Let Us Give Thanks

Okay, so it's been a month since I have written a new post. I had really promised myself that I was gonna try to post twice a month but that just hasn't happened.

Life has been good as a whole. I'm still working at my healthy lifestyle and that is just what it is... a working progress. This past month I stayed on track but didn't do as well as I have been the two months before that. I still made conscience choices when the food was not as healthy as it should be but I'm learning that when I do want to have something that is not so health friendly, not to over indulge and it wont be so damaging. I hit my goal of of thirty pounds. On October 22nd I got on the scale and I was actually down thirty three pounds. In the two weeks since then I'm back and forth between thirty five and thirty seven pounds. The end of October was tough because I needed a paycheck so bad. I was skimming the cupboards  to get by as best as I could.  Here are a few progress pics that I have taken along the way.

I guess the most rewarding part of this process so far, for me, is fitting into smaller clothes. I had gotten so big that it did not matter how cute the clothes were, they were not making me feel cute! Every thing was tight and I hated even getting ready in the mornings because I felt so miserable. I'm sure people get tired of looking at progress pictures but they are very motivational for me. When we look at ourselves every day, we don't realize that we are getting smaller. If you take a photo journal and look back, it helps tremendously. This is the start of week fourteen and I have had to make commitments several times. I want change, so I am seeking change. It's just that simple!

It's easy to get burnt out on foods. I have to switch it up and try new things. Below are some chicken pouches I made and some turkey burgers.

Just take your chicken breast and put in on the foil and season to taste.

Smother with what ever veggies you like. I used peppers, onions, corn, and small cubes of red potato.

Wrap the foil up and put in the oven for an hour and a half on 350 degrees.

(I also put shrimp in two of the packets with the chicken)

These are just turkey burgers cooked with bell pepper on them.

 When I cook, I try to make something that can be more than just one meal. Like the chicken pouches made four meals. The turkey burgers made three meals. It seems like a lot when I'm cooking it but I have it on hand and ready to go with me and I don't have to cook most of the week. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!

Here are a few recipes I have ran across. I have tried some of them and some of them I have not but I'm dying to!

Clean Eating Spinach Dip
(Makes approximately 6 cups)
Ingredients
1 (16 oz.) container low-fat cottage cheese
10 oz. container frozen spinach, thawed
8 oz. can water chestnuts, chopped fine
2 tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Directions
Step 1 – Using a blender, blend the cottage cheese until it is smooth and creamy.
Step 2 – Put the cottage cheese in a large mixing bowl, and add all other ingredients. Stir well.
Eat and Enjoy!

Nutritional Content
1 serving = 1/2 cup
Calories: 64
Total Fat: 1 gm
Saturated Fats: 1 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 3 mg
Sodium: 151 mg
Carbohydrates: 7 gm
Dietary fiber: 1 gm
Sugars: 1 gm
Protein: 6 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 4
_________________________

Clean Eating Tuna Salad
(Makes approximately 8 servings)
Ingredients
3 cans water-packed tuna
1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 carrot – grated
1/2 tsp. dried dill
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 small tomato
1/4 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 a small white onion
1 hard boiled egg
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. honey (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Step 1 – Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and serve!

Nutritional Content
1 serving = approximately 1/2 cup
Calories: 97
Total Fat: 1 gm
Saturated Fats: 0 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 45 mg
Sodium: 227 mg (based on 1/4 tsp. sea salt)
Carbohydrates: 2 gm
Dietary fiber: 0 gm
Sugars: 1 gm
Protein: 18 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 1
__________________________

Clean Eating Ranch Dressing
(Makes approximately 8 tbsp.)
5 tbsp. low-fat buttermilk
3 tbsp. non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. dried dill
1/2 ts. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried chives
1/2 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
Directions
Step 1 – Using a whisk, mix all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth and evenly blended.


Nutritional Content
1 serving = 2 tbsp.
Calories: 10
Total Fat: 2 gm
Saturated Fats: 0 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 0 gm
Sodium: 55 mg
Carbohydrates: 1 gm
Dietary fiber: 0 gm
Sugars: 1 gm
Protein: 1 gm
__________________________

Clean Eating Blueberry Mango Salsa
(Makes approximately 2 cups)
Ingredients
1 cup chopped blueberries
1 cup chopped mango
1 tsp. grated ginger (grated with a microplane)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Pinch sea salt
Directions
Step 1 – Chop all ingredients to the consistency you like.
Step 2 – Mix in a medium mixing bowl.
Step 3 – Chill and serve with organic corn chips.
Eat and Enjoy!

