It Works

So, I have been on this health kick for a bit now. At first, it was almost miserable. I felt like I was starving.

I started out by eating 90% Fruits and Veggies. I would have a smoothie for breakfast, which would contain both fruits and veggies. Then for lunch, I would have raw veggies and fruits- typically broccoli, carrots, an apple, grapes and sometimes an orange. For Dinner, I would do steamed veggies with a Turkey breast chop, Chicken breast or fish fillet.

I felt very hungry the first few days. I'm use to eating so heavily, my body was in shock. So, I snacked more with fruits and veggies and if I felt like I needed something more substantial, I would have a couple hard-boiled eggs.

I stayed on this routine for about a week and a half. I was out one night and by the time I was to get home, it was going to be later than I would prefer to cook or eat. So, I stopped for fast food. I considered it a "cheat night". And IT TASTED AMAZING! However, because my body had detoxed, I felt SO sick. I said I wouldn't do it again, but I did have another fast food cheat day and the same happened. So, I KNOW I'm doing good with this diet. And, even with some cheat days, my body feels amazing!

I feel like my body has finally adjusted to the drastic change in my eating habits. I no longer feel as if I'm starving all the time, but rather content. I still occasionally feel the need to snack, but it's good to snack between meals. So, I help myself to fruit and occasionally a hard-boiled egg (I love eggs if you haven't noticed). I'm implementing pistachios into what I allow into my snacking. If I can get on my running routine as I want, I will definitely need more protein in my diet.

I haven't been able to run like I would like to. I do not own a treadmill and prefer to run outside. Still no excuse on my part as I live only a couple minutes from base and have access to run on the track at the base gym (so, shame on me!). But I have noticed slight changes in my body.

My face has slimmed down some. I always notice a change in my cheeks first. My jaw structure and high cheek bones become more defined.
My love handles are fading. I'm very excited about this as it is one of my biggest issues I have with my body at the moment. They aren't completely gone, but I have noticed a change with love handles as well as my midsection as a whole. My jeans are fitting looser in the waist.
My thighs still need work. A lot of work. They are my number one concern as from my hip bones down, I'm built a little thicker. Tiny waist, bigger thighs and butt. Problem I'm having right now? My waist is slimming, lower regions have not. So, my jeans aren't real comfortable at the moment. But, that's ok. That's more drive to push myself.

My husband was in port recently and we were able to use FaceTime to video chat. He noticed. That has to be one of the most amazing feelings ever is knowing he notices even the slightest changes through video chat. Because he noticed, it is pushing me more to do this. He is my number one for motivation. Especially since he has been putting on a lot of muscle lately. I still have the drive to want to keep up with him.

The more I do better for my body, the more I notice some things peeve me a little. The "ItWorks" wraps. People just want a quick fix. Some people are just too lazy to do something for themselves when eating healthy can do SO much for your body (and honestly, how you feel about yourself and your mood). I'm seeing SO many military wives getting into this business, which is fine- go make some money. But it's sad to me that there are so many who look at this product as a Godsend, when it's only temporary. Do a real detox- eat healthy. This blog is called, "It Works" because my diet is a healthy way to do things and It does work.

I'm so curious as to if I have dropped weight or not, but I purposely do not own a scale. Weight is just a number that means nothing. You can be 150lbs and be overweight, underweight or the perfect size. There is too much to factor into it and I just want to be healthy and in shape. That number can bring me down and I won't let it because I don't care if I loose weight at all. I just want to tone up my "problem" areas and be a better me.

Tomorrow, rain or shine, I will go for a run. No more excuses for me.

Happy Birthday- Care Package

Today is my husband's birthday. This is his 2nd year in a row we have been apart. And you want to know something? I'm OK with that.

 As much fun as we would have if he were home, I'm much more creative when he is gone. I spend the entire deployment planning for his homecoming, birthday and this year- our anniversary.

Basically he is extremely spoiled and comes home to tons of gifts and decorations.

 Last year I made a whole box of cake in jars for him and his division. This year, I have been a lot busier. So, I took an easier route with old fashioned candies, other random candies and other goodies. Where I had a lot of fun with it was decorating the box.

Many girls will paint or glue paper to decorate the inside, I do something more fun, in my opinion. I use Duck Tape in fun obnoxious colors. I use it on every box I send to make it more fun... Even if it is just more fun for me! Then, I use sharpies or paint pens to write all over the Duck Tape. For his birthday box, I also used tissue paper and a "Happy Birthday" bow to make it pretty.

I took some pictures this year :)

I typically only cover the box flaps with Duck Tape

I then put tissue paper in the bottom and fill it up

Prettified :) 

I will even wrap the box in the "Pretty" tape. 

