Set Goals

{Terrible Trampoline Selfies}

Reach for the stars!

For my 60 Day Workout Challenge I set some goals.  Quite a few goals, actually.  And I'm so glad I set so many.  First, because they are motivating.  But second, because when the numbers on the scale stick, it helps to have other goals to track progress with, and it feels good to be accomplishing different things you set out to do.

I've learned in the last sixty days that it's important to celebrate those non-scale victories!  Like this weekend, I was able to jump on the trampoline with the boys & it made them so happy, they thanked God for it during bedtime prayers.  That makes for one happy mama!

Take Pictures

Success Snapshot 8:

TAKE PICTURES!!!

A few people have said my face looks slimmer (which is so nice!) and I definitely feel better, but pictures are a really concrete way to see your progress.

In the picture on the left I was two months postpartum, about 205lbs and exhausted. In the picture on the right I was three months postpartum, about 185lbs and full of energy. It's amazing what a month of exercise and good nutrition can do! You can see the light is back in my eyes. 

***

The following are progress pictures from my weight loss.  

They are from the halfway point in my 60 Day challenge.

Before       //       After

Before       //       After

Before       //       After

I am really glad I took these pictures.  When I was taking my "Befores" it was a cruel dose of reality as I saw that giant belly, empty of baby, slumping over my yoga pants... but it motivated me to stick with my workout & eating plans.  And while I'm not yet where I want to be, I'm definitely better than before, and I'm counting that as a win!

Take Measurements

 Success Snapshot 7:

Take Measurements!

When the scale is not going down, 

knowing you're losing inches can keep you going.

I've lost more than eight inches around my middle! 

I love knowing that my body is changing for the better.

***

Keep a Food Diary

Success Snapshot 6:

KEEP A FOOD DIARY

Everyday since my journey began I have written down my weight, workout, water intake and food consumption.  I also wrote down any emotions or revelations I had that day in regards to my eating.  It's been good personal accountability and has been great for looking back at how far I've come.

{A typical day for me}

When I started I was pretty in love with my little blank rainbow journal and the beautiful pens my friend Kori sent me when I was still in Alaska.  But YOU GUYS! Then, then (!) I found this journal at Target (when I was shopping with all four of my kids and they were maybe shooting rubberbands at each other on the next aisle over...) and I fell in love. I want everyone to have it.

"No goal was met without a little sweat!"

How adorable is this little gem?

I love everything it stands for!  And the best part? It only cost $14.99 to stay inspired everyday for 120 days!

I took pictures of the inside so you could really catch the magic:

See?!? It's a two page spread that has room for gratitude keeping, goal setting, body loving & food journaling. Plus it has a daily quote to inspire you!!!  I am so pumped for this 60 day challenge to end, and our next Friends (the tv show) themed 21 Day Challenge to start so I can switch to my new Fit Journal! (link is for something similar on Amazon since Target doesn't carry the item online)

***

My food journal is also where I keep track of non-scale victories (NSV) and write down my goals.  It's really important to write those down and to celebrate each NSV you reach because that will propel you forward.  For me fitting into my 14's again, and putting my wedding ring back on were huge NSV's that made me feel incredible.

And when it comes to eating right and changing bad eating habits (especially for us emotional eaters) reflection is key!  So run to Target & pick up your new Fit Journal.  And if you're at all curious about  joining our next challenge, which starts Monday June 13th, please let me know!

My email: rcunningham18@hotmail.com

Drink All The Water!

Success Snapshot 5:
Drink Enough Water

The goal is to drink half your weight in water everyday.  For example, I started out weighing 200lbs, so I drank 100 ounces of water everyday.  Now that I'm down to 180lbs, my goal is to drink 90oz.  Some days I miss the mark, but each day I intend to fill my water bottle at least three times.  I find it helps with overeating since it fills my tummy a bit before I eat.

This is one simple change that everyone can make as a step toward a healthier you!!!

