Tuesday, January 30, 2018

new year, new journey | 21 day fix.

Since the beginning of our marriage, we've been pretty good about eating at home. We've been on a fairly tight budget since we said "I do," and preparing meals in the house has been the best way to stick to it. One thing we've not managed very well, however, is our portion sizes. Before the first of this year, we'd typically eaten more than we should while relying on our metabolism and active lifestyles to balance things out.

This system was working out okay until a little over six months ago when I started taking a certain medication that really messed up my insides. I gained weight, was increasingly bloated, experienced a negative shift in my metabolism, and had a big drop in my energy levels. I took the medication until the beginning of December before stopping, and I was hoping that once it was out of my system things would go back to normal.

A month later, I still felt awful and, quite frankly, hated my body. I knew I'd have to be proactive to reverse what had been happening for six months, so I started researching. I looked up lots of plans we could follow, shared all of it with TJ (who agreed to take this challenge with me), and together we decided that a modified version of the 21 Day Fix was the best fit for us. We researched recipes, made a grocery list, went shopping, came home with our loot, and began the process of meal prepping -- something that neither of us had done before.

We shopped on Saturdays and cooked on Sundays, and each day of prepping took about four hours to complete. We prepared all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the following week, and we tag-teamed it from start to finish. We chopped and mixed and stirred and whisked and boiled and baked and paused for high fives and kisses, and we were pooped by the end of it! Each week got a little easier because we were getting used to it, and we became such big believers in portion control and preparing every meal with lean meat and fresh vegetables that we decided to continue meal prepping indefinitely. I especially loved making everything in one stint and not having to worry about forgetting to eat (something I'm very guilty of) or deciding what to make for dinner every day. Snacks were pre-determined, too, so it made it easier to not just grab whatever junk we had in the pantry when I got hungry throughout the day. We, also, drank lots and lots of water throughout the day. We've been a water-only couple for many years, but the amount of water we drank during this stint even impressed us!
At the end of our 21-day challenge, both of us had lost several inches in various areas, I was no longer bloated, my metabolism was almost back to normal, and we both just felt a whole lot better. It was amazing! I never dreamed that just three weeks of intentional discipline with food could bring about such big changes in our bodies and spirits, but I'm a most definitely big believer now. By simply eating good meals proportionate to our body size with a little bit of exercise each day, TJ and I both experienced better results than we thought we would. I've always known that it matters what we put into our bodies, but these results wowed me!

My advice to anyone who feels the way I felt is simple: be proactive! Make the necessary changes, no matter how difficult you think it will be. You will never regret being a happier, healthier you. I sat around for months hoping that the weight I had gained would simply "fall off," but it didn't. When I committed to reclaiming myself, THAT'S when things changed. And I plan to keep myself accountable and continue on this road for a long time. Our health is worth it, friends. YOU are worth it!
Week One
Breakfast:
-Fruit
-Avocado Toast
-Homemade Strawberry Oats
-Eggs
-Greek Yogurt with Honey

Lunch/Dinner:

Snacks:
-Almonds/Cashews
-Hard-boiled eggs
-Celery with hummus
-Fruit
Week Two
Breakfast:
-Fruit
-Sliced bananas on almond toast, sprinkled with cinnamon
-Smoothies
-Greek Yogurt with Honey

Lunch/Dinner:
-Roasted Veggies with Rice

Snacks:
-Almonds/Pecans
-Hard-boiled eggs
-Carrots with hummus
-Fruit
Week Three
Breakfast:
-Fruit
-Avocado toast
-Omelette with spinach and cherry tomatoes
-Greek Yogurt with Honey

Lunch/Dinner:
-Honey Sriracha Glazed Meatballs with rice and sautéed carrots
-Avocado Tuna Salad on Rice Cakes

Snacks:
-Almonds
-Hard-boiled Eggs
-Homemade Energy Bites
-Fruit
We aren't professional meal preppers (yep, just made that word up), but we've learned a lot in our few weeks of doing it. We spent a little more on our groceries than we typically do during the three weeks of our fix, but we felt strongly that it was worth it. We shopped for our meals for this current week on Sunday, and we narrowed our meals based on our budget so we could get back on track. We reused some previous recipes, we added a couple of new ones into the mix, and we've decided to take turns picking the menus each week.

This whole experience benefitted us in so many more ways than just physically. Honestly, my favorite part of this new journey we're on is that we get to spend time together in the kitchen. We both fell into our roles pretty seamlessly, and they stuck. You know how I mentioned those high fives and kisses earlier? That's worth it to me! In our 14+ years together, we're always learning new things -- both in life and about each other -- and this meal prep thing is continuing to teach us to treasure each other, work well with each other, encourage each other, and flirt with each other.