So, there you have it. That's all there is to my husband's birthday box. Fun, yet simple. Duck Tape makes everything fun (and where where I'm from, fixes EVERYTHING!).

The different colors, patterns and designs make themed care packages a blast. For instance, come college football season, I will be making a Tennessee VOLS themed box, using UT Duck Tape brand duct tape. Fun, right? Yes, it is.

For continence of his birthday at homecoming, I have a few ideas- some thanks to Pinterest, but you will just have to wait several more months before I unveil more. Just think of balloons. Lots and lots of balloons (something like 30 Balloons and each have a meaning). The idea came from something I saw in Pinterest, and I am taking that idea and creating something completely different and "Me", err.. him.
Plus my projects around the house (yard mainly) to surprise him as well! :)

Happy Birthday to my Mr Amazing!


p.s. My husband received his box just in time for his birthday :)

Absolutely Positivity

If you followed my blog through last deployment, you know that I have a positive outlook on deployment, as well as military life. I treat it as if it is no different than if my husband had a typical 9-5 job. Yes, with the military you have deployment. It's part of the lifestyle you choose to live when you fall in love with someone who is of service or when you make the choice with your significant other for them to join.
I've always had this outlook and I think because I have this outlook, I am able to focus solely on the positives.

Last deployment I wrote about falling in love with my husband all over again and deployment being a "new" relationship with him. This deployment has proved that to me again. We regain the "newness" of a relationship throughout the deployment. It also allows us to never get bored with each other.

When chatting with my husband today, he mentioned how he wished he didn't have to be away from me so much. But I pointed out how close we are now, because of the distance. He agreed. He also agreed that deployment allows us to really appreciate each other (He really misses me doing his laundry! haha).

Distance doesn't have to separate your relationship- it can actually bring you closer together, but ONLY if YOU (and your significant other) let it.

Distance can tremendously improve your communication, or absolutely break it. Communication, to me, is #1 with ANY relationship. With good communication, you have trust, you have honesty, and a strong foundation.

Deployment doesn't have to be a negative experience. It CAN be fun, if you let it.

I asked my Facebook Fan Page followers what are some positives to deployment, and I would like to share with you some of what the ladies shared with me.

• Many ladies said "Saving Money". I have to agree there. My husband spends a lot while on deployment, but not near as much as he does when he is home. It's nice to put EXTRA in our savings account. 
• Weight-loss was another common one. Although, last deployment, right before he came home I gained 10lbs. Being limited on exercise last deployment added to eating out a lot due to the move was NOT cool, however... all the extra weight went to my rear-end and my husband didn't seem to mind ;)
  This deployment, I will conquer getting into the shape I want to be in. Not necessarily loosing weight, but toning up and eating healthy- look for a blog update on that soon! :)
• A couple gals said, "how it makes a marriage stronger". Amen sista(s)! My favorite thing to hear others say!
• One gal said something about not shaving her legs as much.. Although I tend to not shave my legs as much when he's not home.. I'm on the fence about this being a positive or not! LOL
  Definitely not a bad thing though. 
• You have the opportunity to learn a new hobby. Last deployment, My new hobby was thrifting. That hobby still remains.. and I LOVE it. This deployment, my new hobby ties in with thrifting by finding used furniture pieces I can redo to complete/ decorate my home. I'm picky, but I have found a couple great pieces and now, need to decide on paint colors. My awesome old wood desk I scored for $20 will be a smokey purple soon to match my photography branding. :) Now to think of a color for the table/ stand I found for my dining room and the wood bar stools. 
• Eating whatever foods you like, is one I COMPLETELY love about deployment. My husband won't eat Mexican food and I absolutely LOVE it. So, deployment is a great time to get my fix for Mexican food in. Although, a lot of Mexican food is not the healthiest- so, I'm improvising with Tortilla soup made in my awesome VitaMix made with tons of raw veggies. 
• You have time for Self-development, I like this one. A lot. You can find more things about YOU, what you like, learn new things, etc. With this, you can also gain your independence back because, let's face it.. if you're married, you rely on your husband for a lot in some way or another. 
• "Me time". oh yes, we all need it. Sometimes deployment can be too much, "me time" at times, but who doesn't love and NEED time to their selves every now and then. My husband and I both need our time alone because we tend to spend so much time together. Sometimes we don't notice we slightly suffocate one another because all we want is to spend every minute with each other. Now, go grab the remote because you don't have anyone to share it with- it's all yours. OR if you're like me and you don't watch TV, go turn on Pandora and sing obnoxiously at the top of your lungs because you don't have to worry about it bothering him. ;)
• Homecoming. Need I say more? No matter what, it's always worth the time apart.

