All it Takes is Ten Minutes ..

One thing I hear constantly from others is that "I just don't have the time" to _________ (eat breakfast, work out, eat meals made from home, eat healthy meals, etc ..)

You have to ask yourself: how important are my goals? Do you want to eat healthier and save some money by not eating take-out every day? Are you tired of going hungry in the morning because you didn't have a proper breakfast? Are you feeling insecure about your body but "don't have the time" to exercise?

Guys - YOU are in control of your day, just like YOU are in control of achieving your goals. If it is important to you, then you will FIND or MAKE the time to meet your goals. All it takes is a few minutes of preparation to set yourself up for success. 

I took ten minutes to pre-cut and mix some veggies (mushrooms, onions, bell peppers) and wash black beans to leave in containers in my fridge. Now I can make a fast egg scramble or a Mexican omelette in the morning for breakfast. It only took a few minutes of food preparation to help myself stay on track with my goal of having a healthy, nutritious breakfast every day. 

I can do it - you absolutely can too. How much does it mean to you?

Final Soup Challenge!

This week we didn't quite make a soup .. We made a big pot of hearty, healthy chicken stew! It is one of my favorite recipes from my bible, The Looneyspoons Collection, called "I Got Stew, Babe". We alter the recipe somewhat (we always add extra cups of mushrooms, carrots and green beans!) and add a touch more flour and stock as hubby prefers a more juicy stew .. And it is so delicious! It yields a lot so we are able to just grab and go from the fridge, and it's so healthy and guilt-free! 

Roasting the veggies!

Ready to mix together ..

The finished product!

I plan to continue making big pots of soup (or stew!) throughout the winter .. It's so easy to have a big pot filled in the kitchen, so I've got a quick supper for work or a hot lunch at home. It's cheaper than buying cans of soup and it's way healthier and super convenient! 

The Kids Are Watching

I have many reasons for wanting to live the healthiest life possible. My asthma is easier managed at a smaller weight and when I'm active. The risks of developing diabetes and heart disease significantly declines. I feel WAY better overall - more positive, happy, fit and confident. I live healthy to BE healthy, because as that old saying goes, nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels! I love being active and I feel great eating right. 

But one of the most rewarding parts of living healthy? This: 

My family lives healthy too. They see it, learn it, and live it. And that is the greatest thing in the world. 

Live healthy. Be happy!

Gulp.

So .. I've committed to doing something that I swore I would never do. 

I'm going to run a half-marathon September 2016. 

Yeah, it's super far away and I have lots of time to get ready. Yep.

I struggle hard through a 5K. I haven't run in a loooooooong time. Is 23 months enough time?! 

Here's why I committed to this thing.

I met an incredible lady, Heather, through my first Beach Body challenge group. Her positive sprit and energy immediately made me like her, and we became friends. She's a big-time fan of running and challenges herself all the time (the Great Wall of China marathon is on her race list!) 

She wants to come visit. And run. And a 5K just doesn't seem to be worth all that traveling for .. So I suggested the Army Run Half and she instantly said she'd add it to her race list. I'm in! 

My husband also set a goal for himself - he wants to run the half in 2015. He's so inspiring! 

I love to run. LOVE to run!! So why did I allow myself to stop?

Well, I let me asthma scare me off. Running in colder weather really makes it hard to breathe, so I had to "pause" for the Fall / Winter season .. Where I have fallen off the wagon for the past two years. And then I need new running shoes, because mine are totally shot. And running shoes aren't only twenty bucks, y'know? 

... Are the words "excuses, excuses, excuses" running through your mind right now? Cuz they totally are in mine.

So I have a big goal to reach. I'm not just running this thing for Heather (though she'll be worth it!) but I need to do it for me. I'm working hard on myself and part of that work is setting a goal and achieving it. So yes, it's one that is far off in the future .. But it gives me a LOT of time to crush my 5K and 10K goals and take a proper training class for the half! And I'm really excited for it!

So .. Gulp! Half-Fanaticland, here I come! 

Soup Challenge #3

This week we made a super hearty vegetable soup. We loaded it with turnips, zucchini, carrots, legumes and beans .. So it was extremely filling and had lots of protein! Pairing a hot bowl of this vegetable soup with a grilled cheese sandwich made for an amazing lunch on a cold, rainy day (which this week has been filled with!).

