Results Are In! Shift Shop-Week 1

Hey Everyone,

I have week one under my belt in my new program, Shift Shop. Did I cheat? Did I fail? Did I succeed? Did I lose? This may sound super corny, but I can honestly say that I have felt a shift this last week. I will explain that a little later.

I am currently apart of four accountability groups. I love them and I honestly think they are the key to success. There is something about walking along other women who are going through the same thing I'm going through. They are all striving to be who they were created to be. Three of those accountability groups are fitness groups. We post sweaty selfies. We say ugh, that workout was AWFUL! Or, that was the best workout ever and I'm feeling awesome. We share recipes that our families love. We share insecurities that are holding us back. We are vulnerable. One of my accountability groups is a group of women who are reading the bible in a year. I absolutely love it. We read our bible and text each other that we read it and if anything stood out to us. We are called to live in community and with technology these days, this can be a form of that and I love it!

Ok, onto Shift Shop week 1. My nutrition plan was no different this week. I was allowed the same amount of portion containers as always. That doesn't mean the temptation wasn't there. On Monday morning as in the very first day, the very first meal of the day when I was feeding my girls waffles for breakfast I almost took a bite. Then I remembered I was starting this plan and I needed to stick to it. haha, I'm very much a 80/20 kind of girl usually. Usually my nutrition is on 80% of the time and 20% I allow myself some breaks. Anyway, the week went on and it is always so much easier to eat healthy when we're at home. Am I right? It's when we get out of the house and we are out with friends or at a play date with yummy foods that we are more likely to slip up. I have had several people say to me that they are afraid of the prep that goes into this. I won't lie and say it doesn't take any prep because it does. In fact, if I won the lottery, which I won't because I haven't bought any tickets, but if I won the lottery I would probably hire a chef. :) I like to spend Sunday afternoon getting my groceries and then Sunday evening after the girls go to bed is when I do all my prep. This saves me SO much time during the week. I cut up all my veggies, I get all my fruit ready to go. I even prep my meals if I can! With that said, on Thursday night we went camping. We didn't get to the campground until about 8:00. The girls went to bed great (around 9:30) They are usually in bed anywhere between 7 and 8. Have you ever slept with a 2 year old. It's like being in a ninja party with your hands behind your back and you are shoved up against a wall. That girl moves in the night and somehow takes up the whole bed. It was also freezing. Needless to say, I got very little sleep that night. I woke up stressed, wanting to workout, but so tired. I ate muffins that I bought for everyone else, I had a bag of chips at lunch. It just was not good. So, I felt off the bandwagon a little bit on Friday. You know what though, usually I would let that mess everything up, but I didn't. Almost the minute we got home from camping I pushed play and got my workout done for the day.

I did workout every single day. I didn't sleep very well all week because, well, kids. I always notice that when I'm not getting enough sleep, I don't push myself hard enough. I loved the workouts and felt they were a little like my high school volleyball/basketball conditioning days. Seemed a lot easier back then. haha.

Here is where the shift came in. You guys, I have NEVER been one to order a salad at a restaurant when there are a gazillion other choices. I've never been one to eat a salad at home or eat my veggies if I didn't have to. It just hasn't come naturally for me. Tonight I realized that I have been wanting salads in my every day meal plans because I KNOW how good it is for me. It isn't because I want to drop 40 pounds and look, "skinny." It's because I know it is good for me and it is what my body needs to be healthy. The other part has been craving my Shakeology. Shakeology is so nutrient dense that it gives your body exactly what it needs and it helps your body get rid of what it doesn't need. Not only does it taste AMAZING, but your body naturally starts to crave it. Isn't that so cool? You eventually don't even want the junk food because you know it will make you feel crummy.

Now, for the RESULTS. I lost a total of 3 pounds this week and a total of 8 inches. That is in just one week! I'm pretty happy with the results, especially with my minor set back on Thursday/Friday.

