New blog

See my new blog following my Whole30 journey.  Cantbethisfatforever.blogspot.com.

Detoxing the Mind and Body

I have recently watched two documentaries that have really changed my life. Hungry for Change, and Fat Sick and Nearly Dead. One of the biggest things I have learned from these documentaries is that it is all about the types of food that you eat. If you are eating a healthy diet of nutrient dense food, you are going to feel full, and the good stuff will stop the cravings for the bad. But if all you are eating is “fat free”, “artificial sugar”, processed foods you don’t have a hope of losing weight because those things are toxic and grab onto your fat cells, so it doesn’t matter how hard you work your body says, “we have to save this fat because it is protecting us from the toxins” and your body won’t let you lose the weight. When you detox your body and then you replace those refined, processed, low-nutrition foods, with foods high in real nutrients, it doesn’t matter so much how much you eat because everything you eat is beneficial. But our minds and our bodies are addicted to those processed foods and we WANT, we CRAVE them, we NEED them. We just have to DETOX from our addiction to food and replace our food with good things. When I look at what I feed my kids, I am doing a terrible job. I am trying to reset my eating to be healthy, but I still buy them breakfast cereal with refined sugar (and LOTS of it). My cabinets are full of boxed, processed foods, that resemble real food, but isn’t actually real food. Like Veggie chips. Yeah they are good, they are made from potatoes and not fried, but they sure aren’t nutritious and they won’t ever compare to the real “veggies” they represent. I just recently purchased a juicer, and yesterday I did day 1 of the Joe Cross/Dr. Oz juice cleanse(he was the guy from Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead--Joe Cross, not Dr. Oz). I got through almost one day, had a juice that was NOT good, and it kind of ruined the juicing thing so I quit....and had a regular meal last night. And the cleanse is described as a weekend cleanse...but it really should be a weekend at home with no contact with the outside world cleanse because there are so many temptations out there to pull you away. Like work for example. Although I do totally love my juicer and won't stop juicing as occasional meal replacements (I might even try the cleanse again---but I am leaving out the onion in the "lunchtime" cleanse). My kids love it too. K. can hardly wait for the jucie to stop coming out so that she can drink it. Anything I juice she drinks...she isn't turned off by the varying tastes or murky green colors. She drinks it down and asks for me. C. on the other hand won't even try juice unless it is apple. She says the others look gross. And my DH doesn't help. He makes gross faces and refuses to try the more savory juices...until I give him the death stare and make him take a drink. While researching Hungry for Change I came across this blog which I totally love. Spend some time there, it may change your life. So...that is enough babbling for now...not sure who I am writing this for...mostly myself. It is something I need to remember when I want to reach for the bag of doritoes and coke zero.

a MILE-stone

It is official. It wasn't just a fluke. I can run a mile without stopping. :-)

I am seriously a dope!

I just accidentally deleted 25 posts...I was trying to delete my drafts, and instead deleted my posts... I am just sick over it. Seriously. How on earth did I just do that, and there is no undo...why didn't it pop up and say..."Are you sure you want to delete your posts from the last two years of your life?" Today is kind of sucky now.

For a Season

In the past God has really shown me "words" for a season. It hasn't necessarily been for the year...but it is just something that keeps repeating, kind of like a theme for that time in my life. When I first started going to life group and Justin and I started going to Lifechurch, the word that kept repeating everywhere I turned was righteousness. Something I needed to learn and accept. After a really dark time with God was followed up by serious redemption, the theme for me became Grace. Right now, my theme is "portion."

God wants me to make him my portion, instead of relying on unhealthy "portions" of food. Very clever God! I have been feeling this draw for a while...and now I will begin my study of the word portion.

Last night I sat down to read my Bible (for the first time in I don't know how long) {{shaking my head in shame}}. I prayed for what God wanted me to read. He just spoke into my heart and led me to Acts--to find out about the beginning of the Holy Spirit...the one who is with me as my strength and comforter when things are hard with this new lifestyle. I love when God shows me just what I need right at the perfect time. 

 

   

 

 

Fall Festivities

What a fun fall we have already had, and it isn't over yet!

Here are a few of the festivities we have participated in and still have many more to go.

