I finally did it! I ordered my first challenge pack, and I haven't looked back! If you haven't heard of Advocare, or of the 10 or 24 Day Challenges, I highly recommend looking into them! Need a kick in the butt to REALLY get going this time? This is the best start! Jake and I did the 10 Day Cleanse a couple of years ago and both felt AMAZING afterwards. This was KEY in us learning what clean eating meant.
This isn't a cleanse like most. It's not 3 smoothies a day, or a box of laxatives! ;) It is a guide to getting your health and eating on track and I couldn't be more in love with these products!
I finished Phase I on Saturday, and I'm pleased to say, I lost 10 lbs in 10 Days and 4 1/2 inches off of my body! Pretty great for still being able to eat, right?! I feel lighter, and just overall better. It was a much needed boost after all the excuses the past couple of months!
A quick breakdown of what it is and the products you take for the Cleanse Phase:
Foods - Clean foods only. No processed anything. No dairy. No coffee (GAHHH!:( ). No added sugars or salts. LEAN proteins only. Green vegetables. Whole wheat bread/tortillas etc. No dressings or sauces. Limited healthy fats (nuts, avocado, evoo)
Eating Schedule - Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. This is NOT a hungry cleanse ;)
Supplements - Spark! YUM! It's an Amino Acid Supplement that provides tons of energy, and is yumm-o! A daily fiber drink that you take in the morning with your breakfast. The worst part of the cleanse by far, if you ever do it, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, let it sit for too long before drinking! It will quickly turn into a lumpy goo of disgusting! ;) Mix it in your water, drink it quick and it's not bad at all! Okay, it's kind of bad still, but not awful! ;) You also take a probiotic each morning and Omegaplex vitamins in the afternoon, followed by a Herbal Cleanse tablet you take at night before bed. That's it! Nothing crazy, and nothing that has you on the toilet all day ;)
Water - 100+ oz a day
Workout - as normal.
Days 1-4 : (around mid day) were AMAZING! I felt better and I felt better QUICK! I could tell my body had gotten rid of all the toxins, and other than really missing my coffee and a little headache in the mornings, I felt SO good! I lost 5 lbs in the first 2 days! TMI, but I probably peed about 23985792347 times that first day! It was awesome!
Day 4-8 : I hit a BRICK wall. My body was exhausted, and literally I think I was going through withdrawals of sugar and salt and CRAP! I felt poopy. Low energy, frustrated, and just grumpy. It was a HARD few days, but I stuck with it and kept pushing through.
Day 8-10 : Energy was back, my foods tasted good again, I was finding a rhythm and groove and knew that what I was doing was what my body needed! A few temptations hit me on Day 10 with being at a restaraunt for the first time and being at a sporting event with popcorn, but I ordered the healthiest item on the menu (broccoli, rice and chicken - no salt or seasonings) and resisted even a bite of anything I wasn't supposed to have! It was hard, SO hard, but I did it!
I know it is BEYOND cliche to say, but I feel SO much better! I feel lighter and proud and excited that this is going to change my body for the better! This is getting me in the mindset and on the right track to eating to fuel my body and not to please my palette. Don't get me wrong, it's been hard too! I love love LOVE my coffee, and cheese, and of course salt. But this is definitely reminding me of the way I need to eat 90% of the time to have a healthy body and mind. My spirits are lifted, the weight is dropping, the energy is up and I'm trying so hard to be more positive, like I used to be! The past year has taken a toll on my spirits and adjusting to this new life has been challenging. More challenging than I ever could have possibly imagined. BUT, I think I'm finally on the right track to a healthy and happy future! I'm also REALLY excited for day 25! ;) I can't wait to eat some of the healthier things I've been craving. Cottage cheese, salads (with Bolthouse dressing!), peanut butter (okay.. kind of healthy!), a little cheese, coffee, etc.
Now on to the Max Phase (Days 11-14) where the diet loosens up A LITTLE, and the max metabolism burn comes in! I'm excited!
xoxo,
Lacy
Showing posts with label Weight Loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weight Loss. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Getting Through The Frustrations
As I type the title of my next post, I can't help but roll my eyes. Really? I'm going to give advice about getting through the frustrating times? I'm pretty sure I'm the world's WORST person at handling stress and frustration. Maybe instead of helping some one out there, some where inside I'm the one needing the help?
Why is my damn scale NOT budging? I'm working my butt off and I just don't feel it. My clothes fit better, but I'm ready to see the number go down. I NEED to see the number go down. I don't know what to do about it other than keep on keepin' on. Keep eating right, keep working out, keep drinking lots of water and just hope that someday soon my body will catch up? It's beyond frustrating. I'm ready to toss the scale and just go by the way my clothes fit. The scale is SUCH a mind game for me!
Why does everything in life revolve around money? I hate money. I hate that we work SO hard and yet, it still feels like we are just getting by, paycheck to paycheck. I know that's how it is for most young families. I'm pretty sure it's a survival mode we're in for the next few years, but dang it sucks to work SO hard and not be able to play hard too. I hate bills. :(
Why do I feel like such a failure of a mother lately? Hank has croup. He is not contagious, and is still pretty happy for the most part, but his cough... I can't stand it! I am sad and angry every time he coughs. We are sleeping like crap (all of us) and it's miserable. I feel like I secretly wish time away sometimes. I tell myself constantly 'I can't wait until..' I really try to enjoy every step of parenting, but man, some days I just can't wait for 'tomorrow'. I thought I'd be much more patient at this whole mom thing. I love him SO much it hurts. I'd do anything for him. But man, this mom job isn't easy. I know so many people think we really aren't done having babies. We are. Last night was another reminder how big of a monster I am without sleep. :( I'm SO sick of being tired! We go through phases where I feel like he is finally doing it, and then something else happens, he gets sick, etc and it feels like he's a newborn again! I swear, when he's 15 I'm going to wake him up a million times a night as payback! ;) I try so hard with Kailee to make every second count. Until you have to share time, you could never understand the pain and struggle it is to find balance in enjoying the time together, having fun, and still parenting. Still making sure there are chores, and that we are teaching her something. It's SO HARD! I have completely failed in the 'non fun' department lately and I'm getting anxious to change that. I love our time together, especially our 'fun' time, but I know I'm doing NOTHING to help her and our future. She is old enough to have some household responsibilities and I have to start letting go of the 'control' of those things. This week, I'm promising myself! ;)
I have felt so down lately. So frustrated and like an utter failure in so many aspects of life. I have all of these good ideas and intentions in my head and they just don't work out. I feel like I'm letting someone down ALL THE TIME! I feel like I'm letting myself down most days, but I'm really not sure why?!
What would I do without my husband? What do women do who don't have someone like him to turn to? We've had our struggles, and to be quite honest the last year has been one of the (if not the) toughest year of marriage so far. We've had some lows that I don't know if either of us knew how we were going to get out of. But we did, and we do and we will. He is my best friend. Our marriage the last few weeks has saved me from dropping into some major winter seasonal depression (that is SO real!). He tells me he loves me, he SHOWS me he loves me, he helps with the kids, he helps around the house and with meals. He still to this day tells me thanks for dinner EVERY single night. We've rekindled a missing spark and things are SO good right now. If I'm failing in all the other aspects of my life, we have to be doing something right in our marriage, right?! I love that man. I love holding his hand and I love his hugs. Some days, that is all that is all I need to keep going. He still tells me I'm beautiful, most of the times when he says it I KNOW I'm at my worst. Sweaty from a work out, chubby and no make up, and he still says it. And I know he means it. HE is how I am getting through this!
Honestly, when I started writing, I had no idea what to say. I almost didn't start because let's be honest, is anyone even still reading this?! This is why I write though. It is SO therapeutic to me. I just typed what I was feeling, and what do you know.. I get my frustrations out and suddenly, I see the blessings! I HAVE SO MANY!!!
