Update - January 11, 2018

I honestly have no excuse that I can come with to say why I haven't posted on this blog in nearly a year. There is no excuse that can be given, except that I got lazy with keeping up with it. The past year hasn't been as bad since my father passed away in November 2016. I've honestly had a pretty good 2017. I finally got a part-time job in the middle of September working for a local newspaper and I even got one at the end of November working for an online company. And whats great is that with the hours, I am able to keep up with both jobs.
I tried Etsy for a bit but I have found that I just don't have the drive to keep being creative with it, so I think I'm going to close my Etsy shop and just focus on my two main jobs right now. Well, those two and still being the primary caregiver for my grandfather and mentally handicapped uncle.
And with all that going on, I will fully admit that my weight-loss took a backseat pretty much for the rest of last year since the last post was made on this blog. And I feel so bad that it did.
So since I am becoming financially stable, which means less stress on my mind; I want to try and start updating this blog more regularly now. I want to lose weight and show myself that I can do it. I don't feel like I need to prove anything to anyone else because in all honesty, the older that I have gotten (I'm 30 for those that are wondering) the less I care about what people think of me. Everyone has their own opinion, so let them have it. Don't focus on the negative in life, focus only on the positive.
The blogs are going to start out pretty simple. Tomorrow I'm going to post my weight (not the heaviest I've ever been; but not where I want to be right now), what I've been doing so far this year to try and help myself, and a question that I want to ask to see if anyone can help me figure it out. This year I am going to focus more on myself, since I have less stress on me.
See you guys Friday! 

Realizations & Starting Slow

Hello!

It seems like it's been such a long time since I posted on my journey to not only a healthier me but an overall healthier lifestyle. And in reality, it really has been a long time since I posted anything but I'm hoping to change that. I have come to some realizations about my journey to a thinner and healthier me that I'm going to be sharing in this post as well as some steps that I am taking in order to make changes in my life.

First off, I realize now that I pretty much just jumped right into trying to lose weight and get healthy without doing any preparing or research on my part. This turned out to be a very huge mistake and it has taken me several months to fully understand just how big of a mistake this was. I jumped in headfirst without checking to see what depth the water was. I finally realize that these changes don't come about overnight and I'm not going to lose a severe amount of weight in a month. I think that was the biggest realization and shock to my system. I was expecting to lose an enormous amount of weight just by changing a few things and the reality of that occurring is non-existent. Once I realized that, I noticed the other mistakes that I was making that made no sense.

For instance, one cannot simply go from doing no exercise to try and walking an hour or more daily. It's simply isn't done and the shock to one's system is going to end up doing more harm than good. At least this was the case for me and please note that I am no means a nutritionist or someone to take exercise advice from. I just know what will work for me and my body so I know what I can do and what I cannot.

Dieting was also something that I realized that I was doing wrong. I would pretty much starve myself during the day by finding something to do or to occupy my time; which isn't healthy at all. Then during the night, I would find myself making multiple trips to my kitchen, getting a sandwich here and there. Now this took me a while to realize that I was doing and if I'm honest, I didn't notice anything off until my grandfather mentioned to me how I wasn't eating during the day and gorging myself at night. At first, I didn't believe him so I ignored him. I mean no one wants to admit that they are wrong and I am one stubborn girl, so for to admit that someone else was right when I was wrong. But one night it hit me, like a softball to the face when I was going into the kitchen not twenty minutes after having eaten supper to make myself a sandwich. I must have stood in my kitchen for nearly an hour going over and over in my mind exactly what I had been doing to myself. It was really eye-opening to say the least.

Over the course of last year, I also noticed something about my eating habits that I really hadn't noticed before and it got me curious as to exactly how long this had been going on. I was eating my emotions. Whenever I was sad, lonely, angry or just downright depressed because I'll be honest last year wasn't a great year for me and my family; I found myself turning to food. It was either a sandwich, a honey-bun or something sweet to snack on like a chocolate bar. When I realized this later on last year, I wasn't really surprised and there was little that I wanted to change about it. I was so stressed out by this point that I didn't see the point in changing my eating habits at that second with the situation and everything. For those curious it's not really a secret as I think I have shared it in a previous post but the situation began in March 2016. My father was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with liver failure due to years and years of abusing alcohol. He was fine on his own for a few months but eventual he had to move in with me, my grandfather and my uncle who is special needs. I became the main caregiver for all of them as my stepmother had left him the year before in his refusal to stop drinking. The months progressed until he was admitted back into the hospital in October 2016 and he would never leave. He passed away in November and it really did hit the family hard. If you want to learn more about the situation or if you yourself are a caregiver or know someone who is a caregiver, I'll leave a link to my blog at the end of this post. I started it last year in order for me to help others like myself and to get advice from others who are going through the same situation.

