Finding Joy in the Ordinary

Some days it takes all your energy to get out of bed, let alone make the bed, make breakfast, clean, dishes, laundry, etc. Other days all the daily tasks seem like blessings. How's that possible? Perspective, mood, a good nights sleep?

The past couple days have been completely ordinary and perfectly wonderful. After a couple weeks with lots of travel and visiting family and friends, all of which I loved, I am very grateful to be back home and in a routine.

I never thought I'd appreciate all the steps in making meals, helping with homework, putting laundry away,cleaning, and organizing things. I'm so grateful for the opportunity that I've been given to do all these things.

I've been trying to find joy daily with some of my newly established routines. I started writing in my journal each morning and evening. I start by listing the things I'm grateful for, even the mundane like making a new recipe that the whole family enjoyed! I also list prayer intentions for myself and others as well as what goal(s) I have for the day.

As well as journaling, I have been waking up earlier to start my new morning routine. I know this doesn't sound joyful, especially since I LOVE sleeping, but I have found great happiness in waking up, journaling, and then making breakfast for my family as well as preparing their lunches. Honestly not too long ago I found this idea as completely foreign and tedious. I was approaching the idea the same way that I used to when I was working full time, as another task on my endless list of tasks for each day. Now I see it as an opportunity to help lesson the load of all three of my "boys'" daily jobs.

I have found elation in organizing the game closet, vacuuming, sweeping, playing with playdough and painting with Natalie, and enjoying the 50 degree weather by taking down Christmas lights and cleaning up the garbage around the yard. How? I see the finished product, even if it's fleeting, I see the happiness in my daughter's eyes when painting or the thank yous from the boys when I make them eggs in the morning.

I aim to add meditation and more blogging into my routine. I also hope that I don't lose my ability to see the joy in the daily things and that my new routines will contribute to my success.

Life can be difficult, tedious, and feel like a constant struggle to complete tasks. We have to make an effort to see the joy in those daily tasks so that, one day, we see the joy effortlessly in all we do. The work is hard, the reward is great.

2017 The Best Year Yet: Goal Setting

Happy New Year!

A new year is a fresh start, a clean slate. Some find it cliché or, perhaps, silly to make resolutions but I think it's the perfect time. We can look back at the past year and decide what parts of ourselves we'd like to strengthen and nourish. We can also ask ourselves, "what would make me look back at this year with pride?"

I have come up with a list of things that sprung into my mind, feel free to use any of them that fit you!

* Volunteer more                *Lose X amount of weight (or get closer to my recommended BMI)
*Give up an addiction (sugar, alcohol, tobacco, pinterest-kidding, etc.)
*Take up opportunities for professional development                *Become more organized
*Spend more time in prayer/ meditation                                     *Lesson my debt/ become debt free


I know there are many more but what you/I need to do is focus on a couple of the big ones. My main focus for 2017 is to let go of my anger and frustration and concentrate on happiness and self love. I think it's important to find a thesis statement (of sorts) or commitment statement for your aspirations for the year. Now this will sound broad, because it is, however, it needs to be something that I can look in the mirror on December 31st, 2017 and say it in confidence. "I DID let go of my anger and frustration, I DID find happiness and self love!"  I know, cheesy, right? But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Let me give another example. Say that my goal was to lose 40 pounds. I cannot have a statement that says, My main focus is to lose forty pounds... well you can but, may I suggest instead to say, I will make a commitment to a healthier lifestyle and will see it reflected in my mind and body. If you need help developing a statement, I would be MORE than happy to help!

After developing your commitment statement, that's when the real work begins. How am I going to make that statement into reality? What steps can I take to ensure its fulfillment? What mini goals can I make to move myself into the right direction?

Let go back to the example of losing weight. In order to create that healthier lifestyle, there are many things that can and need to be changed. I suggest sitting down with a planner and journal (or notebook). In the notebook write down all of the things that you need to do in order to make a healthy lifestyle and the specifics that go with it.
Examples: HEALTHIER FOOD- more fruits and veggies, lots of water, healthy recipes, track foods that are consumed
EXERCISE- decide if you can afford a local gym or if you're going to work out at home, what exercises do you like or are you open to trying, when can you fit working out into your schedule, what clothes or supplies will you need to ensure you get up and moving without excuses
SUPPORT- will my family be supportive or do I need to find a group that motivates me (i.e. Weight Watchers, TOPS group, etc.), do I have a friend that would hold me accountable to go to the gym with him/her, is there a person I can call if I need a distraction from mindless eating

