PAIN...

Of course you have heard of this little program... P90X! Well this week I started it again, I tried it over a year ago and though I might die, but thought "hey, I'm lighter now, lets give it a shot!"

Day one, I started off missing all together because of EVERYTHING!

Day two, PLYOMETRICS BABY!!


















So, I started totally pumped up, did the workout at about 40%, and realized along with loosing a bunch of pounds, I've gone a year without serious exercise and MAN I AM WEAK! I was shouting at myself "YOU CAN DO THIS' "BIG RESULTS TAKE BIG EFFORT" etc, but still I was gasping, sweating, and by the end barely moving at all as I felt my body begin to freeze.

As I was soaking in the tub attempting to relax I couldn't help but think about why this has happened... how I let myself get this far out of shape with such little self confidence. Repeatedly I thought of the Young Women motto:

*CLICK to enlarge























It all comes down to this, our good decisions and bad all are based on whether or not we really believe that we are daughters of a loving Heavenly Father. Honestly, for many years I did not see my worth. Even now I think I am just beginning to see how great I can become, but I really do know now that HE loves me.

As I prepare to sleep, I will pray that my legs remain attached and not harden like concrete by morning so I can jump up and make this great creation, my living body, into something wonderful.

Have a great day, and know you are loved! xo

Me Today :)

I DID IT!!

Whew, 8 weeks later I am finished with the 500 calorie protocol, and am FINALLY on to reset! I ran across an email from Koach Katie back in January 2010, and since then I have lost 90 pounds!!! Adam & I keep joking that "I've lost a NINI" who is my adorable sister in law who MAYBE weighs 90 lbs when she is pregnant and wet! None the less, 90 pounds are GONE, whoot whoot! Today was my first breakfast & I thoroughly enjoyed my turkey, egg & cheese cups with fresh cilantro!

I have stayed in my old workout clothes, church clothes, etc and finally last week was getting dressed for church and everything was falling off of my shoulders! It was baggy and looked like tents, I was frustrated and thrilled at the same time :) I had to buy some new clothes to get me through this phase for the winter and let me tell you how it went down...

I was at Lane Bryant (fat girl store, I know) and the last time I was there was in January when I had to buy a new top and a pair of jeans, on top of being fat I am still tall and finding things that fit are limiting. (I wonder how this will change??) Anyway, in January I was trying on tops and just grabbed one, even though it was a 22 and snug, it had to do. Then for the bottoms, I had been a 22 for who knows how long, but was on the phone with my sister as I had to up it to a 24 that still made my legs look like stuffed sausages!! I was crying and so upset!

Okay okay, so two weeks ago I was in trying on things, because at this point I didn't have a clue what on Earth my size even was any more. Drum roll please, Clark!

In tops I wear a 14/16
In jeans I wear a 16!!!

Again I was on the phone in the dressing room, but this time I was thrilled and on the phone with NINI (a darling and petite size 0 even after having a baby) screaming like a girl asked to the prom as I stood there in the size 16 jeans that were a little sausagey on the thighs...but I figured it was awesome motivation!

So I came home and ordered everything online (huge 50% off deal that week only) and waited patiently until the box arrived.....last Friday it didn't! I called Monday and they never shipped it, don't they understand what I have been through?? Okay, breathe. So today it came and I frantically told my hubby to SIT DOWN, I was going to show him what treasures I found! He loved it all, but I have to say the BEST part was when I tried on the size 16 jeans, they fit, yes, but are baggy on the thighs...baggy! I had lost 7 more pounds (taking me to the total of 90 lbs) and that made such a big difference, can you see me do the happy dance?

According to the Wii I still have 50 lbs to loose, and I still hate the Oprah arm, but even with that, I feel like a new girl, a happier wife and mom, and for sure have more energy and flexibility to enjoy this life!

