Hey now, Hey now, my boyfriend's back!

It's been ENTIRELY too long since my last update, post, pic, etc. Things have been crazy around here. Everytime I want to blog, ten million other things have to be done. Well, thanks be to God, I am getting some things crossed off my "30 before 30" list. That is keeping me pretty busy! I finally have a good before and after pic to show, although my after pic isn't really finished yet. Did I mention that I have started my Master's Degree program? And I am teaching summer school? So yeah, like I said, it's been pretty crazy.

Where do I begin.....I know. I'll start with a weight loss update. I had a few slow weeks, but I am proud to say that I've hit all of my goals for the month of June already. No seriously, I set pretty conservative goals this time. I am OFFICIALLY out of clothes that fit...I can either go shopping or lose 5-10 more pounds. I have elected to lose 5-10 more pounds. I did, however, buy a couple of new sundresses to hold me over. THat's the one thing that you have to love about Texas weather; I may be hotter than (insert funny word here), but at least I can just throw on a pretty dress and hit the door. No point in wearing make-up. It just melts off my face anyway, lol! So here is the moment I think you have been waiting for. My total weight loss up to this point is exactly 29 pounds!! I am soooo excited I can hardly contain myself. Between that and all of the many things that God is establishing in my life (too soon to share, but just wait and see) I feel like I could do anything right now. Seriously, nothing is too hard for me or My God!!

School is wonderful. I am definitely still "Nerd Extraordinaire". I feel this compelling desire to do great on everything now so that if I run into any trouble later I have somewhat of a cushion in my GPA from all of the hard work that I did in the beginning. My professor loves me. She told me that she was "looking forward to having me again" in my 3rd class. She also told me "you will be very successful in this program because of your diligence". That literally made my day last week! =)

The boys are growing like weeds. I can't wait for them to get to visit my side of the family later on this summer. That is going to be the best present EVER! I have not seen my sisters in well over a year; they have never seen my youngest son in person. And to top it all off, my grandmother is even coming! This is big for me. I went my whole life, well the first 26 years, believing that she didn't like me and that she only loved me because she had to. Now that I have been delivered from that lie, I am super excited about the relationship we are now able to have, and I can't wait to see her and for her to see her great grandkids! Speaking of which, I have to go get them breakfast. We have a lot of moving around to do today. It's like they can smell me in the next room or something, lol. Now they're all crying for me. Gotta run.

Until next time.......

Update #2746378467348

I couldn't think of a catchy tune this week, but I feel like I have sooo much to share. For starters, I recently moved. With my ENTIRE kitchen boxed up, eating healthy was one of the toughest challenges I would face last week. I made it, though. Only because I was determined to do so much exercise that it would counteract all of the junk that I was eating. It worked....well kinda. I only gained 1 pound last week!! Who is excited by 1 pound of weight gain you ask? Me of course. Consider the following menu from my week o/gluttony: Saturday= CiCi's pizza, Sunday= Domino's Pizza, Monday= Domino's pizza, Tuesday= Subway AND McDonald's, and Wednesday= I honestly don't remember but I can guarantee it was something bad.

Through it all, running through the apartment complex, lifting weights (or boxes as they are commonly known), and consistently hitting 8000 plus steps a day seemed to really pay off. I am EXTREMELY proud to say to you that I am OFFICIALLY back in my old size 10 pants! I feel great, I look great, and I'm happy with what I see when I look in the mirror! What more can I say?! BTW, for those of you keeping track, I have re-lost that 1 lb from last week, so I am still at 24.6lbs of total weight loss. My goal this week, is to finally surpass the 25 pound mark. I know that I can do it! I know that you can too!!

Until next time.......

It's been a long time, I shouldn't left you...

Without a dope beat to step to..step to, step to , step to, step...baby girl! LOL. Okay so for those of you who didn't know me that long ago or simply have forgotten, there was a time in my life where I thought I was Aaliyah (Nesha can testify to that one, lol). I heard that song yesterday somewhere, and it kinda fit since it's been so long since my last entry.

