Holiday Traditions

Christmas is just around the corner - 10 DAYS LEFT!!!!

This year, we are looking on the holiday season as a bittersweet time.  We LOVE our traditions that we do together, and we know that next year some of them will change due to Little Miss being with us.  PLEASE don't misunderstand!!! We are beyond excited that Baby Loness is finally making her appearance - especially considering we were under the impression that she would never happen... But we have also thoroughly enjoyed our time together, just us.

Christmas time starts for us at Thanksgiving - we alternate between eating dinner with my family or his family, and then eating dessert with the opposite.  At his family dinner, during dessert the ladies of the family congregate in Aunt Betty's sun room with maybe 3 newspapers - we pass the ads around the table and everyone plans their Black Friday Shopping.  The guys congregate around the tv for football and usually naps... It has become one of my absolute FAVORITE traditions of the day.  So much so, that this year we introduced it to my family!!  At first, everyone was like "Um... ok?" and then the ads came out and everyone was on board. 

After we have eaten too much, we head to Walmart with both sets of our parents and take our time through the Black Friday on Thursday madness.  Walmart has it figured out man!  It's always organized chaos, and we have never had a bad experience!

Friday we set up our Christmas tree and other decorations.  It always makes me a nervous wreck because the house is basically destroyed until we finish.  Brandon gets everything down from the attic, and while he sets up the actual tree and some of the decorations, I make dinner.  The dinner has been the same for the last few years - Thanksgiving Roll Ups  We look forward to it every year!!

Our Christmas tree is the same tree Brandon's parents bought the year he was born!  When they replaced their tree, they handed it to him.  Last year was the only year it hadn't been used because we had the bright idea of getting a real tree... Our dog, Lucy, didn't bother it or try to drink from it or anything, but we are still finding needles in the carpet... The house smelled great, but dear Lord what a MESS!!

Saturday is spent either shopping, or this year - NAPPING!!  Sunday is pretty much the same, but with some football thrown in for good measure.

Christmas Eve starts the gift giving madness!  We spend the evening with his parents, eating dinner and exchanging presents.  It's always a wonderful and CRAZY time! :)  His sister and I have a tendency to prank each other by wrapping something literally 100 times, though this year she gets a reprieve from it because I am too exhausted to do that much wrapping...

Christmas morning starts at like 6am, because I am worse than a little kid!  I know what I got him for Christmas and I can't wait for him to open his stuff! After we do our required "first thing in the morning Christmas picture" and open our gifts, we go back to bed for a little while most of the time.  Then it's off to my parents house!  My God Parents, my cousins, and sometimes my grandparents fill the house and the madness begins!  After presents, we usually eat a dinner that has WAY TOO MUCH FOOD!! This year, we are planning to reign it in a bit and try a brunch style menu.  After the craziness with my parents, we go to his family gathering.  We do a white elephant gift exchange and the most hilarious gifts show up!

Now, neither of my parents families get together for Christmas anymore.  Mom's side never really did that I recall, and Dad's side hasn't since my grandparents passed away.  Brandon's Mom's side still gets together - which is nice because we are super close (same peeps we see at Thanksgiving!) and his Dad's side gets together at a restaurant at some point too. 

Once we get home, we are absolutely wiped out... but it is so much fun!  We have a blast and look forward to the madness all year long!

We finish up the holiday season on New Years.  Since we go all over the place for Thanksgiving and Christmas, we decided to spend NYE at home together - just us.  We order a crave case of various White Castles and sit at home watching movies.  Sometimes we go to sleep before the ball even drops... yep, we have a tendency to party hard.

Next year, this all might change for us having a baby to bring around.  I am super excited though to see how much more fun the holidays will be with her!!

What do you do for your holiday traditions??

Breastfeeding… see it doesn’t hurt anyone…

Warning:  This post may or may not be NSFW.  It is also my opinion and based on my own personal research – legal rights and benefits.  No one else is responsible for this post by ME.

Facebook has made me extremely mad recently… More and more, I am seeing posts about moms shamed in public AND private for feeding their child.  More importantly, BREASTFEEDING or NURSING their child.  It has sparked both outrage against mothers AND support for mothers as well.  It’s a touchy subject, mainly because people seem completely uninformed OR society has seriously over sexualized the female body to the point that what we are NATURALLY made for is now seen as unnatural and immoral.

                                                           

LEGALLY

Per the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 (29 U.S. Code 207), which was amended in 2010, companies are now required to allow reasonable break times for new mothers to express (or pump) their milk for up to 1 year after their baby is born.  The employer is not required to pay mothers for this time, but they are required breaks for them.  The employer must also provide a place to “pump in private” Per the wording in the code – this does NOT include a restroom! 

