Last week 's catch up

Hey there!

Last week I didn't post my weight. I stayed the same based on the scale at my ww meeting. The scale at my house is different from the one at the meeting, so I have decided to use that one to track my weight loss. This week, I made much better food choices for the first four days...then we had a whole lot of parties going on...and I did not fair as well...I weigh in tonight, and will see how I do.

I want to lose the weight so badly, I just can't afford to do cook for a party for 40-50 people and keep it healthy. It's impossible on our  budget. This makes it hard to eat healthy after I have been up late and am exhausted. Anyone have ideas on how to fight the stress/tired eating during a party preparation?

The holidays are fast approaching, and I am looking for healthy alternatives to the traditional sides for meals.... if you don't want to post the recipe on here, please feel free to email me at crabb.family@yahoo.com.

I was told you can have excuses, or you can have success....but you can't have both. It's time for me to really step up. 

Take care,

~Nyky

One more pound I am thankful is gone!

It was nice to see that I lost a pound this week. In retrospect, I had a few slip-ups, but I stayed more hydrated, ate better (most meals) and was much more active and on my feet! Considering my husband was away much of the week, I am excited. I have been chatting with a few people back and forth, and that has really helped me when going through the day! (thanks for the posts and emails...keep them coming if you can!)

I am someone that needs constant feedback in all areas of my life. It's a good trait in some ways, especially because it makes me more sensitive to giving feedback/encouragement on a frequent basis to others, but it's bad because not everyone wants to hold someone's hand in the process of life. My insecurities get the best of me most times where food and eating is concerned. I am hoping to accept that weight loss is a slow process, and I am the person who really needs to motivate me, not others.

There were a group of ladies I got together with this weekend to make meals for people who are ill or have had problems and need a little 'lift' if you will. It's something that I happened to organize with ladies from a group I am involved in (a 'life group) every other week) We made over 30 meals and desserts for people, and we had such a great time! We actually planned a date for October already! Why is it that I LOVE to motivate others, but I can't seem to get motivated myself? hmmm...I am going to work on that one this week.  If you want to feel a team spirit environment, try something like that evening. We all brought different ingredients, and made lots and lots of food for OTHERS...(At least I got to make and smell the food, right?)

Take care,
~Nyky

So if I lost this week....

I DID NOT DESERVE IT. I ate like I haven't eaten in a long time last night. Pizza and ice cream and more food galore! My husband got home from a long week away. The kids had been terrible for me honestly, and I was just sick of being stressed out. I wonder what it is about eating that makes me feel SO incredibly comforted that I can't stop doing this....and where can I get that feeling without the calories?

This week, we made the decision for me to go back to work part-time, and I am so excited for the regiment that a schedule (though be it part time) will make me have. Perhaps that will help me be better about not getting distracted by food.

Being busy an being productive are two different things I am coming to figure out. Busy is what three little kids bring you, and at the end of the day I eat. Being productive, on the other hand, gives me a sense of empowerment and I don't 'need' the extra food in my mouth.  Working and having that little bit of time away from the kids might just be what I need to plan my meals, get my Bible study work done and keep my head above water.

I have been reading some really inspiring blogs lately, and hope to share some of the links soon. I hope you find something inspiring for you too!

~Nyky

I must need to be on a tight schedule....

It's amazing how crazy this week has been with my husband gone on business. This is the first time that he has gone away for more than a day since we met 12 years ago.  The kids have been terrible honestly, and we all can't wait to get him back! However, I have been on a great schedule (which with preschool and classes I am taking I have to be on time) with a real high momentum. It's a little off kilter from what we are used to, but I am eating breakfast on schedule, lunch is on schedule, dinner (on time) and then we are in bed at a decent hour.

As I am going to be transitioning to a part-time position where I will be working from home a lot and the office some of the time I work, it will be very important for my kids to have a regular schedule. We have one now, but it is pretty relaxed on timing. The kids 'natural clock' has always been between 9pm and 10pm for bed, and they  wake up around 8 or 8:30. It's worked great so far. But it is time for change. Going to bed earlier and waking up earlier EVERYDAY, is going to be needed for the kids to be less disrupted by our work schedules. I am so excited about my new job. My future boss is someone I know from my church, and understands how important it is for me to be a Wife and mother first, and employee somewhere after that.

I am so thankful for the fact that I get to work from home too. This will allow me some quiet time while my husband Rob watches the kids, yet keep me close enough if they need their mommy.

I am in DESPERATE need of an exercise plan where I don't have to pay a gym membership. Hopefully I will get inspired for more exercise soon!


