It's been a YEAR?!

Wow.
It's already August 1. School is about to start again. Along with all the stress of morning routines, where uniforms & shoes are each morning, and juggling my ME time and time spent volunteering(mostly)/working at the school. And yes, I tend to put others/the schools needs b4 my own.

I'm hoping to get better with this. I need to find myself again. I have become a person I'm not so familiar with...emotionally & physically. There's going to be A LOT of changes coming and I'm hoping that I can keep them up.

Today, August 1, I walked 9,856. It was pretty easy because I'm setting up the school rummage sale this week.
So my goal is to walk 248,000 steps this month. Or 117 miles ;)
That's 8,000 steps a day if you break it down.

I've got to get moving. It's been really HOT this summer and I think I've gained weight from not doing much. It's embarrassing when people think you're pregnant and you have to embarrass them too by saying, OH NO! I've just gained a lot of belly weight recently. No chance of that happening. Sorry!!!
And I'm done not being able to fit in some of my clothes.

Sigh

So I'm getting back on my Plexus also. I tried to start it a few months ago but haven't been doing it daily. Well, it's back to it now. Starting my day with my PINK drink, Slim, and ending with my Pro Bio.
AND lots and lots of WATER!!

So let's do this!

Carrageenan.....

Has anyone ever heard of "Carrageenan?" It's used in a lot of milk products.


And you are wondering why I care and I'm sharing, right? Well, my mom brought it to my attention the other day on the back my kids FAVORITE milk boxes. Yes, the Horizon milk that you can now get a Sam's and it has 6, yes SIX, Box Tops on them!!! lol

 

 

And I also found it in Nestle products (milk mixes, Carnation breakfast.....) and in Yoplait & Dannon yogurts. (one or both also has the dyes in them)


Anyway, I didn't think much of it but when I was shopping for food with no dyes in them, I noticed a lot of juice and yogurt I normally buy for my kids has it in them. I came home and did some more research. I found this blog post written by a guy named Jonanthan Bechtel..... http://blog.healthkismet.com/carrageenan-cancer-health-inflammation


If you don't want to read it, that's ok. It pretty much says that Carrageenan is bad for you...
"Because carrageenan has a long and notable history of significant correlations to different types of cancer and acute-inflammatory responses which are not good for you, to say the least."  If you want more info, read the blog. He did his own research and proves it.

That terrifies me about....all of it. And I just bought the 15 pk of the Horizon Milk with the 6 Box Tops on it at Sam's! :/

So what's an alternative? We are drinking Silk Pure Almond. It even comes in DARK CHOCOLATE.....YUM! (Thanks Mom ;)

So yeah, both of these milks are kinda expensive and it's not our choice of drink everyday with every time we are thirsty. We do drink a lot of water around here. My kids love to drink water out of refillable water bottles. They love it because I will allow those to go in their rooms lol 

SO just in case you are thinking, "Really, there's stuff in all our food that's bad for you." Yes, I know this. I'm sure the Pizza Hut pizza we had the other night has all kinds of bad things for us, but we can indulge, right? I know I can't keep my kids from all bad things, but if I can keep my kids eating & drinking mostly healthy now, I will feel better about trying to be that good mom.
 

New Challenge

As if just walking and trying to eat healthier for myself isn't hard enough for me to do, I'm now faced with another challenge. This one involves my kids.

For those that don't know, I took Cody to a doctor this week to start the process of testing him for ADHD. He was super nice and asked lots of questions, Cody even answered some. He was nervous though. I had Emma crawling all over my lap which helped me hide my nervousness. SO when they dr mentioned MEDICATION, that's when I became super nervous. I'm not totally for meds (unless absolutely necessary) and he gave me that classic dr answer "these meds have over 20 years of being FDA approved as apposed to the only a few years of trying natural way to treat ADHD." My mom has done her research with books and online and has helped me find natural ways to treat ADHD. Honestly, it's all been overwhelming. SO much info to learn and read and to add to our lifestyle......

I'm not gonna lie, I was an emotional mess leaving there. Some may ask WHY?! Ummm, this is my BABY.  The dr mentioned tests....an EEG and an EKG.  I know now (after freaking out and calling the office 2 hours later to ask more questions) that the tests are nothing to worry about. The EEG can actually help find brain waves that show ADHD.

