Christ-Like Mommy

#Mamavation Monday - Picking up the pieces

2011-12-04T21:02:00.001-05:00

It's tough being down. When I'm down I feel like no one cares so I fail to reach out for help. But this time was different. I asked for help. I asked for support and I got it. Things are still shaky and might be for a while but I have to learn to lean on God and keep asking for help and support. This post is a little vague this far, so I'll fill you in a bit. I have been in a dark hole for the past few weeks. I have felt as if depression was taking over. A lot is going in right now with work, family and more. I became overwhelmed about a week ago due to some consequences that arose from medical bills and lack of health insurance. I became overwhelmed at the fact that I, once again, started emotional eating and gained quite a bit of weight in a very short period of time. I am taking steps to get help with this depression and stress. I just ask for your support, thoughts and prayers.

I am glad to report though, that after reaching out last week, I got my eating under control and lost a whopping 5.6 lbs!! That victory was sweet and was proving that asking for help doesn't make me weak but helps me gain strength.

A special thanks to someone who was very generous this week and made this upcoming Christmas season one I'll likely never forget. God will truly bless you for your servant heart.

#Mamavation Monday - Under the Weather

2011-11-15T15:56:00.000-05:00

Hi ladies! Sorry I haven't been very active lately. We have been battling a big bad virus at our house complete with stomach issues, high fevers and ear infections. It first hit my 5 year old last week and he was having bouts of fevers upwards of 104 degrees. We had a couple of visists to the ER with him. He was wiped out. I was scared to death for him, I have never seen him so sick. He missed almost a week of school. Then it hits my 3 year old, not as bad as it hit his big brother, mainly because we got it under control quickly. Then it was mine and my husbands turn this past weekend. I am still not feeling the best and my head feels like it's going to pop at any minute, however, I took lots of vitamin C and other immunity building supplements and I am convinced if not for that it could have been worse.

I did get some exciting news this past week, I got a new job within my company. It is full time which includes benefits (READ: CHEAP(er)HEALTH INSURANCE!) and I am super excited. One of my best friends also got the position with me and we have made a plan to use our breaks and lunches towards good health and be sure to focus on healthy foods and activity together. Looking forward to that!

So not much more to report. We have been working/going to school/stuck at home on the weekends for the past 3 weeks now and it is getting old quick-like!

I apologize to our Mamavation Moms, I haven't been able to give them my full attention, and I praise Shannon (@ariesmommy) for picking up my slack. Love you FOREVER for that girl.

Pardon my nasty feet. I haven't had a pedi in I don't know how long... It's on my Christmas list...

#Mamavation Monday -Drowning

2011-10-31T08:21:00.000-04:00

Have you ever been swimming before and ended up caught under water and panic for a moment because you're not sure your going to get back to the surface in time? If so, you know how I have felt these past couple weeks. I feel like I have so much over my head and every time I almost reach the top I get pushed back under. With all of this I have gained some major weight. It's too easy to get back into old habits when everything around you is going at 90mph. A part of me thinks that I will never be healthy because I don't have the strength to cope when things get rough. Then the other part of me knows that in these times I rely too much on myself and not at all on God or my family. I am a fixer. I feel the need to be the one to fix all the problems or situations around me when it's really me who needs the fixing. I am trying to start focusing on myself more. I need more time with me.

I joined the newest 2 week challenge which starts TODAY so, here we go. My lunch and snacks are packed and ready to go!

Thinking it's time for a pedi...

#Mamavation Monday - Step Up!

2011-10-16T20:35:00.000-04:00

Hi ladies! :-) Hope you all are doing fantastic today! This week I am posting about stepping out! And by out I mean outside of the box, out of your comfort zone and hitting 10K steps per day. My co-mentor Shannon ( http://www.twitter.com/ariesmommy) came up with the idea to start a step challenge! I think it will do us all a bit of good! (STOP! Take a minute to go sign up for this challenge here - http://t.co/Hf1ZDPVa) Me particularly, I have slacked off on my daily steps big time since the last campaign and it's time to turn it around! That has also reflected in my weight loss, or lack thereof! I am a predator of a busy life. I use that as an excuse to lazy eat and flat out be lazy! I have gained a few lbs back, but now being a mentor (and getting a better work schedule) has motivated me to get back in track!

So now for the scary stuff. Scale picture. *shudders*

I learned in both of my campaigns to not let the scale rule my thought processes when it comes to losing weight. However, that scale is what sends up a red flag saying, "Hey, you! These number are going the wrong way! Let's do something about it!"

I hope you all have a blessed week!

#Mamavation Monday - Ahhhh

2011-10-03T19:19:00.000-04:00

Ahhh... I took a couple days off of work last week to give myself a 4 day weekend and it was so worth it. I feel more relaxed and on track. I got meals prepared in advance (my poor crockpot is on overdrive!) and a plan of action. :) I also got lots of R&R, which was very nice!

Not much to report this week! I am happy fall is finally here. My favorite time of the year! I love the chill in the air, the pumpkins, apples and more that comes along with Autumn!

Congrats to our finalists for Mamavation Couples! I have already placed my vote! I will not be able to attend the twitter party per se as I will be at work, but I will check in from time to time to hang out and to see who our new couples will be! My advice is to use every resource you have to collect votes! I printed out "business cards" with all of the voting information and handed them out to everyone. I sent a mass message to all of my Facebook friends asking for there vote. Tweet at people in your twitter stream asking for their vote! You gotta work hard for those votes! :)

Have a great week everyone!

(Scale pic to be added Tuesday morning)

#Mamavation Monday 9/26

2011-09-25T20:43:00.000-04:00

Hi girls! This week has been hectic! Been buy at work and at home, my sinuses and allergies have been oh, so bothersome, and my stomach had a bad day on Thursday. Im going to be completely honest with you all this week, I have been close to depressed all week. I hate that I am working evening shift again, it takes a lot of time away from my family and honestly just throws me completely out of routine. I have felt like I have been on the verge of crying every day this week which I should probably do to let myself release some of this pinned up stress! I am working towards getting into a routine but when my gears start turning someone throws a wrench in. I decided to take Thursday and Friday off this week unpaid just to have some time to relax and hopefully get some sort of plan in action. Needless to say my eating was less than perfect this week, but the scale didn't seem to show it as much!

Also I want to apologize for my lack of commenting on your posts. I had a chat with Shelley Weds night and she ever so gently slid it in that some of us sisters (me) are not holding up our end of the deal when it comes to commenting. So thanks to those of you who comment on my posts even if I don't get to comment on yours. I will try harder to get more comments in.

So this week my goal is to look to God when I start feeling overwhelemed or depressed. No more feeling sorry for myself. I still have lots of weight left to lose to be healthy, and feeling sorry for myself is not going to help me get to my goal. And besides, I've gotta look hawt before Fitcation 12! ;-) Have a great week sistas! Love you all!

Scale:

#Mamavation Monday - 5K results

2011-09-18T21:12:00.000-04:00

Hello Mamavation! Thanks for stoppin' by!

This week's post is centered arounf my first 5K that I (attempted to) run on Saturday.

There were a lot of people who participated in this race, so I was a little nervous from the get go. Bottom line, I did not finish. I didn't really explain what happened in my video, but, what happened... I started out strong running, slow, I wanted to drop to the back of the pack, being in the crowd made me feel nervous. So I got in a good stride jogging and power walking and about half way through my right foot started burning along the bottom. So I slowed to a walk for about 1/10 of a mile. I picked up the pace and started to jog again and shortly after my ankle rolled to the outside and I fell. My ankle was hurting pretty badly, I don't think it was a sprain, just more bruised. Either way, I was having a hard time walking on it much less jogging, so I was pulled to the side at a station and was bandaged and iced. Some other runners who stopped along the way could tell I was disappointed (and a newbie to the race) and gave me some insight to my injury and why it probably happened. I am extremely disappointed that I didnt finish, but I get another chance soon as I have one more 5K to do from Mamavation campaign 9. I am going to train more vigorously for the next 5K. Make sure I get my leg muscles stronger and ready to hold me up while running. I also intend to run AND FINISH this same 5K next year. It won't defeat me again...

Some pics from my day...
The picture of my feet was me standing on the VA/TN state line! I was in two states at once! Pretty cool huh?

And my videos...
Pre Race

Post Race

Scale pic...

#Mamavation Monday - Schedule changes equals planning changes

2011-09-11T13:09:00.001-04:00

Schedule changes can make life different. And staying on track is hard too, it takes dedication, planning and focus. After being a Mamavation Mom, twice, I have learned to not let myself get back into that lazy, "whatever goes" mode. A few days this week I did not plan my day according to my schedule and ended up going over on my calories for the day, because I was so hungry by the evening but was out of "planned" food. This comes along with a schedule change at work. I had planned my meals through the campaign based on my working day shift, so by 9pm at night, I was headed for bed. Now, I am working from 2:30 pm to 9:30 pm and so my previous meal plan does not fit my new schedule. So this week my goal is to focus on making a new meal (and workout) plan that fits my new schedule. I miss being able to come home in the evenings and walk outside in the coolness of the day, but when it comes to working and providing for my family, I haven't much of a choice. I love my job, and everything about it except for the unstable schedule.

I did not weigh myself this morning, I will tomorrow (Monday) and add my scale picture. I did have my monthly "visitor" to deal with plus a little added stress as my mother had her final eye surgery this week. Hopefully the scale doesn't reflect that.

Scale pic: +0.6 (Not bad!!)

I will probably be a little late to Mamavation TV now on Monday nights as it is around 10pm when I get home from work, but better late than never!

Have a great week ladies!

#Mamavation Monday-Back into the swing of things

2011-09-07T16:40:00.000-04:00

Hi ladies! (and now, gents!)

This past week was all about getting back into my daily normal non-Mamavation mom routine. I will admit, it was a bit easier than the last time. I cut back to working out 3-4 days instead of the exhausting 6 days. As for my food, I had a few days that could have went downhill fast but I grabbed the reigns and kept my wagon on the right path. And the results were great. Life in general however, is crazy. More bad weather came through, still battling fleas, and today (Weds) my mom had her final cataract surgery. Shew, I need a vacay!

Scale pic...

Have a great week ladies!

#Mamavation Monday - Happy Birthday Mamavation

2011-07-10T12:59:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Mamavation, Happy Birthday to you!!!

WOW! 2 years, Mamavation! And I have been around for a little over a year of it! Mamavation has made a huge difference in my life. I have learned a lot about myself and made a lot of new friends in the past year. My sistas have been by my side in the rough patches and during my reign as a Mamavation Mom. I can not imagine a better community to be a part of to help me reach my goals. I haven't lost a great deal of weight, but I am 15 lbs less this year than I was last. HUGE thanks to Leah (@bookieboo) and all of her dedication to us. I know she has helped make a difference in many of our lives. Mine especially.

272.0

Speaking of weight loss, this week, I didn't. BUT I am sure I have gained some muscle. Thanks to @GruntStyle, Daniel Alarik, his workouts and his challenge the other night, I have gained some major muscle the past two weeks. I have been receiving compliments left and right that I am looking leaner! My pants are even a little more loose Awesomeness. So, as for this weeks gain, I am proud of it. I was awesome with my food this week, and with keeping track of it daily. I could have done better with my water intake some days, but hey, baby steps! Speaking of my weight, here is my scale pic for the week...

I am super excited for tomorrow night's twitter party! I can't wait to see who our two new Mamavation Moms are! All of our finalists (@Aries_Mommy, @Rachhabs, @NCCarterFamily, @Trica, @SalemMomma) this campaign are awesome women. They are a tight knit bunch who are very supportive of each other.

My new running shoes are slated to arrive Tuesday! They were supposed to arrive a couple weeks ago, but due to some billing issues, the order was canceled. I am excited they are going to be here, I have been running in a pair of New Balance walking shoes, which are great for walking, but do not provide near enough support or cushion for running. I have been feeling a bit of shine and knee pain over the past few days which I am sure is coming from wearing the wrong kind of shoes while running.

Okay, now that I have rambled on, and on, and on, and on... I will see you all at the Twitter party! Good luck ladies!

#Mamavation Monday - Training takes discipline

2011-07-03T21:42:00.000-04:00

Hiya gals! How is it going this week? So far so good here! I am excited to celebrate Independence Day with my family.

How did well did you manage to eat healthy over the holiday weekend (4th of July and Canada Day)? Any tips for the rest of the summer?

Well I am writing this on Sunday, but I plan on loading up on veggies and lean protein. I know there are going to be lots of desserts that I LOVE so if I do indulge it will be only a teeny serving of each! I am also planning on staying outside most of the time to stay active with the kids! I may even initiate a group walk around the neighborhood!

So as you all know, I am training for a 5K. Training is hard. It takes discipline and lots of it! Lots of, "Wow, it's early, and I really wanna turn back over and go to sleep", but as you all know, that gets you nowhere fast. It's super easy to make excuses, and when excuses are made it makes you feel horrible later. So my new saying, "Make excuses, feel bad about it later. Get up and train, feel good and good about it!" I know, not that catchy, but it works!

I am super excited for this next campaign to get up and running! There are some great applicants out there and I think any choice that is made will be a great one. Whoever wins, take full advantage of the tools you are given to succeed. I worked my tail off, but then when it wass all over I thought and still think to this day, "how could I have worked harder? what could I have done to have made it more effective for me!?" This goes back to discipline! You gotta have it ladies!! That and a good planner. Write down everything. From your workouts, to your meals and meetings/calls with mentors.

Here is my weight this week. Not great, I am in a bit of a slump, need a kick in the butt! Care to give me one? ( Y ) (teehee!)

271.0

Have an awesome week and see you all tomorrow evening!

#Mamavation Monday

2011-06-26T20:57:00.000-04:00

Hiya gals! This weeks post is gonna be short n sweet.

I went to the doctor this week because I was having some stomach problems. I thought that my UC was flaring again, and the doc said it might be a little but the problem was coming from some aggravating problem. I am back on my meds after a 3 month hiatus due to the cost of the meds and I am already feeling much better!

Still having issues every now and then with my heel and the plantar fasciitis but my new running shoes should be here Tuesday! WOOT! I am super duper excited to have some new shoes. Watch out 5k, here I come!

Unfortunately I will not be at #Mamavation TV this week due to a change in work schedule. I may try to catch up on my stickam app!

My weight for this week is 271. I think I have maintained but I don't really remember and I am writing this post from my phone. Lol I will add my scale pic as soon as I get to my laptop!

Have a great week all!