Eat Healthier

I will be honest.  The part that scared me most about signing up for the 60 day workout challenge wasn't the workouts.  It was the eating.  I love food.  I love to eat.  I love to reward myself with food and I hate to deprive myself of food.  

But by making my goal simply "better than before", I was able to slowly change my eating habits and am now eating MUCH better than before.  I stick to serving sizes, never tell myself "no" about eating something, and remind myself constantly that this is a lifestyle change, not a diet. So I've had a slice of pizza or a piece of cake.  But I haven't had three slices of pizza or an entire cake.  And that, my friends, is progress!

For those interested, on the typical day I eat:

• A Shakeology shake for breakfast with 3/4 cup of almond milk, 12 ice cubes, 4 strawberries, a banana, a handful of spinach and a few blueberries, mixed in my in-laws' amazing Vitamix
• A huge sandwich for lunch with cheese, lunchmeat, lettuce, tomato, mustard & light mayo, as well as an apple or pickle and sometimes Sun Chips.
• Wheat Thins & Cream cheese or Beef Jerky for snack
• A healthy family dinner, like lasagna, tacos or chicken & rice.
• And finally I tend to give myself a Skinny Cow frozen dessert after the boys are in bed because the "eating once the kids are in bed" habit has been hard to break.

Drink Shakeology

Success Snapshot 3: Drink Shakeology

For my weight loss journey drinking Shakeology everyday has been key.  If you've been watching my journey the last two months and wondered what my big secret is, Shakeology is it.  It helped me kick my coffee and soda habits, as well as stop eating candy like it was going out of style.  It is absolutely the reason I was able to drop 20 pounds since April.

For those wondering, Shakeology is a nutrient dense meal replacement that is the same as eating FIVE plates of salad.  It's a super fast, easy, on-the-go meal that I can whip up in less than two minutes.  The best part is it keeps me full and that's kept me on track as opposed to other diet plans where I would get hungry and eat ALL THE FOOD.  

***

Move!

Success Snapshot 2: Move!

If you want to be healthier and feel healthier, move your body!  Workout, walk, play with your kids.  Whatever makes you feel good and gets your body off the couch.

I find that long workouts don't work for me right now in this stage of life. I don't wake up before my kids, and I hate working out before bedtime, so I do a quick 15 minute walking workout (with Leslie Sansone, the walking queen) every weekday while my kids eat breakfast.  It's the perfect mom workout.  

In addition to my daily workout at home, I try to get in one long walk each week at the Columbia River waterfront, which is my favorite walk of all time.  There's so much to see and I often take my twins with me on their scooters.  They love it, too.

I also received a FitBit Alta for Mother's Day which helps me track my steps & time spent working out each day.  I rarely hit 10,000 steps (the daily goal) but I walk more than I would if I didn't have it.

***

Love Yourself

 As I count down the final ten days of the Summer Slimdown Challenge, I am going to be sharing on Instagram & Facebook (and here on the blog) ten Success Snapshots.  They are the ten things that lead to my success in losing twenty pounds in 8 weeks & feeling a whole heck of a lot better about myself.

Today's Success Snapshot is Love Yourself. 

Know that you have value & are beautiful at every weight & shape. I've been joyful at 215lbs. and I've been miserable at 156lbs. The number doesn't matter-- it's how you feel about yourself that matters. 

"You are altogether beautiful, my love. 

There is no flaw in you." 

-Song of Solomon 4:7

 Since starting this journey toward a healthier, trimmer me, I have found that making myself a priority, taking time to eat right and work out, has made me a happier mama as well as a happier wife.  When I take care of me, and love myself where I am, everyone around me benefits.

 Another aspect of my journey has been body acceptance.  No matter how much weight I lose, I will have stretch marks from three pregnancies, multiple c-section scars and a very funny looking belly button thanks to my laparoscopic gallbladder removal.  But after suffering those miscarriages two years ago, I appreciate my body more than ever for the beautiful, healthy babies it's provided and the strong, healthy pregnancies it did sustain.

