Eggs on a cloud

I got my new Rachael Ray magazine a couple days ago and was thumbing through it. I found what looked like a fabulous recipe for eggs. Most of the time when I look at recipes now a days, I ask myself, 'how can I make this Paleo?' Well, all I had to do with this one, was to leave out cheese!! Oh it was fabulous!!! I even took step by step pictures so you can all see what it looks like as you go!

Preheat oven to 450*
What you will need:
4 eggs
Bacon
chives (optional)
Salt & Pepper

You want to cook up the bacon, I used 3 cooked strips to go into the eggs and then 2 strips for each person eating..

Next you want to separate your eggs. Put the egg whites into a bowl and each yolk into their own small bowls. Then you are going to whip the egg white until firm peaks form...

Now, take you bacon and chop it into small pieces, fold into the egg white along with chives if you wish. I didn't have chives this morning, so I added a little bit of dried minced onions. Then put on a lined baking sheet into 4 'clouds'. Each 'cloud' needs to have a deep well in it.

Cook in the oven for 3 minutes. The top will just start to turn golden brown. Take them out and put a yolk into each one of the wells on the 'clouds'.

Put it into the oven for 3 more minutes until the yolk is set and 'clouds' are nice and golden brown. Serve warm. :)

Oh so totally yummy!!!! Thank you Rachael Ray!!1

Till next time...

6 months ago

6 months ago today, I decided to make a HUGE life change. I finally decided it was time to lose weight and it had to be for good! Not one of these quick weight loss thing. I talked to a very good friend of mine, Charissa, and she sent me down the path that would be changing my life forever. See Charissa has known me for years and she knew exactly how to get me started. Slow and easy and work up in steps, so that is what we did!

I had stepped on the scale after months and months and saw an unbelievable number I never thought I would ever see and never thought I could ever weigh!! I saw 299. That was almost 300!!! Holy cow, I thought! I'm fat! I can't be like this and be here for my kids their whole life. I was scared! My kids are everything to me and I have to be there for them their whole life!! I want to see them grow, graduate, get married, have kids, and all that over again with their kids. If I continued down this road and keep gaining weight, there would be no way I would be here for any of that.

So, I started walking. I started on an app called Couch to 5K, but instead of running I was to walk briskly when it said run. I would walk normal, then pick up the pace. I'm not going to lie, it was hard! Not the walking, but walking briskly was. It was hurting in my calves. I also started that day, by cutting everything I drank down to ONLY water, black or green UNSWEETENED teas and black coffee. That was it! Nothing else! The first few days was extremely hard, but I was determined, and knew this is what I needed to do!

I set my goals for long term and short inter minted goals as well. My long term goal is to get to 175. That was 124 pounds to lose. Holy cow, that's a lot! That's like both my kids put together plus some! But, I was (still am) determined to do it! My first little goal was to get out of that 100 range and get down to only having 99 pounds to lose. Then it was 50 pounds for my wedding, then to get to my half way point. Today, my short term goal is to get out of the 200's all together and there is only 34 pounds to go for that to happen!! After losing 65 pounds, that seems like nothing!!

Today, 6 months later, I am  full on Paleo. Over the last month and a half, it's been slow because of getting married, honeymoon and holidays, but I've still managed to lose 8 pounds and stick to my  Paleo lifestyle as much as I can where I can! :) Once the new year is over with, I can jump back in full force and lose this last 59 pounds!!! :)

59 pounds, that's it! That seems like such a small number considering I started at needing to lose 124! Wow!
299 6 months ago, today I'm 234!
124 pounds to lose 6 months ago, toady 59 pounds to lose!
Size 24 6 months ago, today size 16!

Till next time!

Breakfast Recipe for Yule eggs

I must say, I made the best breakfast this morning. You see, it's Yule today. Which is an old Pagan, Celtic, Roman Empire, German, etc tradition. Yule is also known as the Winter Solstice. It is the shortest day of the year and longest night of the year. Today is the turn of a 'new year'. From this day forward until Summer Solstice, the days get longer and prepare mother earth for Spring time and planting all the plentiful crops that she will grow for us! So in honor of today, I made a breakfast that 'welcomes the sun'. (And it's totally Paleo!!)

So here's how you make this!!

1 lb of sausage (I used Jimmy Dean)

1/2 yellow onion - chopped

1/2 bell pepper - chopped (I used green)

1 tomato diced

1 cup salsa

4 eggs

Cook the sausage, onions and bell peppers until cooked all the way through. Add salsa and let simmer for 5 minutes. Divide into 4 portions in your pan, make a 'nest' in the sausage mixture and add tomatoes into each nest (Nest represents spring to come). Crack egg into each nest over the tomatoes. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes. (To make this non-paleo you can add cheese into the nest before you add your egg). Once the egg yolk (egg represents the sun) is set, you can serve!

It is totally yummy! I will make this other mornings besides today. I was a hit! I hope you try this!

Till next time!

In just 4 days...

It's unbelievable! I was just saying that over the last month I haven't lost a whole lot of weight. Which was totally the case, but it's just come off since I was saying that! I'm down to 235!!! That's 2 pounds in the last 4 days.... I think getting back into the swing of things after all the happenings over the last month, has kicked my body back into the swing of things! What is so awesome to say is.. I have lost 64 pounds and have 60 pounds left to go! I'm over half way to my goal!!

Another way to look at this is... I have lost 64 pounds and only have 35 to go till I'm out of the 200's or till I've lost 100 pounds... That just seems crazy! I'm that close to the 100 pound mark!! That's awesome! I can totally see myself getting extremely close to or getting at my goal weight by summer time.

I'm back into the swing of cooking what needs to be cooked. Didn't really get out of it, but I have had so many extra things going on, that I needed to just get back into my groove of cooking! And I have!





So this is what was for dinner tonight! Steak on the grill with some sauteed mushrooms and onions, with fresh string beans with a little salt and garlic on them and a huge green salad with all sort of the 'salad' veggies that you can imagine!

So like I said, back into the swing of things.. The next thing on my mind.... How long is it going to take me to get to the 200 mark? I think maybe 3 months is what I'm thinking! Hopefully by my birthday (which is March 18th) I'll be at that mark!!! That would be an awesome way to spend my birthday!! :)

Till next time!

My monumental goal met today!

I've been saying over the last month, that it hasn't been a huge weight loss happening with me. Well, that's true. However, today there is a monumental goal that has happened! I am officially at my half way mark!!! I HAVE LOST 62 POUNDS AND HAVE 62 LEFT TO GO!!!! This is BIG, GIANT, HUGE!!! Whatever way you want to look at it! I did it! I got to my half way point!

62 pounds has taken me 171 days to lose. That's 24 1/2 weeks, 5 1/2 months that it took me to lose 62 pounds!!!! That is approx 2 1/2 pounds a week that I have lost! All I can say is WOW! I'm amazed with it! I have never in my life lost this much weight at one time. I have never in my life been so excited about losing weight! It's unbelievable! I just stay in a constant good mood because of this! It's amazing what I life change can do not only for your physical health but for your mental health as well!

