My Weight Loss Journey

Update

2011-12-22T08:56:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-11-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-29T01:08:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-10-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-16T22:19:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-10-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-02T23:50:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-30T23:22:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

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

Interesting Documentary

2011-07-27T22:51:00.000-07:00

Recently, my cousin sent me an email about a documentary she had seen titled, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead." I'm always interested in nutrition and how others find success, so I sat down with my hubby and watched it. Instead of reiterating what I watched, I decided to post a video from the official site.

My husband and I planning on doing a juice fast to jump start our health efforts. I know the hydration and nutrients will give my body the boost it currently needs. I am a little hesitent since there can be a bit of a detox period, but considering how I've felt recently, I'm willing to try something I haven't done before. You never know if an action of health is what you've been needing until you try it.

Recently, I've noticed if I eat--or don't eat--certain foods, my neck and shoulders are stiff by the end of the day. On the days I have plenty of servings of fruits and vegetables, I don't have stiffness, but on those busy days where it feels I'm running all over the place, I tend to neglect my eating and my body reminds me.

I look forward to bloggin/vlogging the progress of this fast.

Day 180: Never underestimate the power one week can bring.

2011-06-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

This past week I cut out a few items in my diet: salt, man-made carbohydrates and sugar. It always surprises me how quickly my body changes if I'm persistent, even for a short period of time.

Salt: the first day I didn't add salt to my cooking, I felt like I was sacrificing a lot and was surprised that it's easier to give up sugar than salt. Everything I ate tasted bland, and I had to actually put some mental effort not to grab the salt shaker--at one point, I noticed I reached for the shaker without thinking. I had no idea I had become such a salt fiend.
Surprise: After a day or two, I started to discover the flavor of foods. Things tasted differently to the point that I didn't even miss salt. Scrambled eggs, homemade salad dressing and sweet potatoes taste fine without salt. I'm shocked that I noticed a difference after a day and am considering putting the salt shaker back with the rest of the spices in the cupboard.

Man-made Carbs: At the beginning of the week I had a bit of a challenge wrapping my head around finding carbs that were not man made and gluten free. Bread, we take that for granted. It's super hard to find gluten free bread that doesn't look dry and cardboard tasting. I plan on making some with rice flour one day soon. (Note: gluten free is only for a few months to rule out a gluten sensitivity.)
Surprise:By the end of the week, I found that I needed heavier carbs for my energy. Not being able to grab bread or tortillas or a bun, I noticed that fruit alone wasn't enough carbohydrate load for my body's need. Adding sweet potatoes, beans and brown rice did the trick.

Sugar: This is a no brainer. When is sugar ever a good thing to put in our body? Sure, it does so much for the soul, but really, we can live healthy without it. At the beginning of the week, I noticed I did have cravings and I actually took a bite of something the kids were eating, but that was it. (I won't spend much time on this since I have oodles of other posts on my thoughts and struggles with sugar.)
Surprise: By the end of the week, I once again found the strength to be stronger than the cookie. We went to a Arrow of Light Cub Scout Ceremony last night and there were some wonderful desserts I would have liked to have a plate of. I was shocked that I didn't look twice. (Okay, I'll be honest, I did.) I was ecstatic that I actually took a moment to visualize what I would feel like if I indulged. I thought about the sugar coated throat I will feel after eating my weights-worth, and I found that a simple whiff of the gooey goodness of Smore brownies was enough to satisfy me.

I feel good. I feel empowered. A week ago I felt a bit out of control, like I couldn't say no to the things I loved and that brought comfort. I honestly started this hormone balancing program with severe doubts since the first month is a bit strict, for obvious reasons. In weight loss, it's not just about your brain making the decision, it's the way your body reacts to the food you feed it. Just removing three things from my diet, I can feel my body responding, and this helps when my brain is weak. I am honestly surprised that I feel strong enough to make changes that are going to better my health, only after a week. Never underestimate the power one week can bring.

Day 176: Programs vs Pills

2011-06-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

I don't like programs. As much as they have worked for me, even more have failed and left me frustrated. I'm a black/white thinker and a perfectionist, and it can help or hurt me when doing a program. It can be ugly at times since I can sabotage my efforts with, "Since I messed up on lunch, I may as well blow the rest of the day and start fresh tomorrow."

I was very successful when I did Weight Watchers after my second child. I hit Lifetime (at the highest weight I could be to qualify) and I maintained until I was pregnant again a year later. But after my third, the program no longer work for me. Circumstances in my life had changed (husband's shift changed, favorite leader wasn't there, gym got expensive, etc. etc. etc.) What was there for me to make it successful the first time, wasn't there for me the second time. I failed. I kept sabotaging my efforts, because I could. For me, I got into the habit of thinking, "What's the most amount of food I can have for the least amount of points?" Answer: Heaps of fake food. With fat-free this and sugar-free that, it's amazing what you can eat for low points.

But what's missing in this type of thinking? Nutrition. Nutrition is everything. It's the whole reason for eating in the first place, to fuel the body so it can work effectively. This is why I don't like programs. They often have me thinking about everything except what I should be focusing on.

After my last child I made the decision: no programs, just nutrition and healthy habits. I was successful. I firmly believe the more pure a person's diet is, the better they will feel and the better their body will work for them instead of against them.

Avoiding chemicals gives a body a better chance to stabilize and balance itself. I try to use natural remedies first. Often they work, but when they don't I will take the medicine that is needed. Bodies are a miraculous thing. Have you ever really thought about the healing process? Ever heard of homeostasis? <--I already looked it up for you. :) It just makes sense.

So what is this post all about? Well, I'm on a new program. Now wait. Before you start thinking I'm a total hypocrite, please let me explain. ;)

I have PCOS and I'm just starting to get symptoms of Fibromyalgia. Science doesn't know how or why a woman gets these ailments, so they simply treat the symptoms. There is a prescription for every symptom and if I used them for each one I have, I'd have a cabinet full of little orange bottles. I'm also the lucky one. I don't need any meds for my heart or blood sugar at this time, but many who have these ailments do. If I don't get this weight off and balance my hormones, I'll have to use medication in the future just to avoid a heart attack or deal with type 2 diabetes.

So, I have two choices. Follow a program for a few months in hopes to balance my metabolism and endocrine system naturally through food & lifestyle changes or take necessary medication in the future. Since I prefer to be natural in all things, I'm going with the healing program. :)

Day 166: WTHeck is going on?

2011-06-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

I LOVE donating blood. I've been doing it for years and try to do it whenever I can. I'm nearly to the two gallon mark--maybe I've passed it already? I need to remember to check so I can get my license plate holder saying, "I'm a 2 gallon donor." Call me a weirdo, but I like having that on my car.

Needless to say, I've never had an issue when donating. Actually, I take that back. When I was in college, I had an incomplete donation. Turns out, if it's hot and you are a little low on water before going in, your blood can be too thick and stop flowing...right in the middle of a donation. Yeah, that happened once, but I've never been turned away...until today.

I sat down behind the private curtains with the lady and she checked all my vitals. Blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, all normal, and then she pricked my finger. Normally, the tech has to squeeze hard to get a big enough drop to fill up the glass vile. Not this time. I noticed she was sucking it up as the blood drop slid down my finger. That caught my attention, but I didn't think it was a big deal.

"Do you usually have a problem with this?" she asked, as the little ball of blood didn't sink in the blue liquid.

"Not usually, but it usually hovers for a sec until in falls to the bottom. Why?"

She walked over to a machine that was out of my sight, I heard it whirl behind me as I waited. Soon, it beeped and the tech came back and told me I couldn't donate today but that I could come back in three weeks and try again.

This has never happened to me before and I'm a little frustrated with my body right now as it's freaking out on me. I have noticed that I've been extra tired lately, I just thought it was the heat and my hubby's snoring. Guess it was something more. I've also been a bit more stiff and sore than usual too, I need to research Fibromyalgia more thoroughly. I'm SO grateful I have the habit of working out every day or who know how I'd be feeling like right now.

Now more than ever, I really need to be stepping it up. I need to be more balanced in my eating and adding more to my exercise regimen. It's a reminder to never get complacent. Health is ongoing and how we take care of our body needs to adjust as our needs do. It's my journey and I now have an unexpected detour. No worries though, it's all a lesson on adjusting to the unexpected.

Day 162: Hormones

2011-06-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

Remember a few posts ago when I mentioned I was reading books by Diana Schwarzbein and that I would share things that were interesting? Well, here's the first post regarding my reading.

In my last post I talked about my youth and how my eating habits in high school, namely low fat/protein eating caused problems. In my reading today, it totally talked about it.

"Your hormones are the messengers between the different cells and systems of your body...for you to remain healthy, you need to keep your hormones balanced so they can communicate effectively with each other and with your cells, thereby keeping your metabolism working efficiently.

"In order to produce new hormones, you have to eat food that has the necessary material for your body to make them. Because hormones are mainly made from proteins, cholesterol and essential fats, eating a balanced diet that includes these nutrients is essential for life balance."

Is it any wonder why a low fat/protein diet is so damaging? I'm of course not advocating a high fat or high protein diet. No way! It's all about BALANCE!! You can't eat imbalanced portions of the macro-nutrients (fat, protein, carbohydrates) and expect to be healthy. It's impossible. Sure, you might lose some weight, but at what cost? If you damage your metabolism, it will come back to bit you in the bum. Literally.

Day 160: Why is just as important as what.

2011-06-09T23:37:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit

As I laid in bed this morning thinking about my current state of health and how frustrated I was, a thought occurred to me. The same thing that is happening now, happened in my early twenties, nearly twenty years ago. (Yes, I just leaked my age, oh well...I tend to be an open book) Yep, at one point, I gained 40 pounds in 6 months during a time I was the most active in my life. Noticing the similarities, I continued to analyse the timeline of my life.

I was a teen in the 90's. I remember the HUGE craze then was a low-fat, high-carb diet. I was in high school and I was very rigid with my eating. I was also a size 6 who felt like I was a size 26. (If I could go back in time and kick myself, I would.) I remember eating very little fat, if any, and a whole bunch of carbs and Diet Pepsi. I remember my cycle was messed up and the Dr. gave me medication to fix it. So during a time where my endocrine system and metabolism was developing, I was doing everything to work against it.

A body needs good fats to help build and strengthen every system needed to be alive and healthy. I gave my body none, or at least I didn't give it the healthy kind when I had treats or a snack. I also flooded my body with chemicals from soda and medicine. What's sad is if I had been eating a balanced and healthy diet, I wouldn't have needed the medication to begin with. No wonder my body rebelled when I was 20, my endocrine system and metabolism were toast. I had abused it without even knowing and it was ticked.

Now, twenty years later, I'm still dealing with the damage I incurred while I was developing in my youth. I'm grateful that now I know better health habits so I can teach my children not just to eat better but why they would want to eat better. I personally think the why is just as important as the what. You need to know what to put in your body so you can be healthy, but if you don't understand or know why, it's easy to make excuses.

I'm tired. * I don't feel good. * Just this time. * It's a special day. * Tomorrow I'll do better. * Monday.

For me, when I know the why, the why will squash the excuses and reveal how lame and flimsy they really are, giving me a better chance of winning.

Day 159: Catching up after a few weeks.

2011-06-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

Hello! Just thought I would pop in real quick and catch up with my blog. I feel like it's been months since we've connected. ;)

During the last few weeks things have been crazy. My husband's mom lost her battle with cancer and we had a quick trip to Utah for the funeral. It was a sad time, but also a happy one as family from all over the states gathered together and had a few days to catch up.

As for me personally, I am uber frustrated with my body. I feel like it's waged war against me! I'm very grateful for the ability to workout every day with my elliptical and I fear what I would look/feel like if I wasn't. As I mentioned in the last post, I have had PCOS for most of my life. When I was first diagnosed, the biggest concern was that I would never be able to have children. Now looking back as a mother of four children, I know it was through my diet and a little help from the medical world with progesterone, I was able to get pregnant after a year of effort.

One thing I learned from my OB/GYN was that PCOS disappears while pregnant. Over the last 12 years, I was pregnant about every three years and I didn't really see a lot of my PCOS symptoms. It was actually easy for me to lose weight, especially when I was breastfeeding.

Our youngest is 2 1/2, in the past, this would be the time I would typically be having another baby, but since I'm not, something else is happening. My PCOS is coming back in full force! According to the scale, I'm up 7 pounds from last week. SEVEN POUNDS in a WEEK???? The sad thing is that I didn't do anything to bring this on! No binge, no buffet, nothing but regular eating and exercising. Part of me wants to curl up and actually do the binging I've already gained the poundage for, but I'm not. *tempted* But I'm not.

