Welcome back!

Sooo...two years later I'm going to give this blogging thing another shot. Two years ago, I started this blog to keep track of my journey into new motherhood (which included lots of complaining about being sleep deprived) and getting myself back into my skinny pants...except that's not exactly how it all happened. Instead of walking myself back into my skinny pants, I walked myself right into a glass of Pepsi and an entire carton of Oreos. I've spent the last two years working my tail off at school, barely hanging on by a thread at my house, and trying to make the absolute MOST of the small amount of time I get to spend with Charlie. I also spent time not working out, not eating right, basically not doing a whole lot of anything to take care of anybody except for Charlie.

But with the warmer weather comes the warmer, happier JenLamb. I actually want to work out. I want to eat better and not feel so full that I'm miserable. I want to be outside and in the pool...which reminds me that I'm not exactly in the shape I'd like to be - I want to spend the summer running around with my boy, and I want to be able to keep up with him. Now that I've finally decided (again) that I'm not exactly who I want to be - for my sweet boy, for my husband, for my students, and for me - I've decided to try again. I liked writing about my journey into new motherhood two years ago, and I liked writing about all of my workouts and/or lack thereof. I've even worked out three days in a row and haven't had any Pepsi in a week (tomorrow).

I'm going to start again, blogging my workouts and posting pictures (mostly of that cute boy of mine). ;)

I'll now be accepting applications for workout buddies, walking friends, gym guest passes, and friendly reminders to not be lame.

Disappointment and Goals not met...

I'm a disappointment in the world of the blog. I have not blogged in two weeks. Nor have I dieted or worked out. At this moment, our world has been turned upsidedown. I've gone back to work. Charlie stopped sleeping through the night. So, needless to say things have not worked out according to my master plan.

Here is where I'll be spending my focus.
1. Spending as much time as possible with the cutest baby ever.
2. Find different ways to get exercise (even if that means hiking with Rachel). : )
3. Find fun things to do as a family.
4. Try to make a variety of healthy/easy meals.

I'm forgetting about the weightloss goals for now. Because I just can't focus on that with so much on my plate. Maybe soon though, maybe still in time to lose some weight before an April wedding and June at the beach.

 *fingers crossed*

I AM the Queen of Excuses

I am the Queen. The Queen of Excuses.

"But I'm so tired."
"But we're on vacay!"
"I'll do better tomorrow."
"It's just so expensive to by fresh, healthy foods."
"I just had so much to do today."
"But we don't have any groceries." (sometimes a very valid excuse)
"But I was so good this week."

But, but, but, but, but, but.

As of last week, I had lost 8 pounds! Ugh...all of which I'm sure I've gained back since. Last week was a different kind of week. I started out relatively on the right track and slowly veered off the track and straight off the cliff. I will not even begin to list my multitude of sins...but here's just a "taste" of what the week looked like for me food-wise. Hot dogs, hamburger and french fries (twice), ice cream every day (sometimes twice), Reece's Pieces, Swedish Fish, sweet tea and soda of all kinds. *SIGH* I was doing so well. But the excuses just kept flying out of my mouth. And don't even get me started on the exercise...it just wasn't happening at all.

Sadly, I'll weigh myself tomorrow and realize truly how far I am from my 10 pound goal that I am supposed to make by Thursday... THURSDAY!?!? Can it really be 4 days from now? Geez. I'm feeling pretty discouraged right now... but I have to keep in mind that things will be very different once school starts back tomorrow and I'll just have to make adjustments to my life and my schedule to make sure that I'm doing what's best for me and best for my family. I have to stay on track to help us become an active and healthy family.

I promise to be a better blogger.