 (This is me now)

I started my journey at 299 pounds. After losing 62 pounds that puts me at 237 pounds. I don't even remember the last time I was this weight because I was always afraid or didn't care what my weight was. I can, however, tell you the last time I was in a size 16 clothes (which is where I'm at now), because I still have some of my size 16 clothes from back then. It was when I moved to Seattle at 19 and started working in the corporate world. This is before my first marriage, before kids, all of that! I also remember the last time I was a size 14 (which is the next size I'm aiming to get to), was when I was a Senior in High School. My Prom dress that I wore was a size 14.

(Back before kids! Last time I was a size 16!)



Can you imagine what it's going to be like when I go to my 20 year reunion in 2013 and be fit, thin, lean, healthy and look even BETTER then I did when I graduated from high school? I can't wait for that day to come! Haven't been to a reunion yet, but you better believe that I plan on going to that one!

So, my next long term goal is to get out of the 200's... only 37 pounds for that... seems like a cake walk now that I have lost 62 pounds! I KNOW I can do this! I can't see the light at the end of this tunnel! And don't you even once think that it's going to end there! It will go beyond just the weight loss. It will go into being healthy and getting fit and trim! It will morph into so much more then it already has been morphed into.

Thank you my dear friend, Charissa www.damselsoutofdistress.com for getting me to where I am today! Without your motivation, education and friendship I couldn't have done any of this! There are only better things to come and I know that you are going to get me there as well!

Till next time!

I'm still going.... :)

It's been slow this last month. Because of the holidays, wedding, cookie exchanges, etc there hasn't been a whole lot of weight loss. But I can say, I'm still slowing going down. I'm still in the 30's. I'm at 238 and that makes a 61 pound weight loss. That means 63 more pounds to my goal. That feels so good to say!!

I'm sure it's going to continue to be slow throughout the month of December, but I'm still going to be eating paleo and working out.

On another note, I've currently been working on a committee here in town called 'Citizens for Progress in Education'. We are working on getting a new levy and bond passed to build new schools and help stop the over crowding that is currently happening in our school system. I've been asked to help out at a Business Expo next month to get our information out and also been asked to be on the radio with 3 other committee members. I'm super excited, because this is just another level of feeling good about myself. I've always loved talking to people, especially about causes that I believe in. I just feel more comfortable now a days with the additional weight loss. :)

We will be having a web page built within the next week or two to help promote the word of the new levy and bond. I will surely post a link on my blog for it.

Till next time....

Good bye 40's, Hello 30's!

Sounds so weird this time around... Shouldn't I be going from 30's to 40's? If I were talking age, yes I should.... but when I'm talking weight, going backwards is the way I want to go!

This morning, I am out of the 240's and into the 230's!!! 239 is were I am sitting right now! That means I have lost a whole 60 pounds! I can't believe it! 2 pounds till I hit my half way mark! 39 pounds till I can say good-bye to the 200's all together! That is going to be a big feat right there!

This picture was taken on Dec 3rd right before Chris and I went to his company Christmas party. I have been having so much fun putting together outfits, and wearing jewelry. I just feel so good about myself and the way I look!

Not only am I down into the 30's now, but I have also lost another pant size!!! I am now in a size 16!! Starting my journey at a size 24 and 299 pounds. I've made quite a bit of progress... I am not done though! I'm half way there! I'm still eating Paleo, still working out, still getting my sleep and drinking my water. It's a part of my everyday life!

5 1/2 months and I am half way there.... How long is it going to take to make my other half of the journey. I've heard the 2nd half is harder and may take a little longer, getting my body in better shape and what not. But you know what? I'm willing to take the time, how ever long it is. I'm willing to do what I need to do to lose the rest of this weight and get this body fit! And look good!

My goal for 6 months from now? I be able to take the kids to the pool and not be ashamed of what my body looks like in a bathing suit. Be comfortable laying out in the sun and getting that tan that I want! I'm keeping up with my kids, and I will be able to keep up with them even better this summer! I can't wait!

Till next time!

Paleo Banana Muffins

Oh so so so, yummy!!! I have been having this craving for some sort of bread since Thanksgiving, so I decided to find a recipe and bake some Paleo friendly banana muffins. These will be another item on my must bake all the time list! The kids are even eating them up! They love them, and my husband even said he liked them!

So, here you go! Imagine all those people out there that are on a gluten free diet or maybe can't have wheat or dairy! Or for just us that are totally Paleo! These are awesome!

2 1/4 cup Almond meal/flour
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
4 ripe bananas (mashed)
2 tbsp honey
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 375*.
2.Mix together all the dry ingredients.
3.In a separate bowl, mix mashed bananas, eggs, honey & vanilla. Stir until combined.
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour wet into that well. Mix together. (You don't have to worry about over mixing with this recipe since it's gluten-free)
5. Fill muffin tin or cups 3/4 full. Bake for 24-28 minutes.
6. Let cool slightly. (You can use a slab of almond butter right on the top if you wish)

I have a friend up at the school that eats non-gluten and non-wheat because of allergies she has. She is going to love these tomorrow!

Till next time!

Good morning after Thanksgiving!

You know, Thanksgiving is always one of those times where you don't think about what you eat, you just enjoy it and gorge yourself out on meat, potatoes, veggies, stuffing and anything else you may have at the table. Then of course you go after dessert! If you are anything like my husband, you get a plate piles high of foods and just go to town! The only thing with him is, after the weekend he's back to normal and doesn't have to worry about any weight he may of put on. But if you are like me...

I think I did so well this time around. I knew I wanted to try everything, but I knew I needed to not over do it like I do every other year when it come around! So, let me start from the beginning since we had a 2 day (yes 2 days of that food spread) Thanksgiving this year.

Wednesday night we had all the kids. This is when Chris's family came over. I did your normal spread... at least on my part :) I made a fresh (my husband caught and plucked) turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans and a tossed green salad. My mother in law brought the rest. Stuffing, cranberry sauce and dessert. Did you notice there wasn't any rolls? Nope, because of 2 reasons. First, they were going to be on the table the following night for dinner and I didn't want to over do the bread factor and second, there was fresh homemade bread in the stuffing that was brought. Now, the turkey is protein and good for you, so that was just fine in my little 'diet' world. Green beans & salad just the way I always make them on any other night! So, I just loaded up on those as well. I took a little of the potatoes and gravy, literally a scoop of stuffing and a small spoonful of the cranberry. After eating Paleo for nearly 5 months, this didn't bother me one bit and it was plenty!! Of course I had my wine :) But, I just stuck with the basics and that was awesome! I was so full after dinner and didn't want to move!

Thursday night, we had some great friends come over with their daughter. It was just my 2 kids and their daughter and 4 adults. Once again a nice small dinner. Well, I didn't want turkey 2 nights in a row and neither did my husband, so I made prime rib! Oh, how wonderful it came out. The first time I have ever made it and it was perfect! Along with brussels sprout with some onions and bacon, yams (my hubby's favorite, I don't care of them) and a green salad. Our friends brought over green beans, a little bit of stuffing, jelly cranberry sauce and rolls! Once again, I loaded up on the 'good for you' stuff. Prime rib, brussels sprout, green beans and salad. I had a roll, a small SMALL helping of yams and that's it. Had our wine again.