Nutritional Content
1 serving = 1/2 cup
Calories: 49
Total Fat: 0 gm
Saturated Fats: 0 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 1 mg
Carbohydrates: 13 gm
Dietary fiber: 2 gm
Sugars: 10 gm
Protein: 1 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 4
_________________________

Clean Eating Chicken Salad
Ingredients
6-7 Chicken breasts, baked
1 cup Clean Eating Ranch Dressing
1 red onion, chopped
Avocado (optional)
Directions
Step 1 – Shred your chicken breasts.
Step 2 – Add chicken, onions and ranch to a large mixing bowl and mix well.
Step 3 – If you are so inclined, top with avocado.
Eat and Enjoy!

Nutritional Content
1 serving = 1 cup
Calories: 94
Total Fat: 1 gm
Saturated Fats: 0 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 15 mg
Carbohydrates: 24 gm
Dietary fiber: 3 gm
Sugars: 12 gm
Protein: 1 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 8
__________________________

Clean Eating Sweet Potato Casserole
(Makes 8 small servings)
Topping Ingredients
1 cup pecan pieces
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp. safflower oil
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Filling Ingredients
3 lbs sweet potatoes
1/2 cup clean orange juice
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tbsp. honey
TOPPING DIRECTIONS
Step 1 – In a large mixing bowl, combine all topping ingredients together using a wooden spoon. It will be clumpy and sticky.
Step 2 – Spread out mixture the best you can on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Step 3 – Bake at 350 degrees F. for approximately 10-15 minutes. The mixture should have a nice golden color to it.
Step 4 – Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Step 5 – Transfer small portions to a large cutting board and chop roughly. Set aside.
CASSEROLE DIRECTIONS
Step 1 – Wash the sweet potatoes and rub with oil. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake until easily pierced with a fork (about 30-40 minutes).
Step 2 – Remove from oven and allow to cool until you can handle them without burning yourself.
Step 3 – Peel the potatoes and place the inside in a large mixing bowl.
Step 4 – Add all other filling ingredients and mash with a potato masher or blend with a hand blender.
Step 5 – Transfer the potato mixture to a serving bowl. Sprinkle the pecan topping evenly over the potatoes.
Step 6 – Serve.
Note: you will most likely have some topping left over depending on the size of the dish you use. The leftovers are great for topping oatmeal or mixing in with granola.
Eat and Enjoy!

Filling Nutritional Content
1 serving = 1/8 of the recipe (does not include topping)
Calories: 162
Total Fat: 0 gm
Saturated Fats: 0 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 93 mg
Carbohydrates: 38 gm
Dietary fiber: 5 gm
Sugars: 11 gm
Protein: 3 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 16

Topping Nutritional Content
1 serving = 1/8 of the recipe (does not include filling)
Calories: 154
Total Fat: 12 gm
Saturated Fats: 1 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 1 mg
Carbohydrates: 13 gm
Dietary fiber: 2 gm
Sugars: 9 gm
Protein: 2 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 7
___________________________

All these recipes are listed on www.thegraciouspantry.com. I have found this website to be very helpful with not only recipes but understanding clean eating as a whole. The author of this website/blog is great! Go read her story! If you are interested in incorporating some clean eating into your life style you should definitely check out her website. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!

I am still working on the goal of Couch to 5K! I finished week one and on the last day I suffered a horrible knee injury. For two weeks I was in a lot of pain and very frustrated. The whole week I was sore but it was different on that last day. I really hurt myself.  Learning and understanding running as a much larger person is key to my success as a runner. I will not give up and this week my traning continues. I'm hoping to be a part of this 5K in New Orleans with several of the teachers at SJH!


In other news, the Whites were here this past week and through the weekend. As always, it was so good to have them home. If you missed the memo... JAMIE LEE IS PREGNANT!! We are all so excited! We spent the days that they were here hanging out and just playing with the girls. Saturday we had a wedding in our family. My cousin Glen tied the knot with Debbie! It was a beautiful wedding! It was out side and candlelit, so romantic!! Here are a few shots from the wedding!

