Changes...

I figured I'd continue with my journey... how is nutrition, working out, supplements, all that stuff playing in to my "NEW JOURNEY".... and just things along the way, feelings... what's going on. 

As of today, I am officially 16 weeks pregnant! It's amazing, that's 4 MONTHS! I have just started to feel like my stomach is getting a little pooch... or when I bend over, it feels like I have an orange or softball where I am bending... it's kinda weird. 

Last night we did another 4321 Night Owl... I felt really good and enjoyed leading it. It is nice that I am in physically good shape now. I ran about 2 1/2 miles on Monday morning, then Monday night I also walked for about 40 minutes while I waited for my brother, Jamie, to come on TV on the "Conan O'Brien Tonight Show". Then... did 2 sets of 4321 last night. For the most part, I had cut down on the consistency of working out.... I'm getting back into a more regular routine right now. In the last several weeks, I may have only worked out twice/week. I think 4 days would be a really good and realistic goal to shoot for. 

As far as eating.... Tyler and I are still following the Trim Body System eating plan. Honestly, Tyler has been following it more closely than I have. He has really enjoyed having that plan to guide his "eating" for the day. And... me too...although, I have noticed that being pregnant, there have been days when something that I'm scheduled to eat is absolutely not appealing, or even makes my stomach turn just thinking about eating it... so I have made a LOT of exchanges... sometimes that may include eating more crackers, or starches. Which, I know is not completely good... but I also know that this time will pass. I have not really gotten morning sickness. I can count on one hand how many times I have actually been sick that I've thrown up. I'm happy about not having morning sickness!! That sure would not be a fun day to have to deal with.... the times that I didn't feel well were definitely ENOUGH! I am excited though about my weight... I got down to 136, which was my lowest weight.... I weighed 141 this morning. So, I'm excited about that... but at the same time, I have kept a watch on it!

One thing in my Quiet Time this morning that I was reminded of, is this time of preparation. That I really need to take advantage of this time to prepare myself mentally, but especially Spiritually.... being reading and changing more. 

I was reading in Psalm 27 (amp) this morning, and the verse that REALLY stood out to me was: 

14 - Wait and hope for and EXPECT the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes wait for and hope for and expect the Lord. 

I'm applying that to a lot of areas in my life. I'm expecting and thanking that Lord that he is our Jehovah Jirah, God our Provider and He is Jehovah Nissi, God our Banner & Victory! I'm thankful that HE IS going to provide the perfect place for us to live, upgraded vehicles, growth in our business... motivation, the desire and passion to grown, change and learn. 

I am waiting for and EXPECTING the Lord! I thank him for it all!!!

Until next time....be blessed!

SURPRISE!!!

Well... as you could tell.... during the first 8 weeks of the blog I blogged pretty regular... then it got very irregular quickly!!!

WELL... there is a good reason for that.... Tyler and I found out that I AM PREGNANT!!!
WHOA! We actually found out towards the end of March..... and MAN that definitely threw me off mentally for several weeks!! We were DEFINITELY not planning it... actually preventing... but, I guess God said that it was the RIGHT time!! So... right now, we are officially 13 WEEKS along!!

I feel like I did have a pretty strong finish in the New Way, New You program.... it just entailed me changing up how I did some things.... I had lost of total of 18 pounds going from 155 to 137. I was pretty happy about that! I have since dropped to 136.... but have fluctuated the last few days because of some poor eating choices!!! (ie: don't go grocery shopping while hungry and buy Chocolate Chip COOKIE DOUGH!!!)

Man... for real though... about the first 3 weeks of finding out we were pregnant, I WAS IN SHOCK!!! It took awhile for me to mentally get back in the game. WOW! It was like... I couldn't escape thinking about it. I thought about it ALL the time!! I would even wake up and KNOW that while I was sleeping, I was thinking about being pregnant. I was REALLY happy after about 2-3 weeks when I started to get a little back to normal and not have CONSUMING thoughts ALL the time about, "Wow! We are pregnant." I guess when you are NOT planning it or expecting it... it can really throw you off.... Now... granted... don't get me wrong, I am now gradually getting to be excited... I know that it will be such a blessing to be parents.... and, we are ready. We have been married for 8 1/2 years now, so timing-wise... I guess you could say, it's time (especially since we want 4!)

Over the last month, I've felt like I've been a little slack on the "working out" side of things. For about 4-6 weeks, it was like I felt so tired! Naps were pretty regular because I just didn't feel like I could continue on without a nap! So, my working out got pushed aside. I would still run maybe 3 miles 2-3 times/week... and maybe go out and walk around the lake (2 1/2 miles) once or twice if I wasn't motivated to run.... so, I have been trying to stay active. BUT, my goal is to run and stay fit throughout my pregnancy! Gain as little weight, but a healthy amount, as possible.