I've always been concerned with putting on all the 'holiday' weight. But you know what? I don't think I have to worry about it this year, as long as I stick to Paleo every day and only have those couple of 'splurge' days here and there! I am still currently at 242.0!!! That is 57 pounds from my starting point. That is also where I was at on my wedding day and where I was at right before Thanksgiving. That is after all my splurge days this month with everything that was going on, and that is where I am at 2 days after Thanksgiving! It has been my number for the last 2 weeks and I'm OK with it! Now that the majoring of the big events are over till Christmas. I can focus on losing a few more pounds before Christmas gets here.

I hope everyone had a great holiday and is getting ready for Christmas. I know we are in our home!

Till next time!

A week has gone by

It's been a week (and a day) since Chris and I had the wedding... Yesterday was my first day back on track. This is the one thing I love about the paleo plan! I can go off it when & if I need to! I knew with the wedding and family being in town, that my "diet" would be blown out of water! And that's ok! I had fun with my little 'cheats' throughout the week. I enjoyed some awesome food, great wine, wonderful drinks and awesome desserts! Now, it's time to jump back in and get back on track!

It's been a wonderful week. Today I went back to eating salads, fruit and we had tacos for dinner. So, of course I had a taco salad. Had a chicken 'ceaser' for lunch. It nice to be back on track. It's nice to have that goal back in my head and to see me heading towards the right direction again! My next BIG goal is to get out to 200! That means I have 45 pounds to go! I know I can do it and I know it won't take long!

This is just a short little blog to let you all know where I am at and to keep me on track!

Let the new games begin!!

Till next time!

11-11-11

What a memorable day!!! Our lives changed! It was magical, special and unforgettable!

We had a wonderful day. Family, friends were all around to help us celebrate. We had a wonderful lunch, Cesar salad, lasagna, and garlic bread.... completely and totally non-Paleo!!! It was my weekend and I was going to eat what I wanted! We had an absolutely wonderful, delicious cake made by Carmen Hansen! I will be ordering cakes from her from now on!

We went to Cave B Inn for our wedding night and stayed in a beautiful room. A couple hours after checking in, we got a knock on the door and to our surprise, a special little gift from the Chef and the Inn!

I'm so glad I made the 'commitment' to myself to let myself indulge and splurge this whole weekend. And not worry about anything come Monday! Chocolate covered strawberries with whip cream, was just wonderful!!!

We had a wonderful dinner, lots of wine, and a windy stormy night inside our room!!!

Saturday night we head back to Moses Lake, and stayed at the local Ameri-Stay Inn, in a wonderful whirlpool suite! Huge jetted tub! We were there for less then 24 hours, and I had to take 2 baths in that huge thing! It was wonderful. Margarita's for dinner, with chicken and a great time gambling and just enjoying the evening.

Today its almost like starting over, but I feel good about it. I'm not worried about that number on the scale today. I just know I have to jump back onto the band wagon and go full force again! On my wedding day I was down 57 pounds! I was down to 242!! I can't believe it! That is 7 pounds more then what my goal was! Now, my next HUGE goal is to get down to 199... then it will be the final stretch! I can't believe how far I've come and how my final goal is getting closer and closer and more in reach then it has ever before!

Till next time!

4 more days

Till my wedding! I can't believe it's so close! I had a goal to lose 50 pounds before I got married. Well, I still have 4 more days, and I have lost 55 pounds!!! I wanted to be out of the 250's and be at 249 by my wedding day. Well, I reached that goal and as of this morning I am at 244!! I can't believe I am so close to getting out of the 240's! I'm so close to being out of the 200's!!! This has been crazy!!

Things have been going good here! Halloween was a blast with the kids! They all looked so good in their costumes!

And of course they ended up with a butt load of candy! Lucky for me, I only had to deal with 2 half way full bags of candy and not all of them!! :)

Well, other then that, not much going on. Just had to give an update on all the happenings. My mom is in town! She got in yesterday and will be here for a little over a week to help out with the kids and the wedding. My brother's will be in town on Thursday and for out of town people I think that's it. Everyone else is here in town, so no other travels!

I'll be trying on my wedding dress! I have lost 13 pounds since I bought it a month ago. Thankfully I bought it snug so, hopefully it won't be to loose on me!

Till next time!

25 Days Later....

I have lost 9 lbs and 1 pant size!!! I started this challenge on October 3rd. I was 257 pounds, size 20 pants and a 2X top. I was already feeling great about myself because I had lost so much weight! Part of the challenge was to take before and after pictures of yourself so you can compare the 2. I didn't see the purpose of this, what could 25 days possibly show you with your body? I'm barely notice anything after 4 months! So, I had Chris take my before shot:

Not to bad. Now, between the 2 pictures I ate the same... did my workout the same... slept the same.... drank water the same... The only thing I added to my routine was a class workout. I did them at least 3 times a week. And this is what happened in 25 days:

Do you know what I see?!?!?!? A waist for one!! I see my arms hanging and LAYING down at my sides. Not like the before picture where the don't lay down all the way. Do you know how long it's been since I've seen a picture of me like that? I'm amazed!

It's been a great journey and it's not over yet! I still have a long way to go but... I'm getting there. I have lost 51 pounds as of this morning!!! That means that I am now at 248!!! I still have 73 pounds to go. My next step is to make it to  my half way point which is only 11 pounds away :)..

I've made a lot of neat things today. I'll make sure that I take pictures and write a blog about them. I made Paleo brownies for the first time ever.. Made the kids some 'eye balls' (cookies) and have a cake in the oven that will turn into a spider web cake :).

Till next time....

Yummy Goose!

Like I said in my last post, I was going to post this recipe for Goose. Only because I never remember ever eating goose and I needed something to make it good for the 4 kids to eat too. Let me tell you, they loved it and ate it all up! This was so great that I told Chris when he went out this morning, he needed to bring more home!

2 tablespoons Paprika
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

2 tablespoons coconut oil
2-inch piece ginger, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic finely chopped
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons agave nectar

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook until soft.  Whisk in the honey. agave and soy and cook until just combined and the honey has melted. Add in all the spices.

Saute a whole onion (that has been sliced up) in a little bit of coconut oil. Place the Goose breasts on the onions in the pan and let them cook till done.

Once the goose is done, take them out and let them rest for 5 minutes. Slice at an angle and dip in your sauce. Serve on plate over the bed of onions. :)

Enjoy! Till next time

Buh bye 250's!!!!

I'm super duper excited this morning... Why do you ask? Because I have reached my goal and I know I'm just going to keep on going!

When I started my weight loss journey, one of my longer tern goals was to loss 50 pounds by the time I get married on 11-11. Well, I'm there. As of this morning I am less then a pound away from that goal! My goal was to get to 249! This morning I am 249.8!! I have reached my goal and I have left the 250's! That is such a huge step for me! 50 pounds gone! Not coming back and making me even closer to my final goal! I can't believe how much Paleo (and working out) has paid off. I feel so go about it!

19 days till my wedding, and all I can think about is how much more I can loss till then! :) A few pounds maybe, but I'm just so excited about reaching this goal! When I bought my wedding dress, I purposefully bought it a little snug because I knew that I was going to loss some weight before I was going to wear it and I didn't want to it be so loss it didn't fit anymore. I haven't put it back on, but I know it's going to fit wonderful!! I have lost 8 pounds since I bought it!



I'm going to wait till next week before I try it on again, but I'm so excited to see what it feels like now!