To my family - Jake, Kailee and Hank, I promise to never stop trying. I will fail you and us a million times, but I will never quit! I will find myself out of these funks and try so hard to be the wife and mommy you all deserve. I promise I am trying!! I LOVE YOU THREE SO MUCH IT HURTS!
xoxo,
Lacy
Why is my damn scale NOT budging? I'm working my butt off and I just don't feel it. My clothes fit better, but I'm ready to see the number go down. I NEED to see the number go down. I don't know what to do about it other than keep on keepin' on. Keep eating right, keep working out, keep drinking lots of water and just hope that someday soon my body will catch up? It's beyond frustrating. I'm ready to toss the scale and just go by the way my clothes fit. The scale is SUCH a mind game for me!
Why does everything in life revolve around money? I hate money. I hate that we work SO hard and yet, it still feels like we are just getting by, paycheck to paycheck. I know that's how it is for most young families. I'm pretty sure it's a survival mode we're in for the next few years, but dang it sucks to work SO hard and not be able to play hard too. I hate bills. :(
Why do I feel like such a failure of a mother lately? Hank has croup. He is not contagious, and is still pretty happy for the most part, but his cough... I can't stand it! I am sad and angry every time he coughs. We are sleeping like crap (all of us) and it's miserable. I feel like I secretly wish time away sometimes. I tell myself constantly 'I can't wait until..' I really try to enjoy every step of parenting, but man, some days I just can't wait for 'tomorrow'. I thought I'd be much more patient at this whole mom thing. I love him SO much it hurts. I'd do anything for him. But man, this mom job isn't easy. I know so many people think we really aren't done having babies. We are. Last night was another reminder how big of a monster I am without sleep. :( I'm SO sick of being tired! We go through phases where I feel like he is finally doing it, and then something else happens, he gets sick, etc and it feels like he's a newborn again! I swear, when he's 15 I'm going to wake him up a million times a night as payback! ;) I try so hard with Kailee to make every second count. Until you have to share time, you could never understand the pain and struggle it is to find balance in enjoying the time together, having fun, and still parenting. Still making sure there are chores, and that we are teaching her something. It's SO HARD! I have completely failed in the 'non fun' department lately and I'm getting anxious to change that. I love our time together, especially our 'fun' time, but I know I'm doing NOTHING to help her and our future. She is old enough to have some household responsibilities and I have to start letting go of the 'control' of those things. This week, I'm promising myself! ;)
I have felt so down lately. So frustrated and like an utter failure in so many aspects of life. I have all of these good ideas and intentions in my head and they just don't work out. I feel like I'm letting someone down ALL THE TIME! I feel like I'm letting myself down most days, but I'm really not sure why?!
What would I do without my husband? What do women do who don't have someone like him to turn to? We've had our struggles, and to be quite honest the last year has been one of the (if not the) toughest year of marriage so far. We've had some lows that I don't know if either of us knew how we were going to get out of. But we did, and we do and we will. He is my best friend. Our marriage the last few weeks has saved me from dropping into some major winter seasonal depression (that is SO real!). He tells me he loves me, he SHOWS me he loves me, he helps with the kids, he helps around the house and with meals. He still to this day tells me thanks for dinner EVERY single night. We've rekindled a missing spark and things are SO good right now. If I'm failing in all the other aspects of my life, we have to be doing something right in our marriage, right?! I love that man. I love holding his hand and I love his hugs. Some days, that is all that is all I need to keep going. He still tells me I'm beautiful, most of the times when he says it I KNOW I'm at my worst. Sweaty from a work out, chubby and no make up, and he still says it. And I know he means it. HE is how I am getting through this!
Honestly, when I started writing, I had no idea what to say. I almost didn't start because let's be honest, is anyone even still reading this?! This is why I write though. It is SO therapeutic to me. I just typed what I was feeling, and what do you know.. I get my frustrations out and suddenly, I see the blessings! I HAVE SO MANY!!!
To my family - Jake, Kailee and Hank, I promise to never stop trying. I will fail you and us a million times, but I will never quit! I will find myself out of these funks and try so hard to be the wife and mommy you all deserve. I promise I am trying!! I LOVE YOU THREE SO MUCH IT HURTS!
xoxo,
Lacy
Monday, January 23, 2017
When it feels like nothing is changing and weekly meal plan
I woke up and felt good. I felt lean, I felt strong and I felt like things were actually changing. I worked SO hard last week and over the weekend. I enjoyed my cheat meal, and actually didn't overindulge at all! I was excited for my weigh in and measurements today. And then....
WEEK 3
Weight : + 0.4 lbs
Measurements : - 1 1/2 inches
Overall : - 6 lbs / -5 3/4 inches
I wanted to cry. How?! I even replaced a meal with a protein shake for the last few days. My body is holding onto this weight and I'm pissed. Immediately I went from feeling good, feeling proud and feeling excited to devastated. Why do I give the scale that much power?! I KNOW I've done everything I should be doing. I know I've eaten right, worked out, and drank my water so why?! Why am I not losing this weight like I think I should be? TMI- I have an IUD so most months I don't have a period. Well, I know this month that it's this week, which I know can play a role in this fun weight game! :( sometimes I hate being a woman!
I had to decide this morning how this was going to affect me. I just felt all of these GREAT things; strong, lean, GOOD! So by looking at a number on a scale, was that going to change that? Did that stupid number take those things from me? Hell no! I worked hard for them! I decided right then and there that I was NOT going to throw in the towel and eat what I wanted and take today as a rest day. I was not going to question if I am doing this right, That's dumb. I KNOW I am. I have to trust this process. I have to trust that I in doing it the RIGHT way, with no magic pills and no wraps, it IS going to take longer. I KNOW this is right, I just have to trust that eventually it will show.
I did a little reading and found out that it's actually pretty common week 3 to see no change, or even a gain. Apparently your body goes into it's last stage of 'shock' and it holds on to fat cells. I'm really hoping that is the case. I also know that my cheat meal consisted of salty foods, so I need to up my water game today in order to flush the sodium. For having my cheat meal LAST night, that really isn't so bad. I'm really hoping that the pounds start melting off this week. I need them to. I had a goal of dropping 10 lbs in January, and I'm close, but that is a decent chunk that needs to come off in the next week to make that goal. I CAN DO THIS! I WILL DO THIS!
I also want to be super careful with not eating too little. My snacks are non existent, and I know I should be eating and needing snacks. I should be eating WAY more consistently than I am, so there is that to work on. My work outs have been ON POINT. I haven't been taking them lightly at all. I get a GOOD sweat in every time. I've worked out for 14 days in a row, and while I know rest days are important, I haven't felt like I needed one. I will listen to my body, but for now, working out is the biggest motivation for eating better. Why put in that work if I'm just going to fuel my body with crap?!
