Hello, hello!!

I DID do that workout yesterday!!  And I am most definitely feeling it today!!  Whew!!  My thighs and rear hurt so bad, just sitting is a chore.

My dinner last night was off plan.  They served us nachos for dinner at our training.  So I ate dinner last night, and I started fresh this morning.  Feeling okay about that!  

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with 1 T mozzarella cheese and 1 T cottage cheese added in. (S)
 Snack: 1 Rye Wasa cracker with a L.C. cheese wedge spread on, and 2 slices of cheddar cheese (S)
Lunch: Joseph's Pitas pizza and a salad (S)
Snack: Frozen strawberries, thawed a little, with Truvia & Redi whip on top. (FP)
Dinner: Tacos or taco salad (S)
Dessert: Trim Healthy Cheesecake

A Yummy day for sure!!  :)

I will be doing an upper body and ab workout today!!

Starting Over!

Wow!!  It's been almost a year since I last posted on here!!  I am a failure for a blogger!  =P

A quick update!  Back in August I had reached my lowest weight of 163-165…60 LBS GONE!!  Then we moved…and we got some more foster kiddos…we're up to 10 boys now…and I slowly went off plan a little here and a little there…and before I knew it, it was Christmas and I had gained some weight back.  I then figured I would just keep eating badly until after the holidays and then get back on track.  Now, here I am about 5 months after moving and almost 20 lbs heavier again!!  :/  So I'm basically starting over...after I SWORE I would never gain the weight back!

I have to admit, when I originally started back in October 2012 I went full swing.  I don't really remember having a hard time at all, I just did it.  I remember having cravings and I just filled them with THM treats, but this time is different.  I am struggling something fierce to stay on plan and fight these cravings.  I'm not sure what has changed or what's different, but it feels like a bigger battle this time.

That's what brings me here!  I thought maybe if I put it out there, you all will help me kick this…AGAIN!…and stay on track until these cravings are gone!  I'm going to do better about updating my progress and meals, and maybe, just maybe I'll be back in the 160's again!!

Here's my meal plan for the day:
Breakfast: Coconut pancakes, with some blueberry & strawberry jelly on top (xylitol sweetened that I bought at the health food store) (S) http://naturalweightlosstruth.com/low-carb-pancakes
Lunch: Loaded Fotato soup & a salad  (S)
Dinner: Not sure what dinner will be.  We have a training class we have to go to tonight and they are serving us dinner.  So there is a possibility I won't be on plan for dinner.
Snacks: Cottage berry whip (FP), & cucumber sandwiches (S) (I like them with cheese!)

Workout: I will try my BEST to get a workout in today.  If I'm being honest right now…the thought of working out sounds like torture!  But I know it will make me feel better.  So when the babies go down for a nap I will try and pop in a workout DVD…even if it's a very short one.  =)

Have a blessed day, folks!

Before and Now pics

Here are some before and now pics!  I'm still pretty nervous about putting up the before pics.  I've never really shared pics before, because I was always just way to embarrased.  Most of the before pics are far and few between anyway, because I would go way out of my way to avoid the camera.  So they aren't too great. 

I have a paper around here somewhere with my measurements on it, but it's temporarily lost at the moment.  So I can't give you my exact measurements just yet.  I can tell you though...Are you ready...?  ...I hope I am...!  My sizes and weights...

Started October 19, 2012 at a size 16-18 and 225 pounds!!!!  :/

Today March 23, 2013 I am wearing a size 12, and weighed in this morning at 182.2!!!  Almost 43 pounds!!!! 

Ok, now here are a few pics.  I wish I were computer savvy enough to do those side by side pics, but I honestly have no clue how to do them.

 This picture here was taken 7 months ago on my 32nd bday. 

 

 



 This is me and my loving, adoring, & supportive husband.  Sorry it's not a very good pic., but it was taken about a week before I started THM.

 

 

 Here is another one that was taken about a week beofre starting THM.  We were at The Great Wolf Lodge; hence the ears!! 

 

 

 This one and the one below were taken on Thursday =)

 

There you go!!  The good, the BAD, and the UGLY!!!

 

I have to admit though, that while I know I have lost 42lbs, and the scale says I've lost, and my smaller sizes say I've lost, and I see the difference in my before and now pics...I am still struggling a bit.  I feel like I still see the same fat, ugly, monster when I look in the mirror.  It's like my brain still sees me the same as before, even though I know I AM changing and AM different.  Hopefully my brain will adjust soon!  =P

Fantastic Friday!!

Well folks, I've DONE it!  I've reached 40 pounds LOST FOREVER!!  I'm so excited!!  Plus, that means I will actually list my numbers...out loud...publicly...for all the world to know!  Eeek!!  I still get butterflies thinking about that...

