Just keep moving...

Yes! I lost 2 pounds last week, just from working out. Imagine if I ate better, how much I would've lost...LOL! But I am proud of myself and I'm on track with my life change. Today I started EA Active 2 with the WII and it's pretty intense. At first I was like, okay this is nothing and then they had me jumping rope, playing basketball while lunging and dirt bike racing and I was the bike. There are pros and cons working out with the WII, but I can't deny that it was a workout indeed! I am also more and more aware of what I put in my mouth and how it affects my body. Which is one of Bob Greene's challenges. It makes me think twice sometimes before I eat. I'm liking the beginning stages of the new me. A plus to my working out, is that Sol has joined a "Biggest Loser" competition with a group of his friends. He lost 8 pounds in a week,(so unfair) and is a great example/motivator for me. I'm grateful that we are changing our lives for the best. Our children need us and we need us. As long as I keep moving daily, my life will become what I want it to be!!

As a side note: Juniors team took 2nd place in his All-County league tournament and Jasmines, Jazzy Girls team, took the Championship in their PARA league basketball tournament! I am so proud of my kids and for their dedication to their love of basketball. Serena and Jas took 2ND in their school science fairs. And Jasmine took 3rd in the district. So now off to State! Ebony won a principals award in reading. I'm so proud of my lil children!! Wooowhooo!!

Day 4...136 days to go!

Yesterday, as well as today, so far were wonderful days. I worked out for an hour and it felt sooooo good. I didn't even realize I was working out for so long because I was reading while doing the elliptical. Once I get to reading nothing else matters. So I found my secret to working out...reading!! Yay me...lol! But I am slowing become more and more aware of what I'm eating and how I feel after I eat. I haven't stopped eating the not so good foods, but I don't eat as much of it. I don't want to burn myself out by exercising and dieting at the same time. So first I want to get myself moving and eventually the food part will come. I love Bob Greene's book. He is teaching me that we as humans have barriers that stop us from living our best life. That is so true. So he is challenging me to break down the barriers and love myself! Things are starting to look up and I'm hoping that it just keeps going up from here!! Here's to tomorrow...

Day 2...138 days to go!

Today was not a good day. I don't even want to post what I ate. But I do want to talk about the book I bought today. It's Bob Greene's book titled The Life You Want: Get Motivated, Lose Weight, and Be Happy. I just started reading it and I love it. I knew that in order for me to lose weight and keep it off, I needed to motivate myself and to really know why I turn to food for comfort.

Here is my favorite excerpt from his book so far: "Many people who don't triumph at weight loss beat themselves up without taking into consideration that humans are predisposed to eat as much fat and sugar as possible to conserve our energy and to avoid discomfort-all of which contribute to the difficulty of changing eating and exercise habits. The truth is, there are some things about your physiology that you can't change, and a natural propensity to seek pleasure is one of them.
What you can change, however, is what gives you pleasure as well as your tolerance for discomfort."

I have come to realize that I need to change my pleasure of eating all types of chocolate to mainly dark chocolate and my tolerance for it as well. This will take a looooooooooong time. But I know I can do it and I pray that I eventually will be able to do without my DAILY chocolate fix. On to another day...goodnight~

Day 1...139 days to go!

Today is the first day of my life change and I wasn't too prepared. I stayed out late last night and woke up way too early this morning. I took a nap in the afternoon which left me feeling like crap. I hate when I do this and knew that when I succumbed to the nap, that that would be my consequence. Anyways this was my menu for the day:

Breakfast-
1 cookie
1 fruit snack pack
6 strawberries w/ about a 1/2 cup of cream cheese dip
water
Lunch-
1 meat pie
1/2 cup crab salad
water
Snack-
2 oatmeal raisin cookies
Dinner-
1 chicken thigh
1 slice of wheat bread (my new favorite bread)
water
Dessert-
6 strawberries w/ 1/2 cup of cream cheese dip

Workout:
30 mins on the elliptical (woowhoo finally after 2 months!)

I know, I know, not such a great start for my first day, but it can only get better. On a side note, I actually did couponing today (LOVE IT) and saved 63%. All in all the weather today was beautiful and my goal was not so beautiful. So on to a better day tomorrow. Good night!

20 weeks...140 days...50 lbs to lose....thats my goal!

