Jamie Update!

My Before, size 18 pants, XXL tops

My NOW, size 10 pants, Large tops.

Last August, actually August 31st, I decided to sign up for Weight Watchers. I've signed up online before, lost maybe 8-10 lbs a couple different times. I also did Weight Watchers with a friend many years ago, after my 4th baby. We just emailed each other what we ate and counted a point for every 50 calories we ate, equaling a certain amount of points per day according to our weight. We'd try to exercise every day as a part of it too. That time I lost 28 pounds, but then got pregnant 2 more times.  With each child I'd lose quite a bit, after 60 pound weight gains, all except 10-15 pounds, and those 10-15 is what accumulated with each child until my total amount I wanted to  lose was close to 60 pounds. 

From August 31, 2017 to August 31, 2018 I lost 45 pounds! My reason for wanting to go in was that I hated the way I looked in pictures. I love myself, I have, or thought I had pretty good self esteem. Except when I'd look at pictures of myself. OH my goodness. Like in the top picture above, I actually thought I looked pretty good. 

This past year we had First Confession, First Communion, Confirmation, Graduation and a Graduation party. I wanted to at least not worry about how I looked in pictures. That being said, the weight has come off slow. I'm OK with that.  This past summer from May until the end of August I only lost 8 pounds. 8 pounds is a size though! Down is down. 

I really liked this visual of weight loss and how it works, I found this to be true for me. Each weigh-in is just one moment in a week filled with moments. 

The reason I chose Weight Watchers is because I've found it to be the most livable. I can see myself doing this always. It's about making better food choices. It's about getting back on track with healthy eating the next day or even the next meal. I am able to eat anything I want, I just  need to count it. I do allow myself a few free days, like Thanksgiving day, Christmas Day, Easter, my birthday and special occasions but I get back on track the very next day. 

This time I joined online and meetings. I found the meetings really helpful. I liked the support and looked forward to each week getting new tips and sharing some of my own. There is also tons of support online with the new app you can scan foods at the store (or home) and see how may points an item is before you decide to purchase. There are also support things like a thing on the app called "Connect" where it's kind of like a Weight Watchers Instagram. People share their stories and it's filled with encouragement. There are recipes and restaurant foods listed, there's even an activity tracker. (you'd get all these benefits from the app with the online version of Weight Watchers) There are support groups on Facebook also I've found very helpful. Instagram has people that do Weight Watchers and post recipes and foods they eat daily. I've found these very helpful and encouraging too. 

The new Weight Watchers is now called Weight Watchers Freestyle. With Freestyle there are many new zero point foods such as: Fat Free plain Greek or regular plain yogurt, chicken and turkey breast, seafood, eggs, corn, all beans (except baked), fruit and veggies. You are given a certain amount of points to stick to each day with weekly points to do extra things like going out to eat or having treats or whatever you choose. The new zero point foods really do help you to make better choices that fill you up. One of my very favorite things is sugar-free cheesecake flavored pudding mix mixed with 1 cup of almond milk and then stirred into a large container of plain Greek yogurt. (this needs to sit for several hours though and then stirred before eating) I have this with fresh blueberries and peaches or whatever fresh fruit we have for breakfast every morning! 

I have not reached my "goal" yet, I still have about 15 pounds left to get to that. It doesn't matter to me how long it takes as long as I'm doing my best an eating healthy. 

My goal is always to workout daily. But I fail this miserably. In May I did start walking daily with my daughter, but this quickly faded. I realized although, walking is my favorite form of exercise, I really don't like to exercise. Don't get me wrong, I love how it  makes me feel. I just don't like the guilt it adds to my life when I don't do it. When I get busy, it's the first thing to go. SO I've lost this weight with NO EXERCISE. I'm not advocating this, because I do think exercise helps firm us up and obviously there are a ton of other health benefits.  I know this is a question many have, "Do I have to exercise?" The answer is no. 

Any other questions? Please ask in the comments! 

Just Breathe

We've had a week filled with a lot of little stresses.

You know, family things.

We all have them.

things we can't tell the world on a blog.

 We've got anxiety issues  and

depression issues.

We've got oppositional behaviors and ADHD

It's heartbreaking when you are the parent, the wife
and are helpless
except to deal with it as it comes.

 We have 8 people living here each with a different personality.

Everyone needs some kind of attention

Some are needy and show it

Some are needy and demand it

Some are needy and pretend not to be.

We've had cut fingers, runny noses and sick kids this week

 I had one day this week where I really wanted to go to the noon Mass

but 

one particular child made me late

So late, I ended up leaving without her

but by the time I got to the church it was already 10 minutes after 12

SO

I decided to go to the Adoration chapel instead

(at another Catholic church)

I was mad, but, as I got out of the van

and started walking towards the chapel,

the anger completely left and I felt it lift away. 

As if Jesus had taken it away for me.

I knew in that instant, that I was not mad, 

it was my own fault I was late

I am the adult here, I could have left sooner.

(it was not this sweet girl pictured, just so you know)

 Once inside, I kept hearing these words

Just Breathe

Just Breathe

And you know what?

I did.

(this is the song I kept hearing while in the chapel)

And Jesus filled me with

His Graces

His Joy

and 

His Peace

 Hard things happen to us all.

