Dress Success!

Sorry I haven't been around this week!!! Between working late and trying to find a dress... it's been quite busy!

I haven't had a ton of "blog-worthy" food to share. Which really, I hate saying! My meals are pretty simple and I think there's nothing wrong with that. I'm not one who can bust out the most creative meal in five minutes at lunch. I'm happy with simple stuff... so why change that because of a blog? I sometimes let myself feel like my food is not worth sharing because of this... but it's MY food and MY blog and if I'm making it my "own", why wouldn't I? I think I put too much pressure on myself to live up to a lot of other blogs out there... I don't need to do that!

I hope that makes sense!

So first of all, thank you ALL for you awesome comments on Lisa! Isn't she incredible? I am so, SO proud of her - obviously! I told her that the most rewarding part of this whole process is for her to see what I knew she had in her all along. It's exciting! She's kicking some booty big time on Level 2 already... she'll be checking in again with us after her next 10 days are up!

As for JR and I - we started Level 3 yesterday... HOLY freaking cow! I can start out doing some of the advanced moves but after a few reps, end up in the beginner moves. Level 2 was hard as heck... but I could at least do the advanced moves! This one is definitely different!

I have to say, after almost a month of doing Jillian - I LOVE the challenge it has been on me. Some of the cardio moves are KILLER and different than I've done before. I think that I will keep the shred and Jillian's new work out dvd's in my weekly rotation somehow - but I REALLY miss my Firm videos. I miss my "heavier" weight lifting! I think after we get back from Florida next weekend, I will be starting a Firm roation for the month... then we'll see where things lead me from there!

Back to the dress... last night, I braved the dressing rooms again! It took all night... and it definitely wasn't easy... but I finally found a dress! What do you think?? Be honest!!!
Five minutes after taking the pics... JR and I changed into work out clothes to take on Jillian for Day 2 of Level 3! Maddie decided she wanted to join us...

Here we are getting ready to work it (and um... please excuse my white legs!)!
By the way, thanks for all the thoughts and prayers for JR's family. Granny is still hanging in there but we're not sure what's coming over the next couple of days.

That's all I've got, folks! Hope you all are having a great week!!!

PS - did you all know it's national apple week?? Must be why apples have been my top snack choice every day so far :)

What is your favorite way to eat apples? I think mine is tied with in oatmeal or with some dark chocolate peanut butter!!!

Have a great night!

Transformation Tuesday! A Guest Blog :)

Before I get to today's post, I thought I would update you all on JR's grandmother's condition. Unfortunately, they have said she probably will not make it past the next couple of days. Her body seems to be shutting down at this point. It's been so rough on JR's parents! Please keep his family in your prayers!!

I had to share this picture, too... it's too sweet. This is "Nurse Maddie" checking on Granny with Grandpa...Grandma & Grandpa bought Maddie a little nurse's outfit and some doctor "tools" to help them keep an eye on Granny. She's been a great little helper!

Sorry for not posting yesterday! I picked Maddie up from JR's parents after work (they watch her for us while we are working), then we headed straight to Kohl's to look for a dress for my brother's wedding. We came home at 7:00... finally ate dinner at 7:30... and I had to do some work for the rest of the evening! My meals weren't exactly blog-worthy yesterday anyway - except for the amazing omelette JR made me for dinner!! I just couldn't get a good shot of it with the camera :( It had a whole egg, two whites with chopped ham, tomatoes and onion.... I then put it in a TJ's spinach wrap with some fresh spinach inside... had it with some hummus. GOOD stuff :)

My friends... I am SO excited about today's post! Back when I mentioned we had started Jillian's 30 Day Shred, I mentioned that our best friend Lisa was taking the challenge right along with us!

This is Lisa and I on July 4th...she's on the left :)
Taking on this challenge is a HUGE step for her - and I jumped on her saying yes before she could change her mind! :) Folks, she has done the most incredible job. The transformation I have seen in her emotionally and physically in just these first 10 days is beyond words! She is practically beaming with excitement over her new found confidence in herself... exactly what I was hoping she would find! I knew she had it in her!! She deserved to know, too! I'm like a proud mama ;)

I thought it would be awesome if she kept track of her progress and did a little guest blogging for us after she completed 10 days of each level!

I am going to stop blabbing here and let Lisa talk.... Here we go! Please make her feel welcome :) I know you guys will enjoy this!


Hey Y'all!

First let me introduce myself...I'm Lisa, the girl fortunate enough to be called the best friend of Mandy and JR Arostegui. I'm originally from Texas and have been in Nashville, TN for 9 years now. I'm 35 and feel like the last year of my life has been a rebirth of sorts. July 28th was my year anniversary in the Weight Watcher's program and I've lost 52 pounds so far. I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish I'd lost more in a year but, at the same time, I really want this to be a realistic life change for me...not a quick fix. Lord knows I've tried every one of those offered! The ups and downs on the scale have been a nerve wracking and, sometimes, heartbreaking learning process but, I think, what's important is that I haven't given up.