It is so invigorating to announce that I have lost 40 pounds.  But, I must say... that while I have obviously been trying to lose weight...I have not tried to lose it this quickly!  I'm NOT complaining at all, but I honestly didn't expect to lose this much this quickly.  I started Oct 19, so that's about 4 & 1/2 months on THM following just S and E, and even going on an ALL out cheat for 2-3 days on Thanksgiving and 4 days at Christmas, and even a cheat meal here and there since Christmas.  I say this because we are ALL different, and I don't want someone who reads my blog to get their hopes up and expect to lose so much so fast.  God made us each differently, so we all gain it and lose it differently.  Don't give up!  THM WORKS! 

With that said, I do feel like my weight loss is slowing down.  I stayed the same last week and this week (I just never had time to post last week), and I'm definitely OK with that!  I'm hoping to lose at least 4-5 pounds a month now.  But I'll be happy even if it's just 1 pound!  I still have about 50-60 pounds left to lose.  Almost half way there!!!!!  =)

So stay tuned!  My numbers and pictures will be up soon!!  Have a blessed weekend! 

Much Love
~April

Fantastic Friday

It was another good Friday yesterday!  =)  I lost another pound!  That means one more pound and I'll share with everyone my numbers and put up some pics!  39lbs and counting!

I need to confess that my last two weeks have been soooooo busy that I haven't had time to workout.  I have wanted to, but it just hasn't been possible.  Today I was finally able to workout again!!  Felt sooo good!  I'm so glad that things are now calmed down again so that I can get back to exercising regularly.  I feel so much better when I am exercising.

Breakfast
Kickin Kefir Smoothie (Vanilla dream)- S
Lunch
Leftover Lasagna (made with dreamfields)  and side salad-S
Dinner
Pizza and wings.  I will make boneless wings for myself though.  S
Dessert
Brownies with fresh sliced strawberries and stevia sweetened homemade whipped cream. S

Hope you all have a blessed weekend!  =)

Fantastic Friday

I missed my last two Fridays.  Thank goodness basketball season is over so I should have a more "normal," less busy life now!!  =)

The Friday before last I went up a pound.

Last Friday, however, I went down 3 pounds.  =) 

Two more pounds and I will give away my numbers!!

I'm thrilled with my new lifestyle!  =)

Fantastic Friday!

Again, I  know I'm really late in posting this. 

Last Friday's fantastic Friday was another pound GONE!!  Putting my total at 35lbs!  =)  I have a  number in my head (I'm 5 lbs from reaching it) and when I reach it I'm going to post my numbers!  I haven't had the guts to do that yet!!  But, I'm feeling more and more confident now.  I am NOT that person anymore.  I will NOT go back!  I KNOW it!! 

I celebrated this lovely Friday with a new hair cut, new clothes, and a new purse!  =)  Clothes shopping was my favorite!  I finally decided I needed to go get some new (smaller) clothes.  Honestly, I had been putting it off for fear that I would still be too big for the smaller size.  Well, I picked up the next size down from what I had been wearing.  And right behind that size was the next size down.  I decided to pick that size up, too!  Not sure why, just felt the need to try!  I thought it would give me an idea of how much further I needed to go before I could fit into them.

So, I took my items into the dressing room.  I decided to try on the smallest size first.  Just to get it out of the way.  I told myself as I was putting them on, "Now don't be upset, you know they aren't going to fit, and that's ok!"  Well, I put them on, and they came all the way up with no problem.  WHOA!!  Next, I go to button them, and they buttoned right up without a problem.  SO SHOCKED!!!  I'm still amazed as I type this almost a week later that I'm wearing this size!  It's been 10 years since I have worn this size!!  I LOVE it!!  I am re-motivated ALL over again!!! 

Thank you AGAIN Pearl & Serene for writing this book!!  I love you so much for it!!

Fuel Cycle Day 7

So I'm totally LATE in posting this I know!! 

My last day of the fuel cycle.  I decided not to do the second week, due to a lot of traveling we were going to have to be doing.  I just thought it would be easier to free style.  And since I lost 4 lbs, I feel very sucessful for this one week.  I think I will do a fuel cyle for a week every couple of months.  It was much easier than I had anticipated. 

So for my last day I enjoyed more pancakes for breakfast, and leftover lighter side of chili for lunch.  I had a pudding for snack.  And for dinner I had an S meal!!  =)  I couldn't wait anymore!!  I had some scrambled eggs and bacon for dinner!!  It was quite tasty!

Day 5 & 6

Day 5
My last FP day this week.  These two days have been much easier than I had anticipated them being. 

I had some greek yogurt with strawberries for breakfast.  For lunch I had the egg white scramble.  Then a peanut butter pudding afterwards.  I did my workout.  I was starving after my workout and it was still a ways to go till dinner.  So I made a sunshine smoothie, and put  a little chicken, lettuce, mustard, and very small sprinkle of mozz cheese into half a Joseph's pita.  Mmmmm, very yummy, satisfying, and filling!  For my dinner, I had another egg white scramble (Yes, I'm totally ok eating the same thing twice in the same day!!)  And before bed I had another pb pudding! 

