The Holidays begin....

In our family, the "Holidays" begin in October....

October is our craziest month for celebrations...it includes:

Our wedding Anniversary on the 15th (we celebrated 6 years of wedded bliss this year!!)

Isn't this the prettiest bunch of flowers you've every seen (I loved it!!)

Our daughter's birthday on the 20th (she turned 5 this year..where has the time gone??)

We headed to Disneyland a few days after her real birthday to celebrate and then had a party with our local family...which I made really cute rainbow cupcakes for!!

And of course...Halloween!!

Last night with church we attend Trunk or Treat to give the kids a chance to play with their friends and experience the Trick or Treat thrill on a much smaller scale.  Seriously, I may be slightly biased, but these are the cutest kids ever!!! Yet another wonderful inspiration to lose weight and get healthy...I want to be healthy enough to enjoy them growing up and see them have children of their own and be healthy enough to enjoy them too!!!

Now, with all these holidays comes LOTS and LOTS of cake and candy and junk food...So, this year I decided to create a plan of attack to handle all the empty calories bound to make it into our home and still stay on track for weight loss...and here are my plans:

#1 - I am not going to deny myself a treat when everyone else is enjoying one...doing so is almost more harmful since you then get depressed watching them all enjoy a tasty treat and in the end will probably end up eating more empty calories because of the emotion. Be responsible, just eat one cookie, or one piece of candy...just a small amount, enough to enjoy the treat and satisfy the craving!!

#2 - I am going to very carefully get rid of a good portion of the Halloween candy we get by either using it for projects we might have, or giving it away to other Halloween kids that come to the door (hey, who said re-gifting was a no-no on Halloween...if it's good enough for wedding presents, why not with candy??)

#3 - For birthday and anniversary situations, I ate conservatively at meal time so that I didn't have to feel guilty about enjoying dessert afterwards...because let's face it - the dessert is really the part we all look forward to!!

#4 - On weeks when I know there will be some indulging, I make it a point to try and exercise a little extra, to compensate for the extra calories.

#5 - THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE - I don't beat myself up over enjoying the season...worst case scenario you gain a few pounds over the holidays...so does most of the world's population.  New Year's Day you get out of bed, stand up tall and congratulate yourself for at least trying to watch what you ate and get back into your routine of eating healthy and exercising. If you're not eating those extra calories anymore you will lose the weight again in the next few weeks with exercise and watching what you eat.  The worst thing we can do is beat ourselves up for enjoying a treat...just do it all in moderation and you'll be fine!!!

I hope that all of you are getting into the Holiday spirit and just as excited as we are to start the season!! October is a crazy month for us, but November is just as bad with both mine and my hubby's birthday and Thanksgiving. When we celebrate the Holidays we like to make it as hectic as possible...it's more fun that way, right???

Nasty germs...

OK, so obviously I haven't kept up with reposting all my WLB blog posts....there is a good reason though...we've been sick and just posting on there was hard enough.  Instead of re-posting them on here right now, I will just direct everyone to my page with WLB so you can read the little I've written!!

Diana's WLB page

This past week was rough with the kids still getting over being sick and me catching whatever it was they had and trying to just keep my head above water.  It's amazing how much being sick can not only wipe you out, but make even basic housekeeping seem REALLY difficult.  I had 5 loads of laundry piled up that needed to be folded that I didn't get to for days because I just didn't have the energy.  Oh well, I told my husband that the most important thing was that the kids got fed and the house didn't burn down....makes sense, right??

I did manage to make my delicious lasagna for dinner on Wednesday night...and even hubby was surprised since he knew I was feeling like a bus rolled over me.  I knew I had to give him at least one decent meal that didn't come from a box in the freezer this week, and lasagna was one of the easier choices.  Have I showed all of you how I make super simple and yummy lasagna?? If you don't know...ask and I'll tell you - it is Karyl and Freddie's favorite meal by far and even Greg loves it!! I can go from frozen meat to lasagna in the oven in about 30 minutes....then it's only about 30 minutes of oven time after that...impressive, right??

I will tell those of you who haven't been keeping track of my WLB page that I have lost about 5 pounds in the past 3 weeks. Once I get better and can really exercise again the weight should start flying off!! Do you want to know my new motivation/goal?? In mid-December my sister-in-laws, mother-in-law and I are going to see I Love Lucy on stage....and I have a pair of slacks from my in-office working days that I want to wear when we go (I don't want to have to wear a skirt) so my goal is to lose about 15 pounds in the next 7 weeks or so...that should get me into those slacks!!

