Fitness Jorney

Ok so its Tuesday December 30th and I was supposed to start my workout program yesterday and overslept so I'm starting today (and making up for yesterdays workout).  It is 4:36am and just finished my 30min workout...Cardio Fix of the 21day fix workout program...yeah its over!  So I just found out we are starting some sort of biggest transformation competition at work that starts on January 1st.  As much as I want to participate I just couldn't wait the two additional days to start working out.  You know that feeling when you just have to start NOW while your motivation is strong?  Yeah that is where I am at today, we all know two days doesn't really make much of a difference in actual weight loss, but it can be a make or break factor for your motivation, so I have always been one to work on my own schedule when possible.

Let me just start out by saying how depressing I know starting out can be, whether you are starting for the first time, or picking up again.  One statement that Autum Calabrese (creator of 21day fix) says and its annoying when you first start out is "If you are tired of starting over, Stop giving up".  While I think this is 100% true, sometimes you don't give up, life gets in the way and if you aren't focused then slowly your workouts and eating habits slip without knowing.  That is what happened to me I was focused and on track and after hard work and dedication I lost a little over 40lbs.  Right around the time my now husband came home from a long TDY, right before our wedding I think is where I can pinpoint a shift for me.  And slowly with wanting to spend time with him, the wedding, having people over, finding out we were moving to Alaska, then the holidays and now getting our house prepped to go on the market in a few weeks....I have let excuse after excuse slow creep into my life without even realizing.

I mean I was tired right?  I had a lot on my plate, I couldn't keep my normal schedule, eating right was too hard with him home, people were coming over, I have work early, I have to work late, the dogs need a walk, I need to make some phone calls, I need quality time with my husband, I worked out a little the last couple days, I can make up this workout tomorrow....

I didn't realize I had become the queen of excuses!  Don't get me wrong I worked out occasionally, but I wasn't regular anymore.  I wish I could say "And the next thing I knew...." like I had no fore warning or I had no clue I was gaining weight till just now.  But that isn't at all the case, yes if you read my previous blog you know I have gained about 8lbs since our wedding 72days ago.  However even when I was finding excuses not to workout I was weighing myself semi regularly and for awhile the scale didn't budge, no matter what I ate or how little I worked out the numbers didn't move for awhile....and I knew better to fall for this or let this perpetuate my excuses but I did.  I did still make healthy food choices, I mean you don't make a commitment towards a healthly lifestyle and then suddenly abandon all your ideals about healthy living.  Some might and trust me I'm not judging, mine was more the workingout that I made excuses for and irregular eating habits more so than poor food choices.  

But not gaining weight without regular workouts and proper eating habits will only last so far.  I stopped weighing myself for a few weeks out of fear for the number, and it did prompt me to workout again but only for a few days, and eventually I was up 4 lbs, then 6 lbs and just before I was full on no excuses mode I was up 8 lbs!!! I didn't see those last two pounds coming!

So here I am after a workout that at one point I had mastered, feeling a little frustrated that I struggled through it.  I remember all those feelings of first starting out with a goal to lose 50 lbs and thinking it was hopeless and feeling defeated before I even began, and I felt them all, all over again this morning!  Back tracking when you were so close to your goal feels like failure, heck starting out after having gained the weight in the first place feels like failure!

It takes s few weeks to actually start feeling like you can do this, and those are the hardest two weeks.  Those are the first two make it or break it weeks.  I wish I could be super encouraging and tell you it's easy after that, and in some ways it is (and it's different for everyone), but the part most people struggle with is when they plataue.  For me this was never to hard to deal with because I expected it, and I was happy feeling stronger in each workout. I knew results would come as long as I kept at it.

So this is what I remind myself when I'm doing workouts that cause me fatigue, when just a few short months ago I could breeze through them. But it's a journey and each one is unique!

Hope you all have a great day!!

Happy Holidays

So Christmas is over and the New Year is just around the corner.  I am so excited for our next adventure.  However I look over this year's Christmas memories and smile.  Mom and dad came to spend our first Christmas as husband and wife with us.  Even though we celebrated the weekend before Christmas I feel so blessed that we got to spend that time together.  We had our tree up a few days before Thanksgiving but had been too busy to actually decorate.  However that meant my parents got to help decorate our tree with us, and it turned out perfectly!  This picture below is of Mom, Matt and I all putting our ornaments on the tree at the same time, and I love it!

Mom, Me and Matt each putting the first ornaments on our tree together!

