I exercised today!!! I haven't exercised in almost two months and I have paid for it dearly. That combined with eating like a horse has made me put on 15 pounds!!! I have been under a lot of stress if that counts for anything, mostly I think that is the excuse I keep giving myself. NO MORE. I am going to change this starting today - I started out well by exercising. It was hard to get motivated to do it, but I feel so much better now that I have. It is amazing how much you lose when you don't exercise for a while, I am definitely going to be sore tomorrow. (Sorry Jill, I know you have no choice - We will all be there for you when you can start again.) Have a good healthy day!

Baby Steps, Baby Steps!

I did it! I ate really well yesterday. The exercise time got taken over with pulling weeds and yard work instead, but at least I was being active. This morning I went around the block twice on my bike with Corbin (that's as far as he can go), but my goal is to go on a 3-mile bike ride tonight. Wish me luck!

Today's a new day!
I am going to exersize today! I'll let you know how it goes...

Sorry it has been so long!! Things have actually been going pretty good. I have managed to stay away from my kids Easter candy and I have cut off eating after dinner. After a few days it wasn't as hard, and now it is becoming more second nature. I try to not eat after 8pm, unfortunatly sometimes dinner isn't until 8. I have been reading inspirational stories of people who turn their lives around to become healthy. Every Monday on the Today show they feature the Joy Fit club which is people who have lost more than 100 pounds without pills or surgery. If anybody wants some inspiration check out this link. They are all amazing people, but they are also ordinary people who wanted a better life. When I am tempted I try to remember them and if they can lose over 100 pounds then I can lose 30. Everybody have a great day and keep up the good work!
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21627769/

Isn't this the truth!

Angie's goal for the week

OK, so I'm starting out slow. My goal for the week is to excercise everyday except Sunday. Hopefully I will be able to eat healthy too. But I don't want to disapoint myself. So I've decided one goal a week and then add to the week before's goal. Tip of the day: I was reading in a magazine about a book called "Super Foods Rx: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life" So the Tip is to eat at least 10 superfoods that are listed in the book this week: They are yogurt, blueberries, pumpkin, soy, oats, salmon, beans, walnuts, tea, oranges, tomatoes, broccoli, turkey and spinach.

I finally took the time to take my picture of the clothes I want to look good in. The skirt fits me now but it doesn't look good at all. My goal is to look good in it. I bought this shirt last summer hoping that it would fit by now. I am sure I could put it on but I would look like a hoochie-mama in it, it would be so tight.

I have done pretty well this week. It has been a whirlwind of a week - but I am sure my life is no busier than anyone elses. My goals for next week are to excercise 5 days - even if it is only a half an hour, and to not eat after 8pm. I did pretty well on those things this week but was not perfect. This week I have been trying to eat more vegetables and smaller portions - and of course lower my sugar intake. I did well, but I know I can do better. The amazing thing is I ate pretty well and then on Thursday I decided to skip dinner and have cake and ice cream at Samantha's birthday party and I felt horrible that night. I learned that I need to eat healthy at all meals and not skip good food to eat junk. If I am going to eat the junk I just need to do it less often and not eat very much when I do have it. I think I would have felt a lot better if I had eaten a good dinner.

Well we all have ups and downs, I want to hear more about yours. The next time I post I will find some good tips to relay.

I haven't taken a picture of my "goal outfit" yet, but I did want to post today. I think sometimes people take loosing weight or eating healthy too seriously. It's a "If I don't loose this weight or eat healthy then I am a failure" attitude. I hate that "guilty" feeling. It doesn't motivate me at all. I hope this blog can help all of us feel great about ourselves and give us some positive motivation no matter where we are at with our healthy goals. I want to take good care of my body so that I can live the active life I want to! I know I am not a perfectly healthy eater, but I also know that I am not too bad either. With a little tweaking I am sure I can get where I want to be. I just need to get this weighing-in thing figured out. Guess I have been doing it wrong all these years! :)

My name is Shelly Craven, I am married and have 2 children ages 5 and 3 and I am starting this blog because I need help. I am about 25+ pounds overweight and I need some help getting them off. I have decided that this blog is going to help me do it. I want to be a healthy mom who is a good example to her children. I don't want my children to grow up with eating problems because their mom couldn't control hers. I want my clothes to fit loosely. I don't want to be a tight 12 anymore. I NEED HELP!! I am hoping getting these feelings out of my system (along with anybody's advice and encouragement) will help me accomplish my goals. My sister Melissa had a great idea. She suggested instead of taking a before picture in a sports bra with my nasty gut hanging out (I can't stand those kinds of before and after pictures), that we take a picture of an outfit that we would like to look good in, and then a picture of ourselves when we look good in it. It doesn't have to be something that is your ultimate goal, we could do this several times. I am hoping to get my picture posted over the weekend - we'll see how it goes. I might also post a before picture of myself fully clothed, I haven't decided yet.
I am also going to give my sisters (if and when they want to) access to post on this site. I don't want it to just be about me. Please - anybody - feel free to comment and/or give advice anytime you want. I also want to have links to anybody elses weightloss (or healthy living) blogs, so let me know if you have one we can post a link to. I love to hear success stories, it encourages me.
Someday I might change this blog ito a full blown website that anyone can blog on, but for now links to other blogs will have to do. I will try to post my successes and failures (hopefully more success) as often as possible.
Thought of the day - I know I can, I know I can, I know I can!
Tip of the day - Frozen berries with a little bit of milk on them are a delicious snack!

Shelly