I wanna be like Enoch :-)

My devotion for January 3 is about Enoch. He enjoyed a close relationship with God throughout his life by staying in constant touch with him. The King James version renders this verse, "Enoch walked with God." Another word for that is "fellowship". In the end, after he had lived for 365 years on earth, he was favored by being taken to Heaven in a supernatural way. The way it is described is as if God and Enoch had taken so many walks together through life, talking and delighting in each other, that one day as they walked along, God said to Enoch, "It's late, why don't you come to my house tonight?" And they walked right on home. To be fruitful, faithful, and favored in such a way shows us what true fellowship with God is all about.

I admit that I plagiarized a portion of that directly from my book of devotions  After reading this I realize I need to go for more walks, both physically and spiritually. Our woods have many paths down which I enjoy walking with my dogs. I feel closest to the Lord there, and I use that time to pray, reflect, and clear my head. Since the weather has been colder, I have not been on those walks. While I realize that Enoch's walk refers to a spiritual one, I do believe that my walks  through the woods were also of the spiritual sort. I love being alone with the Lord, with my own thoughts, with my own prayers, and with my own praises. I can bask in his glory when I look around at all of the beautiful trees, flowers, and animals that I see and hear on those walks. All the beauty of nature. It amazes me how creative He is and what wonderful masterpieces He has created for us to enjoy. And then that reminds me, He created me, too. No matter how down on myself I am feeling or how many things are not going my way, I can still smile like a dearly loved child of God, because I am one. Today's devotion has inspired me to make more time for my relationship with God, and to communicate with Him more. Walking with God speaks of a commonality, a communion, an easy, conversational "walk" with our Creator on the road of life. It involves being honest with our heavenly Companion. Hurt feelings must be discussed, misunderstandings laid on the table. Fellowship means warmth of understanding and an interest in the thoughts and feelings of another. When we walk with God all our days, we'll find ourselves walking right on home 

Diabolical Footsteps

January 2nd's devotion discusses Satan as a serpent in both Genesis and Revelation in the Holy Bible. He is seen to be cunning,articulate, a liar, a deceiver and destroyer, and an enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ. The devotion goes on to explain how we should never attempt to take Satan on by ourselves; we should rely on Jesus to fight our spiritual battles.

This one has me thinking. Every time I try to get closer in my relationship with Jesus,Satan seems to pop up and want to take me down. Every time I try to do the right thing,Satan is there to tempt me to do something I know is wrong. Sometimes I think I see and feel Satan's presence in people who are close to me, and it makes me unsure and a bit uneasy. This reminded me of a time when I was teaching Sunday school to a group of 3 and 4 year-olds, and I had to explain to them what it meant to 'put on the armor of God'. Because that was several years ago, I researched the armor of God as a refresher,and here is what I found:

To put on the "full armor"--and enjoy a daily and eternal love-relationship with Jesus Christ, thank Him for what He has shown you in His Word. Know the Scriptures behind your prayer so that your words and faith are grounded in the authority of the Bible. (Some of those verses are listed in the chart above.) Then pray through each piece. You can use the following prayer as an outline:

• The belt of truth: Thank you, my Lord, for showing me the TRUTH about Yourself, Your plans and Your ways. Thank You for reminding me that You are the only God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the King of the universe, my Father who loves me, and my Shepherd who leads me. You are my wisdom, my counselor, my hope, and my strength. You are everything I need each day!

• The breastplate of righteousness: Thank You for showing me the truth about myself -- that on my own I could never be good enough to live in your presence. Thank you for taking my sins to the cross and offering me your perfect, RIGHTEOUS life.  Lord, show me any sin that I need to confess right now, so that nothing will hinder me from being filled to overflowing with your Spirit. [Take time for confession] Thank you for forgiving me and for filling me with your RIGHTEOUS life.

• The sandals of peace: Thank you for the peace you give me when I trust and follow you. Show me how to help others find that PEACE.

• The shield of faith: Thank you for helping me have FAITH in you. I choose to count on everything you have shown me about yourself -- and everything you have promised me in your Word.

• The helmet of salvation: Thank you for promising me SALVATION both for today's battles and for all eternity.

• The sword of the spirit, the Word of God: Thank you for the scriptures you have given me to memorize. Please show me which  you want me to use to cut through deceptions and gain your victory in any battle I may face today.
  
