Friday, January 27, 2012

Chocolate Craving Satisfied!

One downfall of being a woman is.. well... you know.  Chocolate cravings come right along 'ol Aunt Flo.  But everything that I want is going to throw my 14.3 lbs lost right back onto my hips. I found on Pinterest today a recipe for black bean brownies.  Sounds pretty nasty, doesn't it? There's a whole can of black beans and no flour in it. Whaaaaat?! Yeah, weird.  But oh so delicious. Me and Lucas shared 3 of them.  I guess I gotta run extra hard tonight.

Each square is one serving...
 1 Can of black beans rinsed off
3 Eggs
3 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
1/4 Cup cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 Cup sugar (I used Splenda)

Put everything in the blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into a greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  I put chopped walnuts and heath bars on top of mine. Only a little bit of the candy.  These taste just like regular brownies, but without all of the guilt!  The full recipe is on All Recipes here.

Weigh-In Friday!

Good morning my lovely readers! Last night, me and Lucas had homemade fried rice for dinner.  It wasn't fried at all, so I don't really know why it is called that.  Anyways, I sauteed minced onion and ground ginger until soft.  In the same pan, cook cubes of chicken.  I also threw in fresh broccoli with the chicken and onions.  Earlier I had cooked minute rice per directions on the box and mixed in frozen peas.  Once the chicken is fully cooked and the broccoli is soft, dump the rice/pea mix into the pan.  I poured in low sodium soy sauce on everything.  I didn't measure it, but it was less than a tablespoon.  After letting it all combine and warm up, It's done!

Crappy cell phone picture
  It was so yummy, even Lucas loved it!

  Alright, down to the reason for this post.  Last week's weight was 239.0.




This week's weight is......


237.2!! 1.8lbs down since last weigh-in! I'm glad that even though I have been slacking in the working out department, my weight is headed in the correct direction!  It just proves that healthy eating alone can make weight loss possible.  Thanks for the support!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012


Gotta love Jill! I'm getting back on track.  I have jogged the past 2 nights and did ab workouts afterwards.  I WILL do this!

Monday, January 23, 2012

Off Track

I'm off track with working out. I have no reason or excuse, except that I'm lazy.  I don't want to be lazy! I want to workout! I fell off the P90X wagon.  I need to start again, but I haven't.  I have walked and jogged on my treadmill, but it doesn't feel like enough. I haven't been eating too terribly bad.  No fast food or soda still.  Lots of water.  Maybe it's the weather? Or oncoming monthly doom? Whatever it is, I need to fix it.  Maybe I'll do P90X tonight.  Probably not though.  What's wrong with me people?!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Weigh-in Friday!

So, I decided to weigh in on Fridays now.  Mostly because I thought today was Saturday again.  I guess that's what happens when everyday is exactly the same. I think I need to run more often, because my numbers didn't change a whole lot.  I'm not disappointed or discouraged, though.  Progress is progress, no matter how small.  As long as the numbers are going in the correct direction, I'm happy! So, without further adieu, week 7 (I think) weigh-in and measurements!

Last week's weight: 240.2
This week's weight... drum roll please.....
239.0!! 1.2lbs down from last week! it's no 3.4, but I'll take it! So, on to the measurements...

Last neck: 15.0 inches                                               Current neck: 15.0 inches
Last bust:  43.5 inches                                               Current bust:  43.5 inches
Last waist: 40.0 inches                                               Current waist: 39.0 inches
Last hips:   50.5 inches                                              Current hips: 49.0 inches
Last L arm: 14.0 inches                                              Current L arm: 13.25 inches
Last R arm: 14.0 inches                                             Current R arm: 13.25 inches
Last L thigh: 25.75 inches                                          Current L thigh: 24.25 inches
Last R thigh: 25.75 inches                                          Current R thigh: 24.25 inches

Like I said, not much different in the measurements department.  I just gotta work harder next week! I still feel great!  OH! and that picture I couldn't post last night.  Proof that my kid is the cutest ever!
Love him more and more every day!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Dear headache,

You stink. Please go away so i can workout without feeling like my head is going to explode. Any suggestions on how to get rid of it? This is like the 4th day in a row! Wtf!

On a better note, i have the cutest son in the whole wide world! But apparently i cant post pictures from my phone. :( have a great night!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

What's for dinner, Dessert Edition

I just had a boring salad for dinner, so I thought I'd just talk about dessert!  It was also pretty boring, but oh so good.  An apple and peanut butter! Good source of protein and fiber, and low in sugar and fat. It satisfied my sweet tooth just fine.  I also discovered Jello sugar free pudding.  Only 60 calories and 0 sugar! If anyone has any low-cal dessert recipes, feel free to share! Have a great night!