My relationship with food is a tough one. I think maybe even more serious than I thought before. I use food as a crutch and for boredom especially. I am a stress eater, so stress doesn't cause me to lose weight. And I think once I stopped breastfeeding, my body forgot that it didn't need those extra calories. This is by far the hardest it's ever been. And I knew it would be hard. I had a baby, I'm almost 30, and it's not like it gets easier with either of those things going against me. But I know I can do this. Finding foods that FUEL me and TASTE good too have been huge for me. Here is our menu this week. I usually make most of it and then we take a container of what we want or throw it together real quick. Or if I feel like cooking each night, we have it for dinner and repeat for lunch the next day. Meal prepping makes it much easier for me though. Having it all ready and grabbing a container keeps me on track much better than waiting for something to cook while I'm hungry. I didn't get a chance to do it yesterday, so hopefully today! Disclaimer- we try to eat about 80% clean. Sometimes it's better and sometimes it's worse. These are meals I KNOW help as I made them before when we lost a bunch of weight. We do NOT cut out carbs or fats completely, but we do try to keep them in check and ALWAYS make sure we have lots of protein. I know sometimes these meals are higher in sodium, and wouldn't be on a ton of clean eating sites. These are meals that work for me and my family. I love food, I love good food. I like eating things that are good for me and TASTE good. This keeps me successful. I do have to drop down on the carbs for other meals with some of these to keep it balanced for the day. If my dinner is high in carbs, I will have a low carb breakfast and lunch. I just try to be mindful. Healthy eating doesn't have to be boring eating! Again, these may not work for everyone :)
Flat Bread Pizza - These flat out crusts are AMAZING! 1g of fat for an entire crust?! SIGN ME UP! I load it up with either buffalo sauce and chicken, or turkey pepperoni, turkey sausage, chicken, jalapenos, etc. I'm not a big fan of lots of veggies on pizza, but getting in the protein makes these SO filling and also almost like I'm cheating :)
Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Bake - Basically, exactly how it sounds. Cooked squash, buffalo sauce, chicken, ranch packet and 3 eggs whisked and dumped over the top and baked! Super filling and yummy. We LOVE spaghetti squash! Mostly, because I love pasta, and it's pretty close ;)
Fish Tacos - tilapia seasoned and baked with lemon served on corn tortillas with cabbage, lime, salsa, feta, and a fish taco sauce. I make my own sauce using plain greek yogurt, lime and cayenne pepper with a little season salt. SO yummy! Depending on my carbs that day I'll eat mine as a salad instead of with a tortilla.
Zoodle and "Veggie" wheat Pasta Spaghetti w/Turkey Meatballs - Just as it sounds. I do a LITTLE of the boxed veggie/wheat pasta with our zoodles, just for some more substance. Then make my own meatballs with ground turkey. Kailee loves them, and last time we had this Jake and I both felt SO satisfied after. Filled us up and tasted YUM! Again, depending on carbs we will do more zoodles and leave most of the pasta for the kids. If you don't have a spiralizer, go get one!!!
Spinach Salads w/ chicken - I marinate chicken or throw it in the crockpot and shred and have it on spinach with balsamic, cranberries and walnuts with feta and croutons. I can't give them up ;) Or I'll do a Bolthouse dressing instead of balsamic, the Salsa Verde Avocado is SOO good! I'll have that with tortilla strips instead of croutons, fat free cheddar and cottage cheese. Jake is SO grossed out by the cottage cheese part, but I love it on my salads!
Turkey Burgers(Steaks) w/Sweet Potato Fries and Broccoli - I grew up in Tremonton. Tremonton is 20 miles from Brigham City. The site of Maddox. If you haven't been there.. why?! ;) SO yummy! Anyway, we went there a lot as kids and always had their turkey steak. They are beyond good. We also had them a lot at home growing up, in lots of different ways. They sell them in grocery stores around here and one time while shopping for turkey burgers I took a peek at the nutritional info. DANG! 38g of protein and 16g of fat! (I may be off by a little.. It might be 36g protein and 18g fat? either way, LOTS of protein!) And I can handle that fat count when you see how HUGE these things are! Usually a half is good for me! I buy the flat/thin buns and it's like having a burger! Make your own sweet potato fries and throw some broccoli on the side and it is a BIG meal. I like big meals! ;)
Like I said, these meals are what work for US! I'm always looking for new and FUN and YUMMY recipes, so if you have favorites like this send 'em my way! Riced Cauliflower? Best new thing ever! We had that like 3 times last week! I will post more of our meals next week, we actually have quite the list of healthy AND good recipes. I personally don't want to cook meals for myself and Jake and a separate one for our kids. These are things they will eat as well. THAT is much more sustainable for me. I can do this long term. I can not eat a chicken breast and veggie for 3 meals every day and be happy. I'd rather carry the extra 10 lbs than live like that. I also know I'll never be able to do a fitness competition with these meals, BUT that's okay! I can live and enjoy and stay happy. I can be healthy and maintain a good weight this way without being deprived and miserable. And everyone knows if mama ain't happy, ain't no one happy!" ;)
xoxo,
Lacy
WEEK 3
Weight : + 0.4 lbs
Measurements : - 1 1/2 inches
Overall : - 6 lbs / -5 3/4 inches
I wanted to cry. How?! I even replaced a meal with a protein shake for the last few days. My body is holding onto this weight and I'm pissed. Immediately I went from feeling good, feeling proud and feeling excited to devastated. Why do I give the scale that much power?! I KNOW I've done everything I should be doing. I know I've eaten right, worked out, and drank my water so why?! Why am I not losing this weight like I think I should be? TMI- I have an IUD so most months I don't have a period. Well, I know this month that it's this week, which I know can play a role in this fun weight game! :( sometimes I hate being a woman!
I had to decide this morning how this was going to affect me. I just felt all of these GREAT things; strong, lean, GOOD! So by looking at a number on a scale, was that going to change that? Did that stupid number take those things from me? Hell no! I worked hard for them! I decided right then and there that I was NOT going to throw in the towel and eat what I wanted and take today as a rest day. I was not going to question if I am doing this right, That's dumb. I KNOW I am. I have to trust this process. I have to trust that I in doing it the RIGHT way, with no magic pills and no wraps, it IS going to take longer. I KNOW this is right, I just have to trust that eventually it will show.
I did a little reading and found out that it's actually pretty common week 3 to see no change, or even a gain. Apparently your body goes into it's last stage of 'shock' and it holds on to fat cells. I'm really hoping that is the case. I also know that my cheat meal consisted of salty foods, so I need to up my water game today in order to flush the sodium. For having my cheat meal LAST night, that really isn't so bad. I'm really hoping that the pounds start melting off this week. I need them to. I had a goal of dropping 10 lbs in January, and I'm close, but that is a decent chunk that needs to come off in the next week to make that goal. I CAN DO THIS! I WILL DO THIS!
I also want to be super careful with not eating too little. My snacks are non existent, and I know I should be eating and needing snacks. I should be eating WAY more consistently than I am, so there is that to work on. My work outs have been ON POINT. I haven't been taking them lightly at all. I get a GOOD sweat in every time. I've worked out for 14 days in a row, and while I know rest days are important, I haven't felt like I needed one. I will listen to my body, but for now, working out is the biggest motivation for eating better. Why put in that work if I'm just going to fuel my body with crap?!
My relationship with food is a tough one. I think maybe even more serious than I thought before. I use food as a crutch and for boredom especially. I am a stress eater, so stress doesn't cause me to lose weight. And I think once I stopped breastfeeding, my body forgot that it didn't need those extra calories. This is by far the hardest it's ever been. And I knew it would be hard. I had a baby, I'm almost 30, and it's not like it gets easier with either of those things going against me. But I know I can do this. Finding foods that FUEL me and TASTE good too have been huge for me. Here is our menu this week. I usually make most of it and then we take a container of what we want or throw it together real quick. Or if I feel like cooking each night, we have it for dinner and repeat for lunch the next day. Meal prepping makes it much easier for me though. Having it all ready and grabbing a container keeps me on track much better than waiting for something to cook while I'm hungry. I didn't get a chance to do it yesterday, so hopefully today! Disclaimer- we try to eat about 80% clean. Sometimes it's better and sometimes it's worse. These are meals I KNOW help as I made them before when we lost a bunch of weight. We do NOT cut out carbs or fats completely, but we do try to keep them in check and ALWAYS make sure we have lots of protein. I know sometimes these meals are higher in sodium, and wouldn't be on a ton of clean eating sites. These are meals that work for me and my family. I love food, I love good food. I like eating things that are good for me and TASTE good. This keeps me successful. I do have to drop down on the carbs for other meals with some of these to keep it balanced for the day. If my dinner is high in carbs, I will have a low carb breakfast and lunch. I just try to be mindful. Healthy eating doesn't have to be boring eating! Again, these may not work for everyone :)
Flat Bread Pizza - These flat out crusts are AMAZING! 1g of fat for an entire crust?! SIGN ME UP! I load it up with either buffalo sauce and chicken, or turkey pepperoni, turkey sausage, chicken, jalapenos, etc. I'm not a big fan of lots of veggies on pizza, but getting in the protein makes these SO filling and also almost like I'm cheating :)
Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Bake - Basically, exactly how it sounds. Cooked squash, buffalo sauce, chicken, ranch packet and 3 eggs whisked and dumped over the top and baked! Super filling and yummy. We LOVE spaghetti squash! Mostly, because I love pasta, and it's pretty close ;)
Fish Tacos - tilapia seasoned and baked with lemon served on corn tortillas with cabbage, lime, salsa, feta, and a fish taco sauce. I make my own sauce using plain greek yogurt, lime and cayenne pepper with a little season salt. SO yummy! Depending on my carbs that day I'll eat mine as a salad instead of with a tortilla.
