Stephany

Well, another school year has started.  I currently have 26 fifth graders.  They are great!  Very energetic, very chatty, and most of all willing to learn.

I am ok.  I started back to Weight Watchers on the first day of school.  I lost 3.6 pounds in the first week.  YEAH FOR ME!!  I am doing it with 4 other women I work with.  We have made a vow to try our best, move more, and be as supportive as we can to each other.  So far so good.  I hope to come by more often and check in with you.  Know that I think of you all often and wish nothing but the best for you in this journey.

Thanks for checking in with me.  You all give me hope that I can do this too!!

Have a great weekend!!

Hi everyone!  I apologize for not being around.  Things got very busy here in August.  I have been keeping tabs on you all and am so proud of all the accomplishments!!  We had a very successful trip camping.  Had a few fun local trips to the park, zoo, and ocean.  I had a bunch of training for the upcoming school year.  Last weekend our family bonded over the flu.  Let me tell you it was not the kind of family bonding I would EVER want to repeat.  Nobody in my family has ever had the flu before.  So, my husband, myself, my one year old and three year old spent 2 days puking.  YUCK!  My husband and I recovered in about 4 days.  The boys (just today) have finally started acting ‘normal’.

Last week I had to go back to work.  I moved classrooms over the summer so I was so busy setting everything up.  I am so excited to go back to work but am also sad about summer being over.  I will be teaching 5th grade again this year and can’t wait.  The kids come on Tuesday and I am thrilled!!

As far as the eating/weight loss goes….well, it isn’t any better or worse.  I am starting Weight Watchers on Tuesday after school gets out.  I am so excited.  There are 3 other teachers doing it with me so I will have the support at work as well as at home.  I have done WW before and I was so successful.  I ended up losing 75 pounds.  I would love to do that again but keep it off this time!  I have accomplished a few other small goals this summer and am ready for another.  This summer I grew my hair out for Locks of Love.  I have about 2 more inches to go before I can get it cut.  I can’t wait!  I also stopped biting my nails.  I have bitten my nails for as long as I can remember and I am 31 years old.  So, now I have nails that I can paint and I don’t hide.  I am so proud of myself for accomplishing these small ones.  I finally feel like my head is on right and I am up for the challenge with food and weight loss.

 Sorry about the rambling but I have been gone for so long.  I have missed you all and will chat with you again SOON!  Take care.  Special “hello” to Jennifer, Mark, Shannon, and Wonder Woman….you all have kept me going whether you knew it or not.  :-)  TAKE CARE OF YOU!!!

So, we all survived a week in the wilderness.  It was amazing!  The boys had so much fun.  We called the little one PIG PEN the entire time as he was completely covered in dirt from head to toe.  The vacation was  a much needed break from day to day life.  I had so much fun and I actually relaxed.  

After my last post I was so bummed, hurt, frustrated.  But I am good now.  Realized that what I needed was to relax.  My “depression” happens to coincide with TOM.  Now that I know that I can better prepare for that.  It is a funny thing…I have never in my life had any symptoms of PMS.  But after years of taking the pill, coupled with having 2 kids and no longer taking the pill my body is going nuts.  I thought it may be worth going back on the pill to not have the side effects of PMS I am getting now.  But who know….

 The food thing is a struggle for me every day.  I actually lost weight camping.  Back to the normal every day grind…I am really trying to be conscious of what I put in my mouth.  I am getting busier each day…school starts in a few weeks and I am busy preparing my classroom.  So, the busier I am the less I eat!  ALL GOOD!

I wish you all good luck in your journey.  Thanks as always for reading and offering advice….you all are amazing support! 

To all of you that responded to my earlier post today….THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

You all are amazing!  I feel good now.  I feel like I am not alone.  I don’t feel as lost as I did earlier today.

God bless you all for sharing and taking the time out to care about me.  I truly appreciate it and thank you

from the bottom of my heart!

I know I am taking a HUGE risk opening myself up like this but I am needing some help/advice/guidance…anything.  The reason I titled this calling all moms is because I think there are others feeling the same way I am.  So here it goes…what happens to you when you have kids?  What I mean is, I used to be confident.  I used to be happy and content.  I don’t know what is happening now.  I have a 1 year old and a 3 year old.  I love them so much.  I am blessed to have them, as well as my husband.

But I feel at times that I am missing something.  I feel lost.  I don’t know if it because I have so many demands placed on me from my kids, husband, co-workers, etc.  I don’t know if I feel like something is missing because I can’t just go where I want when I want.  I am a little resentful to the fact that I don’t have any time with my husband.  I DEFINATELY don’t feel sexy and can not for the life of me figure out why my husband says that he does.  I know he means well but when he says I am beautiful I get pissed.  I am over weight.  I am not all that happy with where I am.  I have tried and failed so many times at different weight loss plans. 

So, last night I was trying to explain this to my husband.  He thinks I am depressed and said I should get counseling.  I don’t have anything against counseling.  But for whatever reason…I was furious with him.  I cried for hours.  I woke up this morning feeling like shit.  But I took a shower, went for a walk with my boys and enjoyed the sun.  But I am obsessing about what he said.  I don’t want to see him.  I don’t want to talk to him.  I am at a loss for why I am having this reaction.