I should add, I was very sleepy today.  Aside from my workout, and taking care of the kids, and my normal houselhold things, I didn't do much today. 

Day 6
My first E day after 5 days without!!  For breakfast I made the TH pancakes with blueberries in them...MYOHMY...they have NEVER tasted so good before.  It was like a party in my mouth!  I was so happy! 

For lunch, I'm going to have half a Joseph's lavish bread with some lunch meat, skim mozz cheese, mustard, and lettuce with 1/2 a banana on the side.  =)

For snack, I will make a smoothie.

Dinner will be Lighter side of Chili.  With some Joseph's crackers. 

And of course, I plan to workout. 

Hope you all have a blessed Saturday!!

Fantastic Friday!!

It's definitely a FANTASTIC Friday this week...I lost 4 more lbs!!!!!!!!  WOW!!  Can't believe I've really lost 34lbs!!  Holy Cow!! 

I've been putting off shopping for new (smaller) clothes, but my closet is really getting empty these days.  I won't be able to put it off much longer.  Not a single pair of my capris fit me.  I only have a few shirts left that don't hang like a sack on me.  And my jeans are getting loser by the day, I think.  Plus, by the end of the day they're stretched out and really lose, especially in the leg area.  I can't wait to go clothes shopping!!  I might actually enjoy doing it this time!

Fuel Cycle Days 3 & 4

Day 3
Well, day 3 of deep S was a bit of a fail for me.  Partly due to my lack of being prepared and partly because my life is so busy some days!  And this just happened to be one of those crazy busy days. 

I woke up and had a Fat Strippen Frappa with an added egg yolk, 1T coconut oil, & 1/2t mint extract (if you haven't tried that smoothie with mint yet...you DON'T know what you are missing!!).  It was tasty and very filling. 

I wasn't even hungry come lunch time.  So I did my workout.  After my workout, I needed to clean up and get ready to go.  We had an appt., and I desperately needed to grocery shop.  And an FYI for those of you that don't know me personally, I live way out in the middle of no where!!  I have to drive at least an hour to an hour and a half (just depending which town I go to) to get to our doctors, grocery shop, etc. 

By the time I got myself and the three babies ready it was time to go.  And it's quite the ordeal to get them all loaded in the truck sometimes!!  =)  I was racing to leave on time and make sure we made my son's appt.  So I never got a lunch.  I meant to at least bring my skinny chocolate to munch on for the drive, but in my rush it was forgotten.  We did stop for fuel and I grabbed a bag of beef jerky to eat.  Not the best for a deep S day, but about all I could get at a convience store and I didn't want to grab nuts.  I also got a Vitamin Water Zero. 

After our appt. we went and got some groceries.  I was STARVING by that point.  All I wanted was to get a big FAT bagel with lots of cream cheese on it!!  Mmmmm....

We left the store (with NO bagels) and got some dinner.  We needed quick, so we went to our go to fast food joint...Chick Fil A.  I ate the nuggets. 

So my last deep S day was a pretty glorious FAIL!! 

Day 4
Today was the first FP day.  I was a bit concerned about how it might go today.  But, it went well.  I've stayed on track and haven't been too hungry.

My breakfast was a Sunshine smoothie.  I saw someone post that on the forum yesterday and thought it sounded good, so I gave it a try.  I wasn't disappionted at all. 

I ate a couple of chocolate mint meringues for a snack.  And for lunch I had a nice big bowl of Fotato Soup!  That soup makes me happy!  I really like it. 

I had a couple more meringues this afternoon.

For dinner I made the Succulent Citrus Fish with tilapia, and creamless broccoli.  Before, I go any further I have to tell you I don't like sea food!  Never have!  But, I keep trying to eat/like it since starting this plan.  I can usually only manage a few bites, before the fishy taste/smell gets to me.  Tonight was no different.  I just couldn't eat it.  Blech!!  My hubby and the kids really liked it though.  So I just ate a bunch of yummy ceamy broccoli.  I've also had a few more meringues.  I'm getting a bit hungry again as I sit here and type this, so I'm thinking I might have some strawberry greek yogurt when I'm done. 

Thankfully, I didn't fail again today!! 

I'm looking forward to tomorrow!  Fantastic Friday!  I will weigh in in the morning.  I stopped weighing everyday a couple weeks ago and decided to only do it on Fridays.  So I'm curious to see what the scale will say tomorrow.  =)

Also, thought I'd make note that I re-measured last Friday, and I've lost 19.25 inches TOTAL so far!!!  That's a LOT of inches to lose!!  I'm so excited!