So what's the plan? I am going to wear sun dresses now that it's warm. I refuse to go out and buy larger sized clothes, it's depressing. My current clothes are snug and the way it feels makes me want to eat to comfort myself, which isn't good since I'm already tempted. (see above) Sun dresses are cute and comfortable. I don't know how I'll look, but at least I can feel comfortable while I make some tweaks to my lifestyle.

I've read a few chapters of my Schwarzbein and the science always fascinates me and supports my own thinking of health. No chemicals, all natural, nourish your body and eat WHOLE foods. The reason I LOVE to read these books is because of the science. Over time, I forget the details of the science that shows me WHY I want to eat/live this way. (For instance, I forgot just HOW important stress reduction and adiquate sleep was to endocrine system health--oops!) Dr. Laura Schwarzbein is also an endocrinologist which means she has specific suggestions to help with endocrine issues, which PCOS is.

Weight loss and total health is a journey! Right now, I've hit one of the bumps and that's okay. If it weren't for the rough spots, the happy times wouldn't be as exciting. :D

Day 139: The Schwarzbein Principle

2011-05-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

I think about blogging all the time, but as you can see by the dates, I dont quite make it to Blogger to post these thoughts. I'm not going to promise to do better, because I don't make promises that I might not be able to keep and right now, I know I can't keep that promise if I made it.

Lately, my body is doing something weird. I'm still working out everyday and my eating hasn't changed (it's kept me maintaining for over a year) but something isn't right. In the last month, I've started to gain weight. Last time this happened I was binging a lot at night, so understanably, I gained weight rapidly. But this time, there is no logical explanation that I know of. I contribute it to two possible things:

1. I've reached that age where my metabolism takes a dump since I'm on the downside of 30.

2. My PCOS has decided to wage a greater war against me due to the extra stress I've been under.

As I write this, I'm thinking it's probably a combination between the two.

What's the plan? Several years ago, I read The Schwarzbein Principle. It's a series of books I highly recommend if you have PCOS. The author, Diana Schwarzbein, had PCOS when she was younger and she reversed it through a healthy, non chemical, real food diet. I read the whole series, I even got the cookbook, but I never really had a chance to try it out for weight loss because I got pregnant about a month after I changed my eating habits.

Needless to say, it's been two babies since I read the books and I need a refresher. I'm going to brush up on the details so I can fine tune my eating to tackle my current issue. I'm not promising, but I'll probably naturally blog more often because I'll want to share what I'm reading. (I tend to do that when I'm excited about something.) Especially since I know many of my readers have PCOS too.

Baked Swiss Chard - An Experiment

2011-05-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I talked about baked Brussel`s Sprouts and how surprisingly yummy they were. Since then, we've discovered something even better--the leaves.

On the first batch, I removed all the loose leaves that fell off when I cut them in half assuming they would burn. By the second batch, I was in a rush and tossed everything on the pan, loose leaves and all. To our surprise, the little leaves didn`t burn, they got crispy and tasted as good as chips!!

When I make them now, I actually peel the outermost leaves from all of the sprouts so I can maximize the crispiness of the batch. The youngest kids who are still not impressed with baked sprouts actually beg for the "crispy leaves." Little do they know they also pack nutrition. *snickers* But who am I kidding? We all fight over them!!

This past week I saw a recipe for, "Baked Kale Chips." It looked super yummy based on my experience with the baked sprout leaves. Not having any Kale around though, I decided I would substitute Swiss Chard since I have pounds of it growing outside in our garden. I also omitted the seasoning packet since they often include MSG and other noxious chemicals.

The experiment:

Swiss Chard with the ribs removed, chopped coarsely,
covered with olive oil, salt & pepper. (Approx 8 cups)

Bake at 300' for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Crispy like a chip but packed full of nutrition. The kids gobbled them up.

A little about PCOS.

2011-05-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and it effects 1 in 15 women. I personally was diagnosed with this seventeen years ago and also know several ladies who have this. It's so common, chances are you or someone you know has it too.

Woman can have one or all of the following symptoms:

Acne
Weight gain and trouble losing weight.
Extra hair on the face and body. Often women get thicker and darker facial hair and more hair on the chest, belly, and back.
Thinning hair on the scalp.
Irregular periods. Often women with PCOS have fewer than nine periods a year. Some women have no periods. Others have very heavy bleeding.
Fertility problems. Many women who have PCOS have trouble getting pregnant (infertility).
Depression

List from WebMD

It's not the worst thing to be diagnosed with, but it is time consuming to deal with. Doctors don't understand why a woman gets this syndrome and they know even less about treating it so they prescribe drugs to manage each symptom. At 20, my medicine cabinet resembled that of a grandparent. Little orange bottles of various sizes lined the shelves and it was overwhelming to not only look at but to keep track of when to take those little pills.

One day I looked at my future and I realized that the various medicines I had perscribed to me were for asthetic purposes. At that time, I decided I would spare my liver and spend more time either in front of the mirror plucking or finding the right cleanser to control my acne.

Nearly two decades later and I still don't take anything for my crazy symptoms since they have remained topical. I am grateful for this since women with PCOS are likely to have heart and diabetic issues. I hope to continue to avoid such health issues by paying attention to my body now.

As for weight loss, PCOS does make it more challenging, but it doesn't make it impossible. Weight loss efforts can be effective if I put the focus on my exercise and eating and understand there is no wiggle room. Gone are the days where weight just "accidently" disappeared because I was too busy to eat. I know if I eat a chemical free diet, exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep, my body will respond as I expect it to whether I have PCOS or not.

*I plan on discussing further in future posts.

Life is precious

2011-04-27T22:25:00.000-07:00

I have a friend whose diet was impeccable and taught yoga. She was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside, always fashionable with a bright smile. Her lifestyle was the epitome of health and someone I looked up to as an example. You can imagine my surprise when she unexpectedly passed away this week at age 49 from cancer. She was by far, the healthiest woman I know and now she's gone.

A question that crossed my mind was, "Why put forth all the efforts to be healthy if you could die early anyway?" I mean, if you are going to get a life threatening illness young, why spend all that time checking labels, chopping produce and searching for tasty and healthy recipes so you can live longer? I felt a little guilty when I entertained that thought for a few moments longer than I should, but after talking to others, I found that it was a pretty common thought.

So what is the answer? It's simple. If I was currently diagnosed with a life threatening illness, I would beat myself up. "Why didn't I eat better? Why didn't I workout harder? Why didn't I just DO better? I do pretty good, but I admit I could do a whole lot better! As for my friend, I really doubt if she berated herself with such questions. What peace that would be, knowing I did everything on my end, in the face of such heart breaking news.

I know everything in life happens for a reason, I honestly do. I also know that there are consequences for every action taken. More often than not, our lifestyles determine the quality of life we live and if we do our best in our health efforts, we will be rewarded. Even with heart breaking news, if a life is lived to the best of our ability, we can still have peace.

My Latest Distraction

2011-04-23T00:46:00.000-07:00

Lately, my workouts haven't been what I would like them to be. When I go for 30 minutes, I get an awesome sweat going and I feel accomplished. I typically try for that time, but sometimes, I just don't make it. This usually happens when I get on the machine late and I'm tired.

A week or so ago, my kids were telling me about a new game they found on the computer. It's called Plants verses Zombies. The name sounded ridiculous to me, but they were having so much fun and kept telling me I needed to look at it. So I thought I would try it. As it would so happen, I enjoyed the game.

When I hopped onto the elliptical earlier this week, I just didn't feel like reading or tweeting or doing what I usually do while exercising. I admit, I get bored sometimes... many times. Sooo, what better time than to upload the game to my phone and play a few rounds. After what seemed like 10 minutes, the machine beeped that I was done with my 30 minute workout. I was shocked, but I wasn't done with the round, so I kept going. 15 minutes later, after all the zombies were dead, I hopped off feeling accomplished. I was dripping sweat and had finished a 45 minute workout that only felt like 10. :)

Find something you enjoy when you exercise, find a few things actually and switch it up. Keep yourself entertained and you'll get a great workout every time!

You can play a few rounds of Plants vs Zombies online for free. Try not to get hooked...unless you can keep it for workout time. ;) iPhone app: Plants vs Zombies.

Day 100

2011-04-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

Although I've been working out for 100 days straight, I don't have anything outward to show. My weight has pretty much remained the same since the beginning of the year--I've been up and down the same five pounds on the scale. No great losses, no dress sizes smaller, no inches lost. Nothing really. But that's okay.

It's been a rough year. It seems like everyone is going through something, and for me, it's dealing with unemployment. My husband lost his job just about a year ago and it's been hard getting used to a schedule where he's home all the time and to live on a fraction of his old income. It's been disheartening to see him post resume after resume only to end up with nothing. No interviews. No interest. Nada. He has his MBA, a ton of experience, and it's still not enough to get a job during this economy.

I'm a stay at home mom who homeschools our kids. I have to admit, the thought has crossed my mind to enroll the kids in school and find a job. But would the gain of a job make up for the loss of what I currently have? Considering I haven't been in the work force for over 12 years, and none of my children have ever stepped into a school except for my oldest when he was enrolled in Kindergarten, I'm going to have to say, NO. The benefits of working are not greater for the things I would lose.

I'm an emotional eater. I admit, I have NOT been eating as well as I should. I know better, my degree is in Nutrition, but I traditionally deal with the difficult things in life through food. I'm so much better than I used to be, but I'm nowhere near where I'd like to be. I am thrilled to say that although I haven't been eating as well as I should, I haven't binged like I have in the past. Considering my personal stress levels, I could have easily packed on 50 pounds the past 12 months--trust me--but I haven't, and I contribute this to the fact that I have a goal that has nothing to do with eating, or the scale, or what size jeans I wear.

Being successful with a goal that has nothing to do with eating gives me validation. It reminds me that even though I may not have complete control over what I'm eating, I can still feel like I'm accomplishing something with my workouts. For me this is huge, it's helping me maintain during a time I could easily be out of control.

I'm hoping that during the next 100 days I will be able to make better choices in my eating so I can maximize the benefits of the exercise I do each day. :)

A Small Favor...

2011-04-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

In a previous post I mentioned an author by the name of Kaleb Nation. He's a huge inspiration in my life when it comes to writing and if there is an opportunity to return the favor, or to at least help him some way, I'm going to do what I can. :)

For the next seven days he's in the YouTube NextUp contest. (He's also a YouTuber when he's not busy writing books) 25 YouTubers will win $35,000 to help them in their YouTube careers. I can't think of anyone more deserving than Kaleb and I ask only a minute of your time to help him out.

For me, he helped me in the life changing moment when I realized I loved to write and wanted to pursue it more seriously. Now I'm trying to help out so he can have a life changing moment in his.

Watch the video--it explains more about the contest.

Simply go and vote by clicking HERE. (You can vote every day through the 8th)

New Writing Blog

2011-03-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't noticed, there is a new tab at the top of this blog labeled, writing. Yes, I started a new blog specific for my writing journey: http://karenmariehansen.blogspot.com/ :)

Day 88: Portion Control

2011-03-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

Portion control is a must for weight control when eating the things you really enjoy. Honestly, you can eat anything if you keep the portions small. I know, I've done it.

Take for instance these mini meatloaves, they are sitting in oil from the cheese and ground meat, which is normally a diet no-no. (Luckily, they aren't as oily as the picture looks.) I don't know how many calories there are in one--I don't have time to figure it out--but I only eat one which is 1/8 of a pound of ground meat and a few tablespoons of grated cheese. With a few baked potato wedges and a hearty serving of veggies, the meal is filling without being heavy on calories.

It's such a freedom to be able to eat what you enjoy while maintaining/losing weight. In the past, whenever I did a program in the past, the restrictions and things I had to do to stay on program would mess with my head. I often found myself obsessed with the process and often I would sabotage my efforts, because I could.

I'm currently going through some stressful times--as I know many of you are too--and counting calories/measuring foods is not something I have time for or even care to do. Normally, I would just say forget it and binge until I no longer could remember what was bothering me, but that only makes matters worse. Going through tough times with tight or no clothes in a body you can't stand is depressing. It's a downward cycle that gets harder to turn around as time progresses.

For me, eating real food, I not only feel full, I don't feel deprived and I haven't spent a ton of time measuring and counting. I actually feel empowered, in control, and that feeling helps me to stay focused on my goals.