I've been a terrible blogger this week...and a semi-terrible dieter. We've been busy, out of town, and without Internet since the last time I blogged. I have, however, lost a total of 8 pounds. What, what?! That means I'm 2 pounds away from my goal weight for Thursday of NEXT week hookers! AND that's with being a horrible blogger and a semi-horrible dieter! I have been keeping terrific records though. Just so you know. :) Because I've been slacking on my blog for so many days and feel the need to record my every bite, this will be a little boring. Later, though I'll be adding to my Family Fun page! And I promise not to be so boring after this.

Wednesday
Breakfast: 2 eggs, toast, cheese
Snack: cheese and crackers
Lunch: Pasta, salad, 2 bread sticks, 2 delicious brownies!
Snack: apple
Dinner: chicken, red pepper, black bean quesadilla and 6 Swedish fish
Exercise: Power 90

Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal and milk
Snack: Greek yogurt, cheese and crackers
Lunch: Chicken, pasta salad, green salad, 1 delicious brownie
Snack: Apple
Dinner: Tuna sandwich, pretzels, carrots
Snack: Greek yogurt
Exercise: Power 90

Friday
Breakfast: Cereal and milk
Snack: Cheese and Crackers, yogurt
Lunch: 1/2 baked potato, salad, pasta salad, 2 bread sticks, 2 cookies
Snack: 4 pieces of chocolate
Snack: Mocha Frap...sue me.
Dinner: Salad, 1 piece pizza
Snack: Granola and milk

Saturday
Breakfast: egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich, wild cherry Pepsi
Lunch: Meatloaf, fresh green beans, homemade creamed corn, fried potatoes, sweet tea (MMMMMM)
Dinner: Pad Kee Mao
Snack: Hot Fudge Sundae

Sunday
Breakfast: Spaghetti
Snack: Mocha Frap...sue me. I love them.
Lunch: 2 ham sandwiches
Snack: fudge round
Dinner: steak, corn, chips and artichoke dip, sweet tea, and a delicious piece of Oreo cake
Exercise: 2 hours of moving furniture in my classroom

Monday
Breakfast: Cereal and milk
Lunch: double cheeseburger, small fry, sweet tea
Snack: another delicious piece of Oreo cake (don't worry I finished it off)
Dinner: chicken salad croissant (OK, 2) and fruit

Hmmm...not so good... You can see how my will power fails during the weekend and also sometimes even spreads into the next week. I'm worried about this weekend too, especially since we'll be traveling starting on Wednesday...Yikes. That's lots of eating out...and probably Pepsi. Let's see...that means I'll have 4 days to lose whatever I gain back. ugh.

Better than expected.

Today was much better than expected. Yesterday, however...entirely different story. I started crying Sunday night. Monday morning I cried all the way to Nana's, cried at Nana's, cried all the way to my workshop (causing my eyes and face to be noticeably splotchy and red) and then cried some more every time someone talked to me, put their hand on my shoulder, or even just looked at me with that pitiful all-knowing look.  I was a mess most of the day. At lunch I decided I'd take my dear friend Rachel to Nana's just to see Charlie for a minute...TOTALLY helped. I was able to spend the rest of the day much less distraught than I spent the morning. Today was easy peasy. The problem is I still have one more week to spend entirely with Charlie before school starts, and I'm trying not to anticipate a similar situation when it's time to start back to work for more than just 1 week.

I really need to weigh myself. I haven't done it in over a week and I was hoping to weigh myself every day. The problem is our scale is not digital so I cannot tell if there's a small change. Small changes are motivating. I might need to get a digital scale this weekend.

Monday
Breakfast - 2 eggs, cheese, toast
Snack - cheese and crackers
Snack - cherry Greek yogurt, 1/4 bagel w/ cream cheese
Lunch - 3in turkey and cheese sub, 3in ham and cheese sub
Snack - apple
Dinner - 2 marinated, baked drumsticks, 1 corn muffin
Snack - blueberry Greek yogurt
Exercise - NADA...it was hard enough being away from my boy and then lots of drama at the casa

Tuesday
Breakfast - 2 eggs, cheese, toast
Snack - cheese and crackers, cherry Greek yogurt
Lunch - chicken salad, pasta salad, mixed green salad...2 delicious brownies
Snack - apple
Dinner - pita pizza (I should have had something else here)
Snack - banana and peanut butter
Exercise - Power 90 cardio and ab workout (like P90x, but much much much easier)

My friend Megan, who I mentioned in an earlier post has started posting her weight each week...she's amazingly brave. I admire her tremendously. I've been toying with the idea too...but I'm not sure I'm ready just yet.

