Day 143....Cloudy and gloomy.

Today was NOT the sunny, warm day I was hoping for. I didn't expect it to be really nice outside, but I was hoping for at least warm weather. It was downright cold out there! Weather like this makes me just want to cuddle up on the couch, watch tv or read a book, and eat. That does wonders for my weight loss plan.

I didn't work out today. That makes me mad at myself. I was busy all day, but just didn't work out. I had to run to Walmart. That is never fun. But, being the great wife that I am, I made the trip to Walmart instead of making John go. He owes me BIG TIME.

I also started to plan and pack for our trip. I am bringing as little as possible with us. I figure once we get to Arizona we will mostly wear swimsuits, so why pack a bunch of clothes we don't need? I am so excited to pack shorts and sleeveless shirts and sun dresses. The nice thing about the weather here is that it is so cold that we aren't wearing any of the stuff we plan to bring on our trip! I can't wait for the HOT weather!

Tomorrow better be sunny. I need to get myself motivated to work out. Plus, we have tball practice tomorrow evening. I don't want to practice tball in the cold. Ick.

Day 144....hoping for sun!

Day 142....Happy Memorial Day!

First of all, I would like to say Happy Memorial Day and thank all the soldiers and their families who have given their lives to save ours.

The past few days have been very busy! My cousin Stephanie, her husband David, and their two awesome kids, Riley and Elliot were here to visit. I loved having them stay with us but I wish they could have stayed longer. The first night they were here, my aunt and uncle, Greg and LuAnne, who also happen to be in town, came up for dinner. It was so nice to visit for a little bit! The kids played so well together and my kids were so bummed to see everyone go! It is too bad they don't live closer so we could see them more often. But, we are grateful for the time we do get to spend with them!

Yesterday was Graduation. John's brothers, Chris and Anthony graduated so his whole family was in town for the celebration and it was great to see everyone! My kids had a blast playing with their cousins and didn't want the night to end. It is always fun to have the whole family together and there is never a dull minute when Pitners are around.

Today, we went to the mall and got some clothes that we will need for our trip. We are so excited to get to Arizona and just relax by the pool! We are in sunshine withdrawals right now and I can't wait to soak up the rays all day!

John has the day off today so tomorrow will be our first real day of summer break. I hope it is nice outside so the kids and I can go for a walk or go to the park or do something fun to kick off their summer.

Day 143....so excited for summer break!

Day 138....keeping busy.

I broke down and weighed myself today. As of now, I have not gained back any weight that I lost during the GM diet. I am so happy about that! I have been using the elliptical and walking/running so I feel good about that. I have also been keeping with my fruit smoothies. When I get really hungry, I have been trying to fill up on smoothies or vegetables. I think I am finally going in the right direction. Now, if I could just firm up some of my tummy flab, I would be in heaven.

The sun has apparently decided to take a vacation. That is not good news to me. My garden doesn't like these cold days. I can't stand being cold all the time. It is supposed to be nice outside now. It is supposed to be sunny outside now. I just hope the weather turns around quickly. Tomorrow is the last day of school. I can't wait to have my kids home with me for the summer! I am so excited to have the summer weather and spend time outside with my kids. We are going to make the best of the time we have together and I am going to make the most of the time I have with my kids while they still enjoy being around me. :o)

Day 139....keep on moving in the right direction!

Day 136....eye opener.

Yesterday was a very productive day for me. I used the elliptical in the morning, then got a bunch of stuff organized around the house. I have so much organizing that needs to be done and just not enough energy to get it all done. So, I was so happy to get things done yesterday!

The kids have been asking me to pick them up and take them to lunch. Since there are only a few days left of school, I decided to pick them up today. I picked each of them up and we drove around and talked while they ate their lunch. I love having that special time with them!

After lunch, I didn't feel like doing much as far as working out is concerned but I promised Brea that we could go for a walk using the new double jogging stroller. Apparently she feels that because it is called a "jogging" stroller I should have to actually jog the whole time. That is a good idea, in theory, but my body is not in shape for that! I was a good sport and jogged to the soccer complex and made it a couple times around, but then we had to do some walking. I was so tired out, but it felt really good to actually run again! The jogging stroller is so easy to push when the wind is at our backs, but that thing gets really heavy when we are running into the wind! I am look forward to more running this summer! I really don't enjoy running all that much, but I always feel so great when I am done!

