Happy New Year 2014 {resolutions and such}

Hello January!!

The month of NEW promises to ourselves and new resolutions made! I LOVE IT! So many people diss the “resolution” process… Not I.

Setting goals, Creating dreams, Finding new beginnings… I THRIVE on those things ;)

Anywho, The last three months have been nothing but CRAZY with becoming parents, the holiday season, traveling to Oregon for those holidays. I’ve loved showing off our little Moses to family and friends. There is NOTHING like being home --- > and I feel like Oregon IS my home.

 

Moses' First Christmas {in Oregon}

But being back at our “home for the next 11 months” MAUI feels great as well! Getting back in to our regular routine, Dave starting his LAST year of Nursing school, watching Moses do all those baby things that are just too adorable. Ahh, life is good.

 

Our first hike of the year {in Maui}

Soooo….

My New Years resolutions: “clears throat & stands on pedestal” ;) {These are not in order of importance as they all interact with each other to create the ultimate resolution = To be better than I was last year}

1} Be a FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC wife and mom to my boys. Nurture them, love on them, cook for them, clean for them, be patient with them, give lots of kisses and hugs to them… You get the idea!

2} Create a awesome post baby body, my {fitness} goals for the year consist of yoga, walking with the stroller, TurboFire and general exercises using my own body weight {lunges, squats, push-ups, etc.} I realize that it took 9 months to create little Moses in my body, I want to take it nice and slow to get back to where I was.

3} My health goals: Juicing more with my {Omega 8006}. Eating 80/20 that’s 80% clean, 20% indulge. Choose greens over grease. Lay off the cheese/dairy and bread, that stuff should be used in moderation {my personal choice, I feel better when I don’t consume tons of dairy & I’m addicted to bread so… That’s an issue}

4} Daily devotions… 13 days in and I’m going strong. Doing different devotion books, spending time reading from the Word, studying and joining a few online bible studies. Bringing the bible into our everyday lives. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. <- My assignment as a mom right thurrrrr…  Teach my baby the word diligently, which mean I have to know it myself! Boom, done!

5} ENJOY my last 11 months in Hawaii. We’ll be moving back to the mainland in December and I want to do EVERRRRRYTHING I can to leave this island feeling amazing and ready for our next adventure.  This summer especially, because Dave will be out of school and we’ll have 4 months to LIVE IT UP!! There are so many amazing people here and so much beauty, I want to soak it up {as well as some sunshine} before we head to Oregon.

Alright! Whew! My resolutions are out there for all to see. Bring it 2014!

XO

Hannah

::Just being honest:: A new way of thinking...

This is a totally raw and honest post from yours truly J

2 ½ years ago I took on a HUGE goal—LOSE weight! Get HEALTHY! It was my life, it was my passion, my every thought, my total mindset was focused around this. I did it too—I lost 30 lbs of FAT! Put on muscle and never felt better in my whole life. I never starved myself, didn’t use a “lose-weight-quick” plan, never thought about throwing up my food, nor did I obsessively weigh myself. I am proud to say I got healthy the healthiest way you can do it. Eating healthy and getting active…

In this pursuit for the perfect body ;) What’s that? Right! LOL!

SOOOOOOO many changes occurred. As they do whenever you make or have a significant life change. My goals, focuses, aspirations changed. A lot of them were for the better, but some weren’t… I started asking questions like:

WHY doesn’t everyone do this?? Why don’t people lose weight? What’s with all of the excuses? {I know I had my excuses for about 5 years} What will MAKE people change? How can I MAKE people change? I posted about it on my FB, twitter, told everyone I knew, I just became obsessed with “Fit-Thinking”. I have to make everyone lose weight!!

What I didn’t realize in this crazy, one-track-mind, obsessed frenzy I was in, was that not everyone wants to make this change. Not everyone was as obsessed as I was about their body image. Needless to say, the “healthy-looking mindset” I thought I had, wasn’t too healthy. I offended people with these thoughts and couldn’t give my clients what THEY NEEDED. Even though I thought I was doing it out of love {Who wants to watch their family/friends die, be depressed or get sick because of obesity related issues you can do something about it??} The way I was going about it, was not loving.

My point of this post is not to be an advocate to being overweight or that it’s okay to shovel fast food into our mouths on a daily basis while we follow it with a HUGE soda. I 100% believe in living a healthy lifestyle, but that also means being able to have “cheats”, enjoy cake, take a rest day from fitness, be a size 8/10 without having criticism, help people find a plan that works for them and their lifestyle.

Over the last year-ish {steadily gaining weight} during this pregnancy, not being involved in any fitness/weight loss company, stepping back from FB, prioritizing and re-fueling, I feel I’ve have a “mindset change” I’ve been able to step back, take a break and my eyes have been opened. I thank the Lord for this time. Although I’ve maintained a healthy pregnancy and stayed active throughout- I’ve still GAINED… My skin has stretched and I’m a vessel for this little boy who has already stole my heart and I haven’t even met him!! Also, stepping out of the fitness industry has been huge, constantly feeling the pressure of the competitions and media can take a tole on your thoughts!!

