Hello Again

WOW! I got busy. I really had it in my head that I would be blogging like every day! Haha, guess with my schedule, it just wasn't possible. Life has been a whirlwind for the past few weeks between traveling, having company here in my home for over a week, my youngest starting 3 year old pre k, fostering a st. bernard and MORE! Amidst it all, I have kept up my great eating habits!! I am so proud. I thought the stress of the past 2 weeks may cause me to cave, but I didn't! Yay! I will say, my schedule has limited my workouts over the past couple weeks. I haven't gone as often as I want/need. But overall, I am staying on track. Because of my less intense workouts, I have been stuck at 13 lbs! I cannot wait to hit the gym Monday for a new kicked-up workout routine!! It will include some of the same things I was doing, and some more intense things as well. I can't wait to see those scales continue to go down!

On another note, I experienced a victory while purchasing a new pair of jeans. I didn't have time to try them on before leaving the store and I ended up having to go back and trade for 2 SIZES DOWN! Hip Hip Hooray! That definitely made me happy. So, to my supporters, followers and friends I haven't met yet, keep me in your prayers as I continue this transformation.

I know that in order to successfully meet all my goals, I have to believe that I am worth it and MAKE TIME to do it. It is so hard with all the things I juggle. It's not that I can't make time, but it's that if I am making time for ME to work out, I feel guilty that I am not using that time to do 1 of 1000 other things on my need-to-do list! I am sure I am not the only one who has struggled with this guilt. So, I am prioritizing and managing my time so I can accomplish things and make time for me. The bottom line is that I will NEVER get it all done, I will NEVER be 100% caught up. So I have to choose...I can be a healthy woman of God with things left on my to-do list or an unhealthy woman of God with things left on my to-do list! I think you know which one I am choosing.

Scheduling-in the Sacrifice

It is so hard to be busy and MAKE TIME to work out and get healthy. So many important things to tend to! So many fast food restaurants that will feed your busy, chubby girl face with yummy food in record 90 second time! When you are looking to make healthy lifestyle change, the world we live in is definitely a battlefield. Luckily, I have found many modified salad options everywhere I go and have MADE time for sweat and excercise. As I continue to count calories and make sweating a priority, my weight continues to go down. I have lost 9.8 lbs to date :) Hip Hip Hooray! I have 10.2 lbs to lose by September 4th to be on track for my 3 month goal.
It definitely hasn't been an easy start and I am so thankful for my support team who I know believe in me and are cheering me on! Thankfully, I am creative by nature and have found all kinds of short cuts and meal ingredient substitutes to help cut calories without taking one for the team on taste. I also see black and white 'nutrition facts' rectangles in my sleep at night. I find myself being very picky and knowledgable about what is IN what I eat. I used to say I didn't have time to read all those labels, but the truth was I just didn't really want to know how many calories I was eating. Out of sight, out of mind...and adding up on my waist line. I think that last sentence might have the potential to make it into an Anita Renfroe song! Whadda you think?
Anyhow, I am moving along and can't wait to celebrate my first goal in a couple months! I am thankful to the Lord who is my strength, without Him, my life is worthless. He is my everything!

New Starts Tomorrow

I have had a great weekend full of family, crazy love and possibilities and am looking forward the start of new things tomorrow. My firstborn, sweet baby boy is starting his first day of school....ever. We are prepared and excited! I know he will do great and I know I will cry! That won't be the only new start in my life tomorrow. Tomorrow will also be the day that I start my gym membership!! I am estatic. Great things are ahead. Keep me in your prayers as I work toward my first 3 month goal. I don't expect it to be easy, but I know Who my strength comes from, I have a great support team who believes in me and I believe in myself. New beginnings....bring it on!

I am still excited

I was wondering what my emotions would hold on day 2 of this journey...I am glad to say I am still so excited! I have 3 pledges so far for my gym goals. Only 21 to go! I weighed this morning and have lost 2.2 lbs so far! My 3 month goal is 60 lbs! Thats 20 lbs each month, I know I will meet it and may even pass it :) I can't wait to get in the gym! We have a busy weekend planned and I can't wait to implement my new lifestyle choices throughout each day. Thanks so much to my support team! It's going to be a great weekend.