#Mamavation Monday - Ineligible

2011-06-12T13:57:00.001-04:00

next week's goal - 17 miles

Hi girls! How was your week? Mine was good! Kind of a blur actually, it went by pretty fast. I have continued walking every evening after I get off work, and surpassed my goal of 9.62 miles that I set last week! My total hit 10.46 miles. My goal for next week is to hit a total of 17 miles on my Nike GPS app. I love this app, it shows where I have walked, my speeds, and love that it posts to Facebook when I begin to walk. Every comment or like that I get on the status update sends through a sound of a cheering crowd in my headphones. Awesome encouragement!

I also applied for health insurance at the beginning of this week. I was actually pretty confident in obtaining coverage, but unfortunately received this reply...

Wow. I had no idea I would be denied health insurance because of my weight. I was expecting not to receive coverage on my Ulcerative Colitis because it is a pre-existing condition, but to be completely denied. That hit hard. I need a 6 month long boot camp... I have got to get to a healthy BMI/weight so i can get health insurance. I worry so much every time there is a new pain or sickness that I am faced with. It's not cheap to go to the doctor.

On a brighter side, the walking and calorie counting I have been doing lately is paying off. My weight did not change this week but my clothes are more loose fitting and I have had much more energy (besides the cold I battled earlier in the week).

269.0

I am getting ready to go out of town for the evening with my sister and her church group so I am cutting this short! See you all at Mamavation TV tomorrow night!

#Mamavation Monday - No more selfishness

2011-06-04T23:00:00.003-04:00

Next week's goal, a total of 9.62 miles.

Hi girls! What a week it has been. I am very proud of myself! 4 out of 5 days this past week I pushed myself to walk after work and wouldn't stop until I reached a mile. I know, a mile does not seem like much to most people, some of you are knocking that out in 7 or 8 minutes, but a mile for me is huge. At the end of my Mamavation Mom campaign I was up to 2 - 2.5 miles per workout/walk. After I got sick again, I got out of shape and out of my routine. So starting back up this past week was hard. Some walks I cried, I wanted to stop, sit down in the middle of the pavement and have a pity party. I kept remembering what I used to be able to do, what I was up to and I was hating my body for betraying me, for getting sick and sending me backwards on my journey. I am sure you all have noticed, when I get sick I retreat. I back away from help, support and anything that "reminds" me of when I was healthy. I get depressed when I am sick. And unfortunately I am depressed thats when my emo eating comes out. So normally while people with Ulcerative Colitis lose weight during a flare, I maintain or gain. So this past week, being under my calorie goal and getting in 4 (!!!) days of activity is a step up for me. I have made it a priority to go straight outside after my shift ends and walk on the track at work instead of going to the tanning bed. (I was loving that tan! Please don't flame me for going to the tanning bed!)

Now on to the title of my post. Selfishness. I was thinking today as I stared into my cabinet. My cabinet. The one where I hid my cakes, cookies and any other snacks I didn't want my husband or children to eat. I give a lot to my family, but a lot of time but there are things I do that are totally selfish. I spend time on this great invention, the internet instead of taking a walk with the kids or just going outside and playing. So my goal for this week is to be less selfish.

My other goal for this week is to walk at least 5.5 miles. I set a goal for myself of walking a mile in less than 20 minutes and Thursday night I walked a mile in 19:56. I was ecstatic but in extreme pain and was super tired. Most likely from lack of water, my calves have been cramping up horribly around 1/3-1/2 mile. It's aggravating me. Any suggestions?

To the Fitcation ladies, I loved watching every moment of your trip on twitter. I longed so badly to be there with you, and you can bet your butt, I will be at the next one!

What gaps in your nutrition knowledge do you want to fill?

I want to learn how to what really works for my body. Having a stomach issue really messes with my menu.

This week's weight:

269.0

Not quite as much of a loss ( -1 lb) as I was expecting but PMS is waning, water is still retaining, but at least I wasn't gaining! (LOL Poet, maybe I am meant to be!)

This post is sponsored by Omron Healthcare and I’m writing this to be entered into a Omron Go Smart Pedometer giveaway hosted by Mamavation

#Mamavation Monday - Drop the Kids Off at the Pool

2011-05-29T23:44:00.003-04:00

270.0

Eight. I have always liked the number eight. It's a nice number. Fun to write. Comes before nine but after seven. This week however, I am not liking number 8 very well. You see, that is how much weight I gained in the past week. To sum up this past week, it was stressful, my mother was pretty sick a couple of days, there was a birthday celebration in which the main dish was sodium, and I, well, my plumbing is kinda stopped up (if ya know what I mean). Pair all of the above with a good ole dose of PMS and you have a weeks worth of activites/physiology that equals 8 lb weight gain. I am pretty sure most of this will go pretty quickly as soon as I drop the kids off at the pool, but wow, 8 lbs in ONE week? It's not impossible! I did it!

So now, this week what am I doing to "move" things along? Well my first goal is to get 10K steps in everyday. (Greta is my butt kicker on this goal!) That tip that exercise keeps the digestive system moving is not a lie people! It works! Second goal: Drink more water. I used to be a water drinking QUEEN. Sadly my hydracoach has recently been sitting alone, display flashing, awaiting a cool refill of water and a quick push of the start button! Third goal: eat more fiber! I have never, ever been good at this. I really am not a fan of veggies. And I know, fiber is found in many more places than veggies, and I am focusing on that this week. I am also adding ground flax seed to my meals. (Awesome stuff, can't tell it's there!)

This coming weekend is Fitcation! I had a ticket, but had to release it due to my stomach. Doc was not happy with my flying or exercising intensely so I had to give it up. I am going to miss meeting everyone. I really am trying not to think about it too much this week, but I REALLY want to see some pics girls!

Hope you all have a great week! :)

What are your go-to tricks for when you need a confidence boost?

I talk to my DH. I know that no matter how much weight I have gained or lost, no matter what kind of week I have had, he tells me what a great mom/wife/person I am and always tells me I am beautiful. And if he hears me say otherwise, he calls me out on it. It's also nice to get all dolled up for work or just a trip to the grocery store!

This post is sponsored by Your Best Face and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway hosted by Mamavation and sponsored by Your Best Face.

#Mamavation Monday - Constant Chaos!

2011-05-22T14:14:00.001-04:00

Hi friends! This past week has been insane! Last Saturday I discovered many tiny bugs in our bathroom, and when I say tiny, I mean tiny, they are no bigger than the period at the end of this sentence. There was a mama bird who had built her nest in our upstairs neighbors dryer vent which is above our bathroom and those bugs were Bird Mites!! If you know anything about those critters you know that they multiply very quickly and can take YEARS to get rid of! I cried when I found this out. When they get on you they are very itchy and their size makes it easy for them to hide away from any insecticides. My landlord came Monday and took the whole vent out. The baby birds in the nest were big enough to make it on their own, in fact they now are residing in the tree in front of our apartment and have since learned to fly! I still see a mite here or there but I think we got rid of the problem before it got too big. So needless to say my week has been filled with cleaning, vacuuming constantly, disinfecting and all kinds of cleaning routines to make sure those mites hit the road!

My stomach has held up well this past week considering. I am working my way back into a routine. I expect to be released from my exercise restriction soon and will start training again for my 5K. I need to find a new one, the one I was going to run was held on May 7th.

I saw the Mamavation Moms progress and holy smokes! You ladies rocked this campaign! I love looking at before and after pics! You ladies are some HAWT mamas! Congrats Angela, Andrea, Libby and Stacie on your successful completion of this past campaign!

Also congrats to Laila on being names SOTW! Laila has always been one of my favorite sistas! When I am out of it, or just not around she always shouts out to me to check on me! Not many people have done that so it really lifted me up!

I am working on getting back in the groove. Being sick along with a few other personal snafus have really thrown me off the past few months. I try getting back in there but when I do tweet sometimes I don't even get a single reply. :( I am not trying to get your sympathies but please pay close attention when a sista proclaims she is not doing so well. It really helps to have an encouraging word. It makes it all to easy too quit when it seems no one cares!

What keeps you from having healthy snacks on hand when you are out of the house?

I forget. Flat out. By the time I get myself ready, the kids ready and their stuff packed I realize I have forgotten about myself. I have however started keeping healthy snacks at my desk at work. Cranberries, Special K chips, FiberPlus bars and more...

Hope you all have a wonderful week! Oh and check out my scale pic, I have lost 0.8 lbs!!

261.6

“This post is sponsored by Grunt Style and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway hosted by Mamavation and sponsored by Grunt Style.”

#Mamavation Monday - Too pooped to party

2011-05-09T21:30:00.002-04:00

Hi ladies! I hope that you all had a wonderful mother’s day!

This past week was great. I learned a lot about myself, my cravings and how to control them. All was well up until Saturday when my DH took me out to eat at Red Lobster for our anniversary dinner. I went berserk! I had the shrimp festival with a few cheddar biscuits. One day I will learn. Just because my stomach feels okay, it doesn’t mean I can feed greasy junk into it. I paid for it yesterday. I spent most of the morning in the bathroom, and the rest of the day in the bed or recliner. So needless to say, there wasnt much celebration yesterday on Mother's day! I was pooped!

Regardless of my wild weekend, I still managed to lose .6 lbs this week! I consider that to be epic. Lol

262.4

(Once again, I have no idea why that picture shows correctly, then flips once I upload it here!)

As I wrote in my post last week, I have been studying the Made to Crave book with Rachel S. This week I want to share a passage from the book that struck me hard today...

“I had to get honest enough to admit it: I relied on food more than I relied on God. I craved food more than I craved God. Food was my comfort. Food was my reward. Food was my joy. Food was what I turned to in times of stress, sadness and even times of happiness.”

Have a great week girls! I am still around, just busy! So when if you think I am not looking I am! :)

#Mamavation Monday - Made to Crave

2011-05-02T21:35:00.000-04:00

Hi ladies! This past week has been interesting. On Wednesday night our area was hit hard by the storms. Tornadoes touched down as close as 1.5 miles from my home. There was lots of devastation, destruction and sadly, loss of life. I have never felt more helpless in my entire life. That night helped me to grasp what I do have control over and made me realize that if I have the choice to control something, like my weight, I should while I still can.

A good sista of mine, Rachel S., called me on Saturday to let me know of a book that her church group is currently studying. Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst. I had heard of this bok, but had forgotten about it. I have been reading and journaling for the past few days and realizing so much about myself, my relationship with God and my relationship with food. The idea is that God made us to crave Him, but so many times we get our priorities out of line and crave other things. Food, and sometimes worse. I am enjoying learning new things about myself. Journaling my thoughts and my day is helping so much. I have been jurnaling my food for some time now, but journaling my feelings is bringing my healthy journey to a whole new level.

As far as my stomach issues go, the stress of Wednesday night was not good for me. However, I am on the upward trod. I am still having some symptoms and am restricted to light exercise but it's not as bad as it was or could be.

I will miss you all tonight! The boys missed their bath last night so we gotta get it in tonight! I will try to pop in if I get them in bed in time!

Have a great week!!!

Weight:

263.2

#Mamavation Monday - Priorities

2011-04-18T19:26:00.000-04:00

You know the feeling you get when your priorities get out of line? You feel out of place, disorganized and just flat out bumfuzzled. That's me. Right now, that is me. In my life God should be first and unfortunately I have put God on the back burner. In His place I have put work, my health, my hobbies among other things. I dont have the control over some of these things like I should. Like I would had I left all those things in Gods hands instead of in my own. Back in may of last year, almost a year ago I wrote a post titled "I'm Struggling". I am back at that point. I am trying to do to much on my own without asking for help and I don't mean asking for help from friends and family but from God. Recently a very important relationship in my life almost crumbled because God wasn't the center of it. I have obligations as well commitments that I will keep but just know if I am not around as much it's because I am taking care of me. The physical and spiritual me.

As far as my health I am still in a light flare with my Ulcerative Colitis. I am trying to cope with emotional eating at the same time as having a flare up and needless to say it's not working. Greta introduced me to the SCDiet and it works, when I stick to it. I am also looking into some experimental studies where nicotine gum/patches were used to help patients regain remission. A lot of doctors say that diet has nothing to do with flares or lack thereof but I know better.

If you pray, keep me in yours. Specifically for this illness to dry up and leave me alone and for me to get my priorities line up.

#Mamavation Monday - Coping with an illness

2011-04-11T11:09:00.000-04:00

Many of you remember that I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis back in October of last year. I had suffered from horrible stomach pains, diarrhea, arthritis in most of my joints, erythema nodosum (a skin condition) and loss of appetite. After a 3 month long round of steroids and other medications I was happily back into remission. But for about the past month or so I have been having signs of another flare up. I have almost dug myself a hole to hide in because I do not want to go through this again. I am working with my doctor to try to come up with the best plan of action for me, which hopefully does not include another round of steroids. I gained 16 lbs the last time I took them. Not fun.

My chance at attending Fitcation is circling the drain. I have not made any flight reservations yet because my doc has not yet cleared me to go. The problem with flying is that with my condition, the change of pressure could cause a bowel perforation (a hole in my intestinal wall) and that is no good. I have checked on bus fare and even driving as a possibility. It is an 18 hour drive and with my frequent trips to the bathroom, I am not so sure how that would work. Plus, I am restricted to light exercise right now, and from what I hear, our workouts at Fitcation are going to be anything but light! If I can't go, I want to make sure the ticket can be used. I am really bummed over this, I have never been out of this region and was looking forward to exploring Austin, TX. But most of all I was looking forward to seeing all of my sistas who have supported me through this sickness, my campaigning, and my reign as a Mamavation Mom!

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I learn how to cope with this illness.

Weight this week:

262.4 (+2.2)

#Mamavation Monday - It's that time!!

2011-04-04T10:31:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it is time for a new batch of Mamavation Moms to start their journey! There are some great women to choose from this go round! (BTW, have you voted yet? If not, do so here!) Tomorrow morning two women are going to start a journey they will never ever forget. It is going to be hard, but hard it what it takes to see some major changes! These ladies will do things they may have never done before, including some intense daily workouts! Be sure to lend all the support needed, as at times, it will get hard, and they might even want to give up. I wanted to. But I didn't and I am so glad I stuck with it!

Now an update on me! My stomach has been acting funny again lately... I may be trying a different medication in the near future and I am not too excited about that. I am mostly worried that this is going to affect my ability to attend Fitcation in just two months! I am not dwelling on that thought too much right now. There are so many girls that I want to meet and give a HUGE hug! Plus who wouldn't want to check out the awesome city of Austin, TX?!

My weight loss for this week... -0.4

Not sure why that is showing sideways, but you get the picture... Oh, and please look over my striped fake tan! lol I got an iPhone this week and I am LOVING it! I am just noticing it takes much clearer pics than my last phone! Another perk!

