Thursday Weigh-in

I guess in the about me post, I forgot to mention the fact that I am finally trying to rid the weight I gained over the course of 6 pregnancies in 8 years. Plus a few... February 23, 2012 I weighed in at 227 pounds, and all I could do was look at my scale and laugh. You see, the heaviest I've ever been was 235 pounds, and THAT was 9 months pregnant. I haven't been pregnant in 2.5 years, and I have finally had enough. I talked to my doc, and he said to me that unless I'm eating fewer than 1000 calories a day, and not losing weight, then he wasn't concerned, so, that's where I started. At 1,000 calories for the first week (I've since moved up to 1,400-1,500 calories, still losing weight). Oh, and I also went out and bought myself a treadmill.

Why did I buy a treadmill? Well, as mentioned already, my husband is my absolute most favorite person ever. I already spend 12 or more hours a day away from him, and the thought of heading to the gym after he gets home just doesn't work for me. In fact, I did that, and in February, we finally finished paying off the membership I'd gotten 2 years before, and hadn't used in 1 year and 10 months. Hubs would get home, I'd regretfully head to the gym, spend an hour there, come home, and he'd be headed to bed in a couple of hours. That may work for some couples, but it doesn't work for us. We're the sick lovey-dovey super attached kind of couple. It was a lot of money we could have just set on fire in front of our very eyes... So, between not being a gym-body myself, and the fact that buying a $277 treadmill was a HELL of a lot cheaper than another gym membership....a treadmill it is then!

I walk/jog/run 3-4 miles per day, 4-5 times a week, hanging out on the treadmill for 45-60 minutes at a time. This isn't always the case. Sometimes I have to beg and plead with myself to get on it, and once I do, I just tell myself to stick with it for my minimum of 30 minutes. I also do 120 crunches (3 reps of 40), and I have some dumbbells that I lift. I don't have any real method to working the dumbbells, they're just ones that Ry has had for years and years, and I pick them up and just work with them in various positions. Just put in 30 minutes of activity in a day, and quit with the excuses. Yeah, the kids cry at the gate from time to time. Crying won't kill them...put in my earbuds, turn on pandora and move it along. Yeah, sometimes sitting on my ass in front of the computer seems like more fun, but it's not going to give me the results I want. If you have 30 minutes to hang out on the computer, in front of the tv, reading a book, snacking on a bag of chips, coming up with a million and one excuses as to why you can't lose weight...well then, you've got 30 minutes to get up and go for a walk, ride a bike, hop on the treadmill, throw the kids into the wagon and drag them to the park AND play with them...not sit on the bench and watch them.

Oh, and that bag of chips you won't admit to yourself you just ate...you did, and that will show up on the scale later. ;) I've always been a healthy eater...I love my fruits and veggies. Big ol' leafy green salad? Yes please! I've also always had a super sweet tooth that I've always just given in to without telling myself "NO!" Self...I feel like having 2 big ol' milky ways (which is really 4 bars, since the "king size" comes with 2 of them)...okay self, after eating so healthy all day, what could be so wrong in indulging with 920 calories and 36 grams of fat.....wha...whaaaat?! Also, I could easily down 6 12 oz cans of diet coke/day. I know that diet coke doesn't have any calories and all that jazz, but um...cutting the pop out has helped significantly. Also, the "fake" sugars are so, so, soooo bad for you. Yeah, exactly. If you're sitting there telling yourself the same thing, the only one you're hurting is yourself.

So, my "diet" consists of really...just cutting out junk. Now, don't get all upset...it's not all the time. I DO have pop here and there. What I was drinking in a day...I drink less than that a week now, about 4 cans a week, and not the diet stuff, either. I hate water, so much, but, I drink it because I have to. I'd like to live long enough to see my kids graduate, to grow old with my husband, to enjoy life. Something about stopping to test my blood sugar and injecting myself with insulin just doesn't seem that appealing to me. If I'm feeling like I need some candy, I stick with the "fun size", or...Skinny Cow...I love her. I have some Skinny Cow ice cream in the freezer, and some skinny cow candy bars on top of the fridge for those "GOTTA HAVE SWEETS OR I'M GOING TO KILL!" cravings. I refuse to take pills, or join some new fad. Once I get this weight off, I want it to stay off. Endangering my health is not worth taking the pills for, and the depression that comes with gaining all the weight back plus some makes not starting something like Atkins worth it.

I could carry on and on. Maybe another time I will, but for now, onto that weekly weigh in. This week I am down 3 pounds, putting me back into the 100's. (I had a gain last week, after our Anniversary weekend, which also happened to fall during Easter weekend. Yeah, there was a lot of horking down whatever the hell I felt like then. ;) This puts me at a total of 28.6 pounds lost, and just 1.4 pounds shy of my next mini-goal: 30 pounds. I set lots of mini-goals and big goals for myself to hit. It helps me to not get discouraged. Looking at the big picture, I needed to lose 77 pounds. If all I had to reach for was 77 pounds, I'd have already quit. So, next mini-goal is 30 pounds lost, next big goal is 179 pounds, because I've not seen that weight since I was pregnant with Aubrey- the 2nd oldest. Yeah, that's how long I've been carrying around all this extra weight. That's nonsense!