Take care,
~Nyky

Week 1 Weigh-in

This week I lost a little over a pound! I am so glad that I just kind of took my time to make some better choices this week. I tried to get more hydrated (which I have a REAL problem doing for some reason). Having PCOS makes me insulin resistant and can slow down weight loss.  Honestly, my eating habits leave MUCH to desire lately, so that is more likely the reason for the slower start.  I interviewed this past week for two jobs. Both of them were great opportunities for me, with great personal rewards that could come from each. However, I was very stressed at the idea that one of them was about a 35 minute drive and Full time. The other is about a mile away from my house and part time. This opportunity could become full time at any point if I need it to. I am so thankful that at this point I feel like we will be ok with just the part time effort. My little kids need me to be around as much as possible, while my husband could use some back up here and there where bills are concerned. I decided to go with the part-time job. I am hoping that I can do better meal planning on my breaks, and maybe even get some exercising in. 

Now all I have to do is get my house in order before I start in October!~ That is a whole other mess!

Take care,

~Nyky

Starting to get on a schedule

I never thought I would say it, but I am glad for a new and more limiting schedule this fall. My kids will be going to preschool three days a week, which will allow me to keep more of a  routine schedule for everyone. This will allow me to do the meal planning that I love to see on www.orgjunkie.com.  It makes my life so much easier when I plan my meals out. If I decide to go back to the working world, I will need to have some sort of system in place to keep the peace in the house for sure!

Camp was GREAT....to everything but my waist!

Just coming back from my favorite week of the year feels great. We are getting settled and ready for preschool to start for the kids. I spent much of the last week eating large amounts of very fattening foods....many planned and executed by me. I tried to do better than I did last year, which I did. I just didn't eat the way I should have. It's an incredibly busy week, and I had to scarf things down as I could sometimes. 

I just find that stress (which is inevitable in the season of life that I am in) makes me eat. LIKE CRAZY! I have to get back on track, so I am going to do something that I never got the courage to do before....post pics as often as possible, and be accountable for my weight. Whether I go up or down.

In the past, I would get all wound up that I did not lose anything in a week, or that I gained a little bit at a time. Reality check: I am going to gain weight if I don't monitor at all. I was exercising in the beginning of the year, and it was great. I felt great, I looked better...and I let stress get in the way.

I will not make any profound promises to myself or anyone else that I will be super thin by a certain date. I just want to be healthier.  So...here is the first pic. Starting weight of 229.4.

Life is like candy land right now....

one of my ginger buddies!

I am so excited about going to camp this year! I am the activities director for a camp for kids with chronic and/or severe skin disorders. It's the one place in this world I love more than anywhere. My kids have all spent their summers there, and the people are wonderful.

It's very time consuming to plan and test and execute some of the tasks that are needed to make the schedule run well. This year, I got the crazy idea that we should make a life sized Candy Land Game Board for camp. GREAT IDEA....but it's been really time consuming over the last 6 weeks. I have lived the construction of this game board, which I don't mind, but  I have to get these ideas earlier. Every year I try to do better and better with the activities, and I cut it closer and closer to getting the job done!

A goal of mine is to start prioritizing my life again. I struggle with over committing to others, and under committing to ME. A couple of my friends have blogs that help them with accountability. I really was doing well when I posted regularly. Hopefully, when I start back with WW at the end of this month, and camp is over I can start managing my time and energy more efficiently.

Hope you enjoy some of the pictures!

This little guy makes me smile!

So it's been a while.....

Hello out there!

It has been forever it seems since I blogged last. I am still stuck in the rut of not being able to make time for myself. Or, more to the point, I don't prioritize right. To be honest, I really haven't been able to do much more than gain and lose the same 4 pounds for months now.

I am hoping to change that starting this week. I have been toying with the idea of making this blog more of a forum for people to share their organizational ideas and their recipes for weight loss success. Hopefully, I can at least get some ideas from going back on the blogs that I had grown to love over the last few months.

Please check back soon for pics and updates on the family!

Take care,
~Nyky

30+ inches down...and great things are Happening!

Hello Everyone!

Just a quick post to let you know I haven't given up! I am doing a great job with the exercise group that I started in the beginning of January. I lost 30 inches in the two week boot camp that we did! yes...30! I gained a pound in the process, but I feel stronger and look better than I have in a VERY, Very long time. So glad I did it. I encourage anyone that wants to lose weight to get a support system going. It makes me want to get up and get out of the house to exercise 3 days a week.

I will post again later today (hopefully....) I will let you know what great things have been happening around me lately.

Take care,
Nyky

Boot Camp Day 8 (Feeling great?)

This morning was really tough for me to get out of bed. I am tired and have been under some emotional stress as well. But the girls from this boot camp are so great that I just did not want to miss a day. We did lots of different exercises and had fun like always, and I got through it (after griping a few times) Above you will see a  picture of my Dad, who passed away on April 10th, 2009...just one week shy of a month after this picture was taken from a heart attack/blockages. It was also my daughter's 1st birthday. I need to keep getting up and exercising each morning. My brother's wedding was a great way for all of us to be together one last time...I miss my parents so much right now. I can't do this to my kids.