So wherever you are starting, love yourself.  Love your body for its ability to hear your loved ones say "I love you" and to walk you out into nature.  Love your body for waking you up in the morning and giving you the gift of another day.

***

If I Can Do It, You Can Do It

I will be honest, my motivation for working out the last few weeks has been Josh's final homecoming next weekend.  I just keep imagining his face when he sees me.  And that's all I need to keep going, even on the hard days.

A few people have asked what I'm doing to lose weight, so I thought I'd share a little about what my days look like and how I'm shedding pounds & inches.

I start my day with Shakeology, which is a vitamin and mineral drink, full of awesome nutrients.  I drink mine with almond milk, bananas, strawberries & peanut butter. (Sometimes I also throw spinach in there!) I use my in-laws Vitamix and throw some ice in there, and it's like starting my day with a chocolate milk shake.  I love it.

I drink the Shakeology shake instead of breakfast or a morning snack.  It keeps me full until lunch.  Shakeology is expensive, $4 a day if you average it out.  But by not buying coffee, creamer, or any breakfast food for myself, I feel that the cost is absorbed into my grocery budget.  Plus, losing this weight has been priceless to me.  So I say it's worth every penny.

In addition to drinking Shakeology, I eat healthy. That's it.  No secret.  I usually have a huge lunch meat sandwich for lunch, and a healthy dinner, like tacos or chicken & rice.

I think a lot of my success can also be attributed to giving up soda & coffee (which was making me have anxiety anyway) and giving up candy.  I dropped the soda & coffee slowly over the course of two weeks, first dropping my morning cup of joe, and later dropping my afternoon soda.  After getting those two eliminated, I gave up candy.

Giving up the candy was honestly harder than the coffee and soda combined.  

I still miss it.

But I don't miss the sixteen pounds I've lost!

Current stats:

Starting Weight: 200lbs.

Current Weight: 184lbs.

16lbs Lost!!!

I am down 6 and a half inches around my waist, and over 3 inches in my hips.

In addition to changing my eating habits and adding Shakeology I've been working out.  I started with Piyo, which came with my Shakeology, but the time commitment was too great for a mom with four kids and no husband currently.  So I switched a Leslie Sansone walking workout video that's only 15 minutes.  I work out every morning, Monday-Friday and try to get in a long walk on the weekends. 

My goal in starting this 60 Day Workout Challenge with my friend Kelly was to start something I could maintain in the long term.  This short workout is something I can keep up with and will continue long after our Challenge is over.  The Shakeology and healthy eating is also doable long term. 

***

In addition to working out & eating right, I've been doing things to make my body more beautiful in preparation for Josh's homecoming.

For instance, I've been using a dry body brush to get my skin soft & smooth.  It took a while for me to get used to using it as it's kind of rough, but the back of my arms feel amazing!

I've also been using self tanner to get some nice color.  I love the Jergens Natural Glow for slow tan over time on my legs (just be careful of ankles & knees!) and I love the Neutrogena Build-A-Tan for a quick one-time tan on my whole body.

I've also been whitening my teeth (for only $20 at Rite Aid!) and my kids love when I wear the blue strips and talk funny for a half hour each morning.

I've also been using this John Frieda "Go Blonder" spray after the shower & before I blow dry.  It gives me a sun-kissed color that I love.

For Mother's Day that amazing husband of mine ordered the FitBit Alta I've been dreaming of since starting this workout challenge.  It should get here Monday and I can't wait to see if it helps me get in more exercise.  I'm also anxious to track my sleep and see if there's anything I can do to improve there.

I have a little less than a month left before the challenge ends.  I'd love to drop nine more pounds and be at 175lbs. From there I'm sure I'll set another goal, as I'd really love to get around 160lbs and maintain from there.

I feel like if I can do this, if I can lose weight and get healthier while solo parenting these four kids, anyone can do it.  You just start.  Take a deep breath, know you can do this and make small changes until slowly they add up to big change.

***

Currently...

(Jack is SO good with Carly. He even holds her during school!)

