Strong Start to March: Monday Check-In

I know I have been MIA on here and usually that means that I've been sick or something but not this time!  A few weeks ago it hit me: I'm going to be 35 this year.  Thirty. Five.

I know that I am a few months away from being 35 but it was like something clicked.  I am tired of being tired all the time.  I'm tired of feeling like I'm in my 50's when I'm in my 30's.  I am tired of letting these migraines get the best of me.  It's time to start fighting for ME again!

First thing I need to do is lose weight.  I'm positive many of my ailments are due to my weight gain and I get that but I've been trying everything and borderline obsessing about ways to lose fat off my body.  Then I read a few quotes that I've heard a million times but for some reason are sticking with me:

In true Christi fashion I am trying to overthink and overcomplicate my efforts.  It's time to scale things back, keep it simple, and go back to basics. 

I'm one of those girls that if I start a program and do not see instant results then I think it doesn't work for me and I give up.  No more!  I am going to trust the process and actually give the program time to work for me before I make a decision.  No more snap judgements! 

This last week I started out with a simple goal: walk every morning.  I didn't put a time limit.  I just told myself that I would get up, get on my treadmill, and walk and I did it!!

I ended up doing a minimum of 30 minutes every morning and two days I actually did an afternoon workout too!  I also joined some family members on the Fitbit app and tracked my steps using my iPhone and two days I hit 10,000 steps!  I am hoping to get a Fitbit soon since carrying around my phone everywhere stinks but I'm having to save up for it so I most likely won't get one until April.  I guess that'll help me with delayed gratification! LOL

I also had a goal to limit my carb intake after 6pm and two days this week I did it but this week I would like to increase that number.  My day is great but as soon as 7pm hits I am famished and throw caution to the wind and eat whatever is in sight.  Not. Good.  

So here are my goals for this week:

1. Walk every morning (7 mornings-continue my streak! Woohoo!)
2. 10,000 steps daily (7 days)
3. Limit carb intake after 6pm nightly (at least 4 nights)
4. Pick a plan to follow for the next month

I've bought a lot of training ebooks over the years so I am going to choose one program and give it my all.  Right now I'm leaning towards FitGirls since I LOVE their Instagram page and they have a new app AND they have a challenge starting March 14th!  Perfect!

I have been logging my journey in my personal blog and I am so sorry I neglected this blog!  I promise not to be a stranger and let you guys in on my journey too.  

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Only By Grace Joins SparkPeople

Last week while my mind was in a complete haze and I suddenly had hours and hours to think about things and life I realized just how much I hate my body.  I can't stand it!  I'm not comfortable the way I am right now and I remembered I've been here before.

It was April 2009.  I was sick in bed on a Saturday afternoon.  I got up to make everyone dinner and then went to lay back down.  I was in tears because it took all my energy to take care of my family and the past few years had been like this.  I was sick and tired of being sick and tired all the time.

Being a one income family didn't leave any room for extra expenses so I grabbed my laptop and searched on Google "free weight loss programs."  That's when I found out about SparkPeople for the first time.  I signed up immediately and thus began my first weight loss journey.  I kept up my journey until I got married and after that I stopped signing on.  I figured I didn't need it anymore.  I had hit my goal and that was that.  I had maintained my goal weight for a year and life was going good so I just left it alone.

That is until this last week when I remembered the last time I felt this was April 2009 when enough was enough and I had taken action and lost 60+ pounds.  I logged in and looked at my old page.  I couldn't believe how much I had changed from then to now.  In the two years since I've been on I've gained all that weight back PLUS!  It actually discouraged me so much I logged off and decided it was time for a new beginning so I signed up again and this time I am OnlyByGrace0420 because it truly is only by grace that I am here today and April 20th is the day my life changed forever.  I married my best friend and started my new and wonderful life.  I never felt more hope than I did on that day and I always want to remember how that felt.

I've been back on there for a week and it's been a struggle.  I remember just how much I hate logging food (though I know right now I need to) but I also remembered how amazing the community is!  I've already "met" two girls that are almost exactly in the same boat that I am in and are just as determined as me!

When I signed up again it helped me create a weight loss goal:

How perfect is this!!  April 2016 L and me will celebrate 5 wonderful years together and 3 years being married.  :)

I have a feeling this time will be different for me and if you too are on SparkPeople or would like to join look me up!!  I could use the support and you know I'll be there for you too.