Hope to see you all at the Twitter Party tonight!! I will be late due to my work schedule changing again (now that I am finally trained for my new position!) but I will see you all there!!

#Mamavation Monday - Learning about me

2011-03-27T14:54:00.000-04:00

What a fun week it has been! My little sister is finally a married woman... She and her honey tied the knot on Saturday! I love my little sis and the last few months of my life have been consumed with making sure that she had the day she deserved. And she did. Now I can get back to some type of "normalcy" in my life.

I bought a book last night called "10 Lessons from a Former Fat Girl" by Amy Parham who is a former contestant on The Biggest Loser. I have gotten through the first chapter and it already has my mind churning! The book is really helping me to dig deep into my spirit and find the empty holes that I seem to fill with food. At the end of each chapter Amy asks you to reflect on the chapter and how it fits into your own life. In the first chapter she asks for you to find a quiet place to pray and meditate on the things that may be keeping you from becoming the fit girl that God wants you to be. I have found that I try to take over in my own life instead of letting God have control. I am making it a goal, and have already been doing this at the suggestion of Leah, to not only pray before each meal, but to pray to God for guidance that I will be eating the meal or snack for the right reason, nourishment, and not for the wrong reason, because I am emotional or bored. I highly recommend this book, and I am not even really into the meat of it yet!

Weight loss this week was not great, but hey, it was a loss! And I did eat some high sodium, heavy foods at my sister's wedding yesterday, so that could also be reflected in this week's weight. And it probably doesn't help that I was still wearing my yoga pants and tank top...

This week's loss, -0.4

Don't forget to check out the Hartman House we Heart Japan Disaster Relief.

Congrats to my fit friend, @fitmomtraining for being named SOTW! I love her!!!

This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by Earth Footwear!

Where will your feet take you this year? Any plans for a big hike, race, or just a lot of walking?

This year I am going to run my first official 5K! I am nervous and excited!!

#Mamavation Monday - Support is vital!

2011-03-20T10:05:00.000-04:00

This week I chose to write about support! We have some awesome moms who have applied to be a Mamavation Mom, and not only do they deserve our support, but their very chance of succeeding relies on it!

I learned a wealth of new information during the Mamavation Mom campaign. I learned to love some new foods, and I learned how and at what frequency I should be eating. When it all comes out on paper, it looks like it should be easy to lose weight. "Do this, eat this and you will lose weight and become healthy." Yeah, it's not that easy. And the Mamavation coaching team knows that! That is why they are there, not only to set the Mamavation Moms up with a nutrition and exercise plan but to be there for support if something is not going so well. I can say this, and I am sure there are other previous MM grads who can say this too, I did not take full advantage of the support I had. Somedays I was scared to "bother" them and other days I felt like I would look like I was a failure if I asked for help. It takes a lot more than just a "plan" to be successful. For me, in addition to the planning, there is a lot of prayer and a lot of gathering support from my husband and family.

A friend of mine has commented a couple times that she wants me to give her some pointers to lose weight. She and I have been best friends since high school, and we have mirrored each other since. We both work at the same place, we both have 2 kids, we both have busy lives and we both have gained a lot of weight. She came up to me this week and told me that she found out some less than good news at the doctor's office and was thinking about signing up for Weight Watchers online. I hated to hear that information, but was giddy inside that she was coming to me for support! I can't wait for she and I to pair up and lose weight together. I have found that I am extremely successful when I have a "partner-in-crime", and I think that she and I could be unbeatable together! That's where that support comes in. I want to support my friend through this and she is going to support me. I am so excited to have a new "IRL" weight loss buddy! I am even thinking about signing up online with her. Why not?

Shelley and I are also pairing up to support each other. We each want to lose 30 lbs before Fitcation. We haven't chatted as much as we should, but watch out for us, when we get this thing calibrated, it's going to get serious!

If you don't have a lot of support, seek it out. Let people know that you feel you could be more successful if you could talk with them about how you are feeling, or what is working or not working for you. There are TONS of sisters here in the sistahood that I know would listen, but find you someone in real life who can be there when we aren't. And this advice is not just for the Mamavation applicants/finalists/Moms, this is for everybody.

This week's question:

Are you a sweet or savory snacker? What do you look for in a healthy snack?

I am a sweet snacker! When looking for a healthy snack, especially if I am craving sweets, I try to turn to fruit or yogurt. Every now and then I will sneak a small piece of chocolate! Can't live without it!

Now for this week's weight loss... -0.8 lb I am back to using my old scale, the new scale I am reviewing had me at 122 lbs this morning which was obviously way off! I am thinking maybe I should try some new batteries or I may be contacting the manufacturer!

#Mamavation Monday - Regaining health

2011-03-14T19:05:00.000-04:00

Hi ladies! I was totally MIA this week, and for good reason! (Don't worry, I am not leaving ya! I will hold up my end of the deal!)

My house was taken over by yet another sickness. The stomach flu invaded! My oldest son and I were sick Wednesday/Thursday and my youngest son was sick Thursday night. My oldest is still having bouts of diarrhea and vomiting and it starting to show signs of dehydration. I took him to Urgent Care on Sunday, but of course, with this being a virus, there was not much they could do. I am pumping him full of fluids to avoid another trip to the doc. I keep forgetting that my immune system isn't quite what it used to be. My doctor advised me that having an autoimmune diseases coupled with the med I take to maintain digestive health can have an effect on my immune system. I am taking steps to include more vitamin C rich foods, and am currently experimenting with new multivitamin regimine.

The first week after the campaign has been wild. Not only has the sickness thrown me for a loop, but I am working a new schedule at work, and am busy-busy preparing for my sister's wedding which is less that 2 weeks away! Speaking of... I picked up my bridesmaids dress today, and it is SO big! I am going to have to have some major alterations done! Yipee!!!

So on to my scale pic! This is a new scale, I am reviewing the EatSmart Precision Premium Digital Bathroom Scale. Watch for my official review to come soon!

I tried taking the picture a few times and this is the best I got because of the backlit display, I will say though, it was very accurate each time I had to step back on!

My old scale has me at 261.8 so I would say they are pretty close! That does however put me at a gain of 2lbs, but that's okay! Considering the situation this past week, I think I did pretty good! I didn't drink as much water as I should've, especially while being sick, and I definitely wasn't as active. But watch out, I have my eye on the 230's that is my goal for Fitcation!!

I am training for a 5K in May. The proceeds go to the Justin Foundation which focuses on de-bullying our local schools. Stay tuned for more information about this. The website has not been updated recently, but I definitely know it is taking place on May 7 which also happens to be mine and my husband's 6th wedding anniversary!

Mamavation Mom Applicants! I haven't gotten to touch base with as many of you as I would like! Some of you have DM'd me and I have your info! PLEASE email me at kjrobinette at gmail.com if you want to chat!

What time of day works best for you to be active? How do you make sure you stick to those planned workouts?

I don't have a particular time of day that works best for me. My work schedule fluctuates, so some days I work out in the morning before I go to work, and some days I workout when I get home from work. If I don't write it on my calendar(s) (yes, even the ones at work) I forget! I even set up reminders on my phone. I have been known to get home from work, crash in the recliner, or get caught up in other mommy duties and totally forget to workout!

“This post is sponsored by SEARS FitStudio and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway hosted by Mamavation and sponsored by Sears.”

#Mamavation Campaign 7 is over! - The before and after pictures

2011-03-06T14:03:00.000-05:00

Thanks once again to everyone who supported me during this campaign! I see a HUGE transformation! Do you see it?

Want to win a Bondi Band?

2011-01-31T20:48:00.000-05:00

I recently did a review on an awesome product called the embRACE band, but my friend Shelley over at Slightly Off Kilter has done an awesome review and giveaway for Bondi Band! I will be training, okay, I am officially training for a 5K race. So the "run like a mother" Bondi Band would suit me fine right now! Shelley is giving away 3 Bondi Bands, but if you are going to enter, you must hurry! The giveaway ends tonight 1/31!

My life as a #Mamavation Mom

2011-01-31T16:38:00.002-05:00

I figured I would give you all an overview of a normal day in the life of a Mamavation Mom! Most days are strategically planned out since I have to work late evenings. Mostly, it goes like this...

Between 9:00 am and 10:00 am - Wake up! Breakfast for myself and the boys! Hugs, kisses and diaper changes! lol

10:30am - Noon - Check in with Facebook, Twitter, E-mail and Skype, allow kids TV time

Sometime between Noon and 2:30 pm - workout and snack, wash clothes or do other household cleaning if needed, kids do whatever kids do

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Get ready for work, pack boys stuff to go to grandma's house and prepare or pack supper

4:30 - 11:30 - Work! I get two breaks, on the first I usually eat "lunch" or sometimes I eat "lunch" on the way to work, I also try to get in extra steps on breaks. I often eat my snacks at my desk.

I get home around midnight, finish filling out my daily food and activity journal, and hit the sack!

On the days in which I am off, like today, I take a little more time to spend online and the boys get to do whatever they want. Today this has consisted of turning their room into a jungle, watching Blues Clues, taking a nap, and enjoying the sunshine! I also use my days off to get caught up on household chores, plan out meals for the week, and reassess my goals for the week!

I figure this is probably boring to most people, but I figure one day, long after my reign as Mamavation Mom I will need to look back to see how in the world I ever did this!

Have a great week and don't forget about our British Invasion on Mamavation TV at 10pm EST tonight! Tracey Mallet and Pete Cohen will be joining us! Also tune in to hear the latest from myself, and the other super motivational Mamavation Moms!

You can see my weekly blog post at mamavation.com here and my bookieboo.com food and activity journal here.

embRACE Fitness Headbands - A review

2011-01-26T20:34:00.000-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to review an awesome product called embRACE bands!

What are embRACE bands?

embRACE band are fitness headbands that keep hair and sweat off your face AND stay in place!

Straight from the embRACE Website:

The RACE
Life is not a race, but it often feels like one. Including exercise in your daily life can help you go the distance. An active lifestyle can positively support you both emotionally and physically. For me, staying active has given me the strength to weather the toughest stages of this race.

Comfort
Whether your goal is to walk to the bustop and stretch or to run your first race, embRACE bands can help make embracing an active lifestyle easier and exciting. Let’s face it, things that fit well make exercise much more enjoyable.
Beauty
For many, we spend more time at the gym than we do out on the town. We should invest in our clothes and accessories to reflect that. I actually get more excited about going to the gym after making a new bag or band.

embRACE an active lifestyle
We all know that the gym won’t pay off if we only go once or twice, so don’t fight it, embrace it. Just like a hug, hold exercise close to you. Make it a priority. Make it a lifestyle. Let embRACE bands help!

Who is embRACE?
I am a blessed mother of two who has taught group fitness on and off for the last 18 years. I grew up playing many sports and learned (the hard way!) that I need to stay active in order to keep the weight off. But, over time, I learned a more important lesson, keeping active helps me feel better physically and emotionally. After having kids, it was easier to get back on the treadmill and shed the baby weight. During tough challenges in my daily life, I sweat away my frustration.

Unlike some die-hards, I can't workout all the time. I also enjoy sewing and being creative and with embRACE bands I do just that. I make all of the embRACE products by hand and love to play around with new ideas, colors, and patterns so keep them coming!

I was very excited when CarolLynn agreed to send me an embRACE band to review! I will admit, with the holidays, etc, etc, I did not get the chance to use enough to really give an accurate review. Until now. Since I became a Mamavation Mom over a week ago, I have had my share of sweaty walks and workouts. I have used the embRACE band many times in the past couple weeks, and what can I say? It does it's job! I did not have to worry about sweat dripping into my face, and when I took the band off, it was completely soaked! The bands are very absorbent. I did have a little slipping, and had to adjust the band a couple times during each workout, but I wear it further back on my head than I believe it is intended. On the underside of these bands is a soft, absorbent layer of velour which not only keeps the band from slipping, but provides that extra layer to keep the sweat out of your face. There are so many different styles and patterns to choose from. I absolutely love the band that CarolLynn sent me, pink and brown happen to be two of my favorite colors!

Here are some pictures of the product in use by me!

My preferred way of wearing the embRACE band

Very cute logo on the inside of the band, it seems to be ironed on, so it causes no irritation and doesn't catch in your hair!

For extremely sweaty workouts, I wear the embRACE band closer to my forehead for maximum sweat absorption! It also does a great job of keeping my bangs out of my eyes.

Overall I give the embRACE bands an A! Very affordable, many styles to choose from, and does what it is supposed to do.

Check out CarolLynn's full line of embBrace bands at her website, www.embraceactivewear.com

Thank You CarolLynn for being patient with me and for allowing me to review your product!

I was provided an embRACE band absolutely free with no compensation for my review.

#Mamavation Monday - One week down...

2011-01-22T20:47:00.000-05:00

And 6 more to go!

This past week, my first week as a Mamavation Mom has been awesome! The first couple of days were a little hard, I was struggling a bit getting my 10k steps in and getting enough water in. I was also working day shift this past week, which was different for me since I normally work evening shift. I am not a morning person at all. I got my nutrition plan from Alysa, and went grocery shopping on Saturday night for all the fresh, new goodies. Truthfully, it felt awesome having all of those fresh items in my cart. The ratio of fresh to processed foods was definitely in favor of fresh this time! I admitted on twitter that I had never actually tasted fresh pineapple before, and I LOVE pineapple. Turns out the fresh tastes much better than the canned! I even like the texture of the fruit better when it's fresh as opposed to canned.

My first weigh in as a Mamavation Mom is Sunday morning. You won't get to see my progress, but make sure to attend Mamavation TV Monday night to hear how much weight I have lost! My starting weight for this campaign is 276. Wow, what a number!

I am super excited for this week's blogging carnival which is being sponsored by, Fiber Plus. Make sure to visit the Mamavation Monday post this week to sign up to get your free box of these awesome bars! They are very tasty and chock full of Fiber!

How are you getting more fiber in your diet this New Year? More fiber packed fruits and veggies! With my bowel disease I have to be careful of fiber, but fruits are my favorite way to get fiber!

Congrats to our sista of the week, Lena! @elenka29

See my blog post from this past week on Mamavation.com here

Check out my daily food and activity log on bookieboo.com here

If you are participating in the Move It and Lose it challenge be sure to post your weight, scale pic on your blog this week!

Thanks to Mamavation's sponsors, Earth Footwear, Sears Fitness, EA SPORTS Active, and Chefs Requested. We appreciate your support! Also thanks to our coaching team, Pete Cohen, Alysa Bajenaru, RD and Tracey Mallett.