Fuel Cycle Day 1 & 2

DAY 1
Yesterday was day 1 of my fuel cycle.  It went ok.  I woke up and had my breakfast of scrambled eggs  (cooked in coconut oil) and turkey bacon.  I was full for a long time after that, so I didn't even make lunch until 2. 

For lunch, I had planned on making the Tuscany in a Bowl, but I never got a chance to finish my grocery shopping this past weekend, and didn't have everything for it.  So I made the Chicken Broth Anything soup FP style.  That was pretty tasty.  However, I was in a hurry and trying to get ready, and get all the babies ready to leave for basketball games that I didn't have time to eat all of it.  And that isn't something you can bring and eat in the car.  So I grabbed a little skinny chocolate for the drive. 

Dinner was on the run. We had to games tonight.  So we had to leave the house at 3pm and I didn't get home until 9pm.  We stopped at Whataburger for dinner.  I ordered a doublemeat burger.  I just pulled it all out of the bun and ate it that way.  So, it wasn't great, but wasn't the worst. 

When I got home I was starving!  I munched on some more skinny chocolate.  But, it wasn't cutting it.  I was really hungry.  I just went to bed.  It was 11pm at that point and I just didn't want to eat anything that late. 

I didn't have time for a workout.

DAY 2
I'm determined today will be better than yesterday.  I started my day with Serene's Steamed Omega Sensation (minus the optional stuff.  Blech!!  Not my cuppa tea!  lol!!)  Not bad though; as I'm a girl who usually can only do scrambled eggs.  I made sure the yolks cooked through.  I can't do runny eggs! 

For lunch my plan is a big cheg salad.  I have some chicken and hard boiled eggs to go in it, and turkey bacon, along with a lot of veggies.  I made some italian dressing last night.  I bought an Italian dressing mix and mixed it up  with the directions on the back.  I used EV olive oil for the oil.  That should be yummy for my S days. 

For dinner, I put a nice pot roast in the crock pot.  I'll serve some broccoli with it and maybe a side salad for me, and brown rice for the kiddos. 

For snacking today, I plan to have more skinny chocolate.  I am also going to make the Mouth Watering Meringues this afternoon, as well.  And if I'm really hungry, I'll have a mint chocolate frappa, too. 

I will workout this afternoon.  I have to take a baby to the droctor in a bit and I plan to come home and put them down for naps and workout afterwards.

Well, I'm off to my busy day!!  Hope everyone has a blessed day!!

Goodbye 30lbs!

Well...I've done it!!!  I LOST 30LBS!!  WOOHOO!!!  I can't believe it!!  It's amazing!  I am so excited and so thankful to have accomplished this!  I still have much more to go, but I KNOW that I WILL do it!!  I celebrated by pulling out all of the clothes that are to BIG for me now!!  =)  What a fun thing to do!  I will soon be shopping for new (smaller) clothes!!

I have to say when you can eat chocolate cake, cheesecake, muffins, pizza, cookies, and ice cream and lose weight, it doesn't even feel like you are really trying!!  I can honestly say that this hasn't taken that much effort for me!

I think that I may feel comfortable enough to post some before/after pics soon, and possibly even my weight and measurements.  We'll see...that's still a little tough for me.  I'm still ashamed of how bad I was, but at the same time am feeling so much better about myself and the changes I have made.  But, I feel like it might be soon!  =)

I'm gearing up to start the Fuel Cycle with a bunch of ladies from the forum next week.  I'm looking forward to it.  I've been doing the regular S & E & FP's for about 3 months now, and felt like it was time to give this a shot.  I'll try and stay on here and update often. 



Breakfast
Zucchini fritter- S
Lunch
I rolled up some ham and cheese in a half a Joseph's lavish.  On the side I had some sliced cucumbers and bell peppers with laughing cow cheese.  S
Snack
A few peanuts and a little skinny chocolate  S
Dinner
Salad and a side of spaghetti made with Dreamfields pasta.  S
Dessert
Peanut square, and because you can't have peanut butter without chocolate, I melted some skinny chocolate and poured over top.  Perfect!!  S


No workout today!  I will tomorrow though!  I love my workouts now!!  =)

Hello!!  My first post of the New Year!!  Sorry it took me so long!  (Things just don't slow down for me sometimes)

I have a busy day ahead of me so I'll keep this short and sweet!  =)  I finally lost the rest of my 4 Christmas pounds.  So I'm at 28lbs lost!!  I really can't believe it!!  It's crazy!  I don't even feel like I had to try that hard.  It's amazing!  I AM 28LBS LIGHTER!!!!!!  =)  2 more pounds and I have reached 30!!  Thats the size of my toddler!  Eeekkk!!  Makes me so excited!!

