Stella's First Birthday Party!

The big day is coming up on Wednesday, May 2nd, but we had her party in our home town on Saturday.  The event was really fun! We had a lot of guests, including 12 kids!  Thankfully it was a nice day outside so the kids got to run and enjoy the backyard.

Stella had a gorgeous cake and smash cake that we got from Celebrity Cakes in Tacoma.  They did an absolutely amazing job on it and it matched Stella perfectly!  However, when it came to actually eating the cake, she was not so sure about it.  She didn't like touching the frosting and held her hands up to me asking to be cleaned off.  I took a little of the cake and tried feeding it to her.  She ate it, gagged 3 times and then threw up in front of everyone on her birthday outfit.  Memories!!  Here is a video of the entire scene and then a close up of it coming back up for a visit.

She was such a good girl all day and this little girl is so blessed to have the best circle of friends and family looking out for her. Beyond that she is SPOILED! She got so many fun toys and clothes! We can't wait to play with and wear them all!

Overall, the day was perfect including the cake vomiting.  I wouldn't have changed anything for the world.  I will add more pics later!

The Results You've Been Waiting For

Ok...here it goes.  The final results...

First, let me review the last 14 days because I was awful about updating you with the events.  I travelled to Auburn and then to Kansas.  Traveling and keeping healthy eating habits is hard but I did my best.  Our hotel offered waffles and lots of yummy goodies for breakfast but I stuck to eggs, oatmeal and fruit. I was pretty proud of myself.  I did miss 2 days of vitamins on the flying days but overall, it wasn't too bad.

So, after the full 24 (or 26 in my case) days, here are the results.  I am down a total of 4lbs.  I was a little bummed that I didn't lose any weight after the first 10 days but I knew I felt better and that is what really matters.  Weight really is just a number and if I feel good about the way I look, I really don't care what my weight is.

As for inches, I originally measured the following body parts: Right arm, shoulders, chest, waist, hips, right thigh, and right calf.  Here are the end results:

Right arm: down 1/2 inch
Shoulders: no change
Chest: down 1/2 inch
Waist: down 1.75 inches!!
Hips: down 1/2 inch
Right thigh: down 1 inch!!
Right calf: down 1/2 inch

Total loss: 4.75 inches on areas I measured.  I am really happy with that number.  Matt didn't measure himself but he lost a total of 6 lbs from the challenge and is at one of his lowest weights since I met him almost 10 years ago!

Here are some other cool things...

I don't crave desserts like I used to.  I used to HAVE to have something sweet after dinner.  I don't even think about it that often and Matt and I decided we will treat ourselves to FroYo on Saturdays for being good during the week.  I look forward to that treat but don't NEED it.

I have really enjoyed snacking on almonds and fruit.  I no longer crave the carb snacks.  I used to want bread or chips or icky stuff but after seeing some results, I don't want to sabotage myself.  This doesn't mean that I will never eat them again but I do like the feelings and energy I have without them.

This is one of the most stressful times in my life.  I have a lot going on and yet, I have energy and a positive attitude! I really do think that is amazing.  One thing that helped me through this that Advocare doesn't sell is prayer! Whenever I got hungry or tempted, I would pray and that also did a world of good for my energy and attitude.  So, with Advocare and God, I'm feeling pretty good right now. 

I still have a long way to go but I'm at least on the right path.  I'm continuing with my Max3 packs and have added catalyst and thermoplus to my daily regiment.  I've also begun working out again, at least 3 days a week, so I'm hoping that will also kick start some additional loss.

Thank you to all the support and prayers you have sent my way through the challenge...I love you guys!

Days 9 & 10 - Finishing the Cleanse

Alright everyone! I'm done with the 10 day cleanse portion of the 24 day challenge.  In review, it really wasn't that bad.  The worst part about it was drinking the fiber drinks because they aren't super tasty but they aren't bad.

Over the past 10 days I have noticed the following benefits from the cleanse:

* 3.5lbs weight loss!!
* Headaches are gone
* Higher energy without crashes
* Clearer skin!! I think this is from the Omegaplex.

In addition, it has made me much more conscious of what I have been putting in my body.  I have been able to resist my usual cravings for sweets and eat leaner proteins and smarter snacks.  Rather than eating chips, I would eat carrots or an apple, which just makes me feel better overall!  It has also made me more aware of how much water I am drinking.  I faithfully drink water all throughout the day!  I have not had coffee or soda since we started, nor wanted it which is the shocking part!

So now we are onto the replenishing portion of the 24 day challenge, which is just about putting the right vitamins back into your body so that it can efficiently function.  Each day has 4 little packets of 3-4 pills to take.  I take the first yellow packet 30 minutes before breakfast, 2 white packets with lunch and 1 yellow packet 30 minutes before lunch.  I usually eat lunch around 11 because I start work at 6 but today I didn't take my vitamins till 11:30 and waited to eat lunch at noon.  I started to feel sick around 11:45 because I was so hungry and sometimes my stomach doesn't do well when taking vitamins on an empty stomach.  I didn't have that feeling at breakfast so I'm hoping that it was just because I waited to eat and not because those vitamins don't sit well with me.  I will keep you posted on that.

I'm flying to Seattle this weekend for Easter with the fam and then taking off to see my Grandparents in Kansas next week so I am going to try and stay as faithful to the healthy eating and the vitamins as possible while traveling.  I've packed some meal replacement shakes and spark to take with me so hopefully that will help me out.

Stay tuned...I'll try and update some while I am traveling!

Happy Easter everyone!  He is risen!! He is risen, indeed!

Days 6, 7, & 8

I will be honest, this weekend was tough.  Matt and I usually go out to eat quite a bit on the weekends but we stayed home and tried to be good on the healthy eating plan.  I only lost .5 lbs over the weekend but hey...that is better than nothing.  So I did break into the 150's.  I'm at 159.5.  We are in the final days of the "cleanse" portion of the 24 day challenge and then we begin replenishing our body with the good vitamins and minerals it needs.  Matt is doing really well and he has lost 4 lbs already.  It feels good to be putting good things in my body but it is still hard. 

On kind of a neat note, headaches are rare, energy is higher than normal and I am feeling good.  Life is kind of crazy right now with trying to finish my portfolio for school and work but I am glad that I have the energy to get it all done.  I'm on the home stretch!

On to the better stuff, Stella is officially pulling herself up and trying to walk and she finally is crawling all over the place.  Her crawl is a little strange.  She puts her left foot on the ground and her right knee and pushes herself forward with her foot.  It is really funny to watch but we are glad to see her progressing.  She is still super happy most of the time and just loves people.  We could not be more blessed!