Day 269

Breakfast: 4 egg whites w/onion and feta cheese; 2 smoked turkey sausages; yogurt
Lunch: salad w/grilled chicken and a hard-boiled egg; ~10 baby carrots; 1 sliced apple
Exercise: 58 mins Zumba
Snack: yogurt
Exercise: 27 push-ups; 15 sit-ups

Weigh-in's tomorrow and I'm feeling good!

The Take a Look in the Mirror Post

Breakfast: yogurt and red Rome apple
Lunch: 2 turkey patties w/fat free American cheese and sauteed mixed veggies
Snack: ~15 baby carrots
Dinner: chopped Romaine w/chopped pear, dried cranberries, feta cheese, and red wine vinaigrette
Exercise: 1.25mi walk (40mins)
Snack: yogurt

I've really been feeling good lately about the progress I've been making. I hate it when people excessively toot their own horn, but I think sometimes you have to take a minute to appreciate your hard work. It builds up your self-esteem and self-worth and ultimately, I think, gets you to your goal. If you never appreciate where you were and how far you've come, and never allow yourself that satisfaction... I would think it would make it a lot harder to continue on for more progress.

Lately I've been allowing myself more and more to admit to myself when I think I look pretty. It sounds strange and conceded, but don't we all want to feel beautiful? Lately I've been able to look in the mirror and think "Hm. I look gorgeous right now." Even when I have no makeup on and my hair's a mess. That is a revelation.

It has made me come to realize that although we may not love everything we see when we look in the mirror, there are things about each and every one of us that are beautiful. I've decided that from now on I need to keep those attributes at the forefront of my thoughts from now on when I look at myself. My hope is that you can find the things you feel are beautiful about yourself and never forget about them (even when the scale doesn't come out in your favor). I wouldn't ask you to do something I'm not willing to do, so I'm going to share my list with you...

Five Things I Find Beautiful About My Body

1. My hair. Of course this is #1 for me. I've never had to do anything to it and it's always pretty just the way it is. It is the one thing on my body that I can always count on and I've never had any desire to change. Maybe this is an exaggeration, but I am blessed to have my hair. 
2. My proportions. I don't carry all of my weight in one area like so many women unfortunately do. I am overweight and I have lots of extra fat on my body, but it's spread out proportionately so in some ways I don't feel like I look as heavy as I actually am. 
3. My freckles. These are a new treasure I've come to appreciate. For so long I wanted them gone and now I'm finding they can work to my advantage. Blemishes are harder to spot on a freckled face and I feel like they'll keep me looking young for many years to come.
4. My waist. Another new appreciation. I'm growing to love my waist more and more as it's starting to appear underneath all the extra baggage I'd been carrying around. I absolutely love it when my husband hugs me and his arms can squeeze a little tighter. 
5. My thighs. Okay. This one is going to take some time to adjust to. I don't love them all of the time. Let me explain. I have large thighs. I always have. However, as the weight is coming off I'm realizing just how powerful my thighs are. They are much stronger than I ever realized under all that extra stuff. No, they're not up to carrying all my weight around in a marathon or anything... But I can work the heck out of them on a bike machine and really see/feel them getting stronger. Because it's hard to look down and actually see my waist, stomach, or arms getting smaller... I really enjoy looking down at my thighs and seeing them shedding the weight.

Good to see you, waist!

I challenge you to find five things about your body that you think are beautiful. Commit to complimenting yourself on at least one of them per day. See if/how your attitude and self-confidence improves.