You can read more of what other readers had to say on my Facebook page. Feel free to leave your positive thoughts about deployment on my Facebook page or in a comment on my blog. I love reading other's thoughts as well!

Deployment CAN be a positive experience. Only you can determine how it will affect you.

So, be happy! :)

Let Me Be Your Hero Baby

Excuse the Enrique Iglesias plug in the title. It popped in my head, although I'm far from an Enrique fan, title is fitting for this post. (Side note, why do songs or artists you dislike get stuck on repeat in your head at random moments? Is this just me?)

So, the other day, my husband was able to watch The Avengers on the ship. My husband is a HUGE comic book based movie fan. You name it, he's seen it or will want to. Gua.ran.teed!

This was obvious of him as a child.

Some time after he watched the movie, he emailed me asking if I could get my hands on the photo of him when he was a kid dressed as Captain America. Evidently something is going on in his shop that he needs/ wants it for. The photo cracks me up. He's so little in the image, but to this day, he still has that same cheesy smile! I absolutely adore it. 

Thankfully, his dad was able to scan the print in and email it to me. 

My husband's dad also sent this image:

Batman is pretty much his idol to this day. He might just be a little obsessed with batman. I even sent him batman kid's undies for men last deployment as a little joke. He wore them and I'm sure pranced around in them in the berthing- he's a nut.

Never a dull moment.

Looking at these pictures, I cannot help but to smile. He grew up wanting to be a super hero, and here he is.. MY hero.

My husband is my hero. Not because he is in the military, but because he saved me. I was in a very dark time when I met him. I needed a true friend at that moment when I met him. My world felt like it was crashing down and I was extremely lost. That's when my Super Hero stepped in. He knew some of the things I was going through after a very short time of knowing me. He would make me laugh like I don't ever remember laughing. I was terrified to get into a relationship with him, and he knew this. He was so patient and never gave up on me. After a few weeks of us being inseparable, he wrote me the sweetest little note while I was at work. It said,

"I think you're beautiful inside and out. And one day, whether now or sometime in the future, I would like a relationship with you. I know you've been through a lot, but I want to be there for you, always."

And thankfully he was patient and even though I wasn't ready at that time, he waited and was there for me more than anyone ever was. I knew I wanted to be with him, but I needed to figure out some things and I didn't want my decisions to be influenced by him- not that they would have been bad decisions, I just wanted to make them solely on what I felt I needed to do.

After a while, I allowed myself to open up to him and we "Officially" started dating. We had been dating for almost a year and I was in another bad situation. A situation that I was scared of and he was scared for me with a roommate (a guy), who was an alcoholic. After a few instances and then one that put bruises on my arm, my Super Hero showed up and packed me and my dog, Roo, and moved us in with him. Almost 2 months later, he proposed to me. Two months after that, he married me.

There's more to everything than what's said here- but I would be a book if I went in more detail.

My husband, My hero.

We're Going Through Changes

I was bored with my old blogger layout. I thought it was time for an update seeing as it has been about a year or more since I updated the look of my blog.

I'm not quite done with it just yet, but I'm getting there.
Feedback is appreciated!

I will also be updating the Sponsor tab as my stats are SO much higher now. It's really neat to check up on my blog stats, but some times creepy seeing where some of the referrals come from as well as google search terms.  Also with my blog stats, I have found my blog was submitted to a top infertility blog site. While I think it's nice to see someone did this, I don't necessarily agree with it. I am not infertile. I can get pregnant no problem.

Changing subject.

I have several blogs running in my head. So many I find them getting mixed up in my head. I really need to start writing down my blog thoughts as I have them. I guarantee you I would have a blog post up every day, even if the post is very random thoughts.

I have started eating better, again. This time I plan to stick with it. I spent $98 on Fruits, Veggies, Chicken, Turkey and Fish yesterday. I'm VERY picky when it comes to fruits and veggies, but I forced myself to purchase all sorts of good stuff that I don't particularly care for. So far so good!

For Breakfast, I make smoothies. This is where the fruits and veggies I don't care for come into play. When I blend them in a smoothie, you can't taste it! You'd never know there was cabbage in it (Thank you VitaMix!)
For lunch, I try to stick with nothing but raw fruits and veggies. No meat or any dips or dressings. I will drink water or if I'm looking for a little something more, I'll grab some organic milk.
For dinner the past two nights I have made steamed broccoli, carrots and onions with baked turkey breast.
Snacks are small fruits, mainly grapes because I haven't stomached the courage to grab the berries yet. Yes, I do not like any berries. Sad, I know.