Anyway after I made these realizations, I decided to take a break from this blog and just work out exactly what I wanted to do and how I was going to do it. I decided that instead of making huge changes to my life that I was going to start out with small changes. And so far, I have been doing these small changes for about two weeks and I'm already loving at how I feel and I can't wait to make more smaller changes that will lead up to big ones later on this year.

The changes I have made are not huge by any means but I see them as a launching point to what I want to achieve during the rest of this year and the rest of my life. One change that I made was that I cut out all drinks except for water, almond milk and one cup of coffee in the morning. Now I don't drink plain water all the time, I like using water flavoring because let's be honest; drinking plain water all the time gets old quickly. I use the Diet Snapple Lemon Tea flavoring but I don't use it all the time. I only use it when I'm eating lunch or dinner. How I did this was very simple, I stopped buying the sodas that I liked to drink. I do still buy them because my uncle loves them and I don't want to deprive him of his favorite drinks just because I can't control myself around them. Luckily for me, he loves to drink Coco-Cola and Root Beer and those are two drinks that I just cannot stand. In fact, the only sodas that I can drink are Sprite and Vanilla Coke; and not even all the time. So that's good for both of us. And even though I live in the South, I don't like the taste of Sweet Tea like I used to but that's not a bad thing to me because every little bit helps.

Another thing that I have changed is that I make it a mission to eat three meals a day. This is pretty easy since I have to cook three times a day for my grandfather and uncle so I just find myself eating with them. Usually I would cook just enough for them and then go on about my day. But this has been the easiest to do and I love spending time with them, especially my grandpa. Eating three meals a day has helped me scale back on my nightly raiding of the kitchen, though it hasn't completely stopped; but I have faith that it will eventually become nothing but a memory.

Another thing that I have changed is that any chance that I have to walk, I take it. Whether it's finding that parking space at the store that is not close to the door or running errands with friends who don't want to get out at the store but they need something. I don't mind this at all now and it has quickly become second nature to me to just hunt for a far enough parking space that I can get in a bit of a walk to and from the store.

Another tip that I have is that I have now started to eat something to before I go grocery shopping. I have heard that one should never go grocery store shopping hungry but I never looked into it as being a true fact. To my surprise it's true! I have noticed a huge difference in my shopping lately ever since I started eating before I venture out my grocery store. Just thought I'd share that tip with you guys!

Well that's it for this blog. I am going to start posting weekly posts on what I eat during the week. Also I'm curious about Vegan foods so if anyone has any good suggestions for some, can you send them my way? I've tried several Vegan foods over the past few months and I want to find out more about it. Not that I want to go fully Vegan but I wouldn't mind doing a Vegan week if I can find enough of recipes. Thanks!

Until Next Time!

Caregiver Blog:   http://my-experience-as-a-caregiver.blogspot.com/

Week #2 Update! (Jan. 11 - 17, 2016)

Hello again!

I can't believe it's already the end of the second week already! I can't believe it but at the same time I'm not gonna act like I'm not excited, which I am!

There isn't much else to update about how week #2 went for me, only that I found myself looking forward to when I would walk outside! I love that feeling! I can say that I do notice a difference in how I feel after I walk, it's like I can't get my day started until after I have walked on my walking days.

Granted the other days are proving to a bit more of an issue for me to do and I find myself not looking forward to it like I do my walking days, which are Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I think I need to change what I do on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays because I want to feel excited about doing exercise and I need it to be different from just going out and walking, because then I know that I'll get tired of walking which isn't something that I want to do.