  
  

  God's Armor	Know the Truth about...	Affirm key Scriptures
  Belt of TRUTH	God: the Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit	"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) Deut. 4:39; Psalm 23:1; 18:1-3
  Breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS	The holy and perfect righteousness of Jesus in those who are "born again" and filled with His Spirit	"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." (Matt. 5:6)Psalm 100:3; Rom. 3:23-24, 6:23; Gal. 2:20-21; Phil. 3:8-10.
  Sandals of PEACE	Inner peace and readiness	"For He Himself is our peace..." (Eph. 2:14-15) Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14; John 14:27, 16:33, 20:21.
  Shield of FAITH	Living by faith	"I am crucified with Christ:...and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God...." (Gal. 2:20) Rom. 4:18-21; Heb. 11:1; 1 Pet. 1:6-7
  Helmet of SALVATION	Salvation through Christ today and forever	"Nor is there salvation in any other..."(Acts 4:12) Each day: Ps. 16, 23; Heb. 1:3-6 For eternity: 2 Cor. 4:16-18; 1 Thess. 4:17; 1 John 3:1-3
  The victorious Sword of the spirit: GOD'S WORD	God's Word countering spiritual deception and accusations	"...the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory...." (John 1:14)  Heb. 4:12; Matt. 4:2-11; 1 Pet. 3:15; Ps. 119:110-112

  
  
  This has been a good reminder for me. I need to practice putting on this armor,perhaps first thing in the morning each morning. With armor such as this, I can battle anything that comes my way, whether it be a traffic jam, a negative peer influence, gossip, sickness, or even death. I know these things; I just need the reminders,because it's so easy to get caught up in my own life and what is directly affecting me at one given moment. It helps to remember that God has my back, I just have to ask for his help when I need it

Elohim

"Used 2,500 times in the Old Testament, the name Elohim reveals the mighty strength of God. El is the Hebrew word for "strength", while alah or oah means "faithfulness". God's faithfulness begins afresh each day (Lamentations 3:23). God is always fresh, never stale. We can depend on it!

The Bible is not a scientific textbook, but a book about faith. It does not tell us how the heavens go, but how to go to heaven. It also tells us who makes the heavens go and who upholds them "by the mighty power of his command" (Hebrews 1:3).

Elohim meets us in Genesis. In the beginning of days and nights, flowers and trees, fish and mammals, he tells us his name that is he is the Creator of all. God is strong enough to make myriad universes and faithful enough to keep them all spinning safely at the right speed.

And what does this mean to me? It gives me confidence. It tells me that if God made the world, he can make my world spin around with a little more order than I've managed to create in it! It gives me something-Someone- on whom I can depend.If God is perfect faithfulness, renewing his pledge to me morning by morning,I can go to sleep in peace evening by evening. Elohim can be known; Elohim can be trusted; Elohim is here!"

-written by Jill Brescoe, January 1 excerpt from The One Year Devotions for Women.

So, as I mentioned in my previous post, I was wanting to find a book of devotions to do for the year 2013. I happened to find one sitting in my very own bookcase, unopened and unused. I believe it was given to me mid-year one year and I held on to it, but forgot that I had it. My resolution this year is to spend more time in God's word,and I think these daily devotions will help me to reflect on things in a new and positive way. After reading this particular devotion, I'm reminded that God is in control of everything. It reminds me that I CAN depend on him, when humans fail me. I've been failed far too many times, and I've failed others-including myself-even more. But God can be trusted to take care of me morning by morning. That is a very comforting thought.

Welcoming 2013

Happy New Year! It's only noon on New Year's Eve, and I've been off from work for two weeks now hanging out with the kiddos on their Christmas break. It has been lovely, but I must prepare to go back on Wednesday. As I reflect on 2012, I have to say it was a really good year for my little family. It was the year I lost 46 pounds, after all :). I also managed to get my husband to take Crown Financial with me. My son blossomed in school, and my daughter found her sport (soccer). Despite all of the economic hardships going on all over the country, our family has (by the grace of God) managed to stay afloat and Corey and I have been blessed enough to keep our jobs. 

For 2013, my only resolution is to make my life more about HIM and less about me. As I began to lose weight, I grew in confidence, and I'd even go as far to say that I grew in selfishness. I became more concerned with the flesh than with the eternal. My hope is to return my focus to HIM but to maintain my physical accomplishments through working out and eating healthy. With that goal in mind, it would mean more time spent in God's word, more time passionately praying, more time spent teaching and talking to my children about God, more time at church, and less time engaging in distracting things like FACEBOOK :-P. I  am considering starting a devotional and keeping a blog to keep me in check throughout the year. The other thing  I'd like to work on is to explore my creative side again. I know it's in there; I used to be quite the artist, but my wonderfully chaotic life and career have smothered it into unconsciousness. 

My resolutions for my children are that they will keep their rooms clean and spend more time reading. I'm allowed to set resolutions for them, too, right? Well, those would be my suggestions to them. 