I figure small goals are easier than huge grandiose ones...right?? Help cheer me on, I could use the motivation!! I know I can do this...come on, I work from home full-time, raise 3 kids and take care of the house...I'm freakin' Super Mom - I can do 15 pounds!!!!

Anyone else have unwanted visitors this week??

These nasty little guys have decided to take up permanent residence in our home, more particularly, in my throat!! All of us have officially been nailed with whatever nasty bug is going around. Luckily, the baby and us adults didn't get the "lose your lunch" portion of the virus, but I have one of the worst sore throats I have ever had, and the baby has developed a comical but kinda sad habit of blowing snot bubbles.

While not feeling 100% is definitely conducive to eliminating calories, it makes wanting to exercise 200 times harder because the thought of getting short of breath makes my raw throat burn. It's so frustrating to finally figure out a way to lose weight after all these years and I'm stuck having to watch the weight disappear 1 pound at a time because I just can't catch a break when it comes to exercise.

On the other hand, 1 pound a week is better than no pounds per week, right?? It's that whole idea that slow and steady wins the race....or that quote someone shared about how a year from now you'll be glad you started today...

My husband is sweet enough to remind me that even 1 pound a week adds up - in 26 weeks (6 months) that is 26 pounds, which would put me within 10 pounds of my goal weight!!

So, as of right now I might be stuck watching the weight disappear at the agonizing rate of 1 pound a week, but in 10 weeks, that will be 10 pounds. And, since I've already done the rapid weight loss thing a few years back, I know that losing that much weight really fast has its physical downsides...and after 3 kids, a few C-sections and having all this extra weight, my body will take to being thinner MUCH better if I lose the weight a little bit slower so it has time to adjust.

So, anyone else out there have a house that has been overrun by germs?? At least the older kids are through the worst and at the end of being sick..Hubby and I on the other hand are both snot machines! Hopefully it doesn't last too long - I have things I need to do that require good lung function and no more coughing!!

On a totally unrelated side note...anyone on here share my guilty pleasure of reading the TMZ website?? Well, I saw an article this morning and realized that a few weeks back the Batmobile-ized Cadillac that almost hit me was none other than Justin Bieber. I will admit I am not a fan of his, but the car was too unique not to remember, and when I saw this article on TMZ I recognized the car right away. I did some quick research and discovered that the car was in fact picked up from a Auto Shop located right where he pulled out from - so it was definitely him. I told my husband that this morning and he laughed...that would have been all I needed, to get side swiped by the Biebs in my minivan.

Hopefully everyone out there is having a better week than we are around here and that you're all as excited about Halloween as we are!! This is the first year I'm not super thrilled about all the candy...I think a lot of it will find its way to other homes after trick or treating so we don't have it around the house!!

What a crazy week!!!

Well, this week has been nonstop sickness and craziness!!! I only got one glorious day of exercise (which I LOVED) but luckily I was good with my eating so there was still a decent loss!! I have to ask...how many of you have ever tried step aerobics?? I always thought it was something ridiculous and told myself I'd never be caught dead doing it. Then my elliptical died and I had to choose something from our DVR to exercise to (I'm not ready to pull out the exercise DVDs just yet) and I picked a step aerobics class from BYU TV that I recorded and I have to say...I LOVED IT!!! I didn't have a step board, but they had a pair of women in the class doing all the steps without a board, so I had someone to follow!! I loved doing it and will definitely be on the look out for a step to put in the garage!! I have saved that program on the DVR and plan to use it many, many times!!

Unfortunately, due to all the sickies around here this week that was the only program I got to try for exercise this week. Since everyone is well now I am hoping to get back to at least 30 minutes a day this week...do you think I can do it?? I will try my best!! I have really felt proud about my eating these past 3 weeks...I've had a continuous loss of at least 1 pound per week (more on the weeks I exercise) and it's all because of the changes I've made. The best part?? That I don't really even feel like I'm doing anything different...I am, but I feel great and it isn't hard anymore to pass on large amounts of dessert, or to be satisfied with just one cookie instead of 5 or 6. I love how I fell, and how even after only a few pounds loss I can feel the difference in how clothes look!!