Day 80: Crazy, insane virus that's going around.

2011-03-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I saw some posts on Facebook from friends that their families had been knocked out by a virus. It certainly happens, especially when you have a handful of kids. What caught my attention though, was that the illness came in waves. I knocked on wood and hoped my family would be spared.

Wishful thinking.

Two weeks ago, the youngest and my husband started to show signs of illness. Nothing major, just mild fevers and a cough. Nearly a week went by and no one else had symptoms. I was feeling quite hopeful the virus was contained to them. Of course, they got worse just as my daughters and I started to feel under the weather. Knowing it was likely the virus I had heard about earlier, I didn't push through my symptoms like I typically would. I took the opportunity to take it easy and get caught up on my reading and cuddle with the sickies since we all had the same thing. After a couple of days of not feeling so hot I started to feel better, figured my time had passed.

Then it hit.

I had a fever of 103.6 at bedtime that night. I don't remember the last time I had a fever so high. My ears were ringing so loudly, I had a hard time going to sleep that night. The next day and for the remainder of the week, I felt like I did when I had mono. No joke. Even now, a week later after the fever, I still feel pretty fatigued.

I am happy to say that despite my disease, I worked out every day and I didn't let the virus keep me from my efforts. Of course I lightened up the routine, I didn't want to kill myself! I also learned that one of the best way to get rid of the chills is to exercise for five minutes. Of course I felt like I got hit my a truck, but I was warm and toasty. It's been a slow road back to the workout I was doing before I got sick, but with a little effort, I'll be back there in no time.

The most important thing about taking care of yourself is listening to your body. I know the last few days I wouldn't have been able to do a full workout, so I haven't. But that's the beauty of this goal, by working out everyday, it gets easy to read your body. There are days I feel I can do more then my usual routine, and I will endulge. But other days, I feel like I need to pull back, and I listen.

Take care of yourself, the virus that's going around...it's a doozy. ;)

Day 68: The goal is still alive!

2011-03-09T11:26:00.000-08:00

Hello!! I've been one bad blogger!! It's not that I've forgotten to do it, I just haven't. Life is a little insane right now, and by the end of the day, I'm getting my workout in and reading/writing with the last few moments before I crash.

But I thought I would check in and let you all know I'm still working out everyday! I've been maintaining and it feels good to be working towards my goal of 365 days. When things settle down, I would like to blog more about food choices and an eating plan.

I can tell my body is transitioning. My muscles are getting firm, even though the scale hasn't changed much in the last several weeks. This tells me that my weight distribution is changing--greater muscle mass and less fat. Just need to press forward despite what the scale and my pants say. The goal is about daily workouts, nothing more. Everything else is just a perk to the goal.

I hope to be blogging more frequently, but life is crazy. Just when things slow down, they tend to speed up.
If you follow me on Twitter, I'm always popping up there.

Day 43: Last night I vlogged about a few things...

2011-02-22T13:44:00.000-08:00

I mostly blog about my weight loss efforts here, but sometimes I like to talk about the things going on in my life. I made a vlog last night about a few things I've been busy with. I thought I would share here since it's part of my journey. My natural reaction to stressful things is eat, but when I started to write, I found the substitution I needed so I wouldn't be eating my stress. Writing has been a wonderful outlet for me, and has saved me many calories. :)

49/365: Dinner on a Budget: Easy Chili

2011-02-18T12:59:00.000-08:00

I love to cook and I especially love swapping tried and true recipes. You know, the kind of recipes that always turn out, instantly satisfy and most of all, are easy. My favorite recipes are those that take a little while to cook so you have time to clean the kitchen while it's doing it's thing. Nothing is more refreshing to the busy mom's soul than to have a clean kitchen after everyone leaves the table. I'm instantly happy when it takes all of five minutes for everyone to participate in dinner clean up.

Right now we are tightening up our budget and I'm on the hunt for meals that aren't only quick, easy and healthy, but are also cheap. It's pretty easy to find fast recipes, but if it involves cheese whiz, Velveeta or any other highly processed foods, I don't consider that reasonable to feed my family. Actually, I don't even consider that stuff food. It's a challenge to satisfy all four of my requirements, but even with a budget, I have standards.

This recipe was given to me from my dear friend, Staci. She and I share similar palettes, so I always get wonderful recipes from her. Here is one our favorite meals when it's chilly outside. ;)

Did I mention it's also low calories if you don't add any toppings? (I always enjoy the toppings though, I use a light hand when applying.) Yep, super filling and great for the weight loss efforts.

EASY CHILI
(I forgot to take a picture the other night--but it basically looks like...chili.)

1 lb. ground beef, lean
1 lg onion, chopped
6-8 garlic cloves
2-3 Tbs. dried basil
2 cans kidney beans, drained
1-15oz can tomato sauce
1-14 1/2 can diced tomatoes (seasoned or zesty are best)
1-6oz can tomato paste
>1oz chili powder (about 1/3 of a 2.5oz sized bottle)
2 Tbs sugar
2-3 jalapeño, chopped *optional
salt, pepper, garlic salt, to taste

-Brown beef, onion and garlic together is olive oil.
-Add remaining ingredients and cook on stove top, covered, for 1-2 hours on low.
-Top with:
  grated cheese
  green onions <--favorite part
  sour cream
  Fritos chips

41/365 - Delicious Brussel Sprouts. Yes! Delicious

2011-02-10T16:24:00.000-08:00

I am not a big fan of Brussel Sprouts. Neither is my family. But it's the benefit they offer to our bodies that gives me reason to buy them.

I thought I was doing pretty good with the new Beef Soup recipe that included Brussel Sprouts I posted a few weeks ago. But I've found something better, Roasted Brussel Sprouts. I know, that doesn't sound too spectacular, but it is.

I first put them into the oven on faith. My mom had told me how wonderful they were when she made them. I believed her. When I put them into the oven, I had hoped I didn't just ruin a package of sprouts. (I originally bought them to make the soup)

While the little, green orbs were baking, I admit, the scent was a bit confusing. When my hubby walked into the kitchen, he took a whiff, and gave a look. I told him, "No opinions until after you try them." At that time, I hoped I didn't have to eat those words. Secretly, I agreed with him and was only sharing the same thoughts I was telling myself.

When I took them out, I wasn't impressed. They looked like burnt Brussel Sprouts. MMmmm...... *not*

After they cooled enough so I could taste without scalding myself, I gave one a try. To my surprise, it was one of the most delicious green things I have ever eaten!! I piled up a plateful and dug in. Hey, the family wasn't interested so I had my fill.

Then my oldest walks in and inspects the tray I had cooling on the oven. He says, "They looked burnt." I smiled. He goes in for a sniff and says, "These don't smell so good." He pokes one with his finger and licks it. He looks to me and asks if I liked them. I told him I thought they were really good. I assumed he'd walk away and be done. But he didn't. He grabbed a plate and served himself. While he was eating he told me, "Mom, if you ever make Brussel Sprouts again, you have to do them like this." WIN.

Just cut off the brown ends, wash, dry, and cut in half-lengthwise.

Toss well in olive oil on a cookie sheet.

Spread to single layer and sprinkle with salt/pepper.

Bake at 375-400 for about 30 min. or until edges are browned and crispy.

35/365 - Workout Plan for the Year

2011-02-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

When I started this year, I claimed that the best workout is the one you can stick with, and it's true! In order to achieve this, I made a goal that was easy to do and to pick a time and level that would be simple. I decided I would start with 15 minutes at level 10.

After the first few workouts I realized that I shouldn't have started at a level 10. It's what I was doing before my little hiatus, but I fell out of shape quickly and level 10 straight out actually hurt. Luckily, my body got used to the level after about a week, so I stuck with it.

Now that it's February, I increased the time by 5 minutes so the total time is now 20 minutes. I will keep adding 5 minutes each month until I end up doing 30 minute workouts. I also plan on adding push-ups, a kettle bell and whatever else I can find to spice things up.

I know I have a pretty good habit formed, but I'm keeping with the simplicity idea so I can easily keep going.

31/365 - Upcoming Event: Mormon Helping Hands 4/30/11

2011-01-31T16:56:00.000-08:00

Last year was the first time our entire state participated in a huge park clean-up event. We wanted to use twitter to spread the word, but the whole concept was entirely new to those putting the event together in our area. They asked if I could help out with an explanation and a video was made. I just saw the video for the first time today and I thought I would share.

This year, on April 30th, we'll be doing another project throughout the state. I'm looking forward in participating.

28/365 - Focus is Key

2011-01-28T11:15:00.001-08:00

I am so grateful that my goal is on my daily workout and nothing else. If my focus was on the scale, I would be discouraged. If my success was based on how my pants feel, I would have already fallen off the wagon. But since I'm not focusing on anything but the workout, I feel GREAT!!

Yesterday I put on some pants that were a little looser when I first put them on last summer. Yes, it was before they were first washed, but that's beside the point. It doesn't matter, if you put on snug clothes that were once loose, it always messes with your head.

If you've been following since the beginning of the year, you know that I haven't been focusing too closely on my eating. I haven't been porking, but I haven't been careful either. Considering my day yesterday, I would have thrown all weight loss efforts out and binged. But I didn't. Why? Because I reminded myself of the goal: daily workouts for 365 days in a row. Have I been doing it? OH YEAH, every night!! Suddenly all the guilt and frustration and crud that fills your head when you feel UGG instantly left. Hope returned and the scale and lovely pant issues faded into the back of my mind. I love my goal!

26/365 - Easy Lunch Idea

2011-01-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I get so intensely focused on what I'm doing I forget to eat. No, it doesn't happen often, but occasionally, it does. For instance, yesterday was the last day of my kids' semester. My middle school aged son had a few things due that weren't done and we were cramming to finish. It was two o'clock and I noticed my stomach felt off.

I searched the refrigerator, no left overs were found. The cupboards didn't have anything either. (At this point in my search, I realized I needed to go shopping) So I went to the pantry. You can always find something in the pantry. I saw a can of soup and grabbed it.

This soup is my go to lunch when I don't have much time but need to be filled. It's certainly not a pretty soup, it's actually quite ugly. But shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream can change that.

Here is a link to a tasty line of soups: http://www.amys.com/

24/365 - Emotional eating and how I deal.

2011-01-24T17:13:00.000-08:00

Right now, writing and working out in the evenings are the best way for me to avoid emotional eating. It's when I don't have substitutions for the behavior that I find myself doing it. I talk about my feelings below:

20/365 - My FAVORITE Soup of the Day

2011-01-20T10:22:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I went to my go-to Betty Crocker Cookbook searching for a new soup to add to my winter arsenal. This cookbook has always been my favorite--obvious because it's falling apart. I probably should go on eBay and try to replace it, but then I would have to transfer all my notes. Not fun. So, I guess I will milk out as much life as I can from it.

The following recipe was first introduced to our family about a month ago and so far, we've made this soup three times. I double the recipe so we have enough for left overs the next day because it's just as yummy reheated.

Best part of this soup is it's low in calories, inexpensive and makes a not-so-kid-friendly, powerhouse vegetable delicious. My hubby and I aren't big fans of Brussels sprouts either, but we both agree they are fantastic here. The key point to remember, DO NOT OVER COOK THEM.

Throw the sprouts in at the end, just before serving. Turn off the boil, toss them in, cover and let sit for about 5 minutes. They should be bright green. Who going to eat dark, mushy, ugly and over done Brussels sprouts anyway?

STEAK SOUP WITH WINTER VEGETABLES

1 pound beef boneless sirloin steak, 1 in thick. (Stew meat works fine here)
2 cans (14 1/2 oz ea) beef broth
1/4 tea. pepper
1 cup Brussels sprouts, cut lengthwise in half
1 cup sliced shiitake or domestic mushrooms (Go with the shittake)
2 med carrots, cut into 1/2 in pieces
1 lg sweet potato, cubed (about 1 cup) (We've been substituting bottleneck squash)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tea chopped fresh or 1/2 tea dried marjoram leaves
1 tea chopped fresh or 1/2 tea dried thyme leaves

Trim excess fat from beef. Cut steak into 1in pieces. (Unless you bought stew meat) Cook beef steak in 3 qt saucepan over medium-high heat about 10 minutes, stirring several times, until brown. Add beef broth and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes or until beef is tender.

Add remaining ingredients. (Remember what I said about the sprouts) Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

17/365 - Junk Food Day AKA Birthday Celebrations

2011-01-17T13:10:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we celebrated our oldest daughter's birthday. Part of our family's birthday tradition is that we let the kids choose the food menu for the entire day. Each child has his own original palate they enjoy satisfying and it's fun to see what they come up with. Unfortunately, it's rarely healthy.

