Wordless Wednesday

Weight Loss - Weigh In - January 2019

Working out has not been my top priority lately. I always say that my second job starts as soon as I get off from my normal 8-5. Only recently, it's felt more like I have three jobs. So, my main concern was to start eating healthier. Take my supplements, apply my creams, finish my medication plan, and stay on top of my vitamins.  Those have been the goals. So far, I'd say I've done pretty well! I've started eating more veggies and I try not to indulge so much. Though sometimes you just need some fuckin' chocolate, am I right? Unfortunately, even with these changes, I haven't seen any progress in the weight department. And, I'm just taking a wild guess, but I'm going to say it's from lack of consistent exercise. 

Starting Weight (SW): 189 lbs
Current Weight (CW): 191 lbs
Goal Weight (GW): 160 lbs

I've switched over to mainly veggies during the week. My main liquids are water, and coffee. Sodas have been cut out completely and sweet tea only comes in if I go out to eat on the weekends. I've enjoyed some pastas, or pizza for dinner at home but I limit how much I eat. I've been doing this all through January so I was definitely surprised when I got on the scale this morning and learned that my weight had gone up. Not sure if this is a sign that my thyroid isn't getting any better or if dieting alone is just not something that will work for me.

Which brings us to my fitness level. I make it to the gym about once or twice a week. Which puts me way behind on where I wanted to be by now. I know that I need to step it up but life has been really busy lately. It's an excuse, I know. Which is why I've sat down with my planner and started jotting down when I need to fit in a gym session or run. Whether it's during my daughter's dance lessons, right after work, or laps around our block while she's doing homework. I need to create a plan and stick with it. I need to make it a priority again. If I don't see any results after all of this then I need to go address this with my doctor again. We've already decided that I'll be going back for blood work at the end of March. And I'd like to have a good two months of these changes under my belt before looking into other options.

Mentally, I've been feeling pretty good. There's no longer this doom and gloom throughout my day. My anxiety has been cut in half, and I've actually been able to go weeks without one of my medications. Don't worry, I didn't go against the doctor's orders, I'm actually supposed to be doing this. And at the beginning of March I'll start the process of being weaned off of all my prescription meds if everything goes as planned. If that doesn't happen though I'm okay with that too. The goal is to switch over to more natural supplements for the long term, but I'm not going to rush the process.

So, based on the recent numbers it's as if I'm starting all over again because I'm actually heavier than when I first started this monthly weigh-in last year. I'm pretty bummed about it, but I'm also hoping that things are slowly getting back into balance internally so that I can shed the weight once I put in the effort. However, mentally I feel like I'm in such a much better place. This brings me to my goals for February. The first is to log five miles per week. I want to have one day designated to 45 minutes of cardio at the gym and then another day dedicated to 30 minutes of weight lifting. Each week. So, here we go, y'all! Let's see if I can kick it into gear, and finally start seeing some progress. 

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Wordless Wednesday

📷: Technically, credit goes to my uncle for this one. 

A Quick Drop In

This picture has nothing to do with this post. Enjoy.

Emery and I are sitting in bed as the wind picks up outside. We can hear it rattling all of the windows. This is the third day since Saturday that the wind has been really strong and really cold. And I don't know about you but I am ready for Spring to get here. I would love for us to get one last, good, hard freeze before the season changes though. But that's mainly because the insects get bad in the summer if we don't have one. Still, I'm ready for warmer weather. I'm ready for more daylight in my days too. 

This week has already been a hectic one. Last week was no different. I felt like I barely had any time to myself. Though last weekend there was one day that I spent a good three hours binging on "Lucifer" so technically I did have some downtime. I'm ready for a vacation though. I'm ready to see my friend Kamille, and lounge on the beach. I'm ready to NOT be concerned about bills or having a schedule. NO work emails or quotes. I'm ready to spend uninterrupted time with my daughter. Just turn off my phone and decompress. But that will have to wait for now. 

Beau was able to find a vehicle that he could afford, and pay for it in cash. It needed a lot of work so with the help of my parents, and myself we were able to help him get it up and running. Then I had a few things on my car repaired, and it looks like I'll be keeping her a while longer. I was really hoping to get a newer vehicle, but I need to see how I do on my own first. You know, on a single income and all. So, once my tax return comes in I'll be using some of it to have a few other repairs done instead of using it as a down payment. If I can have my current car last me two more years that would be pretty awesome! It will give me some time to put away a good chunk for the next vehicle I do end up getting. Plus, that's two more years with no monthly car payment. Can't go wrong with that, right? 