I've been sticking to Charissa's Holiday Accountability Challenge as well. Her challenge to everyone was to stay Paleo (easy!), go to group workouts (I've had a ball!), do 30 minutes of extra cardio everyday (keeping me accountable), drink 8 glasses of water a day (I've been doing this for to long now, it's almost habit), get 8 hours of sleep a day (again easy), and a few other little things. She also challenged her ladies to lose 5 pounds doing this! Well, besides today, there are 5 more days to go and guess what Charissa?!?!?!? I've lost 8 pounds since we started this on 10-3-11!!! The pictures in my wedding dress, were taken the day before the challenge started. This was why I was even more excited about all the goals!

I have also tried some new recipes with our family meals. Chris is quite the hunter and has been out hunting a few times this season now. He has brought home a few geese. So, of course I had to find a new recipe (that's Paleo) to cook the goose in. Well, thanks to foodnetwork.com, we found a great one that everyone enjoyed. We will be totally using it again. I'll be making that a new blog in it's own!

We'll see where I am in less then a weeks time! I can't wait to see the results! I'm super excited!

Till next time...

Just like any other day.

It's been one of those days! Highs and lows. Woke up this morning, did my normal morning routine, weighed in (253 this morning). Get excited, pat myself on the back for being at 46 pounds down, then go on to the next step. Getting my cup of coffee and sit down for 15 minutes before the kids get up.

Just a normal morning! That includes going to the gym and doing my workout and trying a new class and all. Oh My... I think I'll wait till I"m down a few more pounds before I try that ab class out again! But that's what I can do!! :) So I head home and on the way home, my van dies!!!!

Over the weekend, Chris worked on it becasue the battery went out in it. Got a new battery, took out the alternator to have it tested, all tested out great.... So back in it goes. It has been running all week long.... guess what goes out today on my way home from the gym?!?! Yup!!!! That's right!

So, my van is back home after my BFF and her husband come to my rescue and get the van towed back to the house. Thank god!!!

So now I'm back home enjoying my lunch... coconut water, and chicken salad!!! I'll stay on this journey despite of all the little things that go on beyond my control!

Till next time!

Pre-Holiday Accountability

Charissa offered this challenge to all of her clients and 'online' damsels... which is what I am for her. :) For $30 I joined the rest of the girls for this 25 day challenge. It's all based on points. Everyday you have a chance to earn points. 25 points for doing a 3 day detox, 25 points for taking a before and after picture, 1 point for each workout you attend, 1 point for each day you get at least 8 hours of sleep, 1 point for each 30 or more of cardio, up to 3 points a day for each Paleo meal you eat, 3 points a week for a new personal record on bench press or leg press and 1 point a day for drinking at least 8 glasses of water.

I have done pretty good so far. I have done workouts that I never thought I would do!! I have taken a Zumba class and it was fun! Tuesday and Thursday they have a 'Silver Strength' class in the morning. Now this class is all older 'senior citizen' type people in there! OMG!!! They are hilarious!! I totally enjoy going to that group to workout. In fact I'll be going this morning.

Of course I'll be sticking to my Paleo diet. As of this morning I am down to 256.2!!! I can't believe I'm still losing weight and I am still feeling good about it! I'm down 43 pounds! I have 81 pounds to go... Unbelievable!!! 5 weeks to go till my wedding.

There is a lot going in with my life right now. Still trying to get the finishing touches done for the wedding. PTO stuff going on at the school that is keeping me thoroughly busy! And of course the kids and their things going on. Aaron and Wyatt with soccer, Ellie with dance lessons. Thankfully Nic doesn't have anything going on right now. Thankfully Ellie's soccer hasn't started yet either. PTO will have a little bit of a break coming up this month. October and November are actually slow months for PTO.

Well, it's time to get ready for the day. I have a meeting up at the school for Nic's IEP re-eval. He might be testing out of his reading program. I'm excited for him and scared and concerned all in one! I hope he is doing well enough to test out, but I don't want him to regress if he doesn't have the help! Then I'll be heading off to my Thursday morning Silver Strength workout class!!!

Till next time!

90 Days... (and 4 weeks)

90 days of the "diet". That's how long it will be come tomorrow morning. 90 Days. I started my journey because I just couldn't handle my weight anymore. I got up to 299 pounds and I freaked out. Everything started going through my head about my weight and what it was going to do to me in the long run and was I going to be around for my kids, or eventually my grandkids, when I get older if I continued down the 'weight' path I was going.

So, on June 27th, 2011, I emailed the one person I knew would put me on the right path. Charissa. She started me out small and moved me a little further about every 2 weeks. (You can see that with previous blogs). Well, doing something small every 2 weeks was the way to go! It's what I needed and it's what has worked for me.



Here I am (with my fiance, Chris) 90 days out! That is 39 pounds lighter then when I started. I would have never wanted a full picture taken of me, but it doesn't bother me any more, because I can see the difference in my body, clothes, energy level and just all around. I can take my kids out and run around. I'm not afraid to go for a long walk. I'll walk with the kids up to the school, just like they have been doing for the last year!

I've been completely, full on, Paleo for 4 weeks now. I feel great and it has gotten so easy to eat and prepare foods. I don't even have to think about it anymore. It's just like second nature. Which to me, means that I am going to be able to do this for the rest of my life and that is exactly what I need. I never want to go back to where I was 3 months ago! I know what I can have, I know what I can't. I know when I can and should say yes or no to things.

Now, don't get me wrong. I still have a LONG journey ahead of me. I've just made a dent in what my long term goals are! I am currently at 260 and I want to get to at least 175! Although, with the progress I'm making, I'm contimplaiting changing my goal number to more like 160-165. But, I'm going to stay with the 175 and once I get there, I'll make up my mind. :) So, as you can see, I still have 85 pounds to go to reach my goal. But, with what I have done already, I know that I can accomplish this! I know, it's going to happen and take time. But, I know now that I am going to be around for a very long time for Chris and for our kids!

Till next time!

Only because I'm feeling good!

My niece had her wedding reception on Friday night and Chris and I went to wish the couple well! We had so much fun. I was in a new outfit and feeling so good about myself! I had my hair down and makeup on. I felt pretty, confident and ready to conquer the world! I walked in and Brie didn't recognize me right away. Not only that, but I purposely bumped into my dad and he says 'excuse me' very politely. As I stared at him for almost 10 seconds before he says "Oh, my god, Sheryl!" He said he didn't even recognize me and asked where all my hair came from! With my hair down and makeup on and apparently 36 pounds gone, he could have looked right passed me without knowing it was me.  So, with that, I decided to put up a couple pictures today, because I'm feeling pretty good about myself :)

Here's a picture taken a few months ago of my daughter, Ellie and I. We were playing around and she wanted a picture with mommy, so I took one. Never posted it anywhere because my face looked so big and red, because of the Roscia that I have. Never felt really good about myself.



Here's what I looked like Friday night! You can see the difference 36 pounds has done to my face. I'm starting to get definition in my cheeks and jaw line. I feel awesome! People all over are starting to notice!



Had to have a little picture taken of Chris and I after the reception. We went and had some sushi since we hadn't been out to eat it what seems like eons! So, it was a great night all around and we had a ton of fun! It was a night that just made me feel so much better about myself!

Sunday morning

Today is the last day of my 2 weeks of Paleo. It's been great! Only used a couple of points over the last 2 weeks. I've been so good and not wanting to go off, because I am wanting to lose the weight and I'm succeeding at it!