Break times can vary, but the times and breaks cannot be limited.  For example, a mother CANNOT be told “you will pump at 10am and 2pm for 10 minutes only”.  This is against the law.  If a mother is fired for “taking too many breaks to pump” a lawsuit can be filed – a mom cannot be fired for pumping breast milk for her baby.  A mother is ALSO protected from retaliation, or firing, because of filing a complaint!  Basically, if my manager tries to give me a hard time for taking 3 breaks at 20 minutes each for pumping, and I am fired for filing a complaint to the Wage and Hour Division, I am protected.  **Side note, my manager and the company I work for are amazing when it comes to pregnancy, mothering, and families.  It has been said to me numerous times through the duration of my current pregnancy “family comes first” and they are being incredibly accommodating.  So, any example that I make using myself and my company are NOT how things actually have been or will be for me.**

A really cool thing I have also learned in my research is that support, supplies, and even lactation counselors are to be completely covered by health insurances!

Moving on…

49 out of 50 states, even Washington D.C. and the Virgin Islands protect women, allowing them to breastfeed in ANY public or private location. – Idaho is the only state not included in this list…

29 states, D.C., and the Virgin Islands protect breastfeeding mothers from indecency laws. States included:  AK, AZ, AR, FL IL, KY, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NV, NH, NY, NC, ND, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA, WA, WI, WY

28 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico protect mothers to nurse while at work.  States included:  AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, GA, HA, IL, IN, LA, ME, MN, MS, MT, NM, NH, NY, ND, OK, OR, RI, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WY

17 states and Puerto Rico allow women to postpone jury duty while breastfeed.  States included:  CA, CT, ID, IL, IA, KS, KY, MI, MS, MO, MT, NE, OK, OR, SD, UT, VA

For further information, and even state by state statutes related to breastfeed, please visit http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx

Health Benefits

There are actually MANY benefits to breastfeeding your baby.  Breastmilk is more nutritionally balanced, lowers the risk of SIDS, and can even boost your babe’s immune system through their first year of life!  Not to mention the skin to skin benefits for both momma and baby!

Considering that it is the absolute most natural food for your infant baby, and not man made, breastmilk provides complete nourishment for your baby.  All of the required proteins, sugars, and fats are provided in breastmilk. 

Breastmilk has been proven to not only boost your babies immune system, it also can help fight against illnesses.  Apparently, even kiddos who go to group day cares have a better chance of not catching someone else’s cold because of the breastmilk. 

Breastfeeding also helps your baby feel safe and comfortable once they are earth side.  Think about it… for 9 months, all they know is momma’s heartbeat, the dark closeness of the womb, and the voice of momma and anyone around frequently during the pregnancy.  Then, they are thrust into a world of bright lights, loud noises, and life that is not a 24-7 Jacuzzi… I don’t remember being born – obviously – but the thought of life changing THAT drastically sounds kind of scary… Breastfeeding has shown to comfort a baby and reassurance.

And from a weight loss standpoint for momma… breastfeeding has shown to release oxytocin – which helps your uterus go back to its normal size, help you lose the “baby weight”, and has even shown to lower risk of various cancers such as breast and ovarian!

For more info, please visit

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/breastfeeding/Pages/default.aspx

What does the Bible say about it?

When I think about the time the bible was written, I don’t think that bottles or formula was readily available… I also don’t think that God would have created anything on or in us that didn’t serve some sort of purpose (the appendix doesn’t count… I am sure it is used for something OTHER than trying to kill us when it’s infected…)  Here are some scripture I have found that reference breastfeeding:

Luke 11:27 – As He said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts at which You nursed – English Standard Version.  Now, to put the scripture into perspective, this is from when Jesus was teaching about how to pray (you know, the Lord’s Prayer?) and talking about casting out unclean spirits.  It sounds to me that Jesus was breastfed.  I don’t think ANYONE reading this would EVER go up to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and say “STOP!  This is indecent and you don’t need to do this here”  ESPECIALLY now that most of the whole world knows who Jesus is…

I can go Old Testament too:

Psalm 22:9 – Yet You are He who took me from the womb; You made me trust You at my mother’s breast – English Standard Version.  Sounds to me like King David was breastfed too.

Let me go on:

Genesis 49:25 – by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb – English Standard Version.  Jacob said these things over his sons… and I don’t think he was referring to any sexual blessing from the breast here…

To me, it sounds like breastfeeding was pretty normal in biblical times… and yet now it is looked as a shameful act.

For more references, please open your Bible that is sitting on your shelf – probably collecting dust.

“But Shanna, it’s only shameful when a mother doesn’t cover herself up while she is breastfeeding”  Um… would you please take a blanket and put it over YOUR head while you eat?  I don’t even like my head covered when I sleep, why would I like it when I eat? 

“But Shanna, a mother can take her baby to a restroom to breastfeed”  Please, take your food into the bathroom, have a seat on a toilet that you don’t personally clean (so can you be sure of the germs on it??) and eat up!  Doesn’t sound to appealing or appetizing, does it?

