One thing that I like to do to help remove stress from the week and break up my routine is arts and crafts.

I took a class Friday on working with wood. Here is my blank canvas

A stained look after a little sanding. A grainy piece but I like the imperfections.

One hiccup, do not go by the cut out, but rather the words or your piece will be slightly tilted.

Removing the tape…

Do not forget to color your words… “A little color and a little bit of paint makes my canvas  what she ain’t.”

Removing the stickers

What a finish…  “Be in love with your life. Every minute of it.” Jack Kerouac

Its week 2 of my 8 week 10k running plan. It’s a easy day by comparison only 20 minutes of an easy run. Thank you Lord, coming off of two days of exercise classes and a so far rough week with no sleep I’m beat. Oh and not to mention one of my regular customers today told me I looked pregnant. Nice… lol Oh well, I am chalking it up too she 80 and can’t see. Smiley face lol.

I have always had a love/hate relationship with the scale. For as far back as I can remember the scale was something I dreaded and then finally looked upon as magnificent when I reached the beautiful number 120 weight and Size 2 jeans.

Me in 2003 at age 20 in a size 4

I loved that number, I did everything for that number I was truly obsessed. I took CLA’s religiously; ate lean cuisines for breakfast, lunch and dinner; scarf down weight loss supplements, and finally low-calorie diets. All while exercising 5 days a week. Ridiculous.  Did I mention I did a few of these things while I was pregnant? Like eat lean cuisines and walk on my treadmill everyday until I was hospital bound.

Me at 35 weeks getting ready to be induced

In the end, I gained cottage cheese legs, which I still have, high blood pressure, which I take medication for and an irregular fast heartbeat which I also take medication for and requires me to visit my doctor twice a year for monitoring. This all could me hereditary of course but I truly believe what I was doing to myself was a direct result.

Me today before my run 

I am now in a size 6 and just this Monday I had to visit my doctor for a checkup.  The wonderful scale number that day???  162 lbs

A far cry from my days before, but hopefully soon, a lot healthier.  My conclusion from Monday after my satisfactory checkup, screw a scale number.

That “beloved” number as since left me, but for a wonderful reason. 

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

Hey guys, so I lost a few followers this past week. It happens I understand, but I figured I would touch on this briefly. I started this blog as a tool to help me become a better Mother, wife and best of all a better person. I came into this experience excited with no research done and a bit naive.  For that I apologize. I failed to respond to comments from my awesome followers and it was brought to my attention that I need to post more than once a week.  So here we go, a new beginning of our new journey together. Thanks for all the love. I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow.

Hey guys! I know it has been a few days since I wrote on my blog. I was just so amazed and blessed to see all the wonderful comments and all the shares, that I relished in the awesomeness for a while.  It took a lot for me to publish something so personal and vulnerable and I’m so elated that it had such a positive impact on so many people.

I had a lot of comments regarding workouts and not having enough time to squeeze them in. As a Mama, wife and full-time employee I totally understand this and can relate to never having enough time to do anything. My advice, take it slow. Drink plenty of water,  start changing up your eating habits, take the stairs instead of the elevator, take a walk when you get home, or just tend a garden. Anything to get you out and up and doing something physically active. Once you get ready to tackle an at home workout you can do something like:

30 body squats- 10 push ups- 20 lunges- 10 opposite arm & leg lift – 15 second plank- 30 jumping jacks after you are done STRETCH! Do this 2 to 3 days a week. Or you can Google at home workouts there are plenty of ideas to choose from. Once you build up some confidence you can start challenging yourself to join the gym or take some fitness classes.

Good luck and thanks for continuing to follow my journey! Love to All!

So, while I was in Nashville I received some negative comments regarding the way I pose for pictures. Things like “you don’t look like you are getting fit mama”; “5ks are not serious runs”;  and “maybe you should change up your routine so your appearance will change”.  These comments left me feeling sad and vulnerable. 