So, this week I am hoping to get lots of exercise back in...and I'm anxious to see if I have a larger loss for week 4 if I do in fact exercise more because that will prove my theory that I lose at least 1.5 - 2 pounds more when I exercise 3-4 days a week!! We'll have to see!!! Hope you all have a great week and that you're having as great of an experience with weight loss as I am...if I can do it, anyone can!!!

The joys of parenthood

So I had great intentions of posting a bunch this week... Then our son got sick Monday morning and that took all my time. Then tonight our daughter came down with a nasty fever. Luckily she's not puking like her brother, but she's still miserable. I'm sitting out here with her and I really do feel bad. I'm still eating well so there should be a decent loss this week despite my lack of exercise!!

Sorry for hiding but I'll be back soon!!

Week 2 results!!!

As everyone has seen, I did pretty well last week and I was so proud of myself!! I lost a whopping 3 pounds last week, which I am sure was due to the fact that I was getting at least 30 minutes of exercise in each day (5 out of 7 days isn't bad!!). I was so shocked when I stepped on the scale, I couldn't stop smiling!!! I think I finally have the hang of this, and the eating right part has gotten so much easier...I don't even have to think about it anymore! I love it!!!

I was going to post yesterday but our boy caught some sort of virus and I spent the day cleaning up after him and watching him to make sure he was OK. Luckily we took our baby in for her 4 month appointment and we were able to have the doctor check out our son too. We were going to go to Disneyland yesterday to celebrate our oldest's birthday, but she was very understanding when we explained we couldn't go because her brother was sick. We had a great Dr.'s appointment with our youngest, she gained 2 pounds and over 5 inches in the past 2 months!! She's our tiniest baby, coming in at about 12.5 pounds and 24 inches at 4 months...it's weird because she's average, but seems small to us when our other 2 kids at this same age were over 20 pounds!! We are finally getting some good use out of our first daughter's hand-me-down clothes!! Ironically, this last baby was 9 pounds, 2 ounces when she was born...the largest newborn...go figure =)

So, today is a much better day and I'm hoping to get some exercise in later while the 2 youngest are napping. I'm thinking about having a delicious salad with some hard-boiled eggs and light Blue Cheese dressing for lunch...and Taco Salad for dinner tonight (at the request of the hubby!!).  What are you having for breakfast/dinner??

Congrats to all the other contestants, we are doing AWESOME!!!!

Week in review

This week has been a good week... exercising daily until my elliptical broke and eating healthy and really enjoying how great I've felt! The elliptical breaking was a bummer, but my ever amazing husband dragged it from the garage so I now have a nice open space in the garage to use for my exercise DVDs that is even carpeted... So I am excited to see how these new arrangements work out!!

Last night we went out and celebrated our 6th anniversary with dinner and a movie, and I was honestly a little worried about packing on too many calories between snacks at the movies and dinner but I was really proud of how well I did!! I only had a little popcorn and maybe 2 handfuls of the best candy ever, Bottle Caps. I didn't even touch the bag of trail mix I had brought!! Then for dinner we decided to try a new place in the shopping center called Five Guys. Since we had snacks with the movie, hubby and I decided to split a burger... It was enough to fill us up and those burgers are delicious!!! We split a bacon cheeseburger with BBQ sauce and I got some grills mushrooms on the side. I let my husband pick the burger since he's pickier than I am when it comes to condiments and it was a tasty choice!! We decided to forgo the fries and we were glad we did!

So, after all that I was prepared to see only a small weight loss when I checked this morning but, as you'll see on Tuesday I did better than I ever would have guessed!! So all that exercise and watching what I ate paid off... And that is better inspiration than anything else when you see it on the scale!!

The good, the broken and the happy...

THE GOOD....
This week I have actually enjoyed eating healthy and watching my calorie intake more closely.

THE BROKEN...
You all wouldn't know this, but I got my elliptical off Craig's List about 2 years ago because we finally had room for exercise equipment in our garage... And this morning while exercising it started making a weird sound and began catching in the back where the magnet and rotator is. My husband then came out and messed with it and apparently that was the last straw because it made a final sound and then both sides lost their traction. My elliptical has officially died and will be buried at the first dump site we can find. This creates a problem... How will I exercise at home?? I am going to have to resort to those fitness videos I love so much... Oh well, we do what we have to do, right??

THE HAPPY...
HAPPY 6TH ANNIVERSARY to my husband and I!!! Today we celebrate 6 years of wedded bliss... In the past 6 years we have added to our family 3 gorgeous kiddos, a minivan and a house. I don't think it gets much better than that!!!