Oh how I love me some Turkey! I usually only eat it at holidays, but not anymore. It's in my regular eating routine now! I HATE onions, but found yesterday when I steam them, I really like them! I surprised myself (go me!). I attempted a cherry tomato tonight (gag) and well, I still don't like them. It's a texture issue. So, looks like I will be making a few different soups with them- completely liquidizing them just so I can say I ate tomatoes. Did I mention I'm determined? Yes, I am very motivated to stick with this.

So, what kicked my butt into high gear? My husband has been gone for 2 months and I saw a picture of him with his division. He left here weighing 175 pounds and wasn't much muscle (post and pre deployment laziness). I expected him to loose weight like crazy similar to last deployment, but I was wrong. He has been working out everyday and drinking protein.. my not so muscly husband is well.. all muscle right now and hasn't dropped weight. So, he's out there bulking up and getting in shape and I thought if he can do it on a ship, I have no excuse here at home.

So, Eating healthy plus getting back into a running routine, I plan to prove to myself I can do this. And when homecoming rolls around, I want his jaw to drop. It will happen.


And if I need any motivation, I watch this:

Source: youtube.com via Christina on Pinterest

 CLICK IT!

I have no excuses now. Watch the video, it will inspire you.

Just Because He's Deployed Doesn't Mean I'm Single

I could go on several different tangents with the title, but let's see if I can say on target with what's flowing through my head at this moment.

When your significant other is deployed, it's typical to let the negative in and let out a vent. I say go for it. However, really think about it first. You don't want to say something you might regret later or something you don't really mean.

When you're in a relationship with a service member, it cannot be about the physical relationship about 90% of the time for some of us. You must work on all things about your relationship that are not physical.

I don't like when I hear girls say, "I hate feeling Single". You shouldn't feel that way. If you focus solely on the lack of a physical relationship, you're going to slowly detach yourself. Never say you feel single. You still have a relationship to devote time and effort to. Personally, I think long distant relationships can be the BEST thing.. but only if you let it.

Focus on the more important things. Communication is key to a strong relationship- both in a Long distant relationship as well as a relationship that never separates you. In a long distant relationship, your communication may be tested, but you can build on it. Take this time to learn new things about your significant other. Start a "New" relationship with him, take this time to write silly little love notes (email, letters, carepackages). I guarantee you the distance can be beneficial.

Deployment for me and my husband helps test our communication skills, but it also helps us because we have to try harder to feel connected. Communication helps put the US in trUSst.

Just think about the positives. Take a breather and relax.

The Back-Up Plan

Here's what I have learned tonight.
It's smart to go into a marriage with a Back-Up plan.

I have also learned that if you go into your marriage with No back-plan you are uneducated, dependent on your husband, are "dumb", oblivious to the "Real World".. etc. [insert another uneducated judgmental comment here]

*Takes chill pill*

When I said, "Yes, [husband], I will marry you!". I wasn't thinking, "Oh shit, I need a back up because we may get divorced down the road". That, to me, is like keeping divorce papers in my top dresser drawer just in case I change my mind. Horse shit is what that is. Excuse me if you disagree, it's one of those blogs- my beliefs.

When the husband and I got engaged, My thought process was eternity, DEATH do us part. The dreaded "D", and by "D" I mean Divorce (although Death isn't something I like to speak of either!), was not a possibility. It is STILL not in my thought process nor is it something he and I toss around for shits and giggles.

Divorce isn't an option. We don't believe in it. Does that mean things don't happen? No. However, WE went into our marriage believing in our relationship 100%, no doubts. We do not believe in divorce. So, thinking I needed to have a "Back-up plan" before saying, "I do" is just silly to me.

Ok, because I didn't set this back up plan, I'm a.)dumb; Considering how far I've come over the years, the things I've accomplished and the things I have overcome- I know I'm far from "dumb". b.)oblivious; I'm well aware. And I know my relationship and I know I don't need a "Back-up plan" to ensure I'm taken care of in ANY situation. c.) Dependent; That made me chuckle. A dependent gal who who runs 2 businesses as well as has a part time job, plus volunteers with various organizations. I believe I can handle my own.

Need I say more?

I'm far from a dumbass. I'm actually quite successful according to my personal definition of "Success". I would much rather focus on my relationship and staying positive within my marriage rather than focus on the Negative and the thought process of making plans for divorce.

I didn't enter my marriage thinking, "There's always divorce". I didn't get married expecting a divorce. I went into my marriage- and to this day, have 100% faith in my marriage. Through the good times and the bad, my Back-up plan IS MY MARRIAGE- my husband.

"Smart" it may be to have this so called, "Back-up plan" for some, I don't need a "Back-up Plan". My "Plan" is to focus on my Marriage and not on myself, not on the what if's, and surely not on divorce.