These two are loving the jogging stroller!

We have soccer tonight so maybe we will walk around the track a time or two before we come home. I can't believe I have never had a jogging stroller before now. This thing is wonderful! It is so much easier to handle than our single stroller and now I don't have to carry Brea when she gets tired of walking. I just wish there was someone who would carry me when I get tired! I am excited to try this thing with my rollerblades. I should probably make sure we ALL have helmets on when that is attempted.

I hope the sun shines again soon. Although I loved the wind and cooler weather when I was running, I am still a devoted fan of the sun and I miss it dearly. After soccer, we could get a bit of rain to help my garden, then, in the morning, the sun can shine!

Day 137....who wants to join me for a run? :o)

Day 134....another beautiful day!

It has been awhile since I have posted anything. We have been so busy with baseball practices, soccer games, school, and normal day to day chores but I haven't really been doing anything interesting enough to talk about. I have been eating fruit smoothies but I haven't been working out as much as I would like to. I have to try to get back at it tomorrow and be consistent with my working out. I feel so much better about everything when I am consistently working out.

Today was a great day for all of us! We woke up and made our usual Sunday morning breakfast, then spent most of the day outside. John mowed the lawn (I am sure our neighbors ar relieved that we finally got rid of the forest we had growing) while my big boys ran a few errands with me. We had to run to the mall for a few things, then to Lowe's for some new tomato plants since we lost two plants on one of our super windy days last week. Once we got home, the kids put their swimsuits on and enjoyed the sunshine. I got the garden planted and watered and then John and I got the garage cleaned and organized. It is so nice to have things organized. If I could only get my house cleaned and organized I would be in heaven! :o)

I am hoping tomorrow is a great Monday! I plan to do some working out and I am hoping to get some cleaning done. If it is nice outside, I am going to use the new double jogging stroller we bought and take Brea and Landon for a walk.

Day 135....going to make it great!

Day 127....Perfect!

Today was a wonderful day! John had a softball tournament all day and I know he enjoyed that. They didn't win any games so it puts a bit of a damper on his mood but he loves playing softball so I am sure he had fun anyway. The kids and I went to watch one game but then had to get home for naptime and to enjoy the weather. Landon took a nice long nap while the kids and I went outside and set up the slip n' slide and filled up water balloons. While the kids were occupied with their water fun, I planted my garden. It was so enjoyable to set out the plants and decide where to put them and then get my hands (and feet and everything else) dirty and put them in the garden. The plants are the easy part to put in the garden. The seeds are more time consuming, but still fun. It was such a fun day that I didn't want it to end!

John finally got home from softball around supper time and we ended up ordering pizza. He watch a bit while I planted the garden, then we got things cleaned up and started getting ready for bed. All of the kids are so tired out! I am sure they will have no problems sleeping tonight! I know I won't have any problems sleeping, either.

I plan to do some working out tomorrow and I hope the weather is nice again so we can go to the park. I love the sunshine! I can't wait for school to be out so the kids and I can enjoy the summer!

Day 128....would love more sun!

Day 126....fun in the sun!

We started out the day with Lance's soccer game. Then, Briar went to a birthday party, which she had to leave early from to make it to her soccer game. While Briar was at soccer, the boys had pee-wee practice. After pee-wee practice, Lance went to a friend's house to play while the rest of us came home and spent some time outside! We got the garden tilled and ready to be planted. The girls washed as much of our vehicles as they could reach. Lane ran around, playing with the neighborhood kids. After church tonight, we went and bought our plants for our garden. I am so excited to get the garden planted.

It is really sad, but I actually almost got teary eyed when I looked at the weather forecast for the next couple of days. It looks like it is going to be beautiful outside! The nice weather makes me so happy! I love being outside, running around and playing with the kids, or just sitting and relaxing. Tomorrow, we are hoping it is nice enough for water balloons or slip n' slide!

John has a softball tournament tomorrow so I am sure we will try and watch some of that as well. I hope his team wins....he is always in a better mood after winning a tournament. :o)

Day 127....looking forward to spending time outside!

Day 125....Happy 10th Anniversary to us!