Now for next week. The workouts are now 35 minutes instead of 25. My portion containers are getting a little shiftier. ;) Get it? I will be having daily 5 servings of veggies, 2 servings of fruit, 5 servings of protein, 2 servings of carbs, 1 serving of healthy fats, 1 serving of seeds and dressing, and 4 teaspoons of butters aka peanut butter for me. Please know that the containers are different sizes. I LOVE bread, but this week I can't have it. My carbs have to consist of things like sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, yams, parsnips, etc. Not a lot of grains. I think this will be great for my buns and belly, but I'm going to have a hard time. Not only will I have a hard time, but our oven decided to stop working and we are waiting on the part to fix it. I will have to use my electric fry pan and skillet a lot this week. : ) This is where my accountability groups help so much! The encouragement that I get daily is second to none!

So, if you're still reading this  I thank you. If you think of it, please pray for me. Pray that I would continue to get my health in check. Pray that I would treat my body the way God created it to be. Cheer me on. If you don't see my sweaty selfie...let me know, it probably means I need to get my butt in gear. Literally! Thank you guys all for the support. You all are amazing.

Also, I still have some room for my next accountability group starting in August. If you have ANY questions at all please let me know. I would love to chat. My email is anne.harvey7@gmail.com or just message me on Facebook. #watchmeorjoinme

Getting My Shift Together

Hey Everyone,

As some of you may know, I decided to become a health and fitness coach. Why you ask...I ask you why not. I absolutely love it. I love that I get to exercise daily, I love that I get to try and eat healthy every day, I love that I get to encourage others to do the same. I have loved all the positive messages about getting healthy. I can't imagine a better investment than your health really.

With that said, tomorrow on July 24th I along with thousands of others are starting a new program called Shift Shop. This is a 21 day program with customized workouts, meal plans, and motivation. Guess what. I'm going to blog through it. That's right, I'm going to give you my most honest opinion of the program. Let's be honest, I don't want to fake my way through anything. I don't want to be fake with the women that I'm helping. I will be blogging after week one, week two, and week three, and posting on Facebook in between. I will be sharing how many pounds have been lost, how many inches were lost, and how much confidence was gained! I will share before and after photo's as well. 

To be honest, I get kind of hooked on workouts. For the LONGEST time I was a 21 day fix workout girl. I was never going to quit that. But then I exchanged Netflix for Beachbody on Demand and boy were my eyes opened. I started doing CIZE with my man Shaun T. Cize is kind of like Zumba, so I loved doing it in the comforts of my living room instead of in a class in front of a bunch of people. haha! Then, Shaun had this thing going called Shaun Week. It was Shaunfabulous. Yep, I made that up. So, needless to say, it has been hard to quit Shaun. BUT we are moving on people. Time to work with Chris Downing and do a program called Shift Shop. 

Using a breakthrough "ramp-up" method, Chris starts you out slow in Week 1 with 25-minute cardio and strength workouts you can really do, and a nutrition plan you can stick with. In Week 2, you push harder with 35-minute workouts, and consume more protein to fuel the burn. But it's nothing you can't handle. Finally in Week 3, you kick your shift into higher year: 45-minute workouts and clean eating. Clean eating like no carbs y'all. I LOVE carbs. Thankfully the following Monday I will probably eat a whole pizza. Ok, not really, but I'm sure I will go back to eating carbs. Also, disclaimer, if Chris told me I couldn't drink coffee I would say, "Bye Felicia!"

Here is a video of what the program will look like. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4YNy8I5HC4&feature=youtu.be

So yep, I can't wait to walk through this journey with you. I promise to be honest about the program, I promise to show my sweaty selfies everyday via Facebook whether you like it or not. ;) I promise to drink my nutrient dense shake every single day, because let's be honest, I rate that right up there with coffee. Please feel free to cheer me on. If you don't see me posting about it, call me out. I want to hear from you! 

My target areas are my belly and butt. I did take pictures showing my bare stomach, but don't feel comfortable sharing that with the world. If you would like to see them, I would not think it is weird and can email them to you. Let me know. : )

 Before Side Profile

Before Front Profile 

https://youtu.be/_4YNy8I5HC4

Just Gotta Say It!

Hey Everyone,

Do you ever feel like you've had something really big happen and you just want to tell everyone about it? I felt that way when I got engaged, and then each time I got pregnant with my girls. Let me tell you about something ok.

