Rolling With the Punches

And rolling with the punches is exactly what I've had to do. As you all know I signed up as a Beachbody Coach and started working on getting into shape by starting with their 21 Day Fix program. I started out on fire and I was kicking butts & taking names. I was excited and each day I found myself feeling invigorated. I'm even taking a Zumba class twice a week and a Yoga class once a week at school. Aren't I a brave one? LOL. And the best part, my Fibromyalgia seemed to be taking a backseat. I was on top of the world.

Day 2 of 21 Day Fix Post Workout

Or at least I thought I was until my first weekend began with the first real migraine I'd had in weeks, perhaps even a month. I felt weak, exhausted, raging nausea, vertigo, really the works. I was downright miserable. Much to my disappointment, I found that I didn't feel up to working out nor did I feel that it was in the best interest of my poor body to try. One day wasn't a big deal, I would just pick up from where I left off the day before and keep busting my booty to lose weight.

But one day rolled into two, which raged and raced, and before I knew it a week had gone by. In that week, I hadn't done a single one of the 21 Day Fix workouts and while I had still attended my classes, I had to sit out after about 3 or 4 songs during Zumba on the Wednesday and wasn't able to join in the remainder of the class. Which really made me sad, because I am really finding that I love that class. I hurt afterward, but I know it means I've busted my but and that feels good. I even struggled with Yoga and left with an even worse migraine than I had when I started.

I was honestly feeling discouraged. I couldn't figure out what it was that was causing this sudden increase in my migraines. I even quick drinking my Shakeology shakes for about 4 days to make sure it wasn't anything in that (it is all natural and healthy superfoods), but I found no real change and so I resumed drinking a shake a day. I thought it could have been all the working out, but I'd seriously reduced the amount with not doing the workouts setup in program. I was at a loss and frustrated.

All of this began to make me question my ability to be an effective coach. I mean how could I advise and coach others about proper eating and working out, if I couldn't even complete the program myself. I was sick, stressed and very disappointed in this almost cruel twist in my plans. I had finally grown tired of being unable to lose the weight on my own, but I hadn't wanted to resort to taking medications to lose the weight. So, when I'd made my decision to take the plunge, I'd be excited, full of hope and not a small bit scared. It seemed that this whole thing was a major blow to all of that.

I honestly felt ready to throw in the towel. I wasn't cut out for this and I was just going to stay fat forever. (OK, I admit to being a bit melodramatic, but I felt frustrated and super disappointed) Then I got talking to this amazing and wonderful friend, who I'm glad to call family. She too suffers from Fibromyalgia and she pointed out that I shouldn't be too hard on myself. She pointed out that I'd made a huge step just by wanting to be more active and to lose weight, and by making the steps to do so. She got me to thinking and I realized I needed to reevaluate how I was looking at things.

Dealing with chronic pain on a daily basis, it's a huge step to take and I still need to listen to MY body. I need to take things at my pace and not be discouraged if I can't keep up with everything, its enough that I'm trying and not giving up. I may not have been completely successful in the workout portion, but I have changed how my husband and I both eat. I don't think I've eaten so healthy ever! As far as the workouts go, I need to push myself and try to workout even when I feel worn out or in pain, but that I need to listen to my body. (A measure of pain isn't necessarily a bad thing) I just need to make sure to listen and if I do that I can give myself the right amount of pushing without hurting myself.

That's when something clicked. I couldn't give up as a coach, not when I have a unique perspective to offer. I can help those who find themselves needing to roll with the punches, those who feel discouraged when they face a setback, because I've been there. I have had to make adjustments and find what works for me. I can help them find what works for them and help them become healthier & reach their goals. Not only can I help, but I truly want to help. I want others to know that they are NOT alone and that they are NOT failures.

If you are ready to make a change, feel free to contact me. I really am excited to help you make the changes you need and live a healthier life.

I did my weigh in and measurements on Friday, and I was delighted with my results. Here are my beginning measurements and the measurements on Friday.