Day 267

Breakfast: 4 egg whites w/onion and feta cheese, 3 strips of bacon, and a yogurt
Lunch: salad w/Italian dressing; honeydew melon and grapes; grilled chicken, green beans, and a dinner roll
Snack: ~30 baby carrots
Exercise: 55min Zumba
Dinner: black bean turkey chili

The Thank You Post

Breakfast: 4 egg whites; 1 strip turkey bacon; 1 piece turkey sausage; yogurt
Lunch: salad w/hard boiled egg; honeydew melon and grapes; chocolate milk
Dinner: black bean turkey chili
Dessert: NONE
Exercise: 1.25 mi walk (28mins)

Can I just say how much I love having supportive friends and family? Without a doubt I know I wouldn't be where I am on this weight loss journey without their accountability and understanding. I'm reminded more and more about this every day -- Whether it be by our parents cooking special meals to suit our diets or it be a good friend agreeing to text pictures of our meals each day to keep us accountable -- I have an amazing support system. And that's not even mentioning all the support I get from Braylen. Good grief, he eats anything and everything we've cooked for this diet plan, never complains, and actually likes it! He's never argued or griped about not eating the things we want, and he encourages me when I text him when I'm having a craving. I could go on and on about all of the various ways you all have helped me in the past 9 months, but I'll just sum it up and say... Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I will never forget all of the words of encouragement, hard truths, and sacrifices you all have made to help me along the way. Thank you so much. I can't wait to get to the end result to show you what all that prayer was for.

Thank you!

Day 265

Breakfast: 4 egg whites w/onion; 3 strips of bacon; yogurt
Snack: golden delicious apple and a banana
Lunch: stir-fried chicken and veggies with 1/2 cup brown rice
Dinner: chopped Romaine w/chopped pear, dried cranberries, feta cheese, and red wine vinaigrette
Dessert: banana ice cream: frozen banana pureed w/1 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp raspberry Kefir
Exercise: TBA

The Onion Post

Breakfast: yogurt and banana
Snack: golden delicious apple
Lunch: 2 turkey patties w/fat free American cheese, corn, and blackeye peas
Dinner: Chinese food (fried rice, various meats, lo mein)
Exercise: 1/4 mi walk, 30 mins pilates, 15 push-ups, 40 arm curls

Since we started this diet, my love for onions has grown exponentially. They add so much amazing flavor to every meal and are so easy to prepare. We put them in everything, from eggs to salads to mixed vegetable stir-fries to pot roast to, well, just sauteed onions as a side dish. I buy a bag of onions every week and we still somehow manage to run out before the next grocery run. It's gotten to the point where the smell of the onions I cut in the morning for my eggs sticks on my hands all day... And the smell comforts me. I know that sounds sick, but I just have grown to love them so much. 

Today I've been thinking about the cliche metaphor of peeling back layers of yourself like peeling off the layers of an onion. I mean, we've all seen Shrek, right? You know what I'm talking about. I'm realizing more and more the symbolism between onions and weight loss. 

Okay, bear with me. This might not be a good post to read if you've never visited my blog before. Cos it's about to get strange. 

Onions are really ugly on the outside. Kind of like how I felt about myself before I started this weight loss journey. Not necessarily that I was ugly... But what I was doing to my body and how I thought about food was just that: Ugly. The outside of an onion is garbage. It needs to be removed so you can utilize the good stuff underneath. It's kind of like a protective layer for what's hiding inside. Almost like how I was using this extra weight as a guard so that I didn't have to deal with why I was gaining weight. Why I was mistreating my body. Why I wasn't living to my full potential. Why I ate uncontrollably, even when I was full. The outside wall I built up was garbage, and I needed to throw it out so I could utilize all the good stuff I have inside.

Little by little that outside layer is coming off. It's not completely gone. I still have lapses in judgment when I forget what my goal is and that layer sticks on a little longer. As the layers fall away, though, and as the weight comes off, I pray that I get to know and love myself that much more. I pray that through the struggles and victories I face over the next months and years of my recovery from this addiction I can pull myself closer to God. I know that it is His strength I have to rely on to pull that layer off completely. Because he knows about all the good stuff I've got hiding underneath and I know He's ready for me to use it.

Here's to pulling off another layer...