I didn't write anything last week because I was so frustrated. I was almost ready to quit. It wasn't that I didn't lose any weight; it was simply that I missed my goal by 0.2lbs. I know right...who gets upset over 2 tenths of a pound?! Apparently me! Well, either way, it really bothered me. I wish that I could tell you that I decided to buckle down and work harder this past week...but I would be lying. As a matter of fact I did the exact opposite. I tried to eat horrible...but my body wouldn't let me.

I truly believe that I am starting to experience the change that I wanted to see. I wanted so badly to change my beliefs about eating, and now here it is manifesting right in front of me. Even when I wanted to eat junk, and lazily go about my day something wouldn't let me. Some of you may think that something was my will power, but I know that it wasn't. It was nothing but the Holy Spirit. The Word tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us, and I am living witness to that this week.

I am happy to report that since my last entry, I have been more successful in my weight loss endeavors. Last week (when I was complaining) I lost 2.4 lbs. This past week I lost an additional 4.6lbs. This brings my total weight loss count to 24.6lbs!! I'm so excited. All of my clothes are too big. In fact, some fortunate person is going to be rocking some new duds soon; I gave away everything that I could not fit!! That was really hard for me, but I am proud of myself for letting go of my "fat clothes". It means I don't have any room to gain any of this back.

On an even more exciting note......I will be starting graduate school in less than 2 weeks!! I'm so excited! All of my materials have arrived. This is it. I can't believe it's finally happening. But I'm glad that I got these good eating habits down before it was time to do this. Otherwise I may have ended up in a really bad place.

I'm now the weight I was after I had my 1st child. Next stop..pre-baby weight. Not too far past that though. That would just make me look kinda "cracky"!!


Until next time.........

Learning How to Fish

Well, I listened to all of my fans (all 4 of you, lol) and decided not to sing this time. Sorry to disappoint anyone. I can make arrangements for next time! Anywho, this weeks goal was all about healthy eating. Read on for more details.

So I'm trying out this new eating strategy. Instead of focusing on a weight goal, I'm aiming to eat according to the good health guidelines every day. You remember those right?? That little thing the FDA sends out every year...it looks like a pyramid?! That one! So far so good. I can't say that I hit an exact number EVERY day, but I'm getting pretty close. I have been doing this since last Friday, so today makes day 4. I wish I could say that it is becoming easier as the days past, but I find myself always missing something. I will say this: having 2-3 servings of milk, 5 servings of fruits and/or vegetables, 2 servings of lean protein, whole grains, and 6-8 8oz. glasses of water everyday leaves little to no room for junk. Seriously! Even though I want something junky, I don't have time to eat it because I too busy counting fruits and vegetables. I'm too full from chugging water and working protein into every meal. On a bright note, my husband has fallen in-love with grilling again, so I get my lean protein AND he gets to have fun!

Right now, I am at a training for summer school. The group I am with is REALLY nice. As usual, everyone piled up and went out to lunch. But not me! No, frugal Fran packed a lunch. So when everyone else left, I decided to blog. It's not as fulfilling; especially as everyone comes back with food. The room, though, smells HORRIBLE; too many different mixes of smells. That's my consolation. Also, it's that when I get home, I can have almost whatever I want; it's that at the end of my road, when I reach my ultimate goal, I know that I will still be on this journey. I know that this is not a diet, but rather a life style change. I am praying that the longer I stick this out, the deeper the change will go. It will move from being behavioral and environmental; it will move from the surface and begin to change my beliefs.

I know that this can work. All of the principles of God work if you work them. God's word does not work because you are perfect. It works because He is perfect. II am reminded of an old proverb said by someone who was important, but obviously not famous because I can't remember what his/her name was (LOL):

If you want feed a man for a day, you give him a fish. If you want to feed a man for life, you teach him how to fish. This is what I am doing; I am learning how to fish!

Until next time........

Awwwwwww Bounce........awwwwwwww Skate!!