In order to keep this as short winded as I am capable of being, I will just say that this battle with my weight has been a life long thing. Like most everyone with a weight problem I grew up with all the usual heartbreaks. Falling for the jocks that wanted the hot, tiny, cheerleaders, the moo's as I was walking down the hall, and sitting in all those fitting rooms, in tears, because I couldn't fit into anything that was considered cool. I was 29 before I woke up and realized that beautiful comes in every shape and size...and that I was enough, period. They should make this a required course in school, starting as early as possible...self worth, and self love, are the most important tools we can have. They change every aspect of your life. Every single one.

Stepping off my soapbox...I'm not sure what finally clicked into place for me last year? I just woke up one day and decided my big, bold, incredibly happy, spirit had lived in this heavy shell of a body for far too long. For the first time in my life I wasn't doing it to catch a boys eye or to meet societies standards of beauty. Maybe it was because I'd been denied insurance because of my height/weight ratio and I found it completely embarrassing and horrifyingly awakening all at once. I thought "I want to be around...and if I continue down this road, I won't EVER meet Mr. Right and be the Mom I've always dreamt of being...cause I'll be dead." Suddenly it all became clear and my head just zoned in on what was important.

Thankfully I have Mandy! She is my champion. My constant source of inspiration and encouragement. It's a real blessing to have this living, breathing, proof that your goal can be reached. I think I was a little bit bigger, at the beginning of my journey, than she was...but it's so close that I really can look at her and see where I can end up if I'm dedicated and love myself enough to stick with it. She's been my confidant, my cheerleader, and my personal nutritionist. She's also pushed, and challenged me, physically. First it was Zumba and now, it's Jillian's 30 Day Shred, which is the real reason I am here...

This is my personal take on Jillian's Shred...as a person who's primary workout routine would be an occasional Walk Away the Pounds video - 1 mile and no weights. This recap of my last 10 days, Level 1 of the Shred, is as honest as I can be and I hope you find it as humorous as I did at the end of each day...as well as inspiring.

Day 1- Rough. Seriously rough. I told Jillian I hated her, for the first time, just 15 seconds into my second set of jumping jacks...and I meant it. How did she expect a person my size to continually heft myself into the air for 30 seconds. I laughed at the idea of push ups, I grunted, groaned, and had cussed up a blue streak by the time I finished...but I finished. Me. I've never been more proud in my life...except maybe when I got up and did it again the next day.

Day 2- Ouch. What muscle is this and how have I not noticed it before? Yes, I was sore in places I didn't know existed...yet, I somehow felt stronger and was feeling pretty confident as I completed more push ups than I had the day before. I couldn't believe all I was able to acheive through the pain I'd already inflicted on my body!

Day 3- Near defeat. I hadn't slept well the night before and woke up with a pretty bad head ache but, in spite of almost talking myself out of it, started my work out anyway. Mid way through, I was crying like a baby, begging God for it to end. I felt like I weighed a ton and negative 'who are you kidding, fat girl, you can't do this' thoughts were SCREAMING through my head. My push ups were embarrassing and every jump into the air caused my head to feel like it would explode...and, when I thought I couldn't go a second more, I pushed on. Needless to say, I survived. I may not have been in best form but I gave 100% of what I had. I laid in my floor for 10 minutes crying, and recovering, when it was done. Funny enough, the rest of my body hurt so bad that the headache was gone. Go figure. :)

Day 4- Breakthrough. I had everyone I know praying for me on the evening of Day 3 because I was so scared I wouldn't be able to make it through Day 4. God showed up because I was stronger and my endurance was shocking. I felt amazing. Now, this does not mean I didn't cuss or proclaim my intense dislike for Jillian for an entire 20 minutes...but I felt in control and could literally feel my muscles working through the soreness. I KNEW I could do it!

Day 5- Halfway Point. Really? Me? I'd made it five days and hadn't had a heart attack? Impossible. Day 5 was much like day 4 in the sense that I just felt really strong and confident in my ability to make it through. I was nervous for the weekend though. The plan was to take Saturday and Sunday off and then start back up on Monday. Being a person who had never worked out, I was unsure of what to expect with two days without the workout. Would I be setting myself back? Would I have to kill myself all over again? I was really nervous about this.

I woke up Saturday morning and found myself actually missing the workout. This is a complete change in my way of thinking! When I say complete, I mean COMPLETE. That being said, I did a Walk Away the Pounds DVD...one mile with weights. I then went to the mall with JR, Mandy and Maddie. Mandy made me promise I would let my body rest the next day and, for the first time in my life, I really had promise I wouldn't. I WANTED to exercise. I feel like this program is not only changing my body...I feel as if I've had a full blown lobotomy--and I like it!

Day 6- I was nervous to see how I'd feel after the 2 day break but was happy to see the strength I'd gained the previous week hadn't run off and left me. It was a little more difficult than day 5 but I still felt strong and able to succeed.

Day 7- Is it still working? So, it's still hard. It's still Hell...while I'm working. After that, I can feel the change in my muscles and there is a little ache but nothing like in the begining and I can't help but ask Mandy, "am I doing this right? What's up with this?" She assures me it's still working and REassures me that there are days it will still kill me and days when it will feel like I'm a pro. I'm finding great peace in that knowledge. Even people who've been doing this for years feel like it's hell sometimes. I'm feeling like maybe I can do this...for a lifetime.