Today is 9-11. A lot of things going through my mind. The thought of what happened 10 years ago and where I was and what I was doing. Also thinking about my dad and step mom since its their 12th wedding anniversary. In 2 months from today, I will be getting married. Those are my 3 main focuses today. :)

My goal is to be at least 249 that day. That would be a lose of 50 pounds! I'm almost certain I can do it! This morning I am 264. I'm down 35 pounds. It just seems like it's just falling off! I've decided I'm going to the gym mon-fri after the kids get off to school. I went Thursday and Friday and did my little cycle of work out. It's been hard, but I've stuck to it. I'm walking the kids to school in the morning, which is 1 mile round trip. Then at the gym I'm doing a brisk walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes, which is giving me about 1.5 miles. Then I have been on the elliptical for 7 minutes and the cycle for 15 minutes. It's been a great workout! I'm ready to start my week again tomorrow!

I think the workout is helping a little more to lose weight. Of course that's what your aways told is to exercise to lose weight. Well, losing weight on Paleo and then add a workout on top of that. I think that's just doubling the whole thing. Once that workout does me good, then I'll up it to some more time and maybe add another thing in. We'll see what happens.

Cooking and eating have been going well, just sticking to the Paleo basics and not having a problem doing it. It's more have a habit now to grab a handful of grapes, nuts or seeds then going for chips or ice cream. I'm reading more of labels and seeing what is in the things I would have normally ate and don't as much now.

Till next time!

Let's just jump in further!

Holy cow! I said this has been a wild ride and I wasn't kidding. It's been wild and fantastic. I'm almost 2 weeks into Paleo and I'm feeling good, eating well and losing weight! As of this morning I am down 32.4 pounds... That puts me at 266.6!!! I haven't seen these weight numbers in I don't know how long! I feel amazing!

Now, why have I jumped even further? Well, this morning, I joined the South Campus Athletic Club! OMG! I haven't had a gym membership since I was 19 and that didn't last very long. But, I am bond and determined to have this one last a little longer :) It is inexpensive each month, I have unlimited access to all the equipment, racket ball courts and they offer 25 group classes a week. Anywhere from Zumba, Pilate's, Yoga, Core, strengthening, and conditioning. It's going to be a fantastic time. Plus somewhere I can go during the winter when it gets cold outside.

I've been eating great and not having any problems cooking extra food for Chris and the kids. They like their breads and 'startchy' foods and I still do that for them. Of course they love dessert time too. So, I've had to do all that for them still, but you know what? It's been easier then I thought it would be. Maybe it's just because I have more discipline now about food. I don't try and just sneak 'one little bite' out of the cupcake of a biscuit. I've done great!

Can't wait to see where I'm going to be come wedding day!! 11-11-11! I'm hoping to be under 250. I think I'm going to be making that goal and then some but we'll see :) Only 16.6 pounds to go till that goals, then I'll be able to set another one! :)

Till next time!

My weekend

What a wonderful weekend. Although Chris and I didn't do a whole lot. We had fun! What was the most fun part of it? Going to the tri-cities with his mom on Sunday. Oh, what fun we had. Memories made and talks we all had!

Why was it such a memory day? Because Chris and I found my wedding ring! Oh my god! Is it beautiful!

GORGEOUS!!!! It's got 9 diamonds to make the 1 karat square 'princess' style! They are so brilliant! Then on each side there are 9 diamonds that are channel set into the band to make another 1/2 karat worth of diamonds.

All of this is sitting in a 10K white gold setting! Oh I'm so excited and can't wait. It's been sent out for sizing and to make sure it's all sparkly and everything for our big day! Took us a almost 2 hours to search and look and finally come down to this one. It's so exciting and makes this seem all so real now. We've been talking about getting married for awhile now, but didn't sit down and decide on a date until just recently and now that we got the ring, well, I think that makes it all real for both of us.

So, while we were out and about, we decide to have lunch. How often do we get out of town? Not often at all. So, of course we decided that we needed to have lunch. I was so worried about sticking on my Paleo that I was worried I wouldn't be able to find anything to eat on a menu. You know what? Charissa explained to me about points every day, so, I decided I could burn a few points to have an awesome lunch. We went to red lobster. Scallops in bacon, shrimp, steamed broccoli... Wait that sounds Paleo doesn't it? Yes... it is paleo, OK, without the sauce on it, it would have been... So, 1 point for the sauce... Couldn't resist going to Red Lobster and not having their Cheddar biscuit! 1 point for those! I drank iced tea with lunch. The only other things, was I had a few of their onion rings. So, 1 more point for those. The thing was, we ate lunch so late in the afternoon (2pm) that when dinner came around we weren't hungry. I had a small salad for dinner and that's it.

Well, once we got back from the tri-cities, Chris and I sat around and played a few video games, but we decided to have a little date night. We went out to the Saucy Hog for me to do a little singing. Oh, what fun it was. Seeing some people I haven't seen in quite some time. Got up there and sang my heart out. Saw some friends I haven't seen in a long time. I think it's been about a year since we have gone out. Let me tell you something though. My weight and long hair were the 1st things that they all noticed! It felt wonderful to have everyone notice that and say how good I was looking. It's taken 30 pounds for people to notice and it was worth. Now, just wait until next time they see me and I have even more weight off! :)

It order for me to feel good about having Red Lobster for lunch and losing 3 points... and also having the 2 ultra light beers at karaoke (I lost 5 points for the day) I had to do some dancing. With the songs that my friends were singing... it wasn't hard getting out there and doing some dancing and burning some of that food and drinks off! I felt great!

And to think this morning after burning points yesterday, I'm at 268.2!!! That's down 30.8 pounds! Here I go.. going toward the 40 pound off mark and working my way toward the 250's! It's been 1 week ago today that I started on my Paleo Lifestyle full force, and it's been a ride and journey. I can't wait to see where I go!

Till next time

What a wild ride so far!

Holy cow I never thought I would see the day that I was back in the 60's!! But this morning I did! 269!! That means I am down exactly 30 pounds!!! Woo hoo!

I'm on day 6 of being full Paleo. Let me tell you how great I feel! I've been making all sorts of different meals. Been walking the kids to school and loving to eat! This has not been as hard as I thought it was going to be. Now, don't get me wrong. I miss having my ice cream bar every night like I used to. Or going up to DQ and getting my chocolate cookie dough blizzard. But, it's going to be all worth it in the end when I get to my dream weight. Then I can have those on a special occasion! I'm wearing clothes I haven't worn in who knows how long, clothes that I have forgotten about in the closet. It's been a great feeling.

 Like I was saying, I have been making all sorts of meals and having so much fun with it. Learning new dressings to put in my salads and different ways to combine foods to make them good and tasty and just fun to eat. Also, make a meal that makes me full. I'm not missing my carbs and starches at all!

This meal was a green salad with all sorts of veggies in it, asparagus and chicken breast with herb seasonings on it. Then I made this balsamic, agave and dry mustard dressing, with herbs and things in it and it was great! I've never liked vinaigrette's, but learning to make my own, and adding what I like in it, it's been great!

And those fritatta's that I made the other day (the recipe is on a previous blog) were to die for! They were so yummy and even Ellie was eating them!

This was the final out come! But just going through the process and smelling the veggies cooking smelt so good in my house.