Breakfast: Chocolate donuts and Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Lunch: Sub sandwich with chips

Snack: Bell pepper with Ranch dipping sauce. (I may have asked the question, "Would you like to include something healthy in your day?")

Dinner: Pepperoni Pizza

Cake and Ice Cream

What was my game plan? It would be easy to eat my own special foods for the day, but that would be insulting for the kids. They enjoy picking out the menu for the whole family and it's fun for them to eat it as a family. So to keep the peace and the spirits high, I decided to eat small portions.

I had one donut for breakfast and I was surprised how lousy I felt. If it had been a big ol' cream filled donut, I would have understood why I felt like throwing up thirty minutes after I ate it, but it was just a small old-fashioned chocolate. Ever notice that when you've been eating healthier, your body suddenly reacts to junk food? It's also scary because junk food doesn't effect me when I'm eating a lot of it. It's like my body gets used to it and I can rationalize it's not "so bad" because I don't feel "horrible." Substandard food trickery.

Lunch was actually pretty good. We put a ton of lettuce in the sandwich, she said she wanted a little, so we ran with the opportunity. A serving of chips isn't a bad thing, if you can keep from going back for seconds.

For dinner, I was running around making sure five little girls and the rest of our kids had everything they needed. I ate two pieces and a big glass of water when everyone was settled. By the time we had cake and ice cream I was too tired for more than a sliver.

I've found that a day full of junk isn't the worst thing that can happen to your health efforts if you simply eat small portions, exercise sometime that day, and get back to healthy habits the next day. One day doesn't cause damage, it's repeating the junk food day over and over that does.

12/365 - I'm down!!

2011-01-12T15:10:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit

Just had to report some good news! Something I certainly wasn't expecting, but exciting none-the-less!!

Today is day 12. Up to this point, I've only focused on the exercise, not on my food intake. I also haven't been weighing myself because I don't expect a change until I tighten up my eating a bit more--no reason to cause unnecessary distress, right? But this morning, I thought I'd check it out. I was curious.

When I first looked at the results, I thought I was up 3 pounds. I have to admit I was a little disappointed, but not terribly surprised. I've been doing the same workout since January 1st, and it's a ton easier now, I know I've built muscle. Cue the mantra: Muscle weighs more than fat. Then I realized the number in the tens column changed too. (I was only looking at the ones column) As of today, I'm down 7 pounds! A very pleasant surprise indeed.

10/365 - Sleep

2011-01-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

I am SO tired. Maybe with the freezing temperatures lately, my body is trying to hibernate after all the holiday busyness? Yesterday after church I was freezing so I curled up with a blanket and just after I reached a nice level of toastiness, I conked out for about 30 minutes.

If you know me, I don't take naps. I just don't. First, I have four children and the opportunity rarely presents itself. Second, I don't feel good after taking them and third, I have a hard time getting to sleep at night if I do. Naps aren't appealing to me, I would rather read.

So last night, it was really weird for me to be exhausted at 9pm. I could have crashed the moment my head hit the pillow but I had things I wanted to do before retiring for the night. I ended up falling asleep at 11, which is still "early" for me. You can imagine my surprise when 9am rolls around this morning and I am still exhausted. I had to pry myself out of bed I was so tired. Tired after 10 hours of sleep?!?!?

All this sleepiness got me thinking. It's been MONTHS since I've had a regular sleep pattern. For the last six months I've been busy writing and editing and revising and revising all while taking the crash course approach in learning about the craft. Very rarely do I get to bed when I should--actually, it's never--and every morning at least one child wakes me up at 7 by bouncing on me or some part of my bed. I think I am feeling a bit of the repercussions of not keeping a regular sleep schedule.

Sleep. It's just as important as food and water to our bodies and yet it's the one thing we most tend to neglect. We live in busy times and it's easy to put off that hour of sleep so we can get more done in a day. It's okay to do once in a while when there is a deadline or something important. But to do it on a constant basis is just abusing your body and since our body is a living organism, it will fight back.

When trying to get healthy, sleep has to be as important as exercise and eating the right foods. Of course, if our bodies aren't getting the right nutrients, it's not going to function properly. It also won't work right if it's lacking sleep. A body that gets everything it needs, will work the way it was intended to. Having a body that is working against your efforts is futile and pointless. Take care of the body and it will take care of you.

I've learned that if I go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, my Circadian Rhythm will work with me. I'll get the sleep I need and I will wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. The challenge is to do it, to get into a routine. I'm going to try to work on being regular over the next few weeks. Waking up to a day that's kicking my bum has to end. It never feels good to wake up tired. Never.

9/365 Not sure what to do about Sundays

2011-01-09T21:52:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what to do with my postings. I'm thinking that I might take Sundays off from blogging, it's probably one of the most busy day of the week for me. Sometimes I don't even turn on the computer.

So for now, I think I'm going to be a no show on Sundays. Just because you don't see me, doesn't mean I'm not keeping up with the challenge. :)

8/365 - Eating Habits

2011-01-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

At the end of the old year, I always feel the need to eat all sorts of naughties so I can start the year off fresh-- only to crash and burn a week or two later. I know this about me and I learned long ago not to fool myself into believing "This is the year." So I don't make that as a goal for obvious reasons.

Photo Credit

Last time I did a 365 day challenge, it wasn't until the end of February that I decided to change my eating habits. Often times I would walk off the machine only to make myself a chocolate sundae or a huge mug of hot chocolate. (We have two birthdays to celebrate in January so there is always ice cream left over) After 50 or so workouts I finally felt motivated to work on my food choices and I started to see a change in my body shortly after.

This time I feel different. It's the end of week one and I'm feeling good. Food doesn't have a hold on me like it did during the holidays and I feel strong enough to make better food choices. How do I know? Because I have several sources of chocolate in my house and I don't feel compelled to attack them. When I'm having a hard time with eating, no source of goodies--especially chocolate--has a chance of survival over a 24 hour period. Since the lifespan of my chocolate is two weeks strong, it says a lot about my will power. The fact that I want to make dietary changes earlier this time means the habits I used to have aren't far off and are easily returning, like riding a bike I suppose. Certainly motivation for creating a solid habit in hopes that one day it will be easier to stay on the road of health then to slide back into negative habits.

Now I have to admit, I haven't been chocolate free, just able to consume in rational portions. You can lose weight eating chocolate if you keep the amounts small. I've done it before and I'll do it again as I practice moderation. To swear off chocolate entirely would be crazy.

7/365 - Keeping my perspective.

2011-01-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

It's been seven days since I started my challenge. One week exactly. I was pondering this today and my thoughts began to go deep.

Seven days is nothing when you think that you still have 358 days left of the year. It's also insignificant when you clump up the days, call it a week, and count 51 more weeks. How depressing is this type of math?

Very.

I then saw someone tweet me something along the lines of, "Yay for a week of exercise" and my perspective changed. I remember when I would make short term goals, say I was going to work out Monday through Friday and then I only got to Wednesday...and that was considered a good week too.

Perspective is funny like that. It can take a simple action and make it look one of two ways:

1. It can look hard, unattainable or impossible.
or
2. It can appear to be easy, highly likable or absolutely doable.

So it got me thinking. If every goal we make for ourselves has the ability to be looked at either way, as something we can or can't do, it leaves us with a choice. Can we do it or not? Often times, I feel I don't have a choice because of circumstances. But really, if it's all about perspective, which we are entirely in control of, why not choose to see everything as doable and then go out and do it?

I choose to see 365 days as doable and my after picture as obtainable.

6/365 - Dinner Idea

2011-01-06T11:35:00.000-08:00

I love to cook. I also love to eat.

No new news there.

I also love getting and sharing tasty and easy meals.

Tonight we had a steak salad that was delicious and super filling. It was even low-carb. Seasoned, seared steak, gorganzola cheese, green onions and cucumbers happily sat on a bed of lettuce. With an abundance of flavor already present, it only needed a drizzle of real (No chemicals and fillers) Ranch dressing before I attacked it with a fork.

My husband is eating low carbs right now and since he was making dinner, we had a low carb meal. It works well for him, so he enjoys eating this way. In the past I've tried to eat low carb, but it just doesn't work for me, my body rebels. I have learned that I need fewer than the mega carbs I typically eat, but enough so I can clearly think and have an energy level necessary for my lifestyle. When I don't eat enough healthy carbohydrates, I don't function well.

I also don't think it's okay to avoid a whole macro-nutrient in our diets. There is a reason our bodies are designed to function well when we have the correct balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Now when I say healthy carbohydrates, I'm talking whole wheat or naturally occurring carbohydrates like those found in fruits, vegetables and grains. Not the processed, nutrient-less kind so easily found in our food chain.

This salad was heavy enough to keep me full even though it was low on carbs. I had energy for my workout and I had no desire to snack when I stepped off the elliptical. Eating low carb for a meal is good now and then, I just can't do it daily.

5/365 - How I like to pass time on the elliptical

2011-01-05T09:41:00.000-08:00

I used to watch TV while I exercised on the elliptical trainer. It was exciting to catch up on various shows without the guilt that I was wasting time.

Then I got bored with it.

Unlike other fitness machines, you aren't bouncing all over with the elliptical trainer, your head stays study and it makes reading a wonderful option. Of course if I'm going fast, reading isn't going to work. But most of the time I up the resistance and go at a slower pace. I have read many a pages while burning calories. I have come to cherish my elliptical reading time.

I just started a new book last night, If I stay by Gayle Forman. So far it's riveting because it's a graphic account of one of my worst nightmares: a car accident.

A friend of mine did an amazing review of the book. It's the main reason I decided to pick it up in the first place. If the book is half as good as his review, I'll be satisfied.

4/365 The salty lies of our scales.

2011-01-04T22:22:00.000-08:00

It felt good climbing up on the machine. I'm not as sore or stiff and the time didn't seem to drag like it did. I know it's only been four days, but it's amazing how quick my body responds to exercise.

Photo Credit

I already notice my muscles feel firmer, just a hint. But the thing for me to remember is I tend to firm up easier than I drop weight--which can be discouraging. Why? Even if I gain muscle and loose fat at the exact same rate, the scale will go up at first because muscle is heavier than fat.

I have a friend diligently going to the gym for an hour workout on a regular basis. The scale hasn't budged in over a week and she wants to quit. For some psychological reason we are attached to our scales. It's important to remember they don't tell the whole story and it's easy to psych ourselves out because of it.

This is what I love about this goal, it has nothing to do with the scale or how my clothes feel. It doesn't even consider my eating habits. Right now, my biggest and only concern is that daily workout. As I work to change habits, I don't feel guilt if I over eat or feel a tightness in my waistband because at the end of the day, I feel good I'm building a workout habit and hitting my daily goal. For now, this is what I need, that sense of accomplishment. As time progresses, I'll be able to better focus on the other important changes I need to make with the confidence needed to make them.

3/365 - Something I've come to realize.

2011-01-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

2/365 - Surprised!

2011-01-02T19:55:00.000-08:00

I'm amazed at how quickly my body got out of shape. I swear I just worked out a few weeks ago and I didn't notice anything different from the norm. Last night when I hopped onto the elliptical I did a shorter and lower resistance workout than I'm used to. The workout didn't feel bad, but I could tell it didn't feel as easy either.

By the time I finished 15 minutes, I was sweaty and breathing heavy--certainly not how I used to feel walking off the machine. I admit, I was a bit surprised. (I mentioned I lightened the workout since it has been a bit since I last did it, right?)

Although I was surprised walking off the machine, you can imagine my shock when I started to feel sore a few hours later. Seriously? I cannot believe I got out of shape as quickly or as badly as I did. I'm relearning that taking care of your health is a daily thing, not just when you "have a goal" or when it's convenient.

1/365 - Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-01T00:09:00.000-08:00

As I sit here ready for the new year to begin, there are many thoughts floating around my head.

Excitement. Trepidation. Hope. Fear.

I've had weight loss successes before. I went to Diet Center (A local weight loss clinic in town) while I was in Jr. High and lost 20 pounds. I was a size 6 afterwards. After my second baby, I lost 50 pounds with Weight Watchers. I was a size 8 when I hit goal. I have had my moment to shine and feel triumphant. I also know it was because of a program I lost it. As soon as I was done with the program, it slowly came back. Every time. I have learned since, that programs, for me, don't work in the long term.