Day 8- Dejavu. It was Day 3 all over again, minus the crying. I didn't rest well and just felt all around achy and draggy as soon as I crawled out of the bed...late. Now, the old Lisa took every possible opportunity to cancel some exercise. "Oh, I overslept, I'll do it tonight..." and then figure out a reason why I couldn't do it once I got home. This new "who the heck are you?" Lisa said "you can squeeze 20 minutes in here and still make it to work barely late...DO IT!" Huh? I couldn't help but keep asking myself that as I laced up my shox. You know what, though, I'm loving this new me. That same morning, as I was hopping down and back up the steps at my apartment (the same ones that used to leave me breathless, with aching knees) to get to my car, I thought to myself "my body is amazing. You are doing amazing things for yourself" and at that very moment I realized that for the first time in 35 years I loved myself. I loved my body and the things it allowed me to do even after so many years of abuse, neglect, and self loathing. I love and respect my body. Even this very moment, as I say that aloud, it brings tears to my eyes. I truly never thought I'd say those words.

Day 9- Are you kidding me? Tomorrow is Day 10! Day 9 felt much like Day 4...I was elated to feel rejuvinated and strong after such a hard day just 24 hours before. The soreness wasn't as intense and my stamina was shocking. I'm down to a very minimal number of "i hate you Jillian's" at this point. :)

Day 10- Elation, Shock, Pride and Fear. I made it. I'll say it again, I MADE IT! This, never worked out before, scared I'd literally die if I pushed myself this hard, girl made it! I've never been so proud of myself. I am shocked. This is me...and Jillian Michaels...and she didn't break me. It was another rough night in the rest department and I woke up late, again...but there was no way I was putting off day 10. This particular 20 minutes was a hard one for me. I had to struggle to maintain my balance and the push ups were extremely hard for me this day...as was the cardio. Another day of feeling like a weighed a ton...but I pushed through and it feels better than anything else I've ever experienced. I never thought I'd be able to do this and I am so proud of who I am becoming!! And I'm scared. Level 2 starts Monday and I know this means a whole new set of things I've never asked my body to do. Will it work with me? Will I be strong enough? Those questions are constantly running through my head right now. The old me might bail...but this is the new me and I will not quit. Somehow, someway, I'm gonna make it through level 2, just like I made it through level 1...twenty minutes at a time.

Good gracious this is longer than I hoped it would be. Level 2's blog will not be so long, hopefully, because there will be no need for the introduction, etc.

I want to say one more thing before I go. I didn't take measurements before I started the Shred but I wish I had. My clothes are obvious signs that it's working and I just had to share that, this weekend, I had to get some new jeans. I started at a 26 and am now, ecstatic to share, that I'm wearing an 18. I had a pair of jeans prior to this workout that were fitting better and better each week but there was still just a little too much flab here and there to feel really comfortable in them. Last week, after just 5 days of the Shred, I put those jeans on and wore them confidently for the first time. 5 days and I already had a drastic change. My heart is soaring. I'm including a before and after pic here. This is the first time I'd looked at a before and after side by side and I'm blown away. I cannot believe how much I've changed in 52 lbs. I can't wait to see what I look like after another 50.
Thanks to Mandy, again, for all your never ending support, encouragement, knowledge, and unconditional love...and for asking me to share. Thanks, again, to y'all for sticking with my wordy self and caring enough to hear my story! For those of you who are just starting this journey, I know it's scary. It's the most frightening thing you'll ever do to take that first step and try...but you CAN do it. Trust your body and push...it will carry you through. And in that moment where it feels like you have nothing left...look to Heaven, He will show up and you will go further than you ever imagined you could! I'm proof...and I believe in you!

Off to bed for an early start to Level 2...pray for me! :)


Hey y'all! Mandy again! Isn't she amazing? Thanks for reading!

Thanks Lisa!!!

Have a great Tuesday!

the pictureless blog....

Okay, maybe that's kind of a lie... there's at least two pictures at the end :)

How's your weekend going so far?

Yeah, so I didn't take a picture of one single thing I had to eat yesterday or today so far! BAD blogger, Mandy! Breakfast & lunch were repeats of Pumpkin Pancakes and Mellow Mushroom pizza leftovers... and dinner was out at Panera with JR & Maddie, where I had the incredibly yummy Chicken Strawberry Poppyseed salad and a multi grain baguette.I think it said on their menu that this salad is only out for another three weeks... so I am sure I'll be back to have it once more before then! The only other thing I had to eat was a larabar for a snack!

JR took Maddie home to get her to bed... and I stayed out and went to TJ Maxx and New York & Company to look for a dress to wear to my brother's wedding in a couple of weeks. Being honest - this was not a great experience :( I've discussed my weight gain recently on the blog... and have really tried not to let it get to me. I have felt like I've been trying hard with my food and with my work outs - not to try to lose all the weight I've gained... but enough to feel comfortable with myself again. I was staying away from the scale...but finally gave in and weighed last week. It had been almost two weeks... surely I had to lose SOMETHING, right??

