Happy Tuesday To Ya!

What's up blog friends? I thought I would stop by and post a little something. I miss having the time to sit down and write more but I'm spending my time taking care of me, parenting/wifing and working. That stuff takes up a lot of hours. Who knew?
For some reason, today was a rough one for me. I hit a wall at about 3:00 PM and was completely drained as I headed home. I made it safely, ate dinner (thankfully, I had a crock pot thing going already so it was ready for us when we got home), and then moved on to 90 minutes of Andrea Work! 45 minutes on the treadmill, Upper Fix and 10 trips up and down the stairs. I'm am now REALLY exhausted but hyped up from the exercise. So here I am. LUCKY YOU!

Tomorrow is a Herceptin day so I get plugged in. Woohoo! We've already received an alert that school will be on a 1 hour delay again tomorrow. That's going to mess with my schedule...if they end up calling off school that's REALLY going to mess with my schedule. I shall figure it all out...somehow I always do.

I have to say that I've been pushing myself really hard over the past month. I'm trying to balance everything. That's the trick, isn't it? Trying to make it all work. It's not easy but it's doable. You just have to pay close attention to all of the balls you're juggling and just try to keep all of them in the air. Focus on yourself, spend time with your family, do a good job at work and just try not to feel like something on your list isn't getting adequate attention. I still haven't figured out how to do it all on a full night's sleep, but I'm getting closer...more efficient.

I know it wasn't a long visit but I must run. I need to soak, continue reading my latest Mt Everest book, do a little work and turn it before it gets too late. 

Much love to all! Back soon,

Andee

I've figured out how to do it all! DONE

Image credit: touch of memory

It can be done! It takes a heck of a lot of effort, minimal sleep and a desire to play through the pain and fatigue and LIVE!!!

Life is back in full swing at The LD these days. I'm working full time, though I'm still ramping back up to the regular commute. For those of you who don't know, I have a long drive to work when I go to the office. I am better, faster and much stronger but 3 hours a day in the car could wear anyone out. I was used to it before treatment but after being inactive for the better part of a year, it takes its toll. I'll get there though.

Anyway...the post title is somewhat true. I have figured out how to do it all. I'm not saying I'm doing it all well but I have figured out how to prioritize in this post-life-changing-diagnosis world. My health and wellness no longer comes after everyone else's. Prior to diagnosis that probably wasn't in last place, it was more like non-existent. It's no one's fault but my own. That is not going to happen again. I still work a full day (and then some, sometimes) I cook dinner, do laundry, clean, bathe children, etc.  The difference is that I will exercise before my day ends. Sometimes that means that

I workout at lunch, sometimes as soon as I get home, and on tougher days it means I'm working out @ 10 PM. If dishes sit unwashed in the sink overnight then so be it. Momma comes first. When Momma is healthy she'll be strong enough to take care of everyone else. That's the mindset these days.

So what does that mean for me going forward? It means setting goals to get myself where I want to be and then planning for a life that continues to include time for taking care of me. As I mentioned on the FB page, I really started working on my weight loss on January 22. I'm working hard to hit my first target, which is to lose at least 10 pounds during the first month.  At last weigh in, I only had 0.8 pounds to lose in order to hit that goal. I do so much better, in all aspects of my life, when I have a specific goal in place. I sometimes go overboard in my efforts but I am quite competitive so whether it's againts another person or a target, I bust my behind to accomplish the goal and, yes, WIN.

I have set some goals for this year. Milestones I want to hit and things I want to accomplish.  We'll start with health and fitness As you know, I've been following The 21 Day fix since January 22 (did I mention I loved it?). I may do another round of The Fix but I'm going to need to step it up during the next phase. I have my eye on a couple of programs so I'll let you know when I settle on something. I'd love to do a challenge group. I'm shooting for April as the start so if you are interested, let me know. We can motivate each other and share info about what's working.  Just a thought.

The blog and the FB page have been great for me during the past month. Nothing keeps you accountable like sharing your business with the world. I'm still loving my FitBit and I'm wearing out MyFitnessPal.  I'm going to continue to use all of my tools but here's the goal sheet. Again, keeping myself accountable.

• Down 10 lbs by 2/22/15 
• Down 20 lbs by the anniversary of my diagnosis (March 26)
• Down 30 lbs by the anniversary of my first chemo
• Graduate to 21 Day Fix Extreme by May 2015
• Move on to Les Mills Pump (I'm so looking forward to this one)
• Move on to Les Mills Combat (I'm really, really, really looking forward to getting into this one)

I'm sure I'll add targets throughout the year and reset milestones as I need to but there it is. No excuses. If you are on a fitness journey of your own and want some support and or friendly competition, you can link up with me on MyFitnessPal (andeedoo) or FitBit (andreadoolin@windstream.net).  We can do this! 

I'll be checking in more regularly. Feel free to communicate with me via the blog here, on FB, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or e-mail. I'm all over the place!

Love to all!