Sweet potatoes, onion and different color peppers! It made my house smell so good! I love that smell in my house. Makes people love to come over and want to eat here. Makes the kids and Chris want to know whats for dinner.

It's been a wonderful journey so far and can't wait to get further in my ride! I'm getting closer and closer to my ultimate goal, but I'm also getting to each one of my benchmarks so quickly and that's what is so much fun! So, I have 94 pounds to go! I'm in the 260's now, so my next goal is to get into the 50's. I know I can do this. I've been at it for just over 2 months and I CAN and WILL keep going! You know that when I reach my goal weight, I'll have my 20 year reunion right around the corner and that's what I'm looking forward too!

Till next time!

First day of school & Day 3 of Paleo

Wow!!! What emotions this morning. Nicolas the big 4th grader and Elizabeth is in the 1st grade! It's amazing to see just how quick they are both growing up! Nic was up at the crack of dawn and ready to go. Ellie woke up earlier then normal this morning as well. They were both dressed and ready to go before it was even time to go out the door! Ellie has had her outfit picked out for the first day of school for about a week now. Nic on the other had, was working on his this morning. He's always like that though!

So, when it was time to get going to school, we walked there. In all the years past I have let the kids walked to school, I have never been one to go walk with them. But in the last 2 days I have walked to and from the school 3 times now. It doesn't even bother me to do that!!! It's totally amazing to me the things that I can do with the kids, and things that don't even bother me to do with the kids. Walking to and from school is one of those things that is so much fun now. It's just under a 1/2 mile to the school, so about .9 miles round. Walk that 2 times a day and I have 1 3/4 miles in!

Lately, I have been looking through my different cooking magazines. I get all sorts of them... Food Network, Every Day, Fine Cooking, All you and Taste of Home. I started thinking to myself as I'm flipping through these, "How can I make these Paleo friendly and still love to eat them?" Well, there has been a couple I have come across and decided I'm going to try them out! One that I found was a Mini Fritatta! You cook it in a muffin tin. Instead of a doughy crust, you use sliced ham as a 'cup', so here are the ingredients:

12 slices of Ham/Prosciutto which ever you prefer
1 tbsp olive oil
1 sm potato (I'm going to use sweet potato)
1 sm onion finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper diced
Salt
8 eggs
6 tbsp milk (of course, I'll use some unsweetened almond milk)

Preheat oven to 375*. Place slices of ham into the muffin tins to form the 'bowl'. Chop up potato into 1/4 inch slice cubes. Heat up oil and cook the potato for 5-7 minutes. Add in onion and bell pepper. Season with salt. Once these items are cooked, divide into 'ham cups' equally. In a bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and 1/4 tsp salt. Pour into cups over the potato mixture. Cook for 15 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.

I'll let you know how this turns out! Sounds awesome and a great little breakfast or brunch meal! I have been really enjoying the whole Paleo lifestyle and haven't had any problems so far! Charissa was right about one thing though! When I jumped into the Paleo with both feet like I did, I would see the weight just start to come off, but come off in a healthy way! This morning I weighed in at 270.2! That's a total loss of 28.8 pounds!! I'm so excited! I'm pulling clothes out of my closet I haven't worn in years, stuff I purposely bought to small so I could work to get into it and never did! It's been a great journey and there is more to come!

Till next time!

Here we go! Paleo bound....

My good friend, Charissa, has me going and has been for 2 months now. I've been head strong in losing weight and succeeding!! Most of the time when I diet or try and lose weight, I'm at it for a week or 2 maybe a month at the most. My most favorite diet when I was younger was that 7 day diet where you can lose 10-17 pounds in a week. Seemed like a quick and easy fix for me! Well, not anymore! I've learned my lesson and I'm now enjoying my 'diet' adventure. :)

As of this morning I"m down 26.4 pounds! I have been doing this now for 2 months and 2 days as of today! That's 63 days that I have been eating a certain way and I feel great. I have energy. I enjoy going out for my walk. I enjoy eating. I love to good. It's been AWESOME! And it's not affecting anyone in my house! It's amazing!

For those of you that know me, know I love, love, LOVE to cook! I am in the kitchen every day eating so why not make a fantastic meal to go with it? And to find out that with everything that Charissa has given me to this point, I've basically been eating with this new Paleo lifestyle. Now, to just cut out the little bit that needs to be....

So starting tomorrow, I am on a new challenge and I KNOW I can do this!
1. Eat real foods: Meat, eggs, veggies, nuts, seeds, fruit, healthy oils.
     -this means foods that are fresh and have little to no ingredients, and if they do have a 'little' bit of
      ingredients, they need to be pronounceable words..... (I have already been doing this about 80%
      of the time!!)
2. Do not eat grains: This is anything with bread, rice, pasta, corn (yes corn!) oatmeal.
     -I haven't eaten bread, pasta or oatmeal in months. Rice isn't going to be hard to cut out. But corn?
      Ok, I love me some corn on the cob, but I guess that is something that I don't have to have on a
      regular basis from here on out!
3. Don not eat legumes: This includes beans of any kinds, lentils and peanuts.
     -This is so easy, because I already don't eat these things! Including peanut butter. I just don't
      eat it!
4. Do not eat dairy: This includes butter, cheeses, yogurt and milk.
     -Wow! This is the hard one for me! Now, you're thinking milk? The milk I haven't drank in 2
      months. I have gone to Almond Milk, which is way better anyways! So, that one is done. Now,
      butter, well, for the most part I dont' use it, but every once in awhile I use it to cook with. So,
      that will be out. Now for cheese and yogurt. Some of my favorite things! Oh, how I am going to
      miss it! Oh how I'm going to crave it at first, but I know giving these up will be for the better in
      the long run!
5. Do not eat sugars of any kind, real or artificial: If I have to sweeten something up I can us a LITTLE
   bit of honey, syrup, or agave nectar.
     -No Splenda, Truvia, Stevia, etc....Don't use these anyway, so it's all good!
6. Do not eat processed foods: This includes energy bars, dairy-free creamers, etc.
     -I'm going to have to just start reading labels and making sure things are what I can eat. Shouldn't
      be to hard. I cook and eat everything at home and I'm already trying to do eliminate those things
      anyway!
7. Do not drink alcohol, in any form.
     - Well, every once in a while I have a small glass of wine, so this shouldn't be a huge issue. I already
      cut out the beer that I used to drink, and hard alcohol, just don't like it the way I used to when I was
      younger.

So, my next step to myself while I go head first into the full Paleo lifestyle. Start finding recipes that are 'Paleo' appropriate. I'm sure there have got to be some of those out there! And then I can start making those, and start posting those on my blog! :)

I am also ready to tell all those that have been following my blog about my 'numbers'. This has been something that I have not been wanting to share, but now that I am on the right track and doing all these wonderful lifestyle and eating changes, I feel comfortable enough to share. So, here it goes! :)

When I realized I needed to do something about my weight was when I stepped on the scale and saw this number flash before my eyes. That number was 299! I realized I had gained so much weight for whatever reason, it doesn't matter. It just matters is that is what happened! That is when I realized I had to do something. I talked to Charissa and started on this road to success! My ultimate goal (as of right now) is to get down to 175. So, that is where the 124 pounds to lose came into effect. I might change that though as I get closer to it, but for now, that is the goal. I am currently down to 272.6!!! I am so close to the 260's that I can feel it! I haven't seen the 260's since before my son was born and that was over 9 years ago! It's been just amazing how far I've already come! I can see my goal, I know I can do this!