I really can't believe I have been married to John for 10 years already! We have been blessed with many great things over the past 10 years, but our 5 healthy, happy, wonderful (most of the time) children make everything so much better. Things haven't gone according to plan all the time and things haven't been easy all the time, but everything over the past 10 years has made us who we are today and I am grateful for that!

Yesterday I did a great ab workout but today I haven't worked out yet. I am not sure if I will end up working out but I know I should at least try and do something. Between getting the kids ready and off to school and delivering pizza to the school for a pizza party, and errands and housecleaning, I just didn't stop and take the time to work out. I can't say I haven't had time to work out. I believe you can always make time to work out, it just might not be at the time you feel like working out. But, today, I just haven't made the time to work out. If I don't work out tonight, I really need to do something over the weekend. Hopefully it is nice outside all weekend so we can get out and rollerblade!

Tomorrow....going to be a busy Saturday!

Day 126....hoping for a great day!

Day 123....enjoyed the sun!

Well, the sun was shining so my day started out right! I love it when the sun is shining. It just makes everything better. After I dropped the kids off at school, I ran a couple of errands, then came home to enjoy the day. Nessa and her two little bundles of joy stopped by. I always love having them over. It is even better now that the kids can go outside and occupy themselves while we sit on the deck and chat! The little things in life mean the most!

This afternoon, I somehow lucked out and both of the kids at home with me were sleeping at the same time. Landon takes one long nap during the day, but Brea usually just rests. She was tired out today so she took a nap and I was able to go on the deck and sit and do nothing! I thought about working out, but I just wanted to sit and enjoy the sun. I loved it!

We had to run some boring errands this evening, then we hit TCBY for Waffle Cone Wednesday. I have been so good lately and I don't order anything, but the kids love it and I love the fact that we went to Hammond Park to eat them and play a little tennis. I miss playing tennis. We weren't out there for very long, but it was fun to just run around for awhile and have some fun.

I didn't do an official workout today, but I am not going to beat myself up over it. I ate healthy and drank lots of water and I had an awesome day full of sunshine. I will be working out tomorrow and I am hoping to rollerblade if it isn't raining!

Day 124....excited for more sunshine!

Day 122....turned out perfect!

Today ended up being a great day! I was afraid it would be a very LONG day since Landon was up crying last night. John confessed that he was trying to help me out by waking Landon up at midnight and changing his diaper and giving him a bottle. He had good intentions. He thought Landon would be sure to sleep all night if he was changed and fed at midnight. Landon had other ideas. He decided he wanted to stay up and screamed every time I tried to put him in the crib. He didn't even want to lay down with me. He just wanted to be up. I am not sure if his ears were bothering him or if his teeth were bothering him or if he was just being grumpy and wanted me to stay awake with him. But, he finally fell asleep and then he did sleep all night so it all worked out in the end. I am pretty sure John will never do us any favors like that again, though. :o) From now on, we cross our fingers and hope he doesn't soak through his diaper and pray that he sleeps until we are ready to wake him up.

I thought today would be a long day for Landon since he was up last night. I also thought I would be tired out, but it was a great day for all of us. I had some smoothies again today and my water and even some vegetables. I got a few things done around the house and the day seemed to fly by.

After school, we had just enough time to get home, get our homework done, eat supper, and get out the door for soccer. John and Lane went to John's first night of softball for the year. The rest of the kids were with me for soccer. John's sister was with us to help out while I was on the field coaching Briar's soccer game. The weather turned out to be perfect for soccer! I am always so happy when the sun is shining and we can be outside and not freezing!

The kids should all sleep well tonight after all of the running around we did today. Tomorrow should be a great day. We don't have anything going on after school and that is music to my ears!

Day 123....ready for more sunshine!

Day 121....Rain, rain, go away!!

If only I could make the rain stop....things would be so much better. I miss the sunshine. I want to be able to take the kids out for a walk around the cul de sac and not have them freeze. I want to be able to rollerblade with the boys and get some exercise outside! Instead, I had to settle for the elliptical today. It wasn't so bad. I still feel like I get a pretty good workout from the elliptical, but I would rather be outside doing something!

