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Balancing Today

Learning To Balance It All

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in Weight Loss

Losing 20 Pounds

I am working really hard to lose 20 pounds. It’s one of my first goals and an important one. For me, 20 pounds lost really boosts me into the long haul. 20 pounds lost means at least 2 months of focus, numerous successes, and usually noticeable change. To reach my weight loss goals I’ll need to lose 20 pounds multiple times, but this first 20 pounds is key as I’ll have found my stride and know I’ll see a boost in motivation from the outcomes!

These past 3 years I’ve struggled to get past the 10 pound mark.  I have a great first week, an OK second week, and by the third week I’m struggling to get back to what worked in week 1.  I know, looking back, that I wasn’t engaged in Golden Behaviors.  Behaviors, for me, that were effective and easy.

Tiny Habits For Weight Loss
As I shared on Monday, I have been focused on my 5 Golden Behaviors: Eating smaller portions, having specific days/times to eat treats, working out once a day, eating more fruits and veggies, and not eating after dinner.  The week is going really well so far and one tool that is helping me a ton is an app called Window.

Dinner
It is technically an intermittent fasting tool, which I’m not focusing on, but I am using it to have a visual for not eating after dinner.  I have decided that I want to stop eating by 7PM each night, which has helped me to be mindful about when I start cooking dinner and not eating mindlessly after my kids go to bed.  As we’re home during the shelter in place, I’ve been able to start cooking around 5:30PM.  We then sit down as a family for dinner by 6:30PM and then I stop eating after dinner by 7:00PM.

Dinner
Eating more veggies, which is another behavior I am focusing on, has been totally doable as our CSA is now underway. I have loved being a CSA member the past 8 years and I’m even more grateful now that we’re all home.  We haven’t had much fruit in the house, but as it gets warmer, we’ll start getting our fruit share from the CSA.

Dinner
Eating smaller meals and having a dedicated day/time to eat dessert has been going really well! Tonight I’m making brownies with my daughter and I’m definitely looking forward to having one. For portion control, I’m just working to be mindful, using smaller plates, and portioning out what I’m eating instead of eating out of the package. I’m not measuring anything out at this time, but just trying to be really intentional.

Lastly, I’ve been making a point to workout once a day. What I’m not doing is doing a strenuous workout each day. Some days, most days, I go for a walk with my kids. Other days I do a spin or yoga workout through Peloton. I am working hard to just make sure I get up and move each day. Even more important with being home all day.

How I'm Feeling
As I move into the weekend, I’m feeling really proud of my first work week since working towards my goal of losing 20 pounds.  I know I’m doing the best I can, considering all going on around us.  I know the next 2 weeks will be really important and I am excited to weigh in each week!

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  • OrangeTheory Transformation Challenge Week 7 ResultsOrangeTheory Transformation Challenge Week 7 Results
« Tiny Habits For Weight Loss
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I'm Ashley, a full-time working mom who lives in the Washington, DC area. Balancing Today is all about learning to balance family, work, wellness, and most of all, life's simple joys! Read More!

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Today was an absolutely beautiful day. This aftern Today was an absolutely beautiful day. This afternoon while the kids were having some downtime I sat on the deck with Theodore and planned out the week ahead. It was heaven.
Easter looks very different than my childhood and Easter looks very different than my childhood and early 20’s. I am forever grateful to have left a cult masked as a church. It’s been 12 years, and though I still very much believe in God, I find him in nature, in the fruits of the spirit, and in his grace. So today, I am spending Easter morning at the park, with my kids and my journal.
Someone said this the other day and honesty, I hat Someone said this the other day and honesty, I hated it. At first I felt discouraged. Thinking about years wasted and some things I wish I could go back and change. 

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What I’m learning now, more than ever, is all that matters is this moment. All that matters are today’s decisions. All that matters are the people in my life right now. 

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It makes me tear up thinking about it. 

My top priority was work and I was so lonely and depressed. I had put myself and my family on the back burner. All because I thought I had something to prove. The harder I’d work, the more valuable I’d feel. The harder I’d work, the more purpose I’d feel.

What this year taught me is that it’s all a lie. I had it all backwards. I knew I had it backwards but I fell into the system that told me to pour myself into my job. That work held the keys to my future. 

What I lost was my health. What I lost was time with my kids. What I lost were all the little moments that make life great. 

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Time off is good for the soul. Time off by the wat Time off is good for the soul. Time off by the water is good for the mind. So thankful for time to rest and recharge, especially by the water.
One of my hidden talents... 🌸 👑 So thankful One of my hidden talents... 🌸 👑 So thankful for this distraction free time to play outside and play pretend.
Today was an extraordinary day. We are on vacati Today was an extraordinary day. 

We are on vacation. A vacation that was paid for entirely by the money I made back in January thanks to my little side business.

That little side business is the same side business I was terrified to start. I was nervous if I could be successful in direct sales. I was worried about what people would think and say. 

Deep down, I knew I wanted this, I knew I needed this, and I knew I was capable of this. 

I said yes, because I needed more extraordinary days. I needed more joy. I needed more time with my family. I needed more money. I needed more friends. And most importantly, I needed to prioritize me! 

Today, just 3 short months after joining Green Compass, I was promoted to Director!

I am forever thankful for my leap of faith and for all of the people I’ve been able to help these past few months. 

The hopes I had for myself before joining Green Compass are becoming a reality, and I can’t wait for all the extraordinary days to come!!
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I raced to get my kids out of the house, having them eat breakfast in the car, just so I could get to work as early as possible. I worked a full day, having my kids stay at daycare right up to closing time. Some nights I was back on my work computer in those few hours before my kids went to bed and then worked until my own bedtime.

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The sky is the limit, especially because I’m my own boss, and I’m not looking back! I’m dreaming big and can’t wait to help others find the same freedom. If I can do this, you can do this!!!

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