Day 263

Breakfast: 4 egg whites w/onion; yogurt
Lunch: salad w/chicken, hard-boiled egg, and honey mustard dressing; chicken stir-fry; grapes and apple slices
Snack: banana
Dinner: leftover pork tenderloin w/sauteed veggies
Snack: yogurt
Exercise: NONE

Day 261

Breakfast: yogurt
Lunch: taco salad (shredded lettuce w/ground turkey in taco seasoning, salsa, and cheese)
Dinner: pork tenderloin w/onion, carrots, and 1/2 cup brown rice
Dessert: yogurt
Exercise: TBA

The Feeling Sassy Post

Breakfast: 4 egg whites w/onion; 3 strips of turkey bacon; yogurt
Lunch: oven-roasted chicken w/steamed veggies, chili, and 2 rolls w/cinnamon butter from TX Roadhouse
Dinner: black bean turkey chili
Dessert: yogurt
Exercise: 2 mile walk

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!! I'm feelin' kinda good this weekend. I've lost 12 lbs in the past two weeks, and I still feel like I've got more in me to lose big. I went out to eat with my parents this afternoon because it's my dad's birthday, but I feel like I did well, despite the two rolls w/butter. I'm still way under my calorie count for the day and feel really good about it!

Feel kind of sassy sans double chin and extra baggage. 

Think I'll keep goin', ya know? 

Under 200 by New Years or bust! 

'Night y'all!

What's your next short term goal?

The NSV Post

Breakfast: 4 egg whites, onion, and 3 strips of turkey bacon; yogurt
Snack: cameo apple
Lunch: 2 turkey patties w/fat free American cheese; sauteed mixed veggies
Dinner: chopped Romaine w/pear, dried cranberries, onion, grape tomatoes, and reduced fat red wine vinaigrette
Dessert: TBA
Exercise: NONE

Our lunch this afternoon. I am loving turkey burgers more and more these days.

I have heard people use the term "NSV" before, and never was quite sure what it meant. As I usually do when I don't know what an acronym means, I made something up. In my head, NSV has always meant No Small Victory. Something happened this evening that I knew was a NSV, but I wanted to verify what it meant before I told you about it. As it turns out, or at least what urbandictionary.com says, NSV actually means a Non-Scale Victory. I'll probably always keep No Small Victory in my head, but truly it's the same thing to me anyways...

I have to share this NSV with you. This evening I was sitting on the couch after my husband left, just watching TV. All the sudden a huge craving took me over and I wanted whatever I could get. First I thought Braums would be good, but then I thought about going to get a bag of chips or something from the gas station. I texted BDR and told him what I was feeling and how strong the craving was and he reminded me that I didn't want to do that. I argued with him that the Braums burger and fries actually fit within my allowed calories for the day and didn't put me over, but he nicely said despite that all the fat in it is still bad for me. So I decided to just stay home and not even introduce the temptation as an option (a NSV all its own).

But then I remembered I needed to go to the grocery store for something that has to be made for tomorrow. So I panicked. I called Braylen and told him and he said to just go straight to the local grocery store that's about five blocks from our house. I said I'm going to get a snack because after losing 12 lbs in two weeks I deserve one. (Isn't that so backwards? I lost weight, so now let me "reward" myself by giving into what got me overweight in the first place. Sigh...)

So I got to the store and headed straight for the snack/chips aisle. I looked through the cookies, chips, and candy.. Comparing calorie counts and weighing out in my head how much of what I decided to get I could have. And then, it occurred to me.

I. Don't. Want. It.

These two thoughts crossed my head: 1) I'm wearing jeans that haven't fit me in months because of good choices I've made recently, and 2) I can go home and devour an entire bag of baby carrots if I want and get my "binge" out that way... And be completely healthy.

Because when I get right down to it... It's not the food itself that I want. It's the eating. And the eating in large amounts. I overdo it, and I know that I do. But tonight when I felt the urge to overdo it, I thought in my mind that I will be just as satisfied (and, in fact, even more so because I won't feel any guilt) if I binge on carrots rather than an entire bag of chips.