Three Years Today

I always thought I would spend my anniversaries with the man I married.  Waking up next to him, getting each other silly cards, flowers, dinner.
January 17, 2009

I never thought I'd spend it without him, without even hearing his voice.  Especially not two in a row.  But that's one of the sacrifices of being in the military, or being a military spouse.  We spend a few holidays apart, just for the freedom to spend many more together.  Doesn't mean I don't miss him like crazy!  I am very lucky to have awesome friends who understand.  My husband may have not been able to give me flowers, but my "Virginia best friend" did.  She surprised me with beautiful red roses and Chick-fil-a.


GASP! Fast food!? yeah, I know.  But everything is OK in moderation.  I'll just workout extra hard today.  I completed day 18 of P90x today and I feel great!  Tonight I'll spend some time bonding with my treadmill.  He's been a little neglected lately due to me feeling badly about Dan being gone.  Only 3 weeks left and he'll be home!  Only for him to leave a month later for 7 months! Ugh that's another post altogether.  Thanks everyone!

Monday, January 16, 2012

What's For Dinner, Morning After Edition.

Sorry I didn't post yesterday, we were busy grocery shopping and cleaning.  So NOT fun, but it can get your blood pumping if you do it right.  Try parking in the back of the lot, forcing you to walk further.  Take the "scenic route" through the store. While shopping, suck in your stomach.  It causes your ab muscles to heat up, burn calories, and tighten them! Same goes for when you're cleaning.  Instead of bending over to pick up after hurricane Lucas the kids, do squats!  Hold those ab muscles in tight while you twist while mopping.  Easy way to burn those calories AND get stuff done at the same time! 

So, after we shopped and cleaned, we had two other navy wife friends whose husbands work on the same ship as mine.  This is where what we had for dinner comes in!  I made a lighter meatloaf using ground turkey instead of ground beef, oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs, applesauce instead of an egg, and fresh herbs instead of seasoning salt.  I cook like my mom does, so I added chopped onions and red bell pepper.  I also mixed in fresh garlic and fresh rosemary.  As sides, i roasted fresh broccoli tossed in olive oil, garlic powder, and pepper. This was the only dish that had any sort of oil in it.  We also had mashed red potatoes with garlic and rosemary.  Instead of butter, I used a little Greek yogurt and 2% milk.  I think the key to this meal is that I used fresh ingredients.  That's the best way to cut calories and fat! If you want the detailed recipe, just ask.  Also, I forgot to take pictures again. My bad! 

After dinner, the four of us went the The Skinny Dip for frozen yogurt! It was delicious and nonfat!

If today is warmer than yesterday, me and Lucas might take a trip to Mt Trashmore (yes that's it's real name!) to walk/jog around the lake track.  There's an awesome playground on the other side of the "mountain" that Lucas likes to stop at.  Here's to another awesome day!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

What's For Dinner?

I think I might start posting every night, or at least most nights , about what healthy meals I had.  I'm thinking recipes and if I can figure it out, the nutritional value of it.  Tonight was an easy, quickly put together dinner.  I'm not sure of the nutritional content, but by avoiding tons of butter and using fresh ingredients, any dish can be made healthier! 

Tonight we had chicken tenderloins dipped in just egg whites, rolled in panko breadcrumbs and baked.  Next up was fresh green beans, or "bean beans" as they're called in this house, roasted with a little garlic. Lucas' favorite was the fresh sweet potato fries baked with just a touch of sea salt. So good! Best part was sharing dessert (apples dipped in honey) with my favorite little helper. Next time I'll take pictures! I hope everyone else had a delicious meal, especially one shared with someone you love!

Best.Workout.EVER.

Chasing Lucas around and having a mini dance party in his bedroom.
Carrying him and running around pretending like he is flying.
Exploring the backyard with dude and the puppy.
I wouldn't change this for anything.
<3

Saturday Weigh-in... Sorta.

I have discovered something that most women have a bad habit about. Weighing yourself every day or numerous times of day can be hazardous to your ego. Fluctuations in water weight have a big influence on the scale. For the first couple of weeks, I weighed in on Saturdays.  That was me "official" weight.  But some days in between Saturdays I'd "feel fat" or even "feel skinny" so I would weigh myself. sometimes I was pleasantly surprised. Some days I wanted to kick myself for not working out more the day before.  It took some time to realize that on Saturdays, the number on the scale was always lower than last Saturday.  It has become my favorite day of the week.  It's nice to see that I am doing something right.

Well this week has been crazy with Dan leaving for a month and Lucas is working on three teeth at once. I kind of forgot what day it was and weighed in YESTERDAY.  My bad.  I'm not going to weigh myself again today, since it most likely didn't change.