My Inspiration

As women and mothers, we live and breathe putting others first. Marriage, motherhood and ministry are driving forces in my daily grind. I have always known that without my health, my effectiveness in my world comes to a grinding halt. But recently, I have decided that I cannot and will not let another season go by without putting myself first and taking care of my health. There are many factors that play a role in Jessica being overweight. Many of them logical and even emotional. When we live in obese, emotional-eater-ville America, excuses and compromise come as easy as breathing. A family who loves you, a purpose filled life and a Christ-centered self confidence....it is so easy to know I am beautiful and ignore the data. But my go-getter dna won't let me settle for that. It's time to step out of my comfort zone and get down to business. Money has been a factor, but the Lord laid it on my heart to ask for sponsorship. Time has been a factor, but I know how to manage time for everything else, so I have no excuse not to manage time for excercise. After all, we make time for the things that are important! Like it or not, we all do! Btw, thanks for making time to read my blog :)
I want to be around for a long time for my awesome, wonderful husband and sweet, amazing kids! Honestly, once I hit my 6 month goal, Chris and I want to start trying for another baby! Shhhh! I have big plans to impact my circle of influence, my city and the world. I will not offer up any more excuses. I will not consider gastric bypass, pills or a diet. I will effect change in my eating habits and excercise agenda and I will SHAPE UP, slim down, get healthy!!

My goal is not to be mary-kate and ashley skinny, my goal is to be healthy. I know the keys to put into place, and I plan to use them! Follow this blog, keep me in your prayers, email me, call me, support my gym membership financially if you can. Great things are in store.

My Support Team

I am a giver, I have been my whole life. Those of you who share that quality in your dna know what I mean. You know the pride issue that comes along with being on the opposite end of giving, the huge emotional roller coaster we ride leading up to having to ASK for something, or need something! Yikes! But today, I push my pride aside and do just that. I ask.

I know to be successful in accomplishing all my goals, I have to have a strong support team. A team of prayer, accountability, encouragement and finances. Due to financial circumstances and strict budgeting, I was forced to cancel my gym membership over a year ago. I love working out! Excercise and eating right are the building blocks of my success. So to achieve my goals, I am asking for 24 friends/family/aquaintances to help support goal of gym membership. I need 24 people to believe in me by giving $15 dollars to cover 1/2 month gym membership. This will allow me to be in the gym daily and will help me meet my 3-6-9 and 12 month goals! Please prayerfully consider supporting my goals on this life-changing journey! Checks payable to me can be mailed to my home address, you can email me for details how to pay directly on my account at L.A. Fitness (which will be re-opened as soon as I have 2 sponsors to cover month 1), you can email me about giving directly to my account through credit/debit card. Asking is one of the hardest things for me to do, but I know my health is top priority. Thank you. And I assure you I will get teary-eyed with each support donation I receive :) I am ready for change!

Today Is The Day

Well, let's just be honest. This journey and this blog have been a long time coming. They have been a thought pushed aside in my mind and bumped to the bottom of my very long priority list for much too long. I wanted to begin on a landmark...New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, the first day of Summer. Any emotional jumping point. But today, August 4th, 2011 became the day! It became the day that I decided to stop postponing till the next emotional hallmark or holiday to begin this journey. I decided to put my NOW faith into action and not wait another day. So, get excited with me, here we go.

The purpose of this blog is multi-fold. It will serve as an outlet for my journey to health and weight loss, it will serve as an accountability facet for me personally and it will serve as a common point for myself as well as my support team (who I begin recruiting today!). I will share my progress as well as my struggles. I will post pictures, caloric intake, tips, emotions, and all the other things that come along with a journey like this. So subscribe today, put me on your prayer list and consider joining my support team, which you can read about in my next blog. Thanks so much.