So, one of the hardest things to do as someone who is overweight is to get in front of the camera and not always be behind it. I’ve read countless articles about how kids never had enough pictures of mom and dad because mom and dad were always the ones taking the photos.
As a person who is now getting the point of burying my grandparents and other relatives I see starting to get older, I’m realizing how important these memories are. Pictures can’t be replaced. They tell a story. Bad or good, they show us for what we were at a certain point in time and they are to serve as a marker…a kind of reminder…of what our life was like during that time.
On that note, I have always hated photos of me. I look like a whale in most of them with 4 chins and a tire around my stomach. Of course, that’s my own doing. Until my mom graciously made a plan for her and I to not take it anymore and make a change. A change to live healthier for our spouses, for my children (her grandchildren). It’s been a change that I didn’t enjoy at first, but now that I’ve gotten into week 5, I’ve come to learn to adapt to.
When I first started Nutrisystem, I didn’t want to measure or take pics. So, I put it off. I waited a few days and almost near the end of week 1, I finally uploaded those pics I took on day 1 and I took measurements (5 days after starting). I was humiliated and embarrassed. I can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. And if I’m honest, sharing this with you makes me cringe. But, I’m taking baby steps to make changes.
So, here’s the transparent part. Me, 1 month to the day looking at the differences.
I’m still not a size 2 (I’ll never be that small), but I can finally see the difference. I’ve made a commitment to wear the same thing, my clothes, hair, same mirror, everything…to track it as closely as I can. I guess I picked day 1 to be extra frumpy, lol.
But, you guys! I mean, I can see it! I’ve got more photos of facial profile, too, but I struggle with seeing those. I’ll upload all of those on the day I post measurements next week and you can be the judge!
Starting to Flex:
I’m starting to get better at flexing. I’m only flexing maybe one meal a week right now. I’m not ready to go full force with this. I’m even learning to think about others when I cook. We have a teacher luncheon next week for our amazing teachers at MCA and I’m cooking a healthy turkey chili and honey pumpkin cornbread. Now, the cornbread probably isn’t all that healthy, but it’s way better than chips!
Today, I flexed lunch. I had not brought veggies for lunch, but I brought some of the potatoes by nutrisystem. I decided to save these and try to flex my entire lunch. For lunch, I needed a PowerFuel (meat/protein of some sort), a Smart Carb (a fruit or grain), and veggies.
So, I opened up a promotion from Chick-Fil-A who was sending me free delivery (I mean, yay, I didn’t even have to leave my desk!) and ordered a side salad with lite Italian dressing (but I only end up using half the package), an 8-count of grilled chicken nuggets and a small thing of fruit. So this covered my requirements and it got me to 265 total calories. Protein was 10 grams, fiber 2 grams. So it met all the requirements for a Flex Meal. I’d call that success. And even better? I learned I can still eat Chick-Fil-A and not kill my progress. If you’ve been keeping up with me, that’s huge!
I was also pleasantly surprised at the taste of the grilled chicken. It was so smokey and delicious. It’s not at all like I remember it being when I tried it last. Of course, that was probably after having the regular nuggets and sweet tea. It’s funny to me how my palette is changing. Who would have ever thought cauliflower would have become my go-to-veggie? Well, it certainly has with my latest recipe, too.
Family Life:
My kiddos, my husband, and I love Buc-ees. Buc-ees is like a Texas staple around here and they are moving into Arkansas, too! If you ever get the chance to stop at one, it’s like a gas station on steroids. There is a great couple of articles if you need to be indoctrinated into this wonderful place.
My favorite article though was from Texas Monthly. This guy is just a good-ol-boy from Texas and running his business the way his mama and pop told him too. With honesty and integrity, and treating his employees (and his customers) right.
Anyway, we now have one near us in Melissa. It’s great because we stop there often for gas and Silas loves their sausage on a stick. We usually stop to get a sausage once every couple of weeks and he takes it for lunch. Ely loves the fish or the grilled cheese. But she’s really there more to look at the endless supply of cool coloring books, stuffies, or things she can buy for her room. #girlshopping
Yesterday, we saw the most amazing Buc-ees the Beaver onesies – complete with tail and single tooth on the head. Of course, we just had to get some for the kids with the cold weather coming up. So, pictures above are of my little beavers.
Silas hated the zipper. Silas (if you’ve followed other posts) has ADHD and we are pretty sure some sensory issues with clothing. He goes nuts when he can feel stuff. So, he opted to wear a shirt under his. Not Elysha though. That girl jumped in it. And they both slept in it!
Win for the cold weather though! They stayed toasty!
Family Pictures:
2 weeks into Nutrisystem, I decided I wanted to get family pics. I didn’t really pick the date because of anything other than photographer availability, but I’m kind of glad I have these to remember my progress by (and yet I wish I could change it!).
I looked all around McKinney for a photographer. I looked at location shots they have used, lighting effects, placement, editing, and more. I settled in on a local gal, Angela Jackson.
Angela does a lot of newborn photography, but I really loved her family sessions too. Since it had been a while (read: we’ve never had professional pictures since our daughter was born) that we all dressed up for a picture, I wanted to get something for our family.
Angela out-did herself! I haven’t seen all the pics, but she shared this picture on her Facebook page.
I love that she so perfectly captured my son’s mischievous “I’m not going to break a smile because I’m being serious” look and my daughters little smiles and grins. And then there’s that handsome guy next to me. I mean, I love this man. Like 1000%.
Pictures mean a lot. If you have considered it before and have put it off…reconsider it. Your kids will want something for later. And remember, they are markers in time. Memories that can’t be replaced. Like all the memories of this photo shoot and knowing what Angela was saying or what the kids were doing behind the camera.
Anyway, love y’all!
Look to next week for my update on my inches. Hopefully I didn’t blow it by not tracking it the first 5 days and I can see some progress there. I mean, I see the progress, but I’d love to see the numbers!
Until then…
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