Wrong.

Not only did I not lose anything - I went up two pounds.

Again, I've tried not letting it get to me... but last night, it all hit hard. I had a mini breakdown in the dressing room. I couldn't believe how many sizes I had to go up.. and how things that would normally look good on me, I couldn't even begin to wear in public.

I feel pretty defeated... I left the stores empty handed and broken-hearted.

I headed home and tried to unwind and relax a bit. I had two big glasses of wine... which hey, after a night like that, I deserved it! It definitely did the trick... I hung out with my honey and had a great rest of the night.

I do have to go find a dress still... I may wait until next weekend. I'm hoping to have a better experience!

As for today, I've been quite spoiled. I got to sleep in till 10 am!!!!! Whew! I haven't done that in a LONG time! It was great... woke up and didn't have much of an appetite. I had one small square of the coffee cake around 11 and about 30 minutes later - I had a turkey club sandwich (Trader Joe's turkey bacon, TJ's sliced turkey, 1 slice low fat swiss, Sabra's hummus, spinach, tomato on Publix Multi grain bread)....

JR and Maddie laid down for a nap, and I had to talk myself into working out. I did of course, Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred. I REALLY struggled through it today. I had no energy in the first circuit at ALL. I almost stopped it there and called it day... but made a deal with myself that if I kept going, I would just do what I could... even if that meant all the beginner options or just walking in place. I got a bit of a second wind in the 3rd circuit... and even wanted to do some extra cardio after I was finished. I put on a Firm dvd - Cardio Sculpt Blaster... some step and floor aerobics with light hand weights... I used some portions with a 6 inch step and some with an 8 inch step. I felt much better after I finished... and burned 505 calories.

RIGHT after, I made a smoothie...same as earlier this week... 1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, protein powder, 1/2 tbsp almond butter, 1 frozen banana... good stuff :)

Dinner was easy.... the hubby grilled some steak, I fixed up some salads and some leftover steamed veggies with sweet potatoes.

I'm sure there will be dessert.... JR is trying to talk me into Dairy Queen - SHAME! I'm hoping I don't give in!!! :)

We are just hanging around this weekend... being lazy!! What do you guys have going on?

Hello!

Where to start?? Ah yes... finishing up Wednesday!

I didn't need an afternoon snack... and Maddie was ready for dinner pretty quickly after she woke up around 5... so I thought we'd have an early dinner and some kind of dessert later. I decided to make a bbq chicken salad. I basically threw together some leftover chicken with my new Annie's smokey maple bbq sauce (LOVE it!), kidney & pinto beans, corn, tomato, red onion, carrots, spinach and some mixed greens, topped it all off with some cheddar cheese... had some blue corn chips and hummus on the side!


And then I got busy in the kitchen... I pre-made our favorite lasagna for JR's parents so that all they had to do was pop it in the oven for an hour. This is a seriously good lasagna, folks! It's quite a bit of work... but SO worth it in the end!! Then I the chocolate coffee cake (which oddly enough has no coffee in it whatsoever) but that wasn't ready in time to head to their place. I have to say I'm happy it stayed here... haha kind of ;) As busy as I was, I never got hungry again... so no dessert or any other snacks last night!

I got to bed around midnight... and woke up again around 3 am... never got back to sleep again until 4:30.. I HATE that! I woke up at 8 to start the day. I stayed home one last day with Maddie so JR's parents could get things situated with hospice for his grandmother.

I was craving the pumpkin pancakes I had yesterday... sorry for the repeat! I didn't take a new picture... since I had on yesterdays post!

Snack was part of the coffee cake I mentioned earlier... guys, I'm not kidding.. this is SO good!!!!!!! Maddie loves it so much she has had 3 pieces today! This child is picky... so you know it's good when she is STILL asking for more! Knowing the awesome ingredients in this recipe, I was happy she was asking for more :)

I actually cut it into 20 little pieces... in an 8X8 pan! I had this small square and half of another after lunch that I shared with Maddie. Sorry it's SO blurry... I took about six different shots and it would NOT focus!

For lunch, I toasted up a flat out wrap filled with ground turkey w/ mexican seasoning, green peppers, tomato, cheddar cheese, hummus and onions... a side of pinto beans and corn and my last nectarine. Good stuff :)

Maddie and I then popped in the video of JR and I getting married! She had not seen this yet and it was fun talking to her about everyone in the video. We had a blast when it got to the reception part of the video... we did the (dreaded) chicken dance and the hokey pokey... haha...

Maddie then wanted to serenade the puppies... she got out her drum and made up a song for each of the dogs :)
After that, it was nap time for maddie and shredding time for mommy! Day 4, Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred. I was really craving some extra upper body work after... so I pulled out The Firm's Jiggle Free Arms and did some heavy lifting along with some step aerobics. I burned 488 calories between the two vidoes.