I'm telling you it's the little things sometimes...

What's your latest NSV?

The Cauliflower Pizza Post

Breakfast: 4 egg whites; 1 turkey sausage link; 1 strip of turkey bacon; yogurt (totaling 336 calories, btw)
Lunch: salad w/hard boiled egg and catalina dressing; cantaloupe and grapes
Dinner: Cauliflower Pizza
Dessert: popcorn and a Braums Heath mix
Exercise: NONE

Source: eat-drink-smile.com via Kaycie on Pinterest

Again, Pinterest has inspired me to try something I would've never known about otherwise. There was a recipe from eat. drink. smile. that I knew I had to try ASAP. It's basically pizza with a cauliflower crust. Sounded just interesting enough to be amazing. So here's the deal:

The recipe calls for:

• 1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• olive oil (optional)
• pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings

But I used:

• 2 cups cooked, riced cauliflower
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• Oregano, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning
• Olive oil spray
• Prego Veggie Smart pizza sauce

According to myfitnesspal, all of my ingredients combined equals 325 calories, which I'm totally happy with. So here's how to make it:

Step 1: Employ two assistants to keep you company while you cut and rice the cauliflower in the food processor.

Step 2: Ya know... Break apart the cauliflower into small pieces so you can rice it in the food processor. Oh, and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

I did 3 cups cos I was confused by the way the recipe was worded... cos I'm not intelligent. But I only used 2 cups tonight and put the third in the fridge for later.

Step 3: In a medium bowl, mix the riced cauliflower with the mozzarella, egg, and seasonings. I did not take a picture of this, because you can probably imagine it already. And I forgot.

Step 4: After spraying the pizza pan with olive oil (which I neglected to do the first time around because, like I said, I'm not intelligent) pour and form the pizza into... a... crust?

Ta-da! Crust.

Step 5: Spray it with olive oil spray (or brush it with olive oil, as the original recipe says) and bake it for 15 minutes.

Step 6: Put some sauce and cheese on top and whatever toppings you want, then broil it for 3-4 minutes to melt the cheese. Keep in mind that any toppings you want need to be pre-cooked because they'll only be in the oven a few minutes during this time. We didn't want anything but sauce and cheese, so it was simple.

Voila!

Step 7: I let it sit another 7-10 minutes so it would cool and harden a bit more. It wasn't crispy like a regular crust would be, but it was most definitely something we both enjoyed and will be making again. 

I mean... Yum, right?

Anyways, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Go to the link to find original recipe and directions and yours will probably turn out even better than mine!

Oh... Weigh-in was today and I lost another 3.8 lbs! Putting me at 238.8 lbs... Out of the 240's once and for all! Very excited about that! 

Hope you all have an amazing weekend! 

'Night y'all!

Getting Better All the Time

Breakfast: strawberry Kefir smoothie
Lunch: salad w/cucumber, tomato, hard-boiled egg; honeydew melon and grapes
Dinner: chopped Romaine w/grape tomatoes, dried cranberries, chopped pear, feta cheese, and poppy seed dressing
Dessert: yogurt
Exercise: NONE

Skipped everything exercise-related today... Whoops!

Sorry that my updates have been so short lately, if at all. My days are full and when I get some down time in the late evening, it honestly slips my mind. Or rather, I have nothing left on my mind to share with you. I will say that tomorrow is weigh-in time again, and I'm excited about this one, as well! Not as excited as I was last week because I know it won't be as big of a loss... But I know it will be a loss and that's something to get excited about! I'll fill you in on that tomorrow or this weekend.

We switch to the next cycle in the diet this weekend and, man, am I looking forward to it! Adds a little bit more variety to the kinds of carbs and proteins we are allowed. Yum yum!