Again, not gonna lie, I'm STILL super emotional about this. We all want our kids healthy and have no problems, but that's in a perfect world. HA, I'm definitely not living in one of those. So I'm putting my trust in God and hoping I can get this all figured out.

SO my new challenge.....

Because I don't want to do meds, I'm trying some natural ways to help Cody. I'm starting SIMPLE. (at least I thought simple...lol)

My mom found some orange flavor fish oil. Yes.....orange flavor. My kids actually like it SO THAT is a blessing!! They take that every morning with their multivitamins and their probiotic, which we've already been taking those for the past year or so.

Another change is NO ARTIFICIAL DYES.  Like Red 10, Blue 1, Yellow 5.....and so on. I went to Walmart today to find some snacks for the kids to eat and OH MY....
I don't normally read labels. I look at Calories but that's the extent of it. A lot of their fav snacks....no more. It's amazing how many juices and cereal, and yogurt have those food colorings in them. And I thought it would be simple.....WRONG. It was hard saying NO to GOGURTS! Those are Cody's favorites :(

So now I'm going to be "THAT MOM" that is particular about what her kids eat. I'm not going to let my kids have food at birthday/school parties, the in laws, or anywhere else that I know has those dyes in them. I'm going to be picky. My kids will probably cry and be upset, but I want them HEALTHY!

HONESTLY....should I be so picky? Should I let it slide a couple times or should I put my foot down and say no? I hate the thought of making other people watch what they feed my kid, when I know it's stressful for myself. I know I deal with food allergies with my friend's kids and kids at school so this is no different, right? As long as I just bring my own food for them....so then I'll look like their food is not good enough.......

I'M TOTALLY WORRYING TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS, RIGHT?!
Just put me out of my misery and tell me already....I can take it.

A little more about me :)

 I am sure you were just thinking you wished you knew more about me. So read up  and pick 2 to 5 bloggers and pass it on. I want to know more about my new friends. Starting this blog has opened up a whole new world of friendships for me and I'd love to know more :)

All you have to do is say who you received this Tag and who you’re Tagging.
 

I've been tagged by.... Cindy's Grand Adventures

Then answer the 25 questions by copying from here and pasting to your blog. 

1.    Where were you born?  West Virginia
 
2.    Were you named after someone? Not that I know of lol
 

3.    How many children do you have. I have 2, Cody and Emma

 

4.    How many pets do you have?  3, a turtle, Henry and 2 dogs, Rufus and Marki
 

 5.    Your worst injury. 7 years ago I fell and broke my right leg. I have no cool story to tell. It was just a 6 inch step and I guess I came down wrong....no fun.
 

 6.    Do you have a special talent? This one is really hard for me to answer. I honestly cannot think of any special talents I have. If you are reading this and know of any, please let me know lol
 

 7.    Favorite thing to bake? COOKIES :)
 

 8.    Favorite Fast Food. Fast Food is the DEVIL. It's the reason I have a hard time loosing weight, but I can never stay away from Dairy Queen. Chicken strips and ice cream in the same place....YUM

  

9.    Would you bungee jump? No way. if you would have asked me 7 years ago, I'd totally go for it though.
 

10. What is the first thing you notice about people? their smile/teeth lol
 

11. When was the last time you cried? Last week. It was a bad week.
 

12. Any current worries. Oh where do I start.... bills, my kids, figuring out what to wear tomorrow, paying tuition, wondering if ___ is mad at me bc she wont talk to me, where to have my sons bday party and can we afford it....I could go on....
 

13. Name 3 drinks you drink regularly. water, Pepsi Max, Moscato
 

  14. What’s your favorite book/Author? I don't have a favorite author, yet. I'm still exploring and reading anything interesting lol  My fav read so far has been the Sookie Stackhouse series.
 

