Shoes, weight loss, and the kids...

It's truly amazing how much can happen in one week This is less of a themed post, like the beginning of October or our affection for football, and more a random scattering of events. First of which is Aj and shoes. A lot of you know Aj, some of you only know him through my rattlings online or over the phone, but if you haven't heard by now, he's a little active. Ok, lets be honest, he doesn't stop moving. My mother put it perfectly when I was laughing with her about how Aj can seem narcoleptic at times (he sits down and falls asleep instantly) and she said, "Well, that's because when he is awake, he is going at 110% the entire time, so when his body finally slows down, it just crashes!" How true that is! It is one of the best things about him, I  have someone that can not only keep up with my energy level, but surpass it. The one pit fall? My man is hard on his shoes. In fact, he is hard on everything. He's broken numerous pairs of glasses, he wears out running shoes faster then most race runners, and his closet is full of partially torn shirts. This past week I bought Aj some new shoes for when he gets home on RR, and then got a call, "Hey babe, I need some new running shoes, mine are starting to talk to me." The last time we bought Aj some new running shoes for deployment? Three and a half months ago.Although it doesn't really seem like something major, and really worth blogging about, I just felt like throwing it out there.   In 130 degree heat, Aj's activity level hasn't stopped at all. Playing football (touch football by the way) he chunked out his knees pretty badly and had to quit playing for a bit, got a concussion and also threw out his elbow (surprise, surprise, after another guy twisted up his ankle, they finally put a stop to recreational football). So yes, he's deployed, and yes, he works all the time and sleeps a lot too, but his activity level hasn't been touched. He's still my Aj.
    This last week was definitely a tough one for him though. In an eighty hour time frame, he only got about 12 hours of sleep. Not 12 hours in a row, but 2 hear, 20 mins there... Finally on Friday and Saturday he was able to catch up, and feel human again. Hopefully tomorrow, his next 24 hour shift, he will get his next package and that will put a smile on his face.

     The next on my list of "blog items", is about my weight loss journey. Actually, this is a bit of a frustrated rant that I want to get off my chest. No, it's not about how I just can't lose the weight, I'm doing fine, it's more peoples reactions to my desire for weight loss. First off, let me assure you, that I am no where near anorexic. In fact, I am still on the higher end of my healthy weight allowances for my height and body type. Am I fat? Goodness no. But I still desire to lose just a few more pounds. For all of you who act disgusted with me and have given me negative criticism about my efforts, this is for you, my reasonings:

    1) As previously stated, Aj and I live a ridiculously active lifestyle that we love. Running, going to the gym, and losing a few more pounds to get healthy will add to my energy level by boosting my metabolism. With an increase in lean muscle and a decrease in % body fat, I will naturally have more energy and it will sustain for longer amounts of time. Having more energy to enjoy life with my husband is a goal worth working towards to me.
    2) I come from a long line of women that have problems with weight and with a low metabolism. I have the same problem. If I am not cautious and do not work out and eat properly, my metabolism crashes in no time and weight piles on faster than birthday cake in a one year old's lap. I do not ever want to get into the trap of not worrying about my weight because I have gained "just five lbs, no big deal." That is a slippery slope that I cannot afford. So, because of this, it is better if I aim to be on the lower end of my healthy weight, then on the higher end. This gives me a healthy allowable weight fluctuation, as opposed to already being on the heavy end and then it just getting worse.
   3) Because I am going into the health and nutrition field, I understand that I will be held to a higher standard by my clientele, and that they will judge my abilities to help them on my abilities to help myself. This is perfectly understandable and something that I am completely willing to under-go, but that means I have to be, again, on the lighter side of my body type allowance.
& 4) One of these days, Aj and I want to start a family. When we eventually do, being at a lower weight and already being in a healthy lifestyle will help with not only my pregnancy and getting back to a lower weight afterward, but also help in just getting pregnant.

     I am so tired of having to defend myself and my desire. I am not losing weight because of self confidence and self esteem issues (although I would be lying if I said I didn't think I would look better after I hit my goal weight), but because I know the line I come from, the lifestyle I live, and what I want in my future, and I know that eight more lbs isn't going to hurt me but can help me all the way around. I am not trying to lose weight because I think Aj wants me to, that's quite the contrary, Aj doesn't like overly skinny girls and would let me know if I took it too far. So please, please quit lecturing me on it. I am so tired of hearing it.

           My last little blog item is about Aj and my "kids", Blitz and April. The two of them have had an eventful week. Blitz over heats so easily, that he hates the summer. Now that fall has come, this huge burst of never ending energy has come out and I just can't keep up! We went on a four mile run on Saturday night, came back to the apartment and he picked up his toys and started running around the apartment as if he had just woken up from a power nap. I couldn't believe it. Somehow, the cooler weather has also activated a whole other degree of smell power in him as well, and he has been getting into everything!! Including my vitamins. I keep my vitamins by my bed in order to remember to take them every night. I came home from work last week to find them bitten open and one bottle completely empty. One of the supplements I take, is fish oil. Apparently he could smell it and couldn't help himself. Although, I decided it is partially my fault. He is so intelligent that to keep him busy I have bought him many different types of toys that he has to figure out how to get the treats out of.... This, in his mind, was no different them my leaving a kong full of kibble for him. Luckily he didn't eat the actual multi-vitamins (the amount of iron in them would have been toxic) and that fish oil is not harmful at all.
April, our little girl turtle, had quite the day today of antagonizing her younger brother. She would routinely charge him on the floor, climbed into his water dish, relax suspiciously by his chew bone, and finally decided to just chill in the middle of his bed. Blitz knows that he is not allowed to mess with her, and she seemed to know that too today. I continually got looks of, "Really mom?" from him all afternoon. A turtle with attitude, that's our little girl.

Like I said before, it's not a theme today. Nothing to wrap up in a nice neat little bow, but a little here and there about our life and our crazy little week.