Ya know, I just wanna say... I am truly happy with myself and where my life is headed. I am proud that I've stuck with this for so long and am able to see changes once again. I am happy that my body is getting back into the swing of things and shedding those extra lbs that I'd put on. I am thrilled to have a workout schedule that works for me. I am overjoyed that my husband is making these changes with me. And I'm so blessed to have the friends, family, and fellow bloggers that I have who support me 150%. I would not be anywhere near this point if it was not for your encouragement along the way. Thank you so much!

I finally feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. I'm getting healthy. My house is staying clean (for once). My friendships are right where they should be (and improving daily, rather than getting weaker). My family is becoming more united. I feel better about myself, inside and out. And I love that feeling.

Thanks for letting me share my journey with you!

'Night y'all!

Day 253

Exercise1: 1.5 mi walk
Breakfast: Kefir smoothie
Lunch: salad w/hard boiled egg; green beans
Dinner: grilled chicken with stir-fried vegetables
Snack: yogurt
Exercise2: 55 min Zumba class

Pinspired

Like so many others... I get inspired by Pinterest daily. This idea seemed too simple and perfect to pass up, so I gave it a try. It all started with a trip to Office Depot. I bought one package of red binder rings, a hole punch (cos can you believe we didn't have one?), and some strong adhesive labels.

 

I used 3M Permanent Adhesive Inkjet, Laser, & Coper Labels and a template from their website to format the labels. The font is one I made from my own handwriting on acrotype.com (another Pinterest idea, btw). The pin I found for this used scrapbook paper to make the front and back covers, but I just decided to cut up the box it came in and use the front and back of that. Maybe not as decorative, but it made sense to me and I was just going to throw the box out anyway.

 

Original pin:

Source: craftster.org via Kaycie on Pinterest

What has Pinspired you lately? 

Day 250 Recap

Breakfast: yogurt; green tea
Lunch: small salad w/turkey and hard boiled egg; grapes, honeydew melon, and baby carrots; steamed mixed vegetables
Dinner: turkey chili w/cheese and picante salsa
Dessert: yogurt
Exercise: 1.5 mi walk

Had a truly amazing weekend. Spent it with family and friends celebrating Husband's birthday! His birthday also happened to be Day 250, so of course I had to take pictures!

Day 1.

Day 250.

I feel like I'm finally starting to see some results again! Here is a recap of all the pictures I've taken...

Happy to be moving in the right direction!

Hope your Monday wasn't too horrible. Have a great week! 

'Night y'all!

The I Love Today Post

Breakfast: 4 egg whites w/onion; yogurt; green tea
Lunch: small salad w/Italian dressing; green beans; honeydew melon, 4 strawberries, and red seedless grapes
Snack: yogurt
Dinner: Romaine lettuce w/grape tomatoes, feta cheese, onion, and honey mustard vinaigrette
Dessert: yogurt
Exercise: NONE

Today = Epic

I woke up and hopped on the scale. Since last Friday, I've lost 8.2 pounds! I was so excited! Now I'm down to 242.6... Ready to make my way back into the 230's and stay there!!

I had a short day at my internship today because some kiddos canceled, so I got to come home early... Always a pleasant surprise! I stopped at Petsmart on the way home and got the pooch some presents. He ran out of dog toys a long while ago, so it was time we got him some new ones!

Then I got home and rested. Got to watch TV and do absolutely nothing. It's been wonderful. In fact, it's still happening. =]

I wish Husband was here to enjoy the relaxation with me, but he's at work. Tomorrow is his birthday and we've got a busy Saturday and Sunday planned to celebrate. I'm so excited and blessed to get to spend another year celebrating his life with him!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

'Night y'all!