Starting #s:
1/18/16
Left Thigh: 22.5
Right Thigh: 23.2
Left Calf: 14.2
Right Calf: 14.3
Hips: 46.3
Waist: 43.4
Chest: 43.8
Left Bicep: 12.5
Right Bicep: 12.1
Weight: 206

1/30/16
Left Thigh: 18.9
Right Thigh: 19.1
Left Calf: 14.3
Right Calf: 14.9
Hips: 44.3
Waist: 41.7
Chest: 41.0
Left Bicep: 12.5
Right Bicep: 12.1
Weight: 200.8

Even with the setback on my workouts, I still managed to drop some weight and see changes in most of my measurements. That excites me, that tells me that I can still do this even if I need to make adjustments on my bad days. I'm still making progress, while it might not be as quickly as those who can complete the program as its setup, but I can still achieve my goals. So can you!

As a side not, I still haven't been able to find a reprieve from my migraines, but I do have an appointment with my Dr later today and hopefully we'll be able to get a handle on this.

Thank you for joining me in my journey to a happier and healthier me!

Goals

*Drink a minimum of 80 oz to start, but I want to work up to a minimum of 100 oz each day.

*I want to do no less than 3 workout sessions a week, but I definitely want to work up to doing the full 21 Day Fix from start to finish.

*I want to continue to eat the healthy portions and the wide variety of healthy goodies.

*I want to find new recipes that I can easily merge my healthy portions into, so that we have a better selection of meals.

What are your goals?

"Breathe...It's only a bad day, not a bad life."

-Johnny Depp

Ache of Day One

Oww. That is literally how I feel after Day One of my 21 Day Fix. Now I know I'm not in super great shape and I've done some working out here & there. My body has something else to tell me and which is, "I hate you!" Harsh, I know but its the truth. I put it through the wringer but I'm proud of myself and all that I accomplished in Day One.

Day One

Weigh In: 203.8 lbs

Workout: Total Body Cardio Fix 30 mins

Water Intake Goal: 100 oz

Meals

After Workout

*Shakeology Shake (Shakeology powder, spinach, 3 tsp Almond Butter, 1/2 banana)

Breakfast

*Oatmeal

*Sugar Snap Peas

*Cottage Cheese

Lunch

*Tuna (Herb & Garlic)

*Mandarin Orange

*Brown Rice

*Carrots (10 medium baby carrots)

Dinner

*Chicken cooked in 1 tsp Coconut Oil, topped with 21 Day Fix Season All

*Brown Rice

*Green Beans

*Almonds (12)

Snack

*Green Peppers

*1/2 Whole Wheat Bagel with 1 tsp Almond Butter

*Banana

*Sunflower Seeds

Water Total: 84.5 oz 

Now that I have shared all the really boring information with you, we can go on to something more interesting.

My day did not go as planned, not at all. As one of the many symptoms of Fibromyalgia, I can suffer both insomnia and utter exhaustion all in a 24 hour time frame. I was super nervous about starting this program and couldn't sleep. So what did I do instead? I was blogging at 4 in the morning. So when I finally laid down I slept like the dead and I slept right through about 8 alarms. Yes, I did just really and seriously say 8 alarms. I know I have a tendency of oversleeping and of being unable to wake myself up, so multiple alarms is a must for me. Some days it really does me no good to set the alarms, because I just sleep right through every single one. Day one for me started at 11 am and I was uber frustrated with myself. I felt like it had totally thrown a wrench into my plans and honestly, it very nearly ruined the day for me.

However, I sucked it up and began adjusting. I started by putting together my shake and then went to town on my workout. IT NEARLY KILLED ME! Ok, so maybe that's an exaggeration, but it really worked me hard. I don't know how many of you have tried doing video workouts before, but I always feel I have to keep up with them and be so precise. It really wasn't in the cards for me to keep up 100% of the time, not even 50% of the time. 

