6 Month Fitness Goal Checkin

Good Morning!
It is a glorious morning of sunshine and breeze an I'm grateful to have it even if we are under a heat advisory.

In January 2015, my wonderful husband and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary.  Without going into great detail about our wedding, we didn't have a honeymoon.  There was no money for that.  In the last 19 years we have gotten away a few times, alone, but nothing big or fantastic.  So, for our 19th wedding anniversary my husband surprised me with a trip to our travel agent (up to this time we didn't have a travel agent, but we do now!) and we choose and booked a 7 day Caribbean cruise for February 2016 - our 20th wedding anniversary.

To say that I was/am excited is the understatement of the century.  I am over the moon excited.

But.....
In January 2015 I weighed 223 lbs.  I have been overweight my whole entire adult life.  I hadn't seen the underside of 200 since before Lee was born.  Almost 18 years ago.

I. Was. Not. Going. On. A. Cruise. Fat.

I said it.

I'm not judging you if you have been on a cruise and are overweight.  I have no doubt that I would/will have a fantastic time no matter what I weigh.  However, this was a big deal, and the thing that made me decide that I needed to live my life to the fullest and I wasn't going to be able to do that fat.

So, in January 2015 I weighted 223 lbs.  My husband was also overweight by 30 lbs so we put a MyFitnessPal app on our fancy smart phones and got to work tracking calories.  And the weight started sliding off.  Slowly, but steadily.

In March I installed a free C25K app on my phone and after staring at it for a few weeks, I started using it.

I now have several fitness apps on my phone (SworkIt, Map my Run) and they keep the working out interesting and motivating.  I listen to music or audio books.

I started running with regular headphones and whatever cheap tennis shoes I had laying around but for my birthday my oldest sons bought me a bluetooth headset for music and my husband bought me a very nice pair or running shoes.  I treated myself to some nice workout clothes and went to my first SpinCycle class last week.

So here are my stats thus far:
Pounds lost:  From January 2015 I have lost 31 lbs (current weight 191) but at my highest weight I was 240 lbs so from there I've lost 49 lbs.
Exercise achievements: I ran my first 5K on July 4th 2015 :)  I have moved up to 5 lb weights on my upper body workouts and I attended my first Spin Cycle class (loved it)
Clothing: I've went from a size 22 to a size 16.  A xxl to a xl or large depending on the item.  I own 2 pairs of capris that are a size 14 :)

My cruise-goal-weight is 180 lbs.  I'm short.  5'2"  So 180 is still very overweight.  But if I can drop those last 11 lbs before February 2016 I will be beyond thrilled.

Depending on where I look, my goal weight for my height should be between 120-140 lbs.  I weighed around 140 when I graduated high school so I will be so happy with that.  Honestly, I feel like I've turned the clock back.  I'm so proud of myself for getting under 200....something that I NEVER thought would happen.  Everything else is just icing on the cake.

PS Norman hit his goal weight a few weeks ago so he is good to go....and he ran the 5K with me July 4th.  He gave up soda and is eating veggies.  I'm so proud of him!

Goals for Oct. 23 through Oct. 29th

Spiritual
1. Read Matthew 25-Luke 4
2. Journal thoughts and prayers daily
3. Pray without ceasing!

Physical
1. Stretch 7 days

Housekeeping
1. Complete 90% of MM daily chores and most others

Homeschooling
1. Supervise Greg's work
2. School 3 days with Bear

Sewing/Knitting
1. Finish whatever ball of yarn I just started (I think #5) on L's Christmas gift
2. Make list of what else needs done before Christmas (not making the list isn't making the projects go away!)
3. Make Abby's Smurfette dress
4. Make my Smurfette dress
5. Make 1 red and 4 white smurf hats

Other
1. Send cards of encouragement to friends
2. Write review of Welcome Home Daddy by Lorrie Flem
I'm sure you'll notice that I took my weekly walking goal off the list for this week.  Soccer is over, therefore I won't be in town on any set schedule anymore.  I won't walk here and we haven't moved.  So I don't know when I will be able to walk.  I do have a walking video and may try to get in the habit of doing that.  Please pray that I will.  Also please pray about the house we are looking at.  My heart has been burdened greatly this week.  I hesitate to say that I want to be moved before Thanksgiving because I wanted to be moved before school was out last spring and before school started this summer, yet here we are.  Its in God's hands and it is His will!  Please pray that His will be done!

Have a great week!

Goals for Oct. 16-22 and a Picture

Spiritual
1.  I don't have the list in front of my but I think that this week's reading is all in Matthew.
2.  Journal prayer requests and thoughts
3.  Pray without ceasing!