I cheated/splurged the other night!  We went to CiCi's Pizza for dinner, and I ate real, carby, bread pizza!!  It was yummy!!  Surprisingly, I don't feel too guilty about it.  I got right back on track the next morning and have been since.  Thankfully the scale hasn't gone up, but it hasn't really gone down any since then, either.   Oh well!!  It will!!


Breakfast-2 oopsie rolls  toasted with a little butter and slim belly jelly on them.  S meal
Snack- leftover piece of cheesecake (so glad I can have that treat after a workout and know I'm not packing the pounds back on)
Lunch-Leftover chili with Josephs Crackers- S meal
Dinner-Alfredo chicken over dreamfields pasta

I did my Bob workout this morning.  I did the Kettlebell Sculpted Body one again.  I am really liking all of his DVD's.  I enjoy working out now!
Take care!!  =)

Good-bye 2012!

Well, I cannot believe that it is the last day of 2012.  Whew!!  I feel like I only blinked and now it's gone.  I'm happy to report that on the last day of the year I dropped one of those ugly four pounds I gained over Christmas.  =)  That means I'm leaving 2012... 25lbs lighter!!!  YAY!!!

In my last post I mentioned that I was going to try one of my new Bob Harper workout DVD's...and I did, but OH.MY.WORD!!  It was a 50 min workout, and I was a little scared when I started; thinking it was going to be really intense, but I got into it and it wasn't really too bad.  I needed to take a couple little rests, but not so intense I wanted to die (like I do in my Insanity workouts).  When I finished it, I was proud and thought "Hey, that wasn't so bad!  I'll def be doing that one again!"  Well, I woke up yesterday, and boy oh boy, was I SORE (mostly just my inner thighs)!  By last night I dreaded the thought of sitting.  I moaned and groaned anytime I needed to.  My sweet dh got a good laugh out of me, and my teenager asked me if my feet hurt, because I was walking funny (like I had peed my pants kind of walk).  All I could do was laugh when he asked!!  Today I am still sore, but sitting is a bit easier and I'm walking normally again!  The DVD is Bob Harper Inside Out Method Kettlebell Sculpted Body.  I do recommend it despite my pain!!  No pain, no gain, right?!?!

As sore as I was yesterday, I still made myself workout.  I just didn't do the lower body though.  I worked on core.  I did Suzanne Bowen's 10 Minute Solution Blast Off Belly Fat.  It has five 10 minute workouts on it.  1. Flat Belly Fast 2. Pilates Perfect Abs 3. Belly Fat Blaster 4. Ab Ripper 5. Six Pack Abs.  I did #'s 1,2, & 3.  Another good one I recommend!  The Pilates one was killer!!  Can't wait to try the other two on there.  Being that I am still a bit sore, I have decided to not workout today.  But I will be back at it for the New Year tomorrow!





I thought I would share a yummy recipe with you.  Maybe you'll want to make it tonight as an appetizer at your New Year's get together!  I can't take full credit for this recipe as I originally saw it on Pinterest.  It called for brown sugar and I loved it!  But after starting THM I have tweaked it to fit my new lifestyle.  It is a higher fat recipe so don't go crazy, but it makes a yummy-licious appetizer that's safe on the blood sugar!!

Bacon wrapped 'lil smokies
"Lil Smokies
Bacon
Butter
Erythritol and Xylitol (or Truvia)
Nunaturals Stevia Pure White Extract Powder

Wrap as many little smokies as you need in bacon (I typically cut my bacon slices into 4 pieces).  Place in a 9x13 dish or a cookie sheet with sides if making a lot.  If you fill your 9x13 dish with them, you'll want about a 1/2 cup butter (1 stick).  Place the butter in a bowl or saucepan and add about 1/4 cup erythritol and 2 Tbsp of Xylitol (or sub Truvia) and a couple sprinkles of Nunaturals, and melt together. I like mine really sweet.  So I may do more than that, and I mainly just eyeball it.  Do it to your liking. 

Then pour the butter mixture over the bacon wrapped smokies.  Bake in the oven @ 450 for about 30 min.  May be more or less depending on your likings.  I like my bacon crispier and not mushy so sometimes I even leave it longer than 30 min. 

Pull out and cool a bit.  Eat and enjoy!!


See y'all next year!!!

Getting back on the horse!

Goodness!  It's been 10 days since I've had a moment to sit and post!  The days have just flown by. 

I decided before the holidays that I would cheat the couple days around Christmas.  So I did starting on Christmas Eve.  It was actually really hard at first to eat that stuff, I felt sooo guilty eating it, even though I had given myself permission.  I didn't feel as guilty by Christmas day or the day after that.  I had planned to be back on track by the Thursday after, and started off well, but by the end of the day the leftovers got to me.  So yesterday I sent as much of it away as I could and then I started chucking things. 

