Sketchbook: Andrew, the night after Christmas

Day 15 Check In

It's been 15 days! At times it feels more like 100, but I guess that's a given when you're doing something new and difficult.

I'm going to take my picture a little later today (maybe after a little pool time, hmmm?), but for now, here are 15 days of results (Day 1 was August 27).

Day 15

Weight lost: 7.5 pounds (total from August 2, day home from hospital after baby #4: 27 pounds)

Measurements:

Chest
Day 1: 41   Day 15: 38 (Inches lost: 2)

Bicep
Day 1: 12.5    Day 15: 12 (Inches lost: 0.5)

Waist
Day 1: 38     Day 15: 34 (Inches lost: 4)

Hip
Day 1: 40     Day 15: 38 (Inches lost: 2)

Thigh
Day 1: 26    Day 15: 22 (Inches lost: 4)

Sum Total of Inches Lost? 12.5!

Diet:
For the most part, I've eliminated carbs. Being real, though, I have my moments where I can't help myself and I stuff a few pretzels in my mouth. Or steal Boo's Cheez Its when he's not looking. Yuck. During the first two weeks, I would eat complex carbs for lunch and that's it...no carbs for dinner. I totally bone it starting Friday when P and the kids are home all weekend. I know, I know. I'm a work in progress.

My water consumption has skyrocketed (which doesn't really say much, given how much I hate drinking water). I still have my morning coffee. But that's about it...no more milk, juice, or any other manner of beverages. Water, water, water. I don't even get Gatorade anymore, y'all....and that's a big deal for me.

After reading "Wheat Belly" over the weekend, I've abandoned all manner of gluten for the past two days. It's not too much different from how I was eating and I'm excited to see if it makes a difference in how I feel and the bloated "wheat gut" I'm fighting.

My number one rule that I actually stuck to for the past 15 days? I don't eat off my kids' plates anymore. Period. It was hard and such a strange habit that I wasn't even conscious of until my husband mentioned it. Now, once food touches their plates, its off limits to me.

Exercise:
I've logged about 450 minutes of Insanity workouts in the past two weeks. (I have my moments where I can't stand poor Shaun T. anymore and have to turn on Pandora's MC Hammer station just to make it through...)

Add to that about two hours' worth of running on the treadmill over the weekends when everyone is home and there is no way in HECK I am bouncing around and huffing and puffing in front of them. So I retreat to our complex's little gym and walk/run for at least half an hour.

The truth at this point is that I am absolutely SICK of Insanity and bouncing around my living room. I miss people and interaction and the bottom line? I really, really, REALLY miss jiu jitsu. But this is our life for now and time and sheer logistics won't allow it. So I do what I can with what I have. (Isn't that a Teddy Roosevelt quote or something?)

Pretty basic, right? The overall goal is 25 pounds by October 26. My goal for Day 30 weigh in? Another 7.5 pounds and some more inches. I love the inches part!

Have a great week!

I love my kids, I hate my blog, and I miss carbs!

I love my kids

Wow. I really do. The transition to four kids now that we're full strength (Boy Wonder came home last week!) wasn't really as hard as I thought it would be.


Sure, sometimes I think all I EVER say is "Get off that!" or "Leave your brother alone!" or "We don't put dirty underwear on our sister's head!" but really, my house is a safe haven of order and calm. HA!

This week was the first week of third grade for our Boy Wonder. It was hard to watch him walk into the new school knowing how nervous he was about being the new kid. He came home that first day a little bummed that he didn't make a friend, but by Tuesday afternoon he'd not only ridden the bus for the first time (dubbed "Best. Experience. Ever" by the kid himself), but he'd made a few classroom friends. Life in third grade is good, folks, life is good.

First day of third grade and a happy little brother.

The younger ones and I alternate between local parks and the two libraries in town. Boo still insists he's big enough to ride the bus to school and that he's deserving of a class of his own, but with enough promises of slides and swings, he relents and let's his big brother go. He's too eager to grow up.

The girls? Well, they're angels. No, it's true. McK is a champ at dinner and eats enough to get her power lifting career off and running in the near future and Riley Roo sleeps. A lot. Like, all the time. I guess I would too if given the chance.

I hate my blog

OMG. I really do. I changed it a few months back when I was wallowing in the dark of Alaska and all I could think about was lemons (I still don't own my own damn lemon tree) and sunshine. Now? Well, I just don't connect with it or the design scheme. It drives me crazy, really, and is a big reason I don't update it often. (The other four BIG reasons being the minions I live with who treat me like their personal pack mule and cleaning lady).

That said, it's being updated AGAIN this week. Can you forgive me? I hate cleaning and remodeling as much as the next person, but when you just don't jive with the name or the look of your very own sacred space (Ok, it's just a blog, but whatever!!), nothing feels right.

I spent about an entire week agonizing over the name. I finally remembered my favorite Shel Silverstein poem and BOOM! Life was magical again. Updates soon.

I miss carbs

I made the mistake of looking at myself in the mirror last week. Not that I was expecting Elle Macpherson to be staring back from the foggy glass or anything, but after three kids in four years, my body just seemed to give up and say "@#$K it!"  And I'm only 34!!!!

It was a sort of galvanizing moment, I guess. I had an image of myself carting around these same 30 pounds and being miserable while my kids grew. No energy to get through the long, beautiful days that come with the territory when you have four children. No love for myself. Fear of mirrors and any sort of pant WITHOUT an elastic waist. I mean, really, what sort of life is that?

So this week I started a process I like to call the 60 Day Gutcheck. I'm not great at struggle or discipline, but after I took my "day one" photo on Monday, I'm pretty sure I'd be willing to eat dirt for two months to get a fire started under my ass.

Because money is tight and personal trainers and diet programs aren't cheap, I'm sort of mish-mashing a few programs together and hoping for success. I have a copy of Bob Harper's Skinny Rules that gives me a few guidelines to follow when it comes to my awful eating habits (is "crap off your kids' plates" a viable food group??) The rules are pretty strict and I'm eating pretty bland, colorless (read it: carbless!) food...but seriously, ya'll...have you SEEN my "day one" photo?? Taste is obviously overrated.

From Weight Watchers, I'm stealing the journaling concept. I've read too many articles that state people who write down what they eat lose more weight than those who don't. Not saying I don't groan each time I have to write down "four bites of Boo's chocolate chip cookie," but the point is that I'm owning that shame, sir!

And workouts? Well, gym time is a commodity I'm not really afforded right now so I snagged P's Insanity set and you'll find me every afternoon cursing out Shawn T. and his brigade of skinny, ab-crazy devotees. When I can't take all the bouncing and jumping, I have a couple Yoga and Pilates dvds to torture myself with.

I promise to share the progress photos. Eventually. Like when I'm already Kate Moss-skinny and am allowed within ten feet of a baked good again.

I'll be sure to update the 60 day progress once a week or so if you promise to send carbs. Lots of carbs. Ok, forget that last part.

Hope your week is great!