So far, I'm loving this soup challenge! It's so convenient, having a big bowl in the fridge that I can scoop a cup out of and heat up on the stovetop .. Quick and easy and the best part - healthy eating! :) 

Soup Challenge #2

I'm a few days behind on this post, as I still had a bunch of the sweet potato soup I was working my way through! Now that's done .. And this week, we made a homemade chicken and vegetable soup! We bought one of those precooked chickens from our grocery store's Food To Go counter (WAY cheaper than buying a fresh, uncooked chicken .. We paid $8.99 for the cooked one but a raw, uncooked one was $23!! Madness!!)

We prefer a hearty soup so we loaded it up with tons of celery, carrots and onions .. And it's so delicious and filling! Yum! 

How I Survived Thanksgiving

We all know how it goes .. Thanksgiving weekend is filled with family and friend gatherings .. And FOOD. Lots and lots of food. Pumpkin and apple desserts and mashed potatoes and breads and gravies and turkeys and hams .. 

It's all so tempting. I've been known to go a little crazy on the buffet line, especially where dessert is concerned. And every year, starting with Thanksgiving, with the warm foods and the colder weather, is where I often begin to slip off my healthy track and into dangerous, binge-eating-bad-foods territory of winter. 

This year, I am determined to break that cycle. I'm done with restarting my weight loss every summer. I'm done with being unhealthy. Done.

This picture spoke volumes to me .. Loud and clear!!

No excuses! My goals for my health and body and LIFE are way more important than a turkey and pie hangover and the regret and grossness I'd feel the next day. 

I woke up every morning and immediately planned my meals for the day using My Fitness Pal, as I always do (even on non-holiday days! It's my routine to keep on track). I knew what was on the menu for Thanksgiving feasts and I planned for it all, and I even kept on with my workouts every night! 

After I finished work on Sunday, I came home to have a Thanksgiving meal with Team Lego .. Daddy worked hard in the kitchen to make a homemade pineapple sauce for the lean ham, lightly buttered asparagus and mashed potatoes! We went for a family walk after dinner instead of having a dessert, which was way better :) 

Thanksgiving Monday we had dessert for breakfast! 

Daddy Lego made apple pie crepes .. Whole wheat and flax crepes made with egg whites! They were stuffed with apples sautéed in a touch of butter and cinnamon and topped with light, real whipped cream. It was so delicious and it totally cured Daddy's apple pie craving!

We went for a long walk after breakfast. The sun was out and it was the perfect Fall day! 

Look at all the geese!!! There were hundreds!! 

We made it home in time to have a round of showers for everyone, lunch: 

Homemade chicken and vegetable soup! And then we were off to the country for a family gathering. 

My focus was on family .. Not the food. And that's how it always will be for me! Family is truly what's important about the holidays, not the food! Although .. The food was phenomenal. We brought two veggie dishes to contribute to the meal (to fill up on!) 

I had a few pieces of turkey too, after I took this photo. I skipped the gravy (I get the worst indigestion with gravy, boo). I'm not going to lie .. I totally wanted the pumpkin pie that was served for dessert. I've had the Costco pie before and it.is.to.die.for. But .. I didn't have enough calories for the day to have even a small piece. My backup plan, decided earlier in the day while I made my meal plan for the day? Pumpkin pie shakeology after my workout!! Absolutely delicious and guilt-free. 

These people are my world. Not the turkey dinner :) 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

(And ps. Even if you did indulge this weekend - no problem. The weekend is over now, today is a new day .. Get yourself back on track!) :)

It's Bittersweet

I saw that picture on FB and had a good laugh .. And then realized that yeah, I can relate to it. Somewhat. Though not in the gangsta way.

I've lost so much weight that my favorite compression pants don't fit very well anymore - there's less there for them to compress! This is a HUGE sign of progress I'm so incredibly proud and thankful for it .. And now I've got to get myself another pair, in a smaller size .. And that's kind of exciting. 

But .. They were my favorite!! Haha

My Soup Challenge

Hey guys!!

So I've come to recognize a trend over the past couple of years .. When the temperature drops, so does my dietary discipline. My body (or mind?) craves hot carbohydrates in vast quantities. Pastas, breads, baked goods ... Not good. I always see a huge weight gain over the winter that I fight to get under control come summertime.

Well I'm ending that here. Now.

I'm done with starting over every.single.summer. This is for life. It isn't just about the weight - it's my health. I need to eat well to feel well. 

So this October, every week, I'm going to be making a different healthy homemade soup. Soups are delicious and they definitely satisfy the urge to eat hot, filling meals! 

This week's soup is one of my faves .. Sweet potato and carrot! Yum! :) 

That's right, winter .. You aren't going to defeat me this year!! :) 

Back on Track!

I had my great weeks where I tracked every bite and always stayed within my calories for the day. 