Day 248

Exercise 1: 1.5mi walk
Breakfast: yogurt, 4 egg whites cooked with an onion; green tea
Lunch: green beans; side salad w/cucumbers and turkey; red seedless grapes
Snack: 20 baby carrots
Exercise 2: 55min Zumba class
Dinner: NONE (ooopsie.. Got home late and was tired)

Weigh-in's tomorrow and I could not be more excited! I'll let you know how it goes! =]

The Daily Routine Post

Breakfast: yogurt
Lunch: two turkey patties w/cheese and turkey bacon; stir-fry mixed veggies
Snack: red seedless grapes and a cameo apple
Dinner: Romaine lettuce w/grape tomatoes, feta cheese, dried cranberries, and poppy seed dressing
Snack: yogurt
Exercise: 1.5 mile walk; 8.5 mile (20 min) ride on the sauna bike at Tan & Tone

Lunch from today. Yum! Wish there was leftovers!

I am tired.

I just stepped in from finishing up my walk for the day and it's 8:30. I haven't eaten dinner, and I'm really not wanting to eat this late but I know I should at least have a salad. Sigh. I kicked my own butt today and it feels pretty damn good.

I can honestly say that I've never had this much dedication. Despite having popcorn the past two nights, I have 100% stuck to the diet. Every. Single. Day. And it feels great. I'm not saying eating McDonald's, Burger King, and Taco Bell doesn't also feel great... But this is a much more satisfying, long-term "great". I am very very much looking forward to what the scale will say on Friday. I can with every bit of certainty say I've never looked forward to a weigh in as much as I'm looking forward to this one. I know I've put in the work, and I know the scale with show it. I feel lighter and feel better in my skin again. I still have extra bulge I'd put on the past couple months, but I know it won't be stickin' around for much longer and that's so thrilling.

I skipped Zumba last night because yesterday morning's walk put a blister on the ball of my foot about the size of a nickel and I didn't want to make it worse my dancing on it. Maybe it's an excuse, but I'm definitely glad I didn't go. Today I was able to walk my 1/2 mile and then bike 8.5 miles on the sauna bike at Tan & Tone (for free, I might add, since I had a coupon). The sauna bike is basically just a simple stationary bike with sauna lights shining directly on you so you sweat A LOT more than you normally would and burn twice the calories. So, when my ride was done, the machine said I burned 280 calories... Take that and double it to make 560 and that's how much I really burned, with the lights. Then right after that I did my walk... So I'm definitely hoping to sleep well tonight! ha.

Walking in the morning and then Zumba tomorrow night. Sigh. I love having the schedule set so that it's just part of my everyday. I will not miss 5AM walks, though, when this challenge is over. ha. I will just do 1.5 mi a day and do it later in the day. I know, for some people, waking up early to work out is a lifesaver and gives them so much extra energy in the day... But that is not the case for me. It wears me out. And I go to bed early the night before and still am tired. I won't say I'm more tired than I would be normally, but it definitely doesn't give me any boost, which is unfortunate because I'd probably be more likely to continue if it did. I will I do feel mentally more satisfied with myself the rest of the day because I know I started the day off well and have it out of the way. That is definitely nice!

Anyways, I guess I'm gonna go throw together a salad and watch some Teen Mom!

'Night y'all!

Day 246

Breakfast: 4 egg whites and 1 whole egg; yogurt
Lunch: small salad; 2 strawberries, honeydew melon, and grapes
Snack: baby carrots
Dinner: Harvest Chicken Salad from Quizno's
Dessert: popcorn

The New Motto Post

Breakfast: 4 egg whites w/onion; yogurt; green tea
Snack: 1 1/2 cups red seedless grapes
Lunch: Autumn Chopped Salad; green tea
Dinner: "chicken-vegetable spaghetti" (stir-fried veggies and chicken in 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce)
Snack: popcorn
Exercise: 3mi walk w/the dog (1/2 in afternoon, 1/2 in evening)

As I mentioned previously, I started going to a Zumba class last week. Originally I thought "I need to be sure and go at least Tuesday and Thursday, because I don't think I'll know after the first class if I like it or not." And of course the class Tuesday kicked my butt. I kept thinking though "I'll go Thursday and see if it gets better." I had somewhat of a revelation on Wednesday, however, and decided to just commit to it now. I realized that I have a tendency to try a lot of different things "to see if I like it" and then always find some reason not to like it. When really the only thing I don't "like" about it is that it's stinkin' hard!

