I have been making changes to my diet. A few weeks ago I officially broke up with Weight Watchers (but they totally screwed me and charged me for another month)! I made this decision for several reasons:

1. Money ~ WW is $40/month and well Big Man is still out of work. On Monday I received a pink slip (but it was on white paper) so no more unnecessary spending.

2. Obsessed ~ I was beginning to go points-crazy! I was so obsessed about how many points and tracking that I was going crazy. Then there was the incident with mini-me: she asked me how many points were in her snack and I freaked! My mom was always on some diet or another and she didn’t always speak kindly about my body size and/or shape. She went through a brown, cardboard phase and one year there was pineapple in ever dish on the Easter table. I do NOT want my daughter growing up like I did!

3. Guilt ~ I began to hate tracking my points! Everything I ate was causing me great upset. Anytime I ate too much or the wrong food I was feeling so guilty. I love food but I was beginning to dread eating. When I started running a few weeks ago, I realized I was hungry a lot but when I ate extra (even though it was good stuff like veggies and chicken) I felt guilty.

Worse, I wasn’t losing any real weight! I was floundering with my weight loss and I was starting to hate the whole process. I just want to be normal…whatever the hell that even means. I don’t want to have to obsess about food. I want to eat what my body needs and enjoy food (all food) and not analyze and agonize over what I can and cannot, should and should not eat.

A few weeks ago, I chatted with a friend and we discussed food options. She was trying out Body for Life and I admit, I like many things about BFL. For the most part BFL looks like a great place to start – it seems like a very “clean” way to eat, even though I am not sure I understand what that means exactly. I have been trying to eat close to the BFL way and so far I like it! But while at Fitbloggin I listened to a very interesting man named David Grotto and I found myself nodding along to a lot of what he was saying. And then later I got to shake hands and chat with DG and he knew who I was!!!! I mean seriously, he knew me!! Craziness!!

“Adding IN” not “taking out”

I love this concept. Instead of eliminating foods and craving them I just add in healthy stuff! I have been doing this to some extent but this week I am kicking it up a notch. I add spinach to my eggs, zucchini to my eggs and pasta sauce, and actually I had a bag of spinach and I have added spinach to leftovers, salads, sandwiches, eggs, and I am sure I will find more ways to squeeze in more veg.

In the few weeks since I stopped counting points I feel like I have been making better food choices and the scale has been kind. You know I only hold so much stock in the scale but I have been losing with more consistency. I also have been feeling awesome! I love adding extra veggies to each meal. I have been eating extra fruit every day. Funny thing is ~ I am probably eating the same calories (I don’t really keep track) but I am definitely more satisfied.

A change will do you good!!! That just came out of nowhere but I suddenly caught myself singing.

keep on keepin’ on, jen

WEEKLY WEIGH IN STATS

Current Weight: 190.2  lbs
Previous Weight: 192.4  lbs
Weight loss: -2.2 lbs
Weight loss in March: -4.6 lbs
Starting Weight: 242.6 lbs
Weight loss total: -52.4 lbs

To go along with my break up with WW meetings I am also changing my weigh in day to Wednesdays. I made this change for a number of reasons:

1. I have joined yet another Shrinking Jeans Challenge. The sisters have Wednesday weigh ins and it just seemed like a logical switch.

2. School mornings are too busy to dwell on what numbers pop up on the scale. I literally step on the scale record the number and move about my day. Saturdays were becoming all about the scale.

3. and finally, I love alliteration so weigh in Wednesday just works for me!!

**This is a short post but I still need to get my workout done! I have been blogging a little bit more often these days but some of my posts are shorter than usual…..what do you think? Do you like more posts or longer, less often post?!?!

Click the link!! You know you want to!! Click and watch the Bangles!! I promise it will make your Monday!!