After I finished, I made a very chocolately protein shake for my post workout snackage! This had 1 cup unsweetned chocolate almond milk, 1 tbsp dark chocolate cocoa powder, 1 frozen banana, 1/2 tbsp almond butter, protein powder and some ice... again, sorry for the blurry picture!
We met some friends out for dinner tonight and Maddie requested Mellow Mushroom... we don't usually go there so close together as we did the past week... but I'll never argue if someone suggests it! I don't have any pictures... but tonight, JR and I got our own small 10 inch pizzas...Mine had grilled chicken, spinach, fresh basil and roma tomatoes. I had maybe 1 1/2 slices (there are 4)... but before that, I had some appetizers... one bruchetta and two small pieces of whole wheat garlic bread... plus about 3/4 of the salad that came with Maddie's pizza that she didn't eat. So yeah, I had plenty before the pizza even arrived! I was proud I didn't make myself stuff down the other 1/2 of that slice! I feel satisfied... not stuffed! NEVER happens with mellow mushroom!

I came home and soaked my muscles in a warm bath... My upper body is already seriously sore from my work out today! Although I have liked doing the Shred... I miss my heavier lifting! Things I would normally use 15 lbs for, I couldn't use more than 10-12 lbs today. So I am going to try working this in more for the next two weeks along with shredding!

I honestly could work my upper body every day of the week if it was safe :) I LOVE upper body work! Especially working my biceps :) I think hammer curls are my favorite bicep exercise!

What about you?? What is your favorite exercise for the upper body? Or do you have a favorite upper body routine or video?

Night all!

Day of rest....

Today is my day "rest day" from working out... and rest is exactly what I did! I don't know that I have really moved much other than playing some with Maddie... doing a bit of her what she calls her "exercise movie" with her... and going to the grocery store! I have been so lazy!

Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers for JR's grandmother. They tried to stop the bleeding... but were not able to. They also found out that her liver has completely stopped working. So now it's just a matter of keeping her comfortable... she will be home under hospice care tonight. JR's Uncle's flew in this morning and his Aunt lives here... so please say a prayer for his dad and family!

I went to the grocery store to get stuff to make a couple of meals for JR's parents. Hopefully this will give them one or two meals they don't have to worry about! For some grab 'n go breakfast options, I am making some blueberry muffins and maybe a coffee cake. Then for dinner, I am making them our favorite lasagna. My in-laws are always there for us... so I hope this will take a little bit of pressure off of them!

Rewinding back to dessert last night... No picture... but I made some chocolate banana soft serve!! YUM!! Just took my frozen bananas and added 1 tbsp dark cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp cinnamon... good stuff!!!

So I have to share how proud I am of my hubby... he has actually done the 30 Day Shred on his OWN... without me nudging or anything the past two days! Wha??? Who is this man??? Maddie decided to join him last night... and I had to share with you what she used as her "weights"...

Yes, that would be a pair of SOCKS... haha!

Another workout shot of Maddie doin' the shred...
Gotta love it :) Jillian would be proud!

After dinner, Maddie and JR had a jam session in the living room.... Maddie was sure to grab her barbie guitar!
Video to come later! :)

As for today, I stayed home again with Maddie... it's been pretty low key here!!

Breakfast was pumpkin pancakes... Just took my usual oat bran recipe... this time, I had 1/4 cup oatmeal and 1/4 cup oat bran... and added in 1/3 cup pumpkin and some pumpkin pie spice... kept everything else the same :) Topped them with some Mighty Maple and some TJ's almond butter!

I had a small amount of my new Trader Joe's trail mix mid-morning to snack on... and then this yummy sandwich and a nectarine for lunch...
Not really sure of a snack just yet... or dinner at this point!

Before I go... I have to share with you the other "kiddos" in the house. I feel like such a bad mama! I haven't even mentioned them yet!!

Meet Lady and Scooter...


Scooter is part Jack Russell Terrier and Italian Greyhound... he's everyone's best friend :)


And there's Lady... she is all diva ;) She's part long haired chiuiua and miniature pincher

Do you have any pets? I can't imagine my life without ours!

Time to finally get moving! have a good night everyone!

Two days, One heck of a long post!

So did everyone make it through Monday?? It was kind of a tough one for me... thankfully it's over and we're one day closer to the weekend :)

I absolutely did NOT want to get up to work out yesterday! I did anyway - after the hubby actually nudging me a few times... which is usually the other way around! We did Level 2 of the 30 day shred... I used 3, 5 & 8 lb weights throughout the video... I burned 200 calories Let me tell you - my.ass.hurts!!!! Holy cow!! I am sore!! I think the yoga on Sunday very much contributed to that, too. Bob's Yoga is not for wimps!

Yowza ;)

A quick food recap for Monday...

Breakfast -I tried to make an almond butter french toast type sandwich... with Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin bread... it was a great idea - but the bread seemed to break easily! I want to try this again with a sturdier bread - which you would think the Ezekiel bread would be... but not so much!

My mid-morning snack was a homemade trail mix... some Kashi Honey Sunshine and Kashi Heart to Heart cereal with almonds, cashews, dark chocolate chips and golden raisins... I had already had about half this bag when I remembered to snap a pic!