This was on our Honeymoon in Hawaii...I would KILL to fit into that shirt and those amazingly comfy pants again, and to look that good wearing them!!

 

And these jeans...I loved those jeans...just 30 more pounds and I'll be back in them...I'm already half way there!!! If I can lose 30 pounds, what's another 30, right??



And the wedding dress...I felt so awesome in this dress!! I looked thin and pretty and just amazing as far as I was concerned!! I still have the dress...it's been all cleaned and specially boxed so I don't think I'll be sneaking it out to try it on again, but I would love to be back to feeling as good as I did on my wedding day!!


These are the pictures that are my inspiration for the weight loss...this is where I want to get back to. This was 30 pounds over my lowest weight ever when I was sicker than sick, so it is entirely possible!! I may not have been super thin, but I was comfortable and I felt good about how I looked and how clothes fit. Now, I wouldn't MIND being thinner, but I think it's a realistic goal right now...and I'm only about 30 pounds away!!

It feels great!!!

So, earlier this week I mentioned that my goal this week was to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day ... It's Thursday and I am proud to say that I have exercised for 45 minutes every day since then!!! I'm discovering that if you are really motivated you will find a way... I guess I just needed to reach that point where I really wanted to do it, rather than just thinking I should.

So, I here I am... With 4 days of exercise under my belt and really feeling good. I have noticed that I do feel more energized on the days I exercise... and that extra burst of energy was greatly needed this past week!! Of course, as an added bonus I weighed myself today and I am down more weight!!!

So, try to get some kind of exercise in.. You'll love the way it makes you feel!!!

Week 1 weigh ins

Wow...Congrats to everyone!! I was just excited to get 1.1 pounds off, but I have to admit I am completely jealous of everyone else's amazing losses this week!! I've never been able to lose weight quickly, and just as I told my family at the start of this, I'm not so much in this for the prizes as I am for the motivation to get started losing weight again. I have to keep reminding myself that even a pound a week adds up to 50 pounds over the course of a year!!

I wish I had more time to exercise and really focus on losing weight, but with 3 young kids, working full-time from home, homeschooling and taking care of a household I'm at the mercy of life when it comes to exercising. But, I'm OK with that now! I have made a goal to get in at least 30 minutes of exercise every day, and so far since Sunday I have done that, so I'm feeling good about keeping my goal and trying to slowly burn off all this excess weight. I do have to admit though, before baby #3 I was doing Zumba 3 times a week and I LOVED it, and I really do miss that hour of exercise but we all make sacrifices and while it was fun and really helped me lose weight, we now have this new baby to buy formula for a diapers so Zumba will have to wait a while...having some sort of group exercise class really does make a difference - the time flies by and you burn so many more calories because you get into it and forget that you're exercising!! If you have the means and time to take a class like Zumba, give it a try - I used to totally look forward to doing it and it was a BLAST!!!

I can't wait to see how much weight everyone loses over the course of this competition, and I have to say that this has really given me a lot to think about in the future. I have learned already lots of great ideas for exercise and weight loss, and just hope that participating this season gives me the foundation I need to finally get healthy and eat right and get moving!! Keep up the good work!!

New WLB giveaway!!

Head on over to the Win, Lose or Blog page for an awesome giveaway - they are giving away some real (and very gorgeous) pearl earrings from one of their sponsors!!!

Pure Pearls Giveaway

Also click on over to my WLB page to hear about my week last week and check out the other contestant pages too...there are some great women there with some great ideas and stories!!

Reflection...

As I was getting the email ready to send with my weight loss for this past week, it really made me think about how glad I am that I applied for this Season's contest!! I did lose weight this past week (I'm not going to ruin the surprise for when they post it on Tuesday by telling you how much yet) but it wasn't as much as I would have liked to. I did not have a chance to exercise this past week AT ALL!!! Any and all weight loss rested solely on the fact that I have modified my eating habits to get healthy and be more aware of what and when I'm eating.

So, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had lost some weight this past week, even with no exercise!! Things were just really crazy this past week and for those of you that have had lots of younger kids around the house at once, you'll understand! I did however make a pledge to try and work at least 30 minutes of exercise in every day - and this morning before church I told my husband he was responsible for the 2 oldest kids and I took the baby in the garage with me in her swing and started out on the elliptical. I turned on some TV and just went for it....keep in mind our elliptical is probably 10 years old and was a cheap Craig's List find a while back...but it works. I did 20 minutes on there, and then spent 10 minutes with my 5 pounds weights just doing curls and other arm exercises. It felt good and I was glad to get at least 30 minutes in of exercise!!