Olyvia was one of the flowers girls.

She was so pretty.

Love this picture!

My little beauty!

Love this picture too!

Pawpaw and the "White" girls

Sister and I

The best men in my life!

Handsome brother of mine!

I so enjoyed the wedding and getting to see everyone! I am so happy for Glen and Debbie.The both looked great and both looked so happy!!


Yesterday Brooklynn and I put up our Christmas tree. We had so much fun. We had the Christmas music playing and I was loving every second of it. This is my favorite time of the year and it is going by way to fast. Next week we are off from school all week and it's Thanksgiving! I am looking forward to so time off and lots of time with Brooklynn Rose. I hope you are all finding the joy in this season and taking in every second of it! This month should remind all of us  how blessed we are and to always give thanks. Happy Thanksgiving from our house to yours!

I am a cheater and I must confess!!

It's the end of week seven on my "health journey" and it was a HORRIBLE week in my health world. This is the first week that I didn't lose a pound and there are very good reasons for that. Let's start off  with the fact that I did not prep one single meal except for the crock pot chicken taco soup last week and I only ate that twice after I made it. The rest of the week I did not even make breakfast and at lunch I "winged" it. We order out at school a few times and some of the sides were not so good. Here is a list of things that I had that I think deserve a confession.

1. A piece of cookie cake (my mom had one made for me and Jamie Lee)
2. Two hush puppies and they were so good
3. Sonic which was a grilled chicken sandwich plain (not horrible) with a small fry (horrible)
4. several carbonated drinks

Now I know this does not sound like a big deal but to me it is. I have been out of sink not being prepared and I now know just how important that is. I know that eating breakfast is what gets my metabolism going and I skipped out every single day this week on breakfast. Cool Jenn! I was feeling discouraged by all this at the end of the week so I did some before and after pictures to put things in perspective and to help me remember how far I have come.

week one, week four, week seven

week one, week seven

week one, week seven

week one, week seven

These are a spin off from the pumpkin chocolate cupcakes I did a few weeks

ago. This time I did white cake mix and  can of blueberry pie filling.

Mix together and cook for 40 mins on 350 degrees.

These are about 200 calories and 2 grams of fat!

So good.

My next goal is to complete Couch to 5K

Gonna start Monday training and will hopefully be able to run a 5K by the new year. These little beauties are gonna help!

I will get back on track this week and not "cheat" myself any longer. I know it is not the end of the world when I make a bad choice concerning food but I also know it becomes less difficult after each time that you do make a bad choice. I have tried so hard to stick to my plan that I don't want to take any steps back!

In other news life has been good. Robert and Jamie Lee came in to town Tuesday and we have done the usual family things that we do when they come home.

sweet girls

They are both getting way too big!

Sugar for my Lyvi' Love

Besides my off week with my eating I also had a off week dealing with things that shouldn't bother me. When you are faced with something that you feel like was done intentional how do you deal with it? I try to evaluate the situation and ask myself questions before I jump to any conclusions. Then I ask myself if I am the problem and what am I doing to make the problem any better or worse.  I am so big on self peace and self awareness. When something ticks me off, hurts, or just plain annoys me I usually asses the situation and try to find a way to be the better person or make a better attitude choice. This week I struggled with that.  Yesterday I came home sick from work and felt like death until this morning. Even today I have felt weak and groggy all day. Between my bad week of eating, bad week of attitudes and annoying things, and throwing up sick for over 12 hours... I was really having myself  a pity party. Who likes pity parties... no on but the one who is hosting it! I tried to shake it off and half way enjoy my Saturday. Brooklynn and I went to Wal-Mart to get a few things and to find some stuff to complete her homework for the weekend which was a pumpkin project. We had a lot of fun making it. We turned on the radio and went creative crazy! Instantly my mood was better!!

so sweet

so beautiful

She loves her tire swing

earlier this week on her tire swing

Last week at Loblolly Fest

He super cute trick or treat bucket

New school picture

She is the love of my life

Totally sassing out the out fit Jay Jay and Aunt Casey sent her!

