Monthly Update

Welcome to my monthly blog update! I have good intentions, but this is last on my list of priorities, behind catching up on shows I DVR'd (yes, that is a word), perusing Pinterest, or going to bed. Which means, I blog late at night when there is nothing on, I've already pinned enough to drive my friends crazy, and I cannot sleep.  This doesn't happen too often.

I'm on Day 23 of the Shred and determined to finish. I took all my measurements on Day 1 and am eager to see what has changed on Day 30. I'm actually a little scared too. What if I've busted my hump for 30 days, sweating and grunting, for no loss in inches? I've been nursing a sore knee, limping half the time. Aside for a recent 4 day hiatus, brought on by a bout of the stomach bug and extended by two date nights in a row, I have been consistent. I think I took two Sundays off, but otherwise have been shredding it everyday. Surely I have lost a few inches from somewhere.

I have also been using Lose It! to count calories and track my weight. I've lost 7 pounds since I started the Shred. It's a good start, but it sure it taking longer than I expected. I was thinking that I only have a little weight to lose (18 pounds from my starting weight) so it should go fast. WRONG! Apparently the less weight you have to lose, the longer it takes. No double digit weight loss weeks for me. I'm jealous of those Biggest Loser peeps that are dropping 10 pounds in a week! I'm plugging away though with a pound here or a half pound there.

Keeping track of what I eat  and staying under a calorie budget has been eye-opening. It totally shows when I blow my budget and the scale doesn't budge the next morning, or even worse - moves in the wrong direction. Ugh! Overall, I am making healthier choices, eating more veggies, and eating less overall. I feel like I'm starving most of the time, but it's all mental. It's not because my body needs food, but because my mind or taste buds weren't satisfied with what I ate. Learning to say no to snacks and desserts has been hard, but I think I am making progress.

The best part is that my family is eating healthier too! Derik has begun his own journey to be more fit and is no longer complaining about wheat bread, whole grain pasta, or the vegetables that I put on his plate. Braden is making progress too. Not enough to eat the Parmesan Zucchini I made the other night, but he's taking baby steps. The real challenge will be this summer! Switching to feeding 5 and a picky Seth could be difficult. Dustin will eat anything and I can always count on him to help cook and try new things. There may be a lot of sandwiches in Seth's summer diet!

Speaking of summer! We are five weeks from the end of school! All together now....Woohoo! We couldn't be more excited for summer to get here! But we do still have five weeks to get through and they are sure to be busy!

In just 48 hours, we will be on the road to Houston for a weekend visit. We are going to see Dustin in a school play and we will celebrate Seth's 13th birthday on Sunday. It's sure to be a great weekend!  I was afraid Derik and Braden might have to go without me, but turns out I have a super nice new boss that agreed to let me take a day off after only three weeks.

Oh right! I haven't posted since I got a job. I GOT A JOB! It's in Human Resources for the school district. I've been a substitute for four years and finally have a job with a set schedule. It's only part time, which works great for this last two months of school and through the summer. I'm still available for the things I need to be doing at Braden's school through PTA and this summer, I'll have my work day done before my boys are even out of bed. (Night owls! They party all night and sleep half the day!) So far the job has been great. I learned the ropes quickly and enjoy the people I work with. I think it will be great and puts me a good position to hopefully secure something full time for next school year.

Time to walk the dogs, flip the laundry, start dinner, and watch American Idol with my guys! Maybe I'll shoot for a two week update this time!