I know, I've been absent - but I am SO busy!  Work, school, running the house - and my BFF came in from Tn to do a wedding cake, and I had to end up helping her with it, so...

Anywho - did my DDPYoga today.  I'm not losing weight yet, but I know that's my eating habits.  I WILL work harder next week!  I have, however, notice the moves in DDP getting a bit easier, and I am able to do the entire workout - so there IS progress!

Time to go on our nightly walk with the puppies, so TTYL!

Update!

Updated before photos, taken by hubby.  We've started DDPYoga, now to better our eating habits!

Not having such a great week, ugh!  My vice is most definitely fast food, and I caved last night - BUT, it was the only thing I ate yesterday.  I know, I really need to start eating regular, healthy foods.  tonight is leftover night, I need to clean out my fridge.  will probably have spaghetti and a salad - not too bad.  i HAVE been getting more exercise, though.  In addition to our nightly walk last night, hubby and I cleaned a trailer for our landlord - really worked up a sweat!

Little Steps - little steps.

Any suggestions for curbing fast food cravings?

4/30/13 - an "eh" day

Today was just "eh".  no nutritional mishaps, but nothing exciting, really.  I am struggling with making the time to exercise.  I go on evening walks with my husband and the dogs, but finding the time for much more is proving to be difficult.  I know, I could be exercising NOW, instead of writing this - except I am writing this while listening to a lecture for school. 

here it is - Day 1, #SDMChallenge!

Hi There!

Journey To A Better ME

Background – I’ve been a “big girl” all my life, with the exception of about 6 months when I was 16 (during that time, I battled anorexia/bulimia to become “thin”).   I maintained a weight of about 200lbs from the age of 20, until I had my son, in 1998.  After he was born, I started getting Depro-Provera injections for birth control.  During the next 5 ½ years, I gained almost 100 lbs.  After stopping the injections, I became pregnant with my youngest child at the end of 2003.  I actually LOST weight my entire pregnancy, through no effort.  I wasn’t sick, I ate what I wanted, yet I LOST weight (figure THAT one out!).  When I left the hospital on September 1, 2004, I weighed the exact same as I had on my first doctor’s visit of the pregnancy.  Since then, I have put on about 20 lbs here and there (keep gaining and losing the same weight).  We are a low income family – my husband is disabled, and I only work part time because I am a Full time student.  I can’t afford to join a gym, or weight watchers, or Nutri System, etc.  Honestly, I can’t afford to buy healthy food!  But, I have to. 

I am planting my 2^nd garden this year – with intentions of eating what I grow to supplement our food budget.  I also hope to make enough tomato sauce to last a year.  I am a chef – it should not be hard for me to create healthy, flavorful meals.  It really isn’t – it’s getting the rest of the family on board that is proving to be difficult.  Especially my picky son who would eat pizza every day if I’d let him.

I would love ideas from all of you, encouragement, etc.  I’m putting myself out here to hold myself accountable.  I admit that I struggle with will power and motivation, so perhaps I will have more success if I have “people” to answer to.

Don’t expect everything to be cupcakes and roses – I will have setbacks.  I am human.  Let me just get this out there - I am NOT going on a diet.  Diet, to me, indicates deprivation.  I am changing my habits.  I want to eat healthier, exercise more.  Plain and simple.  If I want dessert after dinner, I will have it, just not the ginormous portion I would have had before now.  And, I will fall.  And, I might need help getting “back on the wagon”.  BUT, that is why I am blogging my experience.  

Here’s what to expect:

While I cannot promise daily updates (I AM busy), I will try and post every couple of days, and let you know how I am doing.  Food logs, exercise logs, encouraging words, etc.  I will also post pictures, and success stories. (For me, a success story might simply be, “I only had 2 bites of cake!”)  Small successes are still successes.

There will also be pictures, and recipes.  When I create a new dish, I will post pictures and the recipe – and let you know if it was successful – for just me or the whole family!

So – here we go!