This week my goal is to keep up my new great eating habits and to get at least 30 minutes of exercise in each day (hopefully more!!). The eating actually hasn't been too bad. How are all of you doing after this first week?? Is your plan working out, or do you need to tweak a few things to make it more effective?? Please share, I would love to get some tips!!

One thing I need to work on is finding healthy snacks that are low in calories but fill me up - I hate feeling hungry!! I have lots of delicious fruit, but I eat a yummy apple and am still hungry!!! Any suggestions??

Ooooh!!! I just realized that I wasn't entirely honest when I said I hadn't exercised...I should have said that I didn't have any organized exercise opportunities this past week - but on Thursday our family headed to Disneyland and we did quite a bit of walking there...that's one thing I love about that place - all the walking!! We even packed lunches so we could eat healthy AND save the money we would have spent - everyone wins!! Here are a few pictures from our day - we had a blast!!

My wonderful husband and our 2 oldest kiddos...they LOVE the Merry-Go-Round!!

I am showing you this picture for 2 reasons - #1 - isn't our baby ADORABLE???
And #2 - I was looking at this picture and realized that I no longer have multiple chins!! I know I still have a ways to go, but this made me feel so good to see that I may not be losing the weight in the areas I want first, but at least it's disappearing from somewhere!!

WLB - Can I Be Honest??

Well, we are halfway through week #1 of our WLB journey and I'm still feeling pretty good about my changes and success so far! I have to be honest with all of you though, I had a weak moment Wednesday night when the kids asked me to make cookies and I *may* have eaten a little more cookie dough than I had intended to. Not my proudest moment, but the kids and I were having fun and I got caught up in the moment. Luckily it was the only major slip-up I've had, and so it's not serious, but it did make me feel a little angry at myself... Then I thought about it and realized that I'm not perfect, and that it's OK to indulge every once in a while. Especially when I've been so good the rest of the week!


So, my message today is not to beat yourself up because you slipped... Sometimes having fun with your kids, or spouse, or friends is more important than checking the nutrition label.... So long as it's only once in a while :-)

Can I be honest...

Well, we are halfway through week #1 of our WLB journey and I'm still feeling pretty good about my changes and success so far! I have to be honest with all of you though, I had a weak moment Wednesday night when the kids asked me to make cookies and I *may* have eaten a little more cookie dough than I had intended to. Not my proudest moment, but the kids and I were having fun and I got caught up in the moment. Luckily it was the only major slip-up I've had, and so it's not serious, but it did make me feel a little angry at myself... Then I thought about it and realized that I'm not perfect, and that it's OK to indulge every once in a while. Especially when I've been so good the rest of the week!
So, my message today is not to beat yourself up because you slipped... Sometimes having fun with your kids, or spouse, or friends is more important than checking the nutrition label.... So long as it's only once in a while :-)

WLB - It's a love-hate relationship

As I mentioned, I don't have a lot of "free" time to go out and exercise....which means the most obvious choice to get me moving would be fitness DVDs.


Fitness DVDs and I have a love - hate relationship. I love that I can exercise in the living room while the kids play in their rooms, or after they go to bed, without having to worry about leaving the house....but I HATE the monotony of standing in the middle of the room, knowing that for the next 30- 60 minutes I am going to be staring at the TV and hoping my husband doesn't magically appear and see how ridiculous I look trying to Cardio Dance like Maxim or get down with Billy Blanks.

