the2beths

Today was a great day. It was my morning to get up with Henry and he slept until 8 am. It was the first time in a long time I woke up well rested. We had a leisurely morning and then Craig took Henry to his mom’s house at around 9:30. Then, I got to work. 

I made a meal plan, I cleaned out the fridge, freezer and pantry, and made a shopping list based on that. I cleaned up Henry’s toys.  I moved around some furniture, moved my exercise stuff to the living room, and vacuumed the whole downstairs. I cleaned my room that I keep all of my clothes, I put away Henry’s clothes, and I got all of Craig’s clothes together so he could put them away upstairs. I did about 7 loads of laundry, including cleaning my sheets. I went to the grocery store. I meal prepped muffin sized veggie frittatas for breakfast, sweet potatoes for lunch, pulled pork for lunch, and shredded chicken for Monday night’s dinner. I worked on Christmas cards and cleaned up after myself in the kitchen. And now I am sitting on my duff watching my DVR and am about to work on Christmas cards. 

I am feeling motivated for the week. I am hoping I follow through and get up in the morning and do at home workouts. And after the new year, I want to go back to the gym MWF in the morning for body pump. I’d like to take off a couple of pounds this week instead of constant maintenance.  I know it’s a really hard time of year to stay on track so I have to remain focused, but also enjoy the experiences. 

I hope you all have a great start of the week! 

Xoxoxo,

Beth WA

It’s been a good week, even though it’s only Tuesday.  I was a little tired this weekend and down in the dumps. I think it’s mostly because I didn’t exercise last week. But I am done dwelling on it. Even though I didn’t get up and exercise yesterday or today I still made it work. Yesterday, as I mentioned,  I went to the gym after school for two classes and today I did an exercise video in my parents basement after school while Henry napped. He usually naps until 5 when he naps, and that will be a good time for me to do a video or some sort of work out. 

I made some yummy food this week. For dinner last night we had Jess Duke’s sweet potato turkey burgers. They were outstanding. 

Tonight I made Drizzle Me Skinny’s bacon cheeseburger pie. And I loved it. 

It’s crust is made out of crescent rolls. I almost used a pie crust and I am so glad I didn’t. This was so much better. 

I also made Drizzle me Skinny’s peanut butter cheesecake pie. 

Also delicious. 

For my lunches I made Skinnytaste’s chicken taco chili from her new cookbook and it is solid. It fills me up. 

Dinners tomorrow and Thursday are more Drizzle Me Skinny casserole type dishes. And then we will have leftovers for Friday and Saturday! 

I feel good this week. I am tired, but I feel like I am on the right track. I am heading in the right direction. 

This picture reminded me of that. It was Henry’s first birthday, July 2015. I remember feeling huge and sweaty that day.  This was 6 months before I made my life change. 

It was a joyous day but man, I don’t ever want to looking like that again. Ever. 

I can’t believe it’s almost been a year since I started my gym support group/membership. It has brought me such great things. ❤️ 

Xoxoxoxo,

Beth WA

I know this is a totally cliche saying right now, but in this situation, it couldn’t be more true.  I was all geared up to get up early this morning and exercise, and I didn’t do it.  I just didn’t get up.  I had no excuses.  And then I proceeded to mentally beat myself up for the next hour and a half.  And then make a plan for exercising tonight at home, but kinda knowing I probably wouldn’t follow through.  And I was not in that great of a place mentally.

Then my mom texted that my dad could watch Henry while I went to the gym this afternoon.  I am so happy about this.  I can go to both my aerobics and weight lifting class.  I went from underperforming to overperforming, and I am so happy about that.  I hope it is the initiative I need to start feeling less sluggish.  Seriously, this time change combined with the new medication I am taking combined with my overeating and undersleeping this weekend was the recipe for disaster.

Hopefully this week gets better by the day.   So far, it’s gotten better by the hour.

xooxxo,

Beth WA

Well I have to say that Friday evening and Saturday evening were not good nutrition wise for me at all. I don’t know what happened but both nights I ate all evening long until I went to bed both nights. So, I am acknowledging it, I tracked it and now I am going to try to remember my goals for the week and follow those. One of those includes not eating after 7 pm. That will help a lot. 

I did go work out and the gym and that felt good. And we were talking in our class about January joiners. And I realized this will be the first time in my life that I am not included in those January joiners. I actually worked out for an entire year, mostly regularly, except for a few weeks here and there! That’s a Christmas miracle. 

This morning I went grocery shopping with my meal plan. I do this every week and every week I bust my budget.  This got me to thinking.  I need to change my budget. Ha ha. But, seriously. I am going to change it to be more realistic for us. We’ll have to cut back on something else. I can’t wait to be done paying our debt! It’s exhausting. 😏

Today I made my chili for lunch this week and some shredded chicken for some recipes these week. I am making some of these casseroles from an app I have called Drizzle Me Skinny.  I am making one of her pies for dessert. It’s a light peanut butter pie. Looks yummy. I like to have a treat after dinner every night. And this week it will be before 7 pm!! 

