Difference from Starting
|
+2.2
|
-0.5
|
-1.0
|
0
|
-1.5
|
+1.0
|
Monday, March 31, 2014
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.....or not
Hello! Let me start by apologizing for hiding out for the past month or so. In all honesty it was my failed attempt to hide my lack of faithfulness to my working out and eating right. Some people say that absence makes the heart grow fonder but in this case it made me just want to keep hiding out. The last time I posted on here I was explaining how stressed out I was about working two jobs and trying to get my exercise in and eat right and whine whine whine whine whine. Well, since then I have quit my second job and have gone back to working just one. And it is GREAT!!!! I feel like I have so much more time....because....I DO! After I put in my two weeks notice I mapped out a plan to start working out more and train for my 10K coming up at the end of May. There are 10 weeks...well 9 now...till the River Run. Funny because there are also 10 weeks in the T25 program....and also....10 weeks until my vacation to NASHVILLE! Coincidence? I think not! So...I bought a $1 calendar and started mapping out a training program for the end of March through the end of April! I have my 5 days a week of T25, running, and biking all included in that. And thankfully I have some great friends and roommates who are asking me how its coming along each day....I need people to keep me in check or I go off the grid like I did before. I am not aiming for any set weight loss or inch loss at all, but rather I am aiming to get in shape for this 10K. Last week I completed week 1 of my training. I didn't get everything done on every single day but I did get all of my runs in, and all 5 days of T25...I consider that a success! However, my failure would be in really focusing on my eating last week. That was not so great! So I have made it a priority this week to get back with tracking weight watchers again. I have been so bad about that! So....today was a new day and so far I have tracked everything I have eaten. I am getting back on track with this! I haven't tracked weight in a few weeks, nor have I tracked inches, but this Thursday is going to be track day so...check back later for those stats.
On another note, I came home sometime a couple weeks ago and thought to myself, "I am so glad I am not married, my husband would be so grossed out by the way my house is right now." For those of you who know me, you know that I have a strong desire to be a stay at home wife and mom some day. Now....that may not be what the Lord has planned for me but, I do have that desire. So I consider keeping my house clean and orderly something that I should be working now in my singleness if I want to be able to do that later on in life for my husband. Some of you may think that I am stuck in the 1950's mindset but you know what? That's ok. I totally want to be the wife that has dinner waiting for her husband when he comes home, and the house kept up so that we can open our home up to guests at a moments notice. That's just how I am. So with that being said, along with buying a $1 calendar for my workout schedule....I bought a $1 calendar for my cleaning schedule as well. After talking with some friends on their schedules and looking at some schedules on pinterest, I have formed a plan of tackling a room each day. I may not deep clean that room each week but at least I will be keeping it up. It also keeps me from becoming overwhelmed with cleaning when I know we are going to have company over. I only schedule one week at a time so that way I can plan out my days and rooms according to what my work schedule is like. If I am going to have a long day I can't have a room with a lot of things that have to be done. This is the first week that I have started this so I will definitely keep you all informed on the progress of this.
Well, I better close for now but I will definitely be back here soon! Have a great night!
On another note, I came home sometime a couple weeks ago and thought to myself, "I am so glad I am not married, my husband would be so grossed out by the way my house is right now." For those of you who know me, you know that I have a strong desire to be a stay at home wife and mom some day. Now....that may not be what the Lord has planned for me but, I do have that desire. So I consider keeping my house clean and orderly something that I should be working now in my singleness if I want to be able to do that later on in life for my husband. Some of you may think that I am stuck in the 1950's mindset but you know what? That's ok. I totally want to be the wife that has dinner waiting for her husband when he comes home, and the house kept up so that we can open our home up to guests at a moments notice. That's just how I am. So with that being said, along with buying a $1 calendar for my workout schedule....I bought a $1 calendar for my cleaning schedule as well. After talking with some friends on their schedules and looking at some schedules on pinterest, I have formed a plan of tackling a room each day. I may not deep clean that room each week but at least I will be keeping it up. It also keeps me from becoming overwhelmed with cleaning when I know we are going to have company over. I only schedule one week at a time so that way I can plan out my days and rooms according to what my work schedule is like. If I am going to have a long day I can't have a room with a lot of things that have to be done. This is the first week that I have started this so I will definitely keep you all informed on the progress of this.