OMG!! I forgot how much fun roller skating could be. I went to a birthday party last Saturday, and it took me back....way back....back into time. I'm talking circa 1994-1996. That's right, 6th grade; back when we went roller skating EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND; back when we thought we were cool because when we hit 8th grade our parents let us stay for the 8pm-12am session! It was so exhilarating! And then I went home......and then I realized that I had completed an Insanity workout that morning. That's when it all cam tumbling down like a pile of bricks. What was tumbling you ask?? Me, onto the couch, onto the bed, onto anything that could hold my weight. My legs were on fire! But it was such a great burn. All I could think about was how now I could have an extra hamburger off the grill at Michael's birthday party on Sunday. That made it worth it. Now here we are; it's Monday, and guess what! My legs, thighs mostly, are still sore. I know one thing though...it better show up on the scale on Thursday!

That brings me to the real point of this blog. My current weight loss total is 17.4 lbs!! That is So exciting! I have set a new goal: to lose between 6-8lbs more by June 1st. I'm secretly hoping for 8-10lbs, but I felt I should set an attainable goal and not get too crazy. What if this high I'm on wears out and my numbers start dropping?! Gotta be careful not to set myself up for failure. Plain and simple, I need to lose a pants size by the end of the month. That will be tricky since I carry most of my weight from the waist down. But anyone can fit a dress...it's pants that show the true measure of progress.

One last thing. At Saturday's party, I saw the parent of one of my old students. It's probably been about 8 months since we have actually seen each other and one of us wasn't sitting down. When she saw me, her face lit up. The first words out her mouth, after Hello and my name (LOL) were "WOW! You're losing so much weight! You look amazing!" That absolutely made my day. I don't understand how I can be down almost 20lbs and the ppl that I see everyday (i.e. those I work with) don't bother to mention it. I have several theories about why (some of which include ingesting MASSIVE amounts of 'hater-ade'), but in the middle of forming my last one I decided that I don't care. I am growing up ppl! No longer does the opinion of unimportant ppl matter to me. What does matter is that the ppl I love and the ppl who love me have noticed a positive change in my life.

BTW, for those of you who love to hear me sing, I'll try my best to come up with a catchy yet clever tune for my next post =D

Until next time.......

I will survive!

At first I was afraid, I was petrified. Just thinking I could never live without you by my side. But then I spent so many nights, just thinking how you did me wrong; and I grew strong. And I learned learned how to get along......Oh now go, walk out the door. Just turn around now; cuz you're not welcome anymore!! Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with your lies? Did you think I'd tumble? Did you think I'd lay down and die? Oh no not I!! I will survive.....I've got all my life to live, and I've got all my love to give. And I'll survive; I will survive! Hey Hey! (dancing around the room)

I didn't forget the words, lol! Anyone who knows me knows that I could sing that song in my sleep; but I didn't want my entire blog to be the song, so I had to stop there. Now by now you are probably wondering what I am singing about this time. Last week it was chocolate, then then there were the odes to my workout, Insanity. Now, I'm singing about my beloved Doritos. That's right ppl. If there were ever a potato chip that I thought I couldn't live without, it would be the crispy, crunchy, cheesy Doritos. Not the knock offs, the generic brand, but the big boys. I am proud to say that I have not had in in such a long time, that I don't really remember the last time that I ate them! I wish that I could tell you it was because I am eating so healthy that I don't have the desire for them at all. Sadly that is not the case. It's as simple as this: I don't liked the baked version. Sorry, I'm not as deep and wonderful as you thought. I simply made the decision to only eat baked chips, and the baked Doritos are gross!! I love the baked Cheetos, crunchy or puffed; but there not the same as my beloved Doritos.

Now all this talk about food has got to be making you look at me, or the computer screen, sideways. I know what you're thinking....or at least I'd like to believe so. You're wondering what this has to do with anything. Well I promise I am getting to my point.

Part of my decision was based on my goal to fit into my magical dress on April 17th. Well, on the 17th I forgot to try the dress on. But here comes the best part.....I tried it on on the 18th and

IT FIT!!!!!

It fit so well that and decided to try on all of the dresses that I had been hiding in the back of my closet and

THEY ALL FIT!!!