Anyone have fun plans for New Years? We're staying in, for the umpteenth year in a row, and my children have invited others over to spend the night and ring in the new year with us. My how times have changed since our college days :-P

New Testimony to Share :)

It's been awhile since I blogged! I've been maintaining my weight loss, and I've moved on to accomplishing other life goals. My husband and I started taking a course together back in September called Crown Financial Ministries. It is through our church. For those of you who are not familiar with Crown Financial, it is a bible-based course about handling your finances God's way. Going into the course, I already knew quite a bit about God's plan for our finances, because I read a book some years ago which was actually called 'God's Plan For Your Finances'. However, my practical application of God's plans for my finances had basically gone down the toilet. Though I've always been good with money (my father is a stock-broker, who always instilled the "pay yourself first" motto), I entered into a marriage with a shopaholic. After 12 years of marriage, I grew tired of butting heads and I think we've both kind of met somewhere in the middle with our attitudes about money. I went from being a complete tightwad to living this free-spirit, willy-nilly kind of lifestyle and very little regard to money. Since my husband and I both work, we check our balance frequently and it seems that there is always money there. We got into a really bad habit of spending it, though, before paying the bills :-0. Now I'm not a big spender, but I do buy my children whatever they need. And sometimes they 'need' things all at once, such as soccer dues (x2), uniforms, dance dues, lunch money, haircuts (x2), ... the list goes on and on, but you catch my drift. And another priority in our home is always groceries. I will say that I do and have always shopped at WalMart for groceries to save money, and I still believe that this is the most effective. I buy mostly WalMart brand products, which I find is cheaper than going to Kroger or Food Lion and using coupons. But our bills always came last. And when it was bill-time, we would get stuck picking and choosing (juggling) which ones to pay. We grew tired of living that way, because it was very stressful.
 
So... we made the decision to enter into this committment of taking the class together. I will admit that, at first, it was a bit of a pain... you know, ANOTHER thing we have to do during the week, another thing to add to our already over-loaded schedule.... And the homework for the class is no joke. You have to read the Bible, answer questions, and memorize Scripture. Most of the information started to come back to me as I began to do the work. What I had forgotten over the course of the past few years is that 100% of everything I have is GOD's and not mine. It's his money, and I am supposed to be a good steward of HIS money. Well, that was tough one to swallow, even though I'd heard it before, I'm not going to lie. I am also being very honest when I say that I've struggled with tithing throughout the years. I've done it inconsistently in the last year, even though I've experienced huge blessings from doing it consistently in the past. It's like that line in that Christian song, "I throw a 20 in the plate, but never give til it hurts" (Matthew West). After completing the lesson on tithing and giving, I felt really convicted to start tithing consistently again. As I said, I've done this in the past, and it was a real source of tension between my husband and I at the time. He has come a long way spiritually since then. So, with his blessing, I woke up that Monday morning (payday) and immediately got a money order for 10% of my income. My reason for getting a money order was so that I did not spend it and was not able to tear it up. I also wrote the name of the church on it so that I would not be able to cash it. I stuck it on our refrigerator for my husband and I to see and to pray about it.

Now I have to admit, I was not a happy camper. God says to give cheerfully, not begrudgingly. But I just kept looking at that money order, thinking, "that's grocery money", or "that would have paid such-n-such bill". I began to worry over it, which God says not to do. He wants us to trust Him. And to test Him. After taking that money out and setting it aside, I paid our bills like a responsible adult. The wee hours of the next morning, I was awakened by a bone-chilling nightmare about Satan. It was so real, and quite disturbing. As a matter of fact, it stuck with me for the entire day. The next day, we only had $66 left in our account. This was TWO days after I got paid! NOT COOL! I was used to having much more money (but what I didn't realize is that I was also used to not having the bills paid, either). That night, I went to my Crown Financial class and shared with my fellow classmates what I had done and how worried I was feeling. I told them about my nightmare, and they confirmed what I already thought; Satan was trying to attack me, because I was trying to obey the Lord. A classmate encouraged me to just Trust and Test the Lord, and that's what I decided to do. I figured, at least the bills are paid. We DO have money in savings, if I need to transfer that over to cover the low balance...

The following day, I had an appointment with one of my mentally ill clients. She happens to be bipolar and by far my most difficult client. I prayed in the car on the way to her house for God to give me the words and the wisdom to reach her that day. It ended up being one of the best sessions we have ever had. And i was able to reach my client with the gospel. I feel that that was God's blessing to me for being obedient to Him. This was Thursday, and we only had $46 left in our account. We had ourselves on a complete spending FREEZE. But I trusted God, and I also knew that my husband was getting paid the very next day, and we were going to be OK!

