Sunshine

Woke up to the sun this morning. What a wonderful feeling! Well, actually, I woke up when it was still dark (4:50 am) to get to the bookstore to bake some cinnamon rolls, but got home around 6:30 and slept till 8. :-) Then the sun was shining in my face!

I had a hair cut appointment this morning and, as always, I'm super excited about the results!

It's quite a bit shorter than before and I love it! It'll be so much fun to play with. I'm so grateful that the girl who cuts my hair isn't fearful and trusts me when I say "I need a change!"

Ok, so I joined Weight Watchers online. I need to find something that helps me track my food (good and bad) and I think this will really help me. So, here's to my newest tool for my journey! They have their new "PointsPlus" program where they have zero points for all fruits! YAY!

Last night, I went to Zumba. I was sitting here, wasting time at home because class didn't start until 7pm. So about 6:45, I left my house. Got to the gym and the class had already started! WTF??? Apparently, they changed the time to 6:30 and I didn't catch the memo. So, I only had 30 mins to boogie, but I did it and was dripping sweat. Felt good too!

Nothing really exciting to report, so I'm gonna sign off now. Kids are staying at Grandma & Papa's tonight, so hubby and I may go see a movie or something fun. Woo hoo!

Excuses, excuses....

Holy crow! I guess I didn't realize how quickly these past two weeks have gone by and I haven't posted in that time frame. Wow! I'm sorry to you who have been looking for my daily posts. I've been in a funk, busy, tired, busy, not up to blogging, so I haven't. I have lots of excuses. The main ones being; I was sick for a while, my kids were sick for a while and I haven't been working out or eating well, so why should I blog about that? For real, who wants to hear about me eating crappy food and not making it to the gym, AGAIN?? Not me, that's for sure. But whatever. Enough of this dreariness. I'm back thank you very much! So, here we go!

Last night (Monday), I decided I didn't want to drive to the gym, so I walked. Now, I don't know the distance, but it's a haul walking from my house, down the hill, across town and to the SAC. I gave myself 30 mins and once I started, I realized I wouldn't have enough time to make it to Zumba at 6:30, so I started jogging. Let me remind you, I am NOT a jogger! I want to LOVE it, I don't HATE it...my body is just not ready for it. So, here I am, jogging down Olympic Hwy, down a STEEP hill! Fighting my body to keep from going to fast down the hill. I make it to the bottom, stop at the cross walk and then keep going. Stop at the next block and keep going...then, I'm done. I have to walk. I managed to make up some time, but I still have quite a ways to go. To make a long story short, I made it to the gym right about 6:29 and there was still room in the class for me! WOOOOHOOOO!!! I was dying, but I managed to make it through the whole 1 hour class. After class, my girlfriend graciously asked if I wanted a ride home. Ohhh yes! I would have still been walking if I had refused that ride! :-) Thanks Gretch!

Today, I ate pretty well. Not perfect, but pretty well. For dinner, hubby BBQ'd some pork loin chops and I made some mean risotto. It had carrots and broccoli in it and it was delicious!!! My kids cleared their plates and Addy told me this dinner was "a keeper." During dinner, I told Phil that I wasn't sure I wanted to go to class. My body is soooo sore! He told me, "no, you have to. You had a whole week off. You need to go." And you know what, he was totally right! So, I drove my butt down there and danced the hour away. My body didn't hurt at all while I was dancing. It was fantastic and just what I needed! As I sit here now though, I'm getting stiff. Oh well, it was worth it!

I had to change my weight loss tracker and that made me a little sad to do it. I gained some weight. But I'm not surprised. I just need to focus and I'm having a hard time battling myself. It's so strange how our minds fight with our hearts. My heart wants me to be healthy and lose weight but my brain (or a strong portion of my brain) tells me to give in. Why? Why do I allow this???? Ugh! Oh well, just keep on truckin' that's all I can do. One step at a time.

I watched Oprah today and her episode was about viewers who have lost over 100lbs! It was amazing and inspiring to see these people get control of their lives. They said that they will never be done with the "battle" of losing weight. It will always be a "battle" and they will have to fight it for the rest of their lives. But they all have worked sooooo hard to get where they are now. There was a lady in the Olympian's newspaper today from Fircrest, WA who has lost 300 lbs!!!! 300 lbs!!! She was 450 lbs and now she's 150 lbs. I think it said it took her 4 years to do it, but how amazing? Now, luckily, I do NOT need to lose 300 lbs, but still, I have a significant amount to lose and I know it will be a process. But I can do it!

