Week 4 - Slowly but surely

Back to Beth this week and boy has she been causing me to dig deep!  I love it!  I've really been struggling with the fact that I'm not able to find a job within the schools since our move to Ohio.  I want so badly to be able to help our family financially, but I feel it's so important for me to be home when the kids are home.  This is why I'm so specific about the area of work I'm looking for.  It's not that I'm picky and just want summers to play with the kiddos (though that is a perk), it's that this is where my heart is.  I've always wanted to be a "teacher" and since I didn't finish the degree, I'd be happy with nearly any position that will let me be working with children like I've desired for so long!  My bible study this week has helped me open my eyes to the fact that I have to FROG - Fully Rely On God!  I cannot doubt him while I go through this process.  I need to hold my head high and praise him for each and every opportunity.  Speaking of which, I did interview with a hiring agency and once they receive my aide permit, I will have the opportunity to start subbing.  It's not full-time and it's not permanent, but it's a step...

I'm slowly making progress with my body changes, but I wasn't feeling it this week.  I've felt blah and bloated.  Also, since I was in the dumps about the job thing, I've found myself snacking more...which probably is what caused me to be blah and bloated! :-/  Jillian kicked my booty, as usual, but quite literally this time!  There were a few days I couldn't even sit comfortably!  My runs are getting longer and I'm feeling pretty good.  It's going to be a scorcher this week, so I may have to resort to the treadmill but I'll do everything I can to be outside!

I'm hitting a place, mentally, that I could use a lot of prayers and even comments with success stories!!!  Like my runs, I take it all a step at a time...

Week 3 - The scale is finally my friend!

Nothing better than stepping on the scale this morning and FINALLY seeing it change. It may only be a little, but it still made me smile! I have lost a few more inches this week...mostly on my hips & thighs.  THANK GOODNESS!!!  I have noticed a difference, by looking at the pics, in my derrière.  My clothes are fitting that much differently yet, but I'm being patient with that.  I took a few days off from Jillian and tried a crossfit video instead.  It was pretty intense, but short, and I couldn't feel my body changing (muscle pain) like I can with the Shred, so I switched back to that on Saturday.  Still running 3x a week too and really progressing in that 10K program.

Though my parenting sermon series was wonderful & I had one left, I started back to my Beth Moore study today.  I just love her energy and the depth of her studies. The kids started back to school today so I have much more peaceful time to study.  Until next week, thanks for the prayers and support!

Week 2 Updates

Well, it's a good thing I'm not doing this based on the scale alone, because there has been absolutely NO CHANGE since I started 12 days ago! :-/ However, my tape measure is my new best friend because there are changes there!  I've posted this weeks pictures below to show my progress. It may not be noticeable to you all, but it is to me!  I have been consistently studying my bible each day (even on the day I didn't think I was going to get to it because I forgot until it was really late). The runs are getting longer and harder, but I am feeling pretty good. My foot isn't bothering me too much. I have a little pain in my ankle, but I know those muscles are just very weak and healing comes in time. Thank you for your continued prayers! Here are a few quotes I saw this week that made me laugh because they are OH SO TRUE for me...

"I really like to run because I really Really REALLY like dessert!"

"I run...I'm slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter...But I run!"

:-)

Day 10 - Too little, too late

SO, it's 10:30pm and I just realized O haven't made time today for my bible study! :-( At this point I'm afraid I'll fall asleep. I will prob try anyway, as I'm also trying to stay awake to switch out the laundry I started this morning! I did workout VERY early so that I could shower before taking the kids to their PPK event this morning. Well, here I go...wish me luck...

Day 9 - Now we have a dilemma

So my complaint about not finding a good bible study to do while my OCD is in effect with the other one has lead to a dilemma.  I found a GREAT study today on parenting BUT, it's a sermon series and there are 7 of them! Guess Beth Moore is on hold for another week while

I finish this series...that is unless I listen to them all this weekend! :-)

Got our run in early this am so it wouldn't be too hot and that way we can go to the grocery after lunch. Swimming with our church family tonight too so double the workout today!

Day 8 - Misc Prayer Requests too

I'll be honest, my bible study this morning was weak! :-( If anyone has any suggestions of a free online study, I'm all ears! I will be spending this gloomy day inside anyway, so I'll be digging deeper myself!