Now for the big praise report... Friday morning, I woke up and immediately checked our bank balance. I wanted to be SURE my husband's paycheck was in there! Imagine my surprise when I saw that there was nearly $6,000 in our checking account. Ok, so we went from $46 to $6,000 overnight?!?! I believe I started shaking, crying, and praising God so fast and hard some might say I was speaking in tongues . Not only had my husband gotten paid, he had also received a huge bonus. God knew that he needed to act, and fast... and that is exactly what He did. What is even more amazing is that my husband immediately agreed with me that this was an act of God and that we needed to tithe 10% of what He had provided for us.

My purpose of this story is not to be boastful or bragging, but to share that if you are faithful to the Lord, then He will be faithful to you. We put the bonus money into our savings account to help us pay for some major house repairs, nothing to be jealous of. We are just so thankful for the Lord's provision and His perfect timing. We continue to live paycheck to paycheck like most of the country. But I will tell you one thing, we will be tithing from now on, not to just receive blessings, but to give God a fraction of what is 100% His anyway, and to prove our faithfulness to Him. God is so good...

Super Excited!

I'm on my way to the gym, but just wanted to comment quickly that I found a box FULL of "skinny" clothes in my attic that I'd forgotten about (because it's been so long since I could wear any of them)! It was really exciting to go through them, because they're all super cute surf brands and I'm just so happy to have clothes that fit! THANK YOU, previously skinny self! That is all ;) 

122 pounds and STILL losing :)

Yes, I can disclose my weight now because I'm proud to be 122 pounds. I've never told my weight to anyone (other than my doctor, and against my will) I've lost 46 lbs, so you do the math. Let me just say, I'm enjoying this new, thinner me. I am now comfortable in a bikini and I wear them to the pool all the time! I've got a couple 'skinny' pics to post so you can see the results. I only wanted to get down to 125 lbs, but I'm still losing... I have a little flab here and there that I'd like to eliminate, so I guess I'll keep at it. Who knows, maybe I'll get down to 115...

 

40 lbs lost!

Hello all, the previous post, which I posted last night, was actually a draft from last week which wouldn't post for some odd reason. So it's now a week later, and I have to tell you... I am officially FORTY pounds lighter now than I was in January. I am only 4 lbs away from my ultimate goal, and honestly, I think I could stand to lose another 10 lbs. I now own 4 bikinis. Remember, I said I wanted my biggest problem to be, "What color bikini should I wear today?" I now own the hot pink one, a black one, a green and white polka dotted one, and  a reddish orange one with beading. Two of those are from many years ago; good thing I held onto them, huh?

I still struggle with self confidence while wearing them, though. It is like when obese ppl lose a bunch of weight and they still feel fat. I feel that way, not that I was ever really obese. I just struggle to feel comfortable in my new body. I think it's because I only see the 'trouble areas' and can't wrap my head around how much better I look than I used to. I need to think more positively. I'm also a very modest person, so I'm not one to strut around in a skimpy bikini. I sit in my chair at the pool as lonnnnnnnnnnnnng as I can stand it, and then I get up and jump in the water. Now that I've gotten a base tan and have had the bikini on a few times, I'm starting to feel a little more comfortable with the whole thing. It's just new. But exciting!

I worked out this morning- did my step aerobics class, and I'm about to go do some P90X Shoulders and Arms. One of my faves, because it's not too hard, but it really makes your arms look great! Also going to do Ab Ripper X, another one of my faves, because it's so short but so effective. Hope everyone else is doing well and enjoying their summer so far!

Skinny :)

Hello World! I have not had any time lately whatsoever to blog. I never posted about the final days of P90X, but I finished it up, and I've been enjoying my new body a LOT. I wore a bikini to the pool for the first time in 5 years... what a great feeling. Now i'm just trying to maintain my weight loss and I only have 5 lbs to go to get to the ultimate goal. 

Life has been extremely busy, like to the point that I can't catch my breath. Work is ever changing and I've been given a new case as well as a lot more paperwork to do. On top of that we had family visitors, my daughter's dance recital, and we adopted a new dog. Yes, I went for it! She is wonderfully sweet :) I am so worn out and ready for all the extracurricular activities to end so I can start to relax a little. I was literally grocery shopping in WalMart last night at 10:00 PM because it was the only time I had to do it. I had to shop for nearly 2 weeks worth of groceries, and we were out of EVERYTHING because I hadn't had time to go in so long. It was midnight by the time it was all said and done.

I don't remember life being this busy before, but I know it always has been. Well, maybe not quite this busy. 