It's now official; my new dress size is a 10!! I worked so hard to get to this point, and I am soooo proud of myself. I would be remiss if I did not thank God for giving me the strength to get through and for placing all of the gifts on the inside of me that I would need to get the job done. For example, all that time I thought my stubbornness was a bad thing, but I have now learned to use my powers for good and not evil and look where it got me!! I have to thank my husband, Maurice, for his unconditional and unyielding support. I have to thank my dad; just by reading my blog and commenting on it I am able to feel your support and that to me is priceless. Thanks to my buddy, Karen, for giving me accountability to someone other than myself. Thanks for having me write my goals out plainly, and for making me email them to you so I couldn't change them later, lol.


I feel like I look like a million bucks. As soon as my personal photographer get on it, I will have a picture to post to update everyone.

I'm almost there everyone. 13lbs down, 37lbs to go. Now it's time to get to thinking about a new short term goal. I'm still open to suggestions!

If loving you is wrong.....I don't wanna be right!!

That is the story of my love affair with none other than........chocolate! Something about the smooth creamy taste, the way it melts in my mouth, the way it satisfies me like no other food I know. It is for this reason that I am writing this entry. For all of my fellow chocolate lovers out there, let me introduce you to my new best friend, Skinny Cow! I love Skinny Cow; she and I are a match made in heaven. Packed with fiber, low in fat, and easy on the calories; Skinny Cow and I will be friends for a long time to come. I can see her in pictures from birthday parties and family events and celebrations. She and I are a match made in heaven: chocolate heaven that is.

I don't have any weight loss updates for this post; I don't weigh in until Thursday. I REFUSE to buy a scale to keep at home. I know already that it will only be the source of agony and stress. This post is mostly a chronicle of my eating...the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have been doing a good job of eating healthy; I have even made healthy choices while eating out of the home, which most ppl know can be a nightmare when you are trying to accurately keep track of what you intake. I have also overcome one of my biggest struggles: emotional eating. I know and recognize that I eat mindlessly, yes mindlessly...you know when you just want something to snack on or you put something in your mouth even if you're not hungry; it could be just because you know it will taste good. Or it could be how you have to eat while you watch a movie, or if you're like me it could be that you "taste" everything before you give it to your children. My how all that "tasting" adds up so quickly!

Anyway, back to my point, the mindless eating. Well I do this mostly when I have some sort of emotional upset: be it disappointment, sadness, loneliness, or frustration, I tend to eat when those situations arise. Well this week.....I didn't. It's just that simple. NOT!! No one kicks a habit overnight, but I did learn how to better control it. I have stopped and literally asked myself, "why do you want to eat this?" If I am not satisfied with my answer, or if I don't really have one, I know that I don't need to eat it. Also, I have started keeping better things around for those moments where I don't feel like asking myself any questions, and if I did "myself" probably wouldn't like my answer! These things include reduced fat popcorn (which is surprisingly good), baked chips, peanuts, jello, yogurt...you get the point. No more Doritos and chocolate pudding (Although I did find a great pudding for not nearly as many calories!).

And best of all, I found Skinny Cow. For those of you who don't know Skinny Cow is a brand of delicious frozen treats made from skim milk. There is minimal sweetener (NO ASPARTAME!!) and plenty of variety. She makes ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, and much more. Okay, enough of my plugs and free advertisement. But seriously, if you are a lover of all things chocolate and "ice creamy" you will definitely benefit from a relationship with Skinny Cow. I buy mine at Walmart, but I am sure she is sold at most grocery food chains as well.

One last update...I have OFFICIALLY dropped 2 dress sizes!! It is possible that it is 4, but I am not going to try on the other dress until Saturday. I have a goal date that I am sticking to, and I don't want to do anything to make me feel discouraged! I hope that in some way this window into my world has inspired you, informed you, or at least made you laugh out loud!

Until next time........

Guess who Bizz-ack?!

It's me again. I must admit that since my last entry I have faced a massive amount of discouragement that at times seemed insurmountable. However, I have come out on the other side; I am better for it. I promised you numbers, so here goes......

I have lost a grand total of 2lbs!

That's right ppl, I said 2. You would think that I would rejoice in losing 2lbs, but so far that has not been the case. I have never weighed this much before. My father and my husband told me it's because the work out is building up my muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. (Shouts go out to T-Pain whose encouragement helped me not cry about it one night!)