I'm having a hard time with this.

It's not all this healthy living stuff I'm having a hard time with. I'm having a hard time with the HUGE upcoming change that's upon us. And by us, I mean me and Charlie.  Starting tomorrow I have a week long workshop that I'll be attending from 8:30-4:00. Do you KNOW how long that is? It will be the longest I've ever been away from him in his whole 3 months of life! So, I'm having a hard time. I've said it before. I'm a worker. I love my job and I look forward to working. However, I've just gotten used to this stay at home mom thing...and now I have to go BACK? How is that fair? I mean, it's not that I'm really dreading it, well a little I am. But it's just that I'm going to miss stuff! I am super lucky that my Nana is going to watch Charlie while I'm working (thank you for saving me about $800/month), but that means she's not going to miss stuff and I'm going to be so jealous of her. I'm going to miss him!

Who couldn't miss this face?

I've been thinking a lot about how this change is going to affect my working out/eating right new life. And it's probably going to change it a lot. It will change in a good way for my eating habits because I'll be on a consistent routine throughout the week. (I make no promises on the weekend.) And I'll also have to do some extra planning for lunches and dinners and snacks since I pack mine and Chris' lunch and snacks every day.

I'm much more nervous about the impact that my going back to work and leaving Charlie for 8+ hours every day is going to have on my workout routine. How can I justify spending an hour or so at the gym after I've spent so long away from him already? How can I justify that hour when he'll only be awake for about 3 hours after I get off work? And...well...right now, I can't. I mean, I'm going to see how it goes and I'm certainly not going to stop going to the gym altogether. I just might not be going during the week for a while. I called my dear friend Rachel tonight with this exact question. She gave me some wonderful advice and suggestions. I'm going to walk and run with Charlie in the stroller after school instead of going to the gym. That way I'm not away from him for any more time than I have to be. I'll go to turbo on Saturday's and that will be that. I have to make the adjustment to working first, before I can make any decisions/commitments to a gym routine.

I'm just going to have to slow this train down for a little bit. I'm not giving up. I'm really really not. I'm just going to have to take it one step at a time. When school starts back, I'll be mostly focusing on eating healthily and training for my 5k in October. Oh, I picked the 5k. It's for a good cause. You should sign up. It's the Wiggle Butt 5k, raising money for the WNC Boxer Rescue.  Gym time will just have to wait until I can figure this whole thing out, which may take years! ;)

On another subject, we had a super busy day today. Charlie and I went on a walk and then went to church this morning. Then I dropped him off at his Nema's so that Chris and I could have a date. We went to Bele Chere (WHERE I DID NOT NOT NOT HAVE A FUNNEL CAKE!!! *tear*), people watched, went to a $1 movie (We LOVE Cinnebar! Hangover 2 - not as funny as I expected, by the way), made a quick Sam's run, picked up Charlie, ate dinner at J&S (where I'm pretty sure we were the absolute youngest people there), then home, put the baby boy to bed, did some grocery shopping (thought about buying a box of Little Debbies and eating them all on the way home, but the thought of that made me want to vomit) and got stuff ready for the big first day away from my baby boy tomorrow. Shew. Busy Sunday Funday!