I have a few fitness DVDs, but none of them have really gotten me excited enough to forget about the fact that I am standing in my living room because I can't go outside and exercise. If you're asking why I can't just throw everyone in a jogger and go for a walk...first of all, I don't have a triple jogger - and even if there was one that was capable of holding all three kids and priced under a million dollars, I would still have to push almost 90 pounds of kid PLUS whatever the stroller weighs. Yes, great for your arms and back, but it ruins your posture trying to push a heavy stroller up and down the hills here.
Oh wait, what's that you say?? Just put the baby in a stroller and let the rest walk?? Yes, that's great in theory, until you've tried to go on a walk with a 2-1/2 year old testosterone fueled boy. It's a constant battle of "stay away from the street" and "No, don't pick that up" and my personal un-favorite "stop walking directly in front of the stroller, I don't want to mow you over." And besides all that, the kids give up around 1.5 miles...which isn't nearly as far as I like to walk. I have found a lake near us that is PERFECT for walking around with free-running children, and on days when we have the time I will take them down there and push the baby in the stroller and let them walk, but it's a little bit of a drive and it just depends on the day and what we have planned...it has also been WAY too hot for the kids to be out walking that much. Once the weather cools down we will be spending much more time walking around the lake!! We learned about it through an awesome program we are participating in called the 100 Mile Club - and I will talk about that later in another post.
A little tip - did you know that most Cable TV providers have a free On-Demand section with shows that you can watch anytime?? Well, we have AT&T UVerse and there is an entire free fitness video section we have access to....They still fall under the fitness DVD category as far as I'm concerned, but for those who like the fitness DVDs, check with your cable provider to see if you get them....they are convenient and FREE!!

So, to the point of this post....last night I had just put our baby to bed and it was 11pm (an early night...which is sad since I get up to work at 5am most mornings) and I remembered that I had recorded a yoga workout program from a college channel the other day...I know it's crazy, but I decided to put on my PJs and do some Yoga. Surprisingly, this didn't feel like the other DVD - type workouts I've done. I really enjoyed it, they have examples for all fitness levels (beginner, intermediate and advanced) and I loved the opportunity to really enjoy the quiet in my house while everyone was asleep and just be with my thoughts. I LOVED the workout and went on to record on our DVR another week's worth of the show, which actually has a different type of workout every day!!
The show is called Total Body Workout and it is on BYU TV. Below is the link to the show's website and I just discovered that you can even watch the episodes on your computer...so you don't have to wait for one to record AND you can pick which one you want!!

Total Body Workout Webpage

I will definitely be DVR-ing more of these shows and trying to fit them in when I have some spare time. I really enjoy the format and am looking forward to burning some more calories through exercise!!

It's a Love-Hate relationship

As I mentioned, I don't have a lot of "free" time to go out and exercise....which means the most obvious choice to get me moving would be fitness DVDs.

Fitness DVDs and I have a love - hate relationship.  I love that I can exercise in the living room while the kids play in their rooms, or after they go to bed, without having to worry about leaving the house....but I HATE the monotony of standing in the middle of the room, knowing that for the next 30- 60 minutes I am going to be staring at the TV and hoping my husband doesn't magically appear and see how ridiculous I look trying to Cardio Dance like Maxim or get down with Billy Blanks.

I have a few fitness DVDs, but none of them have really gotten me excited enough to forget about the fact that I am standing in my living room because I can't go outside and exercise. If you're asking why I can't just throw everyone in a jogger and go for a walk...first of all, I don't have a triple jogger - and even if there was one that was capable of holding all three kids and priced under a million dollars, I would still have to push almost 90 pounds of kid PLUS whatever the stroller weighs. Yes, great for your arms and back, but it ruins your posture trying to push a heavy stroller up and down the hills here.

Oh wait, what's that you say?? Just put the baby in a stroller and let the rest walk?? Yes, that's great in theory, until you've tried to go on a walk with a 2-1/2 year old testosterone fueled boy. It's a constant battle of "stay away from the street" and "No, don't pick that up" and my personal un-favorite "stop walking directly in front of the stroller, I don't want to mow you over." And besides all that, the kids give up around 1.5 miles...which isn't nearly as far as I like to walk. I have found a lake near us that is PERFECT for walking around with free-running children, and on days when we have the time I will take them down there and push the baby in the stroller and let them walk, but it's a little bit of a drive and it just depends on the day and what we have planned...it has also been WAY too hot for the kids to be out walking that much. Once the weather cools down we will be spending much more time walking around the lake!! We learned about it through an awesome program we are participating in called the 100 Mile Club - and I will talk about that later in another post.

A little tip - did you know that most Cable TV providers have a free On-Demand section with shows that you can watch anytime?? Well, we have AT&T UVerse and there is an entire free fitness video section we have access to....They still fall under the fitness DVD category as far as I'm concerned, but for those who like the fitness DVDs, check with your cable provider to see if you get them....they are convenient and FREE!!

