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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Finally....

I have a personal trainer. Yay! Wendy is a 52 year old lady (that looks 30 something), who’s very passionate about her job. I was referred to her by a co-worker who has lost weight and looks amazing after training with her. Her 3 principles for successful weight loss are determination, discipline and consistency. She believes that eating right and exercising go hand in hand, neither is more important than the other.  There is a 7 day detox period where no meats or sugar is allowed. I know that I can overcome this sugar addiction, because I did it with Atkins earlier this year.

She totally won me over after she told me that she could help me get rid of my mommy tummy (post c-section belly). She said that I have the right frame; I just need to bring it in. I am too stoked! As for my schedule, I will be working out with her on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. I am going to work out at least once a week from home. Ideally, I would like to do 2 workouts on this day since it's the only day I will work out at home.

My short-term goal is to lose 20 pounds before the year is out and my long-term goal is to have all of this excess weight off by summer 2013. I think I'm finally on the right track. :)

Monday, August 6, 2012

Smoothies....My New Love



I love smoothies! I never thought I’d be able to say that. Now, I dislike the smoothies with the milkshake texture, but I love the ones with the slushy texture. The key to getting the slushy texture is to use more ice.

I have wanted to try the at-home smoothies for quite some time. So on Monday I decided to give them try. I've had some frozen canned Chiquita smoothies in my freezer for the longest time, so that's what I used. These things have been in the freezer so long that I hope they're not discontinued. Anywho, I tried Peach Mango and added some kale and unsweetened pineapple juice. They were so delish! I was able to get 3 servings from the one can. I have one can remaining and it's the Berry Blend flavor. When I blend my last can, I think I will add spinach to the mix as well.

I have emailed the company asking if it's discontinued or not. I'm still waiting on a response. I have the Jamba Juice smoothie packs in the freezer that I am going to try as well.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Just Going with the Flow

It's been a looong time since I've blogged, so here's an update...

I went on a family vacay last month with my mom, stepdad, 2 sisters, brother-in-law, nieces and nephew, my husband and our kids. We had a great time. When my sis (the one with the kids) and I were growing up, my mom made it a MUST that she take us somewhere during our summer vacation. I plan to start this tradition with my family as well. Pics coming....

I'm back to working out on a regular basis. I even plan on trying a session with a personal trainer. If all goes well, I will purchase more sessions.

My knee has been giving me some slight pain since vacay. I tried the 20 min Turbo Jam and it put too much pressure on my knee, so I've been doing low-impact exercises via the YMCA, dvds and my treadmill so that I won't put too much stress on it. Last time my knee was inflamed, my PCP prescribed Naproxen. I hate taking the Naproxen regularly, so I am hoping that I can discuss this with the trainer next week to see how/if I can rehab it.

I had my annual "Well Woman's Checkup" last month and to my surprise, I haven't gained any pounds. Although, I've maintained, that's not good when you have a lot to lose. I am aiming to lose 30-50 pounds before the NEW YEAR.

I've been kinda, sorta low-carbing it, but not really. My primary focus is to get at least 3-5 servings of fruit and veggies in daily. I have found that I can knock out a couple of those servings with smoothies. More on those smoothies later...

My baby boy is 16 months old, busy and into everydamnthing within reach. He's gonna whip me into shape if the trainer doesn't, for sure!

Today, my sis (my workout buddy) and I will be taking our "BEFORE" pictures and measurements to share once we reach goal. She started the Turbo Fire Hybrid this week. Go Britt!

In a nutshell, that is what's up with me!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

No Scales Allowed



Scales are no longer welcome in my home!  I am so OVER it.  After I started over in Induction, I was 100% committed to Atkins. When I didn’t see any pounds come off, I was discouraged.  I was so discouraged that I let a few bad habits creep back into my life.  Up until yesterday, I hadn’t exercised in a minute (was having knee issues). 
I went to the doctor last week to check up on my knee and come to find out, I had inflammation surrounding it.  Years ago I had a similar issue…..She reminded me of her findings from that time; the cartilage around my knee was thinning.  She told me that I shouldn’t ever do squats.  Disappointing because I want/need to do some sort of exercises for my bootay.  Anywho, I was happy it wasn’t arthritis.  I will just have to find other exercises to work that area.  For now, she prescribed 550MG of Naproxen and I can only use the recumbent bike when I go to the gym for the next 30 days.  BooORrrrING…But I’m willing to do what I MUST to lose this weight because that is a contributing factor.  
Yesterday was my first day back at the gym and it wasn’t SO BAD, just a little boring.  I think I will use this time to start focusing on my upper body and weight lifting so I can make good use of my time and membership. 

Friday, April 13, 2012

All About Bryson

Cool shopping day with mommy



1st Birthday



He'd go shoeless if I let him


Sleeping peacefully


My sweetie on Easter


Helping me with my pedi


I'm eating, get that camera outta here!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Starting Over w/Atkins - Induction Day 3

I HAD to start over. As far as eating goes, March was a horrible month for me. My son's 1st birthday was March 24th and my birthday was April 2nd. Not to mention, Easter....So you can imagine the amount of sweets that were floating through my home. Surprisingly enough, I'm only up 2 pounds for the month of March; thank goodness!