Zoodle and "Veggie" wheat Pasta Spaghetti w/Turkey Meatballs - Just as it sounds. I do a LITTLE of the boxed veggie/wheat pasta with our zoodles, just for some more substance. Then make my own meatballs with ground turkey. Kailee loves them, and last time we had this Jake and I both felt SO satisfied after. Filled us up and tasted YUM! Again, depending on carbs we will do more zoodles and leave most of the pasta for the kids. If you don't have a spiralizer, go get one!!!
Spinach Salads w/ chicken - I marinate chicken or throw it in the crockpot and shred and have it on spinach with balsamic, cranberries and walnuts with feta and croutons. I can't give them up ;) Or I'll do a Bolthouse dressing instead of balsamic, the Salsa Verde Avocado is SOO good! I'll have that with tortilla strips instead of croutons, fat free cheddar and cottage cheese. Jake is SO grossed out by the cottage cheese part, but I love it on my salads!
Turkey Burgers(Steaks) w/Sweet Potato Fries and Broccoli - I grew up in Tremonton. Tremonton is 20 miles from Brigham City. The site of Maddox. If you haven't been there.. why?! ;) SO yummy! Anyway, we went there a lot as kids and always had their turkey steak. They are beyond good. We also had them a lot at home growing up, in lots of different ways. They sell them in grocery stores around here and one time while shopping for turkey burgers I took a peek at the nutritional info. DANG! 38g of protein and 16g of fat! (I may be off by a little.. It might be 36g protein and 18g fat? either way, LOTS of protein!) And I can handle that fat count when you see how HUGE these things are! Usually a half is good for me! I buy the flat/thin buns and it's like having a burger! Make your own sweet potato fries and throw some broccoli on the side and it is a BIG meal. I like big meals! ;)
Like I said, these meals are what work for US! I'm always looking for new and FUN and YUMMY recipes, so if you have favorites like this send 'em my way! Riced Cauliflower? Best new thing ever! We had that like 3 times last week! I will post more of our meals next week, we actually have quite the list of healthy AND good recipes. I personally don't want to cook meals for myself and Jake and a separate one for our kids. These are things they will eat as well. THAT is much more sustainable for me. I can do this long term. I can not eat a chicken breast and veggie for 3 meals every day and be happy. I'd rather carry the extra 10 lbs than live like that. I also know I'll never be able to do a fitness competition with these meals, BUT that's okay! I can live and enjoy and stay happy. I can be healthy and maintain a good weight this way without being deprived and miserable. And everyone knows if mama ain't happy, ain't no one happy!" ;)
xoxo,
Lacy
Monday, January 9, 2017
First weekend down and a rough start to week 2
Well, our first weekend is in the books! It was about 65% good ;)
Friday - we went to a funeral and ended up having a late dinner. I chose a grilled chicken salad and only ate less than half of the dressing with it. That's a tough one for me! I love my salads, but I love my dressings even more! I felt okay after, mostly because I didn't do as well as I'd hoped during the day. I didn't wake up Friday morning to work out, Hank was up in the night and I was tired. Excuse #1. I went to bed determined to have a better day Saturday.
Saturday- Morning started off early, Hank was up at 6:30 even with going to bed after 10:00 pm. Such is life with this kid! ;) I ate a decent breakfast and then drove to Ogden for lunch and catch up with my girlfriends! It was amazing and I laughed and cried and remembered how much I love them! I remembered why we had remained friends over the past decade (plus) and what knowing sharing stories with people who TRULY care felt like. It has been MONTHS since we had gotten together. It felt like it had been a week! I love them, I love their kids, and their husbands.. Man, good friends are hard to beat! We went to Warren's and I wanted fries BAD. I ended up with a salad and a grilled chicken sandwich. Even left half the bun on my tray. I felt good, but still feel like I'm missing out, and not like I'm making a good choice. I can't wait for that feeling to come back. The one where you don't feel sad you 'can't' have something, you CHOOSE not to? yeah, not quite there yet. I was proud though. Drove home and Jake and I did legs and had a healthy dinner. That was nice! I felt like I won that day!
Sunday - I freaking LOVE football. I freaking LOVE football foods. I love that we always seem to end up with family watching games. This one was no different. Up to mom's to watch the Steelers vs Dolphins playoff game. Tony is a Fins fan, so at least one of us had a good day! ;) Mom made health(ier) foods and I still overindulged. Not as bad as in the past, but not great either. I did 'okay'. Then it was off to family dinner at Jake's parents where I ate too much again! Again, better than a month ago, but not great. Small victories?
All in all, it made me more determined to have a good week this week. Especially after weighing in and taking measurements. If I can make a tiny bit of progress with doing 'okay', imagine my progress when I stick with it?! That's exciting!
Measurements for week 1 -
Weight: -1.4 lbs
Inches: -2 3/4 "
Hank has had an AWFUL cough since Saturday night. Started in the middle of the night and has been ROUGH. He has no other symptoms, but coughing your head off in the night sure doesn't help to sleep. It's been an exhausting couple of nights. Like, he was ready for a nap at 7 AM today. Of course, fell asleep for 10 minutes, coughed and woke up grumpy. I bawled with him. I am pretty sure the PMS + exhaustion + frustration of my foods + sore body + PMS(deserves two) I just lost my composure. I bawled and poor sweet boy cried harder because I was crying. His cough literally made my skin crawl. I felt like the worst mom alive. And I just wanted to take it away. I hate having sick babies.
On a positive twist, despite being up at 10:15 (after going to bed at 9:30), again at 2:00 and then at 4:00, I somehow got up at 5:00 and did my cardio. It was the best decision, it changed my entire mood. After I finished I woke up Kailee (yay for school night sleepovers!) and we had an amazing morning! We laughed our butts off (at snapchat filters) while I did her hair and our morning ran about as smooth as a school morning possibly could. I'm telling you,that little lady carries an infectious energy with her! I LOVE my bug time!
After Jake and Kailee left for work and school, Hank and I began our work day. After we cried it out, the rest of our day went better. He ended up falling asleep FINALLY around 10:30 and slept for 2 hours! Man, we both needed that! I got work and laundry done, and later even got in some weights. It was a nice change from the way this day could have gone!
It's hard to get into a routine with so many variables. It's hard to not let all the excuses that worked before work now. It's hard to not turn my exhaustion into anger and resentment. I'm really bad at that, and Jake takes the brunt of it most of the time. It's HARD to say, screw what happened and the little sleep I got, it's time to crush these goals. It's freaking hard. BUT it's harder feeling like crap. And that little thought got my butt out of bed today!
Things aren't always happy and good around here. I know we put our highlights on social media, but the truth is, a lot of times I feel like an utter failure. I'm working on turning a bad night into a good day, a rough morning into a good afternoon, and a grumpy Lacy into a positive one. One day at a time..
xoxo,
Lacy
Friday - we went to a funeral and ended up having a late dinner. I chose a grilled chicken salad and only ate less than half of the dressing with it. That's a tough one for me! I love my salads, but I love my dressings even more! I felt okay after, mostly because I didn't do as well as I'd hoped during the day. I didn't wake up Friday morning to work out, Hank was up in the night and I was tired. Excuse #1. I went to bed determined to have a better day Saturday.