We went to California to play on the beach and it was COLD, I totally was not prepared for me, but thankfully over packed for the kids, so I wore my 7 year olds sweatshirt! Say what?? I feel great people, the HCG diet works if you mentally get your head in the game! Enjoy some totally un-professional photos! xoxo

I Think I Can, I Think I Can...

Hello Self,

Holidays are hard! During the week it is so easy to stay on track, with meals prepared in advance, walking the kids up, feeding them breakfast, dressed and out to school, then back to do chores, stop for quick lunch, run back to get big brother, home to do homework, then prep dinner, all sit and enjoy each other, then baths and bedtime!

But this past weekend was General Conference, WHICH I LOVE, but it is full of family being together with lots of yummy food! On top of that it was Fall Conference, which is when we celebrate my hubby's birthday and this year the fam threw a beautiful BBQ, plus I made Molly Salad and a 5 layer Buddy cake! A bite or two of things that aren't on the list and BAM, no weight loss that day... ugh!

But today you are back on track! I saw an old email with Coach Katie from the beginning of the year, and was shocked and thrilled that THIS YEAR I am down 70 pounds of FAT! Disgusting and yet so totally thrilled it is gone!! Baby and I jumped over to the gym for a little boost, and little by little I feel confident again!

So, here I am with my next break ending the week of Thanksgiving, and sweetie-pie has joined in for the last push! (Which totally makes it easier, sad but true, so I am not totally envious of everything he is enjoying!) Until the holidays...
I Know I Can,
I Know I Can,
I Know I Can! xo

Life is Great!

What a fantastic summer of enjoying the weather, playing a ton with my kiddo's and once again taking the time to think about what makes me happy, sad, but most of all wanting to EAT! It's different for everyone, but for me if I am stressed I eat! It's that simple. So we moved again, and I think we ate out every day, yucko! Then school started- hooray! Okay, life has finally settled down and I am mentally prepared to attack a SERIOUS 8 WEEK ROUND of HCG! Here is my calendar:
*Click to enlarge!

6 Weeks Later...

Here's the final results for our first round (6 weeks) with HCG! We measured our weight and inches at the beginning and really have seen results, drum roll please!

Adam has lost 45.5 pounds and 21 inches!
Sara has lost 37.5 pounds and 21.5 inches!

Both pretty fantastic if I do say so myself! I thought it would be fun to post a couple of pictures also. Adam's belly is so small, his face so thin, and he totally looks young, like when we got married! I love this shirt I'm wearing, when we moved to Vegas I threw it on and my boobs pulled the top TIGHT and my top and bottom bellies were pushing out on the A-line...not any more baby! I just wish the Oprah Arm would go down... And the jeans were TIGHT, I almost needed butter to get them on, no more!

*Click to enlarge!



















I love all of the fresh foods we are able to eat, like this morning I had a fruit & greek yogurt parfait! Thank you to friends and family who have given me LOTS of love, encouragement and support! xo

My Calendar

Okay, so I had a total of 100 lbs that I wanted to lose, and realized that this is going to take some planning! If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!

So I will do 4 separate sessions of the HCG over the course of one year, you can do anything for one year, especially if you get quality of life back...so here it is!

*Click to enlarge!

What do we eat?

With the HCG it is very specific on what you can and cannot have. I have learned that we stick to things much better if it is simple...not a lot of variety! So this is basically what we eat each day, rememeber, it is 250 calories each meal!

Lunch:
1 cup Cucumber in vinegar OR celery
1 grisini breadstick (from Von's)
100 grams raw weight chicken breast
paprika
chicken grill seasoning mix
pepper
ground dry mustard
garlic powder
Tony's creole seasoning
plus an apple

Dinner:
Soup made of
100 grams raw weight 96% lean ground beef
1 cup shredded green cabbage
italian seasonings
pepper
garlic cloves
1 cup of water
1 beef bullion cube
1 grisini bread stick
he has another apple, I have an orange!

You can have herbal teas, once in a while I have peppermint or chamomile. And about once a week I have Smooth Move just to keep things going!