“But Shanna, people get arrested at Mardi Gras for taking their breasts out for beads”  Last I checked, feeding my baby is completely different than showing off my goodies. 

“But Shanna, I don’t want my husband to see another woman’s breasts, or my kids to see breasts before I am ready to talk to them about sex”  Tell your husband to grow up and not over sexualize the human body, and remember what it is made for.  Breast may bring sexual pleasure to some, but ultimately… they are designed and created to nourish a child… and as far as your kids asking questions – tell them truth!  Teach them it is just a mother feeding her baby like they are sitting there shoveling too many calories, or way too much sugar into their mouths.  It’s natural and shouldn’t be treated as anything less.

Now – before I close, I want to make something perfectly and abundantly clear.  There are momma’s in this world who want desperately to breastfeed, but for a number of reasons they can’t – due to my PCOS, I may very well BE one of these momma’s.  There is nothing wrong with you.  You gave birth to a human being and you are just as beautiful not breastfeeding as the momma next to you who is!  Women are amazing!  We can grow human beings without even trying! 

Women, especially, need to STOP shaming mothers and start empowering them!  They are doing exactly what they are created to do!  You don’t have to be pro breastfeeding, but you sure do need to encourage mothers!  You need to stand up for what is naturally and legally and biblically right – ESPECIALLY if you call yourself a Christian. 

There is absolutely NOTHING indecent, or unnatural, or immoral about breastfeeding.  In public or in private.

#NormalizeBreastFeeding #FeedOnMommas #WomenRock

Musings from a Pregnant Lady

Today, we are at week 22...  That means that Diana is currently the size of a spaghetti squash.  I have finally started to feel her move on a regular basis, but Brandon hasn't yet been able to.

For a quick update, per one of my last videos, I had been tasked with the wonderful job of... collecting my urine for 24 hours... and I HAD TO KEEP IT IN MY FRIDGE SO IT WOULD STAY COLD!!!!!!!!!

This is going on my list of "Things no one tells you about pregnancy"

I gave them 1750mL... which my doctor friends can tell me if that is enough, too much, or whatever.  Either way, everything came back normal, so I am not worried about it.  But talk about embarrassing!!

Today, I realized that at 22 weeks, that means we are almost done!  I mean, we still have about 18 weeks to full term, but still... according to our babylist.com we have 125 days until her due date.

125 days is approximately a little over 4 months!  Or 3000 hours!!  Now, while I am not freaking out as much as I was a couple of weeks ago - my anxiety has been REAL - we have the nursery almost completely painted, I am actually finishing up the edges tonight.  After the holidays are over, Brandon and our dads will be refinishing the floor.  Then the nursery will be 100% ready for all of her stuff.

I have about 2 pages worth of questions for the doctor, which I go see tomorrow.  Mainly about delivery and the benefits of certain medications and such... I never in a million years thought there would be this much to consider about growing a tiny human and THEN bringing them into the world!!

I haven't made a video in a couple weeks, because honestly I feel completely silly making videos.  Usually I feel like I am talking to myself... which is weird... and I feel ridiculous!! But seriously, most of the time the updates are because we have family all over the country - so it's easier to make video updates than lengthy text messages - or writing a blog here.

Nothing much else to update, which is also why I haven't made a video... I HAVE been going to the chiropractor - the same awesome doctor that hooked me up with sauna bed treatments and is now helping keep my hips in place.  My hips have decided that since everything is stretching out and getting ready to squeeze a human being out, they don't want to stay where they are designed to be - resulting in some serious pain in my hips and lower back.  After 2 adjustments, I can honestly say that I feel 100% better than I did before!  I can actually sleep without pain, which is real nice.  As we all know, sleep is a valuable thing, especially since the majority of you have warned me that I won't be getting any sleep for the next 20 years...

I got nothing else... CYA!!

Almost a Year, and New Things to Come!!!

It's been almost a year since I have written... and SO MUCH HAS CHANGED!!!

2017 has been a very weird year... but it is wrapping up to be one of the best year's of my life!  I am excited to announce...

WE ARE HAVING A BABY!!!!!

DIANA MAR-JEN LONESS is due 04/17/2018

We started an additional youtube channel - Loness Crew - which updates different things about the pregnancy.  And once baby Diana get's here, I will also be getting back to judo and my weight loss journey.  I want to be able to keep up with her.

As most of you know, we were having a HORRIBLE time getting pregnant.  Here is the blogpost about my diagnosis of PCOS and my feeble attempt to explain where I was with it at that time - I am still fighting the effects of this horrible thing called a disease (with no explanation of causes, or even cures!! Treatments for the symptoms only...) 

However... after family vacation to Florida this year, I wasn't feeling 100%.  I was tired, no food sounded good, and I even threw up out of the blue one day in my office... that was fun!  My birthday was on a Sunday, and I kept thinking to myself "maybe I am pregnant?  No!  I am NOT!"  After too many let downs, I had basically stopped allowing myself to think it.  After discussion with Brandon, we decided to take a test.  For some reason, it made sense to test on my birthday - I really didn't think it through all the way:  If it was negative, it might ruin my entire day.  