I did have my fruit smoothies today. They are delicious and I always feel great after drinking them. I feel like I can enjoy them without feeling guilty. I also had a bit of cheesy hashbrowns so I suppose that may have counteracted the healthy smoothies just a bit, but I am not going to beat myself up over it.
We had two soccer games on this chilly, windy, dreary, wet evening. Luckily for me, they were both at 5:45pm so we only had to be out in the icky weather for an hour. It really wasn't too bad since I was out and moving around the whole time. I guess the advantage to coaching a soccer team is that you aren't sitting on the sidelines, freezing. You are constantly moving around trying to avoid kids. Those Kindergarteners really don't have any idea where their bodies OR the soccer ball are going to go. It is interesting to say the least. But, I have to admit, I am having more fun than I thought I would. :o)

Tomorrow is another day and I am hoping to make it a great one, no matter what the weather is like. Of course, it always seems to be a better day when the sun is shining so I am hoping for that.

Day 122....high hopes for nice weather.

Day 120....a weekend to rejuvinate.

I took the weekend to rejuvinate myself. I removed the pressure to lose weight for a couple of days. I am not saying I went crazy and ate and drank whatever I wanted, but I didn't weigh myself and I didn't worry every time I put anything in my mouth that I would gain a bunch of weight. It was nice. It felt good to just live and enjoy myself and not worry all the time about how it would affect how I look or how much weight I would gain....or how much weight I would NOT be losing. It is so silly that I put so much pressure on myself to lose weight. Yet, I continue to do just that. Honestly, I know I will not quit putting that pressure on myself until I am at a weight and a look that I am comfortable with. But, I will ease up on myself a bit. I do know that worrying and stressing about how I look will not make things better. And, the more I worry and stress, the more junk I want to eat and the less I feel like working out. So, I am going to try and new approach and not be so hard on myself. Maybe that will motivate me to work harder at achieving my weight loss goals. Maybe with my own support, I will be able to do better....what an interesting concept, huh? We will see how it goes. :o)

This weekend was a great weekend. We only had one soccer game yesterday and church. After church we went to the grocery store and all of the kids were excellent. Grocery shopping is not usually fun, but it is so much more enjoyable when the kids are behaving. After grocery shopping, we came home and had dinner. Once we all had dinner and were all cleaned up and in our jammies we had a family movie night. I love the nights when we all watch a movie together or when we just get to enjoy time together as a family. It makes me realize how lucky we are to have the family we have.

Today was a lazy day as well. We got up and made our usual Sunday morning breakfast consisting of pancakes, bacon, eggs and sausage (no guilt from myself for eating all of that) and, as usual, it was delicious. Then the kids went and played and John and I just relaxed. This afternoon, Lane had to prepare for his first speech in school. Third grade seems pretty early to start speeches but he doesn't seem to be nervous at all. This speech is a pretty easy going one and I think it is great getting the kids used to speaking in front of the class. He has to demonstrate how to make cookie salad. Tonight he made a few batches and put them in dixie cups for the class to enjoy after his speech. Sounds like a pretty yummy assignment to me!

Tomorrow I am going to get back to my healthy eating and working out. I am going to concentrate on filling up on fruits and vegetables and working out as much as possible. I am going to have a positive attitude and realize that I am not going to be perfect but I am giong to do as well as I possibly can.

Day 121....Looking forward to the new me.

Day 118....need to throw my scale.

So, have you ever had that "skinny" feeling, stepped on the scale, then realized it was JUST a feeling? Or, have you ever stepped on the scale and not liked the numbers that showed up so you decided you were wearing your "heavy" sweatpants, then stepped off the scale, took off the sweatpants, then tried weighing again? Or, saw what the scale said, tried going to the bathroom and then weighing again? OR, stepped on the scale, noticed that one or more of your kids was in the vicinity and made them step back or leave the room in fear that they would somehow step on the scale with you or their mere presence would weigh you down more? Ya, neither have I. That would be just plain silly, huh?

I have decided that I really need to stop weighing myself. I know weight isn't everything. I KNOW that the way I feel and the way I look is more relevant than a number on the scale. Yet I weigh myself and I am disappointed if I don't lose weight or if I gain a pound.