I am so glad that I have a network of women around me to help me get through. We are going to be doing a weight loss study for 9 weeks that tackles the emotional end of eating. I will post the book info when I have it in my hands. Maybe this could help others too.

My son, Jack, who is 3 has been playing video games (specifically mario kart) for the Wii, and is REALLY good at it. I don't want him playing all the time, but it has really REALLY calmed down the behavior issues that he has been having lately. Any advice on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

Hope you all had a great day!
~Nyky

Looking past boot camp

What if I could transform myself, my body, my life, my mark on my kids life? Like a butterfly? (I don't mean to be corny...but it would be a drastic transformation on my part)

I am SO excited about the opportunity that getting healthier is providing me. I am going to join Pudget's 30 day Challenge, and I am going to continue working out with the group from my boot camp three hours a week. I was also asked to consider running a race in November that is 9 MILES long... It's call the Run for the Diamonds. I can't imagine doing that.

Pudget is going to do a 1/2 marathon in April, and is working so hard to get there...and to think at this time last year she was only a few pounds lighter than I am now. Makes me think. I am hearing what if I fail?, what if others WANT me to fail? and other nonsense that keeps me in this fight for my body.

I have been overweight for most of my life. I remember when I gained 20lbs after spending a big majority of my summer with my grandmother. My parents were overwhelmed with my mother's illness (she was sick quite a long time before her death). I think I was about 9 or 10 at the time. The trauma of being away from my parents, and thinking that my mom was going to die are still with me. I feel like I have to overcome more than just eating better. The emotions are what get me every time. Why can't I do this? I don't have to win...I just have to participate to win in this situation, right?


Thinking....
~Nyky

Day 6 of Boot Camp and Fundraiser for the House of Hope

Hey there everyone! I survived the 6th day of Boot Camp and I still love it! I weigh in at weight watchers tonight...so cross your fingers for me! We are doing such wonderful things like yoga, pilates, aerobics (to 80's music!) and learning about each other. I can't wait to be part of this group long term. I feel genuine love from the ladies in the group so far.

Jessica from pudget 1 and I are putting together a benefit for our local chapter of the House of Hope in Danville, Pa. You can check out the House of Hope website by clicking on the name. If anyone makes, sells or has items we can auction off to benefit these great girls that would be great!

Hope you are all having a great day!

Take care,
~Nyky

"Weak" one down....;)

I will be 30 years old one month from today!

This is a picture of my husband and I last year at this time (I was about 5 months pregnant). I know that I was pregnant...but that jacket still fits me and I have a seven month old. I really need to lose the weight.

I hope that I can start strong in my weight loss journey. I worked so hard all week, and I took a sneak peak at the scale and GAINED! GAINED! If I took a bite I wrote it down in my tracker. Why did that happen??? But I feel better so I have to take that into consideration. So sorry that I did not keep blogging last week. We had internet/modem issues that did not allow me to get on the internet for a few days. Days 4 and 5 of the boot camp went great! Something about getting my body moving, getting out of the house everyday, and being on a schedule felt so good! Tomorrow starts week two! Wish me luck...:o)

Boot Camp Day 3 (I survived!)

Ok...so this picture is what my "fat" and my "other fat" was doing today during jumping jacks. I was jumping and doing all the right things, and my belly kept slapping (which is the only word that i can use...which stinks) against my body. Just like two cars on the street...my belly and my hip area should not be connected by a bumper!

We did aerobics and self defense among other things today...and we are ALL SORE! But in a good way. I have to have my body fat tested with calipers tomorrow...eek! I am ready for it though. I know how gross I felt after the jumping jacks today, and I want to remember that feeling for a while. Long enough to fix it. For those of you that have been through this, do you have any techniques/tricks that kept you motivated?

I will say that i have had more energy the last few days. But I am sure that you are thinking...something like it's just the first week...(me too a little). I just pray that it works out that I can keep motivated.

More importantly, my depression level is really decreasing with the exercise. I have anxiety issues that keep me from being motivated...this boot camp has really helped.

Have a great night!
~Nyky

Boot Camp Day 2

What a beautiful picture of a delicate flower. I felt so "fragile" while doing our boot camp today. Like if I kept going at points during the exercising that I would break. I just haven't pushed myself in a long while...(too long). We had a kick boxing instructor come and we really worked hard! I felt so out of shape and realized how much my body was NOT used to moving. It bothered me enough that I started to tear up and bawl when I saw a woman in her sixties doing all of the exercises and I had to take a break for water. My endurance just isn't there....YET. I know that I have such potential to dance and play with my kids. I have the chance still to get to a healthy weight, and look good. But most of all...i can FEEL good again. My friend's husband posted a pic of her after an incredibly successful year of weight loss that said "my hot wife" the other day. How wonderful did she feel after that? I want my husband to feel that way about me too. I know he loves me and is attracted to me, but I want him to be that proud too.