4 Weeks Down!

We have been doing the HCG diet for 4 weeks and have had success! Do not attempt without reading Pounds & Inches!

Our diet in a nut shell, 500 calories per day total:
Wake up, weigh in, take drops
Water water water
Take drops, eat lunch
(Usually chicken, celery, apple, grisini)
Water water water
Take drops, eat dinner
(Usually ground beef, cabbage, orange, grisini)
Water water water!

Results so far:
I have lost 22 lbs & 13 inches!
Adam's lost 30 lbs & 12 inches!

Do not stray from the strict plan or results will not follow! I have not been hungry, I can see reduction it in my face & below my breasts...HOORAY!

We HCG!

Much has happened in the last couple of weeks that have changed our thoughts completely! For the first time in a LONG time Adam and I agree completely on something, and it has led to our decision to do the HCG plan together!

I'm so excited because things always are easier (especially with food) if we are on the same page, and secondly because of all we have read about it, third from visiting with 3 friends who have DONE IT! It makes sense! I have laughed out loud reading studies they have done that are diets I have tried! I would love to explain everything, but why type it all out when you can just read "Pounds and Inches" yourself, the link can be found under HCG on the right!

This is what Adam and I look like this week...FRIGHTENING!


Many of you question the extreme things we try, but if you read the material you wont! We have finished the two days of "loading" gorging till we feel sick inside, and today started Phase 1! Here's to a new life, feeling great, and changing our bodies for good!

Results...but how?

I've taken the next step, with the encouragement of a great friend I now have a COACH! Okay, so we won't physically see one another, work out together, or hear eachother yell in the gym...

But we are willing to be brutally honest with one another with EVERYTHING, and make contact at the end of each day to report!

I can't tell you how excited I am, I'm sure it has been proven scientifically SOMEWHERE that having someone you answer to gets better results, and RESULTS are what I am after folks!

So here is the plan:
Condition on the treadmill at 6am
Get kids up, fed, to school
Do P90x, then shower
Pick up after school
Feed kids lunch
Then make myself gorgeous for when my sweetheart returns home!

Oh, it is about a half mile each way to my son's school, so I plan on putting my baby in his seat on the back of my bike and biking to and from school each day = about 2 miles a day!

All of it together, along with eating good, balanced, portion controlled meals and drinking plenty of water should give me results...right? Lets just see! :)

Edamame!

Okay people, I'm officially on week 3 of my "conditioning program" and I am in pain! My ankles and left hip are screaming at me wondering why I am making them move all of the sudden :) Must...go...on!

I have been reunited with precious friends, and it seems there is a very common pattern amongst us! We fall in love, we get married, we have babies, we move, we fulfill callings in our church, we have job changes, and in the midst become so busy with life that we lose the "us" we once knew!

Never would we dream of not having our wonderful husbands or darling children, and we all want to give service, and so it is very easy to run out of time and not save any moment for us, to enjoy being with other women, to laugh out loud, and to remember all the nights dancing with friends!

Instead we become frumpy, rushing, cranky at times, and desire for more. One thing I have really enjoyed the last year or so, has been reuniting with friends I love and miss on Facebook. Seeing their spouses and beautiful children, what they are up to, exchanging phone numbers and laughing just like we did back when! It is a little happy place for me! Whether I jump on once a day or once a week, having that connection helps me feel more alive!

Making the time, sometimes at the sacrafice of my very precious sleep, to get my body out of bed, while it is still dark, and exercise while my family sleeps...is so difficult, but I know that I am going to feel and look so much better if I do!

Taking the time to make halthier food is a HUGE one for me! Today I tried this:

1 pkg Edamame, shelled, rinsed, pat dry
1 tbs Olive oil
1 tsp Seasoning of any kind :)
*450 for 15 minutes

Ahhh Food!

I need to update! The cleanse is officially over! I lasted 6 days, and then was feeling sick to my stomach, I needed food and was just feeling icky :( So I am back on foods, but am totally in a new place.