While that is true, it still feels like I am making an excuse. So today, I took the first step towards changing that. I need to learn how to eat better, how to control my portions, and most importantly how to transition that into a lifestyle change and not just another diet. Funny how I say that like I have EVER been on a diet before. I honestly have never, primarily because I have never had a need for it. It's for that very reason that I eat so poorly; it's never mattered before. I am not going to say what program I may or may not be using; I have already given Shaun T and Insanity enough free publicity. I promise to reveal my secrets at the end, when it works. Notice that I said "when" and not "if". I have purposed it in my mind that it will work. It is my confession of faith, and I have put action behind my words. I am set to do my measurements on Saturday, so I will have a new report then. In the meantime, I will stay encouraged and focused on the plan. I have also set smaller goals to help me reach the bigger goal so that I won't feel so far behind. New short term goal is 10 lbs in 3 weeks. Here goes....

1 more shout out, to a very dear friend of mine who wishes to remain nameless. They have embarked on a lifestyle change that began in January, AND kept going through the discouraging times where the numbers on the scale don't line up with the effort being put forth. They persevered, and lost 25 pounds!! Hats off to you sweetheart. You have been a tremendous inspiration, and I am rooting for you all the way!!

Days 11-12

Well, so much has transpired over the past 3 days and two workouts. Where do I begin? Here's a good place; I hurt my need trying to do one of the stretches from the video. It put me down for a couple of days, so I just did the recovery workout twice and then moved on. I learned a HUGE, VALUABLE lesson from it all. Everything they do on the video cannot be done by everyone! I hate that I had to learn it the hard way, but I least I learned it, right?! Since this injury I have started doing the stretches that I grew up with; the stretches that Reggie and Rick had us do everyday for 4 years....and guess what?! They worked! The pain is gone and today's workout was better than ever! Now the pain leaving cannot be solely attributed to stretching; that was nothing but the healing hand of God! I praise Him and Bless His Name for touching my body. Oh, I'm shouting over here. Let me stop, before I never finish what I am trying to say. My point is, if you have never learned the proper way to stretch be careful before you go "all out" doing this Insanity workout. If you have absolutely NO athletic training in your past, make sure that you are doing the stretches and exercises correctly. Ask someone to watch you to perform them. Do them in front of a mirror if you have to!! Just be careful. Don't end up like me.

With that said, I must say that I am very proud of myself for pushing through and not giving up. No more excuses, right?! The hardest part of no more excuses is not letting other people make excuses for you. Once you stop making them for yourself, there will always be someone to step in and make them for you. You just have to keep your resolve and not let them; don't give in. Honestly, there are some mornings that I have to wake up and tell myself in the mirror, "no more excuses." You have to do whatever it takes to make sure that you don't fall off the wagon. I fell off last week, and I promised myself that I would not fall off again, even if that means that I am holding on for dear life!

Now for a workout update. This was about my 4th time doing cardio power and resistance. I made it through the WHOLE video only sitting out 2-3 sets of the entire circuit. It was hard; it took guts. I had the nagging voice in my ear telling me, "your knee is hurt; it's okay of you quit." After using the Word of God to quite that voice, I made it through. A mighty woman of God, whom I love and trust, told me that I should pray in tongues while I was working out. The rationale being that when your in the spirit you don't feel pain. In the soul, or the flesh, your body doesn't like pain or change, and will make you want to quit. It definitely worked today! You should try it out if you have have the chance.

Well I have to go now. I have been busy working out, feeding kids, washing clothes, and cleaning the living room up. I took a pause to finish this, but I must get back to work. This house isn't going to clean itself! (It took me 6 months to realize this!)

Until next time...

Day 10

Day 10 was....I'm still looking for the words to describe it. I am still tired, but really proud of myself for working so hard. I was able to complete most of the circuit training...at least 2 of the 3 sets anyway. It was grueling, and I wanted to quit but I didn't. And that's what is important.

Today workout is scheduled as Cardio Recovery. I am going to knock it out early and spend some much needed time w/the hubby. Sorry so short!