Breakfast: 5 graham crackers with peanut butter
Lunch: BBQ, baked beans, cornbread, strawberry lemonade
Snack: (At the movies) fried pickles, 2/3 coffee milkshake :/
Dinner: Salisbury steak, potatoes, roll, watermelon
Snack: cheese and crackers
Exercise: 40 minute walk with dogs and stroller

Another thing I want to start doing with my posts is mentioning some of Charlie's milestones, so that when I think back I can remember how old he was when he go to them. So, here goes. One thing he's been doing for a couple weeks, which is so funny, is putting things straight in his mouth. Everything - toys, fingers, hands, my fingers, my nose, anything he gets in his hand or near his mouth - goes straight in. But then, he makes a face like "Oh my. That wasn't what I expected at all." You know, like when you take a sip of your water and it turns out they've given you Sprite by mistake. So funny. I'll add some pictures next time (especially for you Rachel!).

OK, I know this is a particularly LONG post, but I have a lot to say tonight. One last thing, and I promise I'm done. My dear friend Megan is also blogging about her weight loss. She is also a teacher. So we have similar schedules and routines. She is actually the person who has inspired me to start blogging. I just want to let you know, so that if my blog becomes to rambling and boring, please check out hers because it is so awesome and funny, and I can practically hear the words coming straight out of her mouth!
Check out Megan's blog.

I'll let you know how the week  goes. Be thinking of me as I cry on my way to work tomorrow! :*(

Fight the temptations...

Have I mentioned that I love ice cream? I LOVE ice cream. I could eat it every day...and sometimes I do. But lately, you would be amazed by my will power! I was even able to turn down two offers today from my husband for a mocha frappachino...mmmm....one of my favorites. But I did it. I said no. I fought the temptation. It was horrible. I know. I know. It will be good for me. It has a lot of calories and sugar...yada, yada, yada.

I have to be honest. I make no promises when it comes to the weekend. I can do it all week long, make good food choices, get lots of exercise, stay on a good routine...but as soon as Friday night comes, it's all out the window for me. I make terrible food choices. I want dessert, mostly ice cream. We eat out all the time. And I get very little exercise (unless somebody awesome is teaching Turbo on Saturday morning). It's really easy for me to get through the week healthily. Why? Oh why, can't I make good choices on the weekend? I actually already kind of know the answer to that question.
1. I use the weekend as my reward. "If I can just make it until Saturday, then I can ________." Bad.
2. We have no schedule on the weekend. I eat at crazy times, and we're usually not at home.  Bad.
3. We eat out a lot on the weekend. We're not usually at home. So, we're grabbing something on the way somewhere or just taking the time to eat out while we're already out and about. Kind of bad.

You'll see my shame when you get to Saturday's food and exercise. Hmpf.

Thursday
Breakfast: 2 eggs, cheese, toast
Lunch: chicken salad on a bun, fruit
Snack: microwave s'mores with 4 graham crackers, 2 marshmallows and 1 Hershey bar
Dinner: leftover pasta
Snack: graham crackers with peanut butter, milk
Exercise: Turbokick with Anna (Who, by the way, was awesome!)

Friday
Breakfast: leftover pasta (I love non-breakfast foods for breakfast!)
Lunch: crackers, cheese, pepperoni
Snack: Apple with peanut butter
Dinner: Steak quesadilla with yummy veggies from Ole's Guacamole
Snack: 1/2 cup of trail mix
Exercise: 1 hour walk with dogs and stroller

Dog and baby walker extraordinaire!

Saturday
Breakfast: graham crackers with peanut butter
Lunch: Yummy baby shower foods - fruit, veggies, dip, chips, roast beef and cheese little sandwich, cake, and cream puffs. Holy crap.
Dinner: Barbecue sandwich, potato salad, and banana pudding, oh yeah, and a Pepsi :( from Moe's Original BBQ (DELISH)
Snack: Crackers and cheese
Exercise: Nada

Today was not so good...and tomorrow's not looking too hot either...It is Bele Chere weekend after all. And that usually results in a funnel cake. End of story. It's practically the law. I might try to fight the temptation. But I doubt it.