Teaching was a huge passion of mine for so long. I LOVED working at a daycare in college, I LOVED my first job as a Kindergarten teacher in Alaska, I LOVED teaching Kindergarten in the two teaching jobs I had down here in the lower 48. It was my passion. I lived it, I breathed it, I always was looking at how I could improve. Then I had kids. I had my own babies and slowly that passion just started to go away. People ask me all the time if I will go back to teaching when the girls are old enough to go to school. Honestly, the thought of it makes me want to vomit! Haha! I LOVE my teacher friends and I believe in you all and know you are doing great things. I can't tell you what exactly happened that made that shift. Maybe now that I have my own kids I realized that my love was going 100% to them.  I don't know.  And who knows, maybe that passion will come back. I was talking to a friend from high school the other day and she just re-affirmed the thought I was scared of saying out loud, but basically she just said, it's ok if your passions change. Ashley, if you are reading this, thank you!

That brings me to this new passion. I have NEVER been so passionate about fitness and nutrition in my life. I grew up being athletic and always kind of being in shape. I know that I like it, but I wouldn't say I was ever passionate about it. I have had this shift you guys. A conviction if you will. It may be because I watched my dad die to cancer. It may be because I started noticing all the un-healthy habits I had in my life both physically and emotionally. I feel like God has given me this great passion for fitness and a true conviction about what I'm feeding my body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." It really made me think, man I'm not treating my body the way that God intended me to treat it.

For the longest time I felt stuck. Stuck in my negative thoughts about myself, stuck in my double digit jean sizes, and stuck in my every day life. I LOVE being a stay at home mom! I love it! I love that I get to have more than one passion right now. That this passion allows me to be SO present with my girls and I get to encourage other women reach their fitness goals as well. I have always LOVED encouraging people, friends, coworkers, whoever. It is one of my favorite things to send just because gift packages. I love lifting others up. When this opportunity came up to be a health coach, it wasn't and isn't about the money, although that's nice. It is about getting to use the gifts that God has given me on a daily basis. It's just so cool. So, I guess I'm just kind of rambling. When something fires you up, you just want to shout it from the rooftops. Instead, I will shout it out in blog world...haha.

Please please please, if you are seeking help with fitness, nutrition, life, a Godly support, please don't hesitate to reach out. I love you all and I will never ever be offended if you say not right now. I want you all to feel the way I feel...and guess what, I'm not even at my goal right now. I'm happy and blessed to be who I am RIGHT now. :)

Not the Mom I Thought I Would Be

Hey Friends,

Did you grow up fantasizing about what your wedding day would be like and who you would marry? I din't really do that. I would always fast forward to having a family of my own. I often thought about all the things I would do with my kids and how awesome I would be at being a mom, because hey, I taught Kindergarten, right? Doesn't that just set you up to be super mom? Nope. For all you moms out there who are wondering what happened. I'm here to tell you that you are enough. Lower those expectations of yourself and just love.

Here are some of the things I thought I would be awesome at!

I thought I would be doing all the pinterest worthy crafts with my kids by now. Wrong. I have yet to touch them or even really look them up. The thought of paint flying all over my table and glitter getting stuck in hair makes me cringe. We run around the kitchen 5,000 times instead.

I thought I would have the perfect little meals for my girls. Wrong. I have tried, I will give it that. But you know what, sometimes they don't want those damn cauliflower tator tot bites. I mean, can you blame them? So, sometimes their veggies come in the form of that wonderful pouch.

I thought we would always be out doing really fun things. Nope! Turns out it is really hard taking a 1 and 2 year old out and about on your own. It is much easier when your husband isn't working. Instead we make fun forts in the house and climb on the highest mountains..errr chairs.

I thought I would love spending all my time with them. Wrong. Sometimes I get jealous of my husband who gets to go to work. Mostly because he gets to drive to and from work in peace.

I used to think that I would never yell. Wrong. I really try not and am getting better, but sometimes it comes out. It comes out and I usually cry and apologize afterwards.

I used to think that I would NEVER take my kids to McDonalds. Wrong, I did and have. Can't say that I like it, but sometimes the thought of not having to clean up or argue over eating veggies is worth it.

I used to think I would be a fit mom and running around with my girls constantly. Well, that hasn't happened yet, but you better believe I'm working on getting there. Those girls are worth it. Childhood obesity scares me and I know that it starts with me and my habits. Mama is a changing.