Tomorrow is a new day and a new week! Things will be better this week. Wednesday afternoon Brooklynn's daddy will fly home and he is going with her on her field trip with school to the pumpkin patch on Thursday and she is so very excited. After that they will head to her Mimi's in meridian until Monday, needless to say it's gonna be a few days for me! I hope you all have a great week !!

Twenty Eight feels GREAT

Last Thursday I turned twenty eight. My family was precious, my co workers were great and I had a dear friend take me to New Orleans! The older I get the less important birthdays seem to me. I tried to do a lot of reflection on the days before and the day of my birthday. I compiled a list of twenty eight things that have either taught me a lesson or effected my life in a major way.

1. I never understood how much my parents loved me until I became a parent myself. Motherhood is my most treasured accomplishment in life. Nothing has ever challenged or caused me to grow as a person, like being a mother has.
2. The older I get the smaller my circle of friends becomes. My friends that I have had my whole entire life are the best kind around. I never lose that connection or love for them no matter how much time passes.
3. When you make a mistake, I mean a horrible, shameful mistake.... you just have to own it. I never run from or defend things people say about me concerning my mistakes. People who know me, love me anyway.
4. Forgiveness in a must and a grudge only hurts you.
5. I was raised in church... a Southern Baptist church. I loved my church and many of the people who still go there. I was so blinded by the church and how it treated people. My family suffered a hard time many years ago and I was totally turned off by the way the church responded to it. It was at that point that I seen how the "rules" of the church had shaped and molded my life. I am a Christian. I do answer to the Lord but my belief is that we are to love God and love people and that people have personal convictions. We cant force our own convictions on other people. I am not bad mouthing my church at all just saying how events happened and how it shaped my view on things.
6. Women are the most competitive creatures on Earth. Awful!
7. I am  not a night owl. Never have been and never will be!
8. No matter how much you love someone, you can not change them. No matter how much hope you have in them, you cant force them to use their potential. No matter how  hard you run from the inevitable, it is still coming.
9. Every one is human, they will do human things.
10. I love to drive fast.. really fast.
11. I am completely and utterly scared to death of going back to school.
12. I am strong.
13. I am loved.
14. I never planned on being a mom, much less a single mom. I have NO DOUBT that it's what I'm supposed to be doing. I know all parents have special connections and bonds with their children but what I have with Brooklynn Rose is so sacred to me. There are times when it's so heart breaking that I cant even breathe. This past Christmas my whole family pulled together to get Brooklynn's play house moved to our house and set up while she was fast asleep waiting on Santa to come but the next morning, I could hardly keep from having a lump in my throat because She and I were alone. My whole life there was at least five people around the Christmas tree with me on Christmas morning and now it's just one. I am okay with that but that is what I mean when I say sometimes my emotions are overwhelming. Every morning, every night, every meal, every trip to school, every bedtime prayer, every load of her dirty clothes, every grocery shopping trip, every day... every memory is mine. She is no doubt my soul mate. She was sent here to save me. The time is slipping away and she is not a baby any more. I wonder what it will be like ten years from now.
15. I hate poor customer service.
16. Communication communication communication!!!
17. I still love to play babies with Brooklynn now as much as I did when I was a little girl.
18. fall, winter, spring, and summer. That is the order of my favorites.
19. I am simple, very simple.
20. Robert White is the very best friend I have ever had. I love all of my siblings very much but Robert has always been my best friend.
21. Time takes care of everything. Brooklynn has a little sister who was born six months and one day after her. They have not seen each other since either of them were just a few months old. This is very heart breaking for me and very hard for me to let go of and allow time to take it's place. I played a fair share in things being the way they are now in certain situations but to me they are what matter now and any past grievance should be let go of, for their sake. I try to imagine the day Brooklynn finds out she has a sister that I never told her about. I wonder how that will effect her. I wonder if she will resent me for keeping that from her. I am open to them knowing each other and have expressed that desire many times but have been told it just wont happen and I have no choice but to respect that.  Time takes care of everything.
22. Happiness is a choice.. no really it is.
23. I am getting set in my ways and I'm okay with that. I have no desire to have a man in my life. I'm not closed off to the idea or try to prevent it form happening but I am not a girl who needs a man to be happy. I'm just not that girl.
24. No one will love and respect you if you do not love and respect yourself.
25. I am twenty eight and I am debt free.
26. Expressing my feelings is something I have to do. I can not let things build up. Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to say how I feel.
27. People who know EVERY THING drive me up the wall!!!!!!!
28. I am happy with life. I am at peace with life and I know that life is seasonal. Hard times come and go. Good times come and go. Friends come and go. Money comes and goes. It's all about how you view things and your frame of mind. It would be real easy to get bitter but to me it's just not worth it. I have a wonderful family, a job that I love, and the unconditional love of the prettiest four year old in the whole wide world. How could I not be happy? How could I complain? I am ready for the year of twenty eight of all that it holds for me!!