We were allowed three "cheat meals" during our fix, and we used them for Braxton's birthday, a midweek trip to Chick-fil-a (nom nom nom), and date night this past weekend. We both agreed that we ought to celebrate this little milestone, just in time for baseball to begin again for the spring (aka no date nights for a few months), and we giggled over the fact that the things we ordered for dinner were steamed veggies and grilled entrees. Now, the ice cream we had afterwards, on the other hand, was definitely not compliant with our new lifestyle. But it was date night, so we didn't feel bad about eating all that chocolate!
As a grand finale, I finished off my fix with a one-day juice cleanse yesterday. My gut has been through a lot because of the medicine I was taking, and I thought this would be a good way to help it heal even more. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be (even though I did gag several times and have to coach myself to keep going --it's a LOT of juice to down in a day), and the juices were all pretty tasty. I drank six juices in a day's time, one every three hours, and drank 16 ounces of water between each one -- a total of 200 ounces, because I drank an additional 8 ounces between juices four and five. WOWZA! I chose the Signature Detox Cleanse from our local juicer, Southern Pressed Juicery, and it was a good mix of great flavor and incredible nutritional benefits. My body is definitely hydrated today! If I stay on top of it, I'd love to do a cleanse once a season.
And that, my friends, is our little journey in a nut shell.

Eating good food regularly can heal you of so many things. I'm now proof of that! Three weeks ago, I got all kinds of emotional when I looked at myself in the mirror. Today, I'm proud of the progress I've made so quickly, and I've got a renewed motivation to be healthy -- notice I said healthy not skinny.

Because healthy is the new skinny.

And I want to be healthy!

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

snow day | 2018.

Scenes from that dreamy day when snow fell from the heavens and covered our little town in a blanket of white. We played our hearts out all day -- especially the one who had just turned three a few days before -- and we snuggled under blankets as the sky grew dark.

Braxton ran and rolled and jumped with his "big cousin" Trent (who he also happens to think hung the moon), and his little sister only ventured far enough into the cold to snap a few photos. Mimi was on baby duty while the big kids (TJ and I included) played, and I think she had the most fun out of all of us. It seems like it was just yesterday that Braxton was wrapped tightly to me during his first snow, yet somehow -- in the blink of an eye -- he's nearly grown and his little sister is quickly following in his footsteps.

This was a good, good day. One I hope to keep etched in the back of my mind for the rest of time. Snow balls and snowmen and red cheeks and runny noses and laughter and snow angels and happy faces all around. That's what our snow day was made of.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

bethany victoria | two months.

Girlfriend, what a month it has been! We're still adjusting to this new life as a family of four, but even on our toughest, most exhausting days, I wouldn't trade our chaos for anything. You're fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinally starting to sleep, and I feel much less like a zombie because of it. The first six weeks of your life were a whirlwind of sleepless days AND nights, trying to get you to take your bottle, and wrangling your big (WILD) brother. Whew! I caught myself wishing those days away more times than I want to admit, but I always refocused before spiraling out of control -- you are a GIFT, and a gift as precious as you deserves the world. You have exposed our weaknesses and our idols, and you've multiplied our joy and our hearts. I look back on how tough those first weeks were, and somehow they never seemed to be so tough when I looked at your precious, perfect face.
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You passed several milestones this month, and we've been so proud of you! Last month on the seventeenth, you rolled over from your tummy to back for the first time. We couldn't believe it! Since then, you've rolled over at least once every time we've done tummy time. You beat your big brother by two months on this one -- amazing! You're, also, getting really good at holding your head up for short bursts of time. You give me a good head butt several times a day, little one! I pray you'll always be strong and determined to try new things -- you're our little fighter.
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You've been sleeping in your crib for two days now, big girl! You've done so good transitioning so far, and the move has proved to be beneficial for all of us. You've only woken up once (ONCE!) both nights you've slept there, which is pretty much a miracle compared to how sporadic your sleep has been since we brought you home. I slept all night the first night, and then I traded with your daddy last night to let him sleep. I felt like a new woman, and I smooched you constantly to give a proper "thank you" when you woke up. You have fought the schedule we've been pushing since we started it, but now that's it's finally paying off I'm so glad we didn't give up. Praise hands!
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You've officially been in cloth diapers for three weeks, and we are LOVING it. Seriously! Most of our community thought I was crazy when I told them that we were doing cloth this time around, but we didn't mind. Your tiny little booty is so fluffy and colorful in your diapers -- it's the cutest thing! We've been on a mission to be more "green" for about a year, and cloth diapers were the next step. Now that we're in a rhythm with them, we can't believe we ever used anything else!
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You finally started to give us real smiles about two weeks ago, and they are HEAVENLY! Oh, your sweet grin makes my heart just melt. Daddy and Braxton get googly eyes when you smile at them, too. We are all just smitten with you! Braxton still calls you "precious" dozens of times a day, always stops to give you "smooches" even when he's in the middle of playing, and he loves for you to lay in the bed with him at night when we read and pray together -- it never fails, he always pouts when you have to leave so he can go to sleep. It makes my mama heart so full when you two interact, because some of the best gifts I've ever received are my siblings. One day, you'll both know exactly what I mean.
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Keep growing big, sweet girl. We love you more than we can put into mere words, and we're so grateful for how God saw fit to make you our daughter. These two months have flown by, and I'm going to snuggle you as much as possible for as long as possible. We've got big plans for the next month, too, so lots of  adventure and exploring is on the agenda. I hope you're as excited as we are for your third month of life to begin!
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I hope you'll always love me like you do right now, baby girl. Happy two months!