 15. Would you like to be a pirate? YES. I want a parrot on my shoulder too
 

 16. Favorite smells.   Vanilla, fresh baked cookies, my husbands deodorant (seriously) lol
 

 17. Why do you blog? I blog because I want to motivate and be motivated to get myself healthy! I want to share my ups and downs and here others lifes stories
 

 18. What song do you want played at your funeral?  Goodbye by Avril Lavigne
 

19. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? my weight

 20. Favorite hobby.  I love being crafty, I just never have the time. I also love to walk and swim
 

21. Name something you’ve done, you never thought you would do? Have 2 kids, 3 pets and drive a TRUCK lol

 22. What do you look for in a friend? 
 I look for someone who makes me laugh, laughs at my stupid jokes, honest, loyal, truthful. (I liked Cindy's answer so I'm leaving it)

 23. Favorite fun things to do? crafts with my kids, play soccer, jump on the trampoline, swim, take walks, have Girls Night Out

 24. Pet peeves. Kids who are old enough to talk with pacifiers still, people who talk bad about me behind my back &/or start rumors, liars

 25. What's the last thing that made you laugh? Looking up YouTube videos to answer the question about song played at my funeral LOL

 

I AM TAGGING...

 

 

 

DeBie Hive
 

 Giggles And Screams

i am mama lola

 

9 more miles!

I walked 2x this week and I forgot to blog about them!
Tuesday I walked 4 miles with my friend Jenn. First time we've walked together! :)
Thursday I walked a mile alone and then Crystal joined in for the other 4 miles with me.

65.82/300 :)

I totally enjoy walking with my friends. It's such a stress relief to talk and just let out....stuff.

This week has not been the best for me, BUT it was better than last week. That's a positive. I just hope my weeks just keep getting better. I need some more positive. Especially with all the sickness that keeps coming in our house.

So this week my motivation has been my friends. What motivates you?

Belated Post

I walked 3 miles at the Y last week.

56.82/300

It has been a ROUGH past 6-7 days. I feel like God is testing me to see how strong I am. All I am doing is asking WHY?!?! Why is all this happening to me? Why am I being punished? As if it was for me, Father Noe's sermon was on this topic of asking Why? when things seem to be going wrong. I feel like I am being punished. But I'm not.

Like my friend Jenn reminded me,
"He always knows what we can handle! Especially when we don't know what else to do. Like Father Noe said, there's always one more move in the game of life."

To be honest, it's REALLY hard to think that right now. I'm sure when it all blows over and it all gets right, then I will look back and see it.

Throughout all this, I only walked once and it was a miserable 3 miles. I literally just could not let go of all my negative energy and emotions. I usually leave everything at the Y door but it followed me in that day. Not even some Lady GaGa could cheer me up. It was a huge let down for me and since that Tuesday, it all went downhill :( I've also been eating bad too. Not counting my calories. And I feel miserable emotionally and physically.

I'm hoping to make this next week better. It HAS to get better.

I'm thankful for my few close friends and the family that I still have who love and care about me. I'm thankful for those that let me "vent" text...lol You know who you are and I LOVE YA!

And of course I gotta give a shout out to my new "bloggy mom" friends. Thanks for cheering me up on Twitter ;)

Outdoor walkin'

53.82/300

3.12 miles today outside! Its been a few weeks since I've walked outside bc its been COLD. It felt great. Love walking in the sunshine and enjoying nature.

Only bad this was the Sunday morning drivers coming home from church. Yeah. But it's ok lol

March 23 I will be walking a 5K in Huntington, WV at Ritter Park. It's for the Children's Hospital at Cabell Huntington Hospital. Anyone want to join me?
It starts at 10AM (reg at 9) Give me your email and I will send you the registration form.

It's a Beautiful day! Are you walking today?

PLUS 7 MILES TODAY :)

Yep, you read the title correctly lol
I am soo proud of myself. I feel AMAZING! I didn't even need motivation this morning. I was actually looking forward to walking! SOO weird for me!

49/300 miles ;)

I've been over stressed with things and I kept trying to plan to walk but things just kept me from going. Let me tell ya, blaring some Three Days Grace Pandora Radio while walking is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I recommend it, but try NOT to sing outloud...lol  Yeah, I did this morning hahaha I'm sure the old ladies didn't mind but I didn't plan it!

HAVE YOU WALKED TODAY?

Failed?

OK. It has now been A WEEK since I have been able to walk. It seems like life is throwing everything at me. I have all these excuses (too cold, Book Fair, sick kid, soccer) and I literally feel like CRAP. Its amazing how much you can actually MISS working out.

Anyone else feel this way?