Today I decided that I am going to give myself this weekend. I am going to take the weekend to enjoy myself and not obsess about my weight or how I look. I am just going to be happy with myself and everything I am blessed with. On Monday, I am going to try some sort of fruit cleanse. Not really a cleanse. I am just going to have a lot of fruit and veggie smoothies. I am going to fill up on fruits and veggies and not worry about anything else. I am going to work out and I am going to tell myself that I am doing enough. No more negative talk to myself. I am the one who brings myself down by not living up to my own expectations. Starting Monday, that all changes. I am going to be healthy AND happy!
Oh, and I am sure you are wondering so I better not forget to mention that I did get the house cleaned today. It is a miracle! It took me ALL day but I finally got things done and I am so happy!

Day 119....hoping for sunshine!

Day 117....not as planned.

I didn't get as much cleaning done today as I had hoped. It seemed like I tried and tried all day to clean but just didn't get anywhere. Hopefully I am more productive tomorrow. I was able to walk in the cul de sac tonight. I just kept pushing the stroller around and around and around....and around. But, at least I got a nice walk in tonight. John was mowing so the kids just played outside and occasionally took a lap or two around the cul de sac with me.

Earlier today I decided to take a different approach to my weight loss. I am changing my goal weight. Yes, that is correct. I have now increased my goal weight by 15 pounds so I am officially UNDER my goal weight! Isn't that awesome? I feel accomplished. :o)

I am just going to keep eating my fruit smoothies and working out as much as possible and I am hoping to be able to wear a swimsuit (without hiding my face) at some point in time this summer!

Tomorrow is Friday and I can't wait for the weekend! I am hoping to rollerblade sometime this weekend and if it is nice out I am hoping we can go on a nice long walk as a family. That would be perfect.

Day 118....hoping to start off the weekend with a sunny day!

Day 116....Pleasant Surprise!

I got a pleasant surprise when I weighed myself today. I have lost another pound. So, I am now down 8 pounds from when I started the GM diet/cleanse. I wasn't expecting to lose more weight yet but I am not complaining. I did eat pretty healthy yesterday. I had mostly fruit smoothies but I did add 2 homemade buns with butter for dinner so I really thought that if anything, I would have gained a pound or two. Today I stuck with the smoothie thing and I have had another couple of buns with butter just to fill me up. I also had some steamed broccoli. I am not expecting to lose more weight by tomorrow, but I am hoping I don't gain any weight, either. :o)

Today, I did Brazil Butt Lift again. I did the same thing I did on Monday and my butt is S-O-R-E. I do have to admit, it is a good sore. I know I must be doing at least some of the moves right! I am not sure what I will be doing tomorrow but I do know that I have to try and get cleaning my house moved up to the top of my priorities. I just can't keep putting off cleaning forever. Maybe I will do some cardio cleaning and run from room to room as I get things done. Or do some squats between chores. Or, I could just suck it up and get my cleaning done, THEN work out. I guess only time will tell how ambitious I will be.

I love when the sun is out and I hope it is out tomorrow. I just feel better all around when it is sunny outside.

Day 117....Hoping to actually complete my to-do-list.

Day 115....back to normal.

Today was our first normal day after the GM diet. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. On one hand, I was anxious to be able to eat whatever I wanted. On the other hand, I could just see the scale jumping back up to where it was before I started this whole thing. I ended up having a fruit smoothie during the day and two homemade buns with butter on them for dinner. I didn't go crazy, but I did eat more than just fruits and veggies.

Overall, I lost 7 pounds in one week. I was hoping to lose at least 10 pounds but I am not going to complain about 7. I just want to keep going in the right direction with working out and eating right. It is so easy to put on weight but so hard to take it off. I wish it was as easy to lose weight as it is to gain it....I would be skinny minny then!

I did do another workout from Brazil Butt Lift today. Well, I should probably say I mostly watched another workout from Brazil Butt Lift today. I really am not coordinated when it comes to dance-like moves and there are a lot of dance-like moves in the workout I tried to do today. I could get most of the moves when they were doing them individually, but when they added them to a combo they pretty much lost me. I tried to keep up and I will keep trying but I am not sure it will do a whole lot of good.

Tomorrow should be a great day! I plan to work out and get the house cleaned since I didn't get the house cleaned today. I am ready to avoid the junk food and motivated to shed those last several pounds I have to get to my goal weight.

Day 116....hope it is productive!