Weight loss 2 week restart

Ok I have been trying to work on portion sizes and focusing on lean proteins and fruits and vegetables for the last few weeks and it felt good. I haven't been doing exactly the pink method like my sister. I feel it is impossible to do that without the items that come with the program. I am trying to do what I know is right and try not to eat sweets. My sister was here this last weekend which means I HAD to be good. I didn't make it.. I have a weakness that is too strong for me to ignore, white cake with butter cream frosting. I LOVE cake over basically everything else! So the 2 days we were over at my parent home to visit everyone I didn't do well and it also showed me how much I fudge the rules when I don't have someone who is looking at what I'm doing. Not saying that my sister was staring me down or anything, there was just this connection knowing that they knew exactly what I should be doing. It made me feel guilty and want to do better and I did except when that cake was involved! :) Well here are my measurements. I am taking this as I write this blog so it's like I'm learning at the same time as you. At least as close as it could be! Let me go get the tape measure... Here we go..
Weight:189 (-2, total 6 pounds)
Chest: 43.5 (same)
Belly: 40 (-1 inch, total -2.25 inches)
Hips: 44.5 (same)
Thigh: 25.25 (same)

We'll see what the next two weeks brings with adding exercise with the good eating. There won't be ANY white cake this week so I think I can do it! Can I tell you that I am so excited to be under 190! I haven't been that for over a year now!

Valentine's Day

I thought I would update you on my Valentine's day with my husband. He got his thesis proposal done before Tuesday so he was able to take the day off and be with me ALL DAY! Anyone who has a grad student for a husband knows how rare an occasion like this is! Long nights and not seeing him for at least one day a week is the norm.
We started our morning out with a fun breakfast with eggs and toast.

I made stars for the boys and hearts for me and Andrew. I lost all my cookie cutters except the star one so I think that's why the hearts didn't turn out as well. Cutting with a knife just doesn't give you the crisp lines you want. All well it was still good!
After breakfast I ran over to a friends home to give her somethings and steal a big box from her to hopefully make something for the kids to play with. Andrew stayed home with the kids and played with them.
Then we left the kids with my mom and went to the Noodle Co. for Lunch. That was AMAZING! I loved the food there and it was so reasonably priced!

We shared the Pot-stickers and I got the Bangkok Curry and Andrew got the Truffle mac and cheese. Doesn't it all look good? It was! My meal was under 500 calories too! Woot woot! Check out the futuristic pop machine! One spout so many combinations. 

After, we went shopping for Valentine's gifts. We first went to The Book Table for Andrew to get some music to play for the piano. Then we checked out the Antique shops. I have never been there before it made me want all the money in the world to get all the neat items you don't see around anymore. So many of the things were reasonable others were crazy in my eyes. 5 buck for and empty band-aid's metal container? Wow. I didn't end up buying anything though I was tempted especially with the marbles. After making that marble necklace I'm obsessed! :)  I ended up buying my gift at hobby lobby for suppies to make more crafts!

Isn't he funny?

 

Buttons, fabric button kit, wood blocks, and wood plaque. And I even have 6 bucks left over to save towards something BIG!
We also went bowling and did HORRIBLE! I think I ended with 59. Yeah I guess I won't be going pro..... The kids got to be there for that activity!

After we got a heart pizza and cinnamon wheel from Papa Murphy's. Yum! and it was! Then our ward had babysitting provided from 7-8:30. SO awsome! and so many kids! they had So much fun they didn't want to leave. During that time we played dominion at home in a quiet house! That was awesome!

It was a great day that we got to spend so much time together and with basically no children for the day! We haven't done that for a long time! A great Valentine's for us!

NEW BLOG! And giveaway!

I'm excited to announce I have started a new blog!!! It's called sew, cut, paste! I've been doing all sorts of craft projects and want to share this new found hobby! Also I will be moving the Kids Activity days over to sew, cut, paste. I will leave the posts on here and a link to the new ones (once I start posting those.) Also there is a giveaway going on over there! It's for the digital scrapbook software, Mymemories! So if you didn't win the last time I did that get on over to sew, cut, paste and enter!

