Update: Where I Am

Ok, so I know it's been almost a month since my last update, but with all that went on in the month of March, I didn't have much of a chance to just sit down and get everything down.  Now, it seems that all that I've wanted to share has gotten piled up in my mind.  I'm going to try my best to get out everything that's been happening over the next couple weeks.  This coming week is looking to be pretty busy, but if I find some time I will get down as much as possible!

So first of all...I've now lost 10 pounds!!!

I love the way I feel about myself for losing this much, even though it took 3 months!  But I know that losing it this slowly will hopefully help me to keep it off.  I think if I had gone a different route to lose the weight more quickly, I could have easily let myself slip and gained it all back just as fast.  I can see a difference when I look in the mirror, but especially in my clothes.  Most of my pants are almost falling off, and I'm getting close to the last hole on my belt!  I did do a little shopping the other week and had to go down a pant size!  I'm looking forward to when my new pants are even too big!!!

I'm still trying to do my best at recording how many calories I eat each day, but of course I still find that I have those "cheat" days and meals.  I try to keep that to a minimum (like special occasions)!  The recent Easter candy has been challenging to avoid, and I must admit that I've let myself do a little splurging on the Peeps and chocolate!  But again, I don't want to cut out anything in my life...just limit myself and control the overeating!

Here's looking forward to losing the next 10!!!

~Emily

*More to come soon, hopefully*

Rainy Sunday

It's been a rainy Sunday here today, but I haven't minded AT ALL!!!  Rosey and I have been lounging around catching up on TV and doing laundry (well I've been doing all those things while Rosey has been napping and playing with her toys)!  Sundays have become one of my favorite days of the week!  I used to hate Sundays because I would be overloaded with school work and not looking forward to the upcoming Monday.  Now I look forward to what is usually the most relaxing day of the week!  I sleep in (not so great because I know I should be in church to focus on my relationship with God, but I have been making time to pray and speak to Him often), I get time to play with Rosey, I catch up on my shows and movies I haven't watched, and I just get some quality time with myself to think!  Last Sunday I spent time down at the River with Rosey laying in the sun, but this Sunday was just as great laying on the couch listening to the rain!!!

I've had a pretty good week, and did very well sticking to good eating choices until Friday...  I went to a movie with a friend and indulged in some nachos, soda, and candy.  And then we had pizza for dinner.  But I got right back on track yesterday and am doing very well today eating lots of fruits and vegetables while just laying around!  And I'm very proud to say that I've shown great determination and commitment with my healthy eating when I tell you that I have not allowed myself to eat ALL of the Girl Scout Cookies I bought! LOL!  I ordered them before I started counting calories, and I can't resist not eating them, so I know I have to control myself when I indulge in a few!

Here's hoping for another good week!

  I'm happy to say that Leslie delivered a beautiful baby boy on Friday!  

Baby Hayden is finally here, and I can't wait to meet him! 

~Emily

Daily Victories and Challenges

I am starting to find that each day brings a new victory or challenge into my life.  Many of my daily victories lately have been from someone telling me they can see that I've lost weight or feeling more comfortable in my clothes!  I feel like the hard work of changing my eating habits and putting in the exercise are really starting to pay off!  I'm hoping to continue seeing my hard work show in the reactions of other people and in the way I feel about myself!

I do find it challenging that some days I struggle to stick to my calorie intake.  I sometimes end up over-indulging or not making the best choices when I want to go out to eat with my friends.  I don't want to hold back on life just because I feel like I might not make the perfect choice, so I call these times my "cheat day" or "cheat meal."  Sometimes I feel guilty when I allow myself to over-indulge, but I know that I will do better the next day!

This week, we threw a baby shower for Leslie (a girl I work with).  

There was lots of yummy food brought in to share with everyone, and it all looked amazing!  

I decided not to count each calorie because I wanted to try everything and it would have been difficult to calculate how much of each thing I had.  Instead, I just had a little bit of about everything and stopped eating when I felt full!  I counted this as a cheat day and didn't even try to track my caloric intake, but I did my best to make sure I didn't over-indulge too much!

Last night, I went out to dinner and felt very good when I left!  I ordered my dinner wisely (grilled salmon, white cheddar mashed potatoes, and fresh steamed brocolli) using my calorie tracker, but then found myself trying some of the appetizer dish (a yummy shrimp fondue dip) and a bit of the most delicious mac & cheese! So instead of just chalking that all up to cheat meal, I decided to let my body tell me when to stop!  I ended up only eating the brocolli and about a third of my salmon, still staying in my calorie allowance!  I was so proud of how well I let my body tell me to do the smart thing!