This is the best weekend of the year...well, next to Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Okay, so it is a pretty good weekend of the year. It is Homecoming, and we are host to the world's best homecoming celebration. Walkaround on Friday, the Game Saturday, Church Sunday! Next weekend is jammed packed and Tuesday is the Halloween Festival, Thursday is Justin's last football game. He is 7-0 and looking for that final win for his first undefeated season!!!!

What a great time of year.

I don't wanna grow up

Made my own 30 by 30 challenge

I am losing at least 30 lbs by my 30th birthday!!!

I joined www.fatsecret.com and made up my own challenge. There are mini challenges within the challenge.

Check it out here. You can join fatsecret and be a part of it, or you can follow along without joining.

I am pretty pumped. Join it if you want, or be encouraged to do something for yourself.

Let me know what you think of the challenge! Here is a before picture from July of this year.

Rough night

First off, Happy Summer!

Tonight we were going to start a new family tradition. Snowcones on the first day of summer. I was so excited and so in need of a wedding cake with cream. A quick trip to Wal-mart quickly ruined our new family tradition. It wasn't quite Wal-mart that did us in...but it was the terrible attitude of our three year old. Oh how she is trying our patience lately.

Tonight we took a stand and it was really hard. Oh the tears nearly swayed us, but we realized that we couldn't give in. It was so difficult to not do what we wanted to do as a family. Instead of creating a happy summer tradition, we regrettably came home with a crying kid. That was really hard. But now we know that she understands that we mean business when we ask for her cooperation. Hopefully us putting our foot down tonight will help her obey and cooperate.

Another blog I follow posted just today about raising your children with discipline and it was just another confirmation to me that we made the right decision tonight by sticking to our guns. Maybe we can go for a snowcone tomorrow.

Our Secret Garden

Hold onto your hats, I am going to post twice in the same week.

I just had to share what I found tonight. It was a garden, although not really too secret.

In our back yard there is a raised flower bed. A few weeks ago when I looked there were things in there that didn't look like weeds, but I wasn't sure what they were. Tonight however, after Justin dumped dirt from the holes for Cori's swing set in there, I looked closer and saw those things were not weeds at all, but looks like a vegetable and herb garden. I am excited that I get to reap the harvest!


Tonight I discovered what I think may be green beans...



and what I am guessing in basil...very strong smelling and hairy leaves...but my mom just informed me is actually sage...


and what I thought was green onion, but turns out to be garlic!!!



There are some plants underneath all this dirt somewhere...We have to get the dirt off and see if we can salvage them.

Getting some flack

Okay, so I have been reminded that I haven't posted in almost two months. We have had a busy two months. We moved out, were homeless for 10 days, and then moved into our new house and have been busy ever since.

May found us homeless. We lived in a less than desirable hotel for a week, and spent the weekends with family. It was actually a fun adventure. Then, we closed on our new house and the adventures haven't stopped.

The end of May found us nicely settled in our home, Cori done with daycare until the fall, Justin being Daddy Daycare, and the most fun was Cori's dance recital.





I will be doing some before and after, and then after after when we get things painted and get everything complete with the house.

For now we are loving our new house, enjoying the summer, and just having fun. Isn't that what summer is all about?

Meet my new niece and nephew!

What a wonderful day! The Lord has blessed us with two beautiful babies! Madelyn Lillian was born at 9:15a. She weighed 6 lbs 4 oz and was 19 1/4 inches long. Jackson Ryan was born at 9:19a. He weighed 6 lbs 10 oz and was 19 3/4 inches long.

What a weekend!

This weekend was Easter! We spent Saturday night at our church to start off the weekend. Cori got to wear Easter dress #1.

Then Sunday morning after the Easter bunny visited--and Cori put on Easter dress #2--was the baby dedication for our neice and nephew at their church. (pics to follow...I did't get any on my camera) After that we had a wonderful celebration lunch and egg hunt, and then we went to OKC for the Thunder game. We had awesome seats thanks to Aunt Brooke.


Cori got to meet a Thunder Girl, \

And Rumble the mascot


But the best part (other than the popcorn, cotton candy, dip and dots, and lemonade) was that Cori got a little stuffed bunny from Rumble. She had to sleep with it last night, and even take it to school today.

We had a blast!

Dear Bathroom Scale--Part 2

I am writing this to let you know that I would like to clear the air between us. It seems that since my last weigh in, I said wrote some things that may not have been very nice about you. I just want to take the time to formally apologize. I know that it must have been very hurtful to hear read. I am sorry.