Physical
1.  Walk 4.8 miles
2.  Stretch 7 days

Homeschooling
1. Supervise Greg's work
2. Trip to Ballard Nature Center (I had to get that in there somewhere otherwise it wasn't going to happen!)

Homekeeping
1. Do 90% of MM daily chores and most of others

Sewing/Knitting
1. Finish Abby's dress/pinafore/bonnet
2. cut out/sew my dress and bonnet
3. knit ball 4 and 5 of L's Christmas gift

The MAIN goal this week is the sewing.  I am a terrible procrastinator  so I am having to work quickly.  Thankfully I have Abby's stuff done.  I got my dress cut out and the bodice doesn't fit right so I'm going to have to alter it tomorrow.  I hate that.  I haven't decided how to do the back closer as I don't want to deal with a zipper.  Anyway.......

Here is a picture of Abby in her dress.  In this picture the buttons for the top of the dress aren't on (they still aren't) and the hem isn't done on the pinafore (it is now)......she loves the dress!

Goals for the Week of Oct. 2nd

Here are the goals for this week.  If you would like to see how I did last week you can see that below.

Spiritual
1. Read Amos 8 through Habakkuk 3
2. Pray daily and journal thoughts from God
3. Send cards of encouragement to those that need it

Physical
1. Stretch 7 days
2. Walk 4.8 miles

Homeschool
1. Supervise Greg's work
2. Preschool with Bear 3 times this week
3. Nature study at least one day - maybe a CIPS or Sam Parr
4. Start memory work for all of us :)

Homemaking
1. Complete 90% of Daily chores and Most of other chores on Motivated Moms planner
2. Take inventory of hat/glove/tights/socks needs for winter

Knitting/Sewing
1. Finish ball 4 and 5 of yarn on L.'s Christmas gift
2. make list of other projects that need completed for Christmas and assign done-by goal dates
3. make petticoats for me and Abby for Old-Fashioned Sunday
4. make 2 sets of bloomers for Abby
5. make Smurf jumper for me and Abby

Other
1. order Smurf costume items
2. find Gargamel costume or something that will work

I think that's it.  Lots of sewing to do.  I have a tendency to put things off till the last minute.  LOL

Goals for the Week of Sept. 26th (and pictures!)

After reading a blog post from Crystal at Money Saving Mom about how she makes her goals for the week, I decided to do that also.  Last week, I set some goals and managed to accomplish almost all of them.  For accountability (and encouragement for those who want to do the same) I decided to post mine here.  Then I will come back next Saturday or Sunday and let you know how I did :)


Exercise/Fitness
1. Stretch 7 days a week
2. Walk 6 miles

Homemaking
1.  Complete Motivated Moms planner for the week (complete all routine chores and at least 90% of "bigger" chores)
2.  Get out winter clothes and put away summer clothes.  Gather outgrown clothes for donation.  Make a list of anything we still need.

Homeschool
1. Supervise Greg's work
2. Work on preschool activities at least 3 days a week with Bear.
3. Read to children daily (part of MM planner also)

Sewing/Knitting
1. Finish ball of yarn #3 and #4  for L's Christmas gift (out of 8 balls total)
2. Start Abby's Jane Austen gown (again)

Other
1. Make oil change appt. for Norman's car
2. Order Halloween costume items
3. Find and order dress patterns for Old Fashioned Sunday
4. Send cards to those who need encouragement this week
5. Write Gabby Moms review (look for it Monday!)

Crystal has lots more goals in other categories.  I'm starting small.  She has goals set for her Bible reading and prayer time but my Bible reading is listed in my MM planner so I am considering it part of that.  I also spend considerable time praying throughout the day but I haven't made goals towards that end.  I have several books that I am reading (will update sidebar later) but I read when I can and given the list of sewing/knitting I am working on that isn't often.  LOL

The 3 younger children took some time to play in the mud this week.  It was Abby's first time in the mud.  She didn't mind it on her feet but she hated to have it on her hands.  LOL 

And a picture of me.  This is the dropped stitch scarf I made this summer.  I dropped a stitch I wasn't supposed to (oops!) and was too lazy to fix it until the other day.  It is made out of beautiful yarn from Knit Picks......I'm not sure of the variety but it was a hank of lace weight stuff.  The picture doesn't do the color justice.  It kinda "bleeds" pink to purple and back again.  Very subtle.  I am thinking of getting a hank of silk and making another one. 

Well, I guess that is all for now.  I'm going to try to blog more regularly but I always say that and then never do, so don't hold me to it :)  So much to do!