I'm trying new recipes because I find that eating the same things over and over again the same way, gets boring. For example, last night I made a single-serve pizza with sausage in place of the dough. It was really good, next time I want to use more veggies. I'd also like to try the low-carb version of chicken parmesan and fried chicken tenders with egg batter.



Anywho, I'm on day 3 and still haven't cheated. Go me for being 100% dedicated!

Friday, March 2, 2012

Low-Carb Meals

Grilled chicken salad



Salad w/steak


Spinach omelette with 2 sausage patties




Sugar-free peach jello w/sliced strawberries



Rotisserie chicken and spinach



Breakfast casserole w/eggs, spinach, cheese and bacon



Chicken Quesedillas


the tortilla shells contain 5g carbs (pardon my chipped polish... LOL)



Shrimp scampi with broccoli and cauliflower



Wednesday, February 15, 2012

We Fall Down...

I’ve been a bad girl.... Last week I only exercised once and didn't quite eat the Atkins way. To make matters worse, yesterday was Love Day, so I HAD to eat chocolate, right? Am I upset about the lack of effort? Nope! In the past when I've gotten off track, it was hard to get back on because I would be so disappointed in myself. I now believe that when I don't quite do what I should, it's ok.....Not because I wanted the junk food more than I wanted to lose weight, but because I have a made up mind to lose weight this time for good. Knowing that I am not perfect and will have slips ups is all part of this journey. I am chosing to learn from my mistakes and move past them, rather than make excusues and dwell on what I could've and should've done. I hope you will do the same! : )

Last night's exercise consisted of 20 min Turbo Jam and TurboFire - Fire 55 EZ Class/Stretch. I didn't make it through the entire TurboFire workout, but my sister kept me motivated to PUSH as far as I did. After our workout, I wanted to have breakfast for dinner, so I had an omelete with spinach and cheese with 2 sausage patties, followed by an apple cider vinegar, grapefruit juice cocktail. The grapefruit juice isn't Atkins approved, but because of past success with this cocktail, I want to see if I still experience weight loss in conjunction with Atkins.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Beautiful New Blog Theme!!

I'm so excited to have my new blog design! I absolutely love it. Thanks to Jen over at Just Foolin Blog Designs for her great work! I just love how inviting and vibrant the new theme is. If you're looking for a new theme, I highly recommend her.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Atkins Approved!

(Induction friendly low-carb pizza I made January 18)



I must say that I’m loving the Atkins lifestyle change! I’ve slipped up here and there, but, for the most part I stick to the plan 90% of the time. Buuut, I’m trying to get to 100%. I don’t know how much weight I’ve shed, but I do know that it’s pounds AND inches based on how my pants are all saggy in the bootay area. My weight has fluctuated so much that I’m not 100% sure of the exact amount that I’ve lost. I’ll just wait until I’m 30 days in to confirm the numbers.

I just ordered the new book “The New Atkins for a New You” from Ebay. If there was one downfall that I want to overcome, it would be finding creative ways to cook the same foods so that they don’t bore me out. Hopefully the new book will assist me in that area. Other than that, I’m alright. I started Atkins on January 3 in the Induction phase. Because I haven’t been 100% like I should, I’ve extended the Induction phase through to February 7. At that point, I will move on to Phase 2 of Atkins. It’s my wish that I have continued success with Atkins and soon, I hope to reveal a new and better me.

Have a great weekend!

Friday, January 6, 2012

2012 Plan of Action



Things to do in 2012

New blog design – I want something that’s more personable.

Clever post topics (i.e. Moody Monday) – Sometimes I have no clue what some of my topics should be; I’ve seen other bloggers use this style and me likey!

Post more consistently – Helps me to be accountable and I love writing.

Include other categories – I have a lot going on in my life besides trying to lose weight, why not share it?

Join the YMCA – They offer a wide selection of classes AND the biggest perk? They will watch your little one while you workout for free. Another incentive, my husband’s job will pay a portion of the cost. I’m so excited! Note - Joined Thursday January 5, 2012. Everyone in our household is on the plan and it’s such an affordable price.

Modify eating habits with Atkins - The jury is still out on if it helps me to lose weight. I'm still in Phase I, which is Induction. I will say that my appetite is suppressed and my cravings have decreased.

Start using apple cider vinegar again - My mom has been consuming it and having great total body results. Reminds me of the good it did me, when I would add it to my grapefruit juice.

Game.Face.ON!!







Happy New Year!


With a New Year, comes a new attitude. I’m ready to see major loss in 2012. My long-term 2012 goal is to be out of the 200’s (YIKES!) by my wedding anniversary, October 25, 2012. My short-term goal is to lose 25 pounds by my birthday, April 2, 2012. To begin, I started the Atkins diet on Tuesday, January 3. In the past, I’ve tried lowering my calories and exercising as a weight loss method, to no avail. I’m thinking that as I get older, my body isn’t very carb friendly, so that’s why I want to give Atkins a try.



For fitness, I attempted to do Turbo Fire, but quickly had to stop. I am so NOT there right now. I will continue with Turbo Jam and start taking the classes and using the equipment at the Y until I’m ready. Hopefully I can start Turbo Fire in February.