This has been a nutty week. I've been working on arranging summer care for my children, something which is very important but very expensive. I am fortunate that I have a mother-in-law who lives right next door and only works part time. She watches them for free, and i just provide lunches and money for outings. I used to be able to be at home 2 days a week during the summer to take the kids to the pool, but my clientele and workload have both grown. Now I pay my friend Beth to keep them on those days, and her kids are my kids' best friends, so that works out great. I signed them up for VBS at our church and a week at an art day camp. They've been to both every year and love them. My work is also offering a summer camp which is pretty convenient because i can take them to work with me, have lunch with them, go on field trips with them, etc. Then there's my mom, who takes them for a couple different weeks each summer, to let them play and swim at Smith Mountain Lake. So, I guess I shouldn't be worried, because I seem to have a lot of different options. I shouldn't feel guilty, because they have a lot of fun. I do miss the days that I could stay at home with them. I did that while they were little and those days were precious, although financially difficult at times! I wish upon a star that I didn't have to be a working Mom, but that's just the way it is. It sucks to be smart sometimes. Stupid master's degree.

Hehe. Just kidding. I love my job, or at least I did love my job until very recently. I've been with the agency for a little over 3 years now, I just don't like change very much and kinda wish things would go back to the way they used to be when I worked 3 days a week as opposed to all the friggin time.

People just drain you, you know? Especially mentally ill people. And by that i don't necessarily mean the clients. Some of the agency staff are pretty mental, too. I hope they're not reading this. There are just a lot of different personalities and dynamics. The more I'm there, the more information I learn about others, and the less I want to know! I still mind my own business, do my job, and go home. Client work is actually my favorite. Today was a little rough, because my first appointment (new client) didn't want our time to end, or so it seemed. My second client was short and sweet. But then I had to take my third client to the doctor for a battery of tests because she's been very ill. COPD and a chain smoker-not good. That appointment ended up taking up hours of my time. Not that I mind, because she asks very little of me and gives a lot back in return, but it's just hard when you have a certain place to be at a certain time.

I know no one is reading this. It's just making me feel better to get my thoughts organized and out where I can see them. Things are a little jumbled up in my brain because there are so many different thoughts happening at the same time. 

Back to the topic of weight loss, I do feel awesome. I can tell that some of my muscle tone has faded, however, because I'm no longer doing the P90X workouts on a regular basis. I just haven't had much time for working out and so when i get to, I go to the gym and burn as many calories as I can that way. I'm doing great with my diet, and i think that's what is helping me to keep the weight down.

Good night world. I have to be up EARLY for another client visit, like super duper early, like I-never-get-up-this-early-for-anyone-but-I-will-for-you-this-once-since-you-are-a-new-client early!!!

P90X, Week 13, Days 1-4

P90X? What's that?! Nah, just kidding. I'm still alive and TRYING to stay on track, but I have gotten a bit distracted this week. I fell in love with a dog at the pound, and I'm in obsessed mode where all I can think about is this dog. She stood out to me because she looks like a blonde version of our Rottweiler Abby, who died in Sept. She was still at the pound as of 2:00 today, but someone else had an application to adopt her (which was approved), so I've been waiting it out to see if they're going to come get her or not. I don't want to get my hopes up too much.

So, I'm in the 13th and final week of P90X. This week is mostly about stretching and doing Yoga. I've been extremely lazy and when I have worked out, I've not stuck to the routine... I did step aerobics, Brazilian Butt Lift, Ab Ripper X, to name a few. I have also been on the eliptical. Anything to burn as many calories as I can in a short period of time. I'm just really over P90X, no offense to the company or to Tony Horton, or to anyone who loves the program, because it absolutely worked for me... but 13 weeks is a long time. I'm ready to move on and try other things. And I'll come back to the P90X videos now and again, working my favorites into my workout routine.  I miss going to the gym and being among my meathead people. i miss taking my headphones and watching movies and television while i burn close to 1000 calories.

That's about all the news. Hope everyone is doing great!

P90X, Week 12, Days 6 & 7

I wrote a really long blog earlier, but to my dismay, the computer cut itself off and I lost my entire entry. It does that sometimes :( Days 6 and 7 of Week 12 did happen, I just have been super busy and unable to blog about it. Day 7 was Rest and Stretch, so I opted for "Rest", but with this being dance recital weekend, I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off... not to mention everything else that has been going on lately, such as having a plumber come out for a major leak, having a new security system put into our house, and cleaning the whole house for my parents to come into town. The recital involved a long dress rehearsal Thurs night and 2 nights of back to back recitals. My daughter was in 5 numbers this year, and I was responsible for her 5 costumes, plus 5 more costumes for my best friend's daughter. My best friend was out of town on a business trip, so I offered to help out, not knowing what I was getting myself into... 2 girls, 10 costumes, five back to back dance numbers.... oh my. I am tired. I lost 3 pounds in 3 days due to all of the running around I had to do.