So, to the point of this post....last night I had just put our baby to bed and it was 11pm (an early night...which is sad since I get up to work at 5am most mornings) and I remembered that I had recorded a yoga workout program from a college channel the other day...I know it's crazy, but I decided to put on my PJs and do some Yoga. Surprisingly, this didn't feel like the other DVD - type workouts I've done. I really enjoyed it, they have examples for all fitness levels (beginner, intermediate and advanced) and I loved the opportunity to really enjoy the quiet in my house while everyone was asleep and just be with my thoughts. I LOVED the workout and went on to record on our DVR another week's worth of the show, which actually has a different type of workout every day!!

The show is called Total Body Workout and it is on BYU TV. Below is the link to the show's website and I just discovered that you can even watch the episodes on your computer...so you don't have to wait for one to record AND you can pick which one you want!!

Total Body Workout Webpage

I will definitely be DVR-ing more of these shows and trying to fit them in when I have some spare time. I really enjoy the format and am looking forward to burning some more calories through exercise!!

What DO I do around here??

This is a one picture response to those who find out I'm a stay-at-home mom and ask the ever annoying question...."What do you do all day?"

Well, besides working 40 hours a week I also take care of the house, watch the kids and homeschool our kindergartner

And, so those without children understand the magnitude of "stuff" I have to do, I present the picture above...

This is 2 loads of "kid" laundry, which is about a week's worth of clothes and accessories for 3 children (including a baby which means I again have bibs and burp cloths and blankets.)

So, the next time you think about asking a SAHM what she does all day, just remember this photo...

I will now step down from my soap box and help my son find a "blue car" that he has apparently lost.

Thank you

WLB - My first post...a little background

This was my first blog post on my WLB page...I will be copying all my posts from there to this blog so that I will have a record. If you haven't checked out my WLB page, click HERE to check it out - please subscribe to and/or follow my WLB page so you can encourage me and share your thoughts on my journey through the jungle that is weight loss!!

Hi there!!! I'm Diana and I can't WAIT to get started on this amazing journey with all of you!! I thought I would start with a post telling you a little bit about myself and my weight loss "philosophies" so you can understand who I am and get to know me a little better!!


I'm almost 29 and will have been married for 6 years on October 15th!! My husband and I have 3 gorgeous kiddos...an almost 5 year old daughter (she'll be 5 in about 3 weeks), a 2-1/2 year old son and a 15 week old daughter. I am a stay-at-home mom who also works full time from home as a Medical Transcriptionist and homeschools our daughter who is in Kindergarten. In case you were wondering, yes, things do get a little crazy around here during the week between trying to work, and love on my kids and homeschooling....but as Tim Gunn would say, I somehow "Make It Work!!!"

Personally, I love crafting (sewing, crocheting, cross-stitching, scrapbooking...), cooking/baking and music. As a family, we enjoy going to Disneyland, spending time with our extended family and just goofing off in general.

In high school I was overweight...and not just that awkward-chubby-teenager overweight, but massively obese. In my early 20s I ended up with a mystery illness that cause me to lose 100 pounds in about a year...for the first time in my life, I was able to shop in stores at the mall (I LOVED American Eagle!!) and felt like I was finally a normal member of society instead of feeling like an outcast. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to lose weight on my own, let alone keep it off, so over the next few years it creeped back and by the time I got married about 3 years later I had already gained 30 pounds back. After getting married and having access to an apartment complex gym I finally started losing weight again...and 3 months later we were blessed to find out that we were pregnant with our oldest daughter...and after 2 pregnancies I found myself another 30 pounds heavier and facing a dilemma. We wanted to have baby #3 but I needed to lose 15 - 20 pounds to avoid any complications. So, I made a decision...I decided that I had to take control of my weight and really get serious about losing it. After some research and motivation from family I did it!! I lost 15 pounds in about 4 months!! I then went on to have my healthiest pregnancy yet AND to keep the weight off during the pregnancy...which was not easy considering this baby was almost 1.5 pounds heavier than our lightest baby (and he was 7 lbs. 9 oz.)!! I watched what I ate and tried to stay active for those 9 months, and it paid off when I came home and was 10 pounds lighter than when I first got pregnant!!