We don't have an little kiddos yet, but that doesn't mean we don't have babies.  This was certainly a Doggy Christmas, and my dad completely stole the show.  Any time my dad is around the rest of us are chopped liver.  We were watching their yellow lab Cora for the past six weeks after mom had surgery on her hand, while it was great having Cora here, I know she was ready to be an only dog again.  So I managed to get a bow on her and take a quick photo before she tried to chew it off.  These girls make me so happy, heck they knew Christmas morning was special and Daisy learned how to open Christmas gifts!  She was so happy and every second of it warmed my heart. 

My parents are here, and I'll be lucky if my dogs want anything to do with me.  There are few things more
precious than watching your dog literally smile when they see the grandparents, except when they actually
decided to give you the time of day again!

Ok what can I say the lil white dog I'm holding like a baby is my baby, I'm pretty sure neither her nor I have realized she just might be too big to be held like this.  But her face sure says she needed mommy after her nap!  Lilly and Cora curled up at Grandpa's feet on Christmas morning is just too cute!  Oh yeah that's me napping above after a very long baking session on Christmas Eve, it was way past my bedtime, my hubby had to put me to bed.  The top right picture is my husband and I with our other two girls Daisy and Kira, I admit they are all a bit spoiled.  All very smart I might add, they no longer sit for pictures the way they used to before, take out your phone or even a camera and they disperse instantly!

Trimming the tree is a family occasion!  These are my kind of memories!

Us decorating the tree with my parents on Christmas Eve.  I am so grateful to have been able to decortate our first tree as a married couple with my parents.  This was a particularly special Christmas, it was the first one my parents were able to spend at our house, it was our first shared as husband and wife, and its our last Christmas in FL for a few years.  The holidays are always a special time to me and I have my mom fully to thank for my love and continued wonderment of the Holidays.  She has always kept the magic alive and no matter where I have been or how far apart we are, we have always celebrated holidays together and they have always been special.  Ask either of us if we believe in Santa and we will tell you without hesitation yes!  I think the Holidays mean something different to everyone, for us its a time to spend with family, to experience that magic, to be thankful for how God has blessed us, to be thankful for the birth of our Savior, and to serve as a reminder to cherish all the moments that life has to offer.

Married & Bright!

Matt and I playing around while decorating the tree.  I love that we get to start our own traditions, and that he plays along and tolerates all my Christmas decorating.  Its an amazing man who will partake in all the things you love just because he loves you.  But secretly I think he starts to enjoy himself just a smidge, or enjoys laughing at me being a big kid...either way I love it and love sharing it with him. 

Santa Came and thankfully all the decorations made it up in time!

House is decorated and Santa came!!

Family Christmas Eve cookie baking! And Holly

My first apple pie, prepped it Christmas Eve to be baked after Christmas dinner.  And look my apple
is sending some love my way!

Banana pudding and naps!

Ok so these are a little out of order, but this was all baking on Christmas Eve.  I made snickerdoodle cookies from scratch for the first time (Thanks to my secret Santa at work...aka...Kristen!)  And they turned out amazing, and honestly if anyone is looking for a gift to give someone, premixed dry ingredients in a cute jar with instructions is simply amazing!  Honestly its like having pre-packaged mix, but its homemade and still soooo simple!  I am so in awe of it, everyone just might be getting these next year! 

Anyways, Matt helped me make my very first apple pie, and for the record I had a longer apple peel than him...so I win!  It was actually ok, granted I don't like apple pie, but my mom and Matt ate it and lived to tell about it...so I call that a double win.  Then I made my dads favorite banana pudding....but its just a coincidence he loves it because its one of my favorites to, so I'm not sure who I made it for more, him or me...I'll be the good daughter and say it was all for him! lol.  After all the cookies for Santa were made and deserts for Christmas dinner prepped, I think a few of us were a little tuckered out!



Christmas Dinner complete with a menu so I wouldn't forget what I needed to make, but I did leave off,
stuffing, biscuits and something else I can't remember what I forgot.  But at least I had the stuffing, because
this Thanksgiving when I made dinner for Matt and I we sat down to eat and I realized I forgot the stuffing, I
almost had round two, but thankfully Matt saved the day!

Ok so I have a love of festive aprons, not many outside my family know this...and yes I have one for almost
every season.  Anyways, this was a little Christmas cooking delirium in the kitchen, either that or Matt was
documenting this rare occasion when I go all out and cook.

