I CAN DO THIS!!

I don't know how many of you feel the same, but I struggle greatly with my weight, exercise, etc.  No, I don't have a real problem but to a woman there is a problem if she looks in the mirror and doesn't like what she sees.  

It has been much harder for me to lose weight in my 30's.  I've always lost 5 or 10 pounds super  easy.  Well not now!

Just thought I'd share a few of the tools that seem to be helping me "stay hooked".   

First of all I started using the My Fitness Pal app.  When I had elbow surgery the first of April I started using it.  I was freaked out that I couldn't exercise and would gain tons of weight.  I have myself on 1200 calories a day.  This is what it gave me based on height, weight, age, weight goal, etc.

You are welcome to become my friend mama2scout and I decided to make my diary public.  Accountability!!

Just this last week I purchased the Polar Heart Rate Monitor watch FT7.  You have to wear a strap around your chest (right under band of sports bra), but you hardly even notice.  It's really nice knowing how many calories you are burning, heart rate, etc.

My SIL, Kailtyn has me hooked on Fitness Blender.  It is a free website with tons of workout videos.  People, I'm talking full length, do it with you, no timing yourself, no reading a description trying to decide what to do.  It really is like having a personal trainer.  I prefer using the I Pad, but it works just fine on my phone.  Oh and did I mention it's FREE?  Thank you, thank you Daniel and Kelley.

Luckily there is also a fitness group here in Earth.  Who would have thought?  I graduated from high school with Iris and she is doing a great job. If I can't make it to her workout then I do a Fitness Blender.  I will say that going to a Foundation 6:19 class is for sure the best thing for me.  I push myself so much harder at a class.  

I've also been trying to eat better.  I've cut back on tortillas, bread, chips, cheese, and sour cream.  Honestly it hasn't been hard at all, except for the tortillas.  So what it means is that I really don't have these at home.  If we eat out somewhere I may have these in moderation. 

Moderation!  It's all about moderation.  I'm not saying I'll never eat this or that, because I probably will.  If it is high calorie, then I just won't be able to eat very much of it.  

So you learn that you get to eat more of something healthy.  I wouldn't say I've been eating clean, but kind of for me.  Now I sure can tell when I eat something my tummy isn't used to.  It makes me feel yucky.  The other day I had some ice cream and thought I was going to be sick.  

I may or may not have frowned on others that I thought were "obsessed" with diet and exercise.  Well, now I don't.  You really kind of need to be obsessed to stick with it and get anywhere.

I've only lost about 5 pounds since the first of April.  I didn't start working out until the first of May.  I haven't counted calories every single day.  I know that I am gaining muscle and am shedding inches (or maybe an inch).  lol

Hopefully this inspires you guys to get going!  My Mama inspires me.  She's like the My Fitness Pal calorie Nazi.  Love that!  

Hopeylicious!

Happy 40th to Hope (aka....Hopey, Hopeylicious)!

First I must say that some of this was my idea and some of it was not.  I am embarrassed to say that this post is months over due.  How about we just celebrate "40 years of Hopeilious" all year long!!

It didn't take too many lies to get her to Rudy's for a little celebrating.  I teased her that it's pretty bad when your birthday is planned around our guys team roping.  

Here she is with the beautiful family that she takes such good care of.  

 I just know that when I pop in at her house unannounced, there are always fresh vacuum marks.  Seriously!!! I know that when I pop in at her house unannounced, there is usually a fresh loaf of bread on the cabinet.  Seriously???  

Yes, now I am putting question marks behind the seriously because she is so good that it makes me kind of sick.  

She does laundry, cares for chickens, builds things, sews, bakes complicated things, cleans the church, even does 1st grade homework (shh don't tell).  These are the things that I know she does.  There's no telling what out-of-this-world things she does for her family that we never hear a word about.  

 I've known her since I was Scout's size.  She's been my sister-in-law since I was Trail's size.

Bless her!!

Oh and never play her at Scrabble.  She'll kick your hiney!  lol

Happy Birthday Hope!

Smiley Faces

So you know my girl Scout......now she is something else!  She has been a ball of fire pretty much since the moment she came into this world.  

Here in the past year and a half or so this girl has developed this habit of using page after page of a tablet.  She can go through a Big Chief tablet in about 4 minutes.  That's doable right?  I can deal with that kind of thing.    

However, it has now turned into cutting paper into tiny little pieces.  Now this behavior is not so easy to deal with.  She cuts paper and leaves it all over the office.  I'm talking covering the floor.  One time I didn't pick up after here and I'm  not joking you couldn't see the floor.  

Her bible case, whew you should see it.  By the time meeting is over it looks like she threw up paper everywhere. The poor child is literally sitting in a pile of mess.  

You add this paper thing to her pack-a-bag syndrome and I'm about to lose my mind.  FYI.....pack-a-bag syndrome is grabbing any bag or something that isn't a bag and using it as a bag and then filling it with random household object.  Objects that might be found in her bag are clean clothes, dirty clothes, doll clothes, head scarf, grapes, diapers (clean thank goodness), dice, toy horses, cell phones, walkie talkie....This list could go on forever.  

Here is the good news.  The other night I opened my bible and out popped two smiley faces.  It made me smile too and sort of made me chill about her messiness.  She means well.....I think.

I'm just trying to enjoy and embrace it all!  I love these kiddos and want to be a better Mama to them every day.  

These faces..... and another How-To

These little faces are beautiful to me.

 

It doesn't matter if they are dirty or sticky.

It doesn't matter to me if they are snotty or crusty (sorry folks it's just a fact of life).  

What matters to me is that these little faces are smiling.  

Usually ice cream, playing in the dirt, and baby goats will cause these little faces to smile.

 and now for our latest "How-To".... 

Reno's "How-To" is not explained so well, but I'm pretty sure he can give roping lessons if anyone is in need of assistance.

He asks for "big rope", which means he wants a big loop.  It needs to be big enough that it sort of knocks him off balance once he gets it off the ground.  lol