Until next time.....

Day 9

Yesterday's workout was nothing short of amazing. The things that I was able to do were shocking even to me. I completed the ENTIRE warm-up, if you count the time I put the DVD on pause, and I was able to go solid for at least 4 minutes. That may not seem like a long time to you, but its an eternity is Insanity time. My body was begging for me to quit, but I found a way to dig deeper and push harder. I was even able to breathe immediately following the workout. It was truly an awesome feeling. Considering the fact that it was only my 2nd time completing the pure cardio workout, I was very proud of my effort and my results.

I still have not gotten back on the scale. I think I am purposely putting it off until I feel like I have made more progress. Since I do the fit test again on Day 15, maybe I'll weigh in on that day and see how much I have lost. I REALLY, REALLY, need to get a soft tape measure so that I can take accurate measurements of my hips, waist, arms, thighs, the whole nine yards. I want to see how much of a difference this is making in every part of my body because I can feel it in every part of my body! I think I'll make it a point to stop on the way home from school today. While I have still been shy about posting my pics, I will definitely post my measurements. Nothing like accountability to others, right?!?

On another note, I am so very proud of my husband who is now on Day 7. He is working so hard, and setting such a good example for our boys. I love him for that! Well, I must return to paper grading and lesson planning! Day 10 workout promises to be a challenge, but I am definitely up for it!

Until Next Time.....

Its a Thin Line Between Love and Hate: Insanity Day 8

I am proud to say that I am back on the wagon, and right now I am loving it. I would be remiss if I did not say a special thank you to my husband, Maurice for helping to motivate me to get back on the wagon yesterday, or the train as he calls it. Though I must say, we have come up with a great new way to keep me motivated; its called $156. It goes something like this: me-I'm too tired, him- are you $156 worth of tired? OR me-I don't feel like it. I have too much to do, him-do you have $156 worth of stuff to do. You get my point right? If for no other reason, I have to finish this program because I spent my hard earned money on it; $156 of it to be exact. So back on the wagon I will stay!

I have come to the conclusion that Insanity/Shaun T and I have a love/hate relationship. When I am thinking about how much my body is improving and changing, I love him. When I am in the middle of the workout, I hate him. When I woke up this morning and got into these jeans (pics to come soon), I loved him. When I walked from my car to my classroom and felt it in every muscle in my legs, I loved him AND hated him at the same time. This is one crazy roller coaster that I am on.

I did so much better on Day 8. Although the power and resistance workout leaves me feeling the worst, soreness wise, I must say that it is my favorite workout so far. I feel so accomplished when I do it. Last night, for the first time, I DID WALKING PUSH-UPS! That right...me...walking push-ups! Last week I could not do a single push-up, not even the regular way. Yesterday I did 12 walking push-ups. To say that I was proud of myself is accurate yet still a gross understatement. I am thrilled with my progress, and I cannot wait to see more! I have to get back to school work now. My break is almost over. Tonight, I believe is pure cardio, which means I'll be puking on the patio again =)

Until next time......

Oh No; I fell off the wagon

So what started as one day off for my anniversary turned into two days off. I didn't eat bad or do anything crazy; I just didn't plan my time well so I didn't get to work out yesterday. I am a little disappointed; well let's be honest, I am a LOT dissappointed. I must have beat myself up last night for over an hour. Then I came to the realization that if God can forgive me, I have to be able to forgive myself. I know that the enemy would love for me to condemn myself and quit. But that's not happening. I am back on the wagon; I have planned accordingly.

On a side note, I have noticed that it seems to be easier to do things when my life is hectic and fast paced than it is when I am off and I have nothing to do. Why is that? Whatever the case may be, you'll here from me later. Insanity Day 8 is serving up at 5:45pm tonight.

Until next time.....