Thanks for sticking with me and being patient and supportive as I go through my ups and downs. I will try and post daily, even if I had a "bad" day. I need to be accountable, even if it is to the world wide web. :-)

Hodgepodge...misc....cornucopia...

My mission has begun! I found the most AMAZING, BESTEST, INSPIRING & INFORMATIVE blog today and I am HOOKED!!! 100 Days of Real Food is a blog that a lady did with her family back in 2010. The challenged themselves to eat REAL food (no preservatives, additives, fake crap, PERIOD) for 100 days. The blog has recipes, tips, tricks, ideas and inspiration for anyone who may even be interested in changing their eating habits. After the 100 days was up, they decided to do the same thing but 100 Days of Real Food on a Budget. I am floored that I found this today! You have to check it out. It is shocking how much food is out there that is marketed as "good for you" but it's actually horrible! That's why we need to start eating more REAL food!

I was already planning on doing a "real food cleanse" that I wrote about yesterday and today I started. I stayed on track of the meal plan for the week except for one thing: I didn't pay attention to the time and didn't have enough time to cook the chicken that was needed for my lunch today. So instead, I had 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 apple, 1 oz cheese, 1 celery stick w/ 1 tbl natural peanut butter and water. Our dinner tonight was delicious! A creamy asparagus soup. It was soooo easy and really tasty.

I went to Zumba tonight and man, what a great workout! I was dripping sweat on the floor. Sweat was hanging from my eyelashes! My ARMS were dripping sweat! AMAZING!!! Michelle, our instructor for the evening, took a moment before class started to give a "pep" talk to the class. She reminded me of a really excited preacher giving a really exciting sermon to a flock of willing followers. She spoke about setting goals and having obstacles getting in your way. Instead of getting discouraged and giving up, look at those obstacles and get excited! Get excited by the fact that the enemy is taking all the shots he can at you and will do whatever he can to get you off course. If the enemy is trying soooo hard to get you off course, that means you're on the right path! So jump that hurdle, climb that mountain and keep on trudging...you have a GOAL to reach! I needed to hear those words today. It's amazing how those messages come right at the right time. :-) AMAZING!

Funny story time: Tonight, while we were eating dinner, Ross (who's 1) was chowing down and all of a sudden, he burped. A loud, powerful burp! One Mommy would be proud of. Then, he said "WHOA!!!" and his eyes were really big because it shocked him. It was sooo funny and Phil and I just laughed and laughed.

Disturbing story time: How often do you clean your makeup brushes? Once a week? Once a month? Clean makeup brushes? What? Why would I do that, you ask? Well let me be honest here: I have NEVER fully cleaned my makeup brushes. Ewwww is right! But last night, as I was complaining about my skin being so bad, I had a thought. "Maybe it's your makeup brushes?" So, I went straight to my bathroom, grabbed some baby wash and was horrified (or terrified, as Addy would say)! My entire sink was a brownish/pinkish mess. There was rivers of color coming out of the brushes. AHHHHH!!! So, after much time spent washing and rinsing and washing and rinsing again, the water ran clear. I shook them out and laid them down wondering if this would help. This morning, when I went to apply my face, I noticed a HUGE difference!!! Not in my skin, but in the light, feathery, soft feel of the bristles brushing my makeup on. I was happy and grossed out at the same time! YUCK! All those YEARS of makeup, facial oil, moisturizer, blah, blah, blah...getting spread around my face every day! So...here's my lesson for today: Go and wash your makeup brushes NOW!!! Baby wash, a gentle shampoo, or Cetaphil should do the trick just fine. Just be sure to rinse well and don't disturb the bristles too much (especially if they are natural). Shake out the excess water and lay w/ the bristled end off the counter (I placed mine on a comb). I'm assuming now, after this experiment, that this is part of my breakout problems. So, hoping to report back soon that I see a difference. :-)

Off for a snack I go. Please, go check out the 100 Days of Real Food blog. It's inspiring and a great challenge! Love to all!

Reflections...