“I’m writing this post as an entry to a blogging carnival sponsored by Fiber Plus. I will be receiving free product in return.”

Winners of the Fitness Giveaway!

2011-01-18T20:40:00.000-05:00

First of all, thank you for voting for me! I was voted in as a Mamavation Mom! Please feel free to visit often to watch my progress as I become healthier!

Winners have been emailed and will have 48 hours to get back to me or new winners will be chosen!

Package #1:

The Frugal Foodie Cookbook

10 Minute Solution 5 Day Get Fit Mix DVD

Sadie said...
I voted for you

sadiebeery at hotmail dot com
January 12, 2011 7:03 PM

Package #2:

Yoga Tune up Quick Fix RX with Jill Miller (2 DVDs)

Shapely Girl Walking Fit and Fabulous DVD

Fix it Make it Grow it Bake it Book

$10 Target Giftcard

ElizaBeth said...
Shared on my FB
eabivens at gmail.com
January 16, 2011 12:25 AM

Package #3:

Playful Planet Storyland Yoga DVD

$10 Subway Giftcard

Ashley said... I voted for you!

hewella1 at gmail dot com
January 13, 2011 1:07 AM

#Mamavation Monday - It's time to part-ay!

2011-01-16T15:39:00.000-05:00

Wow. Time flies when you're having fun, huh? On the day I submitted my application for Campaign 7 I remember thinking that January 17th seemed so far away! It's here!

Campaigning is rough stuff. I tweeted earlier this week that I would never be a politician, because campaigning is hard work! You would think it would be easy-peasy getting someone to click a few times for you! But wow, it takes some coaxing (and even a giveaway!) I have, however, been surprised by some of the people who have arisen out of the shadows of my past to support me! An old Sunday school teacher, an old friend from school, and even some new friends I made at work! I have been awestruck with the support I have received at work by people whom I barely know! How can I not succeed with this kind of atmosphere!

And here we are, not only at the beginning of a new campaign, but a new MILI challenge! I am so excited that Leah has offered a little incentive for us applicants! I have watched too many campaigns where applicants fade away if they were not chosen for Mamavation Mom! Odds are, if you stick around, you are more likely to get chosen in the next campaign! So if you were an applicant, and don't get chosen as Mamavation Mom, stick around and post all 7 weeks, earn an extra $100 and maybe even get a head start on the next campaign!

So back to campaigning. I want to be the next Mamavation Mom. Not only for my family and for my health but for the sisterhood. I want to make you all proud and be an inspiration that will draw more moms in. I want to show every mom out there that healthiness can be attained. I want to make Leah and our sponsors proud. I want all of this, but can only have it if you vote for me! The two new Mamavation Moms will be announced Monday 1/17 during the twitter party! Make sure to RSVP, and join us for a chance to win some groovy swag!

On to the stats for the Move it and Lose it challenge:

Bust - 49 1/2''

Waist - 45''

Hips - 60"

L Arm - 17''

R Arm - 16''

L Thigh - 32''

R Thigh - 32''

Weight - 270.0

Before pictures - (yikes! again)

Win One of Three Fitness Packages! Easy Entry! I want to be the next #Mamavation Mom!

2011-01-12T14:27:00.006-05:00

I was chosen as a Mamavation Mom finalist!

I have wanted to become a Mamavation Mom for many months, and only with your vote can that happen! So, in exchange for your vote I am giving you a chance to win one of 3 awesome fitness packages below!

Package #1:

The Frugal Foodie Cookbook

10 Minute Solution 5 Day Get Fit Mix DVD

Package #2:

Yoga Tune up Quick Fix RX with Jill Miller (2 DVDs)

Shapely Girl Walking Fit and Fabulous DVD

Fix it Make it Grow it Bake it Book

$10 Target Giftcard

Package #3:

Playful Planet Storyland Yoga DVD

$10 Subway Giftcard

To enter:

Mandatory entry:

Go to the "Vote for Mamavation Mom" post and vote for me, @christlikemommy (1 entry per vote, you can vote once per computer, or device!)

(if you have already voted, please feel free to enter!)

Additional entries:

- Share this giveaway on your facebook page (1 entry)

-Tweet this giveaway (1 entry per tweet up to 5 tweets)

"Vote Kimberly, @christlikemommy for Mamavation Mom and enter to win one of THREE fitness packages! http://ow.ly/3CIMJ "

Giveaway ends 1/17 at midnight EST. Open to US and Canada. Winners will be chosen 1/18 after the Mamavation Moms are announced at the Mamavation Twitter Party on 1/17!

Thanks for your vote!

And special thanks to Greta, @MiddleAgedJock, for helping out with this giveaway! Find out more about MiddleAgedJock at her blog, http://www.middleagedjock.com/

Will you take a moment to vote for me?

2011-01-11T10:39:00.000-05:00

I was chosen as one of twelve finalists for Mamavation Mom! If I win, I will get to go through 7 weeks of a great weight loss bootcamp, lots of great workout gear, including a treadmill, and unimaginable support! It will only take a minute to vote!

Please visit this post to vote, click the box beside my name (christlikemommy) then scroll to the bottom and click vote! Simple!

Thanks for your support!

#Mamavation Monday - Why you should support me

2011-01-08T22:06:00.001-05:00

UPDATE! I am a finalist! Vote for me here! @christlikemommy

Happy Monday! This week is going to be one of excitement, emotions, and more. I am a Mamavation Mom applicant and hopefully a finalist. I have dreamed of this, literally, since July of this past year. This is something I want, but most of all-it is something I need. I am totally responsible for how much I weigh today, I did it all on my own. The help and support from the Mamavation Coaching team would be a great addition to my already improving healthy lifestyle. I need the tools and advice to help me stay on track. I have already started that change. I am eating healthier foods, getting more activity, and making sure my family is involved. I am pushing myself to do things that I was once too lazy to do. I am out of my comfort zone. That zone where I sat around inactive, and eating foods that were not meant to be eaten in the amounts I was eating them.

If I am chosen as a finalist, I need your vote. You vote is the only thing that is going to help me become the next Mamavation Mom. If I become Mamavation Mom, I will submit myself to Leah, and the coaching team, I will do what is asked of me in the campaign. After the campaign, I will be there. I will be there to support the sisters and others. Those who may think they would never have a fighting chance at losing weight and getting healthy. Those who could be inspired by my story. Because if I become the next Mamavation Mom my story will be inspiring and motivating. My story will be one that will live in the Mamavation annals for months, even years to come. I have the desire, the drive I just need the support. Your support. Your vote.

I have a game plan. Sad to say, but it has taken a bad report from the doctor to get my family on board with my weight loss goals. I have a husband who is ready to take charge of the household in order for me to devote time to my fitness goals. I have other family members who are encouraging me and lifting me up as I pursue this healthy goal. My doctor is incredibly supportive, always offering suggestions, advice and more.

In the event that I am not chosen as the next Mamavation Mom, I am still changing. No more unhealthy me. I will make sure that my family knows that I still need their support and encouragement, I will seek out the help that I need with nutrition. If I am not chosen as the next Mamavation Mom, I will win the Move it & Lose it challenge. Watch out world. Here I come!

If you want to show your support in my quest to become a Mamavation Mom, please tweet the following, or head on over to the Mamavation Facebook page and let Leah, @bookieboo know that I inspire you!

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation" Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

See why I NEED to be a #Mamavation Mom...

2011-01-07T13:49:00.000-05:00

These photos are worth a thousand words. Most of those words, probably aren't great. This is why I want and need to be the next #Mamavation Mom.

Obese

High Cholesterol

No energy

No confidence

Enlarged Spleen

Heart Disease

Fat

Morbidly Obese

Got to get healthy

For my kids

For my family

For me.

#Mamavation Monday - Gonna be MIA one more time...

2011-01-01T22:35:00.000-05:00

Hi ladies! Did you enjoy yourself this past weekend? I did! I spent the whole weekend with my guys and we did not do a thing! (Besides some fun cardio!) I didn't make any "resolutions" for this year but I did makes some goals! Check out my Goals, Hopes and Aspirations for 2011 here.

This is the last Monday that I have to work the evening shift due to school starting soon, so I am not going to be at Mamavation TV this week. I just saw Kia post our Mamavation Monday post this week, and our guests are us Mamavation Applicants. Since I won't be there to plead my case, I am going to vlog it in my post today! (It's a little long, but please hang out and bear with me! Thanks!)

Thanks once again for hanging out and watching my video.

Don't forget to tweet out your support! I really, truly appreciate it!

Have a great week!

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation" Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

2011 Goals, Hopes and Aspirations...

2010-12-31T00:56:00.000-05:00

2010 is almost a memory.

2011 is right around the corner and like millions of others, I have some things I would like to accomplish in this new year.

I want to be closer to God. I don't read my Bible enough, or pray like I should. My goal for this coming year is to get God back in the center of my life.
I want to be healthier. By mid-year I want to be able to hear my doctor tell me that my cholesterol levels are normal, my spleen is back to it's original size and that all signs of Fatty Liver disease are gone.
I want to be a Mamavation Mom. This goes along with number 2. I am currently campaigning for my chance to be a Mamavation Mom during campaign 7, but if that does not happen, I will, once again, wait for the next campaign! I want to weigh at least 60 lbs. less by the end of the year.
I want to receive a promotion at work by the end of 2011. I love my new job. But I want to keep moving up!
I want to run a 5K. My husband actually cackled at me this first time I mentioned this to him, so yeah, I really want to do this! I dream of running. I remember being younger and running and I remember how liberating it felt, just to run!

So there, I made my goals for this year! It will be interesting to come back to the post in 365 days to see how well I did!

What are your goals? Share with me!

P.S. If you want to show your support in my quest to become a Mamavation Mom, please tweet the following, or head on over to the Mamavation Facebook page and let Leah, @bookieboo know that I inspire you!

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation" Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

#Mamavation Monday - Now that we got Christmas over with..

2010-12-26T13:54:00.000-05:00

It's time to start focusing on becoming the next Mamavation Mom. I feel that I did very well during Christmas. I can tell that I had a little too much sodium, as I am retaining water, but my weight is still lower than last week's! Yes, that's right, my first loss since I started taking Prednisone in October! It was around 3 lbs lost before Christmas. Feels great! I am definitely a force to be reckoned with this coming campaign!

I want to take this opportunity to share some of my recent Mamavation Mom related blog posts with you.

First, check out my 10 days of posts on "Why I Want to be a Mamavation Mom".
Next go check out my guest blog post over at Slightly Off Kilter, the blog of one of our most recent Mamavation Mom's, Shelley, @Momma_Oz.
Are you kind of confused about what all this Mamavation Mom talk is or how the nominations and voting works? Check out this post!
And finally, my Mamavation Mom application vlog and blog post.

Hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas and got everything you heart desired! Tweet you all soon on Twitter!

Why I want to be a #Mamavation Mom - Final Day 10 - Just for me.

2010-12-24T09:58:00.001-05:00

image from woodchips.com

See Days 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

Day 10 - My children are still very young. However, they are not so young that they take up every minute of my free time like I try to let on. It's time I start focusing on me. More time planning meals, for me, more time planning activity, for me. I know it is great to get the whole family involved in all of these things, and in time, that will come. But I need to get myself to a state of mind where taking care of myself is routine, a way of life. Then I am sure it will pass on to my children and husband. I want to be a Mamavation Mom so I, yes I, can start feeling better about myself, and shop where I want to shop, and be a good example for my children. I already feel a little selfish, but that is the state of mind I need to get out of. Moms, it is not selfish for us to want something only for ourselves. My something is to be healthy. And if I selfishly want this bad enough for myself, it will eventually be for them as well.

If you want to show your support, please tweet the following, or head on over to the Mamavation Facebook page and let Leah, @bookieboo know that I inspire you!

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation" Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

Why I want to be a #Mamavation Mom - Day 9

2010-12-23T12:00:00.001-05:00

See Days 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

Day 9 - For your inspiration. You, the mom who is reading this and maybe you are at the end of your rope. Transforming your life into a healthy one seems hopeless. I've been there. With two boys who like to snack and a husband who is a very picky eater, I figured that we were destined to have a kitchen full of refined sugar and processed foods. I want to be a Mamavation Mom to inspire other moms to get healthy. I have A LOT of weight to lose. There was a point in my life, earlier this year, where I thought that I was meant to be overweight. I gave up. I have 130+ pounds to lose, and looking at it when I had no support, and no plan, it looked hopeless. I want to be the light for that mom out there who has given up. I want to share my story with her and help lift her up and support her. I want her to see that if I can do, anyone can do it.

I have always said that I want a story to tell. Becoming a Mamavation Mom, getting healthy and losing weight would be an awesome story to tell, don't you think?

If you want to show your support, please tweet the following, or head on over to the Mamavation Facebook page and let Leah, @bookieboo know that I inspire you!

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation" Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

Why I want to be a #Mamavation Mom - Day 8 - To feel better about myself

2010-12-22T12:00:00.002-05:00

See Days 1,2,3,4,5,6,7

Day 8 - When I go to a new place, like at school or work, I always look around to see if I am the biggest person in the room. If I'm not, I feel a little more at ease, like everyone won't be staring at just me. I have worried enough about how people are going to look at me, or what they are going to say. I have missed enough events in my life because I am too ashamed for people, family and friends, to see how much weight I have gained. I have noticed I am not as friendly to people as I used to be, and I have figured out that it is mainly because I don't want to draw attention to myself. This isn't as upbeat or comical as a lot of my posts, but this is real. I am not looking for sympathy, I don't deserve sympathy. I did this to myself, this obesity is all my fault. I am not going to play the blame game and say it is my parents fault, or my husband's fault. It's all me. I did it, but I need help to undo it.

In 2007 I lost 50 lbs on a popular diet. I was taught how to eat, told what not to eat and how much activity I should shoot for. A lot of this advice came from people that were hired right off the street, people who had no experience working with overweight individuals, or had never experienced being overweight, or dealing with an eating disorder. But I was never taught how to deal with the triggers that made me over eat. The emotions, self pity, all the other triggers that send me spiraling into a binge. I have since dealt with the most of those, mostly through praying and focusing on God in the rough times. But if I do become the next Mamavation Mom I would have more than just the eat this, do this kind of training. Mamavation Moms receive the kind of attention that a person like me needs. There is more than just diet and exercise training. There are real live mentors, Mamavation Mom graduates who are succeeding in the new lifestyle and are there to lend the new Mamavation Moms an ear when they need it. Then, of course, there is Pete Cohen, the Mamavation Lifestyle Coach. He is there to break down the good and bad and motivate the Mamavation Moms.