It was nice to be able to cook for everyone for a change, and it was fitting.  It did stink my mom was still recovering from surgery since she loves to cook.  But it was nice to have her in my kitchen keeping me company, I love the in person version instead of our skyping dinner dates!  Not only did I make my first apple pie this Christmas I also made waffles on Christmas morning for the first time, however next time I'll make them from scratch. 



Even the pups are ready to start opening presents, look at Cora, she is definitely ready to start!

We got to open gifts, the dogs were all ready and Daisy was helping Grandpa unwrap his gifts, she actually was trying to help everyone!  And Matt had Santa leave me a special stocking which was hidden till he was ready.  I got Starbucks gift cards and Chocolate (mostly skinny cow cluster my favorite!)  Love that Santa left Matt a snowmobile lego guy, guess Santa is ready for us to move to the North Pole in a few months! 

Mom took some photos of Matt and I to remember our first Christmas together.  She is the reason I fell in love with
photography in the first place, and I am so grateful she took some of these for us!

Just a few photos I edited with an app called Tangled FX, they are just fun to play with!

A few random pictures, the one in the center is when Matt and I are putting up the star on our tree. 

December 24th: Looking at lights at Navarre's Vistior Center along the water!

December 24th: More pictures in Navarre, such a beautiful tree!

We were fortunate to spend Christmas Eve with some great friends of ours after a long day of home organization to prep for selling our house.  We decided to finally stop on the way home to get pictures of the lights at the Navarre Visitor Center.  Its amazing to me the things I find myself not doing, thinking I will do it next year, only to find that there may not be a next year.  So we are doing it all and enjoying it.  Though I guess there is something to be said about doing something at a time when they will mean the most to you.  Stopping to take pictures of the light display on the side of the road, may not be something that is so wildly entertaining that it make the must see list every year, but this was the perfect year to cherish some of these special moments and experience them for the first time.

December 25th: Our Christmas morning, Christmas Card exchange and gifts from our parents on the Kmiec side!

Opening gifts, being silly and enjoying every minute as a family.

Sorry to all you parents out there I'm going to revel in being able to sleep in on Christmas morning for a second, though sleeping in for us is anything past 4:30am, but still I will cherish it just the same.  Matt and I were both equally excited to exchange our Christmas cards, I was thrilled to finally be able to shop for cards in the "Husband" section, and clearly I wasn't the only one!  We had such a good time opening our gifts from Mom and Dad Kmiec, and we loved every thoughtful gift!  I loved the initials in gold, and the scarf.  Me and Lilly had fun playing.  Daisy had opened our candle the night before while we were gone, and then she helped the cats open their gifts.  She is a silly lil girl!

December 25th: Decided not to have a big dinner again and go out to dinner on the water.  More great
memories in the making.

Sunset on the harbor, tasty dinner and then our usual Uno game to end the night! I've been kicking butt.

We are fortunate to spend Holidays with family even if we have to do it early.  And since we already did the big dinner we decided for Christmas day to get out of the house and enjoy the water.  So we went down to the Harbor Walk in Destin just in time to walk around and enjoy sunset.  We sat down to dinner and got to eat dinner with the dolphins.  I'm so that person that gets excited every time I see dolphins even though I live at the beach, I can't help it they are such beautiful creatures and I love how graceful they are. We had a delicious meal at Harry T's (I recommend the cheese sticks, seriously best I've ever had) and then headed home to finish our night out with a few rounds of Uno.  We are dorks and instead of wild and crazy nights out, we prefer to stay home and play card...really just Uno, and yes I kicked his butt!

My not too happy Grinchy Pups! Lol never seen any more pathetically miserable dogs in my life.  I seriously
don't know why they run when I get the camera out! Hmm

So now that Christmas is over I did the unthinkable....I stepped on the scale last night!  Um so starting Monday I will be back to working out with the 21 day fix.  Sadly I have to admit that we have been married for 70 days and in that I time I have gained weight, and have not been on a regular workout routine like I was and should be.  I worked so hard to lose 40lbs, and while I say I have gained 15lbs since being married the reality is I have gained only 8lbs...however that is unacceptable to me.  I miss my workouts and I have let the holidays, the stress of moving, the wedding, getting back into a normal routine with Matt being home.. all be my excuses why I'm not working out.  So starting Monday 21 day fix it is, I love this program because it is the easiest way to get back on track with an easy to follow meal plan and a three week commitment.  Whenever I need to get back in the game (so to speak) this is my go to! 

Not just believing in Christmas Magic but also in myself!