I did the cleanse for a few reasons, one being that I was just hungry all the time and needed something to help me stop that! I wanted to eat regular portions of food and be satisfied, not still grazing like a cow for the entire day.

Second I wanted to get rid of the urge for unhealthy foods all the time! I started researching foods I do want to eat and feel more in control...hallelujah!!

Some argue the reasons people cleanse and the results they get, I can tell you, for me personally, it was a really good experience. I realized that I am strong and able to take control back in my life. I feel empowered, like I just jumped off a platform for a healthy new year. I feel like I control my cravings vs them controlling me. I feel WAY more ready this week to live a healthier life than I have in the last decade!

Wa-Hoo! When was the last time you wa-hoo-ed?

Dinosaurs!

Cleanse Day 3
It's going good and I totally don't feel hungry (amazing)! I was talking with my BEST friend who tried this cleanse a while back and on day 3 she lost it, stopped by the gas station, bought and ate and entire bag of crappy Lay's potato chips! I think it's totally a mind over matter kind of thing, and I'm really focused right now, so it isn't a problem. Keep those fingers crossed!

The last two days I wasn't able to work out at 6am, so I went mid day to get it in. My body does not work the same later, I was more tired, my mind was distracted, and I felt winded the whole time...crazy! 6am is the time for me and I am more than happy to wake up now feeling a real difference!

Along with working out I want to create a healthy meal plan for when this is over. I keep thinking about meat: beef, chicken, turkey, etc and how often we eat it. Pretty yuck, but I know that when we eat pork I'm more gassy, so why eat it?

Then today my sons were watching Dinosaur Train, and Dr. Dr.Scott Sampson said that Argentinosaurus' are like humans, we are both herbivores! If you look at our teeth they are both flat for chewing plants and leaves! LIGHT BULB MOMENT! We will be eating more leafy greens and less fleshy products!!

TA-DA we are off for our evening swim!

My Freak Out!

I have not told anyone about this blog except for my sister and mom, and yesterday I received a very sweet and encouraging message from a dear friend I haven't seen in 15years and had a mini-panic attack and made the site private! I thought about "what if things don't change, what if I fail, what if I stay fat, what if..."

Isn't that the point of ALL of this??? Of course it is! Everyone knows me, knows what I look like, and it cannot get any worse than it is so who cares??? NOT ME any more!! I'm no longer afraid of "someone" seeing this! I welcome one and all to view, to comment, to maybe even be inspired!

Day 2 of the detox: fantastic! not hungry, just mind over matter!

HUZZAH as my dear aunt says! I'm off to the gym!

It's Detox Time!

Okay, so this is me, seriously the only pictures of just me in the last 3 months! Always cropping the lower half out, skin tone grey, hair almost always out of control. I have learned to just smile real big in hopes others won't see how I feel or notice my size. Of course they can! Who do I think I am kidding? Every summer I am out absorbing the sun and I say "Of course I'm going to play in my swimsuit with my kids, they can already see what I look like, I might as well enjoy myself!" But really, who is enjoying when you're self conscious all the time, pulling tops down, lifting pants back up... in fact... I just remembered pictures from last summer:
































What the....!!!

Of course nobody has seen THESE photo's blogged or on Facebook! Know that I have become even more out of shape with cold weather, depression and December's Daily Pie Making & Eating we threw for, no not the neighborhood, just us! This leads me to today's decision to do a cleanse, knowing that in this body there is a lot of crap food that has been blocked up and any jump start I can give it, I will!

Ingredients:
25-30 lemons, juiced
62 oz of 100% PURE maple syrup
5 gal. of distilled water
1 jar Cayenne pepper
1 box Traditional Medicinals Smooth Move Tea

Recipe:
10 oz Water
2 Tbs Lemon Juice
2 Tbs Syrup
dash Cayenne
*Drink 5-8 glasses of juice a day plus 5-8 glasses of water! Every night before bed drink a cup of tea.