WHAT DID I CHANGE? - When I found out I was pregnant, Coach... Diesel Diane had me bump my calories up from the 1200 I was taking in, to 1500. That has been good. I have been sticking fairly close to that still. Also... my workout intensity had to decrease. Where I was getting my heartrate up to 175 when I would do the "4"/Cardio interval... Diesel Di and my doctor recommended that I try to keep my HR 150 or below. So... then I started incorporating some longer running 3-6 miles, just to get a good amount of cardio since I couldn't do the intervals that are part of 4321. I have still been incorporating the "321".... but... right now I'm working at getting back into a more consistent groove. The last few days I haven't been as tired as what I was, so I'm excited about that! I'm believing that the "Tired" part is done! :)

Anyways... my apologies for taking so long to put an update on here. I do still have so much to share about my final "results" from my bloodwork and "after testing" that were AMAZING... I'll get on and share all that another day.

Love ya'll! :)

Still going strong....

Hey all!!!

I have been a bit slack getting on here lately! My apologies! Just wanted to give you some updates....

Working out is going well.... I actually was in Charleston with a friend over the weekend and she wanted to run the bridge.... so, we did!! 6.3 miles later! I felt great!!! I haven't run that far in probably 8-9 years! It was a great run though and I felt really good through the whole thing. That was fun. You know the feeling you get when you're doing something, and you just feel good.... and you also feel like if you looked at yourself, you would look good too?? That's how I felt. It brought me back to my college days, remembering when I was in the best shape of my life, finishing a 4 mile run in about 27 minutes. I remember just feeling lean, fast... and after the run, just renewed! Though we did not run that fast, it still felt really good!

Eating... well, I have jumped back up to the 1500 calorie plan, and that is going well. It's interesting that I lost weight when I moved up my calories.... so good sign that I wasn't getting enough calories to loose weight!!! It was ok to do it for a few weeks to shock my body... but then the change was good! As Coach DEISEL Diane says... Muscle Confuse! Body Confuse! If you get to "regular" doing the same things and eating the same things... it's time for a change! Switch some things up!!

Results!??! Ok Amy, what's going on?? Where you at??
Well... I weighed 139 this morning.... which I'm excited to have broken that barrier and gotten into the 130's!! I haven't done my inches in awhile... but in December I had broke down and bought a size 12 pair of pants... well, I have officially fit into several of the size 6 pants I had in my closet! That was fun!!! Today I have on a pair of 8's which are a little loose. So, that is super fun!!! And Tyler sometimes tells me, "Wow... I can see some ribbies!" :) I still have some work to do in my mid-section... but that will all come!

So... there ya have it.
Life is good. California, here I come!!! 17 days and counting!! :)

The PINK Skirt and... MY WHY....

So... I don't think i wrote about this yet.... the other week, Tyler and I were out and about. It's so fun to hang out with him. :) He is the coolest person I know. :) He is so fun... such a leader and studier of leadership.... such an awesome Spiritual Giant!!! I learn stuff from him ALL the time!! He's sitting here right now reading a leadership book, as we sit in our living room with the fireplace going. :) 

Anyways.... we were out the other week, and we went into Footlocker for Women... we were just out and about.... well, we walked in because running clothes are motivating to me. My thoughts are, if you are going to work out, you might as well look cute doing it! :) Can I get an AMEN from the congregation!?!? :) Well... so we were looking around and my eyes were drawn to this section where their was a lot of HOT PINK! :) So, I tried on this pink running skirt and a few "sports bra" tops that went with it.... well... my husband said, why don't you get them? He said, this is how God wants us to feel, blessed. I just want you to know how God wants to treat us! He wants to make us happy and bless us! He is our Father!" So, Tyler bought me the CUTIE running outfit, AND the running skirt was a SMALL!!!!!! WOW! :) That's pretty cool!! :) I am planning on bringing it to California with me and will maybe take my "after" picture in it.... it looks HOT! :) hehe!

Well.... my Why?? Early in the program, and like anything else... you've got to have a WHY if you are going to succeed, and, your WHY has to be big enough to do whatever it takes to accomplish it. One of my why's is that I want to be a great and fit Mom one day! Tyler and I do not have children yet, but I wanted to get healthy and fit, learn good nutrition BEFORE we had kids. Then... how cool, our children won't have to grow up with bad nutrition habits, I can give them good healthy snacks and meals. I'm just excited about being a good mom one day. AND, I want to be a cute pregnant lady when the time comes. I don't want to be HUGE! I know, it is expected that you are going to be big, but I only want to be as big as it is HEALTHY! I don't want to be one of those pregnant women who just eat a ton when they are pregnant and then just use it as an excuse that they can gain extra weight and not watch what they put in. Is it ok to want to be cute and not huge!?!?! :) Well... I think it is, and that is one of my WHY's. 

Well... things are going great. I had a GREAT workout tonight. It is so fun to see muscles to start getting defined. Especially my shoulders and arms.... and I can tell a difference in my stomach... and Tyler said my legs look a lot smaller. AND, today is the SECOND time that I have pulled a pair of pants out of my closet that were a SIZE 6!!!! WHOA!!! I wore them today and they fit pretty good!! Cool! In December I had bought a pair of jeans that were a SIZE 12!!!! Now, that is EXCITING! :)

Have a great day! It's a new day, so start over! :)

5 Weeks to go!!!

So... things are going well... I'm excited about having a great last 5 weeks! It will be fun to see what God does!! I'm believing for great things and excited to watch them happen!! I have to continue to remember to not get to "self-focused" on everything! I am going to do what is in my control and do it to the best of my ability. The results will follow!! I believe God for 125! That's pretty exciting!!! I started at 155... and recently weighed 141. So... in the "seen"... I still have a way yo go!! But, God is good, I will be faithful and I'm excited about watching HIM do His part!! :)

Here's a great verse that REALLY encouraged me!!