I woke up early, because I was actually excited to test!  For the first time in the almost 3 years of trying, I actually felt excited to test... Immediately, the 2 stripes appeared.  I couldn't believe my eyes!  In fact, I DIDN'T believe my eyes!!  I didn't have to wait the 2 minutes for the test to show positive... it was immediate! 

I fumbled around for the box, because SURELY I was only seeing things.  My eyes were blurry from sleeping in my contacts, or I wasn't reading the results correctly... Sure enough, the box AND the insert of directions confirmed - WE ARE HAVING A BABY!

Brandon, still in bed, could hear my rustling around in the bathroom.  He fully admits that he was waiting for me to start screaming - he thought I had seen a spider and was freaking out trying to get away from it... Little did he know, I had just learned he was going to be a daddy!!

I came out of the bathroom - test in one hand, box with directions in the other - and said "we did it!" He just looked at me, since he was also half asleep "did what?"  I jumped on the bed with him, my excitement too much to contain at that point "we are pregnant!!" We laughed, cried, reread the directions and results about a thousand times, and then had to get ourselves together... Today was my birthday, and we decided not to tell anyone until we went to the doctor to confirm... 

4 hours, 15 people, and 1 birthday dinner and cake party later... we had contained ourselves long enough to make it through!!  I didn't even slip ONCE!!  

The video above was our announcement to the world.  We told our parents on Labor Day Monday, and they had absolutely NO idea!!  It was one of the greatest surprises EVER!!  We gave our parents a gift:  A onesie that said "One day I will make history", some socks, football pacifiers, and a copy of the first ultrasound in a frame that had grandkid words all over it.  You can tell by the reactions in the video, all 4 parents are EXTREMELY excited!!

Now, I am at 21 weeks and have had a few struggles along the way.  First, let me just say - Diana is growing just perfectly!  She is weighing in at 12 ounces, which is right on track.  Our anatomy scan was last week - which confirms the growth of limbs and organs - everything is perfect.  She was wiggling around like crazy, and even got the hiccups while we watched her on the screen.  It has really been a magical time in our life and in our marriage.

I am having to take insulin shots, as I have been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes - but after weeks of feeling guilty, I have finally come to the realization that it is NOT my fault.  It has nothing to do with my weight, or lack of weight loss.  It has everything in the world to do with the fact that my pancreas is just completely unable to keep up.  A pregnant woman's pancreas has to keep up with almost 3 times the amount of insulin to keep 2 humans alive during pregnancy.  A woman weighing 100 pounds may not have a pancreas up to the task... a woman at 300 pounds may not have a problem keeping up with the insulin demands.  Everyone is different.

Obviously, because of the pregnancy, my judo and kickboxing training are on pause right now.  I do plan on getting back in though, once she is here and I am cleared by my doctors to get back.  Diana doesn't know it yet, but as soon as she is 4, she is also getting into the judo program.  Too many kids are being bullied for me to NOT have her in some sort of self defense.

So, that's all that is new.  I have decided that while I am attempting to vlog on youtube our amazing journey, I also want to get back into blogging.  I feel like I can get my point across with written word easier than on video - but we shall see what happens.

Have a great day everyone, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Where have you been? What is going on?!

So... where to start... well, I have been around.  You know that saying:  "when you feel like you are at the end of your rope, tie knot and hold on" I have felt like I have been spiraling to the end of my rope for the last couple months.  

Honestly, I have been overly stressed at work.  It's our busy season, and it's finally starting to wrap up.  I am incredibly blessed to have the job that I have, so I don't want to sound like I am complaining about work - which I am not.  I don't think that saying that I am stressed is complaining, just stating a fact.  The beginning of the year is extremely overwhelming for all of us.  The hours caused me to have to miss gym time, and it has cost me quite a bit.

Again, not complaining... stating a fact.  I had to work, nothing wrong with that.

I had to miss a competition, because even though my coach invited me and was confident I would do well, I was not confident in myself.  Not one little bit... I was afraid that I wasn't ready. I was afraid my cardio would be crap, and I wouldn't last the entire fight.

Let's not even get started on my eating... needless to say, I have NOT been on track.  However, Brandon and I decided to try the Ketogenic diet... Today was day 1 - not entirely bad, but different.  The first day is usually the easiest for me, so let me check back in with you in a few days.

My hormones... have been a little messed up.  I attribute that to lack of exercise, horrible diet, and everything in between unfortunately.  It doesn't help that I am on round 2 of progesterone... Hopefully this will help us get pregnant.  My hormones make me feel crazy right now.  One minute, I am fine.  The next minute, I want to scream and cry.  It has caused me to lose motivation, and basically feel like I have given up on myself.