I keep thinking about discipline and self mastery, and how growing up these things really were not taught to me in relation to self, school, work, and I feel this overwhelming duty to teach my two beautiful boys yet need to teach myself first.
Booyah!

So, this is me...

When answering questions at a doctors office when they ask "Name?" I always reply "Sara, plain and tall".

I'm in my early thirties, married for a decade or so, a busy mother of two wonderful boys (ages 6 and 2), menopausal, overweight, tired, have been depressed, to the point I have not acted like me at all sometimes.

I think of myself as a very typical wife and mother. I cook, I clean, I have totally and completely lost the ME that I use to be. As I first realized this I was saddened and disappointed in those around me for not caring about my likes enough to be a part of them, and angry with myself for completely letting go.

I wanted to change it, tears fell, my heart ached realizing more and more what I have become, why, and how many things it has both affected and also created missed opportunities. But wanting it was not, and IS NOT ENOUGH.

A great opportunity has presented itself: we just moved back to Las Vegas from the cold land of Idaho. I have been thinking about meals, exercise, lifestyle, and passions for a good year now.

This week I began the change.

I was excited to be to play outdoors more with my children and to be in an area where so much is available! So, I took the first step in my plan...

Every Day
Get outside and actively play with my beautiful boys! We have been going to parks, riding our bikes, and swimming like crazy! The boys are thrilled with the interaction and opportunity to yell and get wiggles out, and I am in the fresh air with them! Not just sitting on a bench watching them play, I am climbing the jungle gyms, chasing them around the parks, and sliding down slides...all of which is very exhausting physically, but dang it, I started!

I thought that was a great start until I was talking with a high school girlfriend on Facebook, and she challenged me to start running and even to train for the half marathon that would be at the end of this year! Hilarious, I thought, but it would not leave my mind that night. So I looked up the Jeff Galloway website where he lists a training schedule for a full and half marathon, and thank goodness a conditioning schedule for those like me who are way out of shape! Monday morning I woke up at 6:00 am and started, and I hurt. But I continued all week long and am so proud of myself, even as my ankles are aching, and where my glutes should be, it throbs!

Tonight was the clincher in my motivation world. We were invited to our good friends for dinner, who are the ultimate in beautiful couples! Four kids later she has the body of a swimsuit model and the kindest heart! I started to get ready and it didn't take long before I got upset as I tried on every piece of ugly clothing I have, desperately trying to put something together. In the process my little sister called and talked me through throwing an outfit on and getting OUT the door!

The night was great. We talked, ate, the kids played, and then we started talking about food and her 4 year old daughter came up to me, innocently patted my lower doughnut of a stomach, and asked "Is there a baby in there?" After the week I've had this was the icing on the cake! My dear friend was embarrassed and mortified and apologized over and over. But her daughter was not out of line, probably excited about a new baby, curious as all kids are, and honest as we all should be!

Talk about motivation...I'M THERE!!

I started this blog for the sole purpose of journaling my progression with thoughts, feelings and speedbumps I may have. I think about my sister, mother, aunts, friends, nieces or any other female on the planet, and if any of them find themselves in my same circumstance, I want them to know there is a way to change it! (See Roosevelt footer.) I want to set a good example for them to want to be like. I want to have great health until my last day, and it is all going to take effort.

I looked up RENEW and saw this:
begin again, brace, breathe new life into, bring up to date, continue, exhilarate, extend, fix up, freshen, gentrify, go over, mend, modernize, overhaul, prolong, reaffirm, reawaken, recommence, recondition, recreate, reestablish, refit, refresh, regenerate, rehabilitate, reinvigorate, rejuvenate, remodel, renovate, reopen, repair, repeat, replace, replenish, restate, restock, restore, resume, resuscitate, retread, revitalize, revive, spruce, stimulate, transform

It's never too late...so why not take the time to freshen myself!