Saturday- Morning started off early, Hank was up at 6:30 even with going to bed after 10:00 pm. Such is life with this kid! ;) I ate a decent breakfast and then drove to Ogden for lunch and catch up with my girlfriends! It was amazing and I laughed and cried and remembered how much I love them! I remembered why we had remained friends over the past decade (plus) and what knowing sharing stories with people who TRULY care felt like. It has been MONTHS since we had gotten together. It felt like it had been a week! I love them, I love their kids, and their husbands.. Man, good friends are hard to beat! We went to Warren's and I wanted fries BAD. I ended up with a salad and a grilled chicken sandwich. Even left half the bun on my tray. I felt good, but still feel like I'm missing out, and not like I'm making a good choice. I can't wait for that feeling to come back. The one where you don't feel sad you 'can't' have something, you CHOOSE not to? yeah, not quite there yet. I was proud though. Drove home and Jake and I did legs and had a healthy dinner. That was nice! I felt like I won that day!
Sunday - I freaking LOVE football. I freaking LOVE football foods. I love that we always seem to end up with family watching games. This one was no different. Up to mom's to watch the Steelers vs Dolphins playoff game. Tony is a Fins fan, so at least one of us had a good day! ;) Mom made health(ier) foods and I still overindulged. Not as bad as in the past, but not great either. I did 'okay'. Then it was off to family dinner at Jake's parents where I ate too much again! Again, better than a month ago, but not great. Small victories?
All in all, it made me more determined to have a good week this week. Especially after weighing in and taking measurements. If I can make a tiny bit of progress with doing 'okay', imagine my progress when I stick with it?! That's exciting!
Measurements for week 1 -
Weight: -1.4 lbs
Inches: -2 3/4 "
Hank has had an AWFUL cough since Saturday night. Started in the middle of the night and has been ROUGH. He has no other symptoms, but coughing your head off in the night sure doesn't help to sleep. It's been an exhausting couple of nights. Like, he was ready for a nap at 7 AM today. Of course, fell asleep for 10 minutes, coughed and woke up grumpy. I bawled with him. I am pretty sure the PMS + exhaustion + frustration of my foods + sore body + PMS(deserves two) I just lost my composure. I bawled and poor sweet boy cried harder because I was crying. His cough literally made my skin crawl. I felt like the worst mom alive. And I just wanted to take it away. I hate having sick babies.
On a positive twist, despite being up at 10:15 (after going to bed at 9:30), again at 2:00 and then at 4:00, I somehow got up at 5:00 and did my cardio. It was the best decision, it changed my entire mood. After I finished I woke up Kailee (yay for school night sleepovers!) and we had an amazing morning! We laughed our butts off (at snapchat filters) while I did her hair and our morning ran about as smooth as a school morning possibly could. I'm telling you,that little lady carries an infectious energy with her! I LOVE my bug time!
After Jake and Kailee left for work and school, Hank and I began our work day. After we cried it out, the rest of our day went better. He ended up falling asleep FINALLY around 10:30 and slept for 2 hours! Man, we both needed that! I got work and laundry done, and later even got in some weights. It was a nice change from the way this day could have gone!
It's hard to get into a routine with so many variables. It's hard to not let all the excuses that worked before work now. It's hard to not turn my exhaustion into anger and resentment. I'm really bad at that, and Jake takes the brunt of it most of the time. It's HARD to say, screw what happened and the little sleep I got, it's time to crush these goals. It's freaking hard. BUT it's harder feeling like crap. And that little thought got my butt out of bed today!
Things aren't always happy and good around here. I know we put our highlights on social media, but the truth is, a lot of times I feel like an utter failure. I'm working on turning a bad night into a good day, a rough morning into a good afternoon, and a grumpy Lacy into a positive one. One day at a time..
xoxo,
Lacy
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
If You're Tired of Starting Over Then Stop Giving Up
Well, hello 2017 Motto!
I remember like it was yesterday talking with my grandma Jeri about my weight loss. It was over Thanksgiving of 2014 in California. We were talking about eating the right foods, exercising and the way it changes people. There was something about my grandma telling me every morning afternoon and night how good I looked that made me so proud. It made every early morning, long workout, sore muscle and exhausted everything worth it. A lot of people complimented me during and after my 40 lb weight loss, and man, if I could bottle up those feelings that I felt EACH and EVERY time I heard it, I'd be set on compliments for life. It. Felt. So. Good! I never did it for the recognition, but it sure felt nice to for others to acknowledge the hard work that goes into it. I remember telling her I felt way too good, I'd never go back to how I was before. And I meant it! I felt AMAZING! I was in a maintenance phase with my weight loss and I was keeping the weight off, still living life, eating clean for the most part but having at least a few cheat meals here and there, and working out at least 5x a week. I knew how it felt to feel awful and now I knew how it felt to feel fit and healthy and happy. No WAY was I going back! And then when my brother came home from his mission, I was SO excited for him to see me in person. He had seen pictures and said a few things over email, but I'll never forget how happy it made me as we were walking out of the restaurant the night he got home and he said 'so how much weight did you lose?' Ya know how people say nothing tastes as good as skinny feels? These were two of those moments for me.
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| January 1, 2015. The day I found out I was pregnant. MOTIVATION! |
I actually was at near my lowest at my 8 week pregnancy appointment. I had gone up and down about 5 lbs but was right in the ideal range for my height. I was SO happy to know I'd be starting off my pregnancy extra healthy. And I truly attribute my amazing pregnancy to being the healthiest I had ever been in my life. Jake and I were getting up at 3:45 am to hit the gym by 4:15 at least 3 days a week. During my FIRST trimester! ya know, the extra tired one?! It was amazing how good I felt. I told my doctor I was really concerned about weight gain and he told me the range he'd like me to stay in and I knew I could do it. 30 lbs, that was pretty average for pregnancy and I was excited that he told me I had that much I could gain. I figured he'd want me even less. I was focused on a healthy babe, and not the pounds, but I had worked too hard to just let myself go just because I was pregnant. I actually did great until about 8 months. Then the weight was coming on a little faster than I wanted. But I had worked out consistently until about 7 1/2 months. It got a little harder, and it was hot out. So I decided to let my body rest. I still ate pretty well for the most part, I didn't have many cravings, but by the end the weight added up anyway. I ended up gaining 42 lbs, and though it was more than I wanted, I also felt pretty good and knew that it wasn't because I let myself go. My body just did what it needed to do to get a healthy babe here. I was more than okay with it.
After I delivered I didn't dare weigh myself. I wish so badly I had, just to see where I was. I remember the first time I did, Hank was about 3 1/2 months old. We were in our new house and I was terrified to step on the scale. Most of my pre pregnancy pants fit, tight, but they fit. I was still scared. I stepped on anyway and was pleasantly surprised to see I had dropped 31 of the 42 lbs! I was breastfeeding and starving and though I kept pretty active between a newborn and packing and moving, I knew if I cleaned up my diet even a little bit, I'd drop that last 11 easily.
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| January 2016 |
And that's when I got cocky. It was January and from then through March I did start working out a bit more but didn't change my diet. I would take Hank on walks on days it wasn't too cold, and did a few weights here and there. I cleaned up my eating, but still snacked a LOT. I hit 7lbs above that 8 week appointment weight mid March. I was ecstatic! My body looked and felt much softer, but the weight was coming off and I knew I could tone up with a little cardio and more weights. And then, I didn't. We went to St George for Kailee's dance competition and I felt pretty dang good in a swimsuit. I wasn't uncomfortable, or embarrassed. I wasn't near where I wanted to be, but I was headed in the right direction. I ate to my hearts content while we were there. Hello, vacation foods! And then, it didn't stop.