Sunday Morning Thoughts

Hello, Friends!

Can you guys already feel the busy that fall brings? Football games, homecoming, pageants, and just life in general. Like I have said many times, these next few months are my favorite time of the year. I love everything about fall. I'm excited to decorate my house, change the scents in my house, pick out Halloween costumes, I  mean you know the drill and I'm sure you're all doing the same thing. How exciting!

In the life of Brooklynn and I things are going pretty good. She is still going through some of the things I spoke about a few weeks ago, dealing with the separation anxiety. It is not as intense as before and she isn't crying when I leave her at school any more but to be out of my presence for an extended amount of time, outside of school, is still unpredictable. I've decided not to stress about it. She and I have talks about it and I assure her that things are okay when she is not with me. I'm just waiting for it to pass.

I have still been doing great with my clean eating and results are still showing. Yesterday I got on the scale and was down another three pounds so that makes twenty total at the end of week five. Week five I was out of sorts and low on cash. I was not able to buy and eat the things that I do on a daily basis but I still managed to stick to it. I just don't feel confident with out all my fruits and veggies to eat on  all day. I got paid Friday and yesterday I went and stocked up on everything I needed.

Robert, Jamie Lee, and my sweet Lyvi Love were here last weekend. As always, it was so good to see them. Olyvia is getting so big and changing so much each time I see her. She has the sweetest spirit and is such an easy baby. We played babies for a good thirty mins and she was just as content and taking everything in. I cant believe how big she is. She will say almost anything you tell her to. She and Brooklynn are just as close as ever. When Lyv' sees Brooklynn her little eyes light up and she smiles as big as the moon! It's precious. While they were here we went to the West/ South game at South Jones and had dinner a couple of times. I will never get used to them living far away but it was so good to spend time with them.

My sweet family

sweet girls

I love this pic

oh and this one too

sweet sweet

 

love my sister

Paw paw & His girls

 

 

We needed some new pics. These are all super sweet but I cant figure out why they are so small and right now I don't have the patience to figure out how to make them bigger. Either way they are precious right?

 

 

Today/tomorrow starts week six on my journey to a healthy life style. I have tried some fun recipes and of course I have been taking progress pictures. Some days I feel super dedicated and some days I feel like I haven't lost a pound. When I get out the progress pictures they really help me put things in prospective. I don't guess I have really ever "known my body". I was so unhealthy that I didn't even know how to listen to my body. When you start eating healthy you can really tell what your body needs as far as nutrition goes. For example, when I first started this and like the first two weeks into it, I was still eating a pretty big supper. It would be healthy but larger than it should be. This past week I really payed attention to my body and I ate a really small supper almost every night. I cut way back on my portions for the evening. I would just have a cup of veggies or only a turkey sandwich and be satisfied.  I'm still eating it by five o'clock every night but it's just a lot smaller. I fuel my body by eating all day that when it's time to eat supper it does not take much to satisfy me. I have had a few glasses of sweet tea and I even had some carbonation but found that it made more thirsty. It was nice with lunch or with dinner but I do not have it every day or with every meal. I try not to get on the scale but once a week. A couple of those weeks I would get on every few days and my weight would fluxate so much that I would feel defeated so I stopped that and started only weighing once a week. 