I really like the changes I'm starting to see, both physically and in the way I'm dealing with food!  I plan to keep going to where I want to be, and I hope I can stick with it!!!

~Emily

What a Week!!!

There has been a lot going on this week!  Last Friday, after Rilee spent the night my sis and I went to get our hair cut!  I hadn't had my hair cut in almost a year, so it was definitely time!!!  Here is a pic of how much Caitlin go cut off (I don't have a pic of her hair afterward)!  And a pic of my finished product!!!

On Saturday, I traveled to Rock Hill with my friend Mallory and her Winterguard to see them in competition! The did a great job and ended up winning first place in their class!!!

(Not sure why this is so blurry)

And the BEST part of the past week...

Rosey and I went down to the Riverwalk on Friday to lay out and enjoy the amazing weather!!!  It was about 80 degrees (in February!!!) and not a cloud in the sky!!!  I started working on the tan while Rosey played with her frisbee and enjoyed roaming! 

The sun and warmth have seemed to take a break today, so Rosey and I are enjoying laying around the house and catching up on some TV and maybe a movie or two!

Hoping for another great week ahead!

~Emily

PS...I have now lost 6 pounds as of today!!!

Adventures in Babysitting

Rilee came to spend the night with me last night!  And we had a blast watching Disney movies, reading books, and playing Barbies!  She came with me to Jazzercise class this morning and was very well behaved!  We also ventured to  Publix, Walmart, and to get my hair cut!  I love getting to spend one-on-one time with her!  I think Rosey enjoys her visits as well!

On another note...
I've lost another pound this week!!!!

I've been dealing with a cough and "the crud" for most of the week.  I don't feel bad, but this cough is killing my throat and makes me sound like a boy!

I'm looking forward to heading to a Winterguard competition this weekend!  Since my kids can't compete this year, I'm excited to join Mallory and her guard in their competition season!  It will be fun to see what everyone is doing this year!

Not much else going on here...will post pics of the new hairdo soon!

~Emily

Making Progress

Since I've started counting and keeping track of my calorie intake for almost 3 weeks now, I've lost 3 pounds!  It's not a whole lot, but I'm not looking to cut weight extremely fast or anything.  I want this to be a gradual thing and somewhat of a lifestyle change instead!

Last weekend, I didn't do so well at sticking to my plan :(  I went out to dinner with some friends on Friday night to a Mexican restaurant and I just can't resist the chips and queso dip.  I ate WAY too many chips and could definitely feel it as I made my way home.  I know next time to take it a little easy on those!  On Saturday night, I went to dinner at Outback Steakhouse (one of my absolute favorites)!  I stuck to the smaller portion of steak and had a baked potato and salad.  Not the best of choices, but I just wanted to indulge a little!  It was delicious and I enjoyed every second of it!

Most of my meals throughout the week have been pretty good choices, with at least one meal being a salad!  And I make sure they are very colorful!

On Wednesday of this week, my brother came to school with me to job shadow!  We had a pretty light day with two classes missing our group time because of school pictures, but I think he enjoyed seeing what his big sis does every day!  After work, we came back to my house for a little while and Rosey enjoyed getting to cuddle some with Colin!

Tomorrow are a couple Teacher Job Fairs, which I'm hoping go well and offer some opportunities for me in the upcoming school year!

~Emily

Rilee

So just wanted to take the time to write a little bit about my favorite almost 4 year old...my Goddaughter, Rilee!

I was so excited when she was born and her parents asked me to take the role as her Godmother.  I take that as a huge compliment and hold her very near and dear to my heart!  

I make sure I play a big role in Rilee's life to make sure she knows I love her and to teach her and help her grow into a smart, caring, and sweet young lady!  Some of our favorite things to do together are read books, play Barbies, color, play doctor, dress up and just snuggle up together!

I've also had a big hand in making sure she grows up to cheer for the Gamecocks!  For almost every birthday and Christmas since she was born, I've made sure to get her something garnet and black!  

I am amazed at how smart Rilee is!  

She communicates very well and is already able to write her name and most of her letters!

She wrote this during church last Sunday all by herself!


I absolutely love this kid and love watching her grow each and every day!

~Emily