Every day

 It's up to us to turn to God,

 beg Him for His mercy,

waiting there for us to ask for

And Thank Him for all the blessings He has given us.

Blessings like these little ones

without a problem in the world.

 Except those temporary runny noses, cut fingers and little kid things

Oh, and type 1 diabetes and a cleft lip/palate, but who's counting those?

Life is pretty great 

 

Remember to

Go to God

He makes all things new.

Go to any Catholic church, 

find the Tabernacle, and sit in front of it.

(you know the gold box with a red candle lit by it)

If your church has Adoration, go visit Jesus.

He waits for you and I

(this is in my neighbors backyard, perfectly in my view)

Thankful For Everyday Life

 After my last sad post about Sarah

(you can still donate to help her family HERE)

And

all the sad sad things happening around the world, 

I wanted to post a Thankful post.

I love this picture of Sarah, posted by a friend of hers.

The joy in her face reminds me of the joy she must feel now,

in Heaven!
(and how much more glorious her smile must be!)

It's a happy picture for me, not a sad one. 

(OK, it's kind of sad, as tears well up and my throat has a lump in it)

 I've been really contemplating the meanings of the beads she created.

Thankful she not only created beautiful beads,

 but each bead has a significant meaning.

 My favorite?

The Rooster.

The detail, the meaning, so very fitting, especially now.

 Thankful my daughter also found the necklace Sarah made for me

I'd borrowed it to another daughter and the chain broke

The clay piece was lost, til the other day. 

I have since put a black cord through it, so it can be worn again.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary, 

given to me 4 years ago, the last time I saw Sarah in person.

You can bet it is even more special than it was before

(like, I'm not going to let any of my daughters wear it)

 Thankful we are making small home improvements, 

like here, I sprayed my GOLD fixtures a nickel color

 Thankful I got the back porches (steps) 

painted, it took me all summer, but I got them done!

Before above

 After

 After...forgot to take a "before" picture, but trust me, it was bad.

 Since we are in the backyard, Thankful for my hydrangea bushes

 and the beautiful centerpieces they make

 Thankful for MCCL (Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life)

In the almost 3 hour time period we were at the local fair

I spoke to a young woman that had an abortion and another 

who unsuccessfully tried talking a friend out of having an abortion.

There is so much hurt out there.

I love the positive messages this Corporation gives

and it is an honor to work their booths

There is so much pain out there, people need LOVE, 

they need to feel LOVE.

 We decided to go back to the fair with the littles this time

Thankful for cute moments like this one, 

waiting for a pony ride!

 Thankful for fair food!

The kids each got to pick one fair food

The choices they made were ice cream, mini donuts and cheese curds.

I got a bite of each!

 Yep, I was there too.

 I let my 8 year old have the camera

I'm like, "OK, one more picture."

And he was done.

 Thankful we have plenty of milkweed to feed our caterpillar

and plenty of kids to enjoy watching him eat it!

Thankful for pretty August mailboxes

 and back to school pictures

I even got myself!

(well, my 4 year old did)

Only 2 left to do

Why back to school pictures you say?

 because we started school on Monday

(she's mad she had to wear the orange shirt, not because of school starting)

We have from left to right:

a 3rd grader, 4th grader, 7th grader and 9th grader!

 I didn't forget the messmakers pre-schoolers!

 I'm doing letters, numbers, Little Saints Preschool 

and lots of play dough

 Go HERE

for a better idea of what we do!

Thankful I found 2 boards like this, one is with letters and pictures 

and the other is (red) with numbers and pictures

for $4.97 at Wal-mart!

Thankful for these awesome pens, really, no other pen compares.

(they are pretty cheap too)

 Thankful this year we decided to bind all the books we want to re-use 

for about $3-4 a book, done at Office Max, this is my favorite thing this year!

(next to the pens of course)

(this is last year's picture) 

Just a tip, I put each child's work in bins like this, it works well for us.

They are easy to pick up and bring to other rooms and they store little things

and the books are all upright so they are easy to read and grab.

 Thankful, among some of the things we are fixing around the house, 

the patio door is one of them!

This door has been broken for like 4 or 5 years.

Completely stuck shut.

Thanks to Mr 12 Lives at the Lake +1

We are getting a ton of stuff done!

 Like a screen door!!

So Thankful for a screen door!! 

 Thankful for get togethers with friends!!

Recognize these lovely ladies?

Sarah (With a Hopeful Heart)

Me (with Minnesota Humidity mascara running eyes)

and 

Margaret, (Minnesota Mom)

 Isn't she pretty?

If I'd have been on the ball and posted a 

single post on just this visit, I'd have called it

"Frozen Pizza and Whatever's In My Fridge"

Maggie here, only gave me one day notice!

That's OK, I can go with the flow!

 I always have lots of veggies in the fridge

And she can eat veggies! 

 We met at a famous flower garden in our city

where my almost-5 year old played in the fountains

 and Maggie's 5 year old played in the fountain

(Yes, I'm thinking match made in heaven, or at least at the flower gardens)

 I love the instant friendships that happen.
(I stole this picture from Sarah!)

 I got almost all my kids in a picture!!

Gosh, if you are still here, reading, aren't you Thankful it's over?

Thankful for August summer carefree days in the sun!

Enjoy it while you can!!