Finally got motivated enough to do my 30 Day Shred. I was able to do quite a few "man" push-ups before resorting to my wimpier way! Saturday I'm going to up my hand weights a little for most of the exercises but certain ones my shoulder give me trouble on.

I have quite a few random prayer requests for my prayer warriors out there.  Listed in no particular order...

1. The healing of my left foot and the ankle soreness I've been experiencing while doing lunges.

2.  Proper management of Josiah's Tourette's, Anxiety, and Anger & my patience on the days we struggle.  (We're having some rough days lately.)

3.  For patience and God's guidance as I search for work.

4.  Good rest and energy for Frank as he is working a ton right now!

5.  The boys returning to school in a little over a week.

Day 7 - Blech

Woke up with yet another headache. It was gloomy out so I attribute it to weather and allergies but am wondering if its something more since its been occurring a ton since I started working out again. I guess I'll just keep monitoring (unless it gets worse).

Decided to take my time getting going today and relaxed in my chair with my coffee (nope, caffeine didn't help the headache).  Searched online for a bible study for today and found some free videos on the Women of Faith website. They were good but a bit short, so I watched all 4 today. Was not even close to comparing the digging deep I've been doing in my Beth Moore Study! :-( Looking forward to getting back to that next week - Darn my OCD!!! ;-)

Headache finally dissipated a little so I decided to run, but wasn't even going to attempt to go outside with such high humidity!  Guess it was a treadmill kind of day. I still feel crummy, but I finished and that's all that matters!

Day 6 - Thank you Lord for your grace!

What a wonderful lesson this morning on grace and me being a child of God! I've downloaded video 2 of the James study, but would really like to wait until Monday to start it (don't ask...it's an OCD thing), :-) so I'll do something different for the remainder of this week and pick back up with James next Monday.

Jillian kicked my booty again today but not as much as the first few days. I can now do the jumping jacks and jump rope back to back without feeling like the bottom half of my legs are jello jigglers!

Now, off to buy school supplies...blech!

Day 5 - The first Monday

After having yesterday off for my day of rest - that's biblical you know ;-) - I wondered how easily I'd be willing to do my workout today.  Fortunately, the kids are very motivating! :-)  I love that the older two want to run with me and it gets me out the door each time we go.  I hope that I build that habit within the next few weeks, so when they return to school, I'm able/willing to go on without them!

I also studied on James again this morning and I just LOVE how Beth Moore keeps your interested as she teaches SO much!  The time it takes to do my bible study just flies by because I'm so intrigued.  If I hadn't mentioned it before, I'm using the iPad app for this study and I LOVE IT!  It's so interactive.  You can download each weeks video for a reasonable fee and answer the questions she asks right on the screen.  It's very, very cool.

Because I want to update my measurements each Monday, but I started on a Thursday, there won't be any updates to that or the picture this week.  I am already noticing a difference and feeling great!  I won't lie, the foot is a little tender, but I've been down for so long that I'm sure healing will come in time!

Day 3 - Done early!

Excited to say that I made time to work on my James study today. It wasn't uninterrupted, but started my day off right!

Jillian and I battled again today...Jillian won! I am SO sore! Good new is, I did jumping jacks without wetting my pants!  If you're a woman who hasn't had children (or another good excuse for a weak bladder) or a man, you cannot laugh at this statement! If you're a mother, you're only laughing because you know exactly what I'm talking about!!! :-)

Tomorrow is a day of rest, from fitness, but looking forward to church and relaxing with the fam.

Day 2 = Trade this for that...

Busy day today at an amusement park with the kids and some friends.  I think a full days worth of walking beats a 30 min run/walk anyway! As far as bible study goes, I sure spent a lot of time in the car shouting praises to my Lord to & from said amusement park (along with everyone else listening to K-Love)! :-)

Day 1 = SUCCESS

Well, it is only Day 1 after all, but I survived! Even though I had an extremely busy day, I made sure to find time to spend with my buddy Jillian. I dislike her the same today as I did years ago when I did her 30 Day Shred! My legs feel like jello but I guess that means progress already.

I'm ashamed to say I didn't get my Beth Moore study done today. :-( I could make a 100 excuses, but none are good enough! All I can say is that I'll keep pressing on toward the goal & ask for forgiveness!  FAITH, then fitness from here on out!!!