Those four days of cheating and I gained back 4lbs.   :/  Crazy how quickly it goes on and how hard it is to get it off.  Oh well!!  I enjoyed eating and being with my family.  I'm back on the horse now and ready to take those 4lbs back off... as well as the rest of this weight.

I will be working out today.  I'm gonna try one of my new DVD's.  I'm thinking one of my Bob Harper kettlebell workouts.  (I got a new (heavier) kettlebell for Christmas)  It's 30 min.  But since I haven't had a moment to workout since my last post, I want to do a longer one. 

Breakfast
Scrambled eggs with feta and cheddar cheese and turkey bacon.  S meal
Lunch
Leftover brisket with some veggies or a salad.  S meal
Dinner
Fooled ya pizza (I got a new food processor for Christmas and I can't wait to try it!!)  I'm going to make the kids a regular pizza with whole wheat crust. 
Snacks
Big boy smoothie after I workout.  And probably a cake in a mug for dessert tonight. 

More soon!

Just do it!!

I need to be honest here.  I haven't exercised in like a week.  I know I've planned on it, but I just haven't gotten around to actually doing it.  I've  been rushing around so much lately trying to get all my stuff done before family comes in for Christmas on Friday.  I still have so much to do, too!  Regardless though, I'm going to try and carve out at least 10 min today and do SOMETHING!!  I'll check in tomorrow and let you know if I stayed true to my word or not!!  =)

Do any of you have a favorite workout video you do?  I have quite a collection already, but always like new suggestions.  Last week I bought some new ones from www.mytrainerbob.com.  He has just about all of his DVD's for $3.99 right now and I think I bought just about every one of them.  I also got a couple other kettle bell ones from Amazon that were under $5, too.  I think they're in and I just have to go pick them up at the PO.  I would also like to add some Jilllian Michaels ones to my collection, too.  And I have the Insanity program.  WHEW!!  That one really kicks the rear end.  It's a little scary.  But, I spent all summer doing it, even though I never lost a pound. 


Yesterday's meals:
Brunch: Muffin in a mug with raspberry cream cheese frosting
Snack: Cheese crisps with salsa
Dinner: Taco salad
Dessert: Strawberry ice cream from here with the chocolate sauce (this stuff is so amazingly yummy).  I love it just the way it is, however I am playing around with it a bit to try and lower the calorie and fat count.  I'll let you know what I come up with soon.

Today's meals:
Breakfast: Greek yogurt sweetened with Nuaturals Stevia and some strawberries and blueberries thrown in.  Fuel Pull
Lunch: Scrambled eggs with cheese and turkey bacon.  S meal
Snack: Big Boy Smoothie. Fuel Pull
Dinner: Spaghetti with dream fields pasta & salad.  S meal

Busy Weekend!

Good afternoon!!!  Those 2 lbs are still gone, so that puts my weight loss at 24lbs. now.  =)  I CANNOT believe I have lost almost 25 lbs!!!!  I'm still in shock over it!! 

I so wanted to get on a post something yesterday, but we were gone from morning until late last night, and then I had a sick baby. 

I wanted to update about the party that we went to on Friday night.  We were served tray of Chick-Fil-A nuggets, fruit, cookies, & cupcakes.  :/  I was super duper hungry by the time we got there and there was no way I could go without eating.  So...I ate the chicken.  Just the chicken, and lots of the chicken!!  I have eaten Chick-fil-A nuggets a couple of times since starting THM, and I know they're fried and breaded, but thankfully it hasn't really affected me on the times I've had it.  But, I also keep it to just the chicken. I won't go near the fries or sodas.  So...not the best, but not the worst either (at least to me).  I also wanted to add that for just a moment, upon seeing the cookies & cupcakes, I felt a bit sad that I couldn't have any.  And even (very quickly) thought about having just one!  I quickly pushed the thoughts from my head and I left the table.  Once I was no longer hungry I didn't give those things a second thought. 

Yesterday, we were gone ALL day, like I said earlier, so we ate out twice.  I had scrambled eggs with cheese and two pieces of turkey bacon for breakfast before we left.  We went out to lunch...to Chick-Fil-A...and again I just ate the nuggets.  After that we went to a Christmas event for my dh's work.  They served all sorts of goodies there...pretzels, popcorn, cookies, fruit snacks, etc.  I didn't touch a thing.  It was actually pretty easy for me to avoid those things this time.  Then for dinner we met up with another family at Mr. Gatti's.  If you aren't familiar with that place it is a pizza buffet with a huge game room.  I love pizza!  But, the first thing I did was get a nice plate of salad and eat it.  Then I got 4 slices of pepperoni and cheese pizza.  I scraped everything off the tops of them and only ate that part.  It was yummy enough for me and I was full and satisfied without eating all the breading.  So, despite being gone all day yesterday, I feel like I did a pretty decent job of staying on track with THM!  You might think differently, but that's ok!!  =)

Now on to today!
Breakfast- Muffin in a mug with strawberry cream cheese frosting. S meal
Lunch- Loaded Fotato Soup.  Fuel Pull style.  I love, Love, LOVE this stuff!
Snack- Fat Strippen Frappa- Fuel Pull
Dinner- Chicken Alfredo over Dreamfields Pasta.  I want to try  the Konjac noodles, but I haven't bought any yet.  Hopefully soon, though.  S meal
Dessert- I'm making a key lime pie from here.  I'm wondering if I can make it without the crust to save on calories though.  Hmmm...
Her site is amazing too.  Search around for a while if you have time.  I got her site from THM's book. 