Lunch is somehow without a picture... I swear I took one! Just a simple turkey burger in a wrap with mozzarella cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion... with leftover veggies from dinner last night.

No pic of my next snack either.... Maddie and I ran over to Target and she wanted a juice from starbucks... it was SO hot out and I couldn't resist getting a tall light frappuccino!!

By the time we finished up at Target and the grocery store... it was 7:30!! I came home and threw this together for dinner... and downed it two times faster than it took to make!!
Tuna mixed with smart balance mayo, mixed greens, onion, tomato and arnolds thins with some sabra's hummus!

That's about the most excitement that went on for me on Monday!

As for today, it has been a little crazy! I woke up to my alarm but my body would NOT give in today! So I decided to let myself sleep in... I was supposed to go to a Zumba class with our best friend Lisa... but unfortunately that didn't happen :( Anyway - I got up, got ready for work... made some seriously quick eats on my way out of an Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin english muffin with 1 tbsp of PB on each side, a banana... and I stopped at Starbucks... Yes - AGAIN. Seriously - I did not realize that was 3 days in a row! I'm cut off for the rest of the week!!! Yeesh! Anyway, I got a non fat cinnamon dolce latte...

In my morning madness, I walked out without a thing for lunch... and was hoping to find a good wrap at Trader Joe's... which I did not find what I was looking for! :( Didn't matter - I got a phone call from Jr's dad asking me to come get Maddie (my in-laws are awesome - they watch Maddie for us while we work!) ... JR's grandmother has been in a nursing home for recovery from surgeries earlier this month... and they discovered today that she has some internal bleeding going on! :( Very scary stuff! So, I went over and got Maddie...

I was SO hungry on my way to get Maddie, I grabbed a couple of handfuls of this new mix I picked up at Trader Joe's today...

We headed home and at this point, it was 1:30 and I was beyond starving! I scarfed down lunch before even realizing I needed a picture! A La Tortilla wrap with probably about 2 tbsp hummus, grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion and a slice of swiss... with just a couple of blue corn chips on the side for some crunch...

I put Maddie down for her nap (oh how I love nap time!) and got my work out on big time! I did Level 2 of 30 Day Shred (of course) and then did a Firm video... quite an older one - we're talkin' leotards and tights era ;) It's called Super Cardio Mix... lots of step work, 4-limb work, and plyometrics... and then I ended with lots of yoga type stretching. I got 626 calories burned today! Which made up for Zumba not being able to happen... this is about what I burn in a Zumba class!

I went right off to make a smoothie for a snack that I took about five sips of and threw out... not a good combo! I was going to have something else but realized it was too close to dinner and that could leave me some room to have some dessert tonight instead!

So dinner... made some meatloaf muffins with my new bbq sauce as the topping (and some with ketchup for JR, of course!)... leftover mashed sweet potatoes, corn that I shared with Maddie, squash and zucchini and a couple of carrots...

Not sure what we'll end up doing for dessert... but will be back to post that tomorrow :)

Please say a prayer for JR's grandmother! Last I had heard a few hours back, she was still being worked on in the ER...

Off to finish dinner and catch up on blogs... night!

Guys - editing this to add - please keep Jen in your prayers... I know we had a lot of doggie losses this weekend... Jen also lost her mom unexpectedly...you can read about it here....

Dessert Guilt? And Make Up Monday!

Here we go... Monday again! :)

To finish up Sunday... I DID thankfully talk myself into working out after my last post. That's the MAIN reason I hate not working out first thing in the morning. It can be hard to get that motivation in later in the day! On the weekends, though... I really try to give myself one day to sleep in - if getting up at 7:30 or 8:00 am is really sleeping in! haha!

I did Day 1, Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred...oh.my.gosh!!!!! I was drenched in sweat! I used 3, 5 & 8 lbs throughout the work out... and was seriously still catching my breath after the cool down! I was determined to get some yoga in, too. I haven't done any type of yoga since my last workshop class in the middle of July! I have been craving it! So I stuck with the Biggest Loser theme and popped in Bob's Weight Loss Yoga DVD. I had to wait about ten minutes to get the feeling back in my body after Jillian's work out... yowza! I burned 350 calories between the two workouts...

I was beyond starving after yoga... but could not figure out what I wanted! I started with a couple of tablespoons of this trail mix from Trader Joe's....Then realized I was really wanting an apple... so I got this baby out and sprinkled some cinnamon all over it... okay yeah, weird... but oh so good!!! I am obsessed with Braeburn apples!!Love 'em!

For dinner we used our new Annie's bbq sauce that I won from Danica and grilled it up on some chicken... I sauteed some squash, asparagus, green beans and carrots in a little olive oil and sprinkled with some shredded asiago cheese... also had some mashed sweet potatoes on the side - the sweet potatoes rocked, if I do say so myself! :) And got rave reviews from the husband... which is a big deal ;)

I tried to cut myself off after that... but was REALLY wanting dessert!!! I finally settled on a vitamuffin with some PB&Co's Mighty Maple and PB&Co's Dark Chocolate Dreams...
Do you guys ever feel guilty about having dessert? I really tried not to because I wanted it... but it still bothers me that I "gave in"... I know I should not worry about this in the long run... but I let stuff like this get to me too easily!