In 2009, for the first time in my life, I lost weight on my own. 40 pounds of weight was gone because of my efforts. No program. No help. Just me. Success has never been so sweet. Without making an official "weight loss" goal, I finished the year pretty close to where I need to be to have a healthy BMI. I was a size 10/12 and I was happy with my body for the first time in my life.

2010 wasn't so sweet. I started the year out strong, but slowly lost momentum. I thought about doing a 720 days of workout challenge, but decided to take Sundays completely off. It was for good reason, Sundays are a special day for me. Unfortunately, once you miss a day in a long streak, it's easy to make it two. The cycle then begins. I thought about doing another 365 day goal starting mid-year, but that didn't work. (Refer to my recent vlog where I discuss why) For me, I need to be a bit OCD with my goals or its easy for me to sabotage my efforts. I've learned this. It's how I roll.

I now end 2010 feeling like I never had a success at all. I had a very rough year, probably the toughest in my life and I took it out on myself. Writing was a wonderful, creative escape but I stopped working out when I started to write. Sometimes it was because I didn't want to take a break from writing, but mostly it's because I forgot to workout until it was midnight and too late to do it. (My husband needs to be up early and the elliptical is in our bedroom) Over time, poor eating habits returned and a few pounds were found before the holiday season began. By the time December came, I was in full blown binge mode. Right now I feel like I never made a change to begin with.

Weight loss efforts has such an ugly side. When making positive choices we are moving forward, learning, becoming better, it feels great. But once you have a weight problem caused by bad habits, those habits can so easily be found no matter how long time has elapsed. Especially when life gets challenging. I chose to put "Journey" in the name of this blog because that is exactly what it is. There really is no end. Constant vigilance needs to be there or we'll find ourselves in a place we don't want to be. That dark ugly place that is so familiar.

As I sit here, my pants feel tight and my body feels flabby. I can literally feel the newly formed fat on my legs.The thought of eating any sweets right now makes my stomach turn because the over-sugared, over-fill feeling is nauseating. I'm so sick of eating right now--the idea of a week long fast sounds inviting. Actually, my body would probably benefit from a good fast too.

I'm excited for 2011. It holds promise. I also start it somewhat ticked off at myself and determined to do better. I know I can do it, I've done it before. But there is always a fear in the back of my head. What if? I'm happy to say that I have pushed my what ifs to the back of my brain and ignoring them. I plan on getting up tomorrow and ending the day on the elliptical, doing my workout. I'm not going to focus on all the things I should do better like getting up earlier, eating better, planning better, spending less time on the computer, being outside more, etc. I'm only going to focus on one thing, my work outs. I know me. If I try to do too many changes at once, I will fail. Guaranteed. But if I focus on one thing, I know I can do it. Keep things simple and it's easier to make changes. That's my plan.

2011 Workout Plan

2010-12-31T12:42:00.000-08:00

2011 Workout Goal

2010-12-30T21:47:00.000-08:00

Take Two

2010-12-29T23:44:00.000-08:00

I just finished doing my 2011 goal vlog and I look like this (minus the cleavage).

You think I'm kidding? I'm tempted to put a screen shot, but I won't. I've always had a wrinkly forehead, it's in the genes, but the lighting was just perfect for a Klingon effect. I'll just spare you, okay?

So I will attempt to do it again tomorrow with better lighting. It's ALWAYS about lighting, isn't it?

Are you ready for 2011? Do you have some goals? In the past, I got to a point in my life where I stopped making goals for the New Year. Why? Because I thought it was a joke. After years, and years of making goals only to sabotage them before the week's end, I was done.

It wasn't until 2009 something clicked. I was pretty ticked with how I felt and I made a crazy goal I honestly didn't think I could do. I guess I was mocking myself and the whole New Years Resolution idea. But the joke was on me.

During the year, I learned there is power in January 1st when you make a goal for 365 days. At any point during the year, I was able to find out what day I was on because it was the same as the day of the year! For instance, the 214th day of 2009 I did my 214th workout. Simple math. The numbers worked well with my OCD. I couldn't miss a day because the numbers would be off, and that would have driven me nuts. There was just enough incentive not to miss a day because I knew if I did, the whole goal would have been over, and I was kind of enjoying watching the numbers add up. I'm compulsive like that.

I've learned that I need to workout daily to keep in shape and to stay healthy because I'm full of excuses. One missed day turns into two turns into a week.... There is ALWAYS a reason not to workout. Always. Making such a goal kills the lame excuses I come up with and really, isn't it always an excuse that keeps us from our goals?

Getting ready for 2011

2010-12-28T17:06:00.000-08:00

I'm getting ready for 2011. I have some ideas and goals I want to share with you. I will have a vlog up tomorrow with my thoughts and plan of action. :)

Pondering goals for 2011

2010-12-20T16:14:00.000-08:00

I worked out every single day in 2009. Yep, 365 workouts in a row. I dropped 40 pounds and had an awesome habit formed. At the end of the year, I was very pleased with my loss and happy with my health status. My BMI was in the healthy range and I was wearing clothes I hadn't seen in a while. All WIN, right? Right.

One thing held me back from utter bliss though. I needed to loose another 10-20 pounds to have a comfortable distance from the line that separates "Healthy" and "Overweight" on the BMI chart. I was at a healthy weight, but a few pounds gained would put me into Unhealthy Land. Too close for comfort.

In 2010 I started to write. With all the excitement, I cut out exercise so I could have more time for writing. MISTAKE!! I've gone flabby and can see how missed daily exercise makes a huge difference with my body. I'm only up a few pounds on the scale, but what difference it makes when you aren't as toned.

Thus, I'm thinking about making another 365 day workout goal that I'll blog and vlog about along the way.

It's my birthday!

2010-12-13T18:29:00.000-08:00

Today is my birthday! It's been a wonderful day filled with birthday visits, phone calls, emails, Facebook posts and Tweets. I honestly feel loved.

Talking about birthdays and generations, my hubby had a fun idea of seeing birthday years through car designs. I thought it would be fun to see and started to Google. It's pretty crazy to see how technology changes with each generation.

We thought we'd go with Fords since they've been around for all the birthdates involved. For those who know me personally, they are laughing at our car choice. (I'm a 100% Honda gal.)
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1913 -The year my grandfather was born. (He's still living an independent lifestyle and grows a fully functional garden. I hope I have some of his longevity genes.)

1947 - The year both our fathers were born.

1973 - The year yours truly was born. (Yeah, skip the math already) Thanks.

1999 - Year we started having children.

2011

Persimmon Snack

2010-12-09T21:41:00.000-08:00

During this time of year, my grandfather has a tree FULL of persimmons. We use some for Thanksgiving when my mom makes her famous Persimmon Chocolate Chip Cookies--everyone looks forward to them. But after the big meal, we have a lot of fruit left to get creative with.

The downside of the Hachiya Persimmons is that they are astringent until they are fully ripe. If you wait for them to ripen on the tree, you have oodles of persimmons ready to eat NOW and it's impossible to keep up with them since they are fragile when ripe. So you have to pick them when they are still hard and wait for them to ripen. And wait, and wait, and wait...

You might wonder what astringent tastes like? Imagine sucking on your toner saturated cotton ball after washing your face. *Pucker up* Hachiya's are very deceptive too. On the outside, they look yummy and ready to eat. But they are very astringent until they are squishy with ripeness.

The following were picked two weeks ago and are still hard as rocks. Aren't they pretty? One little lick and you'd be gagging.

One thing you can do instead of waiting for these babies to ripen is to dehydrate them. For some reason, even though they are hard and bitter, after they are dehydrated, the astringency is gone and a sweet, nutritious, dried treat remains.

astringent-inedible-nasty

sweet-chewy-satisfying

**Not to be confused with the Fuyu Persimmon. (Below) They are sweet when they are hard. Notice how they have flat, pointless bottoms unlike the Hachiya above. They're ready to eat as soon as they turn orange. I tend to get impatient so I have to admit, I like the Fuyu better. I think we might have to plant a tree too. (I've gobbled a couple of these already today.)

Check out this great Wiki article about persimmons.

Writing & Weight Loss

2010-12-04T21:22:00.000-08:00

Are you curious why I've been talking about writing on my weight loss blog? Let me take a moment to explain how they are connected.

When I started blogging about weight loss last year, I was in the middle of my 2009 challenge of working out 365 days in a row. I successfully finished that challenge December 31, 2009. *throws confetti*

During my daily workouts, I found my time on the elliptical as a perfect reading opportunity. It also passed the time. I was going through a lot of books and it was my love of reading that began to spark my interest in writing.

Writing has become an activity I have grown passionate about. With passion, grows new habits. While working on a story, my mind is consumed with plot, characters and setting, not food. :) Unfortunately, editing and revision sometimes brings snacking. :( [I'm still working on this]

As the title of this blog suggests, I write about my weight loss journey. The lessons learned, habits created and new interests found I share here with you because they are a part of the journey, my journey.

Writer Crisis & Review

2010-12-02T21:56:00.000-08:00

I was going to blog about this, but vlogging is so much easier, right?

It's been 14 years! Our special tradition.

2010-11-22T12:47:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would share something personal today. Fourteen years ago, on November 22, 1996, my hubby and I got married and began our journey together. Along the way we have had four beautiful children we adore.

We believe in eternal families and since our family began the day we got married, we like to celebrate our special day with our kids. Every year they get excited for our anniversary, it's like a birthday for them since we always do something special together.

A tradition for the past few years has been going out to a fun restaurant where they cook dinner in front of us. Flying utensils and shrimp tails always get the kids giggling. My favorite part is when flames shoot out of a volcano of onion rings. I love to watch as they are motionless in their chairs, wide eyed with their mouths hung open. Afterwards, we always end the evening with ice cream at Baskin Robbins or Cold Stone.

Unfortunately this year, we all have the sniffles. We are doing something different while keeping with the spirit of doing something fun and special. For lunch, we all ordered our favorite dishes and doing take out from the best Thai place in existence. Following we are going to cuddle up and watch the movie, A Christmas Carol, that came out last year. (We haven't seen it yet)

The children are going to be surprised when we make homemade Oreo cookies. We saw this recipe awhile back and I wanted to wait for a special day to make them because will power only goes so far when you see these. For dinner we are having various appetizers, per the kid's request.

This has become a fun tradition for our family that will carry on for years. I'm interested in seeing how this tradition will play out as they grow older. Until then, I look forward each year to share it with them.

(This isn't a good photo, I took it with my iPhone from the original. We need to scan the original and make it digital. It's on my "to do" list.)

Pumpkin & Squash...OH MY!

2010-11-21T20:18:00.000-08:00

This summer we grew a boatload of squash. Seriously. The amount we grew could have easily filled a small boat like this:

You think I'm kidding? I should have taken a photo.

Nevertheless, we have A LOT of squash to eat. Luckily, we love it so it will be a great to eat from our harvest over the winter.

I've often wondered if you could truly substitute squash for pumpkin. I've always assumed you could, but never got around to confirming my thoughts. Recently, my mom beat me to it. She substituted in a recipe and brought some over for us to try. It was very similar, but she also messed with sugar substitutions, so that might be why I'm a little reluctant in saying it was an easy swap--there was more than one variable.

I saw a recipe on Twitter today that I want to try HERE. I have all the ingredients minus the pumpkin and I'm craving something sweet. If I have enough time, I think I'm going to do a little subbing of my own.

Polenta Cornbread

2010-11-16T21:08:00.000-08:00

Nothing tastes as good as homemade, nothing. I've always made cornbread from scratch. A few years back, we discovered a new way of making it by accident.

One evening for dinner, I went to the fridge to grab the corn meal. I didn't have enough for the recipe so I announced that we wouldn't be having it. My oldest daughter asked if we could use polenta instead since it was dried corn. At first I thought that was a crazy idea. They are two totally different ingredients, right? Nope. Both are corn meal, poleta is just ground less, it's courser. If you want to see what I mean, compare the two meals.

Due to the courser corn meal, the bread has a little chew to it. I'll never go back to regular corn meal for our bread.

San Francisco Polenta Bread

1 Cup Flour

1 Cup Polenta

3 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Oil

1 Egg, Beaten

Preheat oven to 425' F. Place all ingredients in mixing bowl and blend. Pour into 8in square pan and bake 20-25 minutes or until brown. May also be baked in muffin tins. Serves 6.

(From the side of the Golden Pheasant Brand Polenta bag)

Guest Post on the blog: Life As I See It.

2010-11-14T22:24:00.000-08:00

Hello!! I'm a guest blogger on Life As I See It today. Be sure to go check it out as I answer the question, "What inspired you to start writing?"

