He was right!

Okay I am going to say this once- My husband was right...

This morning I woke up and weighed myself. I was down .8! Wahoooo!!! I guess I just needed to eat more.  I have been trying to up my calorie intake but keep my fat consumption down. I am snacking more too, which seems to help! 

I feel bad that I haven't been posting as frequently this week- it has been kind of crazy for me. I have had a lot of homework for school (I'm in University) and my friend is getting married this weekend. I am a bridesmaid! The wedding is about 300 miles away, so it will take a little planning on my part. My biggest goal is to not compromise my progress while celebrating with her!

Best of luck friends,

Xoxo,

Suzie

FYI- I Got a C in Chemistry

In highschool I worked really hard to get great grades. I studied  hard, handed my homework in on time, and always did extra credit. Yes, I was that kid.  I was flying through highschool when all of a sudden I hit Chemistry. I did everything I could -but to no avail. I spent every ounce of free time on that class but still no "A's", not even a "B", just a big fat "C". The only "C" I ever earned, and I use that term loosely. The problem with Chemistry was that I just couldn't wrap my head around it: the relationships between things, how some change while others don't, etc. Even though I really wanted to - I just couldn't succeed as well as I had hoped.

That being said, this is what my weekend looked like...

Friday, I learned  that I'm not so good with understanding Body Chemistry either. I kept listening to body, trying to figure out what to do but to no avail, yet again. First, I tried eating less calories and working out less. This resulted in, well, nothing. No weight gain, but no weight loss either. My husband told me I am in starvation mode and have to eat more to loose. After doing much research, I hesitantly agreed with him.

Now, what kind of Mind...well I won't use that word but I will give you a hint- add a certain "f" word at the end of Mind and you get it . Seriously though! Want to weigh less? Then eat less....But don't eat to much less or else you will just stay where you are: fat and frustrated. MUHAHAHAHA 

Begrudgingly I up my calorie intake while keeping my work outs the same, after all what you burn decreases your consumption. The first morning after doing this I gain .4lbs. REALLY?! My husband assures me that my body just has to adjust it's metabolism again. So, I decided to give it another go. After weighing myself the next day, I gained .6. UGH

My point in sharing this stuff is the importance of perseverance. We might not always see the number going down on the scale, but it's about changing your lifestyle. As people who struggle with weight, we have to understand that this is a war with our bodies.  There will be times when we do things correctly but do not see any result. When that happens, we need to stay strong and stay the course. I am hoping that if I stick to it, I will see the results I want to :)

Best of Luck,
xoxox
Suzie

Temptation is Everywhere

     I had to share this! Yesterday, I was tested. ---AND I triumphed!!

    Yesterday, I had to take my car to the dealership for scheduled maintenance. I knew that it was going to be tough because the appointment was in prime snacking time- late afternoon. So, knowing that I would want to snack, I made low carb cheese crisps and brought a bottle of water.

    When I got to the dealership, there was only one seat left in the waiting room. The only seat was positioned in front of a vending machine with tons of chocolates-- my weakness. Next to that, right in front of me, was the box of free donuts. Now, it wasn't so hard to not get something out of the vending machine because I didn't bring any money. But the donuts... oh the doughnuts. I looked at them and literally felt my mouth salivating. I had to tell myself in my head that this is why I struggle. Each doughnut is another pound. It's setting me back. My husband was with me , so I told him that I was struggling. He reinforced what I had been thinking.

     It was weird because I knew that I wasn't going to actually eat one. But it was the thought that it was there that was tough. I haven't had to "say no" to food because I have rid my house of food I can't eat. This was good practice for me, but boy it was hard. It's important to put yourself in the line of fire because we can't always be in a safe diet bubble. Losing weight is more than just a diet, it's a lifestyle. You have to know that you will be tempted and that you can walk away.

Jillian is Kicking my....you know what!

      Okay, okay, let me catch my breath....Jillian Michaels (the notorious Biggest loser fitness coach) is kicking my butt...virtually. Let me tell you why/how.

      After realizing that I needed more than just a good walk, I began exploring other options to supplement my activity. I tried to go the gym, but seeing how I have never successfully worked out in my life...that didn't much work. I sort of looked like a kid pretending to wear mom's heels. I didn't try to kid myself, I don't know what the heck I am doing.

     Then I looked into getting a personal trainer. Sure this would work, I thought. I thought correctly but my wallet just can't do it. I am a full-time student/housewife. Needless to say, my husband and I are not exactly rolling in it. After crunching numbers, we quickly realized that it just couldn't happen.

    Well, that's frustrating! I then discovered a Biggest Loser game for the Kinect. We were both hesitant as to whether it could do the job or not. So instead of rushing out and loosing a bunch of money, we tried the demo. I'm not sure if you can picture this but there I was, sweat rolling down my face, cussing out the virtual trainer. After the workout, I flopped down on the couch. My husband asked me what I thought. All I said was, "It kicked my ass...I want it!"