While on a journey to fitness I think many of us hit road blocks and come up with excuse, but the important thing is to not forget why you are on your personal journey and to keep going.  For me its not just about fitting in my clothes (although looking better equals feeling better and both are fantastic), but its about taking care of myself for the long haul and for my kids (one day anyways).  So I'll be writing the next couple of weeks about how this is coming along, and probably random posts when I am stressed about trying to get our house ready to be put on the market!

Hope you all have a great New Years if I don't get a chance to post before then!

Eviction Notice

So I have been dying to write this post and now that its time I'm not feeling it as much.  But my emotions are all over the place lately.  Sorry I'm going to be a punk and leave you hanging for a few minutes!

So just because here are a few more  of my favorites from the wedding.  Finally got my prints in and so I'll share these with you.  I can't get enough of the beach and am oh so grateful to have had our wedding here, it really means so much to me.  I have no doubt I will look back at these pictures forever with the happiest of memories!

Again thanks to Callie Gardiner Photography:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I never did share many from our engagement photo shoot so here are some of those too.  However its hard to decide which set of photos I like better (is that bad to say?) hehehe.  But unfortunately for Matt I have decided that all I want from him as a Christmas present every year is for us to do a couples photo shoot.  I know it sounds crazy but its nice to have actual photos of us that aren't from an out stretched arm and selfies. 

 

 

 

Sorry if I bored you with all these silly photos! At least you an scroll through them if you want.  So now on to the real reason I wanted to write this post.   Marriage was our first adventure now we have found out we are in for another one and this will be even more adventurous than the last...



We recently found out that in about 4 months time we will be trading in our fins for snow shoes.  Good bye Florida, Hello Alaska!  Sorry no we aren't having a baby...we have a ways to go on that front...hehe.  I will be honest and say I have mixed feelings about this, some days I'm excited for the adventure and others the thought of not spending my summers on the beach brings tears to my eyes.  But I was re-reading  one of my own previous about Ways to Deal with Deployment/TDY's, and as I was reading it I realized that I need to approach this upcoming move just like I would when Matt goes TDY or Deploys.  And I actually already have.  If you want to take a look at the post I'm talking about you can click here.

 

 

Bucket List:

So it has inspired me to create a list for moving to Alaska, and a list of things I still want to do before leaving here.  This way I have something to look forward to and when we leave I won't feel like there was something I should have done.  I will be sharing both of my bucket lists in future posts.

 

Create Dates:

Making sure we set aside time to do things together, planning out mini adventures and getting involved in the community may be a great way to not only get to know other people but also adjust better to the darker winter days.

 

Write things you have always wanted to do:

While things I have always wanted to do can't all be done in Alaska, I can take up some new hobbies like learning to sew, making a quilt I've always wanted, take up painting, read more books, and even plan the tropical vacation of my dreams.  There is always things to do, always new experiences, and a new place means new people, new opportunities, new organizations so being open to embracing the new is important. 

 

Plan an adventure:

What is more adventurous than moving to Alaska?  But I am excited to plan our cross country drive, and all of the stops we are going to make...with three dogs in tow!  And all the pictures!!!

 

Find a new hobby:

Well snorkeling, shell searching and kayaking have become hobbies for me, I will certainly need to find new hobbies in Alaska, and of course I will continue to be obsessed with photography.  But I do wonder what new hobby I will pick up from moving to Alaska.  Ok so I know I say that like trying to "Pick Up" a hobby in Alaska is like "Picking up" the plague.  But its not that bad, and I'm going into this move excited about a new set of experiences.  And that's impressive for me because while I usually have a great outlook on life...I struggle with change!

 

Be a Mermaid:

:,-( Tear!  Ok so this is really was saying to let yourself be open to the unexpected.  So I can say that I am open to lots of unexpected experiences.  Here in Florida I was open to becoming a Mermaid, who knows what unexpected things I will love to do in the opposite side of the US.

 

Be a Tourist:

Well since we will likely be living in the North Pole, I can promise being a tourist will not be a problem.  And if you know me, you know how big of a kid I am and how exciting this is!  However since visiting Santa is about the only touristy thing to do, I think I will need to take the 7hr drive to Anchorage to be a tourist.