I am slowly finding my way back to me.  It's an extremely slow process, but I am doing my best.

Back to Life... Back to Reality

It's been a minute or two hasn't it?!  Well, we hit "busy season" at work, so I have spent the last couple of weeks focusing on work.  It was rough, I may or may not have had a break down or two, BUT I survived.

Back to the gym on Monday, back to getting in my steps, back to eating the right things and drinking plenty of water!  Back on track to do things right for ME!

As I mentioned in a previous post, my life is all about fresh starts.  To keep myself from getting overwhelmed, I have to start each day fresh and brand new.  I have to remind myself that each day is a new opportunity to do things right.  A new chance to do things RIGHT, rather than feel like I have screwed everything up.

As most of you know, I am taking part in an experiment with Dr. Robin Ellsworth and trying out her new Infrared Sauna Bed. 

First Treatment - 01/06/2017
Weight -  272
Arm - 15 inches
Thigh - 26 inches
Waist - 51 inches

For 6 weeks, I spent 1 hour a week in the sauna bed.  What I noticed right away is how GREAT I felt!  It was like laying in a giant heating pad.  I didn't mind pushing hard in the gym, because I knew on Friday I was going in for a treatment.  My skin also felt softer, and started to clear up!  I also noticed I was sleeping better AND felt relaxed going in to my weekends.

Since I was zipped into a heating pad sleeping bag for 60 minutes, I was forced to lay still and quiet my mind.  It forced me to relax.  It forced me into a nap.  I say forced like my arm was twisted - it sure wasn't!  It was worth every minute!

Week 6 was my last week.  The plan is to take 6 weeks off to compare how I feel, and then go again for another 6 weeks.

Last Treatment - 02/10/2017
Weight - 263
Arm - 14.75 inches
Thigh - 25 inches
Waist - 49 inches

Three weeks into our 6 weeks off, and I can tell you... I miss my sauna bed treatments.  I am not sleeping as well, and I miss my Friday evening nap.  Truthfully, if the Infrared Sauna Bed did nothing else for me, it helped my stress levels. 

I can't wait for the next 3 weeks so I can start the treatments again. 

Thank you so much, Dr. Robin, for allowing me to take part in this experiment with you.  I certainly hope that the results are BETTER than you expect, and hope to see further results in 3 weeks.

If you are interested in more information on the Infrared Sauna Bed or the many other treatments offered by Ellsworth Chiropractic & Med Spa, give the office a call - 618-451-8830. 

Tell them the "Fat Kid" sent ya!

Here's to New Beginnings!!!

Non-Scale Victories!!

Heyo!  How are you, dear reader?  I hope you are eating success for breakfast (with skim milk!)!!

In one of my videos, I talked about not being a number on the scale - because that is true... we are ALL so much more than what the scale says.  The hardest part of weight loss, for me, is when that scale refuses to budge... for any number of reasons.  This Wednesday, I was back up to 270, but Mother Nature played a stupid role in that part (Sisters of the world, raise your hand in unity!!)  So, I know that I will kill it next week!

I talk to my Sensei nearly every single day - about my journey, about what I am eating, what I am NOT eating... He is wonderful to let me blow up his phone nearly every day with good or bad reports, even silly questions!

One thing he CONSTANTLY reminds me is that it's not just about the number on the scale.  Case and point... I spent nearly 3 minutes fighting a Judo match.  That may not sound like much to some people, but it's like constant burst of energy.  My heart was pounding, my lungs were screaming, my mind was racing, and I was trying NOT to get thrown (which I didn't!)  This is a Non-Scale Victory!!

Here are some examples of Non-Scale Victories from myself:

I lasted my match

I bear crawled across my gym - TWICE!!

I RAN ON THE TREADMILL LAST NIGHT FOR ALMOST A FULL 30 SECONDS!!

The last one sound silly, but I can barely walk a straight line on a treadmill... so going faster than walking, to me, is pretty good!

Non-Scale Victories can also include lifting a heavier weight (if weight lifting is your thing) Climbed stairs without stopping.  Grabbed a water at the gas station instead of soda, without even thinking about it.  

There are many things along the way that show your improvement, that will not show up on your scale.  Are you losing inches?  Is it becoming easier to choose healthy over junk?  Are you FEELING better?

The scale is important, but it is not the end all be all of your journey.

So you didn't lose any numbers this week, but where else have you improved??

Weigh In Wednesday!

269.4!!!! Can you believe it!!??

Got my steps in today... 6184 to be exact, and I haven't started getting ready for bed yet!

I sure hope this is motivating you as much as this is motivating me.  It's really helping me stay focused and on task.

How are you feeling?  Are you enjoying this? Are you hating this?  Please like and subscribe to my channel, and join us on FACEBOOK!!

Did you weigh in today???

Hi... my name is Shanna... and I am an ADDICT!

