The Weekend(s)

I have known that weekends will be the toughest for me. They are a time when my time is not structured, and I usually *try* to have some fun!

This weekend was Shrimpfest.
It is an event put on by the Knights of Columbus in Centralia, MO and it obviously involves a LOT of Shrimp. My friend Megan's dad is part of the Knights and she started asking us to come and serve at the event when we were in college and it has remained part of our get-togethers for the year. 

My friend Megan and I at Shrimpfest this year (2017)
This was my TENTH year serving at Shrimpfest! 

All of us UCM crew get together and help serve the patrons of Centralia salads, bread, fried shrimp, cold/boiled shrimp, shrimp scampi, fried potatoes, corn nuggets, onion rings, pretzel bites, sausage, and cheesecake. There's an open bar and auction. It's always a good time. 

When it's all said and done, we get to eat. And we typically just go to town. Eating (as much of) whatever we wanted. However this year, I had planned. I took all of my other meals for the weekend and ate at home before going (part of why we ate so much was because we were so hungry!). I made sure not to just pick randomly from the spread in front of me, but to prepare a bowl so I could see how much and what I was actually eating. We also typically drink copious amounts of alcohol. But this year, I kept a cup in my hand filled with water. I drank a lot of water! 

All-in-all I was really proud of myself. I ate a LOT of salad, boiled shrimp, potatoes and only a taste of the other staples (scampi, fried shrimp and corn nuggets) 

The gang was kind-of small this year, but we made it work for sure! 

We are the (5) best friends that anybody could have! 

The girls!

Part of the reason that our gang was smaller this year was because some of our members (I guess I would call us members LOL) were out having babies! We got to go and meet Walter and William (twins) of our friends Phil and Jessica. HOW SWEET! 

I didn't get a picture with them (I did hold them both!) .. but here's Lacey and Megan with the two newest additions! 

I came home and went to a birthday party for my two cousins and then came home to meal prep. All-told it took about two hours, and now I have breakfasts, lunches, snacks and dinners for the coming week! 

I actually think this is last week's picture. But it's like the same thing. lol 

Here's to an awesome week!!

"About Me"

I realize that a lot of people are reading this who probably do not know who I really am.
So, let me help you out:

My name is Hilliary Owens. I am 29, single, and busy.
I work for the Sedalia School District #200. I teach a classroom of 21 mixed-age, second and third graders. I am also an assistant softball coach. These two jobs were really the catalyst for me applying for Healthy U: I wanted to be a good role model to my students and my student-athletes.

I am also the school "webmaster", serve on the Superintendent's Advisory Committee, supervise a student teacher, two cadet teachers and a Tiger Tutor, teach summer school, and tutor kids after school. I serve on the board of directors of the Sedalia School District Foundation, recently completed the Leadership Academy, am the day-time manager of the Pork Place during fair time, and am the vice-president of the Sedalia Girls Softball League. I also create and sell products on Teachers Pay Teachers. Oh, and I was also recently voted Outstanding Educator in my building. 😁 I am a sister, daughter, niece, cousin, aunt, granddaughter, and friend.

I was born and raised in Sedalia, graduated from Smith-Cotton in 2006 and pursued my Bachelor's in Elementary Education. I graduated from the University of Central Missouri in 2010 with a BS in Elementary Education and a minor in English. I began teaching in Sedalia in 2011, and went back to school to pursue my Master's Degree. I received my Master's in Elementary and Middle School Administration in 2015. I would like to go back to pursue my Specialist (but in what, I don't know yet!). 

As you can tell I have two real loves in my life: Education and Softball. I honestly feel like without either of these things in my life, growing up or in the present, I would be a totally different person! [and is another reason I didn't want to let either of these loves "down" by being an unhealthy version of myself]

As you can also probably see: I'm pretty busy. I like to be busy. I have found that I am addicted to being busy. And I think that's okay. One side-effect of my "Busyness" was that I didn't always plan what I was going to eat, or how to make sure that I was getting the exercise in that I needed. I had become a fast-food, pre-packaged, over-eating, and for the most part sedentary person.  

I am really very thankful for the opportunity to be a part of Healthy U. I know that I am going to learn a lot (I have already learned so much)! I am ready to keep going and see how what I learn will effect my life and the lives of those around me!

Next week I'll try to take you through meal prepping for the week & what I've learned about that so far. 

Here Goes Nothing

This is the first post in what will be a long journey.

I am so excited to have been chosen as a Healthy U student for 2017. It has really taken a while for it to sink in, and I feel like every once in a while I will have to pinch myself.

Healthy U is a program put on by our hospital and community. The Healthy Living Action Group (HLAG) helps run the program. Here's how it works: anyone in the community is invited to put in an application for the program. The committee looks through all the applications and picks 20-25 to bring in for interviews and from those interviews, 12 people are chosen to compete in a weight loss competition while learning healthy lifestyle changes.

This year we are paired with a nutrition specialist who will help us with our food, planning, prepping, and etc. We also get a fitness mentor: but they are just there to support us, not to guide us through workouts or anything. And I have one person for both things!

I chose the title "Conquering the Abyss" for a specific reason: Bodybuilding.com defines "Abyss" as a barrier which stands between knowing what needs to be done and actually doing it.

AND THAT IS ME!
I know what I should be doing: Eating right, working out, drinking water.
But it seems impossible for me to be motivated enough to actually do the things that I need to do.

I am the queen of excuses: I am really busy, I 'deserve' to have a break, my whole family is overweight, so I will be too, I'm tired, etc, etc, etc. ... But I am ready to re-train my brain so that those excuses are a little quieter.

I am so excited to have my trainer and nutritionist who will be amazing for me. I have only heard good things about and from her and I am excited to get started!

And thank you to my amazing friends, family and co-workers who have already been so supportive. The plan is to update the blog once per week (on Sundays) to keep everyone up-to-date. And if I get a wild hair, more than that.

Here goes nothing...