Once you have exhausted your list of all the things that need to change and ways to do it, then we break it all down into mini goals. Let look at the HEALTHIER FOOD category. It can be broken down into weekly goals, I will eat 3 veggies every day this week, or monthly goals, In January I will drink 60oz of water each day and consume 3-5 servings of fruits and veggies at least 25 days this month. The most important thing to do is WRITE IT DOWN, write your mini goals in your planner as a constant reminder. You should also record daily things, such as when you ARE going to workout or on this day you ARE going to try a new fruit... whatever the case may be. I also encourage you to check it off when you complete it and to be constantly making new goals. Let's say in January you worked out 20 days and you had made a goal of 20 days in February, why not switch it to 22 days?

The main idea is that you create mini goals and write them down, all feeding into your main commitment statement for the year. Never get discouraged and keep looking for new mini goals to create.

The Have and Have Nots

THE HAVE(S):

* GOALS!

        In order to successfully do anything, it's important to have goals. Most things I've read suggest small goals, but not too many, that lead to a big goal. For me, this means setting weekly goals in different facets of my life. My summer weekly goals will be set on Sundays and may vary depending on what events or situations I know will be occurring during the upcoming week. 

        

        Today, I'm setting my goals for the next week and a half. I'm going to break them into a few different categories.

             1) Nutrition:  

                  a) Record EVERYTHING on myfitnesspal.com

                  b) Brush teeth when the kids do to prevent late night munchies

                  c) Begin Sugar Detox (see info graph below)

                  d) Rejoin Weight Watchers

             2) Health:

                  a) Go to bed at early enough time to get 8 hours of sleep

                  b) Go on a daily walk

                  c) Call Physical Therapist to set up more appointments

              3) Fitness:

                   a) Continue training for RASDAK (if support from PT)

                   b) Plan which classes work into the schedule and GO TO THEM!

* REWARDS!

         Not only are goals important but rewards for reaching set goals are a necessity to keep you on track! Rewards are not just for reaching weight loss/fitness goals, but other goals for work, organization, etc. are important too. Rewards do not need to cost money, should not always include food (especially if your ultimate goal is to lose weight), nor do they need to be complicated. I love the article on Spark People about 50 Non Food Rewards. 

          I have a few rewards already in place but I wanted a visual reward and motivator. I dug out my favorite outfits that I no longer fit into and have hung them in a place to create a visual reminder. My long term goal & reward is to wear these when school resumes. I CAN & WILL DO IT!

*FAITH and SUPPORT

         

        You can do all things through Christ. (Phil. 4:13)  No matter what you are struggling with or working on it is considerably more difficult without support and faith. I'm going to dedicate a whole entry to only this category because there are so many things that I could write a book (some have) about this topic. A quick synopsis, find friends with similar goals that you can rely on to cheer you on and push you when needed. I also encourage prayer and reading scripture as a source of strength, love, and encouragement.

THE HAVE NOTS:

*SUGAR!

      

         Hi, my name is Katie and I have a sugar addiction (as do most Americans). I have decided that the best time for me to break away from the addiction will be this upcoming Monday. It's like ripping off a band-aide and just needs to be done. I found two great sites that give sugar detox instructions:

 Break Your Sugar Addiction in 10 Days  and How to Detox from Sugar in 10 Days.  I don't plan on giving it up for good but I want to know that my will power muscle is still functioning. I also feel it's a good jumping point to get back into healthy eating. Prayers for my family and anyone that runs into over those 10 days, I might be a bear...

*EXCUSES and PITY PARTIES!

        Everyone has their own list of "reasons" they cannot workout. I hear them all the time, sometimes in my own head. I'm too busy. Children. I'm too tired. I don't like it. My ______ hurts so I can't.  The flip side is that if you don't make time, when you finally have the time, your body will be in such bad shape, you won't be able much of anything. I HATE that I can't do weight lifting and boot camp type workouts (seriously) but I know that doing nothing but pout won't help either. Walking, recumbent bike, swimming are all things that can be done without putting too much strain on the body. I also know that returning to physical therapy will also set me on the right track to eventually doing burpees again!

Why doesn't our body come with an owner's manual?

I'm still having a big issue with writer's block, this sentence alone took me five six days to write. The past six or so weeks have been a roller coaster with out of whack hormones and stress induced depression. Every morning I wake up with determination to get back on track with my healthy eating and by mid afternoon it goes down hill very quickly. If only our bodies would come with an owner's manual to help combat these tough times.

