Update Number 1

Ok, here I am - ready to update you on the happenings.

You guys know in August I decided to take the plunge and start my own studio again (voice studio). I got my feet a little wet - and before I knew it, I had enough students to give my full time job my 2 weeks notice. Terrified is a good word, but I plowed forward.

My official studio picture. This is the face I put out to all potential students.

The last time I wrote (prior to NYD), I had 2 days left of work and I was ready to get out of there, but still super worried. I had about 15 students at that point. By the time the first week of teach rolled around, I had about 18. Now I have 30. So, in 3.5 months, I have a completely full voice studio, which now has a waiting list, I am interim part-time music director at my church, and I run early childhood education music classes 2 times per month.

As you can imagine, I am working MORE than 40 hours per week. But it doesn't even matter. I really DO love it. It's stressful and frustrating and magical and wonderful.

But there is still struggle. I am still trying to structure my time so I am not always working ("oh, I'll just answer this e-mail quick", "This will only take a second..."). I am constantly pulled in many, many, many directions. I finished up the class I was taking, did really well, but I cannot afford to go back next semester without the reimbursement from my previous job. A major downfall, for sure, but I'm not going to give up on it. I am saving for the fall and hopefully can continue one class at a time to finish my associates in nutrition and dietetics.

And of course, the reason we are all here, right? The struggle with eating and exercise. Luckily, my exercise has not really dropped off too much. A few weeks during the holidays, I only made it to the gym 2 times, but that was at it's lowest. The eating, however... *sigh*

See, I'm a very focused person (ahem, semi-obsessive) but when I get focused on something, other things tend to fall away. Their importance is minimized. That's what happened with food prep, weighing and measuring, counting and caring about what I was eating when the studio took off.

2 days ago, on my vocal studio Facebook page, I did a little recap on how blessed I was by how the last few months had played out. Someone called me their "hero". This felt laughable to me. Not only laughable, but panic inducing. I'll be posting a video I took on my walk that evening, sharing my thoughts on it.

So, what's the plan, you might want to know. Well, here it is. I'm going to be working very, very hard on dividing my time appropriately. Gym time in the morning works really well. I get some housework done before I bring the boys to school and I hit the gym on the way home. Bam. Done. I get home, shower and my workday begins. I have to find the time for food prep and I need to make sure every shred of the holidays (food, and decorations) is out of my house.

Tomorrow on the way home from church, grocery store and food prep will start as soon as I get home. If the good food is there, I will eat it. If the crap food is there, I will eat it. Duh. Keep it out.

A very good friend of mine joined me in a dietbet so hopefully that helps the motivation as well. Being in the trenches with someone is so helpful. And unfortunately, I don't have anyone else interested in getting healthier right now (ahem, hubby). The good thing is he will mostly just eat what I cook and if he gets something out, he doesn't bring it home.

 Anyway, that's the plan. I have my shopping list, my menu planned and the tight feeling in my pants telling me to GET IT TOGETHER.

A little glimpse at my Thing 1 and Thing 2, cause they are adorbs:

I will... as always... keep moving forward...