WEEKLY WEIGH IN STATS

Current Weight: 194.4
Previous Weight: 196.8 lbs
Weight loss: -2.4 lbs
Weight loss in Feb: -0.2 lbs
Starting Weight: 242.6 lbs
Weight loss total: -48.2 lbs

THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

The week started off with such promise! After snow days and chest colds hampering me I was hopeful that I would get back to consistent working out.  Big Man and I went out of town on Monday to see an awesome concert. I was in the car for over two hours but I think I made up for it with a half hour in the hotel pool and 3 hours of hippie wigglin’ (I don’t know what else you call the dancing one does at a Dead show).  I did not have my Gruve (it is currently broken and I have been slacking on sending it to be fixed but tomorrow it will go to FedEx) but my pedometer racked up 11,000 + steps while I was at the show.

Tuesday morning I woke up to a text from my mother. The kid had been up 3 times to puke! Oh joy! We drove home in very limited visibility due to snow. I spent the day lounging with a very sick kid. I always know she is sick if she is super clingy and if she takes a nap willingly. I swear the kid thinks naps are evil!

Wednesday I woke up and got ready for work like normal. I left the kid sleeping with daddy on duty. I drive 3 miles to get to work! In the time it took me to drive to work, mind you it is 3 miles away, I was feeling nauseous and overheated! I got into school ans lasted about 20 minutes before I was sent home. As I was walking to my car, the bus arrived. Don’tcha know I slipped on damn ice and went down quick and hard! Did I mention I did this in front of a bus of my students?!?!

Thursday and Friday I was feeling better and made it to work. I wasn’t 100% but well enough to be in school. Fridays at my school are workplace readiness days. We don’t necessarily teach academics. One of new classes started this Friday and I am super super excited about this class. I am teaching a Girls Essential Skills/Self-Esteem Building/Fitness Class.  Our first day was awesome!! We started some self-esteem building exercises. I am looking forward to how this works.

I did have some exciting things happen during this otherwise bleh week of sickies:

• The class I mentioned above started and went extremely well. The girls are “into” the class! A few of the girls even asked me if I would stay with them after school to work out in the gym (our school is very small so we do not have the gym facilities of a traditional high school)
• I set my ultimate weight goal this week!! After reading @amerrylife ‘s blog this week where she set an awesome super big goal , I decided that I also wanted to lose a total of 100 pounds. I have been himming and hawing about what my ultimate goal will be! I think my vagueness has only hindered me. 100 is a nice even number and I am almost half way there!
• I decided to sign up for the FitBloggin’ New Balance 5K! TO RUN this 5K! I am not a runner but I want to challenge myself to try this!! My goal for this 5K is to just finish the dang thing and run half! I started the Couch to 5K training program today.
• I was named Teacher of the Year for my school

I am looking forward to the week ahead! I have new workout goals!

• couch to 5K training with @FitinmyHeart, @damanlovett, @JeepJenn, @priorfatgirl, and @amerrylife [IF you are training with me and I didn't list you please hit me up in comments ~ I want to make a list (with links) for all me fellow SLOGGERS in training!!
• Start Bob Greene training with @fitinmyheart [this is a dvd with an 8 week total body makeover plan] Monday (tomorrow) will be week 1, day 1.

I will also work on:

• drinking 8 glasses of water every day
• remembering to take vitamins every day
• stretching every night before bed!
• track! track! track!!

Oh life is good!! I am feeling better! The family seems to be over the sickies! I am ready to take on the world!! At least, for the next week!

much love, Jen

The Shrink I did Rethink

I have this post written in my head but I have been having the hardest time actually writing! I am not sure why. I have been in a bit of a funk since we got all this snow. I am tired of winter, tired of snow….and the weatherman says we might get more on Monday and possibly more again on Saturday. I am OVER this snow stuff!! I love my home – it is my favorite place on the planet but even I need to be able to get out of my house once in a while!

Snow rant over!