Girls' Room -Flame Thrower NEEDED

2010-11-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

Just a little insight into my everyday life.

A Little Vlog About Me

2010-11-09T23:51:00.000-08:00

Vlogging

2010-11-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

I think I might vlog tonight. I have a few ideas and it might be fun -- or I might horribly embarrass myself. Either way, someone will get a good laugh.

Holiday Game Plan

2010-11-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

I know I have a case of undiagnosed OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Those who know me personally will not argue with this statement either. When I first recognized some of the signs, I have to admit, I was a bit concerned. But then I made the decision to work with it, embrace it and to make good use of it.

Photo Credit

How do I make OCD work for me? OCD comes in very handy when cleaning something. I am particular when cleaning and not a nook or cranny is left unclean. When I set out to do a project, I don't stop until it's done, completely done. It's especially fantastic when it comes time to set goals. Last year, I worked out all 365 days of 2009 not necessarily because it felt good, but because I made a goal.

So in the spirit of setting goals and making progress, I've decided to workout every day during the holiday season. Today is day four of November and it's my fourth workout. I forgot how much working out at night helps me with my cravings, it's amazing.

The holidays are rapidly approaching and I know this goal will keep those sneaky holiday pounds from catching me off guard. A simple workout done on a daily basis makes a huge difference. When I started to write my book, I stopped working out so I would have more time to do so. (Not the best of ideas) The result of this decision was that I put on 10 pounds over the summer. TEN POUNDS!! Not because I ate more, but because I moved less. Fifteen minutes on the elliptical a night works wonders and I highly recommend it.

The Day After Halloween

2010-11-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit

This happens every year to me. No matter what my thinking is, it's never good enough. I know that Halloween is coming and I prepare for the day by telling myself that I can enjoy the day. If I only indulged on holidays, I wouldn't have a weight issue.

But then the next day comes. I was resolved to not touch anything from last night. My kids have been trained well. They each dumped their candy into a big gallon zip lock and disappeared with them. This is good, out of sight, out of mind. But what stayed behind? A nice full plate of my aunt's delicious cookies and brownies. I looked at them first thing this morning. How are you supposed to eat your normal, boring breakfast when you have a plate of goodies staring at you? I should have just thrown them out, but that would be wasteful.

I haven't been looking forward to today since we the reality hit that our vacation was over. I knew it would be hard, and getting up to face the day was. My house is thrashed from all the unpacking and laundry mixed with Halloween decor. Thank heaven my husband was kind enough to straighten up a bunch last night. Halloween decor is so annoying to see on November 1st. Also, NaNoWriMo officially started at midnight last night and all I really want to do is write, not teach or clean.

In efforts to keep my priorities straight, I turned a blind eye to the house, started school and grabbed an oatmeal cookie for breakfast. It was certainly a compromise wouldn't you say? But what's come back to bite me is my kids. Somehow they have actually learned the good quality of sharing and they are doing just that. How am I to turn down shared candy from my kids? I can't.

So this is my plan. I will NOT allow myself to sneak their candy. (This is where I have found myself in trouble in the past) If they offer, I will make the decision at that time and hopefully it will give me a moment to choose the right.

I lost about 5 pounds while gone this week and I would like to keep it that way. I think I might also commit myself to a nightly workout starting tonight. If I can tap into my perfectionist tendencies and do the elliptical everyday for the next few months, maybe I will not only get through the holidays with my current jeans but also in a daily habit again for 2010. Hello holiday season!

Utah Vacation - Spending Time with Family & Friends - Meeting my Favorite Author

2010-10-30T01:24:00.000-07:00

Hello! Remember me? Yeah, I haven't been here for awhile. But I have a super good excuse, I've been on vacation! My family and I just returned home from our week stay in Utah visiting family and a dear friend in Las Vegas. My husband and I agree, this was probably one of the most fun vacations we have ever taken.

We stayed a week with family in Springville, Utah. The kids played and caught up, as did the adults. We also were able to watch the season change before our very eyes. We left California after a day where the AC was needed, and we arrived in Utah on a typical autumn evening. By mid-week, it was snowing throughout the Salt Lake Valley.

It was such an exciting week for me that I found myself without an appetite. Yes, you heard correctly, WITHOUT an appetite. I know, usually while on vacation, it's so easy to gorge on good food. We had good food, I just didn't feeling like eating it. I even had some dark chocolate stashed away, just in case. I had one piece the day I bought it and I didn't touch it the remainder of the trip. I know, I am shocked too.

The only thing I can think of is that I was truly in a relaxed mode. When I am relaxed, food takes on a whole new meaning for me and I have better control over it, actually, it would seem, that I have complete control over it. When I am stressed, tired and can't think straight, it's easy to snack and gorge and loose all control. It felt great being in control this week and I feel a new resolve to get into a better routine to keep it permanent.

An exciting event that happened while in Utah was an opportunity to catch up with our favorite author, Kaleb Nation, at his book signing. You have seen me talk about his books before. (If not, scroll down) Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse was published last year. This year, Bran Hambric: The Specter Key, was released. He's as sweet in person as he is online. It was truly a pleasure to meet him. We wish him the very best.

Kaleb and me.

Why I avoid fast food like the plague.

2010-10-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

I've spent posts explaining the horrific nature of fast food and why it's not helpful in our weight loss efforts. Yes, we live in a busy time and there are meals where we have to partake. But it should be infrequently, very infrequently. When I hear of families hopping from one FF joint to the other because they are too busy to cook for dinner, I cringe.

My dear friend, Angela, brought this to my attention today. I've heard of a Twinkie lasting for years unchanged, but I've never seen it. There is something about a photograph of food that bacteria won't even touch that speaks volumes. If it's not decomposing naturally by the umpteen gazillion bacteria that exist everywhere on the planet, what the heck is it doing to your body? What does your body have to do to break it down? Poor, poor body.

Click HERE for the article.

NaNoWriMo

2010-10-13T00:07:00.000-07:00

I am ashamed to admit this, but today was the first day I hopped on the elliptical in a long time. Positivity is something I want to bring to this blog because no one wants to read something depressing and unmotivating. At the same time I want to keep it real. The journey is long. Even when you get down to your ideal weight, you aren't done! It's a lifelong journey and once you admit it, you can be easier on yourself.

So I grabbed my latest read, Fablehaven, and I did 20 minutes at level 10. Boy, did it feel different, but it felt good. Since I started my writing journey in May, I haven't been focusing on my weight loss efforts like I should. By cutting out the exercise alone, I gained 8-10 pounds over the summer. I try not to let the reality bother me, but to use it as a motivator. (Right now my winter jeans are a motivator too) NEVER STOP EXERCISING!! Had I continued my daily workouts, I likely would have maintained. I know this, yet I allow myself to forget. Why? I guess I'm human.

So today, I decided to officially make a commitment to do NaNoWriMo. For those who don't know what this term means, November is National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo is a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel between November 1st through 30th. I've never participated in it before, but with the helpful and loving coercion of my dear husband and one of my lovely critique partners, I'm ready to take on the challenge.

The word count doesn't frighten me, when I wrote my first novel, I did 97K in five weeks. I also know that once I get started, the words should flow. The thing that initially frightened me was that I didn't have a single idea floating around in my head. Not one. Luckily, a little staring and some online time, an idea hit me. I have a rough outline and I am feeling like I can do it. I have a few weeks to make a more reliable outline I can work with and I think I'll be able to finish the challenge by the 30th without loosing too much sleep or gaining any weight. (I am also going to make the commitment to regularly workout too)

Do you have an interest to start writing? This is a great way to get started. Check out the website: www.nanowrimo.org There are a lot of resources!

Aspartame is EVIL

2010-10-10T22:06:00.000-07:00

For years I've avoided Aspartame. It's in all sorts of diet foods and soda. I've said it for years, avoid it.

If something is not natural, we shouldn't be putting it into our body. When I say "natural" I define it as something directly from nature, unadulterated. Anything we put into our bodies that isn't natural, our body has to work extra hard to process it, if it can process it at all.

When trying to be healthy to lose weight, the least distractions you give your body the better. I'm an advocate to keeping your diet simple and eating real foods.

Some disturbing info about aspartame I got from this article. This information also matches what I read back when I was working on my Holistic Nutrition degree in: "Excitotoxins:The Taste That Kills.

It's a nasty substance, please avoid it for your own health.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA.
The maker of aspartame, Monsanto, uses genetically engineered bacteria to produce the “sweetener.”
linked to blindness
migraine headaches
dizziness
seizures
nausea
numbness
muscle spasms
weight gain
rashes
depression
fatigue
irritability
tachycardia
insomnia
vision problems
hearing loss
heart palpitations
breathing difficulties
anxiety attacks
slurred speech
loss of taste
vertigo
memory loss
joint pain.

The following chronic illnesses are triggered or worsened by ingesting aspartame:

brain tumors
multiple sclerosis
epilepsy
chronic fatigue syndrome
Parkinson’s disease
Alzheimer’s
mental retardation
lymphoma
birth defects
fibromyalgia
diabetes.

10,000 Pounds of Tomatoes (Part 2)

2010-10-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

So what did I end up doing with my 10,000 pounds of tomatoes?

A plateful of home grown tomatoes served with salt and pepper is absolutely delicious. There isn't enough salt, pepper, spice or sauce in the world that can make store-bought, anemic tomatoes edible.

Fantastic on BLT's, cold cuts or just plan bread. We'll even chop them up in a bowl, add some balsamic vinegar, blue cheese and call it lunch. There are endless serving suggestions for these gems.

My husband made these for dinner the other night and I've been craving them ever since. Just a tad bit more involved than slicing tomatoes, but the flavor is worth the little extra effort that is needed.

Slice and toast Dutch Crunch bread. Dip bread onto a plate drizzled with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover with sliced tomato sprinkled with a dash of salt and pepper, mozzarella cheese and basil leaves. So good--now I want to make some for lunch!

Earlier in the week, I cut up as many tomatoes that would fit in my pot. When it boiled down a few inches, I added more until it reached the top. I cooked the sauce for several hours until it got thicker and cooled it down so I could put it in the fridge.

The following day, I fried up ground beef with onions and garlic. Then I added enough sauce to make a batch of spaghetti sauce. While I let the flavors merge into each other, I added the flavorings and seasons to make it taste yummy.

I made spaghetti twice that week and the left-over plain sauce was frozen for a later time.

There is no way to photograph these, because they are ugly no matter what. I dried the rest of the tomatos that I had in my dehydrator and this is what they look like. They may be ugly, but they are tasty little snacks that can only be made with home grown tomatoes.

My "Awesome" Vlog

2010-09-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

I haven't been the best vlogger, but as the journey progresses, I hope to share more.

Other author and writer blogs have been incredibly helpful to me and I want to give back and share all that I have learned with others.

Can you count correctly how many times I said, "Awesome?"

I did this vlog very late last night--in my PJ's. I also forgot to use the better light. But then again, I am not wearing make-up, so it was probably a good thing.

My BIG project

2010-09-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this project since May. I told no one but my husband, a few very close friends and the world of Twitter. (Thanks to @supernovia for her support in convincing me that the Twitterverse cared.)

As time has progressed and I've grown more comfortable with the idea, I've slowly told friends and family.

I'm now at the point where I'm okay with telling the world.

(I did this video back in June, just after I finished writing my manuscript in 6 weeks)

What I'm going to do with 10,000 pounds of tomatoes.

2010-09-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

Well, not 10,000 pounds exactly, but close. This is what I have starting at me right now, and I have another box just like these in the house we've been working on that I forgot to include in the following picture.

Did I mention that the vines outside are already ready for a picking too? Please don't think I'm complaining, I'm not. I am a little overwhelmed, but I'm not complaining. Our CA summer was so mild the tomatoes didn't get the heat they needed to ripen, so we are having a late harvest. (On the plus side, fresh tomatoes for Thanksgiving)

So today, I'm doing what other garden growers do this time of year who lack large freezers and time to can.

I'm getting creative.

Calorie free and tasty snack: Kim Chi Cucumber

2010-09-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

We have such a variety of vegetables right now, to prevent burnout, we are creating different meals. Just last night my hubby made a variation of lasagna using several veggies from the garden. I am proud of him, he's still eating zucchini after several months of cooking with it.

At our favorite Japanese restaurant, we enjoy a dish called Tako Kim Chi. It's cucumber and octopus covered with kim chi sauce. Such an easy recipe to recreate, but since I'm not proficient in octopus preparation, I will leave that treat for when we eat out.