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| March 2016 |
I came home, and continued eating like I was on vacation, minus a healthy few meals here and there up through a few days ago. I'm mortified and embarrassed to say that I'm just about 10-12 lbs shy of when I delivered. :( I could have cried yesterday when I stepped on that scale. HOW did this happen?! HOW could I let myself do this? After all that hard work, keeping it off during pregnancy, and getting down so close to my goal weight just 9 months ago? How am I going to do this again?! I felt so discouraged and just wanted to bawl. Mostly because it's overwhelming to think about all the time and work ahead. It took me 9 months last time. 9 months of consistency, 9 months of passing on foods I love and 9 months of HARD HARD work. Am I really ready for this? Granted when I started I really had no idea what kinds of food to eat. I thought if I ate less it would work. Or if I ate more salads. Only problem is, less is not always better, sometimes it's worse! And don't get me started on salads! To eat a healthy one, you basically can't have cheese or dressing, at least not the kinds I like! And then there is the croutons!! ha ha. It took me MONTHS to realize that a Caesar salad was NOT healthy! ;) I'm hoping since I know now what it takes, it will come off a little faster.
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| This picture was taken in November, 2016. Never made it to social media, because well.. I look fat. Reality right here. |
I do know that doing it the RIGHT way is not quick. It's not a pill or a wrap or a shake. It's clean eating and moving your body. I know what my body responds to now, so at least I have that going for me. I know it's going to take some cardio, but more importantly it's going to take weights. Heavier than I'm comfortable with. It's going to take early mornings and MAKING time. Time won't find me, I have to find it. And now that I'm a full time mom, time isn't as easy to find. BUT, I know just in these last 2 days, when I get up just an hour earlier and have that hour to myself, in a dark and quiet house, I'm a better mommy. I have more time than I ever realized before, just by starting a routine. GETTING my butt out of bed and MOVING! It's slow, and way harder than I remember, but I've done it and already felt better! By the time Hank woke up today, I had done T25 Cardio, drank my ACV drink, made and drank a cup of coffee and started blogging. I then was able to start work (at 6 am) and get a few statements started. All by getting up just ONE hour earlier! And I slept SO good last night too, my body was tired and it felt so nice to go to sleep without a belly ache!
My routine is simple but there have been a few changes I've made that feel really good. I'm going to put it out there not because it works for everyone, or anyone really, but to hold myself accountable. I'll be able to read back and remember that even when it's hard to set that Monday morning alarm on Sunday nights, that it makes a WORLD of difference during my day and week. I'm a better mom, wife and employee because I'm MAKING this work. I make my day, my day doesn't make me. Man, it feels good to have a little control again! SO many things in my life are out of my control, but my schedule, my foods and my workouts are 100% on me. And thank you, baby Hank for sleeping through the night FINALLY! We're on night 8 of no wake ups. Ladies and gentlemen, in his 16 months of life he's slept through the night 3 nights in a row TWICE until this point. TWICE. And probably slept completely through the night a total of less than 15 times. To have 8 nights in a row is LIFE CHANGING! I told Jake this morning, had he slept like this at 4 months-ish when MOST babies do, we'd have another one on the way! ;) ha ha. He wasn't amused and mumbled something about packing bags ;) Anyway, babies who sleep are more loved, judge me! Until you've been sleep deprived for almost 2 years (with pregnancy) I don't want your opinion! I'll go to my grave saying that sleep deprivation is the worst thing I've ever been forced to do. I truly wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. There were days and nights I literally was in tears and near losing my shit. There were days and nights I lost my shit completely. All because I was so. freaking. tired. So Hank, THANK YOU for finally joining this sleep party! It's pretty great, isn't it?! Annnnnd now back to my schedule! Sorry about that! We're pretty stoked about the sleep thing going on at our house!!
5:00 am - wake up - get dressed, start coffee and downstairs to work out
5:45 am - drink my ACV drink (gag), pour a cup of Joe and head upstairs to my office, start blog, check bank statements, personal email etc.
6:00 am - wake Jake, log into work and begin my work day.
6:30 am-ish - Hank wakes up and the juggling begins!
Until 3:00 pm the rest of my day consists of keeping a 16 month old occupied and fed, working statements, emails, and throwing in laundry or whatever other housework can fit.
On day's I don't have Hank I get more done than I do the rest of the week! I've gotten pretty good at juggling the work and home duties on those days. During my lunch break or slow times I clean out closets, or clean bathrooms, etc. Yesterday (Hank was at Grandmas) I was able to plow through my work, and then during lunch clean bathrooms, kitchen and vacuum and sweep and mop my downstairs. And in between work stuff do 4 loads of laundry. After work I blogged and created my vision board while waiting for Jake and Hank to get home. I even shoveled the driveway! Yesterday was a good day.
Once Jake got home, I started some more meal prep and then we headed down to the basement to do some weights. Hank played and watched Baby Einsteins while we got our workout in. After, Jake headed to the gym in our neighborhood to get his cardio done and Hank and I played trucks and read books. It was SUCH a good night! I felt like a good mommy and like my time with Hank was well spent! That felt really good. After dinner and putting Hank to bed around 7:30 Jake and I got to snuggle and watch one of our shows (Shooter- SO good!). All of this because of a schedule!!
Let me tell you a little about my days previous to setting a schedule. They started at 5:54 am when my alarm would go off for the 3rd time. I'd get up, drag my sleepy butt to my office and log into work. I'd go down and if I was lucky, I'd have coffee made and a cup poured before the monster woke up. And then it was off to the races. But instead of doing chores or laundry or something productive while I tried my best to occupy him during breaks or lunches, I'd put the tv on in the background and snack. ALL DAY LONG. This is embarrassing, but there were days I'd catch up on 5-6 episodes of whatever. Damn Netflix ;). And I'd get ready about an hour before Jake came home from work. Then, because I felt like crap about MYSELF, I'd be short or snippy with him when it came to taking care of Hank. Then we'd go to sleep, and repeat. My break days (Hank at grandma's) I'd cram in all the work and chores possible and then they'd come home and I'd be exhausted because, ya know.. I did stuff! ;)
To start off this year and this new schedule, Hank will be going to my mother in law's on Tuesdays and to the daycare down the street on Thursdays. We started daycare about 2 months ago, but he's only been ONCE! So ONE time in my 14 months working from home, have I had 2 days a week to get stuff done. I work FULL time, so to have the time to focus without a million interruptions is pretty awesome! This gives me time to be more productive and take on more work. It gives me time to get my house chores done, etc. It gives me a break, okay! ha ha. Listen, stay at home mom's, I don't know HOW you do it! I am not built that way, I get antsy or incredibly lazy. It takes a LOT of discipline to get up and get your stuff done, get ready, etc. when you don't HAVE to be anywhere at a certain time. I also understand the TREMENDOUS heartache it must be for you working mama's who have to drop your babies off to work 40 hours a week! Again, all hard! Just different hards!
I feel like I've now officially laid it all out there. I've said ALL the embarrassing things my soul can handle for one day! ;) Mostly, I want this blog to hold me accountable too!
I created a vision board for this year. For those of you who don't know what that is, look it up on Pinterest. Pretty amazing deal! I love how mine turned out. It's motivating and inspiring and keeps me focused on short term AND long term goals.
I think I've blabbed enough today. I do quickly want to say thanks for all the kind words of encouragement yesterday. I was blown away by the people who read and related in some way. That's exactly what I was hoping for! Thanks for letting my 'out' be something that helps you too! It makes my day!
To schedules, routines and breaks for mamas!
xoxo,
Lacy
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Welcome 2017 - Our Year of CHANGE!
Well, hello blog world! Is anyone still out there?! It's early January and clearly my resolutions are off to a great start! Check back in March and we'll see if this thing is still rolling! I've been thinking a lot about blogging lately, and with a little encouragement and a fresh start of a new year, I think it's time to get back into it!