That's about all I have for now, y'all. I've been busy getting all of my pictures changed, and I've made it all the way to the year 2013. Woohoo! Only five more years worth of posts to go! I'm hoping to get back to regular blogging by February. Oh! I finally got myself a new phone too! My 6S Plus was on its last leg so I finally decided to just bite the bullet and get a new one. And let me just say that I am LOVING it. I can't wait to test out the camera in different settings, and modes. Anywho, off I go for more picture replacing. Until the next post, I hope you have a good one!

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A Flickr Project

Recently, I had been having some issues with Flickr. This is the photography site I use to host my pictures. I’ve had an account since high school-- yes I’m aware it’s not intended to be for “hosting” but rather a community. Well, recently I noticed that a lot of my posts from two years ago had pictures that went missing. When I checked entries farther back I encountered the same problem. “Picture Not Found”. Then back in November I found out that they had decided to limit free accounts. We had until the beginning of January to either pay $60 or we'd have our accounts "locked". Once accounts were locked then we had until the end of January to bring our photograph count down to the max 1,000 limit or they would be deleted.

Now, I don’t know what the heck was going on but it looked like some of my photos had already been removed. There was a mention of a 200 photo limit that was placed during a certain time period? Anyway, that $60 is not in my budget right now so I started the process of downloading all of my albums & uploading them to Google Photos. They offer free unlimited storage as long as I don’t want full resolution. Which I’m totally cool with. But once all of the albums were uploaded I had to begin the process of going back to reinsert all of my pictures. Starting with my very first entry and moving to present day. Fun times ahead, right?!

So that's a project I've been working on lately. I've also had a lot going on that I kind of left it to the last minute. And this is why I haven't had a lot of time to really sit down and write anything lately. Any down time I get, I use it to go and re-do the pictures. Since there are almost a thousand posts I've been chipping away little by little. I hope to have this all finished by the end of this weekend. Fingers crossed! So, unfortunately, this week is going to look a bit bare over here. Sorry!

Wordless Wednesday

Our Christmas Break

I did as I had planned. My back was giving me issues the entire time, still not back to being 100%, but I chose to make the best of it. We spent the first half with family, and spent as much time together as possible. We went to the movies, and sat out by a fire making s’mores. We ran errands together, and ate tortillas with rice and beans for the majority of our meals. We had breakfast together, and copious amounts of coffee. We mourned the loss of my grandmother. When my dad finally arrived home on Christmas day we were all there to greet him. We cried together. When the hustle and bustle of Christmas faded I took time for myself. I put the phone down, and enjoyed my time at home with Emery. We had Netflix marathons in our PJ’s. She rode her new bike, and we went for walks around the neighborhood. On the days when the weather was nasty we spent it reading books, and drinking hot chocolate. When New Year’s Eve finally arrived we counted down on east coast time with my parents before heading home for the night. Emery had sleepily stated, “Mom, I think you’re right about not making it to midnight. I’m callin’ it at 11.” When we got home I tucked her into bed, and started picking up the house before getting ready for bed myself. I barely made it to midnight. With a few “Happy New Year!” texts sent I quickly fell asleep. And then it was back to reality. To routines and schedules. So, today I'm going to share a few pictures from our time at home. I hope everyone else had a wonderful winter break! 

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Some Goals For the New Year

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year's Day! I had a wonderful time being off, and just getting to spend whole days with my little. Honestly, there's nothing better than those cuddles, and days spent in PJ's. All of that goodness aside, I've also been thinking a lot about the future. Reflecting on what's important to me. Thinking about the things that I want to accomplish, things that I'd like to attain, and weight goals that I'm wanting to reach. I've been thinking about changes I want to implement in my life, and how I want to focus more on my family. On being a good mom. I want to opt outside more and embark on some of the adventures Emery has been wanting to go on. The past year was a bit of a rocky one for us, and it's taken a lot for me to finally feel like we're finally getting settled. I also feel like I'm making some real progress in living a life that I want. A good life. One that isn't constant stress, anxiety, and struggle. One that will benefit my daughter in a positive and healthy way. So, what better time than now to start putting those long-term changes into motion? No more "just thinking" about them it's time to start doing.

For 2019 I have four main goals I'd like to focus on. The first goal is to get myself a vehicle. Since Beau had that accident with the deer and the car was considered a total loss I let him have my vehicle. He needed one, and my parents have allowed me to use one of theirs for the meantime. He has stated that he will be giving it back as soon as he can get another one up and running. His work isn't consistent during the winter so it's easier for me to be the one who saves money in order to put a down payment down on a vehicle. I have my heart set on two particular ones that I would love to get, and either of them would be great for when Emery starts driving too. Yes, I'm thinking that far ahead. So, God willing, I'm able to save a good chunk in the next two months to be able to afford one or the other. 