Workout- I think I will do 3 of my 10 min videos today.  I have a bunch of Gold's Gym videos that use a kettle bell, that I bought last year on clearance for $3 a piece.  And each DVD has 3 different workouts on it.  I never even touched them until after I read THM! 

Have a blessed day!  I'll check in again soon!

More Confessions

I saw a drop of almost 2lbs on the scale this morning.  =)  I always like to see that.  However, I have become a bit obsessive and I weigh myself every morning.  But, I have noticed a cycle with my weight loss.  I will drop about 2-3 lbs one day then the next it will go back up by about half, then it will stay that exact weight a couple of days, then it will slowly start to drop back down a few onces a day, and then it starts all over again.  But, I LOVE seeing it go down!! 

Today I felt like I needed to write a little bit more about my past weight and food history.  A little bit more of a "coming clean" on the person I've been and tried to keep hidden from the world. 

I haven't always been the fat girl.  I was fairly thin when I got pregnant with my first son.  I didn't gain a whole lot of weight  (I think 24lbs, if I remember right) while preggo with him either, and then lost most of the weight after he was born without even trying. 

Three years later, I had put on a few pounds, but I was by no means overweight, I think I had gone up a couple of sizes.  Can't remember for sure.  Then I got preggo with baby boy #2.  Again, I didn't gain a lot of weight.  In fact, it was less than my first pregnancy.  It was around 17lbs.  A week after I had him I was back in my pre-pregnancy clothes without trying. 

Two years later, I got pregnant with baby boy #3.  I gained 15lbs this time, and went back into my regular clothes right after giving birth.  

It was after I had my 3rd baby that things really started to spiral down.  Like I said, I've always had a sweet tooth.  But after I had him, it got really bad.  I would consume so much junk somtimes, that I would literally make myself sick from it.  Don't read that wrong, I never purposefully binged and purged.  But, more than once my body naturally had to purge itself from all the crap I had consumed.  I then learned to eat just enough junk to satisfy my uncontrollable cravings, but stay under the amount of junk that would send me to the bathroom.  By this time, I was quickly outgrowing my clothes, too. 

I hated myself for eating so much crap, but I had no idea how to control it.  

A couple of years later, I met a sweet friend, and we started Weight Watchers together, and started working out together (5-6 days a week).  I was doing really good.  I had lost a bunch of inches and some weight.  I was feeling really good!  Then...we moved out of state. I didn't have my buddy anymore.

Once we moved and got settled, I was back to eating badly again.  I lived minutes from my  mom now, and we often went out to lunch or to get a treat.  She spoiled me!  

After a few months, I joined Weight Watchers again.  I was also walking about 3 miles 4-5 days a week.  It didn't last long, and I was right back into old habits.  And my weight and size were bigger than they had ever before.  Then we moved out of state again.

Fast forward four and a half years.  Nothing changed during those years other than my clothes size and weight, and my book shelf.  I had all sorts of weight loss books on it.  I was still binging on junk food all the time.  I drank sodas ALL.THE.TIME.  I never drank water...EVER.  My dh and I were notorious for getting our 44oz fountain drinks at the convience store, and refilling them at least 1-2 times a day after that.  One day we gave up sodas, but we replaced it with sweet tea.  And we'd do the same thing with tea. 

All that junk and sugar had caused me to go through so many ups and downs.  I had several boughts of depression.  But, I didn't want anyone to know.  I wouldn't talk about it.  It was more of my dirty, little secret that I wanted to keep hidden from everyone.  On multiple occasions, I even thought how much better off my family would be without me.  But, that was Satan talking, and deep down I knew God wanted me to be where I was. 

I was so out of control. I hated my thoughts.  I hated to look at myself in the mirror.  I hated to buy clothes.  I hated to walk into a dressing room. I was embarrassed go home and visit my family, for fear of what they would think when they saw me. I hated food, yet loved it.  Most of all...I HATED ME!

And now... there's today!  I'm changing.  I'm thankful.  I'm learning to like myself and know that I'm better than all of that.   God is good, and he loves me no matter what, and I wasn't loving him  back like I should.  I was a slave to food, and I wasn't taking care of the body that he blessed me with.  I was being self-destructive.  And with his grace and mercy, I'm moving on.  I hope to never be "that girl" again! 