Here I am at the finish line of the Rock & Roll 5k. 

How could a person be so cruel and mean??  Fitness and Health come in all shapes and sizes. Don’t believe me, just go to a race. Every body type from short to tall and skinny and healthy are present and giving all they got (for the most part 😉). As long as a person is actively trying to better themselves that is all that matters in my opinion. Not what some label says or the number on a scale. Love the body you are in and respect it with good food and plenty of exercise. 

So who would say such things to someone? It might be hard to believe, but it is someone I hold near and dear to my heart. 

It’s myself

As far back as I can remember I’ve been dealing with these feelings. Something will happen or nothing will happen and these feelings come washing over me like an infectious sickness. I hate it, my inner battles are uglier than the ones I have with others and everyday is different. Some days I can get up and charge like a bull my day ahead. Others are wrapped with doubt, frustration, and a roller coaster of emotions. 

But I get up and tell myself whatever it takes to get out of the bed and get going. Today it was taking more pictures for my own satisfaction. 

Until tomorrow…

This is my first trip to Nashville TN and I’m having a blast! I bought a cowboy hat a pair of black sassy cowboy boots and hit up Music City last night!  

Myself and my fellow blogger kaybay the Racing Queen are here for St Jude’s Rock and Roll 5k! 

Our race starts at 6:00am on Saturday. This will be one of the largest races I have ever done (size wise) and I’m use to ATL Peachtree Road Races. ( Which are a blast and a must for my running pals.)

We are getting up, getting going and hoping to meet some fellow racers and run into a few Celebrities 😉 wish us luck!

On a side note we are planning my first half soon. (13.1 here I come) I’ve got in narrowed down to NOLA, Virginia Beach, Disney, and LV!  Decisions Decisions 

Rest Day,  ugg, the dreaded rest Day. By the time I am feeling good, ready to power up and keep going rest day creeps around the corner like an unwanted visitor.  Something that I have to address and take care off  for the benefit of everything. 

   
Today I took my rest Day. It was not my plan at all, I had planned to get an hour of yoga done, come home and do 45 minutes of circuit training followed by 20 minutes of core work. I woke up with that ” feeling”. Everyone who has worked out any knows the feeling I’m talking about. When something is “off”. When you wake up and the day seems strange, nothing goes right, like your coffee maker dying, the rhythm is off beat.

That was my day today. You gotta listen to your body when it’s screaming for rest. Something that’s not always easy to notice. 

Here are a few tips that you need a rest.

1) You have plateaued- let’s face it we have all been there. If you have not seen much change in awhile it might be time to take a break and switched it up.

2) Your moody, tired or overly sleepy- being sleepy while working out can cause a host of problems including injury. Save it for another day

3) You are in pain- soreness and occasionally tenderness is one thing but outright pain is another nasty creature and not something to ignore. Treat your body with more respect and take care of it.

4) Too much anxiety- exercise is good for your mental state, I mean c’mon endorphins??? If your snapping folks heads off for small issues, you might want to take a day or two to relax and unwind

 I mean this is a lot of work not to enjoy yourself, right?? 

I love the Spring, especially April,  everything gives way to all the green. Winter is but a memory now and all its sadness quickly disappears from my view.  My southern world is vibrant and lush and full of beautiful pink, white, yellow & red colors.

What a beautiful view to take in while I run my 3 miles. I had 3 miles to run today for my 5k running plan. I set a goal for myself back in October of 2016 to run a 5k every month for the whole year of 2017. Trying to re-train myself for running has been harder than I had anticipated. Where in the heck is my muscle memory??? How come I am not shedding the weight as easily as I use too??  Whatever the reason I have not stopped on my journey. Merrily looking at my murky view in a different light has helped me to continue on even when at times  I feel that it is hopeless.

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/style/fit-for-life

Then I came across the fit pregnancy article.  5 reasons you’re not losing the baby weight and LiveStrong Why is it so hard to lose Baby weight? Wouldnt you know it I have had problems in all almost all of these areas.