Honestly, I'm amazed that I've only gained about 8 pounds back over the past month. Not that I'm proud of that but, with the amount of unhealthy food I've consumed, I should have put on 20lbs.  I've had countless doctor's appointments and think that I'm on the path to recovery. The problem is I'm not there yet and I need to overcome the urges I have to eat junk food in order to create an imaginary happiness.

Where do I go from here?

1) Continue teaching classes at the Y and start back up with running
2) Begin regularly blogging and journaling about my progress to hold myself accountable
3) Faithfully record my food and exercise on Myfitnesspal as well as in the accountability group I'm in on FB
4) Redo body measurements, find out my body fat %, and take a "before" picture
5) Daily meditation to help reduce stress
6) Begin every day with prayer, reevaluating my goals/ looking over my vision board
7) Pray for strength, will power, and faith & knowledge that God is in charge and that I must trust in Him!

Reaching your goal and the depression that follows

I did it! I reached my goal weight for the YMCA weight loss challenge that began in January. I was really certain that I wasn't going to get there but I worked my butt off (literally) and succeeded. The goal was 140 lbs. and has been my ultimate goal since the beginning. I'm thoroughly elated and received a huge hug from a Y staff member that was rooting for me. It was a wonderful moment.

You would assume that I am living on cloud nine... but I'm not. Here's the thing, I worked so hard for more than a year, made sacrifices, pushed myself further than I ever have before. I've created a new, healthier version of myself and have had a constant goal in mind. Now that I've reached this goal I think I had built up the final result. In my mind, once I obtained my goal I think I expected fireworks, confetti, balloons, a party, etc. I assumed that the minute that number appeared on the scale my life would be radically changed. What a terrible, gut wrenching feeling to discover that, after the initial elation, you are still the same you, no fairy godmother has transformed your existence.

This heartache lasted (and will continue to some extent to last a little while longer) until I had some reflection time while doing dishes this evening. I have radically changed and transformed, it did not happen overnight but in a long progression of time. My go to snacks and meals have changed, what I considered a binge is drastically less than what it used to be, I look forward to working out and have been slowly passing these habits onto my children.

I may not have a party, confetti, or balloons but I can be proud of the journey I've taken and grateful for the blessings I've received. I'm also excited to create another goal for myself after enjoying this week off from scales and the stress of losing weight.

Made my goal weight!

Sunday Ponderings

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I had a blessed day celebrating the birth of our Savior and spending quality time with friends and family over the past few days.
I'm hoping that some of my tips helped you to get through the holidays. I wish I would have followed more of them myself but I did my best to fill up with water and binge on the veggie trays. I didn't get a workout in on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday but have decided that I'm okay with that. I am grateful for the time I spent with loved ones and now have a few days to get myself back on track. I'm looking forward to getting back into a routine and having a few days to clean house (focusing on the fridge and cupboards).

With New Year's Day coming in just a few short days, it's that time of the year to look back over the past few months, evaluate, and decide what your goals are for 2015. I spent our long car trip reflecting on this past year. I believe that I made a lot of steps in the correct path; I took charge of my health, joined WW and restarted my membership to the YMCA, I began running again and completed my first 10K, I spent more quality time with my children, and furthered my education. I am very proud and grateful for all these wonderful revisions I've made in my life, however I know that this is not a simple walk in the park, it's a journey on a windy, endless path. So here I am, looking behind at the uphill, rocky path and looking ahead at a similar path, perhaps not as steep but still with many obstacles awaiting me.

Over the next couple days I will create a plan for the upcoming year's resolutions and the best way to approach them (in my opinion). For now I'm going to assess 2014 and make a list of the positive experiences and the ones that I can learn from. Have a marvelous Monday!

Hello, my name is Katie and I'm addicted to potato salad...

Memorial day welcomes the summer and summer brings the potato salad. I love potato salad, the color, smell and taste. It is very rarely that I have encountered potato salad that I didn't like and I can usually have it at a couple special occasions and call it good. Unfortunately, really good potato salad is NOT really good for you and adds up all Weight Watcher points before your belly realizes how full you truly are! I can't just stop at potato salad, however, I'm a potato girl and enjoy my chips too and, for some reason, chips seem to be more abundant during this season as well.

