Update

SO much has happened this past month and I have been a bad blogger. But then again, it IS Christmas time and time is short! Especially when you are moving! Yep, we are moving in a few weeks (horrible time of year to do so I might add) but it's for a VERY good reason.

No time to go into details now, but in a nutshell:

• I'm heavier than I would like to be.  Current photos likely resemble my "before" pictures. :( 
• We are moving to be closer to our children's new school and hubby's work and we will now have sidewalks and parks and people to walk with. Big plans for a more healthy lifestyle for the whole family.
• I plan to start the year with more activity on this blog with more health info/exercise/recipes that will make an unforgettable and effective journey for this gal.

Merry Christmas to all and see you in 2012!!  

Fit2Fat2Fit - Chinese Fried "Rice" Recipe

I think this looks wonderful!! Can't wait to get to the store so I can make it! :)

Day one of Drew Manning's journey back to fit.

Be sure to watch his progress on his blog: Fit2Fat2Fit.com

I'm very excited to watch his journey. He's truly living a life of an overweight person, food cravings and everything. But it's only been 6 months since he was a picture of health and it's going to be interesting to watch his journey back.

My Favorite Blog To Follow

About a week or so ago, I stumbled across a tweet on Twitter about a personal trainer who purposefully gained wait so he could better sympathize with his clients. Of COURSE this caught my attention and I checked out his site. I was IMMEDIATELY sucked in. Why? Because it only took a few weeks for him to change, and I'm not just talking about his size.

Just reading his blog makes my heart ache and jump at the same time.  It's sad to see how someone is effected by their health, but I was excited to see that it's not just me.  The feelings I get when overweight make be feel so alone.  Know the feeling? The negative habits and self talk can really make a gal nose dive into the dumps. Reading his feelings just validated my own.  When overweight, all the feelings that come with it; physcially, emotional, spiritual as well as every other aspect, are actually symptoms of a lifestyle, not the person.

Just turning my thoughts around, to realize it's not me but the choices I make, the lifestyle I'm choosing to live, makes me feel more in control.  I instantly want to make better choices, to live a different lifestyle, to create a different reality for myself.

On November 5th, Drew Manning is going to be starting his journey back to health and I'm so excited to be able to follow along.  Be sure to check out his site at www.fit2fat2fit.com and his most recent YOUTUBE video. His blog is as insightful as it is entertaining.

GO DREW!! :)

Skeleton Lake is out TODAY!

Want to read a chilling book, perfect for Halloween? This would be the book.  It's my dear friend and critique partner, Angela Kulig's first book and it's out TODAY!! 

You can grab it at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Smashwords for $2.99

Also, head on over to another dear friend's blog: Ali Cross.  You can read Angela's guest post there.

Skeleton Lake

First and foremost, my critique partner, Angela Kulig, has her very first book coming out this week!! I am so incredibly excited and proud of her!!  Want to check out her book? Yes? YAY! Click on the cover and it'll direct you to her blog where you can read the first chapter!  :) 

I'm NOT dead, just busy!

I knew it's been awhile since I posted on my blog, but I had no idea until I looked at the date today.

TWO MONTHS!?

Eek! That's something to be frightened about!

I'll do a quick update--like bullet point quick.

• School started.
• Adjusting to different homeschool program.
• Garden decided to go into full production. (Picking, cooking, picking, cooking, dehydrating, picking, canning, etc.)
• Time to plant a winter garden (Plant, water, water, plant, water, transplant, water)
• Organizing and preparing for a new Sunday school year (As president, I'm in charge of this)
• Adjusting to hubby's new job schedule. (This is a YAY, of course)
• 3 kids started taking piano lessons. 
• Boy Scouts (Son is working towards his Eagle & hubby is now the Scoutmaster)  
• One week into supporting hubby's BIGGEST LOSER challenge at work.
• Kinda got sucked into Dr. Who on Netflix--and watched every episode of the new series. Yeah, I typically don't watch TV, but I somehow managed to watch 5 seasons of this show in less than a month. It was that good. What? I watched it mostly with the family. ;) The 10th Doctor is the best! 

Oh, I have so much to write about, yet I've had to make a list of priorities and blogging, I'm afraid, isn't high on the list.  I AM trying to go entirely paperless in my life scheduling, which is, ironically, killing me. I'm very much a notebook type of gal, I LOVE sticky notes, but even that system hasn't been the most efficient. (I've kinda run out of room to post sticky notes) 

So, I've uploaded EVERNOTE to my PC and phone and I'm hoping that it and Google Calendar will help me get back on top of life so I have more time for the fun stuff, like blogging and social media.  

Also, have you seen the new iPhone 4S?  Yeah, the ad had me at the jogging guy.  Yeah, I need that. My life needs that.  ;) 

Day 3 on the Juice/Veggie Diet

Eating this way feels GREAT!! After three days of veggies, I don't have cravings, I'm not hungry and the only discomfort I find is that I'm thirsty. You would think with juice, you wouldn't have to drink water, but you do. In fact, juice doesn't replace water at all! So, I'm probably a little on the dehydrated side.
We bought a few bottles of Odwalla juice to get started so we didn't have to personally juice at every meal. Our favorites are the Original SUPERFOOD and Mango Tango We bought them at our local grocery store for about $8. Which seems like a crazy amount for juice, but it's lasted us for several servings.  We've also tried a few juice recipes here.

I know my body, and just juice wouldn't swing, so I've been putting a tablespoon of Chia seeds in each glass and it's been no problem.  The added protein, Omegas and fiber help balance out the carbohydrates.  It truely is a blanced meal.

I have also been making my current favorite dish every night. (recipe below) No one is getting sick of it either so I'll probably make it again tomorrow night, or until we get through this pile of eggplant.

Spicy Thai Eggplant

Cook the following in 1 Tbs. olive oil until soft and nearly cooked through:

8-10 Japanese Eggplant
1 onion
3-4 Jalapenos, seeded and demembraned

Wait on the garlic until the end or it could burn.

Add:
1 -2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. sugar (optional) <--I've skipped this
3-4 sliced garlic cloves

Finish cooking.

Add:

A BIG handful of basil leaves.
Stir through and turn off heat.
Let sit for a few minutes so the basil leaves wilt.

Juice Fast, Spirulina & Chia Seeds

Please forgive my shoddy video quality. I decided last minute to vlog and I failed at making sure the background was right and that the lighting was pointing in the right direction OUT OF VIEW. If can you can ignore the obvious, I have some great links to look at! :)

Another Thought-Provoking Documentary

My cousin has been recommending these wonderful gems on NetFlix and I thought I'd share with you too! :) 

The information coorelates with my studies in Holistic Nutrition.  I like how they presented and explained nutrients and how they need to be the focus with disease, not medicine.  It's true, our society doesn't support this sort of thinking because, after all, there is no money to be made with health.

I've actually heard Charlotte Gerson speak before. She's amazing and so youthful, an excellent example of healthy living.  I'm always inspired after hearing her wisdom.

For me, I think the most difficult thing for me to work through is getting enough fruits and veggies on days where we aren't home.  I feel a differece when I am getting them, yet they aren't the easiest to grab when on the go.  (And apples wrapped in celophane at the golden arches isn't going to cut it.)

Official Site