Sorry friends that I have been MIA a lot lately. I just haven't felt like keeping you updated on my fizzling enthusiasm for my journey. I don't know what it was, but I'm sure it has a lot to do with the word "diet." Diets, to me, mean temporary, harsh, un-bending, no fun! So, yes, I did well while on the South Beach Diet...but after that initial 2 weeks was up and my weight loss slowed and then stopped and then went up by 3 lbs..ugh!...I was at a stand still. Mentally, I'm frustrated and disappointed with myself. Physically, I'm good. My elbow doesn't hurt anymore, but I can tell I need to hit the gym more. Spiritually, I'm flat. I feel partially defeated.

This past week and a half I've really been studying and researching "clean eating." I don't want to diet, but I HAVE to change the way my family and I eat. I came across a really great magazine called, go figure, Clean Eating. I read it till 12:30 this morning and it lit a fire in me! There are shopping lists, brands, tips, tricks, and even a fantastic list from Kashi that shows us a breakdown of what to avoid when reading ingredients lists. It's called the Kashi Ingredient Decoder. Go check it out! Anyways, I am determined to break my habit (or addiction) to processed foods. I went to Trader Joes today and purchased all sorts of "clean" food and I've got my weekly menu all set up for this week, starting tomorrow. Wanna see what I'll be eating? I got it from the Clean Eating magazine but made a few minor changes (mostly having to do with nuts...I'm still not ok with eating walnuts & sesame seeds...yuck!).

Tuesday:

            AM:  ¾ C Granola w/ ½ c low fat yogurt & 1 sliced banana. ½ c low fat milk

            Snack: 1 c Greek yogurt w/ 1 c frozen raspberries, blended

Lunch: Almond Butter Chicken Salad - & 1 granola bar 4 oz. chopped broiled chicken breast, 15 halved grapes, ½ c chopped celery, 1 tbls chopped almonds tossed with 2 tbl almond butter, 1 tbl water, 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar & ½ tsp. maple syrup. .

            Snack: 5 carrot sticks, 5 celery sticks, 2 oz. Swiss cheese

            Dinner:  1 serving Creamy Asparagus Soup (pg. 82) & 1 med baked sweet potato

Wednesday: 

            AM:  1 cup cooked oatmeal with ½ c milk, 1 chopped pear & 1 tsp. maple syrup

            Snack: 1 sliced kiwi & 1 oz. almonds

Lunch: Turkey Asparagus Roll-ups – 4 – 1oz slices turkey breast, each rolled up with 1 oz. Swiss cheese & 1 small cooked asparagus spear & 1 banana.

            Snack: 1 sliced apple with 2 tbl almond butter & 1 c milk.

            Dinner:  1 serving steak salad (pg. 78)

Thursday: 

AM: 1 serving Choco Raspberry Vanilla smoothie –Puree 1 cup frozen raspberries, ½ tsp. vanilla, ½ c Greek yogurt, 1 ½ c milk & 2 oz. chocolate protein powder.

            Snack: ½ c cottage cheese, ½ c frozen mixed fruit, 1 tsp. maple syrup, 1tbl almonds; 1 banana

Lunch:  Crab Waldorf Salad: 2 oz. crab mixed with ½ c Greek yogurt, ½ c chopped apple, ¼ c chopped celery & ¼ c chopped almonds. With ½ c sliced cucumber on the side.

Snack: 15 grapes & 2 Laughing Cow Light Blue Cheese wedges

Dinner:  4 oz. broiled chicken breast topped with 1 tbl Arugula Pesto (puree 2 cups arugula w/ 7 almonds, 1 clove garlic, 1 tbl EVOO & 1 tbl water), ½ oz. peeled & sliced avocado & squeeze of lemon. 1 medium baked sweet potato. 1 cup cooked, chopped broccoli.

Friday:

            AM: 1 poached egg topped with 1 oz. crab meat & 1 cup sautéed arugula, served on 1 slice of multigrain bread w/ 1 slice of lemon.

            Snack: 1 granola bar & 6 celery sticks

            Lunch: 2 cups leftover creamy asparagus soup, topped with 2 oz. shredded Swiss cheese & 1 cup cooked chickpeas. 1 slice multigrain bread.

            Snack: 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce w/ ½ c sliced cucumber, 3 halved cherry tomatoes, 10 almonds, 1 tsp. EVOO & 2 tbl apple cider vinegar.