I used to think that my house would be spick and span ALL THE TIME. Let me tell you. Picking toys up is a little bit like shoveling in a blizzard. It's pointless. I try to here and there and I do every night once they are in bed, but yep, if you come over at 3:00 afternoon, you will see a mess!

Here is what I can tell you. I am trying. I'm trying to be the very best mom and the best wife. I can tell you that I love my girls more than anything and wouldn't trade a second for getting to stay at home with them. I can tell you that they might drive me nuts at times, but I've never been happier. I can tell you that I'm not the mom I thought I would be and that is OK. Mamas, you're doing great! Please be encouraged that God has you right where He wants you and that He will direct your path.

You Can Join Me or Watch Me

I was one of the judgers. I would look on Facebook and see "Beachbody Coaches" and roll my eyes. Honestly, I truly thought why in the world are they doing that. The majority of the women I saw online looked like they could beat me up. I would tell myself that I did not want to look like that. This was before I had kids. Then something happened. Kids. Kids happened.

Six months after having Ruby is when my dad passed away due to cancer. I can't begin telling you the heartache that I still feel every day. When it was happening I think I was pretty stressed out and lost weight easily. I think I was at my pre-baby weight around 4 months pp. After he died though, I think it switched to survival and eating un-healthy food and turning to food as a stress reliever. When Ruby was 8 ish months, I got pregnant with Stella. I don't know why, but with Stella I was like well, I'm pregnant, I can eat whatever I want. And I did. And I gained about 40 pounds in the process. Let me tell you something, weight doesn't just come off as soon as you have the baby, especially if you didn't treat your body well while being pregnant. So, where am I now?

I was looking at some pictures on Facebook and saw my friend TyAnne. She looked AMAZING! Not only did she look amazing, she just looked really happy and healthy. I was desperate to find something that worked. I was desperate to get healthy again. I had tried a bunch of different "diets" that only motivated me for about 1.5 weeks. I had to talk to her. She told me she was doing Beachbody. I honestly was like no way. Darn it. I'm not doing that. Then she told me more and more about it and I thought, well that sounds like a genius plan! She had portion containers, which I needed and I think all of America does too by the way, she had a daily workout that was only 30 minutes long. I mean, with 2 under 2 at the time, that is exactly what I needed. She was apart of accountability groups that encouraged and motivated each other, which is what I needed and truly desired. Being a stay at home mom can be isolating at times and this was another way to connect to other people. The accountability groups are done virtually, so you can check in whenever you can or have a spare minute...literally. :) You don't have to load up kids to go check in or even workout. She had a, sorry for the language, kick ass coach who motivates daily and truly and genuinely wanted her to succeed. She drank this drink called Shakeology that changed some health issues she had been having previously. Done and Done. I wanted in.

I joined and I tell you, it was life changing. Not only life changing, but life saving. Literally. I have been taught  how to eat healthy portions, what I can and can not eat, that sometimes it's ok to cheat and give in to those yummy french fries because let's be honest...we are human right? I love that this is a lifestyle. I have to choose each day to workout, I have to choose each day to get my four servings of veggies (plus a lot of other stuff) I have to choose to be proud of myself of where I am right now and where I want to be tomorrow, the next day, five years from now, etc. I love that I'm choosing to get healthy now so that I can run around with my active girls and not get winded. I'm choosing my health. I also love that there are people who are at their peak in their fitness goals and they are still doing this. That's what makes it a lifestyle.

I'm still nowhere near my goal people. I'm not one of those skinny make it look easy type people. I'm overweight, but working really hard at becoming fit. I would love to lose 40 pounds. I made a deal with some of my friends from MOMS Club...girls, we need a name for our awesome group by the way. Anyway, we made a deal to run a 5 k by next summer. Some of you are like easy peasy, but let me tell you, running a 5k with 40 extra pounds does not sound awesome. That is my 1 year goal. I have been so lucky and blessed to have people pouring into me and encouraging me to be the best me!

I have decided to become a Beachbody coach. Yep, roll your eyes. I don't care. I was where you are. haha! I absolutely get it. Why am I doing this? No, I still don't want to look like I could beat up my husband. I'm doing this because for the first time I have found something that works, that is so incredibly healthy I can't stand it, and I absolutely know without a doubt that I have SO many people in my life who are where I am. In need of daily encouragement, in need of the right tools to get healthy, and in the need of weight loss. If you're out there somewhere and in need of help getting on the right track, let me know. If you want to find out more, you can message me on Facebook. You can email me at anne.harvey7@gmail.com You can give me a call. If you are local, I really love coffee and would love to buy you some coffee. Let's do this people, let's form a tribe and get healthy.