Till next time!

Back from Denver!

Oh and what a great trip it was! I am back home and have a ton of things to do before school starts and of course a ton of things to do after school starts. Kids have all their school supplies, now to get the backpacks packed and ready for the first day of school on Wednesday! I think it's going to be a great year for both of them. I can't believe they are going into the 4th and 1st grade! Amazing.

On the weight loss note..

Monday I start a new phase of my Paleo 'Diet'. Although it's not really a diet, it's more of a nutritional life change. I have done quite a bit of it so far and for the most part and have cut a lot of things out. But now I have to cut more out and add more! :) It has been great so far! I have another bench mark that I have reached! As of this morning, I have lost 26 pounds! That means that I am only 98 pounds away from my goal! I'm out of that 100+ bracket and that feels wonderful!

What have I been doing? Eating right!!!! So many fruits and veggies all the time! If I'm hungry and want a snack I go look for fruits and veggies. Dinner = meat, breakfast = eggs & bacon, all that sort of things! I feel awesome and can't wait to make it even lower. My next goal is to get to 75 pounds left to lose! I KNOW I can do this!

I have had an amazing week!! I’ve still done my walks every day, but I’ve been able to do them on my moms treadmill! Which means, I can do them anytime of the day that I want to! I’ve been walking with my C25K app. I have dropped the ball and haven’t been using it every week, so I started all over this week and just last night, finished my first week of the app. Hopefully I’ll be able to start week 2 tomorrow!

Yesterday my mom, the kids and I went to the mall. We walk down one side and up the other on both levels. Stopping at all the stores the kids wanted to see and go into and the stores mom and I wanted to see. What mall trip isn’t complete without a trip to the food court? Of course the kids got hungry and we had to stop and eat. Nic had a hot dog and chips at DQ and Ellie wanted a slice of pizza. So, after picking up Nic’s food Ellie, mom and I went to the Italian Kitchen. Ellie got a slice of pizza, mom got a slice of pizza and I had the best Stromboli! Oh, it was so good! One of the best Stromboli's I've had in a long, long time!

Needless to say, I thought I'd be way out of my weight loss program. However, I wasn't hungry for dinner and just snacked a little on some trail mix and had some chai tea we picked up at a little tea shop in the mall. Went on my walk on the treadmill, showered and to bed I went. I woke up this morning and went down to weigh myself and guess what?

I am down 23.8 pounds!!! That means that I am 100.2 pounds to go till I am at my goal weight!!! Woo hoo! 20% there! I can't believe this! After a plateau for over 2 weeks, I've started losing weight again! And I've been able to get clothes here in Denver that are 2X and not 3X because that's what is starting to fit!! How exciting!!! Woo hoo!

So tonight for dinner, I am going to make my bourbon chicken breasts, onion sweet potatoes, and asparagus. All some yummy things!

Till next time!

Vacation in Denver

I'm visiting my mom and step dad in Denver. (Well, actually Westminster but close enough). The kids having been having a ball with all the activities that we've been doing with them. So, far we have gone to the North Pole with my brother, Paul, his wife, Tawny and my 2 nephews Mason and Reese.

We've also gone to the Butterfly pavilion, that we do every year so the kids can hold 'Rosie' the tarantula and of course see all the gorgeous butterflies.

Then today we went to the Aquarium where the kids love the sharks and sting rays!

One thing that I was scared of was not being able to stick to my weight loss plan while I was here, but you know something, it's been good!! My mom is so supportive of me losing weight and she will help in anyway that she can! So, since I have been here, we have eaten some great meals of chicken, ahi tuna and done enough walking and swimming for me not to have to go on my 30 minute 1.5 mile walk each day!

I have been on a plateau for just over 2 weeks now. Haven't been able to lose any weight, but I haven't gained any either. I've been at a nice level (20 pounds). Well, after I went down and weighed myself this morning, I found that I am now down 21.2 pounds!!! Woo hoo!! I think my plateau is over! Maybe I won't have another one for 20 more pounds! I can only hope! I know have just 102.8 pounds till I hit my goal!

Till next time!



Back on track

I had a fabulous family reunion this weekend. Great family and great food!! After losing 20 pounds, I figured I was able to splurge a bit and eat some of this great food that everyone was bringing and making! So, I did... do I regret... absolutely not! Should I have held back? OK, maybe a little bit... but, I'm not upset and I probably would do it again (just with a little more restraint). I did gain 3 pounds back. It was so hard to lose and so easy to put back on! I forgot that part about losing weight and not watching things!

About the food that I so much enjoyed! My brother and sister in law went down and dug up pounds and pounds of clams and oysters. Oh, and once they were cooked, were they ever wonderful to eat. The oysters where deep fried (big bad no no for me) once I had one, I had another and another and so on. I haven't had pasta in over 2 months now and there were some fabulous pasta dishes there! Cake? Oh ya, we had birthdays and guess what? German chocolate cake was there to celebrate and so was I! It was fresh and so wonderful! And the desserts that were made! Wow, is all I can say.

Of course, once all the early birds left and it was the 'younger' of the crowd, we pulled out the wine coolers, beer and I had to make mojito's (hey, I did use diet 7-up!!)! Add a few of those and along with the food and there you have splurged beyond belief!

So, after all the awesome food and great pancakes for breakfast, I am back on track today. Back to the basics...Nothing but my cup of black coffee this morning and water all day! Making sure that if I want to snack, I'm snacking on fresh fruits and veggies!

I went out to the garden this morning and pick 3 fresh green bell peppers and a beautiful large head of broccoli! I can't wait to cut into these and enjoy them. I think I am going to make some broccoli salad for this week and just snack on my peppers. And we saw a butternut squash and an already nice sized watermelon! I can't wait for the tomatoes to turn also!

So, now to lose those 3 pounds that came back and continue with my weight loss and nutritional life style change journey!

Till next time!

Things that are coming up!

We are getting ready for the Gregory family reunion next weekend. This is the time of year that I really enjoy. I get to see family I haven't seen for a year or more. We get to catch up with everyone and we get to share new stories. This year it's going to be out at my brothers' place on Hartstine Island near Shelton. It is so beautiful out there. On a clear day you can see Mount Rainier over the trees. We camp on the beach in tents with the kids and just have a wonderful time when we go down there.

This weekend we are going to be getting everything out that we have to be taking. Hopefully that isn't going to be to hard. It shouldn't be to bad.

I'm really hopeing that people may notice a little weight loss on me by then. It's 1 more week, so hopefully another 2 pounds will be gone. I am down 16.2 pounds so far.. I'm so excited. I can't believe that I am actually doing this whole weight loss thing. It's been a good journey so far and I plan on continuing with it till I get down where I want to be. I've been good about portions on the stuff that isn't all that good for me :). Plus saying no to some things. I'm finding foods that are good for me that I love to eat, so I can eat a ton of it and get full and not have to worry about it! Lots of protien and lots of fruits and veggies!

That's all for now!

One month ago....