Kind of a harsh title, but it shares a little bit of truth that I don't normally like to talk about.

I am addicted to food.  I want to eat all of the time!  When I am sad, give me a Big Mac.  When I am happy, give me some pizza.  When I am feeling my depression or anxiety creep in... give me everything in the fridge!  

There isn't too many food items I would turn down - except mushrooms.  Allergic and don't feel like dying... so no mushrooms.

I am sitting here right now, pounding my water, because I KNOW that I don't need chips.  I ate my breakfast, I drank my vanilla ice cream snack... I don't need chips!  I don't need anything else until lunch!  It's a struggle.  And I know I am not alone.

I want to say something, and I want you - lovely reader - to listen (or read) to me very carefully.  Addiction is no joke.  Addiction of any kind - food, drugs, alcohol, exercise, gambling, WHATEVER!  I was addicted to alcohol... I would drink to make everything stop.  And I would drink heavily.  So please PLEASE don't think that I am making light of addiction.  I am not.

I have seen first hand what drug addiction can do to a family - both to the user, and the family they have left behind.  Now that I am sober, I realize what my drinking had done to my friends, family, and even potential jobs!  

I have an addictive personality.  If I get involved with something, I jump head first into it.  I want to read about, study it, watch movies/documentaries about it... you name it.  I have to know everything.  And I have noticed this tendency in my training aspect too.  I have watched my judo competition video 102397875480977978 times, looking at my game and where I need to improve.  

Food addiction is a very serious thing... and out of all the things you can be addicted to, I feel it's the hardest to get over.  You can go to rehab to get away from drugs or alcohol... but you still need food to live.  

I have taken steps to stay accountable.  For instance, I am in constant contact with my Sensei, my nutritionist, and even our facebook group.  I know how it feels to have to face the music for stuffing my face at McDonald's... It helps to keep my sugar levels steady - when they dip, I notice my depression and anxiety run wild!  

There are so many things I used to hide, because I felt ashamed of them.  My food addiction being one... I can't keep quiet anymore.  That doesn't help me, and it won't help someone else.  So, here I am... taking the steps to admit:

My name is Shanna... and I am an Addict.

I will always struggle with food.  It fills my stomach, and it fills voids.  BUT with the house full of good, healthy things, at least I will be filling up on fruits and vegetables.

Anything you want to share?!

#LosingtheFatKid

**Watch for a weigh in Wednesday video tomorrow!  I have been forgetting my camera to make videos for you all... FAIL!  Any suggestions for content??**

Wow... A Week??

My gosh!!!  I can't believe that I haven't blogged since Tuesday!!  So much for blogging every couple of days...

So, the "Ice Storm of 2017" turned out to be a real downer... But, for safety, my office closed - which was greatly appreciated.  I didn't say it to my manager, but I was super worried about driving on Friday.  And then I received the glorious text that we were closed.  Since Brandon sleeps during the day, I snuggled back in for what I thought was going to be only a few hours.  I woke up at 4pm... oops.  I must have been tired.

However, I am thinking that it's time for me to add a Post Workout drink to my regimen.  After the Judo tournament, I literally slept all night, and all the next day.  I am thinking that my body doesn't quite know how to process hard work at the moment, except to sleep it off.  Maybe a Post Workout will help.

I have spent this weekend, "snowed in" to my house, and thought about the new week that starts tomorrow.  I always think to myself "a new week, a new change to get it right!" So, I think it's time to add weekly challenges to myself, and my fellow "Fat Kid Losers" (to be honest, I don't know what to you call you, dear readers and followers...  Maybe you all can suggest something, and then we can have a vote??!!)

Most of my friends either were a FitBit, or a step counter of some kind.  We are also tracking our food/calorie intake and even workouts.  If you google "how many steps should I take in a day?" just about every webpage that is found suggests 10,000.  That is 5 miles... I have to be honest, with a sit down job... the only way I would be able to make those steps is if I walked my entire lunch hour, and after I got home. 

SO...

I have a challenge, to at least get myself started on this. And I would like you, dear reader, to also take part!!  With creating the facebook group (message me if you want to join us!! It's private and closed, so everything posted and commented on is protected from people who are NOT in the group) I am finding that while not a single one of us are following the same eating plan, workout schedule, or even water intake... we are ALL in this together.  It truly takes a village.  When one person is down, everyone rally's!  It's great!

A while ago, I saw something on youtube called the "Bring Sally Up Challenge"

There are all kinds of these challenges!  Squats, Squats with barbells on your back, Pull ups... the possibilities are endless!! (sort of)

So, here is my challenge - Everyone strive for 5,000 steps each day!  That is HALF of what is recommended, but you need to start somewhere.

Each Monday, I am going to pose a challenge to all of you.  This is week 1 - 5000 steps EACH DAY.  Even on the weekends.

I know you can do it!  Tomorrow kicks it off, tomorrow is a new start, tomorrow is the first day of the new week to make it right!!

