Word of the Year 2014

sim·pli·fy

[sim-pluh-fahy]

verb (used with object), sim·pli·fied, sim·pli·fy·ing.

to make less complex or complicated; make plainer or easier:
to simplify a problem.

Source: Dictionary.com

I have chosen Simplify to be my Word Of The Year for 2014.

While my WOTY for 2013 helped me get started on DOing a lot of simplifying, 
I'm hoping this word will help me take it to another level. 

This image below may help explain what I look for in simplifying my life:

 

Here's to a more Simple (and wonderful) year.

Do YOU have a Word of a Year?  What is it?  
Share your link in the comments below!

Past Words of the Year:

2013: Do

2012: Emerge

2011: Courage

2010: Thrive

2009: Survive  

You may also want to look at: 

My Word of the Year Board on Pinterest

Word of the Year 2013: Year End Report

Have you noticed I haven't been here much this year??? It's because I've been living up to my 2013 Word of The Year.

As you may recall, I chose the word DO for my 2013 Word Of The Year. And wow, did that word ever play a role in my life every day. Not only did it encourage me to DO things, it also became a bit of a mantra and also a virtual butt-kicker from all my friends. “Ter, just DO it”, they would encourage me.

So, what did I DO this year?? Here are a few things (in no specific order) :

• I removed certain toxic people from my life. 

• I started a new job. 

• I finally got a tattoo in memory of my daughter and her daddy.    

• I joined a gym and hired a personal trainer. I fought against Fibromalygia and started healing my body. (and went down several jean sizes!) Still have a long way to go, but I'm well on my way. 

• Drove on a highway in the dark in winter (3 things I hate to do). Technically, I did this the last week of December last year but it still counts. :) ) 

• I found it easier to decide about getting rid of a few possessions that I had been on the fence about... Just DO it helped. 

• I 'celebrated' my birthday even though it was my most difficult one to date. This year I became older than my husband. He passed away two days before his 38^th birthday. This year, I turned 38. I went out for a few drinks and dinner with some friends and had a wonderful time.

There's a lot more I'm sure, but that is an example of how my Word of the Year 2013 worked for me.

Did you do a Word of the Year?? How did it work out for you??

Weight Loss Journey: Toning Up

looking for muscles...

I've been a bad blogger lately, both reading and writing blogs.  Life has gotten in the way. I'm back to work full time plus I'm still going to the gym and doing my craft business, Plus everything else.

I thought you might like an update on my weight loss journey (is anyone still reading this blog?) I'm not yet comfortable with sharing full body in-my-underwear pics yet, but here is a time line photo of my arms, which I've gotten several comments about over the last couple months. The first photo is a crop of THIS PHOTO from 2011 when I was goofing off. I took a picture in March because I wanted to see if there was a difference, and then I took another photo today. As you can see my arms are toning up a bit.

My weight loss is moving very slowly. The number on the scale hasn't changed much at all, in fact, it went up again, but my body itself is starting to show some very slight changes.

I also did my measurements the other day and here's what I discovered:

June 2008 vs June 2013
Bust - down 2.75
Waist - down 1 or 3.8 (depending where it was measured in 2008, my trainer measured my waist in 2 spots)
Hips - down 3.25
Thighs - down 4.5
Arms - up 0.5





The trainer forgot to do my abs but when I checked on my own it was down about -10 but that doesn't seem right to me...

Anyway, that's where I am in the progress. Some days I feel like it's going way too slowly and that there isn't any progress, but people are commenting a lot on my arms, as I mentioned, and my clothes are fitting better, and in fact, a pair of jeans that were too tight last year are now too big for me, so I guess things are happening.  They say you're always the last to notice, so I hope that I will see it soon.  Taking pictures like this helps, though I'm still at the stage of wondering if I'm just imagining what I see.

The gym itself is going well. I'm enjoying it. I know that my work out is quite modified because of my fibromyalgia but I am not letting it stop me. Nosireebob. I am going to DO this.

Mothers in Our Hearts

 

Weigh-In: May 2013

7 lbs down since my last post

Well, it doesn't seem like a lot, but ...
Today I measured myself and I have definitely lost several inches since 2008 at almost my heaviest.
My clothes are looser
I have baby muscles coming in.

I'm trying not to get down about the numbers.
It didn't pile on in a day, so it's going to take time to come off.

I'm going to the gym and seeing my trainer 3 times a week.
I try to do as much activity as I can the rest of the week.
I'm enjoying it for the most part.

I need to work on my eating.
I feel like I am eating all day long, but the numbers are saying I'm not eating enough.
I mostly eat healthy, though like everyone else, I do have my weaknesses!
I'm in better control of those now though.
A few years ago, you wouldn't have seen me without a can of coke near by.
Now I have it less than once a week.
Yes, that's right, some weeks I don't have any at all!
 I drink water all the time now.
I don't really miss the coke.

My fibromyalgia is ever present
but I'm tolerating it more.

And if winter ever ends...
(yes, it's snowing today!)
we'll be able to go for longer walks
and spend more time outside.

Yes, I just need to be positive that this is gonna happen.
This is it.
I will win this battle!

(now to convince myself of that)