Well, I better close for now but I will definitely be back here soon! Have a great night!
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Slump Week
Well hello there. I'm sure that you can tell by the title of this post that this week was not a great one. Have you ever had one of those weeks that you feel like you were making a conscious effort to do better and yet saw no results of that effort? That was my week. I felt like I made a conscious effort to eat better and workout and even started running. Yet, when I got on the scale and took out the measuring tape, no results. I understand part of that is probably me retaining water but dang, it discouraged me big time! I feel like ever since I weighed in and measured on Thursday, I have been dragging. My focus has been totally off! I know that that is not the correct response to this but it is totally what happened. I have also been super stressed at work lately and that didn't help either. I have even been contemplating making some changes in the two jobs department, and when I start to think about going back to one job, I can't help but be excited about all the time that I will have! I realized this past week that I don't cook much anymore. I don't even have a desire to cook anymore. This is crazy! I love to cook! I love taking my time, trying new recipes, cooking for other people. But lately that has not been the case. I find myself wanting to spend my rare free nights just doing nothing! That is awful! And really not productive at all! I have also noticed that my house has been getting dirtier because I haven't spent time really keeping it up. I know this may come across as "feel sorry for me that I took on another job to try and get myself out of debt that I put myself into" but it's not that at all. I have been working really hard to get my debt paid off and I am seeing the fruits of that. And I really feel like the Lord is showing me that I am taking on too much right now. The reason I say this is because this past week I found myself wanting to stay home and not do anything instead of being a part of a Bible study and a meeting at church. Now, before anyone freaks out and explains how awful that is, I know. I haven't been able to be a part of a Bible study for a couple years now due to me working second shift. And now I have this great lady at church that wants to meet and do a one-on-one study with me! Can you believe that?! She is a mother of 3 young kids and yet wants to take some of her personal time out of her week and spend it encouraging and teaching me! And yet here I am thinking that I am tired. I felt like the Lord just really opened my eyes this week to show me where I am placing my importance. I have been placing more attention on my financial state and not my spiritual state. With that being said....there are going to be some big changes in the near future so STAY TUNED! I will place my disappointing weight loss chart here at the bottom of this post. I really don't want to but, I promised to be honest so....I will.
|
|
Initial Weight
|
Bust
(inches)
|
Waist
(inches)
|
Hips
(inches)
|
Right Thigh
(inches)
|
Right Arm
(inches)
|
|
Starting
|
244
|
45
|
40
|
51
|
32
|
15
|
|
Week 1
|
243.8
|
45
|
38.5
|
50
|
31
|
14.5
|
|
Week 2
|
243.3
|
44
|
38
|
50
|
31
|
14.5
|
|
Week 3
|
245.1
|
44
|
38
|
50
|
30.5
|
15
|
|
Difference from Starting
|
+1.1
|
-1.0
|
-2.0
|
-1.0
|
-1.5
|
0
|
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Keeping at it!
Ok so this is week two of tracking! I have to say, to those of you who text me and told me how excited for me you are and how encouraged you were by my last post...thank you! It really means a lot to know there are people out there reading this and encouraging me like that! You are greatly appreciated!
Now on to this week! This week was great in some areas, good in others, and poor in a particular one. Let's start with the bad because I need to get it out and let's be honest....I need to be encouraged after I am discouraged. So here it is....reading the Word this week was not very good. I was doing really good with staying consistent and then this week just went downhill. Crazy thing is....I could see how much it affected my attitude too! My attitude at work, my thoughts towards other people, and I always see how when I'm not in the Word my focus tends to be more on myself. So this week is going to be different. I am super thankful for the accountability here on this blog because I know that this next week I am going to be sharing how I did the previous week! So here is the plan for that...I am going to set aside a specific time to just spend time in the Word and in prayer. As weird as this sounds....I got this prayer journal app that is wonderful! It's called PrayerNotes. I put it on my iPad and I'm able to list people and particular prayer requests for that person. I love it! So...there is the plan for next week to tackle being more disciplined in the Word.
