October Goals & September Recap

I believe fall has arrived in Michigan. If only fall would stay until spring. I love fall!! I am ready for hot apple cider, boots, scarves, tights, vests, soups, and chilis. I have already made chicken enchilada soup, turkey quinoa chili, and I have chili on the stove. There is cider in the fridge too. Delicious! 

My October goals are not very specific. However, I want to concentrate on my health and not the number on the scale. Unfortunately, it will be an emotional month for me with my divorce being final the beginning of this month. 

October Goals:

• Concentrate on being & eating healthy
• Continue to workout 5-6 times per week
• Re-write a list of why I want to reach my goal weight
• Write 5 posts in October

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September Goals:

• NO DRINKING!!! - (glass of wine at my Thirty One Party in late September)
• Get workouts in; Plan for 6-7 days a week 
• Plan & prep food for lunch and dinner
• Win bet with Mom! :) We have a bet to get to a certain weight by the end of the month. Basically I have ten pounds to loose by the end of the month. 

I did not win the bet with my Mom. The truth is I have gained weight again this month. So I have decided to focus on just being healthy this next month. There was no drinking in September other than my glass of wine during my Thirty One party. I did continue to get my workouts in and have done better with my planning and prepping. It needs to improve though. 

How was your September? What is one of your goals in October?

September Favorites

Every month I plan on posting more and instead, I post less. I promise to get better at this. My divorce is supposed to be final in a couple weeks and I have been just trying to deal with all of the emotion I feel towards it. Even though he has been gone for five months it is still a shock to me. So I take it one day at a time and am focusing on finding my "new normal." I'll have to get into everything in more detail in October.

Here are some of the things I have been loving this month!

1. Happier Podcast - This was on Peanut Butter Fingers blog and I started listening to it a couple of weeks ago and am loving it. Gretchen Rubin and her sister, Elizabeth Craft, give tips on how to be "happier" in approximately thirty minutes. For example, if you can do something in 60 seconds or less just do it.

2. Almond Butter Pancakes - What isn't to love about a healthy pancake! These are healthy, easy to make, and taste delicious! My ex-husband would NOT eat breakfast after 11am so I have been breaking the rules and eating breakfast for dinner. Plus they are great warmed up or you can freeze them. Rockstar status!

3. Truth Jar - I may have mentioned this before, but my brother's wife, Emily, made me a truth jar. I love it! It is a mason jar stuffed full of "truths" for me to read whenever I need one. I take one whenever I feel I need a boost or a little love. These are marvelous. Some days it is exactly what I need! Today's truth was "When you go through deep waters, I will be with you." Isaiah 43:2

 

4. Downton Abbey - I just started watching this show recently. I don't know why I am so late to this, but I have been enjoying it.

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5. Hot Apple Cider - Nothing says fall like a glass of hot apple cider. I made some this past weekend and it was marvelous! I am looking forward to a couple more glasses.

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What have your favorites been this month? 

September in Review

I cannot believe we are half way through September. It is amazing to me how time goes by so quickly now. So here is how the month has gone so far me.

September 2nd - I was supposed to get together with my brother, sister-in-law, and my sister-in-laws sister & husband for cake for my brother's birthday. However, my sister-in-laws sister's water broke early that morning. They had a beautiful baby girl!

Labor Day Weekend - I planned on ordering pizza on Friday night and watching a movie. I did order pizza, but my friend Phoebe came over. We indulged in pizza and enjoyed some great conversation. It was great to see her! When I woke up Saturday I still wanted to watch a movie so I watched three!!! It was a very lazy day, but so marvelous. The week before I had gone to see War Room with some friends from church so I watched some of the Kendrick brother's other movies. I ended up watching Fireproof, Heat, and Courageous. I also did some coloring, watched the last two episodes of Psych, and did a little bit of reading.

On Sunday I went to church and then ran some errands. My air conditioner is broke and it was hot and humid so I went shopping. I also stopped by Lowe's to price some things and get some paint samples. Later that evening my brother and sister-in-law stopped by for a quick visit after visiting their beautiful new niece. Labor Day I went to lunch with my Mom, did some grocery shopping, food prep, and some other things around the house. 