Well I’m off to visit with my inlaws! 

Xoxoxo,

Beth WA

Henry and I are just sitting here chilling with our morning hair and our technology. ❤️

I’m coming off of a week where my only exercise was a 25 minute walk. So, I’m starting to feel the effects of no exercising. The lethargy, and the lack of motivation. Today I am going to the gym for either two classes or one. I haven’t decided yet. It’s still early. But I am going to fit more exercise time in this week for sure. And I’m going to continue with my eating plan. Last night I went off the rails but it was Friday night and that happens some times. The next time I weigh myself is going to be next Saturday morning. I am going to work towards a significant loss, meaning at least 3 lbs. 

These are going to be my goals for this week to achieve this:

No food after 7 pm. This helps me reign it in. 

Do 4 cardio workouts and 4 strength training workouts beteeen today and next Saturday. 

Plan my meals this weekend and food prep on Sunday. 

Eat at least 5-6 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. 🍎🍉🍇🍓

Get my 10,000 steps each day. I find my average without effort to be about 7,000 steps so that should be doable. 

I hope you all have a good weekend! 

Xoxoxo,

Beth WA ❤️

Well, gheesh. That weigh in was disappointing. I tried to not let it get me down, and not get off course because of it. But it got me thinking. I have basically been the same gosh darn weight since April. I keep gaining and losing the same weight. And quite frankly, I am ready to go down the next ten pounds to be at -40. So, I am going to keep that goal in my mind and keep doing what I am doing. I haven’t worked out much this week but I know I will get back to that this weekend. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out for me and I have to be okay with that. I am not a person who is going to be perfect  with her workouts every week and I just have to do the best I can and not beat myself up about it. 

I did decide to do weekly weigh ins for December just because I don’t want to go crazy over the holidays. But then January is going to be back to monthly unless the weekly doesn’t wreak havoc on me. 

I hope that next year I can do 5-10 lbs a month. But, I can only do my best. And sometimes that is better than others. I am resolving to do morning workouts in the new year. My friend Beth FS gave me some good strategies as far as getting ready faster. And it’s going to require me to be more organized in the evenings. And as the weather gets crappy I can always do at home workouts because I have tons and I have most of the equipment. I really want to get that all organized over break so it’s easy to access. 

Anyway, I am completely rambling. So I will stop. Love you guys! 

Xoxoxo

Beth WA

I am slowly but surely getting back into the swing of things. My eating has been good. I’ve been moving but I haven’t worked out since the 5K on Thursday. I was going to go to body pump tonight at 6:30 but I decided to go back to my morning workouts. It’s time. 

Well, I wrote that first paragraph last night and I did not get up. Boo! It’s not even the exercise that deters me, it’s the rushing around afterward to get ready for work. My friend Beth said to shower before I go and use shower wipes after.  I am going to try that. But, honestly, I probably won’t do that until after Christmas break. 

I weigh in tomorrow for the first time since November 1st and I am anxious to see the outcome. I know I’ve been up and down but my guess is 1-2 lbs down. I don’t feel like I’ve made a great pound loss, but I do feel my body changing shape and getting smaller. My mom posted a picture of my brother and me for his birthday yesterday and I was taken aback at how big I was.  Check it out:

The pic on the left is the one my mom posted and the one on the right is from this past Saturday. 

These are nice reminders that I’m on the right track. And that my hair is way better now. 😂

Hope everybody had a good hump day!! 

Xoxox,

Beth WA

I successfully hopped back on the wagon today. I ate my sweet potato breakfast and had a protein shake. That helped me resist all the sweet breads and pies and desserts at my mom’s house this morning. It wasn’t easy but I did it. 

I had a normal sized lunch and leftovers for dinner. I had an Oreo cake ball truffle thing for dessert. And then I was done. I drank tons of water because I was feeling crappy still. I had plans to work out today but ended up napping for two hours and the time go away from me. Hopefully tomorrow afternoon I get a good workout session in. Yesterday I had 15K steps and today I didn’t even get 7K. But my hips are killing me from yesterday so it’s probably best. 

Tomorrow morning we are going to Henry’s godmother’s to make gingerbread houses and then I am going to hang out at my mom’s and watch the OSU bs Michigan game until Henry’s nap, then I need to be home. I have schtuff to do around the house and I have to get my meal plan together and go grocery shopping when Craig gets off work at 6. I am a person who needs time at home to refuel. 

We are going to Craig’s mom’s all day Sunday so I need to get my week in order tomorrow. 

Anyway. I’ve babbled enough. I am considering today a nonscale victory. I didn’t let yesterday turn into a bender. 

Henry had so much fun with my cousin’s son, Miles tonight. 

Xoxoxo,

Beth WA

I know I am going to sound like a cliche but I am so thankful right now. Hashtag blessed is an understatement. 