Week 13 should have started yesterday, but I am going to be getting a late start. I will hopefully get back on track tomorrow. I've lost 37 lbs since January 1, which is really hard for me to wrap my head around. I never knew I could lose that much weight, or that I needed to... I only have 6 more lbs to be at my goal weight. If I reach my goal weight, I'll re-evaluate my situation and see if I need to set a new goal. There are still some areas that I would like to work on.

Happy Mother's Day. Mine was very nice, with the recital and then church today with my mother. Both of my children sang today in church. Then my Mom took me out shopping for a new coffee pot--- mine has been broken for some time--- much to my surprise, she bought me a Keurig, which was pretty expensive. I've been wanting one for some time now, but never expected anyone to buy me one, especially not my mom, and especially not on Mother's Day! She also bought me a new clock for my kitchen and an oregano plant. I gave her a really cool, decorative hummingbird feeder. Hummingbirds are her favorite. I also got her some little Yankee candles. It was so nice just to see her and spend time with her on Mother's Day.  I feel very blessed to both have and be a mother. I couldn't ask for a better mom or for better children. I thank God for them every day.

P90X, Week 12, Day 5 (with the before and after pics everyone WANTS to see)

What a day! What a lonnnng day! Had I not laid in bed until 8:10 AM, I probably could've gotten up early and worked out, and then I could've gone to bed at a decent hour. Instead, I rushed to get the kids to school, rushed to get to work (no makeup on-had to apply that in the bathroom once I got there), work a full day there, rush to get back in time to get the kids from school, rush to fix supper, and rush to get the kids to church. My daughter has a speaking part in the upcoming musical, and she had to be there at 5 PM to rehearse for that. Then both of my children go to choir at 5:30 and then AWANA after that. I report to the church nursery at 5:30 and typically work with either the itty bitty babies or the 1 year olds. The 1 year olds are my favorite :) I get my baby fix, and then I get to give em back and go back to my life.

Wow, how'd I get so off track here... ok, so I got home from church around 9 PM, had to help my youngest with his homework, get them both showered and in pajamas, then put them to bed. THEN I finally got to work out. I opted for Plyometrics, which is a lot of jumping around. I gave it my all, except for the air guitar move, because that one has a very LOUD landing, and I didn't want to shake the whole house or make a lot of noise and wake up the kiddos. The workout was 60 minutes long and Tony Horton calls it "The Mother of all P90X workouts". It's actually NOT a part of the Lean Version of P90X, but I tried it a couple of weeks ago and discovered that it targets my butt, thighs, and legs, which is where I neeeed help. I was drenched in sweat afterwards, which is how I gauge a really good workout.

I got another compliment tonight. A friend told me I was looking really good. I love to receive compliments, especially after working so hard. There are days when I get so frustrated and just want to give up... but I have to remind myself of how far I've COME. Here are before and after pictures. No, I don't look perfect right now, but I've definitely made a lot of progress.

WEEK 1: Blue tankini, back view and front view:


Week 12: Hot pink string bikini, back view and front view.
Like I said, NOT perfect... definitely still some problem areas, but I can't let it get me down. I've come a long way :) I still have more work to do, but looking at these pictures does make me feel a little bit better about my little stomach pooch.

P90X, Week 12, Day 4

Okay, so Yoga X didn't happen, because now I have misplaced that disc as well :( grrr. But I did get up and go to my Step Aerobics class this morning and burned around 700 calories. I also lifted weights for about 30 minutes, walked with a client for about 20 minutes, and did Ab Ripper X. All total, I burned over 1000 calories again. I took some new bikini pictures tonight and I'm seeing my butt and thighs starting to get smaller; however, as I said last night, I need to crank up the cardio to get rid of the fat on the top of my belly and on my inner and outer thighs. I will try to post some pictures soon. I shared them with a couple of friends tonight and am getting more confident in doing so. 

P90X, Week 12, Day 3

Another P90X-less night. I tried to do my workout, which was Back & Biceps, but the DVD wouldn't work! It was the first time the program required me to do this workout, so I hadn't tried the disk out prior to tonight. I ended up going to the gym & burning over 1,000 calories doing cardio. I did the eliptical and the stationary bike again. The iPhone app that I use to track my calories says that I'll weigh 112 lbs in 5 weeks. Um, yeah right!!!!!