It is hard to tell with the bad lighting, but there are a lot of blues in there. My final decision may be made this week. We will see. I am so indecisive when it comes to this kind of stuff. 

Monday morning I also made my new favorite... Almond Butter Pancakes! I love these! I had some turkey sausage with them for a little added protein. I have made them in a skillet and the oven. Baking them in the oven is a lot quicker and easier! So delicious!!!

I started getting up at 5am the first week of September to do morning workouts! Just so you know... I am NOT a morning person. I generally get up between 9-10am on the weekends. This has been an adjustment for me. However, I really like getting my workout done first thing in the morning. It also means I am doing my workouts. The week of September 1st I worked out four times and this past week I worked out 6 times. Boom!

September 10th - We had a golf outing at work supporting a local charity. It was my first time really being on a golf course and seeing people golf. It was also my first time driving the golf cart. Look at all of the things I am learning/trying. 

September 12th - Saturday morning I stayed home and worked out. It was almost a 2 hour workout! My trainer dared my to do 100 burpees. She does this on purpose because she knows I will do it or do my best to do it. They weren't all at once, but I did 100 bosu burpees. I believe she does it so I remember how far I have come. 

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Later Saturday afternoon my power went out. Apparently a squirrel wanted to play in the substation and killed the power for over four thousand of us. Bet he regrets it now! Either way I got ready for my friends surprise party in the dark and called a cab.  My garage doors are electric and there is no other way in the garage. I made it to the surprise party in plenty of time and loved seeing how surprised she was with her family and friends surrounding her. 

How has the first part of your September gone? Have you tried anything new?

September Goals & August Recap

Another month gone by wtihout a lot of progress. I keep going though. Every step is progress back in the right direction. There were a few life lessons learned this month, but I have a feeling it will be like that for a bit. I wouldn't mind if they were more of a tap on the shoulder lesson instead of a punch in the face lesson though. Just sayin'...

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August Goals:

• Workout 4 times per week 
• No fast food
• Eat healthier & cook/prep food more
• Loose weight (I would like to get back into the 160's) 

So in all honesty I don't think I did any of these. I haven't looked at the times per week I have worked out, but I don't believe I did 4 times each week. I know I ate Burger King and McDonald's this month. :( I am not going to lie there was a night of drinking (one of my "punch in the face" lessons) and McDonald's was the next day. 

There was more food prep in August than there has been previously, but not as much as I wanted or intended. I also did not loose weight this month. Sigh... With that said it is still up and down for me emotionally. There were some heartbreaking things discovered, Brandon moved all of "his stuff" out, I was tired of thinking and drank one night, and more. 

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Somedays it feels like every day I fall apart, but I know I will be okay. One day at a time; moment by moment. I will get through it. With that said... September goals!

September Goals:

• NO DRINKING!!! - (glass of wine at my Thirty One Party in late September)
• Get workouts in; Plan for 6-7 days a week 
• Plan & prep food for lunch and dinner
• Win bet with Mom! :) We have a bet to get to a certain weight by the end of the month. GULP! Basically I have ten pounds to loose by the end of the month. I gained weight after last weekend. It was 7 pounds. (head smack) BOO! 

Whoever wins the bet pays for a pedicure, movie, or dinner. :) Nothing huge, but a little competition never hurt anyone. 

What did you accomplish in August? What do you have planned for September?

August Favorites

I kind of liked doing July Favorites so it may be a monthly post for me. Let me know what you think. So here are some of the things I have been loving lately.


1. Veggie Chips/Veggie Straws - These may not be allowed in my house for a little while. I have been loving a sandwich with some veggie chips/straws. My problem is with chips, I just can't stop. Once I start I just keep eating them.