Now for the great area! I paid off another credit card this week!! WHOO HOO!!!!! That is two down and two to go! I am so excited because I see the end! I have developed a plan to get my next two paid off by the end of April!! So great! Then I will still have the month of May at my second job to save up some money for house repairs or to pay off my car! I can't even tell you excited I am by this! And let me just tell you about my parents. They have been so supportive and encouraging through all of this. They have given me great advice and guidance in how to go about tackling this debt....LOVE THEM! I don't know about y'all but I don't know what I would do without them. They have made such an impact in my life. I find that as I am getting older I am really enjoying the times that I just get to hang out with them. A couple weeks ago I went back to Hutch and just spent Saturday night eating dinner with them and watching the WSU basketball game....doesn't seem exciting but it was just nice getting to spend time with them. Ok...enough rambling about the rents.
Now for the good news....another weight loss this week....and it was a little more than last week! It isn't much more due to poor eating the week before....but a loss is still a loss so I am going to choose to be excited about this. I will place my tracking chart below this post. My goal for better weight and inch loss this next week is to be more faithful to do T25, eat better, and get outside more with Riggins. Speaking of getting outside more with Riggins, yesterday we ran a mile in 11 min and 15 seconds. Today we ran a mile in 10 min and 25 seconds!!!! We shaved almost a whole minute off my mile time! Things like this are what keep me wanting to work out and work hard. So we will just have to wait and see what next week brings as far as inches and weight loss!
Now....for those of you that are around me often, you probably heard this traumatic story earlier this week. For those of you who don't....get ready for some comical relief. Last Thursday I was getting ready to go run some errands and decided to take my dog Riggins with me. It was a rainy cold morning so I decided to stop by Starbucks. As I am waiting in the drive-thru with for my drink, my dog all of a sudden jumps into the front seat with me and starts trying to get in my lap. This was so odd to me until I actually looked at him. He was standing in his POOP STANCE!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! My dog is trying to poop on me! Of course, I start to panic and push him off of me and thankfully I did because right after I get him off of me....he starts pooping in the car...in the front seat! Not in the back where he had tons of room and was a away from me, but in the FRONT SEAT! I can't even tell you what is going through my mind at this point because I couldn't even believe that what was happening was really happening! My dog not only just pooped in my car....but was trying to poop on me! So...the cars ahead of me start pulling forward so I grab ahold of his collar because of course he has stepped in the poop and I don't want him jumping in the back seat and spreading it all over my car. I can't even imagine what the Starbucks lady is thinking when I pull up because I am holding my dog and it smells so bad because...its fresh poop. So my plan of running errands turned into driving back home with one hand on the wheel, one hand holding my dog, windows down, and doing all of this in the cold rain. At the time....it was not funny. But after the twenty minutes of cloroxing my car and cleaning up my dog....I started to appreciate the humor in the situation. I called my mom to tell her what just happened and found myself crying I was laughing so hard. I mean...my dog has already peed on my while I was lying in bed and now he just tried to poop on me! What's next? Is he going to throw up on me too? Is there any other form of marking his territory that he can do to me?! Maybe I should just look at it as he loves me so much he just wants everyone to know that I am his mom and no one elses....hahahahahah. Even though he does stuff like this....I still love him! I'm sure you people with pets and children can understand!
Well I hope you got some enjoyment out of that! Below is my weight loss inch loss progress! Have a great week!
Now on to this week! This week was great in some areas, good in others, and poor in a particular one. Let's start with the bad because I need to get it out and let's be honest....I need to be encouraged after I am discouraged. So here it is....reading the Word this week was not very good. I was doing really good with staying consistent and then this week just went downhill. Crazy thing is....I could see how much it affected my attitude too! My attitude at work, my thoughts towards other people, and I always see how when I'm not in the Word my focus tends to be more on myself. So this week is going to be different. I am super thankful for the accountability here on this blog because I know that this next week I am going to be sharing how I did the previous week! So here is the plan for that...I am going to set aside a specific time to just spend time in the Word and in prayer. As weird as this sounds....I got this prayer journal app that is wonderful! It's called PrayerNotes. I put it on my iPad and I'm able to list people and particular prayer requests for that person. I love it! So...there is the plan for next week to tackle being more disciplined in the Word.