Now onto a quick Make Up Monday!

How many times have you had this happen to you? You put your eye make up on before going to work or going out with friends, family, etc.... and by lunch time or a few hours into your event it has either creased, faded or completely come off? That would REALLY upset me! I started searching around and found these great primers to put on before applying your eye shadow!

Since using the primers, I hardly EVER have to retouch my eye shadow! No creasing, fading, etc!

I wanted to take some pictures showing you the difference primers make but I haven't had the chance as of yet... will definitely need to do it with lots of natural light... I will do it as soon as I can this week!

Here are a few of the primers I have heard of... I put the description the company has for them and any additional notes I have after :)

MAC Paint Pots - Description: A highly pigmented eye colour that goes on creamy but dries to an intense, vibrant finish. Long-wearing, colourfast. Creates seamless coverage without weight or caking. Blends smoothly over the lids. Cream-based, can be mixed with M·A·C shadows and liners.

Mandy's take: Paint Pots are GREAT! They have a ton of different colored paint pots that can be used to help your eye shadows "pop". I use the black paint pot to use underneath teals or purples... and it REALLY intensifies the colors!! They're amazing! You can find them on MAC's website or any MAC store close to you!

Urban Decay Primer Potion - Description: The genie in this bottle fulfills three wishes: eyeshadow that lasts, more vibrant and lasting color, and absolutely NO creasing. Apply Primer Potion to lids before shadow application. It dries down almost instantly (and invisibly), creating smooth lids that are super powered eyeshadow magnets.
Mandy's take: I LOVE this primer! It completely brings out the true pigmented color of the shadow you're using and last all day long! My #1 recommendation! You can find this at Sephora or on Urban Decay's website. I believe it's around $16!

MAC Creme Color Base - Description: Versatile and multi-purpose, Cream Colour Base can be applied directly to bare skin, or layered over foundation, moisturizer, or powder. Apply with a brush, sponge, or fingers. Colour effects range from a light veil to highly dramatic, depending on method of application

Mandy's Take: I do love the creme color base! But I actually like it more as a highlighter on my cheeks rather than for an eye primer. I use them for primers when I am using a pigment shadow or a loose shadow. These types of shadow need something that's a bit more sticky to really grab on to... and the creme color bases are perfect for that! Also, if you do use them... use a more matte primer underneath, like the Urban Decay primer. The creme base does tend to crease or get oily... using another primer underneath will keep this from happening!

Too Faced Shadow Insurance - Description: This is your full-coverage insurance policy against all fading, creasing, melting, blurring, oil slicked, and hard-to-blend eyeshadow accidents. Our silicone based eyeshadow primer transforms any eyeshadow into a perfectly blendable, color-drenched, intensified version of itself, then locks it down perfectly until you take it off. This soothing formula evens out the skintone on your lids and smoothes lines while securing a barrier between the oils of your skin and your makeup, so no shadow catastrophes will ever happen again.

Mandy's Take: This is probably my 3rd favorite primer. I can say that it is a little easier to blend the shadows with this one... but still doesn't seem to make the colors show as much as the Urban Decay primer does - for me! But definitely a good one to get!

That's all that I have tried... there are SO many out there! If you have tried any other primers, any of the ones I have mentioned, or use another technique - I'd LOVE to hear!! :)

Have a great night!

Weekend Wrap up! :)

How was everyone's weekend? Before I recap our Sunday... I'll finish up our Saturday :)

I did my last day of Level 1 of Jillian's 30 Day shred yesterday. I had planned on doing some heavy upper body work after... but as I was getting my stuff out, I saw this kit that The Firm put out last year that I got for Christmas. I haven't used it yet and thought while I had some extra time, I should give it a try. It only uses a resistance band and a weighted jump rope. The jump rope has 2 lbs weights on the handles. You can either use the DVD as a whole or they break it up into 4 segments that are 10 minutes each.
I'm not sure that I loved this work out. The "equipment" seemed a little cheap. I will say that the cardio portion is TOUGH. It's mainly jump rope... you do two minutes of jump roping - basic jumping, then adding in things like high knees, jumping on one foot, etc.. then you take a break and do plyometric moves... which is HARD after doing two minutes of straight weighted jump roping! Then I did the lower body portion, which uses the resistance band... I'm actually really feeling that today!!! The upper body and abs portion are just okay. I'd pull this out for a very quick cardio boost and lower body add on... but not sure I'd use the upper body/ab parts! All in all, I burned 450 calories...

Yesterday after my post, our best friend Lisa joined us and we headed off to the mall. We grabbed a quick Subway sandwich and baked chips for lunch. Miss Maddie begged to ride the carousel...haha... this is the best shot!!
I did have 1 1/2 pretzel cinnamon stix from Auntie Anne's... yum :) Then went off to the Nike Outlet and picked up my new shoes that I am SO, SO excited about! Of course, had to have some pink on them :) How cute are they?!?!?!
Maddie decided she wanted to try them out, too... haha... I could have told her she had them on the wrong feet... but it was too funny!

