Beachbody Coach

I've taken on a new job or what I'm hoping will be a new job. I almost didn't take it because I was worried since I'm still overweight that I will be judged, but then I realized...I'm in it for the long haul just as much as everyone else that is signing up. I've got goals and ambitions that I plan on crushing! So...why not be a coach and hope that others will get inspired enough to join me?

That's why I signed up for the Beachbody Challenge. It's a 90 day challenge that I am going to focus my hardest on and do my best! I've got Shakeology now too, so the wheels have been put into motion. I want to be positive and supportive of others while I'm on this 90 day stretch as well.

If some of you don't know what Shakeology is you can check it out in the link I've provided. It's a shake you drink daily and gives you all the vitamins and nutrients needed. This is great for some of us that hate to eat vegetables!

Portion Control

I did really well at dinner tonight. I ate a grilled chicken and veggies dish at the Chinese restaurant. I drank some hot tea and lots of water. My willpower was good, until they brought out the cake and a piece landed in front of me. I was going to deny myself the pleasure, but it was a sliver, which I'm glad they were at least thinking of me in that respect. So...yes..I ate it!! I don't feel bad for it as I know tomorrow I'm going to be extra good. Nobody is perfect when it comes to health and fitness, but as long as we learn and grow from what we've done then that's good. Plus, I don't like to deny myself something in fear of dying to eat it the next day, so if I really do want a piece of cake or whatever junk it is I allow myself a small portion of it - very small portion!

I did my Abs 10 class tonight, which is a Turbo Fire product by Chalene Johnson. It can be ordered here if anyone is interested. It's an amazing workout video! I can't even say it enough the wonderful impression Chalene has placed of herself in these videos. She's such a wonderful motivator. She will make anyone feel like they can do anything.

I look forward to tomorrow. It's my first day with a new preschool class. I love the little tykes! They are so much fun and say the darnedest things! I'm going to make sure to pack myself a healthy lunch too. I'll make up a salad then toss in a chopped up banana on the side for a snack. I keep water with me at work to drink throughout my day. The kids keep me so busy that I forget about food for the few hours I am there.

Waiting On Shakeology

My hubby and I both had the day off today. I've been up early doing chores and errands. One was us hitting the grocery store with my grocery list of all healthy things. It wasn't too much stuff, which is funny. If this had been 4 months ago I would have had a lot more things in my cart, and it would have mostly been junk food or carbs. While I have skimped out on the unhealthy foods and turned to the healthier alternative I have not noticed much of a price change, which makes me a little sad. It doesn't mean I'll go back to the cheap carb lifestyle though. It just means I'm going to have to watch for sales on certain vegetables and fruits.

Today I tried out a shake. It wasn't Shakeology as I am still waiting for my order to arrive, but my sister had given me a single helping of her whey protein powder, so I tossed it into my new Ninja blender with strawberries and a banana. It turned out really good! By the way, the Ninja blender is awesome!! It took like a minute and a half to blend everything into a smooth consistency - ice included. My previous blender took like five plus minutes of stopping to stir then blending yet again.

I've, also, posted up a new photo today of my thirty pound weight loss. It might not be noticeable to some, but I can feel a difference, and as I compare my before and current photo I've noticed that I don't have as much baggage below the chin, which is awesome! Also, my arms look a little smaller to me. If you can't view the photo and are interested in the site, go ahead and join up. You won't be disappointed. Beachbody is a powerful site for losing weight, working out, and finding new and innovative ways to stay motivated.

If you have any questions about the site or need some help you can send me a message on there, Facebook, or Twitter. Whatever site is the easiest for you. At the top of my blog there are links to my accounts if you would like to contact me.

Pound by Freaking Pound

Weight loss can be a slow process. I would know. I've been dieting for years and years...since I was like twelve. I hate the up and downs, and I just want to find something that will keep me healthy and on track. Well, I'm hoping I have found it. I wouldn't have guessed that I wouldn't miss taking meat out of my everyday diet, but it seems to have settled in a lot easier than dropping carbs.

Then I got to thinking about it, and I recall as a child I didn't care for eating meat too much. I'm still like that. It takes one gritty bite of beef or a bite of fat on chicken for me to get grossed out. It's like a few weeks ago, before I began this transformation, I had eaten a piece of fish at a local restaurant. Well, I was sitting there pulling fish bones from my mouth after like the third bite. I was so grossed out that I couldn't finish it, so I guess that's probably why it was such an easy process for me to give up eating any meat products.

On another note, I weighed myself this morning after my workout and found I had lost three pounds! I was so excited! If I keep this up I'll be at my goal weight in no time.

I've got to think Neal D. Barnard. His book has really transformed my eating habits.

Also, today is my 11th anniversary. I can't believe it. We have made a reservation at a fancy Mexican restaurant in town, which works great for me. I've found Mexican food is the easiest dishes to accommodate my new eating habits. I'm already looking forward to it.

Birthday Celebrations - Plus, Bonus Recipe!

Well, it was my birthday today and no..I'm not going to start telling everyone my age.

I did pretty good considering. There was no cake, which I had requested. It helped that Friday's you can't eat meat for Lent, so I kept it to vegetables, beans, and pastas. I had stuffed eggplant with angel hair pasta and a marinara sauce. For lunch we had some leftover Crushed Lentil soup that I had made a few days ago. That is the surprise recipe for the day. I had this soup for the first time at a Middle Eastern restaurant and loved it. After having it and raving over how delicious it was, my sister-in-law informs me that her mother makes it all the time, and they actually use it to lose weight.

So, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I plan to prepare this dish often.


Crushed Lentil Soup

1 Small package of lentils
2 Large carrots, cleaned and sliced
1 Large vidalia onion
4 Chicken bouillon cubes
Lemon juice

Prepare the lentils as package directions. I let my lentils boil for longer though, until they were fairly tender. Steam the carrots and grill the onions. After the lentils are finished add them with the carrots and onions into a blender, blend until smooth. Put ingredients back into the pot then add the chicken bouillon cubes. The lemon juice I used about 4 freshly squeezed lemons from, but it depends on lemon size how much to add. I would suggest going by taste. You do not want the mixture being too sour. Let it cook about ten more minutes.

Enjoy!

Womanly Woes

You all get it and understand what I am talking about. I have been so good with what I have been eating for the last three weeks. I've been committed and focused on eating tons of beans, veggies, and grains. I completely cut meat from my menu.

That was until the monthly monster decided to rear its head up. My mom has been over the last couple of days, which isn't helping, but it's been all about pop, chips, and sweets. I'm doing my best to avoid the kitchen, but I just realized that each time I pass I grab a chip or a cookie to munch and crunch on. Sweets are my killer.

So, here I am confessing my woes to the net, which is playing a good part to keep me away from the kitchen.

Tomorrow's a new day.

Also, I got an awesome recipe from my Arabic sister-in-law that's beans and veggies. Look for my next post which will include the recipe for it.

Things You Shouldn't Do When You're Overweight

I have to wonder what people are thinking when they do things that they do, especially when overweight. These are not anything to criticize, but simple things you would think would be self explanatory.

• - Do not put your hand into a jar!  The worst mistake ever!  Then you are caught with your hand in it.  The hard part is getting your hand back.

• - God almighty, don't try to squeeze yourself through a basement window!  Yes, I have seen this happened before.  To my aunt, no less.  She thought she could fit through the basement window to prove that she could escape through it.  It turned into a scene with the family along with Fire and Rescue.  It got worse when they decided to smear butter and oil all over her middle to see if they could slide her out.

• - Be careful of your surroundings.  You have more baggage to take care of.  One wrong step and you might send a friends precious vase crashing to the floor.

• - Do not get upset with kids for the position you have put yourself into.  They don't know any better, and if they call out that you're fat it's probably something they learned from a parent, so they were repeating something that was said in front of them.

• - Don't force a ring onto your finger.  If it doesn't fit then it will never fit again unless you shed some pounds or have it re-sized.  The horrible thing about getting it re-sized is that you will not be given the opportunity to shrink it back down.

Too Many Diet Restrictions...

Is it just me or are there too many diet restrictions out there? I just read an article today that stated "High Protein, Low Carb Diet Causes Colon Cancer". Lovely. Another problem to add to my list of diet problems.. Or is it that the media finds something out and rips it apart? I believe the government might have a hand in some diets as well.

Currently I am reading a book called Breaking the Food Seduction: The Hidden Reasons Behind Food Cravings---And 7 Steps to End Them Naturally by Neal D. Barnard, M.D. He works out of D.C. He said you would be surprised the products added into fast food meals and sweets. It's all about making the consumer return. He's all about eating alternative foods to meat. He believes the best option is cutting meat out all together because of all the additives.

It's a real interesting book. I'm still reading through it, but Neal is real intelligent. He talks about studies and research done on food to break down what is added in our food. You would be surprised that some studies of the brain show that certain foods act as a drug, much like some illegal drugs taken for pleasure, which has us returning for more. I first saw him on public television while on vacationing in Florida, so I decided to give his book a try. If I could eat healthier not just for me, but for my family as well that would be a huge step for me. It's the reason I decided to read this book and hope to gain some knowledge from it.

The Jobless Opportunity

As a stay-at-home mother, one thing has become a problem... I have gained extra unneeded pounds that have become hard to shed. It started during my pregnancy I gained forty pounds while pregnant then I tacked on another thirty over the last six years.

I came to the realization that this is my own fault. At first, I would blame my job and losing it. I had myself believing that because I was no longer working that I had nothing better to do than eat, sleep, and watch television. It occurred to me that I was so very wrong. I had nobody to blame but myself. The excuses need to stop. I need to figure out why I do all of this emotional eating and get my life on track again. I used to be very healthy and work out all the time. Even now, I make excuses for knee injuries that happened from a car accident some ten years ago. Yes, my knees hurt all the time but, no, it doesn't mean I cannot workout. I have found that walking or using the elliptical trainer doesn't bother them as much. It's all about making sacrifices. I've also been told that I cannot receive knee surgery until I shed some weight.

I need and want to lose weight. I know in the long run it would be better for me and my family. So, I've begun a quest to do so. First though, I plan on reading some books to familiarize myself with losing weight. I'm not a doctor, so I can only take my doctor's advice. He has recommended The South Beach Diet, but I also own a couple of other diet books (that are collecting dust). I plan to read these and try each diet out, see which works best for me.

In my little weight loss adventure I decided to start a blog. I will link any information I run across in regards to dieting or if I find any information in the books I read I will give a little post on some quotes. It's not just for me to remember, but for others as well. I will, also, give updates on how I am feeling that day, whether it be from emotions or if it has to do with the diet I am following.