Day 5-To Puke or not To Puke; that is the question

As I sit here at my desk, I am reminded of yesterday evening, standing on my patio deciding whether or not to let myself throw up. Yes, I said throw-up. Day 5 was just that crazy!! When he said pure cardio, he meant pure cardio...as in 45 minutes of pure cardio. This isn't your grandmother's run on the treadmill kind of workout. The exercised from the other day were taken to higher heights and deeper depths. Instead of 30s per exercise, we moved to 60s per exercise. I am proud to say that I finished it all! I may have had to pause the DVD a couple times, and rewind a part here and there after I caught my breath, but I finished! I can see my body starting to change already. My before pics are too personal; I decided not to post them, at least not the half-naked sports bra pics, anyway. I am taking a photo every week to track my progress, and my confidence is up so the Day 8 pics just might get posted. Don't hold your breath though, lol!

I am both excited and nervous about what lies ahead in day 6. But I am getting familiar with how to perform the exercises, the correct form to be in, and when my body REALLY needs a rest. So I'll be satisfied with knowing that no matter what I gave it my all, and I did my absolute best. Reggie (my old hurdle coach) would be proud of me; he'd also be yelling at me to go faster and quit acting like a punk, but at least he would be proud!

I have realized that it is pointless to think that I will ever look the way I did in high school; I am a different woman now. My body has changed in countless ways, and I don't even think it's physically possible nor is it healthy. I have decided that I can be in that kind of shape, with the body that I have now. I am going to buy my scale and measuring tape after school today! I am very excited about taking my real measurements and watching my progress. I cannot wait to see the pounds and inches melt away! Well, the school day is about to begin, so I must go.

Until next time.....

Day 4...Cardio Recovery

Well let's just say even recovery is hard during Insanity. I definitely appreciate going lighter than normal today. My body is extremely grateful. I feel..I don't know, different I guess. My posture has actually improved in the 4 days since I began this regimen. I have stretched muscles that I did not know that I could stretch today. And for the first time, I may see some benefit in yoga (don't tell Maurice I said that, lol). Exhausted doesn't begin to describe how I am feeling. I worked a full day, stayed late for tutorials, called parents, drove home through traffic, cooked dinner, AND STILL DID MY WORKOUT! If you cannot tell, yes I am patting myself on the back. It takes a huge amount of inner strength, guts, and determination to do what I did today.

That brings me to what I see as one of the greatest benefits of the Insanity plan; I don't have to leave home to do it! There is no "going to the gym"; my living room is my gym. My kids don't have to have a sitter, and my husband is not left home alone. It is very important to me not to neglect my family during this process. While it is important for me to do this for me, it is not so important that I am willing to sacrifice my relationship with my family.

I have so much more to say, but even my forearms are sore so I must stop typing. Hopefully I can finish during my down time at school tomorrow.

And before I forget, special thanks to my dad who is now following my blog. You have always supported me unconditionally, no matter what it is I've wanted to do. Your support means more to me than you may ever know. Thanks for always being in my corner. I love you!!


Until next time.....

Day Three..The # of completion

I finished day three, and I can definitely say that it was beyond my wildest dreams. However, I secretly loved EVERY minute of it! It was challenging, but I was reminded of something my Bishop's Bishop taught us: You have to choose between the pain of staying the same or the pain of change. I am choosing the pain of change. I realize that I must wake up every day and make this same choice.

As for the workout, after the 3rd circuit I thought I was going to die! I pushed on..speaking of pushing, I realized that I cannot do more than 4 push-ups to save my life. You can then imagine the difficulty I had with the moving push-ups. Yes, I said moving, as in moving to the right/left while you are doing them. This workout was no punk, but I enjoyed the challenge. My muscles were begging for me to quit when my beloved Matthew came in the living room to check on me. He was so cute; and then he started trying to do the exercises with me. He even stretched with me afterwards. It was great, and very motivational. It reminded me of why I set out on this goal in the first place: to set an example for my children and to ensure that I would be around to see my children's grandchildren. You should have seen him doing his push-ups and yelling and grunting like mommy. It was too cute! I wished there was some sort of hidden camera that got it all on video...

This workout is allowing me to discover more about myself...to remember things that I did not know were still there...to pull on strengths that I forgot that I had....to put my confession to action, and watch God move to back me up. I could go on forever, but I must rest at some point. Its 11:24pm. I still have to make my lunch for school and get to bed. If you're reading this, thanks for your support and interest!

Until next time......