My friends at Shrinking Jeans posted this assignment as a final project:

Rethink Your Shrink is coming to an end! Are you ready? Did you rethink? And moreover, did you shrink?  What happened over the past 7 weeks? Did you move more? Did you find victories? Did you find non-scale victories? Did you do something you’ve never done before? (And in a good way?) How much did you lose? How much did you gain in knowledge and preparation? How did you do when you had an off-week? Did you fall off? Did you get back up? Where did you find motivation? Did you like this challenge? How did you do?

On Saturday, January 2nd I weighed in at 204 pounds and yesterday, February 13th I weighed in at 196.8, which is a gain this week of 2.2 ~ thank you sickness and then snow storm but a loss of 7.2 pounds over the course of the 7 errrr 6 weeks of this awesome challenge! I don’t think I shrank but I grew in so many ways during this challenge.

I am also involved in the Perfect 10 challenge and the Mamavation; what can I say?!?! I love challenges and I love the support system from my online peeps! I have met some awesome people during these challenges! I have participated and continue to participate in many challenges! Rethink your Shrink has been unlike any other challenge and I think that is why it has meant so much to me that I am sad it is over.

I finally had my a-ha moment! I woke up and realized that I have been half-assing this weight loss thing! I was not putting my whole heart into it and I have now vowed that 20-10 will be the year of JEN and I am embracing myself and my journey. I have made working out a priority. I have found workouts I LOVE and I have learned that I have to do what works best for me and not what everyone else is doing. I have a problem with that, I get caught up in other people’s excitement. Example, everyone was doing the 30 Day Shred and I had to have that!! I finally received it and I almost killed myself trying to get through it – it was a killer on my knees!! but everyone kept tweeting and blogging about it and I tried to finish…what the hell was I thinking. I do not have to be like anyone else! I am not ashamed of my walking dvd workouts and I think my knees are thankful: they are getting stronger, I am getting stronger and I am doing it my way!

I finally get it!!!

This is my life, my journey and I have to do it my way!!!

I have grown and I continue to grow and learn. I am finding my way and I am finally having fun doing it! I am not blogging as often but when I blog I enjoy it! I workout and I am enjoying it! I am spending more time with my family. I am finding myself getting more organized and less cluttered which is definitely helping my weight loss journey. I know, it sounds crazy but it true!

The last week was a bit crazy with being trapped in the house with the snow immediately following a bout of sickness! Even though my eating was not awesome, I did get back to working out this week 4 days in a row!! I had actually started to miss my workouts and I am so glad I pushed myself to get back at it! I loved when I needed it, I had a ton of support and ass-kicking!!

The past 6-7 weeks I have really stepped up my physical game and I have bulldozed through mental blocks and I feel stronger and more confident than ever.  I am stronger, physically and mentally! I am more confident and satisfied with myself. I am not perfect and I am ok with that!!

I will continue to fight for my health and greatness!!

Thanks hookers, ya’ll throw a great challenge!!

How did I work my goals this week?

1. Lose 5 pounds per month – I have no freaking idea here! I may have gone a wee bit overboard but mainly with healthy foods. I have spent a lot of time trapped in my house due to SNOW! Last week’s WW meeting was closed because if the stupid snow but I am really looking forward to tomorrow’s meeting.

2. Walk 15 miles each week - I wound up with 13 miles! I must say this is a win! I did not real workouts last Saturday, Sunday and Monday ~ I did shovel snow and clean and de-clutter my house like a madwoman!

3. Strength train 3x each week, every week - 3 of my 4 walks were Leslie Sansone living room walks which includes mild strength training…and is truly a multi-muscle walk. I also started the Bob Green 8 week total Body Makeover dvd that I won from Shrinking Jeans. I did that workout twice, tomorrow is the scheduled 3rd day.

4. find and prepare one new healthy recipe (or food) -

I made stuffed peppers. Not a “new” recipe exactly but Big Man usually makes the stuffed peppers. I used barley in place of rice; this was the first time trying barley and I LOVE IT! I also added a diced up zucchini into the stuffing and a shredded carrot into the sauce.