With all of that said, I have a challenge group starting on July 17th. I have room for 10 women, so if you are interested let me know right away.You can watch me or join me!

                                   This picture on the left was when I started and the picture on the right was taken a few days ago. Exercising has become my outlet, I've learned how to fuel my body with the right foods. I'm just SO so happy even though I'm not where I want to be yet.

What Does 82, 30, 2, and 1 Have in Common?

Hey Everyone,

Did anyone guess? Those are the represented ages living under our roof.

The 82 Year Old:
   Yep, my Grandma recently moved in with us. She is living in our basement for the summer until her new senior apartment is finished being built. She can pretty much do anything she wants in our basement without needing anything. We have requested that she comes up and eats dinner with us though. It's kind of great because it forces me to prepare dinner daily. I'm not sure I will think that in three months, but for now it is great. I also love that Ruby and Stella get to see her more often. They both LOVE going downstairs and seeing Grandma Pat. Grandma Pat is pretty smitten by them as well.

The 30 Year Olds:
      Ben and I are trudging along this crazy thing called parenthood. Ben is almost done teaching for the school year. Can I get an Amen? Although, he doesn't catch much of a break as he leaves the very next day for Pine Ridge, South Dakota for his annual mission trip. He will be gone for a week. He will also be teaching 2 weeks of summer school along with drivers ed this summer.  I'm hoping to go camping with my mom and the girls while he is in Pine Ridge if the weather cooperates. I have been busy keeping two humans alive. Sometimes that is just enough. My days usually go by pretty fast even though the last 30 minutes before Ben gets home seems to last about 4 hours. Stella usually wakes up first, then she usually wakes Ruby somehow by banging on something. Ruby gets up and we all eat breakfast and I'm typically on my second cup of coffee. I like to work out during Stella's morning nap. That is when Ruby gets to watch PBS. That way I don't have Ruby climbing in between my legs. Stella wakes up and we play/do laundry/unload dishwasher/start preparing lunch. We eat lunch and both girls go down for a nap by 12/13:30. When they are napping I shower and prepare as much as I can for dinner, so I don't have to when witching hour happens. They wake up and we play and I clean and do whatever else. We make it until Ben gets home. Now that the weather will hopefully get warmer we will be spending a lot of time outside! Anyway, as you can see, I keep little people alive and love every. single. minute. Ok, I lied, I don't love every single minute, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

The 2 Year Old:
   Holy Buckets. The amount of development that has happened with Ruby in the last month is astounding! Her language has sky rocketed. People besides Ben and I are starting to understand her. The sentences she says, the words she says and remembers, unfortunately the things she repeats from mommy and daddy's lips. Some good and some quite embarrassing. She is just starting to enter one  of my favorite ages. She is so curious about the world around her, she takes everything in and you can see her process everything. She is very sensitive, yet has a very outgoing personality. At our last ECFE class we were talking about potty training. I said, I'm just going to wait until she initiates it because lets be honest, I do NOT want to worry about that right now. Lone and behold, the very next day she decided she wasn't going to wear her diaper. Not only was she not going to wear her diaper, she wasn't going to wear pants either, and guess what. NO ACCIDENTS. You guy's, I actually have to do this. Ruby has yet to have an accident as long as she isn't wearing anything from the waist down. If I put undies on...well, I haven't been brave enough truthfully to put undies on for very long. But, if she is wearing a diaper while out and about she never mentions anything about having to go potty and is always wet when we change her. So, who knows. Unfortunately, Ruby has also become obsessed with wanting to hold Stella's hand and pulling her around places. Even if Stella is screaming. Ugh. My sister in law just pulled out one of my gray hairs. #parenthood. She can be super sweet to Stella and she can also have no boundaries with her. It drives me bonkers. Ruby is a social butterfly and we are excited to start ECFE pretty soon. I'm also excited for park dates this summer with MOMS club. I can't go to a lot right now because it's when Stella is napping. When Ben is home, hopefully I can leave Stella with Ben and just take Ruby. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Ruby got the stomach flu while we were visiting some family in Jamestown. Big time bummer.