I've had my horrible days where all I'd track was my healthy breakfast and then went bonkers with my eating the rest of the day and didn't track after that first meal. 

But I've never missed a single login since I started up again. The streak I had going meant everything to me, and even on those bad days (or weeks) when I wasn't on track with my healthy goals, I made sure to log in because I didn't want to lose my streak .. Because healthy me on a good day would be really upset! 

That means I never gave up on myself. Through the hard days I always kept my goal in mind. That's a pretty good feeling to me :) Maybe I am finally learning what truly healthy living is this time around!

So, in celebration of my 95th consecutive login to My Fitness Pal (and my 95th day of dedication!), I am proud to announce that I have officially lost 36 lbs! Yes, it's just a number on a scale and doesn't show the inches I've lost or the muscle I've gained .. But it is still nice to see that the fat is indeed melting away, slowly but surely. 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone :) 

It's Not Just For Me

(This post was written a long time ago and I'm just now having the guts to share it!)

Small note: I understand that there are many levels to depression and that there are people who need more than exercise and healthy eating to manage their downswings. I am compassionate for those people and am in NO WAY passing judgement for needing medication. I am fortunate to be able to manage my depression without medication, though that is not saying at some point in my life I won't ever need help. This post is about what is helping ME, NOW. 

Ready for some deep, personal stuff?

I had a long, emotionally charged conversation with my hubs this week.

I stated (through torrential tears and heaving sobs) that I feared I was losing my battle with depression and that I was going to have to seek my doctor's help, as in, get back on antidepressants. This felt like a huge step back to me because I've worked so hard over the past two years to stay afloat of my depression by taking care of myself, learning how to live positively, removing negative sources from my life, being a better person and, of course, by eating healthy and keeping active. And I felt like I was losing the battle. I was constantly moody, filled with anxiety, needing to be left alone, not caring properly for myself, and expecting everyone to just be supportive and let me work my way through it. Everyone was supportive, no problem there. But I wasn't doing my part - I wasn't working through it. I was wallowing in it. 

My husband was great. He knew I needed a kick in the pants. He tough loved me. 

He said that he knew with 100% certainty that my depression was immediately caused by my bad eating and lack of self control, and by my misery of not committing to something that makes me feel good - exercise. And I was suffering with guilt because I wasn't being a good mom (or wife, or sister, or daughter) and that brought me further down. He told me that it wasn't fair for him, our kids, or anyone I cared about to keep going down that path. And he was completely right. In my heart, I knew it. 

The first week was really hard .. I had to struggle to get myself up and active and eating better. I had great days and I had not so great days. Those days, I had to dig deep and remember my WHY. Pulling out of depression is one of the hardest things to do .. But I have a damn good reason. My family.

I work out and eat better for my optimal health. I feel so good every day. My energy levels have never been better and I'm so happy that I have goals that I've set and am working to achieve. I have a purpose. It's amazing how not eating junk and exercising can make me feel SO alive! What a difference. I'm actually doing what I've always wanted - to live healthy, to teach my children about living happy and healthy by being their role model, and helping others through my story. 

I exercise and eat healthy to be the best ME .. It makes me happy. I feel good and am looking good. I do it so I can give my 100% best to everyone I love. 

I don't do it just for me. 

I do it for them. 

Big Things Happening!

I won't get too much into it .. I want to work more details out before I do, but I've got big changes coming to my life that I'm really excited about. 

I'll be building my dream board this week. Visualizing my goals, putting them up on the board and seeing them every day will keep me motivated to achieve some of my short-term goals and then, some long-term ones!

I'll be starting a new fitness challenge. 

I'll be working on ME - physically, sure, but emotionally and mentally. Personal development for the win!

I'll be taking the first few steps into realizing my dream career goals. This is going to be a long journey but nothing worth having ever comes easily!

I have so much that I want for my life and for the lives of my family .. Time to stop waiting for the right time and get my dreams started. 

Xo Mama Lego

Time Hop

I saw a few friends using the Time Hop app and I thought it was a fun idea, so I jumped on the train and downloaded it too. At first I wasn't impressed - none of the pictures were loading! Then once I fixed a FB issue, I was in business.

And I am SO happy I got the app. 

It is so much fun, walking down memory lane every day, seeing what I posted on this day one year ago, up to five years ago.

One thing that really stuck out? Two years ago yesterday, I became an ambassador for #sweatpink. I was huge on my health and fitness. I was on top of the world. I had goals. I felt great. I was happy.

Today, I still have goals. They're just lost in the jumble of my daily schedule. Between working both jobs to balancing housework and raising the kids, I've lost sight of my goals. They're still there, sure, just tucked away and not made important.

