Monday, July 20, 2009

Scattered!!!

That is how I feel! My whole world seems to be completely scattered!

I am working right now to rebuild my website. I have done countless hours of research because I am thinking that I might dabble in web desgin on a limited scale in addition to my VA practice. It is still something I am playing around with, but it interests me, so we will just wait and see!

The house is in such a state right now that it so very well depicts the way I feel. It is a mess! I am so glad people don't have a window into my house. They get a window into my world through this blog, but thank goodness it ends there. It will get better; Kevin has been helping out which has been great! He can't do much with it being so hot and dry. That has given me time to refocus; now if I could use it to become really productive, we would be onto something!

My weight loss has taken the path of everything else. Harvest hours really screwed me up. And I have found that taking almost three weeks off can really effect your routine and whether you are motivated to do it or not. I had worked out off and on, but nothing hard core or consistent in the last two months! I have only gained three pounds, but that was enough for me to get up, tie the shoes on, and hop on the elliptical this morning. I aired up the BOSU ball and worked my abs, and plan on doing legs and arms tomorrow in addition to elliptical work. I also was more careful today about what I ate.

What a journey this has been! It is just proof positive that it is never ending juggling act! As my fitness and weight are only one part of it. There are my children, my husband, my work, my housework, my volunteering obligations, the kids' school, and so on. It is what everyone else has and it is called LIFE!

The way I see it right now, I have two options: I can let LIFE win and continue to workout every other week haphazardly OR I can make time for my fitness, health and needs and let MY LIFE win out and live happy and fulfilled because I am taking care of all parts of me! Man that is a hard choice! NOT! I will be getting up tomorrow and exercising again! And the next day and so on! I choose ME!!

Monday, June 22, 2009

An Update

I have been BAD!!! I wanted to keep this blog updated once each week! It has now been a month! It has been a busy time here!!

I started out strong this summer at the gym. Then, harvest started. I am hoping by the end of the week (after ground working is over) I will get back to the gym, at least three times per week!

I had a milestone happen during harvest. Since I have posted my weight on here already, it is no biggie to mention it again! I am now below 200 pounds for the first time in six and half years! I am weighing in at 198! In a year's time I have lost 34 pounds! It has been a hard fought battle, but I am glad to see the "1" on the scale instead of a "2." I know that this isn't lightning quick weight loss that you see on The Biggest Loser, or on those TV informercials. But it is a journey that I have done myself! I can't imagine where I would be today if I hadn't decided to do something last summer when I saw 232 on the scale. My guess is that instead of being close to a size 12 I would be entering the 20s of sizes for the first time in my life!

Since starting this journey I have lost 7 inches off my waist. Anyone who has followed my story for very long and knows all of the illness, injuries and stress I have had in my life over the last year, knows that is huge!!!

Is it hard to get on here and make myself vulnerable to millions of people? Absolutely! But I want to have a record of this journey! It has been a long hard one that I have dealt with most of my adult life. I don't share any of this with people to toot my own horn. Anyone can loose 30 pounds in three months, let alone a year!

My purpose for doing this is so that people can see that even though it has been hard, I haven't given up! I am still fighting the fight. Yes, some days are easier than others! Some days, I get up and love the numbers on the scale, while other days I hate them! But, I still journey on. It would have been easy to give up and let the numbers go the other way! It would be easy to go back to doing nothing for physical fitness, and eating all that I want!

But, I wouldn't have the feeling that I have when I stand in front of mirror and put on clothes that used to be so tight I could zip them to now when I put them on, they fall off of me. I wouldn't have the joy of being able to workout and feel enegerize the rest of the day! I wouldn't be able to look at clothes now and not worry if the XL is going to be too small...I wear a large comfortably now!

The journey isn't over. It will be a lifelong one that will require my dilligence from here on out. And I still have more weight that I want to loose. I read a article the other day though that put this into perspective. It is great to have the big 70+ weight loss goal or whatever it may be, but you have to be willing to set the smaller goals! You have to set the goals of ten pounds lost! And then you have to celebrate them! Waiting to reward yourself only when you reach the big goal can be detrimental to your success!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Misc. Thoughts

I have learned a couple of things in the last couple of days and I want to share!

1. BlackBerrys don't belong in your back pocket. Buy the clip and put them on your pants not in them. The reason: They can fall out of your pocket and into the toilet quicker than all get out! Then you get to explain that to your phone company...Can't wait to do that!

2. A chore chart is good for keeping your kids on task. It gives them a visualization of what they have accomplished in the day. It is also productive to put fun things on there like riding their bike or reading books. It encourages them to do those things more.

3. Listing "taking a nap" on your chore chart doesn't make it anymore fun for a six year old to do!

4. Trying to loose weight and actually doing it are two very different things! I have worked at this journey for 10 months now. I am going to include my doctor in the process with a visit tomorrow.

5. Hormones have everything to do with your thyroid function, with your metabolism, and with every function of your body. What a find Biggest Loser trainer Jillian's new book Master Your Metabolism has been!

6. Drinking water is a great thing until you drink to much, wind up in the bathroom every five minutes and loose your BB down the toilet (haven't I already mentioned that...hmmmm)...

7. Summer break is a great time to get the family started on new rituals that will last a lifetime. Having the kids at home is a great time to encourage them to eat healthier, be physically active, and spend time together as a family!

8. If you look hard enough, even in this rough economic time, you can find great things to keep your kids active all summer long...My boys are doing summer story time at the local library (it's free and most libraries offer it), swim team (only $50 for the entire summer, check out your local pool or YMCA), bicycle riding (they got those as birthday gifts), family membership at our local pool for FUN swim time ($225 for a family with up to six people for a whole year at the pool in Kingfisher), and much much more!

9. You can't put a price tag on your health! There is nothing like sitting on your front porch in the cool of the evening watching your boys have a sword fight, while your daughter pushes around a trike that her brothers used to ride. Those moments are truly priceless.

These lessons are why I am living. They are why I continue to exercise daily. They are why I want to be the healthiest Lesley that I can be. I don't want to miss out on living because I didn't take the time to take control of me. Even with the BB in the toilet, it is still a priceless moment in my life because it is mine, and it worth living everyday that we have on this earth to the absolute fullest and healthiest that we can be!