Also, my BMI started out at 37.8...YIKES! When I first started, I was obese class II...that's SEVERELY obese. It doesn't feel very good to know that the medical community looks at me at severely obese. Whether I've looked like it or not is beside the point, the fact of the matter is, I was.  I don't take the BMI as an exact science all the time, but I mean, there is obviously *something* to it. Today my BMI is 33.0. According to my BMI, I am obese....that doesn't sound so nice. I am .1 ...POINT ONE away from being overweight instead. I've not been "overweight" in a LONG time. And overweight might not seem so grand, but to me, it means everything! I'm ready, I AM doing this, nothing and no one is going to discourage me or stand of my way this time.  

XOXO

Well, here I am...starting a blog...

I guess I'll make my first blog post about myself, as a little insight to who I am, what I do, and maybe what to expect. Go ahead and get comfortable, maybe grab a drink, I like to talk, and I tend to get wordy.

 I'm Jennifer, but most often go by Jeni, and get called Jenn a lot, too. I am the wife to the absolutely most amazing man there ever was and ever will be, Ryan. I call him sexybeast hubbyman often. He is my high school sweetheart, and my best friend. You know how they say "when I say I won't tell anyone, my best friend doesn't count"? Well, that's Ryan...he's the person I tell EVERYTHING to. We are the parents to 6 wonderful and super fantastic kiddos. I used to homeschool them until Sept. 2010, and then I made the decision to put them into public school. There's a million reasons why I made that decision, but at the time, it was what needed to be done. I miss them, I wish they were homeschooled again...and maybe one day they will be, but for now, it's just not in our deck of cards.

There's Saphire- she's almost 11! I just can't get over the fact that I'm old enough to have an 11 year old, but whatevs. We call her Saphie most often. She has an amazing head on her shoulders, and is wise beyond her years. She is quite the social butterfly, and has such a kind and caring heart. She gets very defensive of those who won't defend themselves. If you need someone to be your advocate and stand by your side, she's your girl. She's also your girl if you need someone to cry with, laugh with, when you need a hug, or to have an ear to lend. I think she's started to pick up on my sarcasm. Crap...and awesome, too! She loves to laugh, and is quite humorous at just the right (and unexpected!) times.

Aubrey recently turned 9, and still...even though she's the second oldest...she's STILL "baby" Aubrey to us. Maybe because she was the original baby? She is super smart, she carries all A's in school. She's also VERY athletic, and runs the mile in under 8 minutes now., her goal is to do it in 5...that girl cray! She loves basketball, soccer, and cheer leading to name a few. She likes to keep us busy! ;) She is quiet, and super sensitive...she's far too serious sometimes, and I think having a mother who just can't be serious all the time might get on her nerves from time to time. It's taken me some time, and I still have a lot to learn, but I think I've finally figured out the right ways to handle my little introvert.

Amelia will be 7 in just a few short days. She's pretty excited about that, because her and her younger brother are only 10 months apart, and for 6 weeks out of every year, they're the same age. She is our little ar-teest! That girl LOVES art! She's an eccentric child who marches to the beat of her own drum, which she created. Like the rest of her siblings, she is very smart. She's also quite athletic and likes to run with Aubrey, and has been cheering since she was 2 years old. She's a happy-go-lucky kind of girl who requires a little time to herself every now and then. She is a very loving child, but don't let that fool you! That girl knows how to hold her own! I have no idea where she gets her hot-head from....

Gabriel- our first son! We most often call him Gabe. He recently turned 6. As mentioned above, he's only 10 months younger than Amelia. We were actively avoiding pregnancy, but he happened anyway...he is meant to be here, and I fell as though he is destined to great things. That boy is FULL OF LIFE! He has the energy of a million boys. He is also one of the most kind, caring, and gentle people I know. The way I feel about his dad? Yeah, someday there will be a VERY lucky girl who will feel the same about him, for this I have no doubt. He is extremely outgoing, and most definitely our extrovert. He asks a million questions a day, and he isn't trying to be annoying, he's just genuinely curious and eager to learn. Yep, he'll have a brain like his daddy in NO time. He is a fabulous brother, too. Not that any of his siblings aren't, he's just that person...the one the you know when you're long gone, will still be holding the family together. He's definitely special.

Julian is soon to be 4! Gabe's only brother, and inseparable best friend! He is technology obsessed! In fact, he can operate a computer, my phone, and the tv better than I ever could! Once he's focused on something, it's hard to take his attention away from it. He's so super smart! He knows his alphabet, how to count to 20, and how to beat me in any game he's ever played! He loves to play outside, and race. He's a very competitive little guy! Even walking to the bus stop to pick up his sibs turns into a competition over who will get there first! He's also very loving and sensitive, and loves long snuggles on the couch with plenty of hugs and kisses. The biggest thorn in his side, and his biggest competitor....? See below.

Brenya, she's 2.5, and the baby of the family...FOREVER! No, there will be no #7, and I am 100% a-okay with that! Besides, little Miss Diva couldn't handle not being the baby. She is all that, plus a bag of chips! We call her Bennie most often. She is funny, and lovable, and oh so adorable...which is what keeps her standing most days, lol. I would like to take credit for her knowing how to count, knowing the alphabet, being smart, but nope...that all stems from competing with Julian, and always trying to one-up him. They act like they don't like each other, but they are lost without one another. Bennie is a momma's girl for sure, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

My family is my life. They are my sunshine, my everything, so this blog will probably focus mainly on my life with them in it. I'll do a lot of posting on my opinions on things-things that are irritating me, or that make me smile, definitely food and recipes...because that's just how this Martha Stewart rolls, crafty things I make here and there...it will be a mod-podge of things that are affecting me at the time.It's just how I work. ;) Enjoy my insanity!