Goals for 2013

#1 Focus on a budget and stick to it
Work on paying off 1 to 2 debt accounts this year. I have already worked on a budget plan for all of 2013 and showed my husband. I think it's something we can strictly stick to as much as possible. Once we get thru a month or two of 2013 we will start picking 1-2 debts to pay more towards in efforts to eliminate those bills in 2013.

#2 Push and make it to Onderland by the end of 2013
That's 8.3 lbs a month, 1.9 lbs a week. I know that is a very agressive goal. I do not plan on doing this unhealthy at all. I plan on putting in the work and eating what I need to in order to get there. The only thing that would derail this goal is if I finally got pregnant, then I won't feel so bad if I miss this hahaha. If I put in the effort and say I did everything I could then what ever # loss happens... is what happens, and I'll be thrilled.

#3 Reignite my passion for scenic photography and oil painting
Spend way to much time watching reruns or TV. Figure this will get me out and about more and really spark my creative side. I can focus on the pictures in order to spark my wanting to oil paint.

#4 Work on the yard
Figure this helps physically and visually. Some know that we have a infestation of Mole/Gophers that we've been trying to get rid of for a year. I think in the spring we will have an exterminator out. Then we will till up the entire back yard and some of the front. I have put some initial thoughts together of what we may do and I think our focus this year is to clean up a much as we can and plant some trees. Next year we want to rip out the deck to rebuild and put a concrete patio... then we'll put sod in the back yard... still working out what we want to do so this one is on here just to say that it'll be a focus.

#5 Get my home in order
Not that I live in squaller... but I have plenty of rooms that are starting to get "Horders" scary. I've decided that anything we can agree to let go of we are going to sale or donate. I have a 4 bedroom home and only allow folks to see the kitchen, living room, and bathroom. I want to be able to leave doors open when guests come over. I want to walk into a room and LOVE IT! First things first, "a place for everything and everything in it's place"

I am sure I will have small goals or "mini" goals throughout the year. But I want to really focus on these 5. I'm not calling them my "resolutions" because I want to actually follow through and not give up on any of these.

Look back at 2012 goals

In Dec last year I made the below 5 goals. I will attempt to explain how I did on them..

#1 Only one meal out a week: This was a great goal but not realistic for our lifestyle. What I did instead was prelook up nutrition facts and made choices that fit within my daily "budget". So fail but not so much fail

#2 I am going to read one book a month: I went strong on this one the first half of the year... then I fell off. First off I'm taking a certification course for work and do a ton of reading for that... second, I've been working out so much I just want to spend my spare time with my hubs.

#3 Keep a up to date account ledger and stick strictly to a premade budget/grocery list: hahahahaha this will be on my 2013. This was an epic fail

#4 Take time for myself: This I didn't fail on. I signed up for Jazzercise 3-4 times a week and continued to do 2 scrapbook clubs a month. Now I feel like I don't have hardly any down time but that's not such a bad thing. Down time = eating junk

#5 Take time off and not lose the time I've earned: I can only carry over 40 hours into the next year... this year I'm not losing time I'm burning my time. I will only be carrying over 36 hours :) so no off time wasted this year. Yay!!

Additional goals: Participate in a 5K (fact I participated in 2 and 2 1 Ks), Gave up soda for good, started in Jan and haven't had any, and log all my food which I do on the myfitnesspal.com website religiously since July.

Stay tuned for my 2013 goals

Full body shots March till Nov

Under construction ETA Dec 1st

Tired of the toying scale

303, 302, 300.5

I can't seem to break the 300 mark. I know I know... I am so close and not to get discouraged now. I count every calorie. Work out. water water water.... I just can't seem to break it. I should be shedding weight like mad.

Some day... some day I will look back at this and laugh at my thoughts. I will not stop I will keep pushing thru.

Accepting and dealing with the cards you are dealt

Lately I have been thinking long and hard about all aspects of my life. I'm doing well with weight loss, I'm in a good marriage, I'm starting to get hope back that possibly someday I'll hold MY child, and Hudson is happy now.

It's true though that you always want more then what you are blessed with. You want a thinner body faster, You want a healthy baby of your own, You want excitment to happen in your life every day, you want a bigger better home, You want your debt to disappear, you want clothes that work with your body, you want you want you want.