I need a push. I need the help of the Mamavation Coaching Team. But I won't get there without your support! Now, I need your support through tweets and posts on Facebook. Then, if I am chosen as a finalist, I need your vote. One vote, it won't take but a couple minutes at most.

If you want to show your support, please tweet the following, or head on over to the Mamavation Facebook page and let Leah, @bookieboo know that I inspire you!

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation" Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

Why I want to be a #Mamavation Mom - Day 7 - Taffeta

2010-12-21T09:26:00.001-05:00

Image from morilee.com

See Days 1,2,3,4,5,6

Day 7 - Taffeta - As in bridesmaid's dress! Okay, it's actually satin, but you know what I mean! My little sister is getting married in March and I am her Matron of Honor. The dresses are gorgeous, and strapless! Yikes! I want to be the next Mamavation Mom so that I can have some toned arms, shoulders, calves, and hopefully a little less fat before her wedding. My measurements have already been taken, and sent off to the dress company, but I would have no problem whatsoever with having to have some alterations because I've lost weight!

If you want to show your support, please tweet the following, or head on over to the Mamavation Facebook page and let Leah, @bookieboo know that I inspire you!

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation" Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

Why I want to be a #Mamavation Mom - Day 6 - Don't look at me that way...

2010-12-20T12:00:00.005-05:00

See Days 1,2,3,4,5

Day 6 - Don't look at me that way... The, "Wow, you're fat but I am trying not to stare at your stomach" look. I have seen it hundreds of time, I walk up to a person, and the first thing they see is my stomach. Then they quickly look away or look at my face. Am I being paranoid? Maybe, probably. But I notice it, I see it, it happens. I brush it off most of the time, but it does make me a little more self conscious about walking up to people. Remedy to this problem? Lose the fat belly! I'm working on it, but being the next Mamavation Mom would be a great kickstart to start burning some fat!

If you want to show your support, please tweet the following, or head on over to the Mamavation Facebook page and let Leah, @bookieboo know that I inspire you!

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation" Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

Why I want to be a #Mamavation Mom - Day 5 - I want to shop there!

2010-12-19T12:00:00.002-05:00

See Days 1,2, 3, 4

Okay, don't act like I'm the only one! I want to shop at those stores that have the cutest clothes. For skinny people. I love Old Navy, and yes, I know they carry up to size XXL, but even that is too small for me! I had built up a hate against plus size clothes, the horrid styles and the outrageous price that accompanied them. I felt like I was being discriminated against because I had to pay more for plus size clothes. I hate shopping for that reason. But I have finally realized, plus size clothes will always cost more, and they only thing I can do to change that is change me.

If you want to show your support, please tweet the following, or head on over to the Mamavation Facebook page and let Leah, @bookieboo know that I inspire you!

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation" Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

#Mamavation Monday - The campaign begins...

2010-12-18T22:51:00.000-05:00

Wow. It really doesn't seem like it was that long ago when I was recording my video for Campaign 6! But here we are, almost 3 months later, and another campaign is just getting started! If you have watched my Mamavation Mom application video, you know that things did not quite go as planned last go-round. But this time, I am healthy, well down the path of recovery, and set to roll! I truly believe that God had a reason for everything that happened in October. One reason I am sure of, had I not gotten sick, I probably would not have went on the search for a job with benefits, and would not be at the great job I am at now!

Go here to check out all the mama's who have applied so far!

I have been blogging daily about why I want to be the next Mamavation Mom. There is so much that just could not be fit into a four minute video. Make sure to take a few moments and check out my "10 days of why I want to be a Mamavation Mom". See Days 1,2, 3, 4

I have finally settled into a little groove with the new job. It took almost 5 weeks, but I am at a place where I feel comfortable! (It also helps that my college classes ended this past week!) I went shopping at the grocery store and I am in the process of buying the "staples" of healthy eating. Today I bought a couple things I have never purchased before. Milled flax seed, and Truvia. I just recently started reading a book my Phil and Amy Parham from season 6 of The Biggest Loser. The book entitled, "The 90 Day Fitness Challenge" has been very inspiring to me so far. And to be honest, there is not much in the book that I haven't heard or read before, but I feel as if I have a little more control when I have an "instruction manual".

I won't be at Mamavation TV Monday night, still working Mondays for now. Thanks to my class schedule this spring, that will be changing soon! I miss you all like CRAZY and I have enjoyed being back on twitter this week, you all rock!

Congrats to an awesome sista, and a fellow Mamavation Mom applicant, @ChristiDarty for being named our Sista of the Week! :) She is Awesome, and I would be honored to serve as Mamavation Mom next to her!

Check out this week's Mamavation Monday post over at Mamavation.com and get all the details on the sponsor of this week's blogging carnival and how to win some cool swag! :)

If you want to show your support, please tweet the following, or head on over to the Mamavation Facebook page and let Leah, @bookieboo know that I inspire you!

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation" Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

Why I want to be a #Mamavation Mom - Day 4 - I don't want them to hurt.

2010-12-18T12:00:00.006-05:00

See Days 1 & 2 and Day 3...

Day 3 - I don't want them to hurt. "Them" being my family and friends. I have lost so many people in my life due to weight related issues. Obesity kills. That is something that is not communicated enough. Sure, I believe that people should love themselves, no matter how they look, but we should also love ourselves enough to care how our health, sickness or even death may affect those around us. I am talking to myself here! I need to be the next Mamavation Mom to finally be taught how to do the right things! I can't do this on my own, I have tried, and failed. I need the support, and guidance from the Mamavation Sisterhood and Coaching Team. Even though this bootcamp is only 8 weeks long, that is 8 weeks of change, 8 weeks of finally focusing on me! For them.

If you want to show your support, please tweet the following, or head on over to the Mamavation Facebook page and let Leah, @bookieboo know that I inspire you!

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation" Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

Why I want to be a #Mamavation Mom - Day 3

2010-12-17T12:00:00.004-05:00

See days 1 and 2 here...

Day 3 - Family. I have two gorgeous, healthy sons. Bradley, who is 4, and is the oldest, is independent and headstrong. He is a great big brother to his 2 year old brother, Isaiah, and loves spending time with family. Unfortunately, due to my (and my husband's) bad eating habits, Bradley is overweight. Mamavation is all about helping mom's get healthier, and making the lifestyle change that is needed to help their families become, and stay healthy. Not only do I want to be a good example to my sons and husband, but to the rest of my family. My boys stay with my mom while I am at work, and all of those bad habits that I learned as a child, still linger in my parent's house. There is always an endless supply of little cakes and cookies. The kitchen is the first place my children run to when staying at Grandma's house. My father has already begun making changes to his diet because he is borderline diabetic. But I need to have a change, and I mean a dramatic change, in my life to show my family that I am serious about these changes. And if I can do it, so can they!

Don't forget, if I inspire you and you want to support me through this campaign, please tweet the following, or head on over to the Mamavation Facebook page and let Leah, @bookieboo know that I inspire you!

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation" Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

What is #Mamavation Mom?

2010-12-16T19:57:00.004-05:00

All this posting about Mamavation and my quest to become the next Mamavation Mom warrants some explaining, right?

Mamavation

"Mamavation™ is a online docudrama and weight loss support group for moms in social media. It’s both a campaign and Virtual Sorority™ in one."

Leah Segedie, owner and creator of Mamavation is focusing on us moms. (Finally!) It's all about us. She is leading this group simply to help us all learn how to live a healthy lifestyle so we can make our families healthier. Obesity starts at home, and we can end it there!

Every 3 months or so a new bootcamp also called a campaign for Mamavation Mom begins.

How do you become a Mamavation Mom? (December 15th to January 5th)

"Stop! You must complete a video application answering this question, “Why do you want to be the next Mamavation Mom AND what will YOU do to inspire other moms online?” Please keep your responses to under four minutes. As soon as you are finished, upload the video to YouTube and tag it “mamavation”, then post the video in your blog with a description of the campaign".

Yep, Create a video, fill out an application, then the campaigning begins! I have created my video, which can be viewed here, and I have started campaigning.

Finalist Week (January 10th to January 17th)

This is when all the Mamavation Mom applicants are narrowed down to five finalists. Leah posts the finalists videos on Mamavation.com and opens a poll. One vote per computer/phone/tablet is allowed. I will post a link to the poll if I am chosen as a finalist! I need your help to become the next Mamavation Mom!

Mamavation Mom Twitter Party (January 17 8-10pm EST)

The Mamavation Mom Twitter Party is unlike any party you have ever attended! New friends are made, new facts are learned, and lots of prizes are won! At the end of the Twitter Party the two Mamavation Moms are announced! Loads of fun!

Mamavation Moms (Campaign #7: January 17th to March 4th)

"Mamavation Moms lose weight in a boot camp experience without having to leave the home. They are set up with free fitness equipment, a solid support group, and professional resources to do so. As they are learning healthy living and losing weight they live their lives on a stage for seven weeks. The campaign becomes a virtual docudrama with real challenges and victories as they become the stars of the campaign."

"Two women, referred to as Mamavation Moms™, go through a 7-week online boot camp and their lives are put on an a public stage. They share their struggles learning healthy living as a mom as the world watches via computer. The goal is to inspire and demonstrate how challenges can be overcome. But ultimately the goal is to save their family from obesity by passing on the values they learn."

If you support me and my quest to become the next Mamavation Mom please tweet this message,

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

Not on Twitter? No problem! Head on over to the Mamavation Facebook page and leave the above message on the wall! You can tweet or post as many times as you'd like!

Don't want all the limelight, but still need support? Visit Mamavation.com and learn how to pledge to the Sistahood!

All quotes comes from Mamavation.com, and owner Leah Segedie, @bookieboo on twitter.

Why I want to be a #Mamavation Mom - Days 1 and 2

2010-12-16T17:09:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was the opening day for Mamavation Mom applications. I applied because not only do I need Leah to kick my booty in this bootcamp, but I need the support and accountability from all of the sisters! So I announced yesterday on Twitter that instead of the 12 Days of Christmas, I am doing the 10 days of why I want to be the next Mamavation Mom. (See my Mamavation Mom Application Video here!)

Day 1 - Elastic Waist Pants. I really don't have anything against the pants themselves, but the fact that I am having to wear them, again, when just a month ago I was wearing jeans is a major reason. I can still wear those jeans, but it's not pretty. (Let's just say, major muffintop!) I have watched two Mamavation Campaigns now, and upon graduating from the bootcamp, you could see a major change in the graduate's waist lines! I need that! My waist is 40+ inches around and my hips are 60+ inches around. Yikes. I am at such a high risk of heart disease because of those numbers.

Day 2 - Health. In August of this year my doctor threw the hard truth at me. I have elevated levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, the beginning signs of Fatty Liver Disease and my spleen is enlarged. I asked him how much of that was caused by being obese, and he said all of it was. He instructed me to walk 6 days a week, and start losing weight. I trudged forward and took that advice until October when I got the diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis. This disease is not caused by my obesity, but would probably be better controlled with a healthier lifestyle. Also, my disease is more concentrated in the right side of my colon which puts me at a higher risk for colon cancer. That is a MAJOR reason to get and eat healthier!

If you want to show your support, please tweet the following, or head on over to the Mamavation Facebook page and let Leah, @bookieboo know that I inspire you!

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation" Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

Once again I present... My #Mamavation Mom Vlog Application...

2010-12-15T10:43:00.005-05:00

Thanks once again to all those who have held me up and supported me through the past couple months! I hope to become the next Mamavation Mom so I can be a light to other moms, the same way previous Mamavation Graduates have been a light to me!

Without further ado, my vlog application...

Don't forget, If you want to show your support, please tweet the following, or head on over to the Mamavation Facebook page and let Leah, @bookieboo know that I inspire you!

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation" Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

Check out my latest Mamavation Monday post!

Weight: 276.2 Yikes!

At the end of the tunnel... #Mamavation Monday

2010-12-11T21:42:00.002-05:00

I can see a light... It's at the end of this long tunnel that I thought would never end. A tunnel that made my mind and body do things that were not normal. I know, this seems awful dramatic, especially since this "tunnel" I am referring to is basically my 3 month long relationship with that evil drug, prednisone. I had heard, before being prescribed this drug, that it could really mess with your system. The first couple of weeks, I thought, "Wow, this drug isn't so bad..." But here I am 3 months later, almost 20 pounds heavier, with a moon face and bloated belly thinking, "They were right!" And I will admit, I used being on this drug as an excuse from time to time to binge on foods because I had a raging appetite that would not, could not be satisfied some nights. But I can gladly say, that I am almost finished with this drug, my tapering schedule ends on December 31st and I will be free. No more crazy thoughts running through my head, no more weird hair growth (that's another blog post...), no more indigestion!

I feel like I have let myself go... There were weeks when I was spot on with my diet and exercise and still gained weight, and it got to me. I kinda sorta quit. But I can't stay in that "quit" state of mind. I have a family to tend to, I have skinny jeans to get back in to, I have a wedding to help plan, and a bridesmaids dress to get in to in 4 months. I have a life to live.

I am applying to be the next Mamavation Mom on December 15th. I have been in the sisterhood since July, and I am oh, so grateful for Leah, and all the sistas. There were times I avoided twitter, the thought of facing my sistas when I felt I had been at my worst made me feel so ashamed. But every time I confess I am met with nothing but compassion, encouragement and support. Wow. I never in my life imagined I would meet so many accepting, understanding women in one place. I love these ladies!

I have a lot of weight to lose. I want and need the Mamavation Bootcamp to get me back on the right track, the track that leads to health, vitality, a happy me, and a healthy family. Keep an eye out for my Mamavation Mom Video Application on the 15th, and after you watch it, please tweet this to show your support for me!

“Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa”

#Mamavation Monday - Hi-ho, hi-ho...

2010-12-05T14:11:00.001-05:00

It's off to work I go!

I just wanted to check in quickly! :) I miss you all like crazy, my work schedule is a little crazy right now; working 5pm-12am is not my cup of tea, but it will get better soon! I am missing Mamavation TV again this week, but hopefully I will be back before long. I am excited about the announcement that Leah is opening up the application process for Mamavation Mom early! I can't wait to make my video! I am almost finished with the Prednisone, I am feeling more and more like myself again with each decrease in dosage. I am down to 7.5 mg per day, I was on 40 mg per day. 3 more weeks!

Hope you all have a great week, and stay warm if it's snowing where you are! We had our first official accumulation of snow over the weekend and I am loving it!

This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by @EarthFootwear!!! I have been pining for a pair of these shoes, and will probably list them on my Christmas list! (Yea, I haven't made one yet...) Check out the awesome line of shoes, boots and sandals at Earthfootwear.com!