Can I tell you a secret? Its ok. That's it really. I mean I tried MY Best and while I wasn't able to complete all 60 secs of each workout, I tried my hardest. I had to stop about half way through because I felt like I was going to be sick. After about 10 mins, I jumped right back in but by then I'd lost a bit of my momentum. I was once again frustrated that I wasn't doing it perfect and I had to remind myself, not only do I suffer a autoimmune disease and the chronic pain that it comes with, but I hadn't worked out it months. So it was going to be hard, but just because its hard, doesn't mean its not worth every ounce of pain.

And every ounce of pain is exactly what I endured. I definitely worked my right side harder than my left, but I walked away or should I say limped away with some very sore leg muscles. Then the Fibro kicked in and I was in agony, but I had stuck out my first 30 minute workout. I was in agony, but I was totally stoked about it. It means I worked my body hard and that I was a day closer to the results I'm working towards.

It may have been frustrating not doing as well as I'd imagined I would, but I still completed the workout. Then I went through my day eating my very precise and planned meals. Which changed as I realized that I was missing things and I couldn't go to the store right away. I'm going to be honest, I was hungry a lot yesterday, but today I was full after everyone of my mini meals. I was super excited! Its been interesting having to be so precise with my measurements as well as with everything that goes into my body. Plus, 84.5 oz of water is a huge and I do mean huge undertaking for me. I easily get dehydrated and not drinking enough water is definitely a huge factor in that. So it was a score for me to drink so much and boy, I haven't had to pee this much since I was pregnant. LOL.

Its not been easy, but I feel like I'm already starting to get into the swing of things. Its a process and requires extra work and thought, but its already proving to be worth it. Today I didn't crave sweet sugary things nearly as much as I did yesterday, but I think that's something that will diminish with time and I'm not going to give up my sweets forever. I know that the next three weeks will help me be able to control the amount of sweets that I eat later, because I'll have developed some serious self control.

After Day Two!

Know that when you are ready to take the plunge and begin making healthy changes in your life, be it working out, eating healthier, less TV or whatever it is, it might not be easy, but it will be so worth it when you have gained control over your life. I'm looking forward to the changes I make and working towards a healthier me!

The Heart of Change

When I stepped on the scale at my Dr's office on January 4th, I could hardly believe what was so blatantly staring me in the face. My weight had gone up and gone up nearly 16 lbs since I'd been in the month before. I was shocked to say the least. If I'd been alone I would have cried, instead I sucked it up and continued on with the rest of my appointment. But it was a turning point for me. I didn't know if my weight was causing more problems with my Fibromyalgia, but I knew that whether it was or not, I needed to make a change because being overweight wasn't doing me any good. Now all I needed was a starting point.

Not great photo but a more recent one.

The problem was I had no idea where to start. I mean its all good to start a 'new' diet, a 'new' workout but you have to be persistent. Really the first thing you need to do is pick a program and there are so many out there these days that one gets overwhelmed by the choices. How was I to know what would really work for me? The plans, ideas, workouts were enough to make me dizzy. Oh did I mention money? It seems that all of these programs cost a pretty penny.

Yes, I had a lot of decisions, but I did make one, eventually. I had been in contact with a super amazing woman, Melissa, who happened to be a coach for Beachbody. I had talked with her on and off for the past year. I loved seeing how enthusiastic she was/is about what she does. She was super awesome about answer my millions of questions and was uber patient with me. I had talked to her about joining back in August, but I had found other things to spend my school money on. Not to mention I hadn't really resolved to lose any weight, not really.

Seeing the scale jump so drastically, I knew that that it was time. I needed to do more than just 'play' at losing the weight, I needed to do it now. I'd made the decision and yet, I was scared. I talked it over with my Hubby and deliberated about it. It was still on the expensive side, but I had the money and Melissa even had a way for me to save $20. So I took the plunge and sent her the message that I was ready.