Weight Loss

As some of you may know My sister Diane is doing the Pink Diet method  and is using her blog,  Splendidfailurecrafts to chart her progress and give herself accountability to her weight loss journey. I told her I would do it with her (at least as much as I can without the book and other helps buying the program would bring) So I thought the easiest way to let her know that I am trying right along with her would be through posts.(since we both hate using the phone.) I Am HERE Suffering with you Diane! I thought you would like to hear my story as my sister did hers HERE.
I had never really been all that overweight growing up though I thought I was in comparison to my beautiful and skinny friend, Sara. (I love you Sara) It wasn't until my Junior year in high school that I really gained weight, and a lot of it. I felt HUGE. but somehow I was back to a decent weight for my senior year (I think that was when my sister Julie and I would go to the rec center for an aerobic class a week.)  and was back to not worrying about my weight. I slowly was putting on a few pounds after graduating especially after getting married. Though after having my first kid I didn't gain any weight from the pregnancy so I thought I received a "golden body" that couldn't gain weight any more and if It did could lose it easily. How wrong I was. I had my second Child only after 16 month. It did a number on my body. I lost all my weight from the pregnancy the first week just like with Austin but then it came back quickly over the next months. until I started feeling ashamed of what my body looked like. I am horrible when it comes to actual exercising. I'm good for a few days then not for the next few weeks then good.... It has been hard for me to keep to a schedule because of the boys and other things I deem more important to get done. So here I am.
I would like to share my measurement I made a few months back when I was going to start the belly fat diet but couldn't get past the 1st day of  reboot. And then were I sit today.
Start weight: 196 (yeah can you believe I'm sharing THAT info?)
Belly: 42.25 inches
Chest: 45.25

Today:
Weight : 191 (-4 pounds!)
Belly: 41 inches
Chest: 43.5
and I would like to add in my thigh and hips measurements:
Thigh: 25.25
Hip: 44.5

Ok, so I made all those measurement as I was writing. I can't believe I have had some changes! I wouldn't have thought that much! I'm feeling pretty good right now. I will be starting the PINK method, as well as I can, tomorrow. and will be on the reset portion of the diet for the next 2 weeks. I hope for some more results after that time. I will be making these posts every 2 weeks. And sorry I am not as Strong as my sister. I will not be posting a before picture for you. Maybe when I have a final result!
I want you to know my weight goals:
1- I want to get back down to pre-pregnancy weight, 173 pounds
2- Then I'd like to lose 10 more pounds to make my 30 before 30 goal. The other goals can be read HERE
3- I would like to weight 150 pounds. I would find that heavenly!  I'm just looking for that healthy BMI

December

The remainder of December was crazy and quickly gone at the blink of an eye! After Austin's b-day was mine just 9 days later. Where I got to go around Cache valley receiving things for free! Nothing better than that! If you live in Cache Valley check out this website to get your hand on some free stuff on your birthday! I just googled birthday freebies and found it by chance.
We also went to Kabuki Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi. And man that meal made my day! It's one of those places that cooks the food in front of you and throws food at you to see if you can catch it with your mouth. Great fun! i couldn't believe how much entertaiment it was and the sushi was great! I am a huge sushi fan and this was far from disappointing! I dare say it was better than our usual place... We spent a good amount of money there though...but it was SO worth it!

 We had so much fun at the Christmas Eve party that my Aunts put on every year. We always play Merry Christmas Bingo and Time bomb. We use to have a bomb that we passed around. Now its a hot potato game. So sad when the old things go out and we can't get them anymore.
1 and 2 is from the Christmas party during the time bomb game. Austin made it down to the last 2 and won once!
3- Christmas day we had everyone there on my side of the fam except my oldest brother and his fam.
4- Austin checking out the new train that was in his stocking
5- Gavin figuring out his new wind up toy which works in the tub.
I gave Andrew dinky gift for his coins we bought and new stamps. Andrew gave me a huge box. Opening it up it had all these packing peanuts and books of mine to add weight to the gift. I threw the peanuts onto my nephews and then searched for my small gift. I couldn't find it! I had thrown it out with the peanuts! We found it on the floor. It was an envelope. Andrew wrote a sweet note on the outside that made me tear up. Talking about our hard year and how he wanted to give me something so important to him. So he is giving me my wedding day again. In it was a  "coupon" for a temple day and a certificate to the Providence Inn. Where Andrew would make all the arrangements for kids etc. Sweet huh? yeah I got the best husband. Sorry no pic of this...

After Christmas we Went and visited Grandma James #6 with my Brother who made it here after Christmas. Then we made it over to Andrew's fam.7- Reading books to each other next to Grandma. 8- Making a Gingerbread Train with Rochelle. 9- Proud of the finished product. I made a lot of my kids gifts this year and I had to Show off the funniest results. #10 and 11- Pajamas pants. I made 3 for each boy. I made 3T and 4T sizes according to the packaging. I should have measured my kids! These pants were a LOT bigger than the 3T and 4T we use from the stores! I love # 11 Doesn't it look like a Jenny Craig commercial? So Cute. Well there you have it our 2011 year finally all summarized up! We'll see if I can do better with keeping everyone up-to-date on our family for 2012!