Love you all, miss you all, see you all on Twitter!

Love and Hugs!

#Mamavation Monday - Pluggin' along...

2010-11-21T20:21:00.003-05:00

First of all, I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for everything I have, I am especially thankful that I found Mamavation this year! You all have been so inspiring and helpful! Love you all!

Yep, I am pluggin' right along... This was probably my best week yet with all the meds/new job/etc... The banishment of the scale lasted a whole two days, then I remembered I had joined a challenge over at Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans with some fellow sistas from the Mamavation Sistahood. The good news is, I DID NOT GAIN WEIGHT THIS WEEK! Which is HUGE. :) I have dropped down another 5 mg on the Prednisone, so hopefully as I go down on the dosage, so will my weight. I didn't do great with water this week, I have purposefully been holding back on drinking enough, because of having to run to the bathroom so often! I am still in training at work, so it is awkward getting up to leave in the middle of the class to go pee! I take on my actual position starting Friday, so maybe I will have a cubical close to the bathroom. Ha ha!

I kinda sorta found out the shift I am going to be on at work. While I am not super excited about it, I am not too disappointed. My dear mommy has been babysitting my two boys since I started my new job, and at 5 days a week, it is truly a task for her. I had been browsing around at different daycare/sitter options, and the prices are through the roof. One daycare close to my apartment wanted $600 a month for both boys twice per week. Um, not! So now, with me working something like 4:30pm-11:30pm, my mom will only have to watch the boys for a couple hours each day until my husband gets off work. This does however create a potential problem with my plans to apply to be the next Mamavation Mom. You may recall, one of the requirements is to be available every Monday night during the campaign for Mamavation TV. Well, if I was chosen, and was still working the late schedule, I would not be available! Ack! So I am praying and hoping that my schedule will be bumped up a few hours before then! I really want to be your next Mamavation Mom! (Can't start campaigning too early, right?!)

I will start vlogging again soon. I am a little self conscious lately over my face. The prednisone has caused me to develop moon face and a rounder belly and I am not to fond of either. This medicine is horrid!!

Congrats to our SOTW, Heather, @notdiyheather! This lady is an awesome sista and I love her to death! I steal recipes from her site all the time. She is such an encouragement to me! :)

This week's Special Guests are Sharon Catherine Blanks and Billy Blanks Jr.!! How exciting!

This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by Subway, @subwayfreshbuzz. One winner will win $100 towards the fitness goal of their choice. I would SO buy some running/walking gear with this if I won! My commit to fit challenge is to walk/run a 5k in the next 6 months. My goal was originally set for December 5th, but I have had quite a few setbacks with my new diagnosis, etc.

Have a great week sistas!!

#Mamavation Monday - Banishing the scale

2010-11-14T13:26:00.001-05:00

Yes, you read my title correctly... I am banishing the scale. This past week went well, or so I thought. I started my new job, meal planned everyday, ate well everyday and still gained 4 lbs. This gain I am blaming on the prednisone (and my time of the month). I was really depressed over this yesterday and that huge number really got to me, so the scale is going away until I am done with these wack-o medications. I know this puts me out of the running for the Move it and Lose it challenge, but until December 31st, when I am done with this medicine, I can't even begin to take the scale seriously.

I admit, I did
not exercise this past week, it just felt like I couldn't find time to fit it in. I am struggling a bit trying to find a happy medium between being a 5-day a week working mom/student, and fitness. Now, I know some of you do this and have been doing this forever, but I just can't seem to get a grip on it. It seems like as soon as I get home from work, the kids are needy over something, dinner is screaming to be cooked/served/cleaned up and then the packing/cooking/preparing for the next work day begins, then, it's bedtime. Sigh. Where do I find time for me in all this!?

The new job, however, is going great. I am enjoying learning about what I am going to be doing, and all the people there are great. The environment is so positive, and it seems like everyone there is pushing me to advance as far as I can.

I had a bit of a snafu with my diet this week. I ate A LOT of fiber on Monday and I seriously thought I had sent myself spiraling into another UC flare. My stomach was messed up for the rest of the week (Like 4-5 BMs per day!), and by Friday my joints had begun to ache. I was scared! Now I am feeling better, more normal again. Thanks to Greta who introduced me to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, which is directed towards people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. I am going to focus on sticking to this diet as closely as possible, and following the legal/illegal list to get my intestines back in tip-top condition.

So my goals for this week...

-Exercise at least 3/5 work days

-Drink lots more water

-Follow the SCD as closely as possible to aid in the healing of my intestines

-Remember to take my probiotics daily!

Our Special Guest and giveaway this week is Patricia Friberg @patriciafri.

Don't forget about the Fiber Twitter Party on the 18th (Thursday)! Make sure you go RSVP!

Congrats to Scarlett, @MMScarlett for being named SOTW, for the second time! Way to go girlie!

#Mamavation Monday - We're goofy!

2010-11-07T14:41:00.002-05:00

Forgive the goofiness in my vlog, we all truly enjoyed our extra hour of sleep last night, and it shows! We are also in that "Holiday mode" now, we had our first snow yesterday and we were so giddy about it!

Weight: Okay, So, I was WRONG in my vlog, I thought I lost this week, but apparently I gained 0.2 lbs, lol. Drats.

Measurements:

Wow, even though I have gained like 7 lbs I have still lost a couple inches or so!

	10/18/10	11/8/2010	11/ 29/10
Waist	42’’	42’’
Bust	47.5’’	47’’ (-.5’’)
Hips	60’’	59’’(-1’’)
L Thigh	29’’	29’’
R Thigh	28.5’’	29’’
L Arm	16’’	15.5’’ (-.5’’)
R Arm	16’’	15.5’’(-.5’’)

This week's blogging carnival sponsor is EarthFootwear! I WANT a pair of these shoes!

Congrats to an awesome Sista, @OnlyLaila for being named Sista of the Week. She is so awesome and supportive and always up for a chat if you need her! Way to go girl!

EASY Pumpkin Muffins (I'm not kidding, SO easy!)

2010-11-03T22:09:00.002-04:00

I am a lover of all things pumpkin... Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pumpkin rolls, pies, etc. So when I came across this recipe today, I knew I had to try it!

Thanks to my friend Heather from On Pans and Kneadles for sharing this with me!

The recipe is called Brownie Muffins, but I decided to use white cake mix instead of devil's food cake mix. I think I may plunge and try carrot cake and/or spice cake next time!

Ingredients:

1 box devil’s food cake mix (or whatever flavor cake mix tickles your fancy)
1 can pumpkin (15 oz.)

Directions:
Mix the cake mix and canned pumpkin together. That's it. Leave out the eggs, oil, and water. Seriously. That's all. The mixture looks kind of thick, but I promise, it bakes up wonderfully. Bake for 12-18 minutes (start checking, mine were done at 12 minutes) at 400 degrees F.

I sprinkled the tops of mine with cinnamon before baking just to add some flavor, I imagine it would be great topped with some pumpkin pie spices! Enjoy!

#Mamavation Monday - Operation Avoid Halloween Candy: FAIL

2010-11-01T10:26:00.001-04:00

*Just for the record, the Halloween candy has since been disposed of!*

So, here is a quick run down of my week in case you didn't want to sit through my long, scattered video... I started out strong Monday and Tuesday, working out lots, and drinking a GRIP of water each day, I had lost 2 lbs by Wednesday then Halloween candy took over my life and I gained those 2 lbs back (and then some)! Thanks to said Halloween candy I feel like junk. No energy, stomach ache and pounding head. Can you say "Halloween Candy hangover"? This is my last week at my old job, it's going to be an emotional one! Planning on drinking lots of water and eating tons of greens this week!

Scale pic... *SMILE*
265.6 (+1.2)

This week's blogging carnival is sponsored by Subway and the #commit2fit campaign! Jared will be running the marathon soon, and I will be interviewing him over the phone afterwards! Can't wait!

Congrats to Lorrie @cuteangel79 for being named our SOTW! Way to go Lorrie, and thanks for your support!

Waiting on God...

2010-10-26T11:59:00.003-04:00

I don't have a lot of patience... I dare not pray for patience, but I think that this year has been one of learning for me. If you read back through my blog archives, you will see that in July, I got sick, very sick. I had terrible abdominal pain and cramping, diarrhea, and no appetite. This lasted for quite some time. At the ER, I was diagnosed with Colitis and referred to a gastroenterologist. We prayed, long and hard, and I finally decided to visit the GI doc in August. Not because I was told to, but because I was still having stomach troubles. After the GI doc checked out my bloodwork and CT scan he decided that a colonoscopy was not necessary, and diagnosed me with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Fast forward to mid-September. I woke up one morning with a stiffness and pain in my wrist and ankle that I could not explain. I attributed it to poor form during exercise, but that wasn't the case. The pain started spreading from joint to joint and got worse with each passing day. Eventually I was swollen, in pain, and covered in red knots. I visited two different doctors who both mentioned that these problems were most likely related to my stomach issues. And they were right. After a visit, again, with the GI doc and a colonoscopy I was diagnosed with moderately active Ulcerative Colitis. The weirdest thing happened once I received this diagnosis. I was happy. I finally knew what the "monster" was that had made my life practically unlivable for almost 4 months.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ...

During my first visit to the ER I remember my sister asking me if I had prayed for patience. I replied no, but, as the time went on and the sickness progressed, I learned a lot about patience. I have always been a right here, right now kind of person. An impatient person. And more times than not, that attitude gets me frustrated or aggravated when things don't happen right away. Was that adding to my stress? Yes. Was it something I could have controlled? Probably. Have I learned something this year? Definitely. God has his own way of doing things, and His way is perfect! No matter if we think He should hurry, or if we think He is behind, God is always on time. You know the saying, "Three days late, but right on time."

Success!! Roasted Garbanzos

2010-10-25T14:26:00.001-04:00

After seeing many tweets about roasted garbanzo beans, I decided to pick up a can and try my hand at it! I love trying new things, especially if it is quick and easy!

So here we go...

I preheated the oven to 350 degrees.

First of all, I used canned garbanzo beans. I drained them, and set them aside. I sprayed the pan with olive oil and tossed in the beans. I shook them around a bit to cover them in olive oil.

I chose to use Cayenne Pepper, Garlic Powder and Mrs. Dash for my seasoning but I would think you could use just about whatever you wanted! Shake the beans around a bit to distribute the seasoning. (Don't be afraid to use lots of seasoning! I wish I had added much more to mine!)

Put them in the oven and shake the pan every 15 minutes or so for about 40 minutes. While your waiting, you could enjoy a nice cup of Peach Ginger White Tea that an awesome friend who just happens to be one of the newest Mamavation Moms sent ya! ;)

And when they're done, let them cool a bit and enjoy! If you have extra, store them in a plastic bowl with a lid! Mmmm, yummy!

#Mamavation Monday - I got a new job!!

2010-10-24T16:23:00.001-04:00

Hi ladies! Hope you all had a wonderful, productive week! Here's my vlog!

Weight: 264.6 (+2lbs) Grr.

Congrats to our sista of the week, April, @GAFlyGirl!

Our sponsor this week is once again, the awesome Subway! I am loving reading about Jared's training for the marathon and the #CommitToFit campaign! I was contacted by Subway to set up my interview with Jared, and I will be interviewing him after the marathon! Subway is offering a $50 gift card from Lulu Lemon, a green Gaiam gym bag and a yoga mat for our giveaway!

Make sure to stop in and see Tracey Mallet as our guest speaker on MamavationTV! I am SO excited!

#Mamavation Monday - Move it & Lose it!!

2010-10-17T14:21:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! I am so psyched for the Twitter Party and the beginning of a new campaign! I am also super excited to be a participant in the Move it and Lose it challenge!

Here is my vlog for this week!

I realize I mentioned the colonoscopy but never told what the diagnosis was. The doc says I have Ulcerative Colitis, which is a better diagnosis than we were expecting! Thank God! There is not a cure, yet, for Ulcerative Colitis but I will be able to manage it with meds and diet.

Move it & Lose it Challenge Stats

Beginning - October 18, 2010

Measurements:

	10/18/10	11/8/2010	11/ 29/10
Waist	42’’
Bust	47.5''
Hips	60''
L Thigh	29’’
R Thigh	28.5’’
L Arm	16’’
R Arm	16’’

Pictures:

Weight: 262.6

When God's plans are different from yours... #Mamavation Monday

2010-10-10T17:17:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! I am getting ready to head off to church, so I will get to the point...

Here's the vlog...

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I go to have a Colonoscopy on Tuesday!

Here's my weight... (Ouch.)

262.4 (+4)

And here's what's happening Monday night!

Our Special Guest this week will be: The Mamavation Finalists

Congratulations to Amanda @beeacutie2 for being the Sista of the Week!

This week’s blogging carnival is sponsored by Subway. They are giving away a green iPod Shuffle and a $10 iTunes gift card to one lucky winner. Don't forget to use the Commit to Fit Campaign hashtag on twitter! #commit2fit

#Mamavation Monday - Teething is Tough

2010-10-02T22:05:00.006-04:00

Hi sistas!! I vlogged this week's post, so... See below!!

I am now weighing myself on a digital scale so I can take a pic with my toes on the scale. It seems to line up okay with my Wii Fit Weight, only 1.1 lbs off! I lost a ton of water weight this week, I dehydrated and retaining like crazy! So last week's weight was, 263.7, this week is...

258.4
(Loss of 5.3 lbs for a total of 19.4 since joining the Sistahood in July!)
Just for reference here's my Wii Fit weight

Watch my official Mamavation Mom application here!

Don't forget to tweet for me!
"Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation Mom. She totally has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa"

I participated in today's (Saturday) 5Kday which was created by Steph, @fitmomtraining. Here is my pic of myself getting active... I promise, I was walking! lol

Congrats to our SOTW, and a close sista of mine, Shelley, @momma_oz! Way to go lady!

I am supa dupa excited about our blogging carnival this week, which is sponsored by Subway!! @subwayfreshbuzz You will often see me in a Subway store ordering a footlong Turkey Breast sub on wheat bread with lots of veggies! (Sometimes I add a little cheese!) Their breakfast menu is awesome and I love it as well!

Have a great week y'all!

Can I get a tweet? Just takes a moment! #Mamavation

2010-09-28T20:48:00.003-04:00

I have applied to be one of the next two Mamavation Moms on Mamavation.com! This week through the 11th of October, I need your tweets! I need you all, my community, to help me show Leah, @bookieboo, that I have your support! It only takes a moment to tweet, so would you help me out?

