Hey everyone!

So this week was not the best weight loss week I have had.  I can blame it on multiple things but it all really comes down to not being dedicated enough this week.  I’ve been worried about some other things and well, it showed on the scale.

And here is what it said:

All in all – I am down a total of 8.8 lbs. When you look at the big picture, that isn’t bad.  It’s slow and steady and that is how I will win this race.  I don’t plan or want huge results each week because I know that doesn’t stay off.  1-2 lbs/week is good and it’s healthy.  That is what I want.

My final measurements:

AND – pics!

-18.5 inches!!  WOW!

This will be my last official Mamavation Mom blog.  Can you believe it?  Here is what I have learned:

• Not all calories are the same.  100 calories of a fruit or veggie is not the same as 100 calories of candy.
• Exercise is important to lose the inches.  Eating right is how you lose weight.  Both together is how you become healthy.
• Getting enough water in a day is super important and helps with your weight loss.
• You have to eat breakfast!!
• It’s harder than you think to get 10,000 steps in a day!  You have to work for it.
• My scale doesn’t define my weight loss journey.

It’s been a crazy journey!  I met and bonded with two amazing women – Laura and Lolo.  I’ve learned a bit about myself and I have tools in place for me to continue on this journey of mine.

I have absolute faith in myself and I know that just because my losses will no longer be public, it doesn’t mean they need to stop.   While I am thankful for this opportunity, I am super excited to get back to a “normal” life and finding my way through it with all of my new tools.

Thank you all for following my journey and for all of the encouragement along the way.  It has meant the world to me!  Also thank you to Alysa from Inspired RD and Pete Cohen from Weight Loss Guru.  Thank you to the Sistahood, Leah, Shannon and Kelly.  And thank you especially to my fellow Moms – Laura and Lolo.

This isn’t the last you’ll see of me.  Next up is being a Mentor to the next set of Mamavation Moms.  Are you going to be one??  I can’t wait to see who applies!

Until I see you again…..

Hey everyone!

This is what I got to wake up to on Sunday morning:

YAY!!!!  I was SO SO happy to see that number.  It’s been a rough, rough week and to see such a great loss perked me right up!  That is a total of 8.6 lbs since my Mamavation Mom application date.  Very exciting!!!  Still working towards my 7 week goal…..can’t wait to see if I make it or not.

We had a great conversation with Leah on Sunday.  She has been where we are now and it definitely makes me feel less alone.  I think that is another good thing about having other Mamavation Moms too – I am not alone in this process.  We’re all having our ups and down, good weeks and bad weeks.  And you know what??  We have each other to lean on and Laura and Lolo have become such great friends to me.  And we are ALL doing so awesome!!!

So yeah, last week was rough.  Trying to get back into a routine after being sick for a week is hard.  Much more hard then I thought it would be.  My sleep is all messed up.  I am back to eating well and drinking my water.  I am working out but I don’t feel like I am giving it my all.  I want to get back to where I was before I got sick.  I honestly feel like if I could just get my sleep back on track, then I would feel normal.  I have high hopes that it will happen soon.

So I went to the grocery store this weekend and I realized just how much my diet has changed.  I used to crave ice cream, candy, red meat.  Now I find that my grocery cart is filled with vegetables, fruits and lean meats.  Yes – I do still buy crap food for my family.  Trying to get them to eat healthy is a trying process.  But I don’t very often find myself wanting to eat that stuff.  I think this is a good thing!

Anyway – I’m excited to get through these next few weeks and to then start the process for the next Mamavation Moms.  I am really, really excited to be a mentor and to still be able to do the workouts and to be a source of motivation and inspiration to another Mamavation Mom.

Until then though…..I still have two weeks to get through.

Thank you to Alysa @InspiredRD for your amazing meal plans and for your support.  Thank you also to Pete @WeightLossGuru for your wonderful program! Thank you to my mentors, Shannon and Kelly.  And thank you to Leah for your continued support.  And to my fellow Mamavation Moms – we got this!!!  Love you both!

See you next week!

Hey everyone!

Wow – what a week!  I was sick all week.  I’d say it was the flu but I didn’t have a fever.  It was a migraine-nausea-no-eating-no-drinking kind of sickness.  Definitely NO fun.

My weigh in was ok.  Here’s the thing – when I am sick, I gain weight.  I don’t know why.  Maybe I got into starvation mode and hold onto every single calorie?  Maybe my body like to completely torture me….I don’t know.  So there wasn’t a loss and there was barely a gain – a miniscule gain.

My total weight loss, since applying for Mamavation Mom, is 6.8lbs.  I am expecting a good loss this week to bring me closer and closer to my 7 week goal.

BUT!  I did have some awesome news Sunday morning – my measurements!!!  Since 1/9/12, I have lost a total of 18.5 inches!  Holy freaking cow!  18.5 inches?!!?  I love it!!  Look at the numbers below:

I might be more excited about the measurements that my weight.  Weight fluctuates with so many different factors.

Unfortunately, I haven’t really started the new workouts yet.  I was so excited to get them and then got so sick.  I can’t wait to get a sweat on.  It feels like it has been too long.

I also wanted to address something I mentioned in my video last week about depression.  I was having a super bad Monday.  I don’t know why.  It started before Mamavation TV.  Sometimes I think it is hormones.  Sometimes I think it’s a situation or an emotion that kick starts it.  I just don’t know.  My depression is fairly new to me…it’s only been a year and a half or so since I’ve been officially diagnosed.  When my doctor mentioned it to me, I was shocked.  Me?  Depressed?  No way!  And then I broke down, bawling!  It all came together and made sense…for once!  I am still trying to deal with it and still trying to figure out ways to break out of it.  I know I am not the only person who deals with it (even in my family) but sometimes I feel so alone.  My husband and BFF are extremely supportive but I sometimes find myself faking happy when I’m not so that they don’t worry.

I’ve found that being gluten-free helped a lot.  And maybe that is why it’s flared up so badly lately – I’ve been eating more gluten than usual.  I want to get back to a whole food diet.  It’s hard though – being on a strict grocery budget and having the rest of my family not want to eat the same things.  I am still trying to figure out how to balance it all.

Anyway!  I think that is all for now.  Keep your fingers cross that the sick germs are gone for good!!!

Thank you to Alysa @InspiredRD for your amazing meal plans and for your support.  Thank you also to Pete @WeightLossGuru for your wonderful program!  Thank you to Mark @MrBookieBoo for the awesome workouts!  Thank you to Leah, Shelley, Shannon and Kelly for your support.  And thank you to my fellow Mamavation Moms, Laura and LoLo, for checking in on me every single day!  Thank you!!

Until next week…