I think it's time I untuck those goals. I've been slipping with my diet and exercise lately and I'm not happy about it. I do want to keep losing weight and I want to live healthy, for myself, and so that I can be a good role model for my kids. I have career goals in the health and fitness field that I certainly won't achieve by binging on Ben and Jerry's on the couch after a long, hard day. 

I've got to make my health my number one priority. And as of right this second, it is. Because my being healthy will help all my goals and dreams fall into place. 

I hope you remember why you're on your journey .. And not to lose sight of your goals. It's okay that we slip - that's part of the process - but it's also equally important that we catch ourselves! 

I'll leave you with one of those cheesy fitness motivational photos that we always see floating around in social media .. Only this one spoke volumes to me. 

What does your body say about your lifestyle? 

Time Hop

I saw a few friends using the Time Hop app and I thought it was a fun idea, so I jumped on the train and downloaded it too. At first I wasn't impressed - none of the pictures were loading! Then once I fixed a FB issue, I was in business.

And I am SO happy I got the app. 

It is so much fun, walking down memory lane every day, seeing what I posted on this day one year ago, up to five years ago.

One thing that really stuck out? Two years ago yesterday, I became an ambassador for #sweatpink. I was huge on my health and fitness. I was on top of the world. I had goals. I felt great. I was happy.

Today, I still have goals. They're just lost in the jumble of my daily schedule. Between working both jobs to balancing housework and raising the kids, I've lost sight of my goals. They're still there, sure, just tucked away and not made important.

I think it's time I untuck those goals. I've been slipping with my diet and exercise lately and I'm not happy about it. I do want to keep losing weight and I want to live healthy, for myself, and so that I can be a good role model for my kids. I have career goals in the health and fitness field that I certainly won't achieve by binging on Ben and Jerry's on the couch after a long, hard day. 

I've got to make my health my number one priority. And as of right this second, it is. Because my being healthy will help all my goals and dreams fall into place. 

I hope you remember why you're on your journey .. And not to lose sight of your goals. It's okay that we slip - that's part of the process - but it's also equally important that we catch ourselves! 

I'll leave you with one of those cheesy fitness motivational photos that we always see floating around in social media .. Only this one spoke volumes to me. 

What does your body say about your lifestyle? 

My Bum is Shrinking!

Hi, Friends!

I can't believe that summer is half over and that back-to-school madness is quickly approaching .. I just completed my kids' summer wardrobes and now I have to worry about running shoes and jeans and sweaters?! I know that time flies when you're having fun, but does it have to fly turbo speed?!

With summer being halfway through, it also marks the halfway point with my PiYO challenge! So far I've really stuck to the plan - six workouts per week (with the exception of yesterday, as I was under the weather). Every day seems to present a hurdle that I must work around to get my exercise in, but I've been able to find time every day to squeeze it in. And I'm loving it. It's SO challenging .. But with every workout, I notice my body is getting stronger, lasting longer, and I'm really able to push through the workout of day. 

My body is really starting to tone down as well .. Like, where is my ass going?! My booty has always been large and in charge .. But it's slowly starting to shrink. Which is nice (even though Khloe Kardashian has really taught me to love my curves!). I can't believe what a difference PiYO has made in toning my body. I'm gaining muscles, which is so cool, and my flexibility is increasing. The hard work is paying off! 

Drenched with sweat - the end result of every.single.workout.

I went through a (bad!!) period where I weighed myself every day, which I always swore I would never do .. But I did. And it was not good. I'd get frustrated when my weight fluctuated upwards instead of heading dowwwwwnwards. I'd be doing everything right - eating within my calories, tracking every bite, drinking all the water, working out .. And the scale would be going up. I'd be angry, depressed, and frustrated. Then I saw this, posted on FB by a very inspiring Beachbody coach:

He is SO right. And it totally snapped me back to a normal thought process. I'm not going to weigh myself daily and stress over every little ounce gained. I'm not going to worry about not getting instant results. I'm going to trust the process - if I work hard, I'll get my results. Because in the big picture, my heart IS getting healthy and ultimately, that is the most important thing! 

Now I'm weighing myself once a week, every Wednesday morning. And I now understand that with my workouts, I may be burning fat but also gaining muscle mass, so I may not lose a crazy amount of pounds every week, but I'm losing the fat and that's awesome! 

Sorry for rambling on so much .. Maybe I should be posting more often? ;) 

Have a wonderful long weekend! 

July Update!

Hey friends! 