Friday, January 12, 2018

braxton michael | three years old.

I can't believe that you are a whole year older today, sweet boy! Three. Years. Old. THREE! It seems like yesterday that you were born and we were bringing you home from the hospital. You've been lighting up our lives and reminding us of hope since the second we found out you were growing inside of me, and watching you grow and learn and become so mature so quickly has been one of your daddy and my greatest joys.
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This past year has been a whirlwind for our family, and you have embraced so much change so gracefully. The highlights of this year for you were getting potty trained, going to the dentist for the first and second times, moving to a big boy bed, vacationing to Table Rock State Park, Great Wolf Lodge, and Myrtle Beach with your best bud, Maddox, seeing Sesame Street Live and Paw Patrol Live, hiking up to the top of Table Rock on my back (one of my proudest moments, by the way), plenty of other hiking, dressing up like Catboy for Halloween (alongside Gekko and Owlette, of course), and more. You've been even more adventurous this year than the last, and that's what we want for you always -- an increasing sense of adventure and thrill. Even in the simple, mundane moments.
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The biggest thing that happened this year, though, was that you became a big brother! And, buddy, you are the BEST big brother ever. You looked forward to welcoming your little sister for most of the year, and you've been showering her with kisses and love and hugs and more kisses since she came home. You're so patient and kind to her, which we would knew you would be, and we get so tickled when you talk to her. Your favorite phrase to say to her is, "You're so precious, Befany. Yes, you are!" It makes your daddy and I smile so big to watch you two love on each other. We hope you'll always think she hung the moon.
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You never stop talking or running or eating. Yep, those are your three favorite things. The first thing you say to me in the morning is, "Mommyyyy, I need something to eeeeeat." Usually, there is whining involved, too, but they say that's just part of your age (ha). As soon as you get some food in your belly, though, you're good to go. You would eat all day long if you could. And I don't mean snack all day -- I mean EAT. Yep, you definitely got your daddy's appetite.
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You pray for us at every meal, and hearing you sing your prayers melts my heart. You always wait to eat until we're all at the table with you, something that you've learned from watching your daddy and me, and it makes us so proud. Sometimes we tell you to go ahead and eat without us, and you usually insist on waiting -- unless you're really hungry. We hope that one day your wife will appreciate those good table manners (wink wink).
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We've got lots of celebrating planned in your honor today, and we're getting started as soon as you wake up. Then, after we've celebrated all day, we'll have the grand finale at Pump It Up with your friends! We have a feeling that this will be your most fun party yet, because you'll be jumping and running and playing and eating cupcakes with your best buddies. You are so loved, little dude, and your daddy and I will be beaming with pride as we watch you be the center of attention for a little while. You picked out your own birthday cake for the first time this year, and we'll go pick it up today before the party starts. As soon as you saw the picture of it, you screamed with joy and pointed and exclaimed, "This one! This one!" Yep, this will totally be your best birthday ever.
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Our prayer for you this year is that you continue to learn self-control. You are so sweet with a dash (maybe more) of strong-willed, and I know that one day you're going to do great things -- especially when you learn to control those impulses you have. You are wide open 99% of the time, which has been quite a doozy for me since your sister came home, but I love it. I really, really do. The last thing your daddy and I want to do is crush your spirit, especially when we're frustrated in the heat of the moment. And as you grow in self-control, our prayer for ourselves is that we continue to develop patience.
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As you embark on other year, we are so proud to go with you. To walk with you. To encourage you. To help you up when you stumble and fall. To have dance parties with you. To run and play outside with you. To teach you new things. To show you new places. To help you face your fears. To love you. And oh, how we love you.
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Happy birthday to you, Braxton Michael Bargeron! You've been making our lives better for three years now, and I am proud as can be to be your Mommy. Keep smiling that handsome smile, cool dude! Always, always, always keep smiling that smile.
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