What we do instead is chop up cucumbers from the garden and drizzle kim chi sauce over it. The sauce was hard to find because you typically can't find it at your local grocery store. I had to go to an Asian market to find it.

You know what shocked me the most at the market? It wasn't the embryonic, purple eggs or the numerous bottles of fish parts pickled, fermented, salted, etc. What shocked me the most was the isle of bagged MSG. I try to avoid every trace of the stuff in my diet and yet there were bags and bags of it up and down the isle.

The only downer with the sauce is that it does have MSG in it, so I use it sparingly and not very often. What I would like to do is make my own sauce with natural ingredients. I'm on a quest for a recipe.

The Specter Key Trailer [HD]

2010-09-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

Check out this book trailer for an upcoming book. I've talked about Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse before in other posts, this is the sequel. It's called Bran Hambric: The Specter Key. It certainly has a chance to make it to the NYT Best Seller's List.

At the end of the trailer, there is a link to sample chapters. Be sure to check them out.

Come 10/10/10, you will find me reading this on the elliptical....

My thoughts on September 11, 2001

2010-09-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

I was replying to the blog The Sierra Home Companion which asked, "Where were you on September 11th?" and the memory just flowed from my fingertips. I thought I would share my thoughts here and repost my reply:

You're right. I too will never forget where I was or what I was doing on that day.

I was pregnant with my 2nd child. We were in bed when my mother called to tell us the twin towers fell. (I'm ashamed that I didn't know what she was talking about-World Trade Center?) We got up, flipped on the tube and caught the 2nd plane crashing into the tower. I will never forget that image.

Yes, the next couple of days, the world seemed to stand still. I don't remember leaving the living room. I remember wondering what the world held for the future of my children. We didn't know what would happen next. Part of me feared, the other part knew I needed to have faith.

I found a patriotism that I never felt before. As tragic as it all was, Americans stood together like never before. Suddenly it didn't matter who you were or where you came from. Nothing mattered because as an American, we were one. Flags erupted EVERYWHERE. The mere sight of them found on cars, houses, buildings, you name it, would bring me to tears. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, maybe it was the mere shock of the tragic events I watched unfold, maybe I was just patriotic for the first time in my life.

As much as my heart ached for the families involved, it also swelled with American pride like never before. September 11th heightened patriotism in America...and I miss it. America has forgotten. Maybe not in our hearts, but we have moved on and life has resumed as before.

Indian dinner from our garden.

2010-09-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

SO dinner time came around tonight like it always does. Wanting something different, I went to Google and started searching for recipes that had the ingredients I had.

I wanted to create a meal with:

Eggplant
Coconut milk
Garam masala (Spice blend)

This came up in the search: Chicken and Vegetable Curry To my surprise, the recipe also included tomatoes and zucchini. A definite WIN since I have so much out in the garden right now.

What I enjoyed most this dish is that it's full of vegetables and still filling. Sometimes when we make stir-frys there isn't enough fat or protein to keep me full and I'm left craving for something a few hours later. This dish is very filling, so a little serving will keep you satisfied until breakfast. The flavor is subtle and rich, so if you skipped the rice and left out the chicken, it wouldn't be missed. This recipe is very versatile; we'll probably add more eggplant to it next time since we like it so much.

**Update: It was even BETTER for lunch. :o)

Garden Milkshake

2010-09-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a thick milkshake made with real, all natural ice cream and blended with fresh fruit? It's certainly hard to pass up such cool deliciousness on a hot day. But with intense refreshment also comes high calories.

A way we get around it is to make our own shakes.

In our garden this year, we are growing crenshaw melons. I grew up with these beautiful fruits and the mere scent brings me back to a time when summers were long and living in a swimsuit didn't phase me.

We use Bryer's Vanilla ice cream. It's the best!! All natural without any added gunk means no chemicals or unpronounceable nouns. Add it to the blender with frozen chunks of crenshaw melon and you have a frothy milkshake with less calories. Since you are using more melon than ice cream, you significantly reduce the amount of fat and calories while adding a healthy dose of vitamin C. The flavor is so sweet and intense, you don't miss those calories.

Wait. You say you've never tasted a Crenshaw melon? Seek one out and dive in! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Favorite Lunch

2010-09-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

The garden is in full production and veggies are coming out of my ears!

Lately for lunch I have been eating this:

It's light, surprisingly filling and very easy to make. Okay, bust out your pen and pad of paper because you will want to write this down so you don't miss anything. ;o)

1. Chop up various tomatoes (Make sure you add the juice left on the cutting board)

2. Drizzle with Balsamic vinegar. (Enough so you can see it accumulating on the bottom.)

3. Season with salt & pepper

4. Crumble blue cheese, feta or whatever cheese you have lying around.

Voila! That's it. Enjoy!

Stress

2010-08-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

I've had a stressful summer. Too much to do and not enough time to do it in. Sound familiar? We all have stress in our lives and for me, there are times I can handle it and other times when I can't.

When I can't handle it, I take my stress out with eating. For me, I ate more this summer than I usually do. Come to think of it, I didn't eat that much worse than I have all year as I maintained my weight loss. But I am currently a good 10 pounds heavier now. Why? I haven't been exercising! When I say exercising is key, I mean it!! I can have a little allowance with my eating if I am working out, if I'm not, my weight just creeps back on, every time.

Right now I sit here and I can feel my waist line cut into my tummy. I HATE this feeling and yet it's back. The first thing I need to do is make time for the elliptical. Even if I don't change my snacking or stress relieving methods, the workouts will help with maintaining so I can stay in my snug pants (for now) instead of having to buy the next size.

Where I've been...

2010-08-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

So sorry for my absence. I've been out of town and had no internet access! I wasn't too concerned knowing I wouldn't have internet access because I still had my iPhone to keep me connected. What a surprise it was when I walked into our rented beach house and had NO SIGNAL.

I honestly panicked for a moment. Some of my first thoughts were, "What if I need someone at home? What if I'm needed?" (I'm responsible for our youth program at church) I also enjoy checking in on Twitter friends throughout the day and I wondered what it would be like if a week passed without checking. Would I be forgotten, would I forget who I enjoyed talking to? Yea, pretty petty thoughts. But my biggest legit concern was, "What if some horrific world calamity took place while we are here and I have no way of calling for help?" That's a legit concern, right? I have four children, three of which aren't good swimmers, and we are by the ocean, what if something happened? (Have I ever mentioned that I am a worry wort?) I enjoy the comfort of knowing that if anything happened, I could call 911 and have help within minutes.

Luckily, after we got unpacked and I went out on the beach in front of our temporary home, away from the big hill behind the house, I found 5 bars and 3G. I was comforted to know that if I needed anything, anything at all, I just needed to run out to the ocean and dial away. :oD

We had a wonderful time with family and the sun, now it's time to get back into the swing of things. A brand new year of home schooling starts tomorrow and life is about to merge into the fast lane.

Here is a view from our house:

A photo of my cousin and I.

(Please disregard my lack of make-up,

I was on vacation from EVERYTHING!!)

Homemade Coriander

2010-08-18T23:18:00.000-07:00

We discovered coriander a couple of years ago and we honestly use it as much as salt. It adds a citrus flair to your foods and we add it to everything. Fabulous on beef, chicken, vegetables, salsa, sauces...you get the idea.

Recently, we had cilantro growing in our garden. We enjoy growing the herb for our Mexican dishes, but we have a hard time going it. It quickly goes to seed.

Outside recently, one of us thought that coriander was from cilantro seed. If you are familiar with these two flavors, you know they are entirely different. I giggled to myself when I tasted one of the cilantro seeds and proved that they really are coriander.

It was fun to separate these little pods from the dried cilantro plant. A little touch from the food processor, and we will have the freshest coriander we've ever had.

Photo Credit

Interview

2010-08-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

I had a fun time doing an interview this week. Jess over at Jest Kept Secret is starting a new segment on her blog called:

Before They Were Published

I was the first one to participate! She is such a sweetheart to work with too. Please go check it out! :o)

Thanks!

Garden Galettes

2010-08-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

Although I have never heard of a Galette, they don't look unfamiliar. Tonight I made this dish for the first time and it was a wonderful way to use garden vegetables! The combination possibilities are endless. I made this one tonight with yellow & red cherry tomatoes and basil from our garden:

Check out PrudentBaby for recipe directions and some beautiful pictures.

To Free A Mockingbird

2010-08-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

My son rescued a Mockingbird from a dog's mouth, after it fell from a tree. I hand fed and raised it. To see the journey from the beginning, check out my YouTube channel.

My hubby is creative with zucchini.

2010-08-13T12:19:00.000-07:00

This garden season, we were overzealous in our planning and planted more zucchini plants than last year. (Just in case) Yea, all of the plants grew happy and healthy and now we have a serious over abundance of zucchini.

We committed in the beginning that we would strive to be creative with the green vegetable and I'm proud to say we have. We've had them in foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even dessert. They've been added to the tried and true family favorites, new dishes have even been created. We have done well.

The lastest creation was done by my hubby. He decided to add a little bulk to our traditional salsa and the result was quite tasty. The flavor is the same, and if you close your eyes, you can't even tell that there is zuchhini in there. The children are pleased and we have been eating it with chips.

It's been a fun summer keeping up with our zucchini plants. Our familiar vole even showed up, but this time, we just turned our backs and let him do what he wanted. (We are minus 11/2 plants now, and that's okay)

What's been keeping me busy that last couple of days.

2010-08-13T00:55:00.000-07:00

Darn, I wanted this post to be today, when today was Thursday. I'm up late so it's technically Friday now.

Anyway, for the last couple of days I have been participating in an online writer's conference called,

WriteOnCon

Wanting to get my children more involved with reading and writing, I've researched how to be a better writer. (Everyone knows I already love to read) During this process, I have found that writing is actually kind of fun!! (Wish I would have realized that reading and writing are awesome when I was in school and had the time.) I keep telling myself better late than never, right?

Anyway, everything that took place is posted on the main site. If you are interested in writing, head on over and check it out.

Today, we're talking about eggplant.

2010-08-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm featured in a guest post over at Good Cheap Eats: What's on Your Plate? Hop on over and check Jessica's site out!

Photo Credit

Sleep

2010-08-10T23:46:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to live on 6 hours of sleep so I have the time needed to do everything I need to do in a day. It's not working. I find myself incredibly tired around 3pm and there isn't anything I can do about it but wait for the kids to be asleep.

Another thing I notice is that being tired makes it hard to make a good choice. I find myself not really caring about what I want to eat. It's almost like I resort to a primal instinct. I'm hungry, so I eat. Doesn't matter what it is, or what it will do to me as long as I get full. If it's there, I'll just grab it, because I'm tired and don't want to think. Luckily, this week of trying to live on less sleep, the cupboards are a bit bare of snacks, so it's easy to not...snack. If there were some goodies in here, I can guarantee that they'd be eaten.

Right now I feel as though I am rambling, not making sense. I probably am, because I'm tired. This tired-all-day feeling isn't really worth the amount of work I get done by staying up. I am going to try to convert to early bird-ism next week, and fight my natural night owl. (Late at night, I can often be found doing what this man is doing in the picture)

Photo Credit

Brownies and Excuses

2010-08-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

Picture Credit

So yesterday we had homemade brownies. (And by homemade, I mean homemade. No boxed ingredients where you add eggs, oil and whatever, just 100% of OMGoodness) I made the "One last batch" kind of brownies. You know that batch, the one you are going to get your fill of so you can swear them off for awhile while you get your weight loss efforts in check. Yes, that batch.

This is the thinking, the excuse I have used in the past that helped me gain 40 pounds. Why do I still use it then? Because,

IT'S AN EXCUSE I TEND TO BELIEVE!

A way for my mind to be okay with the idea of freely eating brownies without the guilt.

The "plan" was to have a great day today. Eat enough brownies on Sunday until I was sick of them so when I wake up on Monday, I'd have a new resolve. Today is Monday, the fresh start to a new week where I hop back on the wagon and get my eating and exercise in order, right? Wrong. Guess what I had for breakfast?

The cycle continued. I know I am not the only lady out there that does this. Excuse. Excuse. Excuse. For one reason or another we use excuses to tell ourselves it's okay to indulge today so that we can do better tomorrow.

So was today an epic failure? A day to cancel out with horrible eating so that tomorrow will be better? NOPE! I have learned something on this journey. I told myself this morning, right after eating the first brownie of the day, no matter how today went, I would work out.