I WAS starting to feel a difference in my jeans. I got real excited. But then today, I noticed they are getting tight again. Sigh :(

I'm feeling defeated. I'm feeling like a failure. Maybe I should have tried harder?
Mentally beating myself up has caused me to eat eAT EAT!!
I don't want to be THAT person who goes back on their New Year's resolution. I don't want to quit. I want to finish my 300 miles and MORE. I want to be that motivation for myself and my friends and family and whoever else reads my blogs.

I'm sorry for those of you who read my blog and expect me to help motivate you but I'm not perfect. I will tell you, after this week (after Book Fair) I WILL get back into walking.

I have been doing some simple exercises before bed every night. I'll share...

Squats! I have a hard time doing them, BUT I'll get better. I have to, right? haha

Not sure what to call the other one, but I either stand or sit straight, turn(twist) my upper body side to side. While doing this, I breathe out real quick (when I'm turned to the side.) When I first started I didn't feel a thing. The next morning I woke up and I could totally feel it in my stomach!

I've also started STRETCHING every morning when I wake up. It wakes me up and I actually feel better. I move around a lot easier too.

What are some simple exercises you do at home when you can't work out?

HAVE YOU BEEN WALKING?

I hope this is motivating you :)

+4 miles today for 22/300!

My morning was rough. THANKFULLY a fellow mom at school decided to go walk with me at the Y. I honestly do not think I would have went if it wasn't for her. We were slow walkers today too. 2 miles in 2 hours. We talked A LOT haha
But that is what I needed! Walking and venting...multitasking!

Afterwards, I decided to go to the park. I WAS planning on taking a nap (no joke) but I got my booty out of the car and walked. My mom and dad joined me also.

This challenge is harder than I thought and I'm sure it's going to get harder. I have book fair coming up and I'm starting to work in the After School Program at school more. Both I am going to enjoy doing, but I'm going to be exhausted. I am going to prove to myself and all who don't think I can do it, that I CAN. I may not get the miles I need every week, but at least I can say that I tried.

One last thing. The past 2 days I have told 2 complete strangers about my challenge. I don't know if they really will or not, but BOTH told me that they are going to start their own challenges too! I was so excited to actually hear that. I just hope that I am being a motivator to my friends and family too :)

HAVE YOU WALKED TODAY?

Bad Morning But Awesome Workout :)

Oh it was a rough morning in the Willhelm household. I dressed to walk, but I was so aggravated with my kids, I just wanted to shop for my therapy. Honestly. I was going to head to walmart and go crazy. I was even planning on buying CANDY! Seriously. That would have totally messed up my calories for the day. I don't want to go back to the old me. I don't want to feel bloated after devouring a whole bag of....anything.
Both ladies I walk with sometimes, were unable to go with me, so that didn't help my motivation either. But when I pulled away from the school, without even thinking about it, I found myself heading to the Y. Funny, huh. It had to be God being my motivator this morning. I was almost in tears as I finally got Emma in the school, I was an emotional mess this morning. Oh wait, that's almost daily. lol

I decided to just go in the Y and just walk a mile. I got my first mile in, then before I knew it, I was counting laps toward my 2nd mile. I felt great. I was hurting though. My legs were sore and my neck was hurting. (I pulled a muscle yesterday, no idea how)
I got a tweet from a lady I have met online. I fellow mom, and just her saying, "you can do it" totally gave me a bump of motivation. I think the other walkers thought I was looney because I just had a big smile on my face. AND one of my fav workout songs came across my Pandora.

I got my 3 miles walking in this morning :)

But there's more. haha I got on the elliptical for 10 minutes. I did a mile!! Why can't I walk that fast? lol  I was a red faced, sweaty mess and I honestly loved it. I love the feeling of working hard.

So adding my 4 miles gives me 19.15/300!

HAVE YOU WALKED TODAY?

On My Way!

Add on my miles today and so far I've walked 7.54/300! On my way ;)




I totally did not want to walk today. I'm exhausted from....motherhood. lol But now that I did, I feel GREAT.
I remember being that mom who would read about everyone else exercising and getting motivated while my kids were younger. I wish I would have started this sooner. I made the excuse of not having a sitter to watch the kids when I wanted to go walk. Take them with you! You may not get as many miles in, but at least you ARE WALKING!!

If you are walking out in the cold, I recommend wearing something over your ears. Just the hood on your sweatshirt isn't going to do it. Even if you gotta wrap a scarf around your head, do it. Trust me.

HAVE YOU WALKED TODAY??