WOW!!  That was hard!  Hopefully, I will hit publish when I'm finished.  I get butterflies at the thought of putting all this out there.  Moving forward, right??

I'll finish with today's menu.
Breakfast- THM blueberry pancakes- E meal
Lunch- Left over lentil soup- E
Snack- Fat Strippen Frappa Smoothie
Dinner- We have a party this evening, so I will do the best I can with what I'm given!

Workout- I'm thinking I will do two of my 10 min Gold's Gym videos with the kettlebell. 

More soon!  Hope you have a blessed day!

A New Me!

I saw on Trim Healthy Mama's FB page yesterday that some ladies were blogging their journeys through becoming a trim healthy mama, and I thought what a great idea, why don't I do that as well!!

First off, I want to say how grateful I am to Serene and Pearl for all the years of research and writing this book.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for following your calling in writing this book. You are an answer to many prayers.   You are beautiful, trim, healthy, God-filled women who have done so much to help other struggling women. 

I started my journey to a Trimmer Healthier Momma (A new ME) on October 19, 2012.  I'm not ready to tell you my starting weight yet (still waaay to embarrassing), but I will tell you that I have lost 22.4 lbs so far, and 10 inches overall so far.  And I have a long way to go still.  But, that's all I'm saying about that right now!!  =)

Trim Healthy Mama isn't just a diet to me.  This is my new way of eating.  This is for life!  This book has changed my life, the way I think, and the way I eat!  Best of all...it's yummy food!!  It's not just salads and bland food that you have to do everything in your power to get down.  I've had delicious soups, chili, sandwiches, pizza, cheesecake, and ice cream with chocolate sauce. 

Ok, I'm totally about to admit something very bad and embarrassing.  I have a major sweet tooth.  I've always loved junk food.  Cookies, candies, cakes, ice cream, you name it!  Never have I had ANY sense of self control when it came to eating those things.  And the amounts of junk food I could consume was totally disgusting.  (Ok, here comes the embarrassing part)  I would buy the large family size bags of peanut butter M&M's and eat the WHOLE bag by MYSELF in 24 hours.  Or I would get the boxes of Little Debbie cakes and eat them ALL in a couple days.  I hid all this stuff from my kids and my husband.  Then I would feel guilty and ashamed, and then I would do it all over again, because I was already fat, ya know?  And that's what fat girls do, right??  I often felt tired, ashamed of myself, I wouldn't let anyone take a picture of me, I was grumpy and grouchy with my family, I had no energy, and I was always embarrassed to set foot outside of the house. 

Today, I am on a new road!  Thank you, God!  My dark and dirty little secret is now out there in the open.  I am overcoming these battles.  God is GOOD!!  I now eat without feeling guilty, or hiding food, or binging on food.  I have more energy than I have had in a long time.  I weigh less than I have in a very long time.  I'm still embarrassed with how I look, but I know I'm changing and getting better, and wearing clothes that I've had in my closet for years that I have never worn.  =) 

Tis the season to eat, right?!?!  This time of year is usually a pig-fest for me.  Even more so, than normally.  But, I think it's that way for many people.  Well,  I started my holiday baking a few days ago.  I have to admit, I'm doing really good.  So far I've made multiple loaves of pumpkin bread, 36 cups of candy popcorn, bags of dipped pretzels, pounds of peanut butter fudge, and pounds of Oreo fudge.  I did eat a little (ok, so it wasn't so little) piece of the peanut butter fudge the night I made it.  But, I'm ok with that.  It's a far cry from how much I would have eaten just  a few months ago.  I will keep on moving forward!  =) 

Ok, I'm gonna wrap it up in a minute, but thought I'd leave with what I plan to eat today.  I always like to see what other THMs are eating and maybe someone will like seeing what I eat. 

Breakfast- 0% plain Greek yogurt, sweetened with NuStevia, and I added in fresh black berries and half a banana.  That is an E meal.

Workout for 20 minutes and have a Big Boy smoothie afterwards for a snack. That's a fuel pull snack.

Lunch- Muffin in a mug.  S meal.  Who would of thought you could eat yummy chocolate muffins for lunch (or breakfast) and lose weight?!?!  But these are so healthy (and yummy) made with flax meal and coconut oil.

After lunch I have to take our foster babies to their visitation with bio dad.  It's an hour and a half drive into town, so I will pack a snack and bring it with me.  I usually pack a few chunks of cheese and some cashews or pistachios.  S snack

Dinner- since we will still be far from home we will be eating out.  I don't know where we will eat at yet.  But, I always eat S style when I go out, as that is the easiest for me to eat. 

Well, that's all for today.  I'll check in again soon!