I know that one of the golden rules for permanent weight loss is to not eliminate anything from your diet, the problem is that I do not have the self control to say no to that wonderful root vegetable and, therefore, must eliminate it from the house. I won't say that I will never have these delectable indulgences again, there is just no room for them in my fridge/ cupboards anymore. I want to be a better me and to build my will power muscle but I believe I must also recognize my weaknesses and create an environment where I can more easily obtain my goals.

This week at Weight Watchers we discussed going through our fridges. The message really hit home as I rummaged for food this weekend, not because I was hungry, but because I was enjoying adult beverages. I have been much better about not keeping them in my house but had bought some to celebrate the holiday weekend. The less I have my wits the less I care about points or the cues my stomach tries to send to my brain. I will have to be more selective about the availability of said drinks and limit them to very special occasions in which I have also eliminated impulsive, unnecessary snacks and food. I will be clearing out my own fridge and cupboards this week to start this process. Our fridge and counters are currently full of many fruits and veggies from Bountiful Baskets as well as the grocery store so if I get rid of many of the processed food we'll have no option but to snack on the good stuff. 

My foot is on the mends, I'll be cleaning up my pantry, and be back on schedule with workout classes and half marathon training. All of these steps should ensure an easier road to my goal weight and hopefully before the end of June. I'm not totally naive, I know there will be a few more bumps and forks in the road, nonetheless, I'm optimistic that by attempting to stack the deck in my favor, I will come out triumphant by mid summer.

Putting myself out there means opening myself up to criticism...

I'll admit it, I like a complement as much as the next person. It definitely makes all my hard work seem worth it and pushes me to try harder. I have discovered, however, that there's a flip side to receiving praise, receiving the cold shoulder and/or criticism. Yes, I have been checking into the gym, sharing this blog, and posting motivational fitness quotes on facebook. I am NOT doing it to brag or to make people feel bad about their lives, my two main purposes are:

1) It makes me get off my butt and go do something knowing that SOMEONE may see it.

2) If it motivates even one person to be active, I feel a sense of accomplishment!

I have felt that the more time goes by and the more days I post my check-ins and quotes, I have found a surprising number of people that are distant and unkind when I see them in person. Some have said things like, "Oh, are you going to put this on fb?" or others who won't even talk to me as if I have nothing new to say (I ALWAYS have something to say and LOVE talking to people)!? It actually really hurts my feelings when others don't seem interested in having a conversation with me. Do they think all I'm going to do is talk about what workout I went to today or how many points my food is worth?!? I have three kids for goodness sake and work with elementary kids all day, I have tons of other exciting things to fill conversation with than myself! I love to chat about family, books, movies, weather, climate change, common core, Obama care, or Norway, to name a few ideas...
I would never try to make someone feel bad or guilty but, if someone wanted advice or motivation, I would be more than willing to share ideas or information.

I will continue to post despite having felt the chill from some cold shoulders and harsh words recently. Why? Because I have also had many friends thank me for my motivation and that's what it's all about for me! It does make me sad if someone thinks I am being annoying, however, it truly empowers me and gives me a sense of purpose knowing that something that I posted encouraged someone to get up and do something that made them healthier, more fit, and happier!

Today I ate within my WW points and I made it to Body Rock aerobic class. My body reminded me that I hadn't done either for two days and will most likely continue to remind me tonight and into tomorrow as my legs ache from numerous squats... but it's worth it! I have 4 pounds until I make my goal #1 and 14 until my ultimate goal! I CAN do this and I WILL do this, for myself, with or without anyone's support!!

A Quick Thank You to Weight Watchers!

I just wanted to post a quick thank you to Weight Watchers for brightening my day! I knew I had gained a little over the week with being sick and the joys of Easter and was feeling down... but after great conversation and motivation from my WW meeting, I left excited with a great sense of hope and encouragement! I am overly enthusiastic and have set my goal very high for the week. I'm hoping my cold is on its way out and I will be able to amp up my workouts and be more than meticulous about tracking my food. I will also be more focused while I eat, turning off the TV, putting away my phone/ computer, and paying attention to what I'm putting into my mouth!

What's going to get me to my BIG goal you may ask?!? I am motivating myself with the old carrot at the end of the stick trick, figuratively speaking... If I make my goal for this week I'm going to go and get a pedicure. :)  A WW member mentioned getting one in our meeting today and I thought that may be the perfect reward to myself if I can focus and work hard! So after next Saturday morning, if all the stars align, I will be posting a picture of me getting me reward.

Thanks again WW for putting me into cheerful and highly motivated spirits this morning!