    Today was my first day doing the workout. I am feeling it now. I highly recommend this game for someone who's in a similar situation- learning how to workout, overweight, or just out of practice. I don't see someone who works out daily and is trim really enjoying it or getting what they need from it. I hope to use it for about 6 months or so and then hopefully move to the gym. 

       So, that's how Jillian, we are on a first name basis, came to whip me into shape...I can see this is the beginning of a beautiful love/hate relationship. God, She's Good.

xoxo
Suzie

Finally, SOMEONE Gets it!

When I had the TV on this morning, I saw an advertisement that was SPOT on....no pun intended.
Yes, this post is about our monthly friend...

     I LOVE this ad! It really spoke to me! I was like finally- someone gets it!! Yes, periods are a fact of life. But, that doesn't make them any easier to deal with. For each woman it's different, which can make it even harder to treat systematically.Over the past couple of months I have wondered from time to time if it is something that I should be "treating". I mean, it's a natural process of body- why should I try and change it through a hormonal Birth Control Pill?! Last month, I got sign from Mother Nature. She's good about cuing us in...as long as we listen. Anyway, I began to seriously consider going off the pill as a way to treat my period when three things happened. 

   The first problem was that my period started WAY to early. I am not talking a couple of days, I'm talking a whole week in advance. Then when it finally got to the time when I should have it, it was very out of whack.  When I called my doctor, she seemed to indicate that it was normal and to wait about 3 months of the same type of pattern before coming in. RED FLAG- let my body be out of complete whack for 3 months?! I don't think so...

    Problem number two? Migraines. Everyday, migraines. I had thought that I had a migraine in the past, but boy was I wrong. Almost evening I found myself laying on the couch covering my face and trying not to puke. My husband, a migraine vet, new the signs almost immediately. They were practically untouchable by any sort of Ibuprofen or Excedrin. 

     Last blinking sign? After talking to a friend what night she told me a story that spoke to my biggest apprehension- a friend of hers had been on the pill for about 10 years. When she wanted to have kids, she suddenly found her self unable to do so.  I can't imagine how scary that would be! Fortunately, after years of therapy they were able to conceive.

     That was it! I was done. Off the pill I went! Although there seems to be conflicting studies about the harmful side effects of the pill or "treating" your period, I thought it best to lean on the side of caution. I hope to treat my symptoms naturally. I plan on using my diet, exercise, and Evening Primrose Oil. I know it won't be easy, but it's worth letting my body do what it needs to.

      Here's a couple of good sites if you are interested in finding alternative ways to treat your pms.

• http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/womenshealth/a/PMS.htm
• http://www.homemademedicine.com/home-remedies-pms.html
• http://www.choosenatural.com/alternative/medicine/1013L/pms/natural-pms-cure.htm

Good Luck Ladies.

xoxo,

Suzie

For your viewing pleasure...

My 15 week old kitten, Juno. We have, had her for about 2 weeks!

The Healing Power of Clean

This is the current state of my living room.

Okay, so this isn't the picture of clean, I know. However, it is a sorting work in progress. After my husband and I got married, I started cleaning the deep and dark places of our apartment. The first thing to be tackled was the Evil Laundry monster. The second thing to be tackled was our Master Bedroom Closet. The closet was a complete zone. We spent the weekend going through clothes- hanging up the ones we want and giving away those we don't. It was exhilarating- shedding all of this extra stuff! Anyway, my most recent goal has been to tackle our storage closet. I am going through and putting all holiday things together, technology items together, and any other things we are storing.  Anyway- if you are feeling the stress of unnecessary clutter here are some quick questions you can ask yourself to figure out if you should keep something or not  ( a problem I struggle with).

1) Have you used the item in the past year?

• If it's not being used, what use does it serve?

2) What does the item mean to you? 

•  If it has sentimental value- will passing on the item diminish your feelings. For example, when my mom    passed away when I was a child, my Grandmother saved my of her personal items. As an adult, I have had the responsibility to go through these items and decided what to keep and what not. At first, it almost felt like if I gave something away, I was letting go of a physical piece of my mom. However, with time I have learned that the memory of my mother lives within me not items.

3) In five years, will you have a need for this item in 5 years?

• For this one, you sort of have to imagine you gave the item away. Do you see yourself seriously having a moment where you wish you still had it AND had a use for it. 

Asking yourself these questions will help you to speed through on otherwise tough process of cleaning. Remember that memories live within you not in a physical realm. You will find that it is indeed true that cleaning out the old kitchen drawer that you haven't seen in years or the linen closet with cobwebs is a healing process.

xoxo,
Suzie


P.S. When it's done, I will post pictures!!!!