This boot camp is going to be a struggle to get through for me, but I feel so revived by all the stretching and dancing and kick boxing. It's such a great thing to have other people there with you who have the same goals. One of the instructors has lost over 100lbs and really looks good. I worry about the loose skin that can occur from a lot of weight loss like I have to make. She said something to the effect that she would much rather have the loose skin than the heart disease. Boy do I understand that. As my birthday approaches in Feb, I am more and more angry and frustrated with my parents for leaving me so soon. I WILL NOT DO THAT TO MY KIDS! Not by life choices anyway.

Enjoy this pic of my daughter...I am hoping she doesn't have to struggle with weight like I do!


I hope you are all having a great day!

Take care,
~Nyky

Boot Camp Day 1

I am so blessed that there is a FREE boot camp offered at my church for the next two weeks. Five days a week! I am so lucky because we just are not in a financial position to be joining a gym (just yet...;o) I went this morning for 3 hours. We did regular stretching, we wogged around our gym, played volleyball, used an exercise ball (for the first time ever!), got weighed in, measured, and ended with yoga... and felt so loved while doing all of these things.

I didn't think I would ever do yoga again after a mishap at a yoga class in my early twenties....(yoga class was such a 'gas'...i am still embarrassed) But I did, and I liked it. I think what I like about this class so much is that it encompasses a lot of different elements, and keeps you busy. It did not feel like we were there for three hours, that is for sure!

Sooo...it's time to be accountable. I weighed 221.8lbs today when I went in. My measurments were taken of the following areas:

tricep
chest
bust
waist
hips
thigh
(I will post them later tonight along with a "before" picture!)
I was able to do 37 crunches in a minute
I was able to do 31 wall push ups

It's not easy to see those numbers. It's not easy to realize that I have had so much time to make this "weight" thing right. But I can't worry about that anymore. My kids deserve to have me at their 30th birthday parties. Something that my parents will not able to do for me in February. I would love to be under 200 for my birthday, but that is not going to happen for me I am sure. But 210 by 2/10 might!

If you too, are on a journey of your own, whether it be for weight loss or financial, I hope that you are able to find something that works for you to get through. I am praying that this boot camp will give me the "push" go get over the 33lb weight loss that I have had since I had my son in June of 09. I just can't do anymore on my own.

Take care,
~Nyky

Tupperware's Honey Southwest Roasted Pork

This recipe was so tasty and EASY to make! The seasoning is the Southwest Chipotle seasoning by Tupperware. I try not to sell something that I wouldn't buy myself. So I tried this recipe, since the pack of seasoning was $6.50. I thought...it better be really good for that price....you only needed a tablespoon for the recipe. It will last quite a while. My husband even ate it (which is no small feat).

Let me know if you want the recipe!

~Nyky

Going to plan my meals for this week.

We have a crazy week here at our house this week. I have to work 5 nights this week doing parties and my husband is working overtime with it being the "end of year" for his company. I see a lot of fast food in my future if i don't play my cards right. I signed up for a 30 day free trial of "Plan to Eat" off of Orgjunkie's blog. I haven't used it yet...and it's been a few weeks. I am going to try it today...and Orgjunkie is hosting a giveaway for a year's membership ($37 value) away on her site. Check it out!

I am looking for a healthy/lower fat version of beef stew. Anyone have an idea where I can find a good one?

OK 2010...Bring it!

I hope that this message finds everyone well and rested in the beginning of the year!

Two years ago...at about this time, I got the phone call that my mother, who was in hospice care, died. My poor dad fell asleep after watching every breath she took for over a week. The nurse said that so often, those who are dying wait until no one is looking/hovering to let go. Last year, I was pregnant with my third child, and was so worried about my dad's emotions I did ok. This year, since Dad is gone too....not a great day. I over ate (horribly) and feel so blue.

Why am I telling you this? Because like so many of us struggling with weight issues, there is always a reason for me to overeat. NOT ANYMORE! I am hoping that through the support of other bloggers, and from my friends, that I can overcome this "need" to eat all the time. I really do feel a rush of pleasure when I have something in my mouth that is salty or sweet. I am interested in how other people overcome this issue. So if you know of another blog about weight loss or coping...let me know.

My husband and I have been on a reorganizing tirade for the last two weeks and it feels GREAT to get in some kind of order. We have so much clutter surrounding us that it is hard to feel like we are done but it is getting better!

Take Care,
~Nyky