Skinny Girl :)

I had to take my son to Cub Scouts tonight, and TWO people called me "Skinny Girl". One was my friend Denise and the other was my friend Mike, both of whom go to my church and have sons in the same cub scout pack. And, of course, they are both Facebook friends, so they've seen my daily posts about doing P90X and could have just said it to be nice. My new nickname may not stick beyond, well.... tonight, but just hearing two people refer to ME as "Skinny Girl" has made me SO giddy, I can't begin to explain it! With that being said, it's time to go work out now :)

P90X, Week 12, Day 2

I probably shouldn't use P90X in the title of this entry, since I didn't actually DO P90X today. I was supposed to complete the Cardio X video, but it's lost somewhere... So, I went for a walk, then did the eliptical at the gym, and rode the exercise bike. I think I need to increase my cardio from this point on in order to get the last bit of fat off of my abs and lower body. I only have 20 days before the pool opens... 20 days!!! I've noticed a slight improvement in my lower body since I started using Brazil Butt Lift. I took comparison pics in my new bikini, and my butt is definitely firmer than it was before. So that's a good sign. My plan is to keep moving forward and finish up P90X, while cranking up the cardio, and then once I'm done (1 week 5 days), I will continue to crank up the cardio and get back to the gym 5-6 days/week. I've missed my meatheads.

P90X, Week 12, Day 1

Today is technically Week 12, Day 1, but I got off track there somewhere. I think it's because I skipped Rest and Stretch Day, which would've been yesterday. So, today I'm getting back on the schedule, and I did Ab Ripper X as well as Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps. I haven't done Chest/Shoulders/Triceps in awhile, and my strength and endurance were kind of poor. I did my best to "bring it", but I did feel a little weak. SO MANY PUSHUPS!

My lower body is sore from last night's workout, and I'm also sore in odd places, like my luv handles and my back. I'm not sure why that is, since I did Brazil Butt Lift and Kenpo X last night. Even though I've been working out the past couple of days, I still feel like a slacker for some reason; I guess because I've 'tweaked' the P90X program rather than follow it exactly. I have treid to focus more on lower body since I hadn't lost any inches or cellulite there. I feel kind of bad for straying from the program, and I hope I don't end up with poor results. I still have that little fat pooch that I can't get rid of, too. It's like a layer of fat over my abs that will not go away. I don't mean to complain. I've come a long way. And it probably doesn't help that my dinner tonight was a frosted donut from Dunkin Donuts. I had been doing pretty well with my nutrition, but my husband brought home a dozen donuts-all different and colorful- and I managed to stay away from them all day yesterday, but with it being 'that time', my body craved sweets today, and I HAD to have one!

Tomorrow's workout is Cardio X, and somewhere along the way, I've lost that DVD. I hope to find it tomorrow, but if I can't, I may go to the gym and burn a ton of calories on the eliptical. Or I may do plyometrics if I'm not too sore from yesterday's workouts.

P90X, Week 11, Days 6 & 7

First of all, let me just say... Rest in Peace, MCA from the Beastie Boys! How sad :( I grew up with the Beastie Boys, and was really into them in my high school years especially. I got to see them perform live nearly 4 years ago at a Rock the Vote concert, where they played with Sheryl Crow, Jack Johnson, Norah Jones, among others. It was awesome seeing them live. So, though I've outgrown some of their more outrageous lyrics, the MUSIC itself is still awesome. I always loved their instrumental stuff especially. I've moved on to Christian rock music, which glorifies God (can't really say that about the Beastie Boys), but there is still a part of me that totally digs the Beastie Boys. They were the first white boy rappers, c'mon now. And they were a bit punk rock too. I always had the biggest crush on Ad Rock. MCA was the taller, goofy looking one, but he had the best voice. It was low and cool and even.

With that being said, since I have slacked off the past couple of days, I tried to get a lot of exercise in today, which was supposed to be my "Rest and Stretch" day. I came home and went for a run after work. I was only able to run for about 20 minutes while the kids' dinner was cooking. Then I popped in Kenpo X because I wanted to do some cardio, but I wanted it to be FUN. After that, I did Brazil Butt Lift, the bum bum workout, which I find to be very difficult. I notice that I'm getting better with practice; however, I was drenched in sweat after 30 minutes (when it was over). I burned nearly 1100 calories doing all of that. I feel energized now, like I can do even more exercise, but the fam and I are going to wach "How to Train Your Dragon" in 3-D on our new TV! Whoop, whoop! I lost another pound this morning, and I'm down 17 lbs with P90X, for a total of 33 lbs since December. It is hard for me to believe that I let myself get that big. I would still like to lose around 10 more pounds from the butt/thighs/lower abdominal areas, which is why I'm doing Brazil Butt Lift in place of some of my workouts.