Tweet this:
“Hey @bookieboo! I want @christlikemommy to be the next #Mamavation Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa”

Then starting on October 11th voting will open for FIVE finalists! If I am chosen as one of those five, I will need your vote! Voting is allowed once per day per computer! So if you have a computer at work, vote! If you have multiple computers at home, vote, vote, vote!

I appreciate all the support from my friends and family during this exciting time!

View my application video here!

#Mamavation Monday - Mamavation Mom Application

2010-09-27T00:00:00.012-04:00

I am officially applying to be a Mamavation Mom. I am so excited! I have been losing weight pretty consistently since May, but I feel I still need some direction. My nutrition is still a little "off", not much balance in my diet. I also need more direction with my fitness routines. I hope to become a finalist, and if I do, please take time to vote for me! If I don't make it as a Mamavation Mom, I will be participating in the Move it and Lose it challenge, all while cheering on all my sistas!!

Are you wondering what Mamavation is all about??

Check it out by clicking here!

Alas, Here is my video...

My starting weight for this campaign is,

263.7
which is down 2.2 lbs from last week, I have had Reactive Arthritis for the past couple weeks, and it has cause my joints to be inflamed and I have been retaining some water.

Don't forget about Mamavation TV tonight at 10pm EST/7pm PST! We will be joined by the one and only Pete Cohen, I am SO excited, he is awesome! Check out his new nutritional program!

I want to congratulate our Sista of the Week, Joanna, @way2gomom. She is so awesome and helps us in knowing what to eat and what to avoid!

#Mamavation Monday - What a week!

2010-09-19T20:14:00.004-04:00

Hey mamavation! No vlog this week, but I promise, there will be one next week!

This has been a rough week, my dad was in the hospital on Tuesday with chest pains, so far, the docs just think it's a combo of stress and acid reflux. Also on Tuesday both of my wrists started hurting and were pretty stiff. I just assumed I had hurt myself during the previous night's workout. But the pain spread to my elbows, knees and ankles. I visited the ER Saturday night and was diagnosed with Viral Arthritis/Arthralgia. Pain. And lots of it. Most days this past week I couldn't drive, shower, or fix my hair. I was depressed because I am a very independent person who was having to be dependent on everyone. Especially my husband who was helping a lot more (Thanks Baby!) and having to help me bathe, and get dressed. It was stressful. It's not over just yet, but I am feeling better tonight. I went to church and just being there in the presence of God and my church family really lifted my spirits. I am still in some pain, and am mainly stiff from not using my limbs as much, but I am hopeful. The doctor expects this to resolve itself within the next week. Thank God!

I had a gain of 3.3 lbs (265.9) this week, but I am sure this is from water retention. All of my joints were/are pretty swollen. I did great with water this week, and ate well.

I will be taping my Mamavation Mom application vlog sometime this week. I am going to visit my Nurse Practitioner to get a release letter so that I can participate in Mamavation, if I am chosen. Thanks for all the support and encouragement you all have provided this week as I have been through SO much! I love you all!

This week's SOTW is @PamelaMKramer! She is so awesome, inspiring and encouraging!

This week's blogging carnival sponsor is Subway @subwayfreshbuzz. I love Subway! They are my go to restaurant if I am out and about and need to eat. My favorite sub is the turkey breast sub. YUMM!

Mamavation Monday - 1st Vlog and Mama Guns

2010-09-12T15:49:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! Thanks for stopping by today! I recorded my first vlog and I am super excited to share it with you! So here it is! (I am an "Ummm"-er so just look over the 1,000 times I say, "Ummm"... lol

Here is my weight for this week! (Lost 1.5 lbs for a total of 15.2 lbs since joining Mamavation in July) I am oh, so close to hitting my goal of 259 by October 1st!

Goals for this week:

Stay super hydrated, I did better with drinking water this past week, but not as good as I could have done.
Get to the gym and lift some weights.
Be active every day!

I also joined in the Mama Guns Challenge on Mamavation.com, and here are my before pics...

Congrats to our Sista of the Week, Stephanie (@fitmomtraining)

Our sponsor again this week is @ChefsRequested. Check out their website at www.chefsrequested.com. One of my inspirations, @Rachel_L will be hosting Mamavation Monday this week! HOW exciting!

Hope you all have a great week!

To weigh 259 by 10/1!

2010-09-07T21:08:00.000-04:00

So I was sitting around today thinking about what really makes my weight loss "clock" tick. I came up with a few things...

Support. I stay really motivated when I have someone to be accountable to. Like I mentioned in my recent Mamavation post, my family is not very supportive, in fact, sometimes they are more enablers than anything. It's not as if they are against weight loss: I get compliments and little congrats here and there, but I don't have anyone (in my fam) constantly pushing me! I have the Mamavation Sistahood to be supportive of me, and my co-workers are awesome motivators! They are whom I lean on right now.
Challenges. When I lost 50 lbs in 2007, I was doing it with a close friend. We would often challenge each other and that worked, so well.
Goals. I set many mini-goals for myself in '07. Mostly I did 5 lbs goals, but that was small enough for me to set my eyes on and not get overwhelmed.

That last bullet is what I realized I need the most right now. I set small goals, like drinking more water, and eating more veggies, but I haven't set any small weight loss goals other than what I would like to weigh by my sister's wedding in March.

So this is my first mini-goal. I want to weigh 259 by October 1. That is 5 lbs from where I am at right now, and 28 lbs since I began losing weight at the end of May.

Blog Hop! Giveaway for new followers! WINNER ANNOUNCED!

2010-09-07T15:22:00.015-04:00

Congratulations to,

Tricia Lynch said... New Follower - from the Homeschool Hop - thanks for the giveaway!

Congrats Tricia! I have emailed you! If I don't here from Tricia in 48 hours I will choose another winner! Thanks to everyone for following!

-Kimberly

Friday

Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I am trying really hard to build my followers for more involvement for giveaways and so I can achieve sponsorship for an upcoming blog related trip! Leave a comment if you are a new follwer and I will be sure to follow you back! If you are coming from a Homeschool Blog Hop please check out my homeschool blog as well by clicking the button to the right!

One lucky new follower will receive 3 Blueberry Cheesecake Hanging Fresheners from Scentsy! These little discs are great to hang in your car, closet or bathroom.

I will choose a winner via random.org on Friday 9/10! Thanks for following!

Tagged! Are you next?

2010-09-06T23:56:00.000-04:00

My girl Lisa from over at 50in8.com tagged me! So here are the answers to the questions set forth by her... If you are tagged below, answer my questions, and link back on the linky below!

    * Do the terms “Team Jacob” and “Team Edward” mean anything to you?
Absolutely not. Not into the whole vampire thing... :-| Don't shoot! I'm "Team Jesus" lol

    * If you could be a particular singer or musician, who would you be?
Francesca Batistelli. Her voice is so beautiful and the words of her songs are so meaningful to me!

    * If you could be on any game show, which one would it be and why?
The Biggest Loser. I am doing well losing weight, but I have always wanted to go on there and see how long I last before I start hysterically crying and screaming at Bob or Jill... Ha ha! No, but really, I used to beg my husband to let me apply to be on the show. At one time in my life I was convinced that was going to be fat forever, and that nothing I did could change that. But boy, do I know better now!

    * What is the wallpaper on your cellphone?
My boys! Particularly my youngest sleeping on the front screen, and my oldest at his school desk on the biggest screen.

    * What was your last vivid dream about?
I was trying to find a room that had treadmills in it and some girl kept re-directing me from it... (So, who wants to interpret that one??)

    * Do you have items that you never leave the house without?
My Gruve, Cell Phone, Purse(of course)

    * Describe your backyard!
My backyard is my upstairs neighbors front yard, we live in an apartment complex. But, if I had a backyard, it would be fenced, with a dog, or goat, or chickens and a swimming pool. lol Weird, I know.

    * What are the first five items you see when you open your junk drawer? (You know you have one! We all do!)
Here goes... Finger nail clippers, Sinus and Allergy Medicine, Knitting Needles, Finger Nail Polish, and Arch supports.

    * How many loads of laundry do you have waiting to be washed?
More than I can count. I hate laundry so it doesn't get done until my days off from work. "What honey, you don't have any clean undershorts? Turn your dirty ones inside out!" (lol just kidding!!!)

    * What do you wish to pass on to your kids?
My new healthy lifestyle. My parents never taught my sister and I how to eat healthy, and never really encouraged us to be active. I want my kids to see me eating right, and exercising. I want them to know that it is an automatic thing that should be a part of their daily life, not something that they should choose to include.

My questions:
-What was your high school mascot?
-Pet Peeve? Please share!
-What is your guilty pleasure?
-What show are you anticipating coming back to TV this fall?
-Where did you go on your last vacation?
-Where do you want to go on your next vacation?
-What motivated you to start blogging?

Just to be honest, I am not sure who would or would not answer my questions and link up, So if you are reading this, then I tag you! Please come back and link up the post with your answers to my questions!

Mamavation monday - What's up with that?!

2010-09-06T00:12:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! Happy Labor Day!

This past week has been uber weird. I am a little disappointed in myself, despite this week's weight loss. You may remember, a week and a half ago my GI doc told me to watch my fat intake and walk 6x week. Okay, at first I was rockin' it, the past week, not so much. I haven't drank nearly enough water, and I haven't walked or worked out since Monday night. I have been active, my Gruve is getting to green daily, but that is not what I feel I should be doing. I guess I am just in a funk. I need a karate butt kick out of it!! Sometimes I feel like I need someone, outside of my family, to be like, "Hey, how is it going, how are you doing?" Because my family is the world's worst enablers.

Sorry for the gloominess today, but I needed to get that out. Did it make sense? (Doubt it!)

So, despite the weird eating, and lack of water, I still lost 2.0 lbs this past week, which puts me at 13.7 lbs lost since I joined Mamavation, and that is great, ~~but I feel like it was undeserved~~. Scratch that, if I am getting out of this funk, it won't be like that. I deserve every loss that I achieve. There.

So I am STOKED about our blogging carnival sponsor for this week! Chef's Requested! Check out their website! They have 100 calorie portioned steaks! I haven't discovered if there are any stores around here that carry Chef's Requested, but I will be looking closer...

Congrats to my girl @gretablau for being named SOTW this week! She is absolutely deserving! Oh, do me a favor and check out her OpenSky shop! Awesome cause, and awesome products!

Have a great week sistas!

Help me reach 200 followers!

2010-09-05T14:41:00.004-04:00

Friday Follows! :)

2010-09-03T22:44:00.002-04:00

Thanks for stopping by, I will always follow back, please leave a link to your blog in the comments!

Mamavation Monday - Doctor says...

2010-08-28T22:07:00.000-04:00

Hey Mamavation ladies! I am so excited this week, I hope that this post makes sense... (It's a longie!)

As most of you may recall, in July I was very sick with Colitis. I visited the ER and was told I most likely had Crohn's disease, which made me very nervous and worried. First, I was worried about living with Crohn's for the rest of my life. Some people do it and do it well, but I was very unsure and scared of the unknown. I was also worried that if I did have Crohn's, I would not be able to apply for the next Mamavation Campaign. The second thing I was worried about was the colonoscopy (You're gonna put that where?!?) that the ER doc told me I needed. And lastly, I was terrified of the medical bills. I have NO health insurance. Yes, mostly my fault. So, to ease my mind, and to get a definitive answer, I finally visited a Gastroenterologist on Thursday. Dr. Awesome walked in the room and told me he was 90% positive that I don't have Crohn's and I didn't need a colonoscopy! (HUGE sigh of relief!) My discomfort was caused my the antibiotic Augmentin, which wiped out all of my intestinal bacteria. C. Diff (Clostridium Difficile) moved in and infected my large intestines. Doc did say that this was possibly a blessing in disguise. Through my CT and lab work, we discovered that I have a slightly enlarged spleen, elevated levels of bad cholesterol, and elevated liver enzymes. I would have had NO idea any of these were out of whack had I not gotten sick! I told Dr. Awesome to be honest with me, and tell me how much my weight was a factor in these new problems. He said my obesity was completely to blame. So, he gave me some awesome pointers, one being stay away from antibiotics, they really aren't good for your digestive system. Next he told me to walk 6 days a week. Whew. I walk 3-4 days a week, so that is going to be a challenge. I SO need a treadmill! So I am ecstatic that my few problems can be righted with diet and exercise, and I plan to see a huge difference within six months.

Weight loss this week was non-existent, but I am not complaining. Leah told me when I joined the gym a few weeks ago that I would probably gain weight when I started strength training due to my muscles getting stronger! So this week, I am up 3 ounces. Looking forward to awesome results next week!

This week's sister of the week is, Janice @fitcheerldr! Janice is an awesome sista, always there to give support and help keep us motivated. I recently reviewed (and am still reviewing) her new Walk and Tone mp3 Workout! You should check it out at her blog!

Sponsoring our blog carnival this week is our new Mamavation Campaign Nutritionist, Cynthia Pasquella and her SoCal Cleanse!

Thanks as always to Leah and all the other sistas who help keep us Sistas in check and keep us motivated! And one last shout out to @jennydecki and @ljenator, this was their last week as Mamavation Moms! We have laughed with them, cried with them, and learned a lot from them! They have inspired me and I can only hope that I can be as much of a positive influence as they have been to me!

Not familiar with Mamavation? Check out the about page! Even if you aren't interested stop by and check out the new site design premiering this weekend!

Mamavation Monday! I need new shoes!

2010-08-21T21:43:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone, thanks for stopping by! This has been one of those rollercoaster weeks. My eating wasn't great, I left my Hydracoach at home one day, and I had a massive sinus headache at the beginning of the week, so i didn't workout until Thursday! But, I guess I didn't do too much damage. I still ended up with a loss of 1.3 lbs this week, bring my total to 22 lbs lost. I am excited about my weight loss! My sister told me today that she can tell I am losing weight, and my pants are getting looser! (Deleted negative part of this sentence per @GretaBlau!)

So this week's challenges are to get my almost 2 year old to quit sucking his thumb. He is beginning to develop an open bite and his thumb is chapped and swollen! Oh wait, my weight loss challenges this week, are to continue working out and visiting the gym regularly. And drink more water!

Congratulations to Shawnee, @ShawneeH for being named the Sista of the Week! Shawnee you are so awesome, I can always count on you to cheer me on, or give me some twitter love! Thanks girl for being so great!

Make sure to check out this week's sponsor Earth Footwear, @earthfootwear! I am so psyched about this, I need a new pair of shoes terribly bad!

Also joining us on this weeks MamavationTV Monday is Liz Neporent, @lizzyfit we are going to learn so much from her!

Friday Follow!