And ready I am. I'm scared but I'm ready. So today I start my weightless journey and I'm starting the 21 Day Fix. For the next 21 days I'm going to post about my successes and my failures. I want to share my journey because perhaps it will inspire you to take the plunge for whatever change needs to be made in your life, (be it weight loss, going back to school, whatever it is). I promise I'll take time to write about my family and our adventures, but I need to include this, because this is apart of my adventures just the same as the rest.

Welcome to my journey!

**If you are looking for that extra push, for that guide to making your weight loss journey, I am now a Beachbody coach and I'm happy to make that journey with you!**

The One With the 8th Anniversary

I know it has been a long time since I last posted, but life continues to be one adventure after another and not necessarily all good ones. My kids grow bigger everyday and I try to enjoy each milestone & change with them. My health has continued to be an ongoing battle and I struggle to do the simplest & most basic things. Its hard to tell anyone about what I'm going through since most just don't understand. I feel guilty that my health impedes the care of my home and most especially my kids. I mentally beat myself up over it and I think about all the things I can't do. I was given a special Priesthood blessing back in February (its a special blessing or prayer given by worthy men who hold the Priesthood keys in my Church) that told me 'Don't worry about you can't do, but be grateful for what you can.' As I had not mentioned my worries to anyone but my Husband, it hit me hard knowing that God knew what was troubling my heart most and gave me the simplest, yet sweetest advice to bring me comfort. I try to remind myself of those words every day or every time I start to stress about all that I lack the ability to do. I know that life may not always be this hard, but it could be. My conditions are not ones that are likely to go away, but I hope to find things to lessen the symptoms, so I can lead a more normal life!

Anyway, on to more happy things! ;) Pixie turned 3 back at the beginning of March, we had a party for her at my parent's since my husband was gone for some training, but we went and did fun things after he got back to celebrate. I can hardly believe she has gotten so big and yet is so small. No one believes she's that old based on how tiny and petite she is. How little I knew that her nickname picked before she was born would suit her so well. Fallon turned 2 at the beginning of April and actually got a pretty cool present on his birthday; a new baby cousin. My sister delivered her baby girl via c-section after long hours of good steady labor that wasn't helping her progress. I think she totally agrees that her sweet little girl was well worth it!

My Husband and I celebrated our 12th year together as a couple & our 8th year married! I can hardly believe how the time has flown. We haven't always had it easy, but we have grown stronger together and I certainly love him more today, then I did when we first got married. He is so amazing and strong. He takes good care of me and our kids, especially as I cannot always take care of myself. I couldn't be more proud of this amazing man and I am looking forward to an eternity together!

I know there is so much more to catch you all up on, but I must get some sleep so I can make it to my MRI appt in the morning. Good night all!

Yearning

I haven't done very well with blogging this year. It makes me sad, since I had big plans to write and share, but then life actually happened. My fingers have ached to write, but I've attempted a few times to do so and find myself hitting a wall. I try and try, then panic sets in and I'm done for the day. I love to write and I always have, but I've found that while it would seem I have so much to write about and comment on, I look at the screen and my mind goes blank. Maybe its the fear of someone not liking what I have to say.

Maybe I'm not so funny, at least not compared to the blogs that seem to have large quantities of followers. (I know I just compared my blog with others, a big 'No No!') Its hard these days to find a niche to fit in, since everybody (and I do mean everybody) thinks they can write. All the blogs I follow are amazing, I want to know more and often feel like I know them. I have run across a few that heaven help them and we'll leave it at that. I am not that great of a writer, but like all writers I want to be heard. I have dreamed of writing a bestselling Novel, but I'm 28 and I'm not seeing much of that in my future.

My Hubby and I often talk about when he becomes a Bestselling author or when I become one, about all the things we'd like to do and be able to afford to have. My Hubby is a good writer and I'm not just saying that. He always is able to write these amazing plot outlines and they are so well planned & figured out. Sit me down and nothing. Although I think my writing style is what they call a 'Grower.' Kind of sounds dirty now that I look at it. Its not however! It means my stories develop as I write, they grow like a plant would. I don't do much thinking ahead, it just happens. My blog posts kind of do the same. I wonder if it makes a story or post more exciting to have it planned or for it to just happen. Who knows?