Last weeks weight was 243.6
This week's weight (done yesterday) is....

 That's a whole 3.4 lbs! For a total loss of 11.3lbs!

I would say that I'm proud of myself.  But honestly, I should never have gotten up to this weight in the first place. I can't celebrate it, because to me, I'm just doing something that needed to be done.  Celebrating this would be like celebrating taking a shower daily. I'll reward my efforts with a few extra years of life and being able to go in public without thinking everyone is staring at the fat girl. 

Anyways, I plan on posting about my weigh ins on Saturdays. So stay tuned!

Friday, January 13, 2012

You have questions, I have answers

Sooo Ive been getting asked the same questions on facebook since I started posting about all this. I figured I'll answer them here and maybe clear some things up.

- What's your secret? No secret, just good 'ol diet and exercise!  I think diet is the wrong word to use here, though.  I'm not following any crazy fad, or taking any pills.  They put nutrition facts on the box for a reason people!  Better yet, eat more things that don't come in boxes.  Fresh vegetables are your friends! They are still delicious without being drenched in cheese or butter. Also, I used to drink Dr. Pepper like it was keeping me alive! Soda has no health benefits whatsoever! I quit cold turkey and haven't had any in over 5 weeks! Water does your body good!

- How do you work out? My dear husband bought me a treadmill when I decided to turn my life around. I started off slow and walked for 30 or more minutes a day.  Now I can jog for an extended period of time. I also started P90X about 2 weeks ago. It's going well so far, but it's only for people who are willing to commit. After this, I plan on doing Insanity, also from the makers of P90X.  We'll see how this goes!
 
-Why are you doing this? I'm doing this because I'm sick of being embarrassed for other people to see pictures of me.  I'm sick of not looking good in anything I wear.  I want to run around with my son and not feel like dying.  I want to give him a sibling sometime soon.  I've been making unhealthy choices for a while, and it's time to change.  I was about 140 lbs when I joined the Navy. Over the 18 months of training, I gained 60lbs. I was 200lbs when I found out I was pregnant. Gained 45lbs over 41 weeks of pregnancy, then dropped down around 210lbs shortly after my son's birth.  My husband was deployed for 6 months and instead of getting healthy then, I ate myself to a whopping 251lbs. It's time to take control of my body!
                                          Me right after bootcamp July 2008, around 140lbs
                         Me and my wonderful Hubby on our wedding day, Jan 17, 2009. around 155lbs.
                                                12 weeks pregnant, March 2010. 200+lbs
                                   The week Dan came back for deployment, July 2011. 250lbs


-How long has it been? I started just about 5 weeks ago. In those 5 weeks, I've lost just over 11lbs and 24 inches from various parts of my body!

Thank you for the support, and maybe I can inspire someone else to change their ways!

The Beginning

***So I've been sitting on this post for a few days.  Guess I finally got the balls to post it. Please, no judgement!

I've been spamming my Facebook with all sorts of motivational quotes and updates on my weightloss journey. I'm sure there are people that wish I wouldn't, but then again they wouldn't really be my friends. But to save annoyance, I figured I could put all that here and the people who give a crap could come read about it.

So if you are reading this, thank you for giving a crap! I guess I'll start with why I'm doing this. There's many reasons, but the biggest is this: IM FAT! Now I know people are gonna say "don't say that, it's not nice". Well, my gut isn't nice; neither is my triple chin. I feel honesty is going to get me where I need to be. I always saw myself as "the fat girl" in high school. Boy was I dumb. Softball was good to me... And my ass. Now I actually AM the fat girl. But no more! I WILL get healthy and at least average in weight. So here it is, my "before" stats. A lot of you don't know these numbers, and I can't believe I'm going to put it out there. It's embarrassing that I let myself get this way, but the first step is admitting you have a problem, right???

Starting weight: 251.5 (eek!)            Goal weight: ~145 (I'll know when I get there)

Starting Neck: 16 inches                  Current Neck: 15 inches

Starting Bust:  49.5 inches                Current Bust:  43.5 inches

Starting Waist:  44.5 inches              Current Waist:  40 inches

Starting Hips:  54.5 inches                Current Hips:  50.5 inches

Starting L Arm:  15.5 inches             Current L Arm:  14 inches

Starting R Arm:  15.5 inches             Current R Arm:  14 inches

Starting L Thigh:  28.5 inches            Current L Thigh:  25.75 inches

Starting R Thigh:  28 inches               Current R Thigh:  25.75 inches

This is my handsome husband, and the only "full bod" before shot that I have. No more!!




And this is my main inspiration for living, my amazing son, Lucas.