The 1 Year Old:
   Stella is so much fun. She is busy just like Ruby, but she is super content playing with whatever. It's probably a second child type thing. She doesn't have to have me nearby at all times like Ruby. For instance, Stella had no problem throwing the tv remote in the toilet as I was out probably getting Ruby down from the kitchen table. Stella is walking pretty well right now. She has 3 teeth trying to come in at the same time, which has made her a little more clingy. She picked up a slight fever for a couple of days, probably the same bug Ruby had without the vomiting thank God. She is starting to hold her ground a little more with Ruby. If Ruby comes and takes her toy she will walk over and get it back. She usually tries to pull Ruby's hair. A very small part of me says, "You go girl!" Then I have to remind we don't pull hair. Stella still has mommy separation anxiety. If we are somewhere different and she sees  me leave she will cry and cry. If I'm out of sight I'm kind of out of her mind. She does find at church when we drop her off at the nursery. She cries for a little bit, but we have yet to be called out of church for her. She has started doing a fake laugh and loves to play peek a boo. She always folds her hands when we say it's time to pray and when we say Amen she will say ama. Close enough baby girl, close enough. She says mama and dada, but doesn't say much else yet. She will wave and do different actions for songs. She understands everything we tell her to do. This comes in handy when we want her to throw something away for us, or get us our shoes, or you know anything that we are too lazy to do at the moment. Stella is such a great baby and gives us so much joy!

1 year apart

#grayhairs

Stella fell asleep like this at MOPS. 

Stella had to have a time out. She had no clue what was going on, but Ruby was showing her how it's done. 

Ruby always needs to be near. I know these moments won't last forever. 

Stella and her cousin Leni who was born just 3 days after Stella. a

Ruby can be very very sweet. 

Chalk all over. 

Stella was agate hunting in the alley.

Such a sweetheart. 

#grayhair

Poor Ruby with the stomach flu

Hit Stella hard too with teething and a fever. 

#grayhair

Fun with the cousins at Jon and Nikki's. 

Stella's 1st Birthday party with The Harvey's. 

Stella Turned One!

Hey Everyone,

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for the kind words and prayers about my last post about my dad. He was an incredible man and it felt really good to just get all of that out. Thank you!

On April 26th, 2016, Stella Louise Harvey was born at 5:55 PM. The year absolutely flew. Maybe having a very curious, outgoing, and active toddler around kept things going. I keep hearing people say that the days are long, but the years are short. I would have to agree and I've only been doing this for a couple of years. My days are very long, but when I see pictures and re-read some of these update posts, the year has gone by very very fast! I absolutely love love love being able to stay at home with my girls. There are days that I literally pack them up in the car with nowhere to go, but for my own sanity we all just need to be contained in one place. Then there are days where Ruby walks up to Stella, gives her a kiss and says, "I love you Stella." I then melt into a thousand puddles of mush.

Stella has been a dream you guys. She loves her people a lot. She loves being at home, she loves being out and about as long as one of us is close by. She goes with the flow. She only really cries if we are at someone else's house and I walk out of her sight. She doesn't smile for strangers very often. Sometimes people will get her to give a little smirk. She smiles all the time at home and especially for Ruby as long as Ruby is being nice. She loves playing peek-a-boo, singing songs, dancing, taking baths, and crawling as fast as she can to daddy as soon as he gets home. She has been taking steps on her own and is getting pretty confident. She eats about as much as Ruby. She had no problems switching over to whole milk. She HATED her birthday cake when we were taking pictures. I thought maybe a cupcake would be more her style, but the girl spit it out. I then asked Ben if maybe our baby got switched at birth because we like cake. She folds her hands when we say it's time to pray. She has just been such a joy in our house. She is a way better snuggler than Ruby was. I will hold Stella and she just lays her head onto my shoulder and I again melt and then melt some more. It's the best. I'm so thankful that God blessed us with these girls. A year in the life of Stella...

Whoever said labor wasn't fun?

I remember looking down at Stella and thinking that she looked just like Ruby when Ruby was born. 

Loves Cheerios

SO BIG!