My Journey ~ I Choose To Be Me!

I am no expert Blogger and to be honest, I started the THIS MOM CAN (TMC) blog hoping to inspire other Moms to share life stories, achievements or disappointments and encourage Moms along the way. It has started very slowly and I haven't reached a great amount of Moms but doesn't the saying go, 'All Great Things Start Small?'  Over the month of December, I reflected on what I have learned in this short time about websites, blog pages, social media and where I want to go from here.        

Today, I have decided to share with you the one thing that has held me back in so many ways since becoming a Mother: my weight.
I hope that you will follow along with me in my journey and hopefully it will help inspire you if you are on one as well.

Just typing the words and looking at them; my weight! For this Mom, it is something I just don't talk about, but think about every day. As a kid, I didn't have to think about my weight, I was a very active kid and it was just easy.  As I got older, I started my career, got married and had kids. I learned how hard it is to do all the things I need to do and keep a focus on ME! For 20 years, I lost that focus. 

I worked a job where I started my day at 2:00 am and finished around 12:00 pm. I had both of my kids while working at this job and as you Moms know; new Moms are very sleep deprived. I usually got about three hours of sleep at a time. When I slept for five hours, it felt like I had slept for ten. Each year, during my annual doctor exam, he would say, "Everything starts with sleep, you can not function without seven to eight hours every night."  If it was only that simple.  My weight was the last thing on my mind. 

Being a mother is the best thing that every happen to me and the kids inspire each and every day. How can I inspire them? How can I inspire another Mom or anyone for that matter who might be struggling with weight?

Blogging puts it all out there; no hiding and no excuses. This is going to make me accountable in every sense of the word.


On December 31st, I shared with you my three goals for 2014.  Goal #1 starts TODAY, January 5th, 2014.  Be Accountable, Push Myself, and Stay True To Myself!  
Three things, I will live by this year.  

Today, I started the 24 Day Challenge with Advocare.  Last year, I had completed the Challenge twice with great results, lost 22 inches and 35 pounds. But then, the Holidays came. I was busy and didn't work out and definitely didn't watch what I was eating. School Holiday parties, get-togethers with family and friends, shopping and wrapping gifts, and the Holiday food, oh man, The Holiday Food; cookies, fudge and everything you can dream of chocolate.  I maintained my weight for the most part, only putting on five pounds, but I needed to lose a lot more weight. Five pounds seems like fifteen.

This time around, my husband, Ryan is joining me on my 24 day Challenge. We started today and this will be the first time that he has done the Challenge and I am not sure if I am beyond excited or more worried.  We have been married for 16 years and he has been behind me in everything I have tried but this time around, he is walking BESIDE me on my journey. Pushing me along the way and celebrating in every milestone. Will he get better results than me? Will that upset me or motivate me? Only time will tell but let's go with the latter, MOTIVATION! 

I am going to share with you my journey, the many UPS and the several DOWNS. I did not share my goal weight at this point but will along the way. I will post where I found motivation and the struggles I face along the way.  I am going to post pictures, quotes, and inspirational things with my posts.You may love some, you may not, it would mean a lot to me to get any encouraging words from you along the way! I am a self-doubter but in this year of self reflection, I am hoping to overcome it. I will overcome it!   I Choose To Be ME!