            Dinner: Pepper Steak: 4 oz. beef tenderloin sautéed w/ 1 tsp. olive oil & 1 cup sliced red bell pepper & 1 cup sliced onion.  15 grapes

Saturday:

            AM:  ¾ c granola w/ ½ c yogurt & 1 sliced banana

            Snack: 1 serving Choco Raspberry Vanilla Smoothie (leftovers)

            Lunch: 4 oz. turkey slices; 1 laughing cow blue cheese wedge, 6 carrot sticks, 6 celery sticks, 1 oz. almonds.

            Snack: Chickpea Salad: 2 cups chopped iceberg, ½ c avocado, and ½ c chickpeas w/ black peppercorn yogurt dressing (leftovers from steak salad).

            Dinner: 4 oz. broiled tilapia w/ a squeeze of lemon, 1 med baked white potato topped w/ 2 tbl arugula pesto (leftovers), 1 cup cooked, chopped broccoli, 6 chopped asparagus spears, 1 tsp. EVOO & 1 tsp. lemon juice

Sunday:

            AM: 1 cup cooked oatmeal w/ 1 tbl almond butter & ½ c mixed frozen fruit, thawed

            Snack: ½ mashed banana, ½ c Greek yogurt, 2 tbl almonds

            Lunch: Cheesesteaks: 3 oz. beef tenderloin sautéed in 1 tsp. olive oil & ½ c sliced onion. Top with 1 oz. Swiss cheese and place between 2 slices of multigrain bread. 1 apple

            Snack: 1 granola bar & 6 carrot sticks

            Dinner: 2 cups cooked penne pasta sautéed w/ 1 tsp. olive oil, 1 c sliced mushrooms & 3 oz. ground pork tenderloin. Top w/ ¾ cup creamy asparagus soup & 1 tsp. Parmesan.

Monday:

            AM: 2 egg whites scrambled  w/ 1 tsp. olive oil, ½ cup sliced mushrooms, ¼ cup chopped onion & 4 cherry tomatoes; 2 slices of toasted multigrain bread

            Snack: 15 grapes, 1 oz. almonds

            Lunch: 1 black bean veggie burger topped w/ ½ cup avocado , 2 tbl black peppercorn dressing, & 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce.

            Snack: 2 oz. Swiss cheese, sliced kiwi & ½ banana

            Dinner: 4 oz. broiled chicken breast, cubed, mixed w/ 1 cup chopped cooked broccoli, 1 cup cooked brown rice, ½ cup cooked chickpeas, ½ tsp. dried oregano & squeeze of ½ lemon

This is a partial "cleanse" for the purpose of getting all preservatives and additives out of your body. All foods are natural or "clean" and organic. I'm really excited to start this and hoping I can focus and change my brain. I'm really looking forward to getting my new books any day this week from Michael Pollan. So, if you pray, please pray for me to have the strength, guidance, and perseverance to keep on this path to be healthy and clean!

I also purchased new facial cleanser from Burt's Bees today. I've been having some really bad skin issues lately. For years, I've been using Neutrogena facial cleanser and just recently I started using their night cream and daily moisturizer and I've noticed a huge change in my skin. And not in a good way! Breaking out really badly, dry, & red blotches. I'm sure part of that is my diet but I really noticed a difference when I changed moisturizer. So I purchased new cleanser, toner, daily & nightly moisturizer from Burt's Bees. Hoping that helps!

Off to Zumba I go!  

Tuesday...Spring has SPRUNG!!!

Spring is here!!!!! 

Woo hoo!!! Today was amazing! Sun shining, cleaning done, fast pitch game watched (sorry Highclimbers...), headache gone and Zumba danced!

I also ordered 3 new books today. All from Michael Pollan. He is an amazing author and food advocate. I can't wait to get these books (The Omnivores Dilemma, Food Rules & In Defense of Food) and dive into them to get more insight on our crappy food industry and how to learn to eat better. I really like how he is not a vegan, he still enjoys meat, but chooses to eat meat that he KNOWS is "farmed" responsibly and respectfully. Will be talking about these books more as I get them and read them. Just warning you! :-)

Zumba class was outstanding tonight! Sweaty is an understatement! I have rivulets of sweat dripping off my forehead and down my chest; YES! I am really excited to go walking tomorrow w/ Gretch before going to Zumba. Thankful for my Mom who is taking my kids for a couple hours.