I want to be in a place where I can HELP people. Not force people to be a certain size or weight, but ENCOURAGE them to just make healthy changes in their lives.

It really, really, really is AMAZING to have a healthy, functioning body. To sweat out toxins, fill up with endorphins, feel confident in swimwear, have energy to LIVE, fight off diseases, feel sexy and proud of the work you are putting in. I’ll never stop living a healthy lifestyle!!

After baby comes I’m SO BEYOND excited to work on my post-baby body {I dream about it everyday, lol}, which will be amazing, beautiful and any flaws will be proof that I created LIFE inside of me! I want to encourage others to join me and help people find their way of living healthy.

It’s just important to keep healthy and happy in the forefront of my dreams! There is no one-size fits all fitness plan, people are fabulous no matter their shape or size. As long as they happy and healthy!!

Over the past couple years I’ve been BLESSED to have helped quite a few ladies {And men}

lose weight, get their bodies to a place where they feel confident and sexy. It’s a passion of mine to help, motivate and encourage people. It’s also been amazing to go through this journey and discover my flaws so I can better help MORE people. Thank you Lord for showing us our weaknesses and flaws so we can work on ourselves and be better, more joyful people J

Hey! I'm still here :)

This summer FLEW by!

The last month and a half, I’ve been spending QUIALITY time with my husband. Getting everything ready for Baby Moses {who is set to arrive in +/- 4 weeks!!}.

So glad we got to spend this time together, just enjoying the TWO OF US <3 Work was super chill, we ate breakfast and had coffee on our porch every single morning. Chatting and laughing with each other is the best. {Mushy alert} I absolutely adore my husband and I’m so blessed by his love for me. We’ve been married almost 7 ½ years and he still makes my heart melt! I have so much love, respect and honor for this man that the Lord has blessed me with, words can’t even express!! He will be the best daddy to our little man – from setting up the crib with me, buying Moses’ first outfit, installing the car seat, feeling all the baby’s kicks, and listening to the heartbeat every night, I’ve seen my husband tear up, laugh and express such love and joy for this little baby he hasn’t even met yet. It’s so wonderful and I owe my successful marriage to the Lord- He is our rock, our bind and the One who has taught us how to love each other.

Now that summer is over L ß Actually I’m not totally sad about it, it just means I don’t get to see the hubs as often, our schedules are crazy opposite, school is back up and running {And YES, I’m taking TWO classes this semester and expecting a baby… It’s going to be interesting!} Dave’s continuing in his pursuit to complete his nursing degree so his schedule is off the chain… And we are trying to get organized, prepared or whatever else you want to call it that we need to do before baby comes!!

Life is good though. I hate being home alone while Dave is gone during his long days {Wed & Thurs}—Blah, boring! I chat with my dogs, but they are always napping so it’s hard to hold full conversations… {Crazy dog mom- That’s me} So, in my times alone at home I’ve been trying to keep busy organizing our budget, creating schedules, trying out new recipes, cleaning ---NESTING---, looking into new health/fitness/wellness ventures {Because I need MORE on my plate ;)}. It’s nice to have such flexibility, but when you spend a whole month and a half with someone NON-STOP and then they leave, it’s sad. I tell ya, I love my hubs, 24/7!

Anywho, this is just a post saying , “Hey, I’m here” Still pregnant, still enjoying life. Trying to get back into the groove of {Fall-Time} before I have to get into a whole new groove of {New-Mom time}.

Hope you had a FABULOUS summer!!!

XO

Hannah

Getting Back On Track {They call it Clean Eating} ;)

100 lbs LOST!! Yes, between David & I we lost 100 lbs.      Dave = 70, Me = 30
Two years ago June 2011-Sep 2011. We dedicated and devoted ourselves and made NO excuses... Ever!! We were strict and loved every minute of it. It takes extreme diligence and determination to do this and being eachother's partner made all the difference. When he was down-- I was his encourager. When I was down-- He pushed me! Not only do I have the most encouraging and motivating husband in the world, I have never met anyone as hard core or dedicated to something as this man. He puts something in his mind, makes it his goal and NEVER EVER EVER stops until he reaches it. It's amazing to see! {Anywho, enough hubby mush}

We've both put on a little weight since our huge weight loss....

Reason #1 we lost this amount in 3 months... Hard to maintain that kind of loss, usually your body pics up a few lbs to keep a maintained healthy weight. Dave gained 10 lbs back, I gained 3. We then just started using that to build and lift. {Muscle Baby} We got to our fittest around summer 2012 by lift, lift, lifting! Weights WORK ladies & guys you already know this!
Reason #2: I'm pregnant... Self explanatory. <---Insert weight gain!
Reason #3: Dave's a FULL-time nursing student (5 weeks left in current semester), works & tutors as well. He's up at 4am and gets home around 11pm. His schedule is crazy and stressful and overwhelming and more than a human should have to endure at times, therefore, maintaining such a strict regimen isn't as easy. He's constantly on the go, but has no time to devote to even an hour hard-core gym sesh.