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When Things Don't Go Our Way

It's been a week since I've been home and I have to say that things have been going by in a blur.  I feel like I'm just going through the motions right now and cannot wait to get out of this fog that I've been in.

I'm not sure what you guys do for a daily devotional but I found the First 5 app a few weeks ago and fell in love.  It's short and to the point but what I love is that you can meditate on the truths all day long and they have a beautiful picture I usually post on Instagram or Tweet. ;)

This morning's hit me so hard I thought I would come on here and share my thoughts.  The passage is Genesis 16:7-8 (NLT)

The angel of the lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. 8The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?”  “I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied.

Sarai couldn't have children so she asked her husband to sleep with her servant so she could have children through her.  That part hits me for another reason but that's for another blog post.  What stands out to me today is that Sarai didn't want to wait on God's timing.  She was ready to be a mother so bad that she took matters into her own hands.

Once upon a time I did the same thing that Sarai did.  I took matters into my own hands.  

My sister found her soulmate when she was 13 years old.  I always envied her because I could never find Mr. Right and by the time I was 20 I was tired of being alone.  It didn't help that a month before my sister had gotten married and was starting her life with her new husband and here is her OLDER sister feeling like an old maid.  I also must add that every woman in my family either got married or had a child before they were 18.  I was the first to break that cycle and in my warped 20 year old mind I thought there was something wrong with me.

I started dating a guy that did not share my Christian values and I knew from the beginning was all wrong for me but I didn't care.  I was sick and tired of being the third wheel to everything and was ready to be a WE instead of an I.  I quit going to church and we moved in together.  It was an extremely volatile relationship and we had such horrible fights that the cops were called on us several times.  

We broke up and got back together a few times and even got engaged but he would never set a date and when I talked about the wedding he would get upset with me and say that I was obsessed.  After a year and half of everything I was done.  I decided to break up with him for good when I found out that I was pregnant.  Sure the fear of raising a child did come to my mind but with my hormones raging I thought about how close I was to actually being able to have a family.  I knew if I married him it wouldn't last but everyone divorces now and they come out ok right?  (I'm telling you I was SO not in my right mind)

We got married and ended up having two children and after 6 1/2 years I couldn't take it anymore.  Things had become even more abusive despite me hoping that having children would calm him down.  So I did one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.  I left.  

I look back to 20 year old me and just want to slap some sense into her!  I wanted a husband and a family so bad that I tried to make it happen and look what happened.  My boys are now children of a broken home and even though I have since found my soulmate I tell him all the time I wish I would've just waited for him.

I don't think I felt like God saw me during that time but He did.  He saw me when I was in a miserable, abusive marriage.  He saw me when I left and started to doubt myself and my faith.  He was there when I looked up and saw my soulmate for the first time which was in one of the lowest points of my life and He sees me today. 

   

I want so much to try to make our finances work and to force jobs so we can get some income so bad but this morning God is telling me to wait, have faith, and take every step with Him.  You better believe this time I am!

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Ever Heard of Everest?

I'll admit that I am an app junkie.  I don't keep a ton of them but I try out pretty much everything that piques my interest.  We had a birthday party on Saturday and didn't get home until after 2am so L and me slept in yesterday and when we woke up we were both on our phones.  I had a few updates so I was in the App store and one of the featured app this week was on called Everest.  After reading the bio it was downloaded and I have been hooked ever since!

This is a screen shot of my main page.  What you do is you have one main goal and that is your "Everest" then you can have other goals which are your "Dreams".  Here are my dreams so far...

There is a community within the app too that lets you see what other people's goals are and you can even select which ones inspire you.  I am happy to say that I've already inspired 5 people!  That makes me so happy. :)

If you haven't checked out the Everest app you should!  If you search "Everest goals" you should find it.  As you can see my Everest right now is "Eating Healthier" and I have already taken several steps including finding a nutrition program that works for me and I started logging again in MyFitnessPal!  Search "Christi Flores" and I will pop right up (my pic is a gorgeous sunrise I took a few months ago) and I would love for you to add me!

Even if you choose not to download the app I'd love to hear what your goals are for this week in the comments. :)

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