I had more stuff I wanted to write about, but those thoughts have escaped my brain for the evening. Biggest Loser is on right now and I'm going to go watch it. Tomorrow is another busy day starting off at the hospital getting more X-Rays for Ross. Gotta check that collarbone to see how it's coming together. He seems to be doing really well.

As a side note, this morning, Ross said "NanaPleMama!" He loves his bananas! :-)

Monday...here we go!

Yay! Monday is coming to a close, but it was a good day! Woke up to a bright & shining sun with crystal clear blue skies! It was very much needed to wake up to that dose of happiness. Took the kiddos to the park and played on the swings, tossed some gravel, and taught Ross how to jump on the bouncy bridge. We had a blast! Ross also learned how to say "Woohoo!" while swinging on Mom's lap. :-) It was really cute!

While the kids took a nap, I took some time to watch a movie on Hulu. If you've never used Hulu before, it's a free service that lets you watch TV episodes and movies. It's amazing!!! I ended up watching "Super Size Me." I will NEVER feed my children fast food again! Now, let me point out, I very rarely did take them there anyways. But never again! It is now banned from our household. The cycle will be broken. Our human population is getting sicker and sicker every day and we have got to do something about it. It blows my mind how a box of processed food can be so much cheaper than fresh fruit and veggies. I understand why it's that way, but our government needs to make that change NOW! We cannot keep eating like this! Our school systems are failing our children by feeding them crap for lunch (and sometimes breakfast). We have to do something about this. But what? What can we do? I know what I'm going to do. I will strictly limit processed food in my house from here on out. I'm a good cook, love to do it, have the time and my family's health is WORTH the effort. I'm going to ask you to see where you can help your family. Cook dinner every night for a week. Make your hubby and/or kids lunch to take to work/school. Don't buy into the packaged sugar crap! I'm on a mission to also stop using Ziploc bags! Use re-usable containers. Carrots, strawberries, leftover dinner, sandwiches, hummus, bell peppers, yogurt, homemade cookies (what a concept!), hard boiled eggs,...I could keep going. There are some options for lunches where you don't have to buy little bags of chips or cookies. We are killing ourselves people!

It really pisses me off that these massive food companies are making billions upon billions of dollars to poison us. I also, 100 %, agree that we are CHOOSING to let these companies ruin our lives. WE are the ones that buy the food, overeat, become addicted and fail to change. WE are the ones who allow this crap into our homes. WE are the ones who are killing ourselves. But I also think that the companies need to be responsible enough to show how bad this food is for us. There are a lot of stupid people out there who think they can eat whatever they want and will be fine. Unfortunately, this attitude is taking it's toll on us as a society.

I am rambling and I'm on a huge soapbox. But I'm also really angry with myself for falling prey to horrible eating habits and not caring about myself enough to choose a better option. I'm done!

Any who...stepping off my soapbox...I went to Zumba tonight and had a great class! I plan to go every night this week.

Addy and I also got Easter eggs colored this evening. She is waiting, as patiently as a 3 year old can, for them to dry so she can cover them in stickers.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day but I just hope the sun is out when I wake up! Have a great Tuesday everyone.

Zumba...ay Papi!

Yes!!! I made it to Zumba tonight and oh how I missed it! It's amazing how you can get lost for 1 hour dancing to fun music and dripping sweat the whole time. I LOVE IT!!! If you ever want to try Zumba...come on a Thursday night. It's not crowded, a little slower paced and super fun! Do it!

Today we had our buddy Blake here. He and Addy butted heads ALLLLLLL DAYYYY LONGGGGG!!!! And then you add Ross in there screaming and trying to hit them...oy vey! Needless to say today was LOUD!!! But, I was so thankful for the dinner delivery from the M.O.P.S ladies! They're doing a fundraiser for a trip to Nashville. I was more than happy to "donate" to these wonderful women and was ever so grateful to receive some delicious chicken enchiladas for dinner. :-) So at least I didn't have to worry about dinner tonight.

Time to hop in the shower before "Grey's Anatomy" starts in 1/2 hr! Hope everyone has a fantastic Friday!!!