I decided it was time to take my weight seriously and start losing weight. In the last month, just from changing a few small things I have lost 15.4 pounds. I am feeling great, and I am starting to feel good about myself. Even though people haven't noticed that I have lost 15 pounds, I am starting to notice and not in the places most people would. I have noticed my feet are apparently thinner now. I have shoes that my feet squeezed into and now, they fit in there with ease. It's great!

The few small changes you ask? Well, that was actually not very hard. You just have to have the self control and the mind set that you want to lose the weight! First off, I only drink water, un-sweetened black or herbal tea (hot and cold) and in the morning, black coffee. No more pop, beer, flavored creamer in my coffee.... nothing!!! Now don't get me wrong, during this month I have had 3 glasses of wine and 2 glasses of juice. But see, that's the key, control, moderation, and determination!

The 2nd thing I have done is replace my snacking. I used to snack all throughout the day if I was home just doing housework or playing on the computer. Instead of going up into the cupboard and getting some chips or crackers or just getting into the fridge and getting ice cream, cheese or a frozen snack to pop in the microwave, I go into the fridge and get fruit or veggies. Those are my snacks. I go to the store and go straight to the produce section and spend most of my time there! Of course, I am a price checker, but I'm also smelling and squeezing everything. I have apples, oranges, bananas, peaches, nectarines, cuties, lemons and limes in my fridge just in fruit right now! I have a ton of veggies to make things with as well.

I'm learning to cook and bake differently with all my foods. I'm also learning to eat differently. You're body needs nutrition. It needs the natural sugars from fruits, but it also needs proteins. So, 3 meals a week I have 2 eggs, 3 pieces of either sausage or bacon, and then fresh fruit. It feels me up. I bake with coconut oil in replace of other oils and butter. You can't even taste it! My snicker doodles were great and eaten by the household within days and my zucchini bread was a hit! I do the same thing when I cook. Instead of olive oil in the pan, I use a little bit of the coconut oil. Works great and doesn't change the taste of anything! I cant' believe this!

Also, I'm exercising!!! Most of the time I'm walking about 1.5 miles a day. I can walk my route in 25 minutes. Which isn't bad. I do some other things too. I've been swimming and horseback riding. I try to get some form of exercise in at least 5 times a week. With trying to burn at lest 200 calories. That's my goal for right now anyway. I'm sure with a little more weight off, it will change. But I've been feeling wonderful!

Just this last week I have added a few extras to my diet. 4 times a week, I have either a helping of fish, 1/2 an avocado or a handful of nuts (not peanuts). This week just started and I've already had 2 of those things this week! This is going to be a great change for me! I'm loving it!

So, I am done 15.4 pounds which mean I have 108.6 pounds to go till I reach my goal. That's right 108!!!! My starting weight to my goal weight is 124 pounds... and I'm getting there!!

Till next time!

Zucchini Bread

I decided to make some zucchini bread today. Something I make every summer time because of fresh gardens that every one has. Seems like there is always someone that has to much and can't use it all. My ex-mother in law brought me 3 yesterday morning. Two loaves of bread and I used 1 HUGE Zucchini!! I just made my recipe a little different this time around trying to impliment a couple of the things that Charissa has given me to follow. Guess what? It turned out so, so, so good! Yummy!!!! So, here is the recipe for you!

3 cups of zucchini
1 2/3 cup of sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
2/3 cup coconut oil

Mix those ingredients together before you go any further! Next add in:

3 cups wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt

Mix well. Put into 2 8x4 or 1 9x5 loaf pans. Cook at 350* for about 1 hour 15 mins. (Depending on pan you use you may need to cook longer. My big stone wear I have to cook it for 1 hour 30 min for it to be done all the way through)

Now, I'm reasonable and don't believe in this small itty bitty bites and servings... So, if I cut my slices from my 1 9x5 loaf pan, it's 208 calories per serving. 9.1g fat, 30.3g carbs (fiber 2.6g) and protein 4.1g

Hope if you try this you enjoy as much as I do!!

A new life change

All my life I have been going on and off diets. Not because I really wanted to (who really does?) But because I've been told to, suggested to, been a support of someone who is, all those types of things! Well, I'm proud to say.... I'M NOT ON A DIET!!!! But I have lost 13.4 pounds in the last month!!! I am on a life changing nutritional path!

One of my very good friends, who lives in Texas now, is a Personal Trainer. I send her a desperate e-mail asking for her help. You see, I stepped on the scale one time (which I always did occasionally) and I was shocked! I had a number on that scale that I had never seen!!! I'm not going to reveal that number. But it was even higher then my final pregnancy weight with either one of my kids!  I will say, my final destination is to lose 124 pounds!

I have been changing the way and the things that I eat. I used to be a huge snacker... I snacked on chips, candy, just junk food. Which of course is why I put on all the weight. It has taken will power, but I am bound and determined to be healthy, but I no longer snack on those foods like I used to. Now, don't get me wrong. I still have a candy bar, red vines, chips once in awhile, but I've learned... it's in moderation!

The first couple of weeks, Charissa (my PT), had me ONLY drink water, black or herbal tea (hot of cold), and black coffee. The coffee was huge for me. I love my Starbucks (which has awesome black coffee, I have discovered!) and my bottled Lipton teas, and juices and such. But, once again, I want this weight off, so I'm just about willing to do anything. Now the thing is, you see, I've had a glass of wine with dinner here and there but that's it. I drink my coffee in the morning, I make sun tea (no sugars in it), in the evening I may have a cup of tea, and of course all throughout the day I drink water.

The next thing she had me do is make sure that I get 8-10 hours of sleep every night. That was easy because I already do that. That is a huge thing in making sure your body is healthy! And take a picture of myself to track my process! I also had to find a way to relieve stress. Now if you know me, you should know, I'm not the stressful type of person! But, what I did is, I started walking! About 1.5 miles about 5 times a week. I love it! During the summer, I get the kids on their bikes, grab our lab, Ruby, and head out! Kids on their bikes and Ruby and I walking.

Two weeks later, Charissa was ready to give me another set of changes. In 1 week, 3 of my meals (any meal) I have to eat eggs, bacon or sausage, and fresh fruit. Sounds and has been easy enough. Also, replace my oils with coconut oil while cooking or baking. I was a little sceptical on the coconut oil, but I have been using it when cooking meats, and I can't taste a thing!! I also made snicker doodles for the family and replaced the butter with the coconut oil, and no difference at all! I love it! The 3rd thing she had me do in this time around is to not drink regular milk. If I use milk, drink or use almond milk instead. Now, I'm not a milk drinker, but I do have a 1/2 gallon of almond milk in my fridge and I have yet to open it. Maybe someday I will!

Charissa just gave me my new changes this week! I will be starting these on Monday! 3-4 times a week I have to have fish, 1/2 an avocado or a hand full of nuts (not peanuts). Now, if you know Chris and I, you know we fish a lot. There is always fish in my house, and we eat it about 1-2 times a week! So, this is not going to be a problem!

Next, if I use tortilla's they must be corn tortilla's and any chips must be a corn chip. I cut out the majority of chips but once in awhile, I just need that crunch, salt and flavor of the chip. Like I said I've learned moderation and self control!

I've been enjoying my new path and new change. I already feel healthier then I have in years. I have more energy and can't wait to see what life brings me. I think I'll continue blogging my progress and posting some more recipes that I've been tweaking up for lower calories!

Till next time!