So I've decided that if there's ever anything I come across that I don't want to finish solely for the fact that "it's hard"... I need to make a point to push myself through it. This goes for exercise, food choices, personal decisions, school, work... Anything. I know this kind of revelation is something that comes natural for most people, and I suppose somewhere I knew that that's what I should do. But it never occurred to me that I need to just make a decision and stick with it.

What did you challenge yourself to do today?

The Salad and a Baby Post

Breakfast: yogurt
Lunch: Autumn Chopped Salad
Dinner: 4 egg whites w/onion and 1 Butterball Everyday Turkey Smoked Sausage link
Dessert: yogurt

Another great day. Kind of rocky in the beginning, but it got exponentially better once I got to hold and squeeze a newborn baby. A great friend I've had since junior high gave birth early this morning to her second little one, and since it was the weekend I was able to make it down to see them. It was wonderful to not only see her, but to share in the excitement of a new life.

One o'these days, it'll be my turn.

Until then, I'll blog about the Autumn Chopped Salad I made today, because that's just how boring I am.

I got the recipe from Pinterest a week or so ago, and since we went grocery shopping this morning (for the first time since July 26th, I might add) I bought the ingredients and decided to give it a whirl today.

What the original recipe says you'll need:

*6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
*2 medium pears, chopped
*1 cup dried cranberries
*1 cup chopped pecans
*8 slices thick-cut bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
*4 to 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
*Poppy seed Salad Dressing (I like T. Marzetti)
*Balsamic Vinaigrette (I like Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette)

 What I actually used:
*1 1/2 chopped romaine hearts
*1 small pear
*1/3 cup dried cranberries
*2 slices Butterball Everyday turkey bacon
*1/3 cup Crystal Farms Reduced fat feta cheese
*2 tbs poppy seed dressing (I used Maple Grove Farms of Vermont)
*1 tbs Carbonell extra virgin olive oil
*1 1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar

I just changed the proportions when I made it because I was only making one salad. You could change it however you like. For instance, I don't think I'll add the feta next time because I don't think I'd notice the difference. The pears, cranberries, and poppy seed dressing are what make this salad good for me. Although the cranberries add a lot of extra calories, a little goes a long way and I think it's worth it.

Anyways, that was my day. I had an amazing salad. Got to love on a precious baby girl (and dream of my own, one day). And spent a majority of the day with my mother. Pretty wonderful, if I do say so myself.

And I obviously do.

'Night y'all!

For the Better

Breakfast: yogurt and pear
Lunch: chicken and veggie stir-fry; side salad
Dinner: Eggplant Parmesan and roasted cauliflower
Snack: baby carrots

Well, I am officially back in the game. After a long bout of going back and forth on dieting/binging... I'm finally back to the state of mind I need to be in to stick with it! Bray and I have put back on 15 lbs a piece since we dropped the ball on the diet... And we finally decided enough was enough. Yesterday was our first day back on the diet, and the past week I've been focusing on my exercise plan. So here's what it's looking like:

I will be walking 3 miles everyday for 5 days of the week. I'm doing this with a friend of mine after I read about the Amp the Activity Challenge. Also, I started going to a Zumba class another friend instructs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It kicks my butt, but I know it will get me in gear.

That is my exercise plan, as well as any added pilates/yoga/Tan & Tone I decide to throw in, for fun. I'm really excited about having a plan to stick to this time, rather than just doing it whenever I could talk myself into it. Now I have friends to help keep me accountable to it, and that's so nice to have!

Speaking of accountability... I'm taking it up a notch for this round of Biggest Loser. I know this is going to be my best round yet, because I can tell my heart's fully in it. I'm ready to feel the victory of loss again!

Thank you all for sticking with me! Your encouragement and words of support are what's kept me coming back. Now I'm here to stay!

What are you doing to change your life for the better?