 

Being over weight my whole life has taken it's tole on my body, my mind, my emotions, and my confidence in ever achieving any goals I have set for myself. I have dieted so many times and never stuck with it. I have tried every pill, every powder, counted points, and done every challenge out there with out lasting results. What I have been doing the past five weeks is working for me. Physically I  am there, mentally I am there, emotionally I am there and I am confident that what I am doing is what I should be doing. There is no turning back for me. I feel like being and staying committed to this will help me be and stay committed to other things I want to do with my life. Self peace is something I am big on. I have hid from who I really am for so long. I would embrace every other thing in my life but always had this dark lurking shadow of bad health that I would just pretend wasn't there. To face that demon, one that I have repressed for so long, has put me in a much better place with myself. I had to just own it that I had never cared about myself or my health, for a number of reasons. YOU HAVE TO CARE ABOUT YOURSELF! I have not cared about myself in a really long time. I was in a destructive relationship for over five years and disrespected myself on so many levels. I became a single mom and totally devoted my life and everything in me to my little girl, which is great but I forgot to care about myself. Being a single mom and having to work extra hard was almost an excuse to not care about myself. Isn't that awful? I had to dig deep and I had to face how bad I was to myself and then I had to not let that be something negative in my life. I made bad choices, I took wrong turns, I ignored my health, I ran from my demons and it is what it is. I am not that person any more. I do care about myself. I do care about my health. I try to make very conscience decisions in every aspect of my life. When you want a change in your life, you will make one. If you don't want a change in your life, you will make excuses. It's not easy but it's worth it and becomes the new normal!

 

These muffins are so good!

All you need is a box of chocolate devils food cake (I got the moist one)

and a can of pumpkin. Mix the two together and trow them in your muffin pan.

Put them in the oven on 400 degrees for twenty mins.

They are not super low in calories or fat but they are great alternative for something sweet!

My crock pot has become my best friend.

Here I did chicken breast, which I brown a little bit before putting them in and

lots of veggies. Celery, peppers, carrots, mushrooms, and cauliflower. I also steamed these on a very

low heat for a few mins just to soften them up a bit before I put them in the crock pot.

I used a recipe starter from Progresso that was cream of mushroom and I added a pack of

onion soup mix. I let it cook all day. The last two hours I put in a cup of brown rice and y'all 

this was great. I ate on it for several meals. I also brought my mom and Mr. Sid some to eat on.

Use your crock pot!! 

This picture is from day one week one, and day seven of week four.

Progress pictures truly are a good motivator. Use them!

 

I did this progress picture last night.

This is week one, week three, and the end of week six.

I can tell in my clothes more than anything that I am loosing weight.

 

 

 

Some of my friends are like "well I do good all week and then I eat pizza". There is nothing wrong with that. Most of my friends are much smaller and do not have near the weight to lose that I do. Whether you're 200 pounds over weight or 10 pounds over weight, making any healthy choices is what it's about. Reality is that no, not every meal we eat for the rest of our lives will be the most healthy or the best choice as far as nutrition goes but that the fact that you  make more health conscience choices than you do bad choices, when it comes to food,  that is a life style change.

 

I am thankful for all the love and support I have gotten since I started this journey. My family is always encouraging me, especially Robert. He constantly checks in on me and tells me he is proud of me. I have never felt judged by my  brother for my weight but I always knew how much he cared about me and just wanted me to live healthier. My co-workers have been great. They have been supportive and give me fresh ideas when it comes to food. Their daily encouragement keeps me going! My friends, well we all know that I have great friends! Having a team of support around me has been so helpful. The support from my friends on FB, IG, and from those of you who read my blog keeps me accountable. Making a change in your life no matter what it is, takes time. I challenge everyone to look at their life and find the things that need to be changed. May it be finances, may it be a relationship, your job, your role as a wife or mother,weight, priorities, anything that you have been running from and just face it! A few weeks from now you will be glad you cared about yourself enough to face the change! I hope you all have a great week!!

 

 

 





 



 

 



Healthy Is What I Need To Be

Hey guys! This blog wont be to long but it wont be to short either. 

I started my journey to a healthy life style on August 26, 2012. Notice the two words I used HEALTHY & LIFESTYLE. I have been over weight almost my entire life. I can remember at the start of second grade, coming to school and being weighed, and my teacher telling me I had gained eighteen pounds over the summer, AS A SECOND GRADER! That is my first memory of my weight being pointed out to me. Until that point in my life, I had been itty bitty. From then on out, I continued to gain weight the rest of my childhood, adolescent years, and into young adult life.

