Brooketo

It’s been a whole hot minute since I’ve done a transformation Tuesday post, and so since I have been sitting on this side-by-side for a few weeks now and let my anxiety stop me from posting it.

But I’m done doubting myself. I’m done talking negatively about myself. I’m done shaming/blaming myself, and I’m done limiting my own possibilities.

Because the reality is that I’ve held me back. But that’s okay, because I’m learning from it today, which makes me more informed and prepared for whatever is coming for me tomorrow and beyond.

It’s been a whole hot minute since I’ve done a transformation Tuesday post, and so since I have been sitting on this side-by-side for a few weeks now and let my anxiety stop me from posting it.

But I’m done doubting myself. I’m done talking negatively about myself. I’m done shaming/blaming myself, and I’m done limiting my own possibilities.

Because the reality is that I’ve held me back. But that’s okay, because I’m learning from it today, which makes me more informed and prepared for whatever is coming for me tomorrow and beyond.

I recently saw somewhere that spending as little as 15 minutes near water can significantly improve your mood. So, since the weather was perfect, I decided to take the kids down to the to soak in the fresh water vibes and sunshine! 🌊☀️🌅

Seasonal depression is real, and it was a very dark and cold winter for me personally, and this sneak peek of 80° summer sun was precisely what my soul needed.

It’s really amazing what some sunshine and water will do for your overall mood. It was everything I needed, and I knew that we needed to get out & take advantage of this Spring heat wave before our typical April weather settles back in.

#313

Snacking at school lately has been a big thing for me…. I’ve been craving snacks that I don’t want to be eating - yet can easily find in the vending machine, conveniently down the hall.

So, I decided rather on just trying to make myself quit craving snacks (because that’s unrealistic), that I would just bring my with me into work to help me choose healthier snacks when a craving strikes.

Right now my focus is getting the food part back in order, and the biggest part of that is being prepared. I’m also working to make sure that I give myself grace, and move and focus on one day at a time. Then, I will build upon that when I’m ready.

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New Year. New Mantra. 💫✨🌟

Keep going.
Keep growing.
Keep glowing.

Let me break it down for ya…

💫 Keep Going.
In 2022, I was able to get this journey back on track, and my goal for the holiday season was to maintain. Now it’s January, and it’s go time.

✨Keep Growing.
In 2022, I grew in so many different ways. The past few years have been the hardest of my life, and I started 2022 in one of the deepest darkest depressions I’ve ever been in. But I slowly, one day at a time, started to take care of me. One tiny baby step at a time, and slowly but surely pulled myself up and out of my dark hole. It was and is a process, and so 2023 is going to be about building upon the strides I made in 2022.

🌟Keep Glowing.
As I said, I’ve been putting in the work quietly. And as 2022 progressed - once I pulled myself out of the dark hole I was in, I started to feel the light inside me begin to flicker back on. And as I grew, so did the light. But I’ve still been living small, and letting my worries and insecurities dim my light. But not this year. This year, it’s time to ✨💎✨

2023 is Live, and it’s time to go, grow & glow.

5 months ago, I set out to my and I’m now down over 50 lbs! This time, I wanted to stick to it, without completely overwhelming myself to the point of quitting and spiraling into a binge that lead to more weight gain and depression.

Not this time.

I’ve tried the 0-to-100 approach more than once over the past couple of years - and I’m here to tell you that it really does not work. It is not even the least bit sustainable. My thoughts were that all I had to do was flip that ‘GO’ switch back on, and jump back into it. But I was very wrong.

Each time I tried that approach, I would take 3 steps forward and 5 steps back… Then, I’d be heavier than I was prior, and trying to restart again.

So instead, I went back to my earliest Instagram posts from 2017, to pick my mindset back then… the one that set me on the path to losing over 130 lbs. what I realized was that back then I was very patient with myself, I took my time, I focused on the positives instead of the negative, I made rules for myself then stuck to them, one at a time - until I was ready for a new challenge, for example: removing bread, removing sugar, eating real food, trying to move more, then eventually adding on top of those things, by being more intentional with my , starting to go to again, etc.