Last week I organized homeschool stuff to kind of figure out where we're at and it turns out we will be done by the end of May.  I am so excited for the break.  And pretty pleased that despite several breaks (some for mental health & others for physical health) we will still finish up before June.

Homeschooling since adding #4 to our family has been really challenging.  We are definitely contemplating public school for all three boys next year (third grade for the twins & kindergarten for Wyatt), but a lot of our decision making will depend on where we end up living.  In the meantime, I am determined to finish out the year strong.

Carly has started crying when she needs to sleep.  Not so fun, but it makes her need for a nap obvious.  So I swaddle her and rock furiously until she passes out. I'm hoping this is just a phase!  It makes homeschooling a bit of a challenge if she needs to sleep while I'm teaching.

 We are full on into baseball season.  The twins are on a team together and Wyatt's on a team.  This means we have baseball at least four nights a week, sometimes five nights a week.  Luckily we all enjoy it, and I've made friends with moms on both teams, which makes it more fun for me!

That said, we're all really excited for Josh to get here so he can help out with running kids to games and practice and getting dinner on the table.

 Despite her day-time sleep-fighting, Carly's night sleep is still as awesome as ever. Currently she's sleeping 10:30 to 6:30.  Although last night she was up at 3:00 and ate a little.  But even when she wakes up, it's just to eat and she's right back to sleep.  The only downside to this long sleep is that she nurses a LOT in the morning and a LOT in the evening. But it's totally worth it!

 I have officially lost 15 pounds since starting Shakeology April 4th.  I've also lost 5 inches around my middle! And I'm in a size 14 jeans again!  I do a quick workout each day and drink a shake instead of having breakfast or a morning snack.   In my shake I usually put peanut butter, strawberries & a banana along with almond milk.  Super yummy!  Other than that, I'm just eating healthier and trying to keep my calories down & my activity up.  I feel great and am so happy to be heading in the other direction on the scale.

 Carly got a stuffed bear named Carly Bear from my aunt. Wyatt has taken her on his own and re-named her Elizabeth ("Isn't that a beautiful name, mom?" he asked) and has slept with her every night since Carly got her.  His favorite thing to do is put "Elizabeth" in all of Carly's baby things-- the bouncer, the swing and the car seat. It's so cute.

 ***

We are moving.
Our time in rural Alaska is up.

Here's what moving out of rural Alaska looks like:

{Our Household in its entirety}

{Our Sleep Number Bed, ready to ship}

{The boys' room in our Alaska house}

{Our bedroom in our Alaska house}

Last night Josh wrapped up packing all our earthly possessions into about twenty boxes and totes that will be shipped over the next two weeks.  When he sent me these pictures, I'll be honest. I started crying.  As much as I am ready for our next adventure, I am going to miss that house.  Those memories.  The people.  Seeing the house empty and those boxes stacked up, ready to go, makes it very real to me that we are done there.

I was determined to control the tailspin of emotions that started last night with those pictures, so when I woke up this morning I made plans for a smile-inducing happy morning.  Starting with snuggles from this little cuddle bug.

 Then an early trip to Safeway to get donuts for my crew.

 Good tunes on the radio in our van (which I am still loving!) and a super smiley selfie set us off on the right foot.

And when we got back from getting donuts, I caught this cutie sucking her fingers like my sister used to do.  So precious!

Then I cut myself some fresh lilacs from my mother-in-law's beautiful garden, and got out my first Inspired Readers Book Club read for May. (When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde) I can't wait to start it this afternoon!

 We let the mess be in the boys' room, and enjoyed a lazy morning of cartoons & chocolate milk.

 Then I bathed this little doll and put on one of her summer rompers since it's supposed to be near ninety degrees today!  She smells so fresh & looks adorable!  Hello, baby thighs!

***

I am hopeful this next week (and the one that follows) fly right on by so that Daddy will be here.  I am more than ready to have a hand at dealing with these kiddos and I kinda miss having someone to talk to at night.