I love adding veggies everywhere and anywhere I can get away with! And this recipe was a huge hit…even with the hard to please karate kid!

What you don’t know about Jen…..

There was this time….at band camp….

LMAO!!

My big secret…I played the flute from 6th – 12th grades.  I did not want to play after 8th grade but my mom bought me my own flute for 8th grade graduation. I was stuck playing all through high school. I was in the marching band in high school. My band director only did marching band because the school made him and since he loved his jazz band he did the marching band!! Our marching band was kind of sad…ok, very sad!! This did not make me love my flute!

Looking back, marching band was a great time but I think I liked choir better!

Now, I just want to listen to as much good music as I can! We love to go to concerts as often as possible!  Monday me and the Big Man are off to Bethlehem, PA to see Further with Bob Weir and Phil Lesh!

Being sick left me useless and whiny and tired!

I am tired of being sick and tired!!

I am over it!

On Monday, I was feeling totally better! I was home from school because of a snow day. I cleaned and decluttered like a mad woman (a blog with picture proof will be coming shortly).

Yesterday, I got my GRUVE back!! I was out of commission while I was sick and most days I did not even hit blue! and that is if I remembered to put on my gruve.  Yesterday, I wore my Gruve and I made sure to stand and walk at work as much as possible! I worked out hard: I did a 3 mile Leslie Sansone walking dvd and Week 1, day 1 of Bob Greene’s Total Body Makeover.  I hit my Green Goal for the first time in days!! I just looked it up and the last Green day was January 26th.

I was tweeting with @trulytrayce last night after my workout! Trayce just recently got her Gruve and she has hit Green yesterday! We decided to try to get Green every day between now and Fitbloggin2010!  We were just goofing around but I think we are on to something! We are calling it out Gruvey Green Challenge and we will have to make up t-shirts!!

So, Trayce and I have challenged each other to our very own Gruvey Green Challenge!!

Are you a Gruver?  How many days can you go Green??

I have been sick, as you may know. Nothing serious just a stupid cold! That would not go away! My ear started bugging me so I went to see the doctor. Doc prescribed an antibiotic for lingering respiratory infection (that stupid cold that wouldn’t go away was really a respiratory infection) and cream for my ear rash thing.

I paid special attention to my blood pressure and it was awesome, 126 over 72. I asked when my last blood work was done – September 2008. The Shrinking Jeans Sisters have me thinking about all these things and when doc came in I asked if we could schedule blood work just to have numbers and he thought it was a great idea. I even asked for a printout of my weight over the years. I wanted to see where I really started.

I looked at the numbers and the dates. I am going to list them here.

2.8.03: 202

8.20.03: 189: worked 2nd job as waitress all summer long.

10.2.03: 198: no longer waiting tables, back in college. Started dating Big Man right around this time

11.20.03: 210:; 2 weeks later I will be engaged!

2.28.04: 228: Moved in with Big Man couple of weeks prior.

5.13.04: 227

10.5.04: 230

1.3.05: 234

4.9.05: 230

5.26.05: 233

6.23.05: 236

8.19.05: 237

12.5.05: 242

2.27.06: 243

3.13.06: 243

8.3.06: 231

12.29.06: 235

7.3.07: 235: got married and graduated college 2 months prior

8.22.07: 235

10.12.07: 239: prescribed Chantix to quit smoking!

12.11.07: 246

1.26.08: 250: I quit smoking but gained some weight!

3.15.08: 244

6.13.08: 244

11.14.08: 242: joined Weight Watchers one week prior.

6.17.09: 210

2.4.10: 197

Seeing the number saddened me! Somehow I forgot all about hitting 250. I mean, seriously! I was looking through the printouts and my jaw dropped when I read that spot. It was 3 months after quitting smoking. I smoked for 15 years. Please don’t lecture! I quit! October 23, 2007 was the last day I had a cigarette. I am super proud of myself for quitting. So, I am torn! Part of me is sad about 250 but on the same hand, I quit smoking! aaah! I will not dwell on that for too long.