 

Take care of yourself:

This has never been more true as it is moving to Alaska.  I need to exercise and find new healthy recipes to keep myself busy....and in the winter with only 3hrs of day light (more like 3hrs of sunset) this is a must to keep my sanity.  Cooking healthy food and deserts has always been for fun for me, well the find the recipe parts on pinterest is fun, I guess I will need to work on my follow through. (Cause Matt seems to do all the cooking).  However working out will have to be a priority also, because there will be so much change in such a little time, I will definitely need it. So I'm looking forward to the new Beach Body workout 21 Day Fix Extreme to come out in February (seriously take a look I'm so Pumped, email me for questions), and getting the new Insanity Max:30!  So I have a few things to look forward to.

 

Learn new recipes:

And since I did mention this above, I should probably add to actually create these recipes.  But I do love learning healthier ways to cook, and I have been finding lately that I simply don't have the time.  We have so much going on right now with the holidays and preparing to move that cook has honestly been to a minimal, and thanks to my amazing Husband he has gone against all things he believes in cooking wise to make sure that he is cooking healthy meals for me....now that is love.  Lol!  But I have to say after about a year of changing the way we cook and what we eat, I think we can both tell a difference in how we feel!  So I know in Alaska winters are long and very cold, but that doesn't mean we have to heavy, fatty foods.  So my goal is to learn how to make all our favorite comfort food in a healthier way.

 

Be willing to be spontaneous:

I love being spontaneous and taking unexpected adventures, however in the winter months I am not sure what to expect or how we will adjust to being outside in the cold, but we will soon find out.  However, since the Northern Lights don't come out until very late in the evening my spontaneity may take shape in the form of becoming more accustomed to being awake past 8pm, or atleast waking up in the middle of the night.  But I am excited about camping trips, wildlife, hiking, kayaking, and hot springs.  And since it is still just the two of us, we plan to be as spontaneous as possible and open to enjoying all Alaska has to offer.  Even if we will be living in a Frozen Desert so to speak.

 

Plan a girls night/afternoon:

This one will take some time, we will see what friends I make when we are there.  Until then I will certainly be keeping up with the friends I have made and use my blog to feel like I am sharing my experiences with them.  Thank goodness for the internet, and hopefully the internet works in the North Pole....it should right?  Santa does have email??

 

Look for unexpected beauty:

This is likely my favorite, and what I am the most excited and nervous about.  I have learned to find beauty all around me, and I have so enjoyed the beauty living by the coast brings, but now I will have a whole new terrain to explore and I am excited about photographing and being exposed to a whole different side to nature, but nervous about the unknown.

 

Organize and de-clutter:

Anyone who has ever moved probably understands the joy of purging all the things you don't use and trying to start fresh.  We have lived in our house together for almost 3yrs and its crazy the things we have collected, so we are both excited about going through and simplifying our things, so when we move into our next house we can be essentially clutter free.  However next year after our move I'll let you know how my little theory actually turned out.

 

Document what you are doing:

Well I have every intention on doing this, and even planning on trying my hand at some videos of our cross country travel.  I think I am trying to focus more on the fun of planning out the stops to make and sights to see, since that is our first step to Alaska.  I can't wait to document our trip, and share the sights along the way.  I have only ever lived on the East Coast so driving West may be a shock for me, and since I love taking photos this will be an amazing adventure.  And yes I already have all kinds of crafts planned for fun ways to document our travel, and can't wait to share them after we are settled in.

 

Make a list of all the things you want to do together:

If you haven't noticed I am totally a lists persons, its just the way my brain functions, I like to plan to the smallest detail possible.  I have a note book full of lists!  I have my Alaska Bucket List (and continually adding to it), and I'm getting Matt to tell me what he wants to do also.  Right now our first focus is the massive list of things to do to get ready to PCS.  And yikes it can be overwhelming! After the week we both have had we are both stressed to the max!  So yeah for date night tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

So the excitement is building. If you know me you know I have been craving an adventure.  And that is exactly what we are getting.  I have been following Alaskan Natives, Natgeo Alaska and lots of others on Instagram and the more snowy scenes I see the more I get excited about all the fun and new things we will get to experience.  Granted leading up to the big move I'm likely be very stressed and exhausted, but no matter what happens we will be in Alaska before the summer! 

 

And yes it was completely intentional to start the blog off in away that makes everyone think we were having a baby.  But hey I feel like its a right of passage, I mean I get asked multiple times a day when we are having kids, so I feel like its the only fun to be had as a newly wed.  Trust me everyone will know when we begin to expand our family past the 4 legged babies!

 

Stay tuned for my crazy bucket lists for here and Alaska and lets see how many things I can really check off my list!  Wish us luck!