#MondayChallenge

Tuesday Gym Fails!

I can only assume how silly I look at the gym sometimes, so I hope no one thinks I am trying to be mean... However... there are some pictures and videos of some gym fails that are just too funny to pass up!

Such as:

OR...

And sometimes...

Enjoy!!

Like I said, I can only imagine how silly I look at the gym... So consider me laughing WITH these people, not at!

Enjoy!

Hollis Park Judo Tournament

Yesterday morning, I got up at 6:30 (earlier than normal...) and was at the gym by 7:45 AM!!  I was too excited to sleep, so I got there early.

At 8, Sensei Jeremy pulled up with Reagan and Mikey in tow.  Threw my bag in the back of the hummer, and off we went!  We were headed to Hollis Park, Illinois.  Hollis Park is right outside of Pekin, which is about 2-3 hours away from home.  Depending on who drives  😎

We had to make a little pit stop in Tremont, which was only about 20 minutes from the recreation center in Hollis Park.  Why did we have to stop?  Well... we were all sworn to secrecy by Sensei Jeremy... but the end result was a full tank of gas and a Casey's stop!  We did enjoy the scenery... and a big THANK YOU to Earl and Angie Clark!  They were also on their way to Hollis Park.  Their youngest 2 daughters (Izzy and Lacey) were also competing.  Earl saved the day for reasons I have been sworn to secrecy, and Angie saved the day by remembering the cheese danish for Reagan!

We made it just in time for weigh ins.  I don't know what anyone else weighed in, but I weighed in at 272.  To be honest, we weren't sure if anyone was going to be there for me to fight.  Judo is split up by age, rank, and weight.  However, after some discussion, I was found an opponent.

After weigh ins, Reagan went through her process - eating a bagel, and then a cheese danish.  She also wore her lucky shirt, and brought her lucky gi.  She has done all of these things since her first fight, and considering she is a National Champion... I won't sit here and lie and say I didn't eat the same breakfast.

I tried to get a clip of everyone's fights, but some of my teammates were fighting at the same time as me.

Judo has a belt system, like MOST martial arts.  Every new beginner starts out as a White belt.  From there, the Sensei in charge (in my case, Sensei George Stanich) determines when a student will advance.  I am a yellow belt, which is a step up from a white belt.  The young lady I fought is a green belt.  Green is 2 steps up from yellow.  Being a yellow belt, I will earn my stripes before I advance to green.

I didn't win... HOWEVER!!  I have some thoughts about my fights.  I gave it everything I had.  Even more than what I thought I had in me.  I never did throw her, but she never did throw me either.  There is one point in the above video when you can hear Sensei Jeremy say "You are doing good" I may have been pinned, but I didn't quit.  I didn't give up!  And if you think about it... We had a long match!

Judo matches are 4 minutes long.  In that time, you either throw someone flat on their back for an Ippon, or submit someone.  I was beat due to submission - basically she held me down and I couldn't move or get out.  She won both matches by that submission.  And I am 100% ok with that!

I proved something to myself this weekend.  I proved to myself that even though I am overweight, I can still do something.  I may have been completely out of breath afterwards, but I felt ALIVE! I felt like I could do anything!! (I think it was the adrenaline...)

One of the fights that I didn't get video of, and I am super bummed about, included a young man by the name of Adnon (I think...)  He is visually impaired... and he beat every single person he fought!  It was amazing!  I had never seen anything like it.  He did so well, he earned Master of the tournament.  I really wish I would have gotten video of some of his fights.  It was incredible!  He even submitted someone via armbar!

When all of the fights were complete, it was time to hand out medals.  I sure did not think, for one split second, I would be getting a medal.  Since there were only 2 of us in my division, she won!  She gets the medal.  Even though I lost to her, I earned the second place medal!  That was a great feeling!  There is even a picture of me giving the young lady who beat me a high five!  She deserved it.  She fought hard as well.  She gave it everything she had!  It was great!

We also got to see 2 people advance to Black Belt, which was super cool!  The whole atmosphere was just incredible.  It was all about having fun, and doing your best.

The ride home was simple... I slept.  I slept the whole way home.  Woke up for about 2 minutes to see where we were, and I was right back out.  And yes... I wore my medal the entire rest of the evening.  Even after I got home.

I learned some very important stuff this weekend... You have to work hard if you want to succeed.  You also have to be willing to step outside of your comfort zone to find out what you are truly made of.  I have watched the video of my fights at least 30 times already, and I am STILL not bummed that I lost.  I see a young woman who is refusing to allow her weight to hold her back anymore.  I see a young woman who is going to break barriers within herself AND for other people.  I also see where I will need to improve, and what I need to work on.

What do you see??

Hot Stuff... or Infrared Sauna Bed

Dr. Robin Ellsworth challenged me to a 6 week experiment!  Come in each week for a 1 hour session in the Infrared Sauna Bed.  Each week, she will take my weight, measure my left arm, left upper thigh, and my waist.