The doctor’s scale says 197, which is up from my last WW meeting but I did go to doc right after eating lunch and I knew I was up a bit but not that much. Who the hell knows! Scales suck and I am not really stressing which one is right and what not. I will go by my WW meeting scale for the most part. And really, the scale is not the only tool I am using! I will take measurements this weekend.

But, according to the doctor’s scale I have dropped 53 pounds from my highest weight approximately 2 years ago.

Freaking amazing! I totally teared up sitting in the room reading my weight and reliving the whole up and down. Certain dates  I made notes on for significant ups or downs.

I feel a bit silly but I did get all teary. Certain dates are so important. The day I went to doc to ask about Chantix. The visit when I doc called me a non-smoker. I could go on!

Today is Monday and I have not worked out in over a week. I may have used being sick as an excuse, not at first but definitely during the snow storm. I feel better and I actually was super productive today. School was closed for a SNOW day and I cleaned my house and did laundry like a mad woman! I did not work out but seriously, I could not workout with the house as cluttered as it was. I will post about the de-cluttering mission later this week. I am totally an ADD case, not officially diagnosed but I swear I have the attention span of a gnat sometimes! I can live with some messes but sometimes it is too messy for me to do anything but straighten it all!

So, today I straightened the house instead of working out.

and that is ok!

90% of losing weight and changing my lifestyle is mental!! I keep reading that phrase this week! It is such a true phrase! I have to get past the mental bull shit! I did great until I got sick and I am not exactly sure how to get past this slump. Today helped! Organizing and de-cluttering had a very therapeutic effect.

It sounds cheesy but I am ready to tackle my workouts again! Not at this very moment, it is almost 10 at night. I am going to start up tomorrow. I am going to get in my Walk at Home workouts for next 4 days. Tomorrow night I will join @shrinkingjeans with a last chance tworkout. I will do another version of last chance tworkouts at least one more time this week and I will try a workout I have never tried before: either some sort of dance workout or a pilates class.

I have my best weeks when I work out consistently. I feel so awesome when I work out consistently. This week I will strive for consistency.

I think that is a good goal for this week! I am gonna have a great week!

Hope you all have a great week!

*As you can see it is not Monday, but I am getting caught up on some Sisterhood homework.

Another homework assignment and I am late!! I swear I was a better student than I have been during this challenge. I must admit, I am not even sorry that I am behind in my homework. I have been “Rethinking” my Shrink and refocusing on myself and my journey.  I have not been blogging a whole lot but I have been focusing on the journey. I am eating well (Monday – Friday) and I am making working out a priority.  Crazy, I know! And then I got sick! Freaking sick and freaking miserable and useless! I am feeling better so I will be catching up on my homework!

Dear 2011,

*I tried writing this letter to myself but writing in the 3rd person was driving me crazy. Instead, I am going to write a letter to welcome the year 2011.

Well hello good lookin’!!

2010 was indeed the Year of Jen! 2010 was a year of learning and growing and adapting and learning more! 2010 was the year I finally stepped up, stopped weighting (pun intended) for weightloss to happen and took strides to make sure the weight came off. I finally stopped using the scale as the only tool to define success or failure. I learned to trust myself to do what is right for me! and guess what, I was super successful!!

I tried so many different types of workouts along this journey but I remembered my love for Leslie Sansone and Walk(ing) at Home! I walked in my living room an average of three times per week but I added all sorts of workouts to keep variety. I decided to be brave and try classes of all variety. I even tried running and yoga again.

The winter was hard because it was cold and I HATE the cold! That cold winter cemented my workout habit – working out when I totally wanted to just crawl under the covers and hide helped me make workouts a daily habit. I learned to enjoy workouts in a way I did not think possible. Who knew?!?! I actually like working out. I also learned to incorporate exercises into every day activities!