1. No sleep, (insert laugh here) how many Mama’s catch z’s?? Seriously though on average we need 7.5 hours of sleep to function normally. To help that, avoid a lot of caffeine in the afternoons (oops) and shy away from heavy meals and alcohol before bed. This will help to create a more normal sleep pattern.

2.Way to much stress, I’m a mom enough said, but stress is a nasty beast that can      wreak havoc on my facets of our lives and weight gain is one of them. Research says to avoid over eating, take a walk to elevate stress,  breathe and my fav beef up your meals with a little spice such as hot peppers.  YUM.

3. Being to hard on yourself. I am especially bad at this one. I ran 3 miles today what the heck am I complaining about??? I should be proud of 3 miles, some folks cannot even walk a mile, and I am being a big baby over running 3 miles not the way I assumed in my head I should run? Please… Chill out girlfriend and thank your lucky stars you get to run. One more day of eating right and exercising well. That is a success. Period.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/391379-why-is-it-so-hard-to-lose-baby-weight/

http://www.health.com/nutrition/5-ways-to-beat-stress-induced-weight-gain

3 miles essentials

I had my goal, step one was complete, now I needed my plan.  Goals are much easier than plans in my opinion. Coming up with a goal no biggie, anyone can dream up something they would love to obtain. Me, I had a world of things I wanted. More money, classic car, nice big house, long legs, a job as a professional shopper, I think you get the idea. However, with no lottery winnings,  different genetics and not marrying a billionaire most of these goals were going to be unattainable. I was about to hit my wall of “big fat chance on that one girl” when I decided to reevaluate my situations and in a BIG way.

Step 1)  Do a little research. I came across several great articles to help access my future success.   This one however stood out  for me.

https://www.newbreedmarketing.com/blog/difficulty-achieving-goals

I, in the past, have had a few run ins with lack of commitment, setting unattainable goals, not celebrating my success and expecting unrealistic results. Which turns into a big mess of chaos, bellowing like a lost, sad cow and the dreaded over eating (Just think Bill Murray in Groundhog Day)

Step 2) committing myself to a Goal. Regardless of whats going on in my day commit myself to do whatever is planned that day. Not pushing things to the wayside because I get too busy or too tired. It’s easy to do things when your pumped or feeling great about the day. What separates us from everyone else is when you complete your commitments not feeling great. That is the thing that pushes us above average.

Step 3) Seeing my goal to the end. Finishing what I started e and not quitting until its complete. Easy enough right? Nope, its been shown that 92% of people do not finish what they start. Only 8% of people see their goals to the end! Are you kidding me??? I have not seen crappy results like these since I decided to tie the knot with my hubby.

Okay, so I not a nice joke but my point is across. To break it down a little more… the average person will walk 75,000 miles in their life, that is an equivalent of 3 times around the Earth but they can not stick to only eating one dessert a week for 30 days??? Cray Cray….

So there you go, planning for my success “A goal without a plan is just a wish” Now on to the fun… My plan and my goals

Running is therapeutic, I love how I feel when my mind is totally silent and still.  The world turns off, if only momentarily and all your senses turn into pure instinct as your only worry is completing the journey.  I slide my beats on over my ears and enjoy the silence of no toddler meltdowns, no phones ringing, no questions about dinner or who’s turn is it to give the baby a bath. If only for a moment I am totally at peace with the world. I watch it zoom by me with no sound as I stretch my tired muscles and try to shake off the day. With every stretch I can hear my heart beating in my ears as anticipation of my run begins to set in.  I bow my head and say a prayer that my knee cooperates, that my legs don’t feel like jello and that I am able to make it across the finish line with no injuries, lastly being thankful that I can come out and run today. All things I have been known to take for granted.  As I raise my head and slowly walk to the starting line I take in the day and breath in the fresh air as I hit play on my headset and begin my journey.

One of the original running buddies