Once the 6 weeks are over, I will be revealing the results!

The first 30 minutes were warm, but not incredibly hot.  However, the last 30 minutes, sweat was running like crazy!  It was extremely relaxing though.

After I got done with my treatment, I weighed in 2 pounds less than when I went in!  When I got home, I had to get myself together for the Judo tournament in Hollis Park.  I slept like a baby, and truly feel like the treatment loosened up my muscles, and helped me relax.

Even after several hours, I could still feel the burn!!!

I highly recommend giving Dr. Robin a call, and setting up an appointment.  She is my nutritionist, chiropractor, and can set you up with a sauna bed treatment.  She did not pay me for this review, other than offering the treatments for an experiment.  I will be visiting her office each Friday for the next 6 weeks.

Please don't forget to like the video on youtube, and subscribe to my channel.

No Excuses!!!

Yesterday, I walked the garage with Bonnie from work! Then we came back to our office and did 20 squats with some of the other ladies.  It may have been the first day back from the holiday break, but that is NO EXCUSE to not get some work done...

Went to Judo last night... got my butt kicked, but for good reason - which will be revealed later!!  Spent some air time with Sensei Jeremy (watch how AWESOME his hair looked!!) and Sensei Chris from the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado.

After training, Sensei Jeremy ran his Resolution Mile (and broke in his new running shoes) while I cooled down on the treadmill next to him!  SEE!!! No excuses!

Logged my food yesterday, and my exercise.  I am wearing my fitbit again, but it is acting up for some reason.  I did a hard reset on it a little bit ago, so my numbers for today are not going to be accurate.  Hopefully tomorrow will show some numbers.

Weigh In Wednesday's will start next week!  I will video the whole process... which may or may not be terrifying as I will be weighing in first thing in the morning.

Tonight I won't be editing a video, but I AM going to be figuring out how to add non-copyrighted music to the videos... I think this one is kind of boring in silence.  Which is weird, because we talked last night after practice, how music in the gym can change the entire atmosphere!!  I guess this video is bringing that point home.

4 days in - how are you doing?!  Stay Motivated!!

Documentaries... Docudramas... What To Watch?!?!

Like everyone else in the world, we have Netflix.  We also have Hulu, and are avid YouTube watchers.

Yesterday, Brandon and I started talking about different documentaries we both enjoy.  Yes, we are THOSE people...  But you can learn so much from documentaries!  It's crazy.  We also like to watch Top Gear (USA), Alaska: The Last Frontier, and The Walking Dead - So we aren't too boring.

I started thinking about some of the documentaries that help encourage me, even when I am trying to fall asleep.  Here are some of my favorites!

From Fat to Finish Line:

Inspired to Ride:

The Barkley Marathons:  The Race That Eats Its Young

Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead:

These are just a FEW of the MANY that are on Netflix.  You can learn so much by watching other people film things.  I could go on and on posting trailers for the many different documentaries that we have watched.  

There are even documentaries found on YouTube that can teach you so much.

What are the documentaries you like to watch?  Have you watched any?

What about motivational videos found on YouTube?  I have also followed Shay Butler through his ShayLoss Channel Like me, he had many starts and stops before he FINALLY took his health seriously.  He lost 100 pounds and shared the entire process on YouTube.  His progress, his set backs, his family!!  He and his family also have their own personal channel, but are taking 2017 off.

What will help you keep going?  These videos and documentaries help me keep going.  They remind me that I am not alone in my health struggle.  It's why I follow fellow Cyster (PCOS patient) Whitney Way Thore from A Fat Girl Dancing:

She also has her own show on TLC - My Fat Fabulous Life.

These people share everything with the world.  Regardless of what others think or say about them.  That encourages me to do the same!  

I know what to do to be healthy... these videos encourage me to get up and DO SOMETHING about it!!  You can to!!

Much love, and happy Netflixing!!

#LosingtheFatKid

Happy New Year!!!

Started out 2017 by walking around Wilson Park!  It was super cold when I woke up this morning, but I knew I couldn't NOT go...  I was hoping for others to show up, but no one joined me.  That's ok!

My thought for the Resolution Run was simple... just do SOMETHING to get yourself started.  A mile really isn't THAT far to go!  Start somewhere!  There is still time today!

I know it's dark, but you can do a mile on a treadmill.  You can go to your gym (or mine, they are open today thanks to 24 hour access!!)  Take the dog for a walk, fur babies need exercise too! 

My cousin posted that she and her oldest daughter went for their mile today!!  See... it can be a family outing!

What I am getting at... no excuses.  Do this!  Start somewhere.  No one says you have to do a mile even.  Do a half mile.  Just get it done.  No one and nothing is standing in your way.  People look at you weird?  Let them!  They aren't changing your mind or your life.

Here is to a better 2017!