I had a meeting at work this morning and Corey did too. We were a little worried about his meeting, because his company has been sending sort of gloomy emails out about how the company is hurting financially. He had to account for all of his sales or lack thereof, and I admit, I was nervous for him. We've been through a layoff before, and it was stressful, even though he was able to find another job quickly. There's the whole process of getting different insurance, waiting on the first payday, and for him- learning a whole new job and fitting into a whole new company. But I prayed about this meeting last night and again this morning, and it turns out that it went very well. In fact, he said it went "Excellent". As did my own meeting. I was told that I am a LEADER due to my ethics, morals, and values. I was taken back by that a little bit, because I have never considered myself a leader, nor have I ever wanted to be one. Not that I wanted to be a follower, either, but a leader? Me?  I have always been extremely shy and soft spoken, but I find myself growing and changing the older I get. I seem to be becoming more outcoming and more comfortable in social situations. It's a good feeling. My point is that, God came through for us once again. Here I thought he'd lose his job, but his meeting went very well, and he is still employed. And I was praised for a job well done. I'm glad it's Friday and I'm gonna go hop in the shower now and spend quality time with the family :) Good night.

SLACKER!

Ok, so I've really slacked off for the past 2 days as far as exercise. I've been devoting most of my time to work- just the past 2 days, though. I needed to get my hours up. I worked about 14 hours today, between seeing my clients, doing my administrative work, and then doing paperwork at home. Last night, I worked all day, then went straight to my job at my church (working with 1 year olds :), which I love!). But once I got home last night, I literally just CRASHED. I fell asleep for about an hour, woke up, put the kids to bed, went back to sleep for a couple more hours, woke up again, piddled around, and then was out for the rest of the night. I don't want to get into TMI but it is 'that time' for me, and I think my body is just flat out exhausted. So no exercise for me last night, and only a short round of yoga for me tonight. I am wiped out and I have an early training in the morning because I'm taking on even more supervisory tasks at work. Work is still going well; I just hate it that one of my coworkers put in her notice a couple days ago- she is such an asset to the company and we've become good friends. I know that once she leaves, we can keep in touch, but it won't be the same. She is moving on to bigger and better things. Good for her. I'm content where I am for the moment, and the other 2 employers I was considering (in the back of my mind) have since closed their doors, so I'm happy to have a job. I absolutely LOVE my clients. Not many people can say that they love their jobs, but I can. My clients are what really makes it wonderful and worthwhile. The admin stuff- not so much. I was telling a coworker this, and he replied, "You showed them too many of your talents, Beth". I guess this is true... I wrote good notes and reports, they took notice, and put me in a writing role. That ended up earning me more $$$ but losing time for additional clients. Now I'm stuck in the office 3 days a week. Boo. There are so many different personalities I have to work with, too. I try to be nice to everyone and have a good rapport with them, but yesterday my supervisor (that's what I call her, though I've been told not to call her that... but that's really what she is... confusing, huh) told me that I'm too friendly with other counselors when i have to call them for information regarding PAs (which is what I write). This was coming from someone who does not have good rapport with quite a few people. I told her I was sorry she felt that way, but that I have good working relationships with everyone and this is how we communicate. Good grief... I can't stand being micromanaged like that. Too friendly, eh? It gets the job done, doesn't it? People appreciate someone NICE calling them for a change. I give a lot of praise, too, because people love that; it makes them feel good. Everyone loves a little ego stroking. A little bit of praise goes a long way. Whatever, "supervisor". Pfffft. :P

P90X, Week 11, Day 4

Hello! It has been a great day! I started my morning with my 60 minute step aerobic class, which is always a lot of fun. It was especially hard today, maybe because it was so warm outside today, and I got really hot really fast. I burned around 600 calories in the class. Then I came home and took the dog for a walk for about 30 minutes, which burned another 100 calories. Tonight was my night to do Yoga X; however, since it is 90 minutes long and I have a lot of paperwork to get done (plus showering 2 children/putting them to bed), I opted for Ab Ripper X, which is 16 minutes long and burns more calories than Yoga X. I will probably try to do Yoga X tomorrow, because my legs are already extremely sore from last night and today, and Yoga really helps. I'm always the 'sorest' on the second day, which will be tomorrow.

I... uh... went shopping again. I know, I KNOW! I went to Marshall's again, and I bought myself some workout clothes. This was following feeling overheated in Step class, mind you. I decided I needed some shorts and tank tops as opposed to t-shirts and workout pants. Problem is, the selection was so good, it was tough to narrow it down. I ended up getting 2 very cute workout tops and 3 black bottoms- one is a pair of running shorts, one is capri-length workout pants, and the other are knee length. I have buyer's remorse, but I only paid around $70 for all of that. I won't mention yesterday's purchases again :/ But that is IT for awhile- or at least until my next payday. It is just so much fun to buy new clothes once you lose weight.

This is a terrible picture, & yes it is sideways...but here is one of my new workout tops, worn with the knee length black pants I also purchased:  As you can see, I'm gonna need em... I still have quite a booty on me!