It's been a while so I thought I'd update you with how things are going.

I'd started back on Weight Watchers and really struggled through the first few weeks .. I'd have two good days, one bad day, and that cycle made for some slow but steady weight loss. My head just wasn't 100% in the game. 

My meetings were ahhh .. How to say this gently .. A little less motivating than I was needing. I would dread going to the meetings. I tried different times and different leaders, and they were nice and all, but just lacking in the inspiration department. In short, I got nothing out of the meetings except for my weigh-in. I was following the program fine on my own .. But why pay for something that just wasn't giving me what I needed?

So I cancelled my membership, bought myself a new (functioning!!) scale, and reactivated My Fitness Pal account. 

And I'm doing amazing. 

My old My Fitness Pal account started me off at the exact weight I'd started at when I joined Weight Watchers, so my progress is still recorded and ongoing. I'm down 23.2 lbs now and feeling great. I've lost my winter weight gain and then some! I'm on a good path! 

And I can finally fit into the compression yoga outfit I got months ago!! 

(I can't believe I'm sharing this photo lol)

I'm starting a new workout program on Monday .. It's an at-home DVD program called Piyo, which is a combination of Pilates and yoga. Six workouts a week. I'm really nervous for this challenge (it's going to be hard!) but I'm SO excited to start. I remember how yoga really helped tone my body when I was doing it regularly last summer / fall so I know that if I work this program, then it'll work it's magic on me. 

How is your summer going?! I've been loving mine so far. Having the boy off of school has freed up so much time for us to hang out together as a family. More family walks, more water fights, and more fun! :) 

We'll chat soon .. Wish me luck with Piyo!

Finally Set A Goal!!

Yup. I went and got all grown up and after about two years of yo-yo'ing and meandering along ... I finally set a goal in my weight loss journey. 

I want to hit the 100lbs-lost mark by my 30th birthday. So by May 22, 2015, I need to weigh 169lbs (which, coincidentally, is my goal weight!). I weighed 269 when I first weighed in at Weight Watchers a few weeks ago. I'm now 266lbs so I'm on my way!

I'm really excited by this goal and I feel motivated to get there .. Hopefully having this goal to work on will help me survive the long winter months next year! 

So .. May my "dirty thirty" be healthy, happy, active and slim! :) Here's to the next year - the LAST year I ever intend to fight my weight, for the rest of my life!! 

And so I begin my #cleanthirty goal! 

Hello, 2014!

Aloha everyone!

Nope, doesn't mean I've been away vacationing in Hawaii all this time, though how cool would that have been?! Wow, I haven't posted since November 2013. So hi there, 2014! 

I have been on hiatus .. And by running this blog as long as I have, I can definitely see a pattern. Winter + my healthy lifestyle goals = FAAAAIL. Maybe I should consider this Hawaii thing?

Anyhow. This winter, I definitely learned a whole crap load about myself. I feel I've had a lot of growth this time around, mentally yeah (definitely physically, wow, hello, chubby tummy), but growth within understanding myself and how my mind operates. I'll go over all that in a later blog post. Maybe it'll bore you to read, but methinks it'll do me a bunch of good to get off my mind and put it out into the world. Mental unloading a la blog!

So. Last I checked, back in November .. I think I was around 250lbs. I'm now 269.2. I forced myself back onto the Weight Watchers train to try desperately to get my bouncy booty back on track (I kept getting emails from them with a too-good-to-be-true promotion that I definitely took as a much-needed sign!). Weight Watchers has never failed me in the past - I know it will work if I work it. I joined Easter week (dumb, dumb, dumb) and blew my points out of the water within a few days .. But I tracked every single bite to be accountable. Success? :)

I love how friendly the app is - it greets me every time! :)

Not going to lie .. My first few weeks back on program haven't been easy. Some days are better than others (significantly so!). I've struggled to behave within my diet. I want to eat bad things all the time. But I'm doing it. 

I. Am. Doing. It. 

My goal at this point isn't to be perfect on my plan or to run a marathon next week. My goal is to keep gently easing myself back onto my happy, healthy living path. I want to celebrate when I make better food and beverage choices. I want to go for walks and get back into the running zone (eventually). I want to encourage my kids to make healthier, active choices.

I want to be in a better place health-wise than I was this winter. 

I'm getting there, slowly but surely. I didn't put on this weight in one night and I'm certainly not going to lose it in one night. I'm a work in progress .. A smiling one! :) 

So .. I hope you'll welcome my stories and posts back into your days! 

PS. Thank you to Joy .. You've inspired and motivated me more than you'll ever know! Xoxo