So, my question to others is….have you been through this?  Is it something that eventually gets better?  Please feel free to give me any and all advice.  At this point I am open to ALL SUGGESTIONS OF ANY KIND.

So for the past 4 days I have been cooking, baking, packing, re-packing, and making lists.  I love camping but the prep work is enough to send me over the edge.  We leave Saturday morning and I am so excited.  Once we get there and set up it is pure relaxation from there (well, it is as relaxing as it can be with a 1 and 3 year old running all over)!  

Anyway, I have absolutely no idea where I am weight wise.  I don’t feel I have lost anything.  I haven’t really done a lot to lose.  My eating has not been out of control but it certainly isn’t good.  I have not walked in a few days.  I need to buy a scale.  I am just not sure what to buy.  I had one a few years back but it never worked right.  Any suggestions?

So, my plan is to try my best to eat well while camping.  I will get plenty of exercise running around camp, swimming in the lake, etc.  When we return I will start walking each and every day.  I plan to start getting up early to walk by myself.  I am missing that me time.  I have neglected myself for years and I need to do what is right for me.  I may start back to Weight Watchers too….we shall see.  I feel so guilty spending more money on another plan when I haven’t stuck to any of the other ones before.  I don’t want my husband to be upset at spending money “again” on something I don’t make a full committment to. 

I have read so many blogs that say you lose when you make the decision you need/want to.  It has to come from inside.  I know I need to lose.  I know I need to be healthy for me, my husband, my kids, my family.  I try to do what is right but I also know that my reality sets in and I get bogged down with all the daily struggles.  I instantly revert back to my “old ways” and then I feel defeated.  I need to try some positive affirmations or something….

But, I will not give up.  I will keep moving forward.  I will keep learning from my buddies here. 

Hello all!

Just a quick update.  The boys and I are still walking.  The smallest amount has been 2 miles in one day.  But I am averaging around 3.5 each day.  So this is week two.  I am really excited.  I am feeling good.  I am having a blast with my boys on our walks. 

So, I am getting a bit nervous for next week.  We are off for a week of camping.  I love it!  My family and my husband’s family all come, along with a bunch of friends.  We stay at this great lake where there is only dirt and an outhouse.  I grew up camping there so it has a ton of sentimental value to me.  Anyway, camping is not the best place to try and eat healthy.  I pack good food and I stay really busy chasing the kids around but there are so many temptations…cookies, smores, chips, smores, candy, smores, etc.  Can you tell what my favorite part is?  I am thinking back to last year and I actually lost 5 pounds camping.  So I am hoping that something like that can/will happen again.  I will keep moving.  I will do the best I can to eat right and drink tons of water.

I still have a week to organize and plan so I should be ok.  Hope you are all well and sticking to the plan!  Thanks for reading!  Have a great weekend!!

I was just curious about your experience with using Alli.  I am thinking it may help me curb my craving for junk/fast food and I hear that the side effects are not worth risking to eat that food.  Any and all comments would be helpful.  Thanks!!

So, for those of you that have read my posts for a while, you all know I got a double stroller for me and the boys.  Well, I have put it to good use.  On Sunday we walked 5.5 miles.  Monday we walked 4.0 miles.  Tuesday we walked 3.0 miles.  I gave myself a break yesterday…I was sore.  So I am on my way out now with the boys.  I am shooting for another 3.0 miles but I tend to walk until the boys can’t stand it anymore.  Thanks to all the support and advice.  You are the best!! 

Now if I could only get the eating part under control.  I have got to stop eating after the boys are in bed.  That is my veg out time, my time to relax, my time to breath.  I HAVE TO STOP EATING!!!  I will try to drink more water.  I will have veggies on hand to munch.  I will try.

Hi all!  It has been a bit since I have been on.  I hope you are all doing well.  I am having a hard time keeping up with my buddies with this new format.  I am really trying though.  So, this past week I was in class with about 25 other teachers.  It was great!  We created units, lessons, and had a chance to talk and share our ideas and frustrations about our jobs.  It was great!  We all had the best time.  It has gotten me so excited for the upcoming school year.

We are getting ready for our annual camping trip in August.  We go every year with my family, my husband’s family, and our friends.  We go for a week.  The campground is literally dirt and an outhouse and a lake.  I can’t wait….it is the one thing I do on my summer vacation.  Not much else happening here….Oh yeah-we did go to the EXTREME HOME MAKEOVER site that is 15 minutes from our house.  It was great!  Amazing to see a house go up in 24 hours.  The family will be returning on Saturday for the reveal.  It is the topic of all conversations around here….not much happens in these neck of the woods.

So, I have been walking each night with my boys.  I have been eating fairly sensibly.  I am trying so hard to not eat so late at night but with my boys and our crazy schedules I tend to eat after they have gone to bed.  I am not sure how to curb this awful habit but I will keep at it.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!  I am off…luck to you all and TAKE CARE OF YOU!