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2. Optimum Nutrition - Essential Amino Energy - When Lyndsey mentioned this as a favorite of hers on Broccoli & Barbells I knew I had to try it. I have gone through 3 of the grape flavored. The other day I forgot mine and Lyndsey let me try her Blue Raspberry before she kicked my butt. I liked it and got the Blue Raspberry for a change.

I actually have a Blue Raspberry at home and a Grape right now. It is nice to prepare it before I leave work so by the time I get home and change my clothes I am ready to go!

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3. Unity Christian Music Festival - This was amazing! I went Friday and Saturday this year and can't wait to go again next year. It was amazing to see Francesca Battistelli, Matthew West, and so many more. It was one of the best weekends and I am so glad my Mom and Aunt Mary urged me to tag along. 

4. Sweaty Bands - I love these. It is a little embarrassing to say how many I have and I want more. These are one of the only headbands that work for me. They actually work for me and I have thin, fine hair. Headbands have never worked for me. I was tired of hair in my face though and gave these a try. They work! LOVE!

5. Bosu - I love this! There are so many exercises you can do with it. I even prefer to do burpees with the bosu. After using it with my trainer I knew I wanted one.

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What have you been loving this month? 

What's been going on?

I thought 2015 was going to be a phenomenal year for me. Every year I make a goal list and this was the year for me to accomplish all of them! My weight loss goal, my reading goal, and the dreams I had for my marriage. Unfortunately, this has been one of the most difficult years of my life. 

In the beginning of May my husband walked out on me. He told me Monday night he "was done" and while I was at work on Tuesday he packed his stuff and moved in with his parents. It is one of the most devastating things I have ever experienced. He would not talk to me and asked for time to think things through. I still don't understand a lot of what happened during that time. 

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I have been devastated. I never thought he would do this or treat me this way. He was my best friend, my husband. We were together 13 years and would have been married 7 years in October. Brandon walked out and will hardly talk to me. He even filed for a divorce on my birthday. It has been hell to go through all of this these past few months and to be honest I didn't want to write about it because I didn't think he would go through with it. I hoped he wouldn't, but our divorce will be final soon. 

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I am not going to lie... this has been awful. However, one night while sitting at my Mom's dining room table sobbing I told her one my blessings during all of this. "You did a really good job! People really like me!" I have the most amazing family and friends. They have all been here for me. I don't know what I would do without all of their love and support. 

I know I still have a long way to go. There will be times where I am doing okay, other times where I don't think I can do it anymore, and other times where I am doing great. As I have learned it is all part of the process. Everyday is a new day. And you know what? I am going to be okay. 

August Goals & July Recap

It is crazy to me that it is August already. Why does summer always go by so quickly? I hate to say it, but I think August is going to go by quickly too. It is going to be a rough month for me personally, but I will be okay. My main goal is to keep working to get back to where I was before everything happened at the beginning of this summer. I didn't do great at my goals in July, but I am doing better every day. 

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July Goals:

• Workout 3-5 times per week 
• Eat healthier & cook/prep food more
• Blog 2 times a week
• Sign up for DietBet & try to hard to win

My workout and blogging goals did not go as I wanted. Although I did blog more than the past couple of months. It just wasn't as much as I had wanted. Workouts weren't great either. I was just trying to distract myself from dealing with life (Feeling Switch Blog Post). 

Cooking and prepping has gotten better this month. Definitely not where it had been, but better. This week I even made a couple new recipes. They were healthy, easy, and delicious. I will be putting both of them in my rotation. This past week I tried a new protein shake that I have been loving. I did a five day trial and will be ordering more soon so I will let you know more about that once I try it a little longer. 

August Goals:

• Workout 4 times per week 
• No fast food
• Eat healthier & cook/prep food more
• Loose weight (I would like to get back into the 160's) 

I have gained weight these past three months and am back in the 170's. It sucks, but I am not going to beat myself up. This year has been one of the most emotional and most difficult years of my life. So I will just be happy that through it all I haven't quit or given up. It make take longer to get to my goal than initially planned, but I will do it. 

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What are you proud of that you did in July? What goals do you have for August?