I debated changing the name of this blog. I debated what I wanted to blog about and the direction I wanted to take this. I obviously have health and fitness goals, I LOVE to cook and find new yummy recipes, I am the proudest Lacy/mama to ever exist, and I have a few unique situations and perspectives on life. So what do I want this blog to be? A journal? A fitness blog? Recipes? A butt load of pictures of my kids? A step family how-to and how-NOT-to? A stay at home/ work at home mama play by play? My Rodan + Fields business and my love for these products? To be honest, I have no clue. But really, Just the Beginning really is fitting for all of them. If I had 'made it' in any sense of my life, I wouldn't be here right now. But I'm still learning and still growing, so to me, it is still JUST THE BEGINNING! I'm ready to share it with you all, like I always have ;) on a more intimate level and not just via Social Media. I want to document my life, my struggles, my successes, my goals, my strengths and my weaknesses. And I'm sure to throw in LOTS of pictures and stories of my littles and their daddy - because THEY are my true happiness! :) I can't tell you that I know where this will go, or if it will be read by a single soul. But I'm ready to get my words out and this was always the best way to do it for me!
Fitness Life- well, after losing nearly 40 pounds 2 years ago, it's all found it's way back. I had a baby, but that really wasn't it. I was about 15 lbs from my pre pregnancy weight a year ago (with a 4 month old). Now, I'm back up to where I was late pregnancy. Seriously!? How does that happen? Well, let me tell you. It happens by eating ALL DAY LONG! The biggest struggle for me has been working from home and having my kitchen steps away. I just snack ALL day. It's bad. Sometimes I don't even eat a full meal, it's just a little junk here, a lotta junk there, repeat until bed. THAT is how it happens. I've been incredibly lazy on top of all the holiday foods and it's caught up to me in every way. I have gone to bed MULTIPLE nights sick from all the food eaten that day. I have done NOTHING to fuel my body and give me energy, let alone MOVE my body. I'm sick of it, I'm sick of my clothes not fitting, I'm sick of feeling frumpy and down right chubby. I've got mom bod, but not from my baby. It's from ME! That changes TODAY. We threw out all the junk, but to be honest I'm so motivated I don't think I needed to do it. My mind is there and I'm ready to take back some control! We meal prepped yesterday and it's GO TIME! I've taken measurements, and when I'm brave enough I'll share them. For now, weekly weigh ins and measurements will happen on Monday's and I'll share at least my inches/pounds lost with you. Not sure I'll ever be able to share pictures. Yikes! :( Here's to finding my confidence and happiness with my body, it's overdue!
My Kids- yes kid(S). I will forever refer to them both as mine, because, well, they ARE! I may have given birth to just one of them, but I'm telling you I'd take a bullet in a heartbeat for either of them. I LOVE and LIVE for those two! They are my happiness and my motivation in every aspect of my life. Kailee is 9, going on 16. She is the most mature 9 year old I have ever met, no lie. She is everything I could ever want her to be in a big sister, and is truly the best little friend and help to me. She loves dance, tumbling, art, school, emojis, her brothers and her friends! We are hitting the years where friends are her top priority and none of us are quite ready for it, but it's reality! I adore everything about her! She definitely has her moments but man, that kid is about as good as they come! LOVE HER! Baby Hank is not our baby anymore! He's huge, and happy and so so fun right now! He's finally walking, saying lots of words, and is truly the most tender hearted little boy! He hates to see anyone sad, and has the saddest and cutest pouty face you will ever see! He loves his mama, and is the best kisser ever! He loves to blow kisses, give hugs and snuggle! Gosh, how did we ever live without him?! My happiest mommy moments are when we are ALL 4 together and listening and watching my kids interact and laugh. It's beyond any words I could ever put on paper. It's what life is all about!
Marriage - it's still hard. REALLY hard! And Jake is still without a doubt the best thing about me. I love being his wife, even when I don't like him very much! ;) No, he really is such a sweet man. He's an incredible daddy and an amazing husband. He works hard for us, and I never have to ask him to play or help with our kids. He's always right there and in it with me. I love him for that. Marriage is work, and we've noticed when we stop working, because things are going fine, somehow we end up fighting and distant. Marriage is something you have to work at EVERY SINGLE DAY, and if you stop, things get hard. Jake and I have always said that putting our marriage first makes us better parents, and it truly does. When I get what I need from him, and he gets what he needs from me, we are better people all around! I love living this life with him, through thick and thin! 2016 was rough on us, but he never let go of my hand. It may be a cheesy quote to some, but it's the absolute truth for me. I can conquer the world with one hand, and long as he is holding the other!
Step Family - Okay, so somehow I ended up in a situation I never even considered. To be honest, even while dating Jake I don't think I ever realized what being a part of a blended family meant. I didn't think about how for the rest of my life, I'd have to work and struggle and share. And I'm the step parent! Also, somehow I ended up in the absolute BEST family I could have ever imagined. You know what, that's exactly what we are is FAMILY. We are a blended one, a non traditional one, but a family nonetheless. Does that mean it's always easy? HELL NO! It's as hard as marriage! BUT, it's worth every second! I LOVE our time together! I love when we drop off or pick up and it lasts for an hour. I love that we get together for Christmas and that we have dinner together after every parent teacher conference. I love that we share stories and struggles of Kailee and that the 4 of us together make decisions about her well being. I love that we booked a condo together for the 2nd year in a row for one of K's out of town dance competitions. I love that we work out schedules and switch nights and weekends to make sure K is where she needs to be. I am BEYOND grateful to have found a new friend, who I confide in about a lot of things that you wouldn't think I'd be comfortable with. It truly is AMAZING. And it truly is HARD. Every year, half the holidays are spent without K. Every year two of the four of our hearts are breaking on Christmas morning. And on Thanksgiving, Easter and 4th of July and on the morning of August 25th. It's not always easy, and feelings get hurt, and families miss out, I also want to be honest about that and not just our fun times. It's hard and it's work! After talking with Angie and getting her okay, we'd like to share some of that too. There are SO many people who share our situation and we want to help those people understand both sides! It IS possible to not only make it work, but to make it HAPPY! And then there's the side where I'm also a child of divorced parents. Which means we had about 2948 Christmas parties to attend. It's not easy, but I try and we try to make the best of it!
Working/Stay at home mom- Man, I wish I could have seen the other side of the fence when I thought I had it figured out! Ha ha! When I thought stay at home mom's had ALL the time in the world. Again, ha ha! I guess the biggest thing I've learned is that it's ALL hard. Working full time, staying at home, working at home, working part time, day care, being with your kids ALL day, it's freaking hard! And it's time we start giving each other and ourselves credit for our own 'hards'! Mommies, we are pretty damn special! I've struggled coming up with a routine that works. I've blamed SO much on Hank being an awful sleeper. I've blamed an up and down daycare/grandma day situation, I've blamed being busy or not busy with work. I've blamed everything on someone or something other than ME. So today, I started a schedule. It's early and it's day 1, but I'm excited for what I can accomplish in a day when my day has a plan! I love my job, I truly do and I'm looking forward to taking on more work and being more valuable to a company who remembered me and offered me this amazing position! I work with some AMAZING people and that makes me love it even more! I'm SO excited about my R+F business and journey! These products are amazing and I love the happiness and confidence they are bringing the people who use them, myself included! I can't wait to see where this thing goes!
