Giving Thanks

I have so many incredible things to be thankful for. Sometimes I am overwhelmed with how blessed I am. Here is a list of everything I am thankful for (in no particular order).

1.  My amazing husband. I can't imagine my life without him. He is always telling me he loves me and loves to surprise me with little gifts all the time. He pushes me to become a better person. He loves me even when I act crazy or weird. He is my absolute soulmate.

2.  My mom and dad. They worked so hard to give me everything I wanted or needed, and I will never be able to repay them. I love them with all of my heart, and I hope that I make them proud of the woman I have become thanks to them.

3.  My crazy sisters! I always laugh with them, and I know I can talk to them about anything. I can completely let loose with them. I don't know where I would be without these two, and I couldn't ask for better sisters.

4.  My brothers-in-law. They are funny, smart, and they put up with me and my sisters, and all our crazy-ness. Need I say more?

5.  My nieces and nephew. They constantly make me laugh, they are smart and quirky, and they are truly some of the best kids I know.

6.  My mother- and father-in-law. They raised the man I love (something I can never repay), and they have always been there for us when we needed them. They have accepted me into their family with open arms. I am so thankful for the amazing relationship I have developed with them.

7.  Both my Grandma, and Jeremy's Mamaw and Pop. They are incredible people, and I love all of the knowledge they pass on to me.

  

8.  My entire family (including Jeremy's). Unfortunately, both sides are too huge for a group picture. But know that I love the support all of you provide, as well as the fun times.
9.  My cats. Yes, this is the crazy cat lady portion of this post. They help me relax after long days at work, make me laugh with their hilarious antics, and show me unconditional love.

10.  My amazing friends. They accept me for who I am, they are always there for me, and they have given me some incredible memories.

11.  Having a job I enjoy

12.  Having a roof over my head, and a working car

13.  Good health, both mentally and physically

14.  Having a place to go for the holidays

15.  All of the amazing people I have had the privilege of meeting and getting to know through the course of my life. Many of these people have touched me in ways I never thought possible.

What are you thankful for?

Favorite Finds

I have never been considered a big person (hence the name "The Life of a Little Wife"). I am all of 5'0", and sometimes it seems I am only that tall when I stand up SUPER straight. So when people read this post, they will probably be thinking "Why is she posting about a weight loss app?". Well, let me tell you. This app is AWESOME!

I started gaining weight by adding a few pounds after I graduated high school. I didn't think anything of it, and didn't try all that hard to lose those pounds. Before I realized what was happening, I was up almost 24 pounds from the weight I graduated high school at. Now, I know I will never be considered heavy given the weight I was at, but I wasn't happy with how my clothes were fitting, and I had started to become self-conscious of how I looked. 24 pounds is a decent amount of weight to gain, and the fact that it happened over a six year period made it even harder to detect. Until I finally hit that point that it was either shed a few pounds, or buy an entire new wardrobe. If anyone has a frugal husband, you will know I opted (with a lot of encouragement from the frugal husband) to go for the first option.

We had gotten a BowFlex for Christmas last year. Let me tell you, this machine is really cool. I hate the idea of having to find time to drive to the gym, fight everyone for machines, and drive home. After work, I usually want to just piddle around the house. With the BowFlex in our sunroom, I didn't have the excuse that I didn't want to leave home or fight anyone for a machine. So, my husband and I started to use the BowFlex. Well, after some somewhat serious medical issues spread over the course of a few months, I hadn't gotten very far in the weight loss department.

I was frustrated with myself, and figured I should look for other ways to lose weight. That's when I found the LoseIt app (and yes, I know this sounds like a bad infomercial, but bear with me). Using this app, and another app called Yoga Studio (awesome for anyone interested in doing yoga at home), I have since lost almost 15 pounds. I am extremely happy with my results, and my husband is, too (remember the frugal-ness?).

What is super awesome about this app is that you can also do it online (which I use at work frequently). This app is super easy (I have it on my iPad to use at home, and I use it online at work). The first step is creating an account. Either download the app (I believe it is free. If it isn't it is just a couple of dollars.), or go to http://www.loseit.com/.

Once you set up an account, you record your current weight, and your goal weight. You also decide how fast you want to achieve that goal (losing 1/2 a pound a week, a pound a week, etc.). Using your gender, age, and other demographics, the app determines how many calories you should eat a day to achieve your goal, and gives you a date you should reach your goal given the speed you selected. Each day, you record what you eat for each meal, and you record any exercise you did for the day. There is an entire index of food to choose from, you can create your own food (using Nutritional Info), and create your own recipes.

My favorite part of using my iPad and the app is that you can scan barcodes of food you eat, so you don't have to search for it in the massive food index. There is also an index of exercises to choose from, or you can create your own. There is a spot to record your weight at any time. I tried to record mine weekly, but you can do it as frequently as you like. There is also a graph that shows your weekly caloric consumption, along with a pie chart for how your meals break up into fats, proteins, and carbs. I participated in an "Octo-Log" challenge that challenged me to record my meals and exercise every day for the month of October. I didn't win anything, other than being proud of myself for recording. And it helps if you are COMPLETELY honest about your meals. Count that candy bar you snuck in when no one was looking - it's the best way to meet your goal.

Everyone can afford to live a little healthier, right? Try out LoseIt, and see if you like it!