December Determination

Thanksgiving Break!!! Which means more starchy foods than I am used to or even capable of eating. But I ate it anyways!!! We didn't have a typical Thanksgiving meal because this year we did something out of the ordinary.  We traveled to Santa Fe, NM to meet our California family half way.  Since we were both traveling, we decided to opt against a traditional meal and just bought simple groceries and shared...and then ate out on Friday and Saturday (once each day).  The foods we bought that I indulged in were..... popcorn, chips, cheese nips, pull pork, some green beans, some salad, eggs and bacon.  AND we ate out TWICE..... MEXICAN FOOD!!!  **Chips and a margarita might have been included..... :-(

Family Hike at the Tent Rocks just outside Santa Fe, NM

I can feel and see the starch all over my body and face.  Which is a good reminder of why eating like this is not ideal.  But I am going to be 100% honest with you.... I knew coming in this past week I was going to indulge, get it out of my system and get back AT IT as soon as I got back.

I also just recently found out that my hormones and thyroid are out of whack once again.  They aren't super out of whack like before but my doctor has put me back on hormone-pellet therapy and I will start my thyroid medicine again tomorrow.  I am okay with that cos I know I felt best a year ago when on all three.  AND I LOOKED GREAT AND LEAN THEN TOO!!! I would love to be therapy and med free, but I also realize I tried and sometimes the body just needs a little extra aid.

*** I am excited to also consult with my doctor on a new type of DNA test that will tell me EXACTLY what my body was designed to work well with and to stay away from.  I have this appointment this Wednesday!!! Can't Wait!!!

Last "late" January after 6 weeks of clean eating.

Me now! Bulky! Muscles but too much fat too! Time to lean out!

So onto DECEMBER--- This time last year, I hit a major turning point in my diet.  I began to eat clean, no processed foods...and even cut out all sugar eventually. I felt amazing!! Therefore, I am going to do the same thing this December and will do it even better than last year.

Tomorrow I will begin to mimic the exact plan I followed last year.  It was extremely doable... I am hoping to lose about 8-10# but of fat and not muscle mass.  ** I have grown to love my muscle and love being STRONG!!!

RULES to FOLLOW this MONTH:
1) No processed foods except the occasional nut thin crackers.
2) To crossfit 4-5x a week and lift on those days.
3) To do at least 30mins of cardio 3 days a week.
4) No adult drinks (just water or tea)
5) No fast foods
6) Only salads or fish if eating out.
7) 7 hours of sleep
8) 1600-1700 calories per day
9) 130g of protein per day
10) veggies at EVERY MEAL.

Time Out

This past month in the children's ministry program I lead....our theme has been "TIME OUT".  It is simply learning to take time out to say thank you to the Lord for all that He has and will do, and this is in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.

I have been on a BIG TIME OUT!  A very much needed "time out". (That's why I quite blogging or FaceBooking too).  It really wasn't intentional.  It really wasn't planned.  It just kind of happened.  I needed to get my head right!  I needed to get my heart right!  I needed to "be still" and listen to what God was telling me to do.  It was almost like I was feeling some kind of nagging or pressure from someone or somewhere.  I couldn't pinpoint exactly why.  But in the last couple of months....I have finally begun to "hear" and "understand" what God was trying to say.

On this blog, I usually just talk diet, exercise, and health.  But this is soo much bigger than that.  And I may be rambling trying to explain this to y'all.  But I will tell you that my heart was harden there for a short while.  I felt a little lost.  Often frustrated.  And at times alone (by my own doing).  But I think this is simply because I wasn't listening.  **I tend to be stubborn like this at times!

WHERE TO START?---- Two Mondays ago, I put in my resignation notice to my church as the Children's Ministry Director.  I have been doing this job for 6.5years.  It's been the ideal job for me...especially when my kids were elementary students.  I could work from home, I could have holidays and breaks when they did (for the most part), and they were always WITH me.  But, my kids are older kids now.  They attend youth rather than children's ministry programs now.  I work on Sundays while they attend church on Sundays (unless they are volunteering with me). I have spent much of my time at home prepping for Sundays and Wednesdays instead of being available to them the way I should. *** And let's just get real here.... I am flipping out a bit cos I am realizing I have adult children in my house.  Time is slipping away quickly with them.  I don't want to miss out on it.  I know I am gonna blink and they will be gone..... SIGH

There are other reasons for resigning, too..... None in which are in the least bit negative.  Reasons in which I believe God was trying to show me that IT WAS TIME....
---I will have more time to get my household in order.
---I feel that it is time to provide a younger, fresher leader in this ministry for the next generation of parents and children coming up.  (I am "dated" a bit...haha)
---I desire some personal-spiritual time for myself, too.

*** I know some of you are asking about my future with training and/or Crossfit??? I can honestly say I have NO IDEA what will happen next with that.  Right now, I am coaching four classes a week and private training on the side.  We are looking into spaces for a facility here but nothing 100% confirmed yet.  I don't know what will happen but I know I am open to the endless possibilities.  As for now, I just trust God will show me what to do next.  I am pursuing the idea of more personal/private coaching and I am even working on getting a new website up and running. Something way more formal that this terribly written blog that I journal in :-)

Am I nervous about this decision?  Financially, yes.  But not to the point that I am afraid we can't provide for our family.  Todd's job will be enough.  But we won't have much extra, YIKES!  But the weird thing about all this....is that since I have made this decision, I feel a huge burden lifted.  I think now looking back, I was supposed to be making this decision and it was causing me stress----WITHOUT ME KNOWING.  I feel like a burden has been lifted (that I didn't know I had). I mean, I absolutely love my job. I love this kids! I love the leaders! I am good at what I do! And it gives me great joy to serve this way.  And most importantly, I know it glorifies God in every way.  So why would that be a burden!?!? Well, it wasn't.  But by me not obeying and listening to God, it was weighing me down.  He knew I had this decision to make.

Now...want to hear something else a little wild.  Since my announcement ten days ago, I have lost 5.2#!?!?!  Is that stress weight!?! Heck, I don't know, but I am celebrating it! LOL

I hope to start blogging again about my new journey.  So hopefully this is a good way to say STAY TUNED.