Alright, its late and we're actually going to go to the Children's Museum tomorrow. So, I kind of need some kind of rest. You know imagine that! I'll try to get a blog post up about our Vacays this summer, because we sure had a busy summer. For those who still follow me, bear with me as I try to figure out how to balance kindergarten, a home business and life with four kids under 5. I'm going to find a way to squish writing in and maybe I'll find my way around my Writer's Block Wall. Check out my new blog, Crafty With Pixie Stedding,  for my business, where I will be showcasing super cute papercraft projects and hopefully will inspire others to want to be crafty too!

New Journeys

Kindergarten. Army. House Cleaning. Kids. This Fall has already started full and not just a little bit chaotic! As a family we are making new journeys and learning together how to move forward. Aidan started Kindergarten and boy has that thrown us all for a loop. I'm happy he's learning, if not perhaps all that comes with public school, and I'm super happy that he's learning new things, making new friends, etc. The schedule for the school is less then ideal, Noon to 2:50 Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Fri. Wed is early out day and so he has to be at school by 10 and is there til 11:50. It makes planning trips into town tricky. Point of Fact: last week we had to leave Aidan & Aislynn all day with an amazing friend so I could go to the Dr's and get groceries. (Of course every thing that could go wrong that day, did!) We're adjusting. I'm sure it takes more then a few weeks or even a month to do so, but boy, I'm ready to have life settle down.

Another new Journey began last month. I started a home business. I am now an Independent Consultant for Close To My Heart and super excited to see my business take off. I've finally purchased enough supplies to really get a chance to play with our products and of course have an excuse to be crafty! What woman needs much of an excuse for that? LOL! I'm also super nervous about this because a lot of what is needed to succeed is way, way out of my comfort zone. So, I'm trying to take big steps to overcome and do well.

I have my first Workshop/Scrapbook event this weekend and I am nervous, but excited because this can open so many doors for my business. We are making a super cute 2-page layout for Halloween and eating yummy pizza! I hope that I get a good turn out, so keep me in your prayers that I do. You want to check out my new Blog, head Here or want to check out Close To My Heart products head Here.

Changes

I can hardly believe how long its been so I blogged! My life seemed to take all kinds of crazy turns this year and now things are beginning to settle down once again. So maybe I will finally be able to blog more often. I do miss it. Although I think the break was just what I needed, I was getting a chance to enjoy my family.

Aidan started Kindergarten a week ago and seems to be really enjoying himself. Although, he still continues to hide behind myself or my Hubby every time we take him and anyone talks to him. But once he gets to class he seems to do fine and hasn't had any issues according to his teacher. I still can hardly believe my baby is in school already. I'm glad he likes it, that he's learning and that he's making friends.

Aislynn is jealous! She wants so badly to be in school with Aidan, but we keep telling her that she'll get to go next year. We've been trying to make sure that she gets some special time with each of us. My hubby took her to the library last week and picked out books & movies to share. I'm not sure what she & will do this week, but we'll come up with something.

Pixie and Fallon are growing like crazy. Fallon gives kisses and toddles around like crazy. He is so smart! Pixie causes all kinds of mischief and loves to brush everyone's hair (or Daddy's bald head)! She loves to sing her ABCs and does pretty well at it, too!

I started working from home last month. I am now an Independent Consultant for Close To My Heart! I'm super excited about being able to help contribute to our finances (in a good way) and be able to set my own schedule, as well as have a great excuse to be crafty! I'll be starting a blog soon just for my projects, I'll share it once its up and running!

My health has continued to improve, which has been a blessing. Although I still suffer from my migraines, but now we've reached the beginning of cooler weather they have decreased some and now that I know to avoid MSG & Sodium Nitrate. I'm excited to enjoy life as I continue to improve my health.

Well, I have got to run, I hear Fallon calling to me from his booster seat. He must be done with his dinner!