2010-08-20T15:58:00.000-04:00

I haven't participated in a blog hop in a while, but I am having a hard time getting anyone to agree to let me do reviews, so i figure I need to get some more followers! :) Leave a comment and I will follow you back!

This week's weight loss!

2010-08-20T12:06:00.000-04:00

Hey friends! This has been a great week. Well, most of it. I had a major sinus headache at the beginning of this week, which lept me from working out much, but I got back on the workout wagon last night and almost blasted away 1,000 calories yesterday!

Gonna keep this short 'n sweet today. I have to go pick up my books and some school supplies! Fall semester starts Monday the 23rd!

Last Week's Weight

267.2

This Week's Weight

265.9

(-1.3)

(Total lost 22lbs)

Back to School!

2010-08-16T18:44:00.001-04:00

Or I guess, technically, for us, it is called, On to School! We are coming up on the beginning of our first year of homeschooling! Little Bear, Bradley, is 4 years old and an official preschooler! We have been working our our homeschool space over the weekend, and will continue to work on it this week. We decided that instead of using the corner in the living room, where all the electronic distractions are, we would school in our bedroom, where the distractions are limited. (And there is more room!) Check out my homeschooling blog for more updates! We are super excited to be sharing this with all of you!

Mamavation Monday - I joined a gym!

2010-08-15T15:51:00.003-04:00

Hi ladies! Thanks for stopping by this week! I have had a very exciting week since the last Mamavation Monday! This week I got a (functional) Hydracoach, which has made a huge difference in my daily water consumption, I met my first goal (!), joined a local gym, and I was named the Mamavation Sista of the Week!

So let's break all that down...

I ordered a Hydracoach almost 2 weeks ago, and the first one that came in was a bum. The display was non-working, so I had to wait for another one! It arrived, and I am in LOVE. I totally recommend one of these. I have definitely drank more water this past week.

My first goal was to lose 20 lbs, well, I did it! My (official) weigh-in on Friday the 13th put me at 20 lbs lost. (Okay, technically 20.7) (2 lbs lost since last Mamavation Monday!) I am so excited. I got serious about my weight loss on may 27th, and ever since then I have been on a roll (except for in July when I was sick!) I thank God for giving me the strength to overcome temptations, and for the strength to get off my keister and get moving! I also want to thank Krystal, at The Clever Mommy Chronicles, who is the host of Fight the Scale Fridays, and a HUGE thanks to all you Mamavation sistas! Without you all, the past couple months would have been lonely!

I "met" up with an old friend on Facebook, and we decided to go walking together, well, the rain threatened us Thursday and we didn't get to go. She mentioned that a local gym was offering FREE memberships through the end of this year! So I jumped on that and have been twice since Friday, and I am loving it. I spend the first 20 minutes strength training, then the last 30 minutes on a treadmill. It feels awesome! Also, if I so choose, I can request a personal trainer for free. Isn't that awesome?!

And then, Friday night I got an email that almost made me cry! I was named the Mamavation Sista of the Week! I have become so fond of this whole community, of Leah, and all the Sistas! I have never been part of a group that was so understanding and supportive. There is so much positivity and encouragement. When you are down, they pick you up. If you have an "off" day, they tell you what to do to get back "on". I am so blessed I found this group, and I am so excited that they have accepted me in! Thanks again to all the sistas, Leah, Lori, and everyone else involved in the SOTW process. I am really honored! (And I can't wait to gab on the cam Monday night!!)

A special thanks to @BoogieMom and Boogie Wipes for sponsoring this week's mamavation blogging carnival!

Goals this week:

Keep up the water intake
Get my Gruve to GREEN daily
Go to the gym at least 3 times!
Less carbs, more veggies and protein

Fight the Scale Friday 8/13/10

2010-08-13T10:36:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! :) This has been a really good week. I started focusing on getting more activity, and I ate really well. I tried hummus again this past week and I really like it (just not the garlic flavor with carrots, yuck.) I also found out that a nearby gym is giving away free memberships that last through the end of this year! I am SO getting one! The facility is very nice, they have a cardio theatre, a women's fitness room, a coed room, a dry heat sauna, tanning, and massages! Best of all, the owner is a Christian!

On to the weigh in...

Last week's weight

269.2

This week's weight...

267.2
(-2.0 lbs)
And that is a total of 20 lbs lost since the end of May!!

Make sure to visit Krystal, over at The Clever Mommy Chronicles, and cheer her on as she loses weight!

Mamavation Monday - Cumulative Weight Loss total

2010-08-08T13:51:00.005-04:00

Well, this past week has been a GREAT one! Last Monday night I had so much fun attending MamavationTV, even though my computer eventually got a bit behind. It was hilarious watching Leah laugh and shake her head at her video, when all the rest of us had already watched it! Very entertaining! (Sorry Leah!) But eventually my video also got behind, and when I was announced as the winner of a GRUVE I wasn't aware! Ha ha! Everyone was congratulating me in the chat and I was like, "Thanks, but what did I win?" My Gruve arrived on Friday and I got it all set up that evening and have worn it every minute of every day. It is very interesting seeing how I sleep at night. It looks like I sleep well until about 4am and then I start tossing and turning.

I weighed in Friday for the first "real" time since I had been sick, and wholy moly. I was surprised! Not that I had expected to gain weight, but I sure hadn't expected to lose 6.6 lbs in the month of July, bringing my cumulative total to 18.7 lbs since May 29th. People are constantly asking me if I have lost weight, which really boosts my confidence and motivates me even more! I looked at myself in a full length mirror this morning and actually realized, wow, I can tell a difference! :-) Like a quote I read once, "Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels" I still have a lot of weight to lose, but if almost 20 lbs is making me feel this good about myself, I am definitely staying on track! I would love to be under 200 by my sister's wedding in March! (Is losing 69 lbs possible by then?!?)

So my goals for this week are to:

Stay the course! Under 1800 calories per day and over 100 ounces of water per day
Get active! I am still in the Assessment week with my Gruve, so it is pretty much staying green all the time but I have to give myself something to be challenged with when this week is over!

And just because I haven't seen this low of a number in a while, I am posting a couple pics of my starting and current weight!

Congratulations to Jule (@jamnsfld76) for being named the Sister of the Week! I consider Julie to be not only my Mamavation Sista, but my Gruve sista as well! We both won Gruves last Monday night and we kept each other informed as to when they arrived! You can read more about Julie here.

SUPER big thanks to Lori, @gutimom for sponsoring this week's Mamavation Monday Blogging Carnival! You should see all the Avon swag she is providing in the giveaway! No, really, you should see it, click here!

Wanna know more about the Sistahood and Mamavation, well hop on over to Mamavation.com, and tell 'em I sent ya!

By the way, have you ever heard of the BodyBugg? I have wanted one of these ever since they made their debut on the famous tv show, The Biggest Loser. KyokoCake is having a giveaway on her blog, "like a fat kid loves cake", and one lucky winner will receive a BodyBugg! I already have a Gruve, but would love to have a BodyBugg! Hurry up and enter, the giveaway ends Sunday 8/8!

I want a BodyBugg, don't you??

2010-08-07T16:11:00.000-04:00

If so, go here to Like a fat kid loves cake to enter to win one! These are the same devices they use on the television show, The Biggest Loser! Awesome!

Fight the Scale Friday 8/6/10

2010-08-06T11:11:00.001-04:00

Wow, it has been a hard long month since my last Fight the Scale Friday post! In July I was very sick, and ended up being diagnosed with Colitis. Many days I couldn't eat, or just didn't want to! I am still recovering but I am feeling pretty normal. So I got the green light last week to get back on the weight loss wagon, and start exercising again. I haven't gotten much activity this past week, but my eating has been very under control!

So here is my last recorded weigh-in before the sickness...

275.8

And today's weight...

269.2

(-6.6 lbs)

(Running total 18.7 lbs since the end of May)

Are you fighting the scale to lose weight? Link up with Krystal, from The Clever Mommy Chronicles and I every Friday as we journey together to get healthier!

By the way, check out this awesome giveaway at Like a fat kid loves cake for a BodyBugg like they use on The Biggest Loser!

Mamavation Monday - Back on the wagon!

2010-08-01T20:29:00.001-04:00

(I am writing this Friday night, so if the timeline seems off, it is!)

I guess you could say I am back to normal! I haven't weighed myself officially, but I am going to work on getting back into my healthy eating and exercise routine for about a week, then see what the scale has to say. My last weight before I got sick was 275.8, so I am going by that to see how my weight next week compares. I am officially beginning exercise again tonight (Friday) as I go on a walk with my sister and dad. I am a little nervous as I have been out of a routine now for almost 3 weeks. And I still lack a little bit of energy.

My goals for this week are to journal what I eat, and begin adding exercise back into the mix. And I am still struggling with getting ALL of my water in. I really want to buy a Hydracoach water bottle to help me with this! Maybe I will be able to get one with my Scentsy commission!

I would like to thank my friends and family, and especially God for bringing me through this battle with Colitis. I am a very healthy person, so being sick for 3 weeks, really had me down in the dumps.

Wondering what Mamavation and the Sistahood is? Click the button below to go to Mamavation.com and check out all the support! I am so thankful I found this community of women!

Congrats to @RachelSteffen for being the Sister of the Week! You can read more about her here.

This week's Mamavation Sponsor is @Gruvesolution I am so interested in these little things! It's like a pedometer that let's you know when you are not being active enough! Awesome. I would love to have one! Click here to visit their website!

On your mark, get set....

2010-07-26T23:20:00.000-04:00

Not going, not yet!

I have felt better today than I have felt in 3 weeks. My appetite is back, I don't feel sick all the time, and my energy is rising! I am still not quite ready to exercise, yet, but I can see myself hitting the trail for a walk by Thursday. I am struggling getting enough water in, and it shows. In my cankles. I mean ankles. So my priority for this week? WATER! And lots of it! I am not going near the scale yet, don't want to see extra pounds of water. A good note though, yesterday at church, three people commented on my weight loss!! Squee!

Tonight was my first official full visit of Mamavation TV and it was awesome. Ladies, you make my ribs hurt from laughing. I am now a huge fan of Carla Binberg, @mizfitonline and Katy Bowman, @AlignedAndWell. Had some great chats about running, shoes for running! You should join in next week!

Thanks for stopping by!

It's water weight, right? Mamavation Monday

2010-07-21T13:25:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! I am so sorry I have been MIA. I visited the ER on Thursday night, and was diagnosed with Colitis and possibly Crohn's Diesase. Yikes. I have been pretty miserable since. Most days my body just would not allow me to eat at all. I have been keeping myself hydrated by drinking lots of water and drinking G2 Gatorade to keep my electrolytes in balance. In the midst of all this excitement, I was accepted into the Mamavation Sistahood!! I am so excited, and as soon as doc says, "GO!" I will be back on my weight loss path. Unfortunately my scale is being very ugly right now and is showing a 6 lb gain. I am hoping this is just water retention. There is NO possible way I gained 6 lbs of fat, I didn't eat enough food in this past week for that.

So my goal for this week is to get back into my regular, non-sick eating habits and start exercising again. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

Giveaway discontinued

2010-07-13T09:09:00.003-04:00

Sorry everyone. I am discontinuing this giveaway because of a lack of interest. Keep your eyes open for a Scentsy giveaway soon! And share the word!

SmoothFitness, who is a sponsor of the Mamavation community is giving a treadmill away to one lucky person! Leah, our leader, has decided to let us choose who gets it! Nominations start today. The top 20 nominees will then be voted on, and the nominee with most votes, wins! I need YOUR help! I really need a treadmill! We have hot summers, and cold snowy winters, so most of the time my exercise is done inside, I would really love to have this treadmill!

~~If you would, just go to Twitter, and copy and paste this,~~

~~"I nominate @christlikemommy 2 win a FREE treadmill from @SmoothFitness. They R totally deserving, http://bit.ly/a5JZgl"~~

~~You must copy and paste the above, RTs do not count!~~
~~You may only nominate me once, and that's it, so this is a pretty easy process! Nominations may be made between July 13 and July 23. Voting starts on July 27.~~

~~How about a giveaway for some incentive?~~

~~Once you nominate me, come back here and leave a comment! Please be sure to leave your twitter handle, AND your email address.~~
~~For 4 extra entries, blog about this, and ask your friends to nominate me as well! Please leave a link to your blog in your comment.~~
~~When voting opens on July 27th, vote daily, and come back and comment for an extra daily entry!~~

~~You could end up with a total of 12 entries!~~

~~The winner will receive a Scentsy Plug-in System of their choice. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email or I will pick another entrant.~~

~~Thanks so much for helping me out!~~

*Scentsy is in no way involved with this giveaway. I am an Independent Scentsy Consultant, and the Plug-in system will be purchased by me.

Mamavation Monday - My very first!

2010-07-11T11:46:00.001-04:00

I heard of Mamavation a few weeks ago when the application was open for Mamavation Campaign 5. I read about, was interested in it, but was too ashamed to put myself that far out there. I don't mind posting my weight, or a picture here and there when I am blogging about my weight, but to post a video, where you could see my double chin swinging in the breeze, hear my southern twang, and possibly see my face turn 5 shades of red... I couldn't do it. But then, on Tuesday last week, I watched a video, Roxy's video. She has the same fears as me! But here she was, "being true to herself" and her video application was so inspiring! Inspiring enough that I want to join the Mamavation Sistahood, and WILL be applying for Mamavation Campaign 6.

So, here is my very first Mamavation Monday Post! Many of you who read my blog probably already know my past struggles. Just for a quick recap: I have been overweight or obese for all of my late teen/early adult life. In 2007, I lost 50 lbs with a popular weight loss plan, then got pregnant in 2008 and gained it all back. I am was an emotional, stress eater. I have been working through a program called The Lord's Table which has taught me to run to God instead of the refrigerator when I am stressed. I began that program on May 27th and lost 11.4 lbs in the first month. I veered off track around the 4th of July, but quickly got back to work. My most recent weight was 275.8 and I am 5'7'', so that puts my BMI at 43.2 or Morbidly Obese.

I want to be in the Mamavation Sistahood, because while I am reaching and when I reach my goal, I feel like my story can help someone. I had a conversation with my husband on how there are so many people going around telling of how they used to be an alcoholic, or a drug addict, but you don't hear as many stories of someone who used to be a glutton. I want to share my story one day. I want to be healthy, that is my main goal, but my little sister is getting married in March of next year, so that leaves me little time to get into a cute bridesmaid dress!

So far the past week of following the Mamavation moms on Twitter and on the Mamavation website has really helped me get motivated! This is the kind of motivation, the partnership, that drives me.

Please accept this post as my pledge to the Mamavation Sistahood!