The second goal I have is to explore more trails and national/state parks. I'd also like to finally summit a mountain by the end of the year. I may even consider attempting Wheeler Peak again. I know that I can do it, and even if it takes me a whole day I want to see the view from a mountaintop. But first, I want to explore some more. I want to take Emery on more of those outdoor adventures she's been asking to go on. I'd also like to finally take her on that California vacation I've been promising for the past three years. Each year started with the financial ability to do so, but there was always something that would come up. Now, I may not be able to afford a whole week, but maybe we can head out for a weekend. The last time we were out there she was barely walking, and she's constantly asking me when we'll go back. She tells me she's wanting to be able to go and actually remember the visit this time. To remember the ocean. So, I'm praying that this year I'll finally be able to give her that experience.

The third goal for the year is to do away with the majority of social media. I recently went through my accounts and deleted/unfriended people that I haven't been in communication with in a few years. I unfollowed pages, celebrities, and inactive accounts. I plan to narrow it down even farther over the weekend too. I'm just so tired of all the noise, you know? I get that a lot of these platforms are wonderful, help spread our words, and keep us in touch. But it can also be really harmful to our mental health. It can start to chip away at your self-esteem, and make you feel like everyone else in the world is living these perfect lives except for you. It can be divisive, and full of passive-aggressive racism. And while I totally have no issue with people expressing their opinions or outlooks because it's their right, I can choose to not give it my attention because that's my right. So, the end goal is to become less active on social media. I want to write more on my blog and finally get the camera I've been wanting for a while now in order to take pictures. I feel like this will help me limit my phone use as well. Fewer distractions and being more present. This year I want to focus more on writing and navigating this new chapter of my life. And I don't want to be dragged under by all of the negativity that you can find on social media. 

The fourth goal is weight based. I really would love to lose about 40 lbs this year. No fad diets, or weight loss supplements though. I don't mind having some pre-workout or protein shakes when needed, but nothing else. No keto or intermittent fasting. I want to start incorporating more fruits and vegetables into my diet. I also want to get on a consistent workout schedule again and make water my "go to" drink. I also want to be more aware of what I'm putting into my body. Emery's as well. Once I was given answers about my hormones and thyroid it really opened up my eyes to how much our food, and products play a role in them. I mean, I knew that a lot of the food and products we consume are harmful to us in the long term. I just didn't realize that it was playing such a huge part in my imbalances in the here and NOW. And even though, for me, the cost of products has always been a factor in what I choose to buy there were a few things that I was recently able to switch. Deodorant, facial products, and toothpaste. Pairing that with the vitamins and the topical treatments that my doctor instructed me to start I've felt much better overall. My energy is still on the lower side, but I was told that it would take a minimum of six months for my Vitamin D to fully replenish itself. On the physical side I recently had a small setback in the form of back problems. This is why I haven't been able to really hit the gym like I wanted to back at the beginning of December. But my chiropractor finally gave me the green light to start back up with low impact stuff for now. Once I'm back to feeling 100% I plan to make exercise a priority again.

Now, there are several other things I'd like to achieve this year too. I'd like to beat my last years' sales at work. I want to spend more time with my family. Those near and far. I want to finally get out of unnecessary debt, or at the very least get it down to about half. I have about $8,000 to go. I'd like to be able to afford vaccines, and flea treatments for both dogs consistently all year long. I want to repaint my living room, dining area, and kitchen if possible this Spring. I want to install new flooring into two of the rooms in my house that desperately need it. And maybe (fingers crossed) get a dishwasher installed. I want to learn how to cook authentic Mexican food. To learn and incorporate more of the Mexican traditions into our life as well. I also want to make my church a priority, and possibly get more involved with it. I've always had ideas on how they could improve the catechism class and ways for it to raise more funds for mission trips. I've had ideas on how to get younger people involved again, and ways to seek out some help from the students at our local university. I've just always felt like I was "too busy" to make the time or not "important enough" for anyone to listen to my ideas. Lately, I've felt this pull to finally speak up though. And this is just the beginning really. There's a lot more I'd like to achieve, or set into motion this year. There's a lot I want for us. I know that I may check several of these off of my list or none at all. But I at least want to start. I want to be working towards creating a better future for my family. Most importantly though, I really want 2019 to be a good one. I want it to be as healthy and happy as possible for all of us. 

Wordless Wednesday