How do we overcome the "wants" and be happy with the "what I haves"?

Someday I think that I need to address this addiction to "always wanting more" with a professional. People will tell me, "Just be thankful" or "Just put it out of your mind" or "Your time will come". It honestly feels like I do everything to be good and moral but yet see others rewarded that are bad and S#itheads. It isn't that easy when you have an addictive personality to just not be happy with what you don't have. I've seen addicition all my life as well through those close to me. I know when I need help and I know when to ask for it.

Maybe it's just human nature. Maybe no one is meant to feel "Whole" and that's the challenge god has put before me. I know I don't usually get this deep in thought but today I'm really reflective.

Didn't rule those 2 lbs... but it's ok

So before vacation I didn't lose the 2 lbs I needed to so that I could celebrate being out of the 300's. But you know what, that's ok!

I still went on vacation, had fun running around Disneyland, relaxing at the condo, and eating tons of good food. I didn't feel guilty or ashamed. I tried my best to stay within calorie lines and did a TON of walking so I didn't fret.

I am back... I'm not going to weigh myself until this Saturday so I don't discourage myself at all. I will get in 3-4 Jazzercise classes, I will restock my fridge with good foods, and I will be excited for my next event with id "Night of the Running Dead" this Saturday night!

Onward and upward. I will get out of the 300's and be able to write that post I've been wanting to for years. It will happen!

2.1 lbs... I will rule you... I hope :)

So... I am officially only 2.1 lbs away from being out of the 300's. I want to be out of the 300's by this Saturday since I'll be on vaca in San Diego all next week.

I got a fortune cookie exactally 3 months ago from Oct 6th's date stating in three months you will get exciting news. I have been so hoping that this is true... and since it just so happens it falls on my official weigh in day. I certainly hope for atleast a 299.5 (Since my scale goes in .5's) reading. If it does I will have officially made it out of the 300's and haven't been that light in 6 years or so. I will then celebrate on my vacation and then get prepared for "Night of the Running Dead" when I get back.

Not sure with everything going on this week if I'll be able to Blog again until I get back from Vaca but I'll try... even if it's just to tell you what happens this Saturday.

Changing of Seasons

If you don't know fall is my favorite time of year. The air is a little crisper requiring a blanket or jacket, football, marching band, colors changing, it's ok to wear darker colors. I just love it. With fall also comes "Comfort" food. I am determined this year to make healthier comfort foods.

I am also finding it hard to get my proper water intake. It gets cold thus harder to drink water. Ugh I hope that I can figure it out because I don't want that to hinder my wgt loss.

Good news is I'm only 4.1 lbs away from being out of the 300's! I'm hoping to get out of it prior to going on vacation in 2 weeks.

Marathon Week (not in a good way)

Let me run it down for you:

Monday: Mother in Laws Birthday at Cracker Barrel (Low carb menu :) )
Tuesday: Double Jazzercise classes (Didn't get in enough calories)
Wednesday: Rock Festival (Crap food but stayed within cals)
Thursday: Habitat for Humanity project (Crap food but stayed within cals)
Friday: Rehersal Dinner (For a wedding Duanes in)
Saturday: Lunch with aunts at Cheesecake factory and then the Wedding
Sunday: Nephews Birthday Party

How much more stuff can Sammie pack into her week? Ummmm I don't know and honestly I don't want to find out. So even though I'm keeping with in my calories I've not made the most sodium friendly choices this week. If tomorrow mornings weigh in is that I am the same weight and not more.... I'll be happy!

Is that what I think those are??? Wrist bones!!!

If you haven't figured out I do my weigh ins officially on Saturday mornings now. Mostly because I find if I weigh the morning after a work out I tend to have some retention probably due to muscle repair. So since I generally don't work out friday nights this works out. I weigh myself before I get ready for my work out that morning. but I digress... back to the topic at hand (pun intended)

This week I have noticed that my hands have more definition. When I type I can see muscles and ligaments moving. Kinda sweet!... The other thing I noticed today was as I was shaving my arm hair (I do this so I don't have gross black thick hairs on my arms) that I almost knicked a wrist bone.... where the heck did those come from!!!

So it appears with my weight loss that the most dramatic changes might be from the limbs on in... because my ankles are looking uber skinny too and I'm starting to see some definition in my calves.

Super motivating!