I have always been aware of my weight but no one in my life has ever been mean or cruel to me because of it. I have always had great parents, siblings, friends and so forth who have never been ugly to me because I was over weight. I was never bullied by anyone but MYSELF and that did not start until a few years back. I now have a four year old little girl and I'm pretty much her main care taker. I know everything about her. I know her moods. She is mine and how unfair was I being by not making my life the best it could be for her. She needs me and I made a vow to  her and myself that my weight would never be a reason that I would be taken from her.

I don't know why it has taken me this long to REALLY change my lifestyle.  I'm lazy that's one reason for sure. I'm tired, I don't have time, I don't have the money... yeah do these excuses sound familiar? These are some of my favorite excuses. The ones I used ALL the time. I joined Instagram back in the summer and in August I found myself constantly looking at people who were changing the way they lived, changing their diet, changing their habits and changing their body. I became obsessed with looking at it and finally after a hard month of August and feeling depressed I knew some things had to change and then I had to actually change them.

I decided I would not pressure myself but I would make choices that would lead to better health. On Instagram the big thing for these people who were changing so much was "clean eating". Clean eating is simple. It's mostly raw veggies and fruits and staying away from processed foods. Shopping organic is another big key in clean eating. I also noticed that most of these people prepped their food days in advance. They did not wake up in the crazy of the morning trying to plan a menu for the day. They prepared and that was something I wanted to do as well. I went through what seemed thousands of pictures looking at what I thought I would like to try and getting ideas to help me stick to what I was trying to do. I went to the grocery store with my list and it's been no turning back from there. I feel better. My clothes fit better. My body is functioning better. I sleep better. I get up better. I AM BETTER!

People have been asking me on Instagram for ideas and questions about what I do. I simply look at other people who eat clean on Instagram and go off of what they post. My grocery list always includes the following items.

• bananas
• apples
• plums
• grapes
• one big bag of frozen fruit (yes this is processed)
• cucumbers
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• carrots
• celery
• bell peppers
• green beans
• black beans
• mushrooms
• lettuce or spinach
• pickles
• eggs
• egg whites
• ground turkey
• turkey sandwich meat (also processed)
• chicken (processed)
• hummus
• sugar free balsamic dressing
• orowheat sandwich thins (100 calories for both pieces)
• brown rice
• sugar free/fat free cool whip
• tuna
• Pico de Gallo
• plain Greek yogurt (taste just like sour cream)
• nuts
• water

I'm sure I left something out and this list also changes and varies every time I go but at any point in time I have to have most of these on hand. Yes, some things are processed. I'm trying really hard to stay away from that but I'm still learning and for now these things are a part of what I eat. I also read the book "You Are What You Eat". I totally suggest getting it!

I found since eating these foods that I eat more now than I ever have. I literally eat a piece of fruit or some cucumbers or pickles almost every hour. I never get hungry because I am constantly feeding my body. When I leave my house in the morning my bag is full of food and when I get home it is all gone. Raw fruits and veggies are so good for your body and still have all of their nutritional value. They give your body fuel and burn fat among other great things. I also try to eat supper by 5:00 pm and all I drink is water! Gonna post some pics that I have been taking along the way.

shop colorful

Prepping is KEY for me!

These are delish and can also be made with egg whites.

Stuffed bell peppers using ground turkey.. delish!!

Lunch yesterday

baked chicken and veggies

These are high is fat but it's the kind of fat your body needs.

I stayed away from these until I read the book I mentioned earlier.

These give me an instant boost of energy!

Salad with all the trimmings is one of my favorites.

I mean do you see it?

Week one and end of week three

Week one and end of week three

Early August and day two of week four.

I hope these pictures are proof of what clean eating can do for you. Besides walking, I have not done any exercising. Mainly because I'm still scared with my broke foot healing. I'm hoping I get some running shoes for my birthday and I'm gonna start Couch to 5K. That is my next big goal. To date, I have lost fifteen pounds. Every day is a choice to eat right. Every day is a choice to care about my health enough to do the right thing. I have not eaten any fast food since I started and I used to eat fast food at least four times a week. (gross I know).  I feel like I am on the right path and I'm really enjoying it. I will be a living example for my daughter and a healthy lifestyle. I will be around for her and I will be healthy while doing so.