Andee

Sadly, no post

Technically, this is a post. But it's a post to tell you that there won't be a post. Got it? It's been bad around here for the past few hours. I will spare you the details but both kids have the stomach bug...and not the same kind of stomach bug. Both had...um..."clean up on aisle 12" within 10 minutes of each other. There has been disinfecting, bed stripping, talk of throwing linens away rather than washing them, bathing of children,  disinfecting, putting all manner of blankets, towels, covers, chucks...anything to prevent an permanent damage to any carpeted or upholstered areas/items.
My body is screaming at me to rest so, alas, I must listen. We'll see if actually get to sleep. Any wagers?

Love to all
Andee

My favorite things Volume 1

As promised, here is a list of some of my favorite things. Since my health and fitness is my primary focus right now, most (if not all) of the items will be related to that, this time around. So let's get started. (items are in no particular order)

• MyFitnessPal App
  I cannot tell you how much I love this app. You can connect it to your preferred tracking device to help track activity, which is nice. It has the most complete food database I've ever used and includes a barcode scanner. When I say it's complete, I mean it. If you are in Lexington you will be pleased to hear that it even includes menu items from local places like Malone's and, my personal favorite, Saul Good. 

• ZeroWater TumblerThere are a couple of "cons" to this particular product but the "pros" help me get over them. If you are trying to drink a lot of water and are particular about the taste or quality of your water, I highly recommend one of these. You can refill anywhere, from any tap, and your water will taste the same. Love, love, love that! The negatives are (for me) the reservoir and filter take up a lot of space inside the cup so it seems like the water goes fast...you don't get as much. Also, I'm not a fan of the straw but that's my fault - I got what I ordered. The do have strawless alternatives.
  
  
  
• FitBit Charge
  I've only had mine for a couple of days but I am in LOVE. If you have a competitive bone in your body, this thing will make you do more and work harder. It's crazy! I found myself walking my stairs last night @ 11:30 because I was a few flights short of my daily goal. Really?!? Yes. I couldn't stand to have one goal that was not in the green. You can also find your friends who also have FitBits (of any kind) and issue challenges. What a genius idea this thing is. FitBit also makes a WiFi scale that looks intriguing...I'm way to cheap to spend $129 on a scale but if I find one cheaper, I might get it.
  
  Tip: if you really hate spending money as much I do, you can find these on ebay for much less than retail. 

• 21 Day FixLet me just start by saying that I am a big fan of Beachbody programs and products. There's P90X, Insanity, Brazil Butt Lift, Slim in 6...we've tried them all and have seen results with all. I had hoped to get back into Insanity shape but my foot problem wouldn't allow that level of impact and I didn't want to wait for it to heal.  Also, I wanted to have a more structured eating plan because I'm trying to lose a good amount of weight and I want to eat the right things and get the results. I saw the 21 Day Fix and decided to give it a go. They originally shipped stuff and failed to ship the containers. They shipped a set out immediately but I didn't want to wait on their arrival. I started my workouts and haven't looked back. I've still been tracking my food with MyFitnessPal - keeping the calories at 1200 or below and eating better food. I have been menu planning based on the program so when I enter round 2, it should be easy in incorporate the containers.  I'm also going to try the 3 Day Refresh. I'm going to do that in between rounds so I'll let you know how it goes. You know me, I'll share all the details and let you know if it's worth a try.
  So, since January 22 I have worked out daily and have lost 7.4 lbs and 4.5 inches. I'm pretty darn pleased with my progress, especially since I still have to modify some exercises (ya know, the whole foot thing). I started doing 2 workouts per day yesterday. I'm eager to see what happens over the next week as I wind down round 1.
  
  
  
  
  

I think that's enough for today. I'll provide my feedback on items, from time to time as I find good things. 

Love to all,

Andee

Get ready, this one will be quick.

Howdy friends!
I'm here for a very quick update. I need to sleep while I can because I've been waking up and odd hours so I'm tired but I also have a victim of the stomach bug snuggled up next to me. That means I could be up at anytime tending to my little one. Yes, we are fighting off more cooties here @ The LD. Pray that our baby girl gets over this quickly and that the rest of us are spared.

The rapid fire updates (with details to come later)"

• I just finished day 14 of the 21 Day Fix and, as of my last weigh in, I'm down 6.6 lbs. I'll weigh again tomorrow..ya know...just to see how things are progressing. Tomorrow I start 2-a-days. woot woot I'm feeling better, stronger and I'm already noticing a difference in how my clothes fit. I've lost inches, I know, I just don't know how many because I'm only measuring once per month. 
• I saw my oncologist yesterday and he said I looked good, treatments would continue without change, I'll have another ECHO in March. Treatment went off without a hitch. I was able to see one of my favorite treatment buddies! I haven't seen her since chemo ended (September 24).
• I saw my surgeon today. He, too, said everything looked good. Even though my skin held up during radiation, we'll still wait the full year before starting reconstruction. The radiation causes other issues with the tissues (ha ha...nevermind) so it's best to let everything recover before going under the knife.
  There was discussion of port removal this summer.  I'm almost afraid to say that out loud...you know how I am about jinxes. We won't discuss it again until the time comes. That way, we'll all feel better about it...right?

Ok friends, I'm off to bed. I want to get some sleep before I wake up on my own or before little Linda Blair wakes up.  (Get it...that's an Exorcist reference...no? There's vom...nevermind).

Love to all!

Andee