So I have been doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING since Christmas day this past year. I have been content to just sit around, surf the net, and literally do NOTHING! I have been asking myself lately, why? Why have I been so lazy and so unmotivated to do anything? Am I depressed, am I sick, am I missing something in my life or do I just love food and being fat? I came to the conclusion that I'm literally just burnt out and I need a break. A break from the hustle and bustle or life. A break from the norm or what people perceive as the norm. I just needed to find me...and I did. I am taking a class in leadership ( I love learning) I got a job (I haven't worked in 5 years) and I stopped shopping compulsively (This was huge for me). Basically I've come to realize that I'm 32 years old and that I need to start loving myself. I was married young and had kids right after. So the years that were "supposedly" set aside for me to find my purpose in life, were laid out for me with no searching to be found. I am a wife and mother (which I love) but I am not me. I am not Marcia Motuliki anymore. I became Marcia Lealao and I lost myself. Just because my "purpose" changed, doesn't mean that I needed to change everything else about me...but I did. I lost my identity! So how do I find this lost identity??? By doing exactly what I did...ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
I just listened to my body, my mind, my spirit. I really talked to myself and really for the first time in years, looked at myself, literally (and it wasn't too cute...LOL). And I didn't like what I heard or seen. So I've come to realize that now, Marcia Lealao's purpose is HAPPINESS. I know it sounds so cliche' but that's all that matters right? Like the saying goes, "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." That seriously is my life. During my absolutely nothing stage, I seen the impact I have on my family. I apologize for their unhappiness because it was largely due to me. I am their #1 example. I am who my children look up to, admire and strive to be like. Do I want them to be like me...NO not right now. But that's the lovely thing about the gospel that I live. Repentance/forgiveness is the key to happiness. I make a mistake, I repent, ask for forgiveness and move on...
And so here I am spilling my guts out on this blog admitting to all of you and especially to myself that it's time for a change in my life. Because once it is written there is no turning back, I've got to follow through with actions now. Here are my goals:
1. GET HEALTHY
2. SMILE FROM WITHIN
3. BECOME IN TUNED WITH MY SPIRIT
In doing these 3 things I will gain happiness. I am giving myself 20 weeks, 140 days to lose 50 lbs or fat, stress, guilt, and unhappiness. In doing so I want to gain a healthier perspective on life and one that gives me purpose. A life that is filled with doing ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING for me and my happiness! Which in turn will only make my family happier!
This temporary goal begins on March 1st and ends July 23rd. I will try to write about my progress daily. Wish me luck!! New me here I come....

32!

Today my husband of 12 years turns 32. He is not one to celebrate his birthday, so every year I try to keep it mellow. He and a friend put together a basketball team last year and he just loves them to death. Sometimes I feel he loves them more than me. LOL (seriously though) Well being that his birthday fell on a Sunday this year, I took donuts to their basketball game yesterday and told all the parents and the other coach, Mani, that I would like the girls to sing Happy Birthday to Sol. So after the girls won a very competitive game 11-10, we all went in the hall so that Mani and Sol could have their little pep talk that they give after the games. The girls moved in to huddle and Mani didn't let Sol come into the huddle. He was telling the girls that on 3 they were to start singing, and that's exactly what they did! It was so cute. Solomon had no idea. He was so embarrassed and even blushed...ahahaha. I loved seeing his reaction. I was upset with myself, because I didn't even take pictures of any of it. Oh well, it's one of those memorable moments.
Solomon is a very hard working man. He works 2 jobs, goes to school full-time, and coaches 2 basketball teams, he is a great father and friend to me. I love this man and want to thank him for all that he does for our family. Happy Birthday Sol "Dear" I LOVE YOU!!

Do you skip still?

I had a little aha moment this morning as I was watching my children get ready for church. We start at 11am, so I wake them up at 9am, in hopes that we'll make it on time. As each of them awoke they all started complaining how tired they were and then began dragging their feet to get ready. (The usual) Well all but one of them was not happy. My daughter Ebony came skipping into my bedroom to get the brush and then skipped out. She came skipping back into the room to get something else and then back out. She did this the whole time she was getting ready. I finally said to her, "Ebony why are you skipping?" And she says, "I'm happy to go to church!" Wow. I thought to myself, 'Cia, you need to put a lil skip in your step from now on.' I turned to my husband and said to him, "did you skip when you were younger." He said, "yeah, you only do that when you're young." I said, "Skipping is something so simple and yet brings immediate happiness." I challenge you all to try it if you haven't skipped in awhile. You cannot do it without a smile on your face. Let's all put a lil skip in our steps this holiday season!! Merry Christmas bloggers!