If you are still reading, bless you and I'm sorry! My intentions weren't to throw it all out there, but more to explain where I am in life right now. Where I want to be in the future and the steps I'm taking to get there. I've been in a somewhat dark and lonely place for the last 6 months, and I guess somewhere deep inside I'm hoping that there is ONE person out there reading this who I can help. Someone who needs a little inspiration, or someone who can relate. I want to make an impact on this world, I want to help people. I want to find my passions and share them with the people I love and care about. And I guess for now, this blog is where I'll try to start!
xoxo,
Lacy
I debated changing the name of this blog. I debated what I wanted to blog about and the direction I wanted to take this. I obviously have health and fitness goals, I LOVE to cook and find new yummy recipes, I am the proudest Lacy/mama to ever exist, and I have a few unique situations and perspectives on life. So what do I want this blog to be? A journal? A fitness blog? Recipes? A butt load of pictures of my kids? A step family how-to and how-NOT-to? A stay at home/ work at home mama play by play? My Rodan + Fields business and my love for these products? To be honest, I have no clue. But really, Just the Beginning really is fitting for all of them. If I had 'made it' in any sense of my life, I wouldn't be here right now. But I'm still learning and still growing, so to me, it is still JUST THE BEGINNING! I'm ready to share it with you all, like I always have ;) on a more intimate level and not just via Social Media. I want to document my life, my struggles, my successes, my goals, my strengths and my weaknesses. And I'm sure to throw in LOTS of pictures and stories of my littles and their daddy - because THEY are my true happiness! :) I can't tell you that I know where this will go, or if it will be read by a single soul. But I'm ready to get my words out and this was always the best way to do it for me!
Fitness Life- well, after losing nearly 40 pounds 2 years ago, it's all found it's way back. I had a baby, but that really wasn't it. I was about 15 lbs from my pre pregnancy weight a year ago (with a 4 month old). Now, I'm back up to where I was late pregnancy. Seriously!? How does that happen? Well, let me tell you. It happens by eating ALL DAY LONG! The biggest struggle for me has been working from home and having my kitchen steps away. I just snack ALL day. It's bad. Sometimes I don't even eat a full meal, it's just a little junk here, a lotta junk there, repeat until bed. THAT is how it happens. I've been incredibly lazy on top of all the holiday foods and it's caught up to me in every way. I have gone to bed MULTIPLE nights sick from all the food eaten that day. I have done NOTHING to fuel my body and give me energy, let alone MOVE my body. I'm sick of it, I'm sick of my clothes not fitting, I'm sick of feeling frumpy and down right chubby. I've got mom bod, but not from my baby. It's from ME! That changes TODAY. We threw out all the junk, but to be honest I'm so motivated I don't think I needed to do it. My mind is there and I'm ready to take back some control! We meal prepped yesterday and it's GO TIME! I've taken measurements, and when I'm brave enough I'll share them. For now, weekly weigh ins and measurements will happen on Monday's and I'll share at least my inches/pounds lost with you. Not sure I'll ever be able to share pictures. Yikes! :( Here's to finding my confidence and happiness with my body, it's overdue!
My Kids- yes kid(S). I will forever refer to them both as mine, because, well, they ARE! I may have given birth to just one of them, but I'm telling you I'd take a bullet in a heartbeat for either of them. I LOVE and LIVE for those two! They are my happiness and my motivation in every aspect of my life. Kailee is 9, going on 16. She is the most mature 9 year old I have ever met, no lie. She is everything I could ever want her to be in a big sister, and is truly the best little friend and help to me. She loves dance, tumbling, art, school, emojis, her brothers and her friends! We are hitting the years where friends are her top priority and none of us are quite ready for it, but it's reality! I adore everything about her! She definitely has her moments but man, that kid is about as good as they come! LOVE HER! Baby Hank is not our baby anymore! He's huge, and happy and so so fun right now! He's finally walking, saying lots of words, and is truly the most tender hearted little boy! He hates to see anyone sad, and has the saddest and cutest pouty face you will ever see! He loves his mama, and is the best kisser ever! He loves to blow kisses, give hugs and snuggle! Gosh, how did we ever live without him?! My happiest mommy moments are when we are ALL 4 together and listening and watching my kids interact and laugh. It's beyond any words I could ever put on paper. It's what life is all about!
Marriage - it's still hard. REALLY hard! And Jake is still without a doubt the best thing about me. I love being his wife, even when I don't like him very much! ;) No, he really is such a sweet man. He's an incredible daddy and an amazing husband. He works hard for us, and I never have to ask him to play or help with our kids. He's always right there and in it with me. I love him for that. Marriage is work, and we've noticed when we stop working, because things are going fine, somehow we end up fighting and distant. Marriage is something you have to work at EVERY SINGLE DAY, and if you stop, things get hard. Jake and I have always said that putting our marriage first makes us better parents, and it truly does. When I get what I need from him, and he gets what he needs from me, we are better people all around! I love living this life with him, through thick and thin! 2016 was rough on us, but he never let go of my hand. It may be a cheesy quote to some, but it's the absolute truth for me. I can conquer the world with one hand, and long as he is holding the other!
Step Family - Okay, so somehow I ended up in a situation I never even considered. To be honest, even while dating Jake I don't think I ever realized what being a part of a blended family meant. I didn't think about how for the rest of my life, I'd have to work and struggle and share. And I'm the step parent! Also, somehow I ended up in the absolute BEST family I could have ever imagined. You know what, that's exactly what we are is FAMILY. We are a blended one, a non traditional one, but a family nonetheless. Does that mean it's always easy? HELL NO! It's as hard as marriage! BUT, it's worth every second! I LOVE our time together! I love when we drop off or pick up and it lasts for an hour. I love that we get together for Christmas and that we have dinner together after every parent teacher conference. I love that we share stories and struggles of Kailee and that the 4 of us together make decisions about her well being. I love that we booked a condo together for the 2nd year in a row for one of K's out of town dance competitions. I love that we work out schedules and switch nights and weekends to make sure K is where she needs to be. I am BEYOND grateful to have found a new friend, who I confide in about a lot of things that you wouldn't think I'd be comfortable with. It truly is AMAZING. And it truly is HARD. Every year, half the holidays are spent without K. Every year two of the four of our hearts are breaking on Christmas morning. And on Thanksgiving, Easter and 4th of July and on the morning of August 25th. It's not always easy, and feelings get hurt, and families miss out, I also want to be honest about that and not just our fun times. It's hard and it's work! After talking with Angie and getting her okay, we'd like to share some of that too. There are SO many people who share our situation and we want to help those people understand both sides! It IS possible to not only make it work, but to make it HAPPY! And then there's the side where I'm also a child of divorced parents. Which means we had about 2948 Christmas parties to attend. It's not easy, but I try and we try to make the best of it!
Working/Stay at home mom- Man, I wish I could have seen the other side of the fence when I thought I had it figured out! Ha ha! When I thought stay at home mom's had ALL the time in the world. Again, ha ha! I guess the biggest thing I've learned is that it's ALL hard. Working full time, staying at home, working at home, working part time, day care, being with your kids ALL day, it's freaking hard! And it's time we start giving each other and ourselves credit for our own 'hards'! Mommies, we are pretty damn special! I've struggled coming up with a routine that works. I've blamed SO much on Hank being an awful sleeper. I've blamed an up and down daycare/grandma day situation, I've blamed being busy or not busy with work. I've blamed everything on someone or something other than ME. So today, I started a schedule. It's early and it's day 1, but I'm excited for what I can accomplish in a day when my day has a plan! I love my job, I truly do and I'm looking forward to taking on more work and being more valuable to a company who remembered me and offered me this amazing position! I work with some AMAZING people and that makes me love it even more! I'm SO excited about my R+F business and journey! These products are amazing and I love the happiness and confidence they are bringing the people who use them, myself included! I can't wait to see where this thing goes!
If you are still reading, bless you and I'm sorry! My intentions weren't to throw it all out there, but more to explain where I am in life right now. Where I want to be in the future and the steps I'm taking to get there. I've been in a somewhat dark and lonely place for the last 6 months, and I guess somewhere deep inside I'm hoping that there is ONE person out there reading this who I can help. Someone who needs a little inspiration, or someone who can relate. I want to make an impact on this world, I want to help people. I want to find my passions and share them with the people I love and care about. And I guess for now, this blog is where I'll try to start!
xoxo,
Lacy
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