Hebrews 10:35-36 (amplified) - "Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a GREAT and glorious compensation of reward. For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.

READ THAT AGAIN!!! LET IT SOAK IN!!!!! WOW!!!

Basically, this is what I got out of it... AND, it can apply to you on your journey!! Do not grow weary... do not loose confidence now!!!! The GREAT reward is VICTORY, we are going to LOOK healthier, feel healthier and be a TESTIMONY, be a true testimony to how great this Trim Body System and program is (as well as how good our God is!!) That is our reward! Fitting into smaller clothes, living longer, experiencing optimal health.... Have patience and ENDURANCE!!!! Do not give up now if it seems like you have a ways to go!! We are CALLED to perform and ACCOMPLISH the WILL OF GOD!!!!! We will ENJOY to the FULL the promise... and what is that, OPTIMAL HEALTH! That is a better us.... standing up tall! Seeing our reflection in the mirror as we walk by it... or as we walk by a window at the mall... and seeing that we look good! More energy to do the things we love!

Victory is ours! It is yours!! 

Let's be a testimony of success and victory!

Attitude....

So... sometimes it can be interesting to not really just FOCUS on results!! Wanting the seen to manifest overnight.... that's how I have felt a bit this week. Even though I still haven't weight myself in a week or two.... it's like satan wants to plant seeds of doubt in my mind... "What if you haven't lost any more weight... what if... what if... what if..." But, you know what... I'm just going to focus on My God!!! My God is GOOD! My God put this opportunity in my life! My God chose me! My GOD chose YOU to follow also!! MY GOD put this opportunity in my life for me, my family, and for my sphere of influence that needed a change! MY GOD is doing it! I REFUSE to rely on myself! What I will do, is I WILL BE FAITHFUL! I will let God do the rest!! Life happened a little bit yesterday... and it got me a little discouraged... I had a luncheon with the CEO of the bank... well... at the luncheon, for the most part, I ate really good... until it came to the German Chocolate Cake!!! I did eat several bites of it... I justified... then I beat myself up about it... and now, I'm ok with it. Life will be full of choices we will have to make, and at times "Desserts" will be some of those choices, and desserts are not the ENEMY! It's how often we choose to partake, how much and whether we allow ourselves to be controlled by an addiction called "chocolate... or sugar... or fries...." or whatever it is! So far... I've technically "cheated" TWICE on this program... on my Birthday, and yesterday. And... really.... as I think about it... in real life, that would not be called cheating at all, that would be called REALLY GOOD!!!!!! Only 2 splurges in a matter of 7 weeks!!!?!??!?? Almost a bit unrealistic... but that would be really good. So... I'm ok. I'm not going to live in condemnation, I'm just going to keep pluggin away! 

I've been doing good on the eating plan... exchanges... the work-outs - 4321! Things have been good. I have really enjoyed the NEW me! I'm enjoying that these new habits are becoming a part of my life. It is good. God is good and faithful! I'm so thankful that he chose me! Praise the Lord! May the lifes of thousands and thousands be impacted with better health because God chose me. That is my goal. 

Life is good. Today was good....and, tomorrow is a new day. It will be good too! 

The last thing I felt like doing tonight.... working out!

So... Sunday... went to church, had a very nice day with my husband! Went and saw some houses this afternoon... had our conference call tonight, and showed 2 PQ's. Cool.

Well... after our conference call, it was 10:30 and I STILL had not worked out! It was DEFINITELY the LAST thing I wanted to do! But... I did it anyways! I went and did 2 sets of 4321. I was proud of myself! While doing my 8 minutes on the treadmill.... I was wondering if I was SUPER out of shape or what b/c I had it sped up too 10.7 mph... same as I did last week... I could not keep up AT ALL!!! I slowed it down all the say to 9.3!!! I was wondering what was up with me, b/c that was even tough... then I realized what it was! I had the incline set for 7.5% versus the 2.5% that I had it set on last time! That made a HUGE difference!!!

So... I BUSTED through my workout only taking about 15 second breaks between reps.... got home. THEN, I still had to go to the grocery store b/c I hadn't went tonight!!! So... I went to Kroger's at 11:30-12:00.... just got home.... I did find an AMAZING BUY THOUGH!!!!

SKINNY COW!! SKINNY COW!!! SKINNY COW!!! Can I say, what a great way to take in your DAIRY!!!!! It's 80 calories and 12 g carbs.... it would be equivelent to drinking 1 cup of milk, but WAY YUMMIER!!! Especially for those ice cream/chocolate lovers!!! IT is a GOTTA check out!! :)

Ok... my husband is turning all the lights out on me.... I guess that's my cue! HE WANTS ME TO COME TO BED!!!! :)

love ya'll! NIGHT!