For those wondering, yes I do walk outside as the road that I live on basically makes a loop that is a quarter of a mile in length. As of right now, I walk two rounds/loops which means that for 3x a week I am walking half-mile. Now to some this isn't a lot but to me, I can tell a difference in how I feel and my energy level because last year the thought of me walking a half-mile of anything was downright laughable. I am not going to keep walking half-mile throughout this year however; I plan on increasing my walking by half a mile whenever I feel that my body is becoming to use to the distance.

I am also very lucky in the location of which I live. I live in a nice neighborhood where I pretty much know all of my neighbors, which is nice because I want to know that I am safe whenever I go out for my walks. And since I live in the South then I don't have to worry about snow keeping me from my walks; granted it's still gets cold down here but for me the colder it is, the faster I'm going to walk which is better for me.

I'm going to be doing a post later this week on what I bring with me on my walks, what music I listen to and how I stay safe, so be on the lookout for that.

Anyway, I need some other exercise(s) to do on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. I've been thinking about doing Blogilates but I honestly wouldn't know where to begin with it. I do follow her channel on YouTube and I have heard some great things about it but I have never tried it out for myself. So if anyone has tried it and they think I should give it a shot, let me know! Or if anyone has a different exercise that they think I should try, then please feel free to leave a comment below!

Well that's really about it for this week! As always I will insert a picture of what my Fitness Planner looks like for this week...on another note I need to get some fitness stickers so if anyone knows of a good Etsy shop then please let me know! Thanks!

Until Next Time!

Week #2: Jan. 11 - 17!

Week #1 Update! (Jan. 4 - 10, 2016)

I took this pic while walking this week.

Hello Everyone!

So in short, Week #1 was very successful in my own personal opinion. Granted there is always room for improvement, which is the case in some things that I didn't achieve in week one but I must say that I am proud of myself. I have also included a picture to the left which I took while I was out walking this past week and I just had to share it. Despite it being so cold, it was really a beautiful day to be out walking!

I managed to walk three days last week, granted I didn't walk a mile each day but I did get in half-a-mile for three days last week. That was on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesday and Thursday, I did 30 minute meditation and some stretches. Now I'm gonna be honest and say that I didn't really do any form of exercising this weekend and I am disappointed in myself so I've come up with a different exercise plan than what I had last week and I plan on keeping it. Which I have since I have already been up and walked my half-a-mile this morning.

The reason for the change from a mile to half-a-mile is because I talked to a close friend of mine, who works in a gym and she told me that I need to work my body up to walking a mile or more. Because since I'm not used to exercising then my body could overwork itself which isn't too good. Now I know that everyone has opinions on exactly how much exercise one should get but I want to take her advice because I really do trust her as a friend and as someone who cares about me getting healthier. So as of right now I am walking half-a-mile three days a week and the moment I feel that body is becoming used to that distance then I will be increasing the distance by a quarter-of-a-mile and so on and so forth.

Anyway, the diet thing is going okay but there is much room for improvement. I am currently looking for a protein shake that will ease cravings and one that I can replace a meal with. I am going to be trying Vega Pro in about a week so I'm excited about that. I will be posting a review of it on another blog that I have and I will put then link on my weekly update for this blog so that others can read it!

As I stated in my previous blog post, I will be posting a picture of my workout planner that I used during the week to keep up with my exercise, meals and water intake at the end of this blog so keep a lookout for that!

Other changes I'm going to be making will be to my exercise plan, which will now consist of workouts on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays. I will be taking Sundays off on a side-note.
New Exercise Plan: 
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: Walk half-a-mile
Tuesdays,  Thursdays and Saturdays: Meditate for 30 Minutes, 10 Jumping Jacks, 10 Sit-ups, 10 Bicep Curls, and 10 Triceps Curls.

Now I will be increasing the distance and amount of exercise I do when I feel that my body is becoming used to it. The walking will be increased by a-quarter-of-a-mile and the other exercises by 10. I won't be increasing the meditation amount because I think 30 minutes is perfect for me, though I might increase it to more than three days a week but right now I feel comfortable with how it is.

Well I think that about does it for this update this week, and once again if anyone has any advice that they think I can use then please feel free to leave a comment below.

Until Next Week!

Shot of my Fitness Planner. Sorry if it cannot be read & sorry for my handwriting.

2016 Weight-Loss Plan!

Hello all!