When I tried the 0-to-100 approach, I crashed and burned (and then sized up) each and every time. Slowly changing and adjusting your daily habits, in my opinion, is not only healthier, but it’s more sustainable — leading to lasting results. I know that a lot of us who have large amounts to lose, want to see rapid and steady results, but that’s just not the way to long term success that is needed to lose and maintain large amounts of weight loss.

Slowly chipping away bit by bit, day by day, new healthy habits one at a time so that you are constructing this new lifestyle is the approach to take. ✨

🔹 Reset Results 2022🔹
Month 1: -18 lbs
Month 2: -6 lbs
Month 3: -9 lbs
Month 4: -11 lbs
Month 5: -8 lbs

✨Total Weight Loss: -52 lbs (since 1/12/22)✨

Starting out my week right with some Turmeric & Apple Cider Vinegar !

These are a win for me because I know that both Turmeric and Apple Cider Vinegar have so many benefits to them, but I can never get past the taste to actually do like a shot of ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar)…. In fact, I’ve never been able to muster the courage to even attempt it, because I have a weak stomach when it comes to certain things.

So, when asked me to try these out, I was excited to be able to get all of those benefits, without the bad taste!! I was happily surprised when I first tried these, because I really do like the taste of them! I’m going to have re-up and get some more to add these to my regular routine of vitamins + supplements!

Only a week and a half late on this post, but here are my babies on their first (Riley) & second (Drew + me) day of school.

My son started 2nd grade, and my daughter started kindergarten! As for me, I began my 7th year of third grade (teaching… 8th if you include the year I was a 3rd grade student!), and 9th year teaching in general (I also taught a year of 4th & 5th grades.

I can’t believe they are getting so big, it’s kind of crazy that I have 2 school age kids now 😳. Time flies when you’re having fun!

Fun Fact: Riley started kindergarten 29 years to the exact day after I started kindergarten - on my birthday, 8/31!

Also, shout out to my mom for coming and staying the first week of school, to help us get acquainted to our new schedules! It’s a yearly tradition, and as a single mom, it is always so very helpful!!

firstdayofschool2021

🍳 Breakfast by the beach! 🏖 We have an amazing view from our Airbnb, and I love waking up to it!

I made a sausage and bacon omelette to start off our first full day in Daytona Beach! Now I’m filled up & ready to get this day started!

📍 Daytona Beach, FL

The other day I added my 2021-2022 Teacher Wishlist (link in bio) to my story, and I am just so grateful for the generosity of and ! Thank you ladies for making some purchases that will go to great use in my classroom!

Included here are:
▪️ Student Nameplates - I live these ones and have always wanted to get them because they double as an awesome reference tool for my students.

▪️ Desk Fan - No AC in my classroom, so this bad boy will get daily use!

▪️ Reading Comprehension Dice - Perfectly fun way for helping the kids to comprehend and discuss the text they’ve read.

▪️ Welcome Back to School Banner - Cute banner to hang over my classroom entrance to welcome the kiddos back to school!

▪️ Teacher Planner - This will keep me organized with testing dates, meetings, events, and lessons all year long.

▪️ Laptop Stand - Now I can replace the two reams of paper I was using to prop up my laptop last year - and it even has a cool little drawer!

Thank you again ladies, this is all going to make this year all the better!

If you want to check out the other awesome supplies & classroom decor on my wishlist, you can find the link in my bios!

🍳🥓🍽 Tonight, was a breakfast for dinner night, which happens often for me… but this time I made a breakfast scramble.

In this bowl, I have scrambled eggs (seasoned with pink Himalayan, rainbow peppercorn, everyday seasoning, and garlic salt seasonings), bacon, smoky links, shredded triple cheddar, and topped it off with sour cream! Some hot sauce honestly would have set this off - gotta add that to the grocery list!

Easy, and absolutely delicious. This protein bowl was exactly what I needed after I got my workout in! 🙌🏼