I have OCD, I'm a perfectionist and these two together will probably be the end of me one day. Maybe. But I am learning to use them to work with me. Long ago they worked against me in the perfect vs. not perfect day thinking, like I explained above. (If today isn't perfect, gorge and try again tomorrow) Now, I use it to hold myself to a promise.

Tonight, after a day that started with brownies that went through lunch, I ended the day with a normal dinner and a workout. The workout felt great!! I went onto the elliptical with thoughts of what to snack on after I was finished and end up stepping off of it sweaty with a lost of appetite. Soon, I'm going to make myself some herbal tea with a shot of milk and call it a day.

With my old, OCD-perfectionist thinking, today would have been an epic failure the moment the brownie hit my lips. Instead, I'm ending the day feeling in control and ready to take on tomorrow, a little bit stronger in my weight loss goals.

Meeting Maggie Stiefvater

2010-08-08T23:34:00.000-07:00

Along my weight loss journey, I have found that I love to read books on the elliptical trainer while I work out. It passes the time and I get uninterrupted reading time in. It's a win all around! One book that I read earlier this spring was Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. I greatly enjoyed it. In a nutshell, it's like Twilight except substitute wolves for the vampires. Young love, a paranormal life pulling them apart, you know the type of story...I love an easy read that sweeps me away. (I must warn you, the night I started Shiver, I wasn't ready to put it down after my workout. I kept reading until I was done-because it was that good.)

The second book in the series, Linger, just came out last month. Excited for the book to come out, I discovered that her book tour took her to Petaluma, which is a good two hour drive. Wanting to go, but not wanting to make the drive by myself, I put out the feelers on Facebook to see if anyone wanted to go with me. My close friend, Christine, said she wanted to go. Living at the middle mark in Vacaville, it was planned that I would pick her up along the way!

Leaving later than I wanted and then finding out the parking garage that was supposed to be "Just behind the bookstore," wasn't, we were still parking the car at the time the event started. No, the parking garage wasn't just behind the bookstore like the young fellow I spoke with on the phone said, it was 3-4 blocks away on the other side of a stream/river/water thing. By the time we hiked, went over a dock and waited to cross a busy street, we were 15 minutes late. Luckily, after we got to the store, recovered from our brisk walk and purchased our books, Maggie had just started to talk.

Did I mention that it was absolutely FREEZING?? Yea, we left home pushing 100 degrees and when we got to Petaluma, we could nearly see our breath before our eyes. No, it wasn't that cold, but had we properly dressed, it would have been a lovely walk. Since I had hot summer day attire on, my teeth were chattering so hard, I thought I would chip a tooth.

Despite the craziness it took to get to the signing, it was absolutely wonderful to see Maggie Stiefvater. Maggie was just as wonderful in person as she is online. It's neat to meet other moms who are using their talents to entertain others while raising a family. I could have listened to her funny life stories for hours.

The best story she shared, was about her most recent plane ride. On the way to the Bay Area, she found out that "Linger" didn't just debut on the New York Times Best Seller List, but that it debuted as #1. (Read the full plane story HERE and her post about her first Linger tour HERE. )

Starving from the drive and the signing, Christine and I ate at a Mexican food place down the street from the book store. It was okay. (I'm a super picky when it comes to Mexican food, or any food for that matter) We missed out on the fried ice cream since we were there near closing time. Next time I will consume my first real fried ice cream. The last time I ordered it, probably when I was a kid, it was a scoop of vanilla ice cream rolled in corn flakes. I'm serious.

As I dropped Christine off, I realized that we didn't take any pictures together! In my lame attempt to capture the evening together, I got this. Not bad, but not the best.

I'll keep this photo small to spare you. We were both sleepy, although I am looking a little cranked. I drank a huge glass of soda at dinner to keep me awake. I typically avoid caffeine, so when I drink it, it's super effective. You can see this in my eyes. (Another reason to keep the photo small, my eyes are frightfully large and the way we are positioned, my head looks freakishly huge compared to Christine)

We had a great time! It was a wonderful, fun and at times, silly way to attend my first book signing. I hope to attend many more.

Hanging off the wagon by a shoelace.

2010-08-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

So I haven't been the best example lately. The elliptical trainer is dusty and I couldn't tell you the last time I was on it. I also haven't been eating as well as I should, but I haven't been completely out of control either. This is probably because there isn't anything in the house to snack on, or I would be. (I didn't buy snacks this week on purpose)

Every once and awhile we find ourselves in a place where we wonder how we got there. I haven't been trying to avoid being healthy, but I certainly haven't been embracing it either.

Today I noticed that my knees were a bit achy. The ache is a reminder that I am not 19 any more and when I don't workout, my body will remind me of this. For me, when I don't work out, I slowly gain weight. Mostly, because I like to eat. Working out daily and eating the way I do balance each other out. Take away the exercise and eat a little sloppy in regards to good choices, and the weight returns, quickly.

Lately, I have been using the exercise excuse that is as old as the existence of stationary bikes.

"I am just too busy to workout tonight."

Honestly, I'm too busy for my health? Really? Shouldn't that be a priority? If we don't make it a priority, our body will certainly make our health a priority when it's taken away. Health is never more precious than when you aren't in possession of it. My knees are reminding me daily of this important fact. I must put working out back into my schedule.

Oops!

2010-08-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

I had a post up for a few hours and then realized that although I planned on getting it up days sooner, I probably should wait until my guest post on another site went up first. Oops! I don't want to do a blogger no-no. So I'll talk about something else for now.

I don't have a picture for this, I could go take one of the left overs that sits in the fridge, but the photo wouldn't be appealing. I'll spare you.

Ben was in the kitchen yesterday being creative and he stumbled on something fantastic! Our tomato production is yet to get into full swing and we don't have enough to make what we normally do with our tomatoes ie.spaghetti sauce, salsa, bowls of chopped tomatoes with mozzarella and basil.

In efforts to use up the many zucchini we have, Ben had the girls chop up zucchinis in little chunks. He went ahead and made salsa like we usually do and added the zucchini to make up for the lack of tomatoes. It looked a lot like gazpacho. I had some yesterday in a bowl and it was okay. But today, when I went at it like salsa with a chip, it was AMAZING! Next time we make it, I'll take a photo when it's fresh and pretty!

A note

2010-07-28T21:18:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share an absolutely wonderful new recipe we happened to create, but I realized it is so simple, that a picture would have to be included. I plan on making it tomorrow and will report then. :o)

Campechana (Mexican Shrimp Cocktail)

2010-07-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

After eating a week full of vegetables, which are so very delicious and good for you, Ben and I were craving something Mexican. We had a favorite local Mexican restaurant that we use to frequent specifically to eat this because they made it so well. When they closed shop, we found that no one else makes it as good so I was thrilled when I saw this on allrecipes.com It's just as good and you can save money by making it at home.

Wanting to save money by eat in, we decided to make this last night. The shrimp all together cost about $10 and by the time you add the rest of the items, you'll be pushing $20 (unless you already have some of the items already in the fridge). So for $20, Ben and I had large bowls of this, which is beyond filling, and we will also have the remainder today for lunch. That's $5 a serving.

It's also low in fat and high in flavor. Believe me when I say you will crave this once you have had it.

**Various pictures (including this one), nutrition information and the recipe can be found HERE.

Ingredients

2 pounds cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 cups tomato and clam juice cocktail
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
salt to taste
1 ripe avocado - peeled, pitted and chopped

Directions

Place the shrimp in a large bowl. Stir garlic, red onion, and cilantro. Mix in tomato and clam juice cocktail, ketchup, lime juice, hot pepper sauce, and horseradish. Season with salt. Gently stir in avocado. Cover, and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. Serve in one large bowl or ladle into individual bowls.

Zucchini

2010-07-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

For those who grow gardens, it's that time of year when you start seeing a lot of zucchini. We have learned the biggest thing you can do to prevent zucchini overload is to keep ahead of it. The best way to do that?

DON'T LET THEM GET BIG!

Check your plants daily and pick them while they are small, about an 1 1/2" - 2" in diameter. I have never seen anything grow as fast as a zucchini and if you miss a day, WATCH OUT! I have gone to bed with small zucchinis on the vine only to find big boats by lunch the next day. Don't believe me? Grow some zucchini and you'll see for yourself.

Another thing we are doing this year is to get creative with it. Often we get sick of them, quickly. This is easy to do if you only make one thing with them. So if you only have that favorite zucchini dish you make over and over again in vain efforts to get through your surplus, you need to get out there and research new recipes. A new recipe I'm going to try is: Zookies (Highly recommended by a fellow zucchini growing gal: Michal)

A wonderful thing about this vegetable is that it's versatile. Just the other day I had them for breakfast, lunch, dinner & dessert and I'm not even sick of them. Why? Because we got creative in our cooking this year. They can be a main part of the meal as in Zucchini Scramble (recipe below) or as a filler in pretty much everything else. The other night, my hubby chopped them up super fine and snuck them into our Sloppy Joes. He felt so sneaky and he reveled in the deception. The kids didn't notice until almost the end of the meal when they saw yellow chunks. Had he stuck with the green zucchinis, no one may have guessed.

The last and marvelous thing about zucchini is that they are filling. You can stretch any recipe with zucchini. Adding greens and fiber will help you feel full after eating. This means, less calories while feeling full. Can't argue with that when you are trying to shed some pounds.

Zucchini Scramble

(This is a recipe I have been enjoying a lot lately)

3,4,5 Zucchinis, shredded (use as many as you want to eat at the meal)

3-4 Eggs
Montery Jack cheese, shredded

Olive Oil

Season to taste (I use salt,pepper, coriander and pepper flakes)

I don't have any measurements because this is the type of recipe where you literally just throw it into the pan and "eye ball" it.

Warm up olive oil in fry pan.
Shred the zucchini using a cheese grater and cook until done. (As the water cooks out of the zucchini, the amount will shrink. Use more zucchini then you think you'll eat.)
Add the eggs and scramble together until eggs are done.
Season the scramble
Top with grated cheese and turn off heat. When cheese is melted it's time to dish up.

In case you are still wondering about my zucchini filled day, here's the daily menu:

Breakfast: Zucchini Cake (Yes, it's technically a cake, but I made it with whole grain flour and organic eggs. The only questionable ingredient is sugar. I know, it's a far stretch, but it's a dense cake)

Lunch: Zucchini Scramble

Dinner: The deceptive Sloppy Joe's

Dessert: Zucchini Cake with Butter-Lime frosting

Garden Dinner

2010-07-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

This is what was picked from the garden today. All we needed for tonight's dinner was some chicken.

Chicken: Ben cooked it in a fry pan with a tad of oil until brown. Then topped it with fresh pesto he made from the basil we grow.

Beets: I boiled them until they were tender. Since there is always a lot of oil in pesto when cooked, we decided to use what came off the pesto and chicken and I used it to make an Italian vinaigrette to marinate them in.

Beet greens: I cooked them with olive oil and garlic. When it was wilted and finished cooking, I seasoned it with salt, pepper and some coriander. (Our favorite spice-we use it on everything)

Eggplant: I sliced, sauteed in olive oil and seasoned with salt & pepper. (My son and I love it best prepared this way)

Tomatoes: They are so yummy from the garden, we just sliced and ate them with a dash of salt & pepper.

Watermelon: Weren't sure if they were ripe yet or not. By looking at the anemic piece on the plate, you can tell they need a few more days out in the sun on the vine.

It's a journey, right?

2010-07-15T21:55:00.000-07:00

I was going to avoid such a post, but I thought I would be honest. In a journey, there are the typical highs and lows, right? Well, I'M-IN-A-RUT!

I have wanted to keep all the posting on this site positive, because no one wants to hear negatives. But I thought I would keep this real. Every weight loss journey has it's downs and if I didn't share mine, how would I learn from it? How would it be obvious that I am actually doing this journey, not just talking about it?

Now I'm not admitting to completely falling off the wagon. (It certainly happens, but not this time) I am just having a hard time getting exercise every day. I have been overly tired and that makes it hard. (Probably because I haven't been regular with the exercise for a couple of weeks.) I did it last year, from January 1st to December 31st, every day. I know I am capable to do it again. But this time, it's been a little harder and I am not finding the same success. I am human.

I can say this, by not working out every day, I can feel it. Physically, emotionally, with my appetite, I can totally tell that I'm not regularly exercising. This shows me just how important it is and how much our bodies depend on us to find time to squeeze it in everyday, not just once and awhile.

I am currently working on a routine for our entire family and you can bet I'm setting a specific time to workout. It's a must if you want to be regular with your exercise!