Wednesday night I went out with my girlfriends for our annual Friendsgiving.  We go to a restaurant and have drinks, food, and lots of laughs. 

These are some of my favorite people on planet. They are generous, thoughtful, loving, and freaking hilarious. 

Thursday morning I got up early to walk the local Thanksgiving 5K.  It goes right by my house. I haven’t been in it the last two years since I had Henry, and I was glad to get back to it. My bff’s are runners and always run with other people so I was going to walk it alone. But then I stepped out of my comfort zone and invited myself to walk with some acquaintances from my gym, who I can now call friends. I had a great time with these ladies!!

I also saw my BFF’s and took a pic with them. 

I love this picture because it was the first picture I took with them where I didn’t feel like Jabba the Hut. I actually don’t look way huger than them, which is how I usually feel when I see pics of us. 

The I came home and made a pie and a sweet potato casserole. My pie looked good, but I think I would’ve like it more with less chocolate. I know, I can’t believe I just uttered those words. 

Then I went to my mom’s for a delicious feast. I was so tired, but had great fun. (Next year I need to take a nap before I go over.)

And now, Henry and I are having a lazy morning.  Craig is working. Henry and I love lazy mornings, as you probably know. 

He loves wearing my medal from the 5K!

Yesterday I didn’t plan on tracking but just for kicks I entered in my food before I went to bed. I had 15K steps on my FitBit so it added a lot of calories. I ended up under by 60 calories until I remembered my glass of wine, so I was over by 60. 

Today I am back to tracking and I am okay with that. I felt crappy going to bed last night because I had a piece of cake and pie. 😳 Not crappy like guilty but physically crappy. 

Anyway, I hope you all had a fabulous day yesterday. I am thankful for you guys! ❤️❤️

Xoxoxo,

Beth WA

Just wanted to update on things that have been swirling through my mind. 

Lexapro Update:

Going on Lexapro has been a game changer for me. I am actually enjoying life. I am reminded almost every day ways in which the Lexapro helps my brain from sabotaging my happiness. I no longer obsess over things that have happened. I no longer feel like sitting on my couch all day. I no longer feel like social events are scary. I no longer lose my shit when the day doesn’t go as I had mentally planned. I am actively engaged in my life. I can have meaningful conversations. My attention span is longer. And for the first time in years I am joyful at my job enjoying the parts I love instead of stressing out over the hard parts. So, Lexapro has done for me exactly what it is supposed to. It makes me feel more like myself. And it really helps with coming to terms with my infertility. I still get sad about that but not a retreat from life sad. There are a few side effects that aren’t great, but at this point they are worth the sacrifice for the good effects. One of those is that I don’t really cry when people would normally cry or when I would have cried in the past. But, I am really okay with that. It’s just a weird thing. I like it to my c section scar. It still feels weird there, but it was worth it! 
Now, onto Fitness update:

I feel like I am on point with fitness. I love my gym, I love my group fitness classes, and I love my at home workouts. I am not consistent with morning workouts but I always make it to the gym at least three times a week, and workout out at least five times a week. I can definitely see my body changing and my muscles forming. I love feeling strong.  And I love doing a mix of strength training and cardio.  Beth FS said to me a few months ago, when I was struggling this summer, “You will never be a person who doesn’t go to the gym.” And that phrase plays in my head as sort of a mantra and encouragement when there’s a day I can’t go, or if I have a few days where workouts don’t happen. So, overall, this year, my fitness has been off da charts compared to my past. 

Food update:

This is still my hardest fight. It is a daily struggle. I have tried many different ways of eating and through it I’ve realized I am not somebody who can do a diet that restricts certain foods. I can not do a diet that is too detailed with macros quite yet. I can not do a super low calorie diet. I’ve been listening to the podcast Half Size Me for years and it has so many experts and people with weight loss experience on it, including the host who lost 170 lbs and has kept it off for 5 years. I am taking her advice right now and just doing a small cut in calories and just going down little by little. I am using myfitnesspal combined with my Fitbit and just trusting it. You see, if I lost 50 lbs by Jan 2 for my group at the gym I would get my 50 dollars back that I paid to be in the group. I started stressing about getting that and that led me to a week and a half of binging every evening! So, I finally just had a talk with myself and said, it’s okay if I don’t lose the weight by the deadline. I am doing a great job, persevering and I need to go at my own pace. And ever since I let go of that goal, I have been doing GREAT! I try to get a certain amount of protein, and I try to get 5 servings of fruits and veggies. Other than that I just use my calorie counter with a slight cut. 
So, this is what’s going on with my journey. I am super happy that this is the first January where I will just be continuing this goal and not starting over. I am really going to focus on the holidays being about time spent together and not the food. 

I hope everybody had a great weekend! My brother and his family are in town so I am soaking up family time.  My cousin Bridget is coming to my parents today so I am super excited about that!! 

Peace out, friends.

Xoxoxoxo,

Beth WA