So, I understand why you--in turn--decided to retaliate by adding another pound to my weigh in on Monday. I have to admit...at first I was really upset. You obviously knew that it hurt the first time, and you still added that extra pound. It was spiteful to say the least. It has taken me a few days to get over it, but I do want you to know that I forgive you.

Now that we have cleared that up you can start moving in the right direction!

Thanks you for your understanding and forgiveness,

Jessica

Dear Bathroom Scale,

I am writing to inform you that you are no longer my friend.  Not that you really have been for a long time anyway...but this morning made it official.

 

Do you know what I have been through the past week?  I had a horrifying stomach thing, and had two days of only eating saltines and pudding.  I have not been eating anything after dinner time, and only partaking in 100 calorie snacks in the afternoon at work, that is after my low calorie breakfast, and sensible--however not the greatest tasting--microwave lunches.  I have been trying hard.  I have not been eating candy or ice cream or all the things that got me to the state I am in right now.

 

And you, you just sit on the bathroom floor waiting to ruin my morning...and possibly my week for that matter. And quietly you just glare that nasty little (well actually not so little) red number at me.  And it was bigger!  I know that they say you don't lie, but I really feel deceived right now.  How could I have gained a pound???   

 

Well, now I am just going to have to get even more serious.  So, you, my unfriended bathroom scale--you better watch out.  Because this won't happen again!!!!

 

Respectfully,

 

Jessica

 

 

 

 

 

The Challenge starts today!

Justin and I weighed in last night (at more than we have ever weighed) and we are starting the diet today.

 

Let me tell you...it was hard saying no to the freshly baked cookie someone brought into the office, but I did it.  Even as my neighbor (and close friend) made yummy noises while she devoured her creamy, warm, chocolate chip cookie, I stood my ground.  And I am proud of myself.

 

So, 20 lbs to go by June 6th (Justin's birthday).  I am kind of excited.J

 

 

 

 

 

Gussy Giveaway

So I am home sick for a second day in a row. This time yesterday I was just getting up for the day, so today I am thinking I feel a lot better since I have been up since 10 and am doing okay, but I am still not yet 100%.

I did feel good enough to check my blog, and I found a great giveaway on one of the wonderful blogs that I follow. Check it out here.

I also added the button for Gussy to my blog at the right.

Gussy makes the cutest, totally girlie girlie products. I can't wait to get the laptop bag. I have been looking for something that isn't so black and just like everyone else, and I totally found it here. Check it out and enter the giveaway yourself.

Shattered Dreams

Well, it happened.  The thing we have been fearing for the past month (or a little longer).  The thing that I didn't want to speak about, but my husband couldn't stop talking about. The house we wanted, the house we put our home on the market for, the house we have been dreaming of, was sold out from underneath us.

 

But, even though my dreams of living in that house, with the adorable kitchen, and huge rooms have been shattered (and my heart is a little shattered too) I know that everything happens for a reason.

 

God's word says there is a season for everything under the sun.  God's word says that He knows the desires of our hearts--and He will give them to us.  God's word says that all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  I am choosing to put aside my hurt feelings. I am choosing to let go of the house that I became attached to, even though I said I wouldn't.  And I am choosing to walk in the promises of God. 

 

I know that He knows what is best for us.  I know that He is taking care of us.  I know that He has a plan for our lives.  And I am trusting in Him.

 

 

 

 

My Little Cheerleader

Cori had a ton of fun cheering at her first basketball game tonight. She even did some jumps! Oh what Fun!

This isn't the post that is supposed to be here

Today I was supposed to be posting about the wonderful birthday party we had for Cori's third birthday. I was supposed to be posting amazing pictures of her very adorable fairy party. The party I have been working on for months--months of ideas, months of planning, and months of gathering items for the party. And it will have to wait for two more weeks.

Cori's party got cancelled because of a fever virus! She got a fever the Friday before her birthday party! What are the chances of that???? Poor little baby. Thankfully she didn't really realize what was happening when we had to postpone her party, otherwise I think she would have been really upset.

She did get to open her present from Aunt Brooke. She got just what she asked for...a wedding dress complete with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. She has been wearing the dress all weekend. That definitely eased the disappointment for her...but not so much for me.