Now for the great area! I paid off another credit card this week!! WHOO HOO!!!!! That is two down and two to go! I am so excited because I see the end! I have developed a plan to get my next two paid off by the end of April!! So great! Then I will still have the month of May at my second job to save up some money for house repairs or to pay off my car! I can't even tell you excited I am by this! And let me just tell you about my parents. They have been so supportive and encouraging through all of this. They have given me great advice and guidance in how to go about tackling this debt....LOVE THEM! I don't know about y'all but I don't know what I would do without them. They have made such an impact in my life. I find that as I am getting older I am really enjoying the times that I just get to hang out with them. A couple weeks ago I went back to Hutch and just spent Saturday night eating dinner with them and watching the WSU basketball game....doesn't seem exciting but it was just nice getting to spend time with them. Ok...enough rambling about the rents.
Now for the good news....another weight loss this week....and it was a little more than last week! It isn't much more due to poor eating the week before....but a loss is still a loss so I am going to choose to be excited about this. I will place my tracking chart below this post. My goal for better weight and inch loss this next week is to be more faithful to do T25, eat better, and get outside more with Riggins. Speaking of getting outside more with Riggins, yesterday we ran a mile in 11 min and 15 seconds. Today we ran a mile in 10 min and 25 seconds!!!! We shaved almost a whole minute off my mile time! Things like this are what keep me wanting to work out and work hard. So we will just have to wait and see what next week brings as far as inches and weight loss!
Now....for those of you that are around me often, you probably heard this traumatic story earlier this week. For those of you who don't....get ready for some comical relief. Last Thursday I was getting ready to go run some errands and decided to take my dog Riggins with me. It was a rainy cold morning so I decided to stop by Starbucks. As I am waiting in the drive-thru with for my drink, my dog all of a sudden jumps into the front seat with me and starts trying to get in my lap. This was so odd to me until I actually looked at him. He was standing in his POOP STANCE!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! My dog is trying to poop on me! Of course, I start to panic and push him off of me and thankfully I did because right after I get him off of me....he starts pooping in the car...in the front seat! Not in the back where he had tons of room and was a away from me, but in the FRONT SEAT! I can't even tell you what is going through my mind at this point because I couldn't even believe that what was happening was really happening! My dog not only just pooped in my car....but was trying to poop on me! So...the cars ahead of me start pulling forward so I grab ahold of his collar because of course he has stepped in the poop and I don't want him jumping in the back seat and spreading it all over my car. I can't even imagine what the Starbucks lady is thinking when I pull up because I am holding my dog and it smells so bad because...its fresh poop. So my plan of running errands turned into driving back home with one hand on the wheel, one hand holding my dog, windows down, and doing all of this in the cold rain. At the time....it was not funny. But after the twenty minutes of cloroxing my car and cleaning up my dog....I started to appreciate the humor in the situation. I called my mom to tell her what just happened and found myself crying I was laughing so hard. I mean...my dog has already peed on my while I was lying in bed and now he just tried to poop on me! What's next? Is he going to throw up on me too? Is there any other form of marking his territory that he can do to me?! Maybe I should just look at it as he loves me so much he just wants everyone to know that I am his mom and no one elses....hahahahahah. Even though he does stuff like this....I still love him! I'm sure you people with pets and children can understand!
Well I hope you got some enjoyment out of that! Below is my weight loss inch loss progress! Have a great week!
Initial
Weight
|
Bust
(inches)
|
Waist
(inches)
|
Hips
(inches)
|
Right
Thigh
(inches)
|
Right
Arm
(inches)
|
|
Starting
|
244
|
45
|
40
|
51
|
32
|
15
|
Week
1
|
243.8
|
45
|
38.5
|
50
|
31
|
14.5
|
Week
2
|
243.3
|
44
|
38
|
50
|
31
|
14.5
|
Difference
from Starting
|
-.7
|
-1.0
|
-2.0
|
-1.0
|
-1.0
|
-0.5
|
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