So, that leads us to now...I am 15 weeks out from that pregnancy (which was my third C-section) and I am ready to get back to taking control of my weight. After the surgery I did gain almost 10 pounds back because, I'm not going to lie, for those first 2 months I couldn't exercise and I was so busy with 3 kids that I was more worried about them than what I ate. But, I've adjusted and started back to work and have already lost a few pounds!! I am ready to take on this challenge and start shedding some pounds. With all the craziness around here, I don't get as much time to exercise as most people so my weight loss is primarily dependent on controlling what I eat. I will say that I'm not a dieter, I'm not one of those people who decides to cut out sugar, or fat or whatever else the latest fad diet suggests. I prefer, and have found it VERY effective, to just be aware of what I am eating and how much I am eating. Over the next few weeks I will share my tips and tricks with you in the hopes that they will help you in some way to lose some extra weight too!!

So, come back and check on me and leave me comments....if I know people are watching me I'll be more motivated to put down the naughty snacks and pick up a peach!! I hope lots of you join us and participate in the mini weight loss challenge...I can't wait to follow all of you guys too!!


I also have a blog - Life After Diapers - where I will be posting about my weight loss journey and many other things that interest me, like recipes and things that I do.

A little background...

Hi there!!! I'm Diana and I can't WAIT to get started on this amazing journey with all of you!! I thought I would start with a post telling you a little bit about myself and my weight loss "philosophies" so you can understand who I am and get to know me a little better!!

I'm almost 29 and will have been married for 6 years on October 15th!! My husband and I have 3 gorgeous kiddos...an almost 5 year old daughter (she'll be 5 in about 3 weeks), a 2-1/2 year old son and a 15 week old daughter. I am a stay-at-home mom who also works full time from home as a Medical Transcriptionist and homeschools our daughter who is in Kindergarten. In case you were wondering, yes, things do get a little crazy around here during the week between trying to work, and love on my kids and homeschooling....but as Tim Gunn would say, I somehow "Make It Work!!!"

Personally, I love crafting (sewing, crocheting, cross-stitching, scrapbooking...), cooking/baking and music. As a family, we enjoy going to Disneyland, spending time with our extended family and just goofing off in general.

In high school I was overweight...and not just that awkward-chubby-teenager overweight, but massively obese. In my early 20s I ended up with a mystery illness that cause me to lose 100 pounds in about a year...for the first time in my life, I was able to shop in stores at the mall (I LOVED American Eagle!!) and felt like I was finally a normal member of society instead of feeling like an outcast. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to lose weight on my own, let alone keep it off, so over the next few years it creeped back and by the time I got married about 3 years later I had already gained 30 pounds back. After getting married and having access to an apartment complex gym I finally started losing weight again...and 3 months later we were blessed to find out that we were pregnant with our oldest daughter...and after 2 pregnancies I found myself another 30 pounds heavier and facing a dilemma. We wanted to have baby #3 but I needed to lose 15 - 20 pounds to avoid any complications. So, I made a decision...I decided that I had to take control of my weight and really get serious about losing it.  After some research and motivation from family I did it!! I lost 15 pounds in about 4 months!! I then went on to have my healthiest pregnancy yet AND to keep the weight off during the pregnancy...which was not easy considering this baby was almost 1.5 pounds heavier than our lightest baby (and he was 7 lbs. 9 oz.)!! I watched what I ate and tried to stay active for those 9 months, and it paid off when I came home and was 10 pounds lighter than when I first got pregnant!!

So, that leads us to now...I am 15 weeks out from that pregnancy (which was my third C-section) and I am ready to get back to taking control of my weight. After the surgery I did gain almost 10 pounds back because, I'm not going to lie, for those first 2 months I couldn't exercise and I was so busy with 3 kids that I was more worried about them than what I ate. But, I've adjusted and started back to work and have already lost a few pounds!! I am ready to take on this challenge and start shedding some pounds. With all the craziness around here, I don't get as much time to exercise as most people so my weight loss is primarily dependent on controlling what I eat. I will say that I'm not a dieter, I'm not one of those people who decides to cut out sugar, or fat or whatever else the latest fad diet suggests. I prefer, and have found it VERY effective, to just be aware of what I am eating and how much I am eating. Over the next few weeks I will share my tips and tricks with you in the hopes that they will help you in some way to lose some extra weight too!!

So, come back and check on me and leave me comments....if I know people are watching me I'll be more motivated to put down the naughty snacks and pick up a peach!! I hope lots of you join us and participate in the mini weight loss challenge...I can't wait to follow all of you guys too!!

I also have a blog - Life After Diapers - where I will be posting about my weight loss journey and many other things that interest me, like recipes and things that I do.