Bottom Line-- Our life {as well as millions of other people} is CRAZY busy! Fortunately the last month and the next couple months are pretty easy for me. I'm out of school, working part time and basically just enjoying my time before baby arrives in October. When baby does come, life will be even more busy and excuses more available. Though, if you know me... You know I'm already planning my post-baby body regimen and have ample support to help me reach my hefty goals!

SO all that to say this: Since I have time on my hands I'm seeing what we are eating, how often we are eating, our workouts and it isn't up to par, according to my high standards. Going back to a CLEAN EATING {<--- If you don't know what that looks like E-mail me!} routine is essential. I've noticed that Dave's eating here and there, when he can instead of every 2-3 hours regularly & his water consumption isn't super high. He's constantly on his feet at work and during clinical rotations so he is getting exercise in that aspect, it's not great, but it's something...
My eating has been fairly good besides the occasional pregnancy splurge here and there. I drink PLENTY of water, eat my veggies and fruits. My goal during this pregnancy is to eat as clean as I can and work out as much as I feel comfortable. I don't have a set amount I'd like to gain-- I know my body and how it feels. I know how to feed my body a healthy way and so I'm taking my own advice and dancing to the beat of my own drum. If it's "too little" or "too much" weight gain, I'm okay-- I know myself! All I want is a healthy baby boy in October <3

Today is a new day though-- I have a plan I'm putting into motion because TODAY is the best day to start! Not tomorrow, or next Monday or after the holiday.. It's TODAY!
My goal is to feed myself, my baby and my hubby better, more scheduled and CLEAN! As Dave's wife, I want to be his strength when he is weak and right now with his schedule, he needs help making meals and ensuring he has a big water bottle :) So I'm taking it on!
Yeah, Exciting!

XO,
Hannah

P.S.
If you want a great Clean Eating resource, look no further that the clean eating queen Tosca Reno at The Clean Eat Diet.

Haven't Been to the Gym & It's Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday Dolls,

WOW! This week has been a really weird blur... I'm either fighting a cold, flu or just in a major funk! Super tired, dehydrated & my left eye is twitching {have no clue if that's good or bad, but it's here this week and it wasn't last week}.

This afternoon I seemed to perk up a tad-- I slept in this morning, maybe that's what my body needed to "rejuvenate". I haven't been in the gym since Friday, busy weekend
& not feeling well so far this week. Honestly, what I SHOULD BE doing is heading to the gym-- I preach the health benefits of fighting fatigue with fitness, yet am home feeling fatigued and not heading to the gym, lol... What shall I do with myself?!

Anywho, now that I've convinced myself to head to the gym tonight... I wanted to give you an update on what's happening here! Ha!

My garden is starting to show some signs of life. It's so exciting to watch the seeds turn into little sprouts. Below are the only things growing, so far. Radishes! They are so cute, I'm proud of how tall they've grown in 6 days!

Baby Radishes

Other new things-- I've started {as of today} the 30 Day Push by Chalene Johnson. She is amazing, SUCH an inspiration to me! I've done this program 5 times & every time it teaches me something new about setting priorities and goals. It's such a great way to start the year, so I'm doing it! I have the book as well and am going to do the online program alongside the book. Good stuff right here :)

Grizzly is a Chalene fan, as well :)

Another exciting thing for me is this...

A Pomegranate!

I NEVER buy these, but love the taste. My neighbor had purchased too many, so she brought me one. I love these seeds on salads and such. I may even find a new recipe to use my pomegranate in. We shall see.

Well, I hope you are feeling AMAZING and full of energy and love! I'm headed to the gym after dinner & determined to FEEL BETTER.

xo
Hannah

Re-focusing My Goals & Priorities for 2013

This morning I woke up to the warm sun blaring through my bedroom windows. Such a gorgeous day outside here with blue skies and hot sun!

Yes! That is the ocean in the background--Bright blue.

 














I woke up knowing today was going to be a “heart to heart” day. There are SO many things I am wanting to do, I’m being pulled in so many directions. It was time to take a break from my busy-ness, sit down, breath and focus on what my goals, priorities and desires were. Weeding out all of the mess and sewing in good seeds of productivity. So I got out of bed, made myself a green shake, and sent my hubby off to school {He’s currently in the UH Nursing program}. 

My "GREEN" shake!

  After sipping my shake & grabbing my notebook, I found a quiet place to sit and relax. I really focused and prayed for direction in my life, that my goals and priorities would be on track with the big picture. I thought about ALL of the things I want to do and love to do and decided which ones I have space for at this time in my life and which ones I can focus on in the next season of my life.

Ahh, writing everything down suddenly makes life so much easier. It’s like my brain isn’t swirling with “what if’s” and “how can I’s”. It’s just focused and knows exactly what step to take next. It’s amazing to have a plan, and though life doesn’t always go to plan and craziness is always around the next corner. It makes it so much easier when you know where you want to be and that you ARE going to get there.

Now that I feel totally free after that life planning sesh-- I’m off to garden or should I say, WEED! It’s a beautiful day outside & I’m taking full advantage.


Do you ever take a {Priorities} inventory? Weeding out all of the wants and to-do's that are just getting in the way of your clear goals?

XO
Hannah