I learned that working out was the major key to my weight loss. I love food!! LOVE LOVE love food! I found the most fabulous healthy recipes – some were hits and some were flops. I made new recipes or new (to me) foods all year long. I have a whole new appreciation for food and what food does for my body. I still love some of my junk food and I still allow myself treats but I have found a better balance.

The husband and I were only able to plan one family trip but we made it a good one. We found hiking trails and walked a trail each day of our trip. We also scouted out places for walking/hiking through trails close enough to home to travel to and walk and make it home in the same day.  We had so much fun and were active every chance we could get! It was/is amazing!

I hit goal this year!! How freaking amazing is that?!?! I worked hard! I went to my Weight Watchers meetings every Saturday morning and I hit goal! I ate great foods! I worked out! I changed my mind, my body and it all worked! I am still in amazement that I am at goal! The best part of hitting goal – I have changed my way of thinking, eating and moving but I have also changed my family!!

I started staying after school twice each week to workout with a few of my students in our gym. I also started a girl’s only fitness/life skills class at school. An hour each Friday has been devoted to working on increasing self esteem, body image, and self love for my female students. This is my single most exciting and awesome accomplishment of 2010. I learned so much about myself along this journey and I feel like I really have used everything I have gained to help build up the confidences of some very insecure teenage girls.

2010 was a GREAT year!! 2011 will be even better!!

Thanks for following along on this crazy journey!

much love, Jen

]]> http://www.jeninreallife.com/2010/02/06/the-monday-project-predicting-the-future/feed/ 0 http://www.jeninreallife.com/2010/01/24/week-in-review-2/ http://www.jeninreallife.com/2010/01/24/week-in-review-2/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:38:36 +0000 jen http://www.jeninreallife.com/?p=665 Starting weight: 242.6

Last week’s weight: 198

This week’s weight: 193.6

This week’s change: -4.4

Total change:  -49.0

Before I tell you about my week, I have to reflect a bit about the number on the scale. I am not ruled by the number on the scale but it is a piece of the puzzle or game. Losing weight is just like putting a puzzle together – each person must create their own puzzle. I am working hard to find the pieces that best fit my puzzle. Part of the puzzle is the number on the scale and part of the puzzle is measurements. I finally took new measurements and there were actual changes between November and now. I have heard every option for how often to measure and I am not sure how often I will measure but probably not every week. Do you measure? How often?

Another piece of my puzzle has been setting reasonable goals. I admit I have not always been the best goal-setter.  I usually just kind of bulldoze my way through. No real planning just one day at a time. I joined two challenges this year (Perfect 10 and Rethink Your Shrink) that have been helping me set small reasonable and attainable goals.

My BIG goals are outlined in my week 3, Perfect 10 update. You can also find a list of last week’s workouts.

My smaller goals, I will discuss here:

1.  drink 80 oz of water daily I am great about this Monday – Friday. I don’t know why since I barely drink any water during the school day. 5/7

2. take multi vitamin and glucosamine every day I am horrible about this but I am getting better. 5/7

3. make time for workout As you can see if you check out my Perfect 10 update, I worked out a lot last week. I was a bit lazy the last two days but I am very happy with the progress I have made in the workout area. I look forward to working out even if I bitch about it before hand. I love that @ShrinkingJeans leads Biggest Loser commercial break workouts. I love how sweaty I get Walking at Home or on the treadmill. I love that my arms are starting to feel “tight” and I LOVE that I am getting stronger and tighter! I will continue to workout because I finally get it! I really LOVE that I found a workout I LOVE!!

Another piece of the puzzle is FOOD! Ya’ll know how much I love food. All food!! Good food, good-for-you food, healthy food, and just plain junk food. I have learned that some foods have no place in my healthy life plan and I know there are foods that if they were off limits I would rebel and binge on. No foods are off limit. Moderation. I have learned menu planning is essential to my weight & wallet management. I am planning healthy meals full of lean meats and yummy vegetables. I also allow treats and occasional “cheat” days but I don’t call them that. I have always managed to stay within my points and now that I am adding all the workouts in I am ok with some higher points splurge days.