I snacked on an apple and some trail mix last night before we had our leftover pizza from date night for dinner! Seriously too good :)

As for today, We had a leisurely day... Okay, I had a lazy day... JR did yard work, vacuumed out our cars... and then Maddie and I helped him wash our cars...
I kind of sat around, caught up on some blogs and did a bunch of nothing! I did plan out some meals for the week... I don't have "set" plans but at least have some options, which is a huge leap for me!

We got up and headed straight out to grab the Sunday paper and some Starbucks... I came home and really wasn't very hungry... I didn't have any cravings, so pulled this out for breakfast...
I ended up not wanting the banana... so just had a small amount of PB on the half blueberry bagel and my latte!

I went through our freezer to see what we have for upcoming meals this week... and realized we had quite a few different loaves of bread taking up all of our space! I thought I should have a sandwich for lunch to start using some of it up... I pulled out a couple of slices of this (sorry it's a bit blurry)...I had this with some turkey, Sabra's classic hummus (OBESSED with Sabra's hummus!), lettuce, tomato, Whole Foods honey mustard, Havarti Cheese... a few Sun Chips and some fruit on the side... Good lunch!

I am now 0ff to do Day 1 of Level 2 on the 30 day shred... lord help me get through it! I'm exhausted and wanting to take a nap more than anything else!

Anyone have anything exciting going on this week?

Have a great rest of the weekend!

Thank you!!! Long post... please hang in there with me!

Hello!

Thank you all for your awesome responses on my last post. I was a little ashamed to say anything and almost decided not to... but I absolutely want this blog to show the true struggles of weight loss/maintenance and thought not only could it be helpful for me... but maybe it will help someone else who's struggling, too!

It's weird to say... but growing up overweight, I some how knew that I would lose the weight, exercise... and be the healthy person that was waiting inside! I hoped to be a great example for my family and that they would be proud of me for doing this for myself.

But as a teenager, my main goal was to be "skinny"!! High school wasn't so great for me - I was teased constantly! All I wanted to do was to be pretty and "skinny" so they'd leave me alone! and that would be "it", ya know? All of my problems would be solved and life would be peachy-keen!

WRONG!

There are so many aspects to weight loss and then weight maintenance! I had no idea of the emotional impact that would come along with it. There was transitioning from the big girl to the skinny girl, the loose skin that came with major weight loss that will never firm up and be there unless I have surgery, thinking if I had a cookie or something I was really craving I was being "bad" and therefore, ended up eating everything in sight after, etc, etc... I'm not gonna lie, it was/is a tough road! I have learned A LOT over the past ten years of my journey and in a way, I'm thankful for every step I had to take. It's an every day commitment...

Here's a couple of pics of me... close to my heaviest point...right after high school
All of that to say, I know there are set backs and this probably won't be the last! I'm not perfect - I never will be and life shouldn't have to be that way!

I got an email from one of my favorite bloggers that was awesome and totally made my morning! In it she said this, "Hating yourself is not productive; doing something about it is"... That was the main thing I learned from my "journey". The harder I am on myself - the worse shape I'm in... it's emotionally and physically draining! I struggle with this the most... and sometimes feel SO lost on how to change it. What do you do to turn the negative tapes off? I try to... and then they creep RIGHT back in!

So, as for this "plan" I referred to...there really isn't one! I don't think that being completely restrictive on myself is going to help things along. That usually ends up backfiring and making it worse. I'm trying to be really simple with my food...not worrying about making elaborate meals, just stuff that's easy to put together... whatever sounds good at the time! I am trying to cut back on sugar, though. When my eating was out of control... I was having two desserts a day... cookies in the afternoon, big bowls of ice cream at night. Not small, portioned desserts... and all I was craving was sugar and starches... so for me, if I really want something, I'll have it... but other than that, trying to stay away from it is the best choice for me right now! I usually have desserts on the weekend... so i have that to look forward to :)

On the work out front, I have decided to finally use Jillian's 30 Day Shred as it is intended. I have used it here and there and threw in whatever level sounded good... and when I took my 2 week work out hiatus, I thought a good challenge would get me started again. My husband has not had a great work out schedule since March... AND I knew this would be a great opportunity for our best friend, Lisa - who has lost 50 pounds and is doing AMAZING... to start a new challenge of her own! In fact, she will be doing some guest blogging on her Shred experience! :)

Here's gorgeous Lisa...
Here is Lisa, our friend Liz and me (Mandy)

Along with Shredding, I will be adding in some extra strength training - I love lifting heavier weight way too much to stop for 30 days... and also some extra cardio!

Today was a rest day... will be up tomorrow for Day 5 of Level 1 and some Upper Body work!

Sorry for this monster post! I hope it made SOME sense!

Last thing... Megan is having a great Chobani yogurt giveaway! I'd love to win this myself... so don't go check it out... haha :)

Just for laughs... I will leave you with a picture of our "first born child"... Pepe Le Pew... he has this thing with laying in my flip flops... I finally caught a couple of pictures of it :)


Okay... I'm out of here for the night! Thank you to anyone who could stick through all of that :)