I have to be completely honest with all of you...I am so excited to get started on my weight-loss journey this year! I have literally been counting down the days and I can't believe that it's finally here.

This post will be pretty much my setup for the next, my goals that I want to achieve, the exercises I want to do, food that I want to eat/avoid eating, etc.

I am also happy to say that I will be keeping a Fitness Planner from Happy Planner/MAMBI, which I will post a picture of at every update in order to hold myself accountable for what I have done that week and what I haven't.

Now I want to do a post every week on Sunday because the Fitness Planner goes from Monday-Sunday. Now I know that the post will become mundane and boring very quickly because my diet and exercise plan won't vary much at first during the first few months and so. I do still want to post every week, if only for myself; so that I know that I was accountable for myself during that week. I just hope my readers will understand this and not become annoyed with me.

Anyway, as I stated I will using a Fitness Planner throughout this year in order for me to keep up with not only diet but my exercise and water intake. I have already taken a photo of what this upcoming week looks like, Jan. 4-10. This is how every week will begin so I'm only going to post this picture once.

It's blank now but by next Sunday it'll be filled! :-)

As you can see above, the Fitness Planner is very detailed. Each week includes four slots food journal per day, a exercise section for each day and water intake for every day. There is also a Goal section in the margin as well as a small notes section. As you can see I have already decorated this week with motivational stickers, which came with the journal and some stickers that I got from a store on Etsy.

I don't know about anyone else but stickers just make me happy and knowing that I have decorate my Fitness Planner with stickers just seems to motivate me to work a bit harder. But anyway, enough about the planner for now; next up is what I plan on eating during this year on my weight loss journey!

-Diet-
Now this is something that I have spent long and hard on, mostly because I rushed into so quickly last time I tried to diet and I ended up always over-eating or not eating what I had planned to. This year is going to be different, as I am going to stick to my diet and be happy about it.

I do not plan on drinking anything other than water, Green Tea(cold and hot), green juice(Bolthouse Farms and/or Green Machine), smoothies, almond milk and the occasionally cup of coffee, and Sprite. The main reason behind this is because I really have lost all taste for drinking anything too carbonated and that includes coke. That and I feel that even though I have lost my taste for them that I still drink them way more than I should. I am also replacing milk with almond milk, which I will only be drinking as a smoothie base for my protein shakes. The reason behind this is that I feel that I personally need to cut back on drinking milk because I have noticed that my stomach tends to feel sick whenever I drink too much of it.

I plan on eating three meals per day and one snack. The meals may vary from time to time but they will remain pretty much the same. I will go into further detail about my diet in next week's post.

-Exercise-
Now exercising was something that I struggled with for a bit but I think that I have come with a routine that I can easily get into a habit of doing and keep up with.
- Walking: Walk one mile 3x a week. (Mon, Wed, and Fri) Increase by one mile every month.
- Do 10 Jumping Jacks daily. Increase by 10 every month.
- Do 10 Sit-ups daily. Increase by 10 every month.
- Do 10 Biceps Curls daily on each arm. Increase by 10 every month.
- Do 10 Triceps Curls daily on each arm. Increase by 10 every month.
- Deeply Meditate/Yoga for no less than one hour 2x a week. (Tues and Thurs)
- Sunday: Rest

Now as you can tell I pretty much have it planned out and I am very happy with all that I have planned out. My only concern is with Saturday. I want to be able to do something that day other than walking so if anyone has any ideas then please feel free to suggest them.

-Vitamins-
Along with diet and exercising, I will be taking vitamins this year. So far I am only taking two different vitamins but that may change as the year progresses. Currently I am taking Hair, Nails and Skin Vitamins from Nature's Bounty and GNC Woman's Vitamins for Energy and Metabolism.

I have been taking both of these vitamins since the middle of December and so far I am loving them.

-Protein Shake-
I will also be drinking a daily protein shake as a meal replacement. While I know that I will be getting a Whey Protein Shake Mix, I do not yet know which brand I will chose as I am still deciding. But I am planning on a final grocery store prep tomorrow so I will update you guys on which one I have chosen in next week's post.

Well, I think that's it for this week. I really am very excited about this upcoming year! I feel that this year will be my year in not only weight-loss but in other things as well.

Until Next Time!