Another piece of the puzzle is accountability! I NEED lots of accountability!! I tried ditching my meetings and just using WW online….I lost and gained the same 5 pounds the entire 4 months. I went back to my meetings and did a little better but then Christmas came and we went away and I did not track and I gained back a few pounds. I found a group of Moms on the same journey.  #Mamavation is an awesome motivational community of moms in various stages of the healthy journey.  The mamavation ladies are all just so sweet and supportive!

Now, on the other side of the coin I found the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans…how could I not check out a group of chicks with a blog titled that?!?! and they are a riot – super supportive & encouraging and not afraid to YELL at me to get my ass moving! I love how sarcastic, snarky and down right brutal their love can be – they are the best!

I join all kinds of challenges! Challenges keep the whole  journey new. I am not always the best challenge participant. Not  the challenge’s fault…but I lack follow through some times. I get all excited but don’t always finish what I start. I am currently involved in two challenges: Perfect 10 and Rething Your Shrink. I liked these two challenges and since the principals behind the challenges were so similar I felt (and still do) comfortable participating in both challenges.

Twitter is the best motivation!! I tweet to inspire and motivate as well as be inspired and be motivated! My twitter peeps are my friends. My twitter peeps know all the answers to all the questions I have!! My twitter peeps don’t let me get away with sulking or not working out! I may be addicted to Twitter but I swear it has huge benefits!

I rambled and rambled! This was a good week – mentally and on the scale. I am finding the perfect balance for me. I am finding what is right and works best for me. This has to be my journey, my way!! I have been traveling on this journey to health for over a year now and it really has been the last 3 weeks that I can honestly say, “I get it!!”

Did I tell you that Twenty Ten is the Year of JEN?!?!

Join me in making 2010 the best year!

Please to enjoy 5 of the many reasons why I ROCK!!

1. I have finally realized that I, do indeed, ROCK!! I am a bit of a nerd, kind of a dork, totally clutzy, high strung at times, lazy as all get out at other times. I finally like me, just because I am me!! and to be honest, fuck anyone who doesn’t like who doesn’t like it!! The fabulous Miz has a saying that appropriately fits here:  I finally understand!!

2. I am a super tweeter! I love my twitter family! For me twitter is a lifeline to staying strong on the healthy journey. Some times I am the one being inspired and some times I am able to inspire others. I love to encourage and be encouraged!

3. I am an awesome mom!! My daughter and I talk about everything and I hope as she gets older (she is 10 now) that she continues to talk to me. Just this year we have hit huge mom-daughter milestones: first bra, the period and sex conversation, and liking boys! I take my responsibility as a mom very seriously and I teach my daughter life skills that she will carry with her always. Q is a confident, loving, and sensitive and independent. She is an awesome kid so I must be an awesome mom!  Plus, she tells me I am!

4.  bbbpo”:?

My kitty just typed that!! Isn’t he the cutest cat!  and he is another reason I ROCK! After losing two pets in as many years and dealing with 3 remaining cats,2 of which are huge pains-in-the-ass, and 3 turtles that are not supposed to be my responsibility, I swore I was done with critters. And then I found my kitty and that went out the window and I had to rescue Whiskey and bring him home with me!

5. I teach at a school that no one really wants to work. I teach English to high school students at an alternative (think second chance) school. My kids are tough and have tough lives and have problems with drugs and the law. They are difficult but not bad kids. There are days that are extremely heart wrenching and emotional and there are days where I wonder if I am teaching kindergarten (I have one class of sophomores – all boys)!! I believe I have found my calling, what I am meant to be doing. And, while I may not be perfect, I do always try to keep learning and trying new methods of teaching to truly help my students.

Ok, now that I am working on me and I am comfortable with who I am this list could go on!

**The last 3 weeks have been awesome for me on this get healthy journey and I attribute this to the 2 challenges I am participating in: