Update, update, update!

I keep saying that I need to go back to posting everyday and yet I have not done so.  It's a lot harder than I expected to keep a daily blog.  Either way here is yet another post about my progress or lack there of or whatever.

I went off the grid again.  I cheated again.  That is why there is no picture update for October 28th.  If you look at the pictures section of my blog you will notice that October was skipped.  Yeah I was not able to avoid the candy temptation.  I caved...big time.  Well, I'm back on track and I have an announcement.

Drum roll please.

I've lost 30 pounds!  WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!! I've finally hit that 30 lb. mark.  Boom, shazam, yowzah, alright!  Ok ok ok.  I'll bring it  down a little.  The reason I'm so excited for this milestone is because for about a month I was stuck at that 29 lb. loss and then I cheated and put a couple of pounds back on.  I was so close to losing 30 lbs. but I sabotaged that.  Well after refocusing and getting serious about my healthy lifestyle again, I've finally hit that 30 lb. loss mark.  I'm pretty darn excited about that.  I'm still losing.

Now comes the test.  It's almost Christmas.  That time of year we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord.  That time of year where you get to eat all those wonderful meals and treats that you only see this time of year.  Last week we made cookies and I resisted!  I have a lot of resisting to do.  When I go home to visit my family my mother's cooking is superb.  It will be the hardest thing for me to resist the amazing wonderful food that I only get to see once a year...maybe.  The lucky thing is that I will have a lot of good options for me.  My mother and father are on the same Atkins lifestyle so I will definitely NOT starve.  Saying no to the Russian Tea Cakes, and the Anise Cookies won't be as hard.

Another exciting update has to do with my picture updates in the picture section of the blog.  I've had to change my outfit.  When I  started the picture process idea I decided to wear the same outfit in the pictures so that it would be easy for me and my readers to recognize the changes that have been taking place.  Well good news everyone!  That outfit I wore for almost 8 months is now too big.  The shirt and pants are so big such that you can't see the differences anymore because the clothes are too baggy!  Now there is a slight downfall to this.  I've changed my outfit to something that is too small so it really accents the stuff I don't like.  But all in good time and this new outfit will be too big!

Things are going really well.  I'm focused, working out (ZUMBA!!!!), and making good food choices.  I'm not that worried about Christmas at all.  My mind is in the right place. 

Recharging

I am back on track as of Monday.  I've preplanned all my meals.  I've scheduled all of my workouts.  I am ready!  Allow me to share my shopping list.  I'm pretty excited about it.  It's detailed and as you will see there is next to nothing on it in regards to junk food!  My kids eat as bad as I do.  My kids eat well when I do. 

Shopping List 11/11/12

Water (8 gallons)

2 dozen eggs

cream cheese

milk

heavy cream

cheese slices

shredded mozarella cheese

shredded cheddar cheese

shredded colby jack cheese

kielbasa

pre-cooked bacon

ham

Rotisserie Seasoning

ground beef

taco shells (not for me)

taco seasoning

taco sauce

spaghetti sauce (not for me)

spaghetti noodles (not for me)

bow tie noodles (not for me)

macaroni noodles (not for me)

parmesan cheese

italian dressing

low-carb ketchup

tomato paste

tomato sauce

chicken breast

bacon bits

little debbies (NOT FOR ME!!!)

green peppers

red peppers

onion

red onion

fresh garlic

green onions

cauliflower

How exciting is this shopping list?  The only things on there that I can't have aren't even for me.  The little debbies are for the husband's lunch and we can all admit that it is OK for that man to have a Lttle Debbie every now and again.  What do you guys think? I'm excited to go shopping and to start cooking.  I'm getting back on track and I'm hitting the ground running!  Wish me luck!

Pregnancy

Ok.  Let me start off saying that I am not currently pregnant.

Let me continue to say that I thought I was pregnant.

This past week has been a crazy roller coaster of emotions.

All week I was 98% sure I was pregnant.  I wanted to wait one more day before I took a test.  Sure enough the day I was going to take the test it turns out I'm not pregnant.  I was just a couple of days late.  I had all the symptoms though.  I'm normally very good at knowing I'm pregnant without taking a test.  I was wrong this time.

When I get pregnant or even think I'm pregnant I become very excited.  Excited for the possibilities and what's to come.  This time around though I had some nagging thoughts that also popped up.  Thoughts that I have never experienced before.  Thoughts that I am ashamed to admit that I actually had.

I had slight thoughts of disappointment and fear.  I am absolutely appalled and embarrassed to admit this.  .  I love my children, I love being pregnant, and I plan on having as many children as God sends me.  How could I possibly have any thoughts of non-excitement at the prospect of being pregnant again?

Let me explain what exactly was causing me to think these thoughts.  For the past 8 months I've been focused on myself 100%.  I've been working so hard to lose weight and to become healthy.  One of the main reasons I am doing this for myself is because I wanted to be in a much healthier state of life before I become pregnant again.  I wanted to be much closer to my goal weight.  I wanted to be so good with my food choices, that the next time I become pregnant my food choices would be a no brainer.  In the past I would eat so unhealthy when pregnant.  I wanted to have a great handle on my food problems.  I wanted to be at a much healthier weight.  I wanted to be much more active.

I'm still so far off from where I want to be before I become pregnant again.  I've lost almost 30 lbs. and I'm not done.  My stamina has gotten much better but still needs a lot of work.  My food choices have been slowly getting better although I've fallen a few times.

Because of these reasons I felt a twinge of disappointment when I had the feeling I was pregnant.  To me, this is the most horrible thing a woman could possibly feel when she might be pregnant.  Although being as healthy as I can be before I become pregnant again is a good goal to have, I feel that my reasons for disappointment are horribly selfish.  It is not fair to the child I might have been carrying.  No mother should ever feel disappointment in having a child.  I feel awful for thinking these thoughts.

Let me be clear.  I was incredibly excited at the possibility of having another child.  This excitement far outweighed any negative thoughts.  When I discovered I was in fact not pregnant, I cried.  I was very disappointed.  The fact that I had any kind of negative thoughts makes me sick.  Why am I telling the world something I'm so ashamed of?  Well because there is a lesson to be learned here.

The lesson is that I need to step up my game.  I need to get to where I need to be.  I need to up the activity.  I need to make good food choices with no more falling off the wagon.  I need become healthy.  I need to do this so that when I do become pregnant again I will be where I should be physically and mentally for the sake of my unborn child to be.  When I become pregnant again I want to be doubled over in joy.  I don't want any kind of negative thoughts in my mind.  It's time to get serious and very very focused.  It's time to get my crap together not just for myself, my husband, and my current children but also for any child I may have in the future.

Numbers

I need some motivation.  My weight loss has slowed, which is to be expected.  I've lost a little drive.  My eating choices haven't been the best recently.  As usual I need to focus.  I haven't gained any of what I've lost back which is absolutely awesome.  I'm not losing as quickly as I could be if I was working at this 110% every day all day no matter what.  So like I said I need some motivation other than the numbers on the scale.  I found that motivation.

I'm looking at different numbers.  I've lost almost 30 pounds since I've started.  AWESOME!  Guess what else...my BMI (Body Mass Index) has lowered! Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.  So let me show you the charts:

Ok so the changes aren't that great but it shows a change!  I'm losing weight and I'm definitely getting much healthier.  I think the next thing I need to start doing is to measure inches lost.  I've heard it over and over again that sometimes you lose inches when your weight hasn't changed.  I can use all the motivation I can get right?

Sugar Is My Kryptonite

Whether it be real sugar, or some kind of sweetener like Stevia or Splenda it is definitely my kryptonite.  All it takes is a small taste of any form of sugar and I become non-stop.  You know how when the Hulk gets all mad and smashes stuff?  "Hulk SMASH"...yeah I'm more like "Cec EAT!".  Ok lame analogy but I just got done watching the Avengers (which is an awesome movie by the way).  I've mentioned this so many times before.  I've known it for a while.  I cannot eat any kind of sugar.  I can't even do diet drinks.  It causes me to crave all kinds of sugary AND salty foods like nothing else.  It really is my biggest weakness.

I need a plan.  I think I need to stop eating every form of sugar.  Splenda is no different to me.  It also causes me to crave.  I will continue to eat my vegetables.  Those natural forms of sugar found in veggies do not cause me to crave.  It's the diet drinks, the sugar free jello or candy, any thing like that that causes me to stray.  I need to get rid of all of it.

I've decided to try the reward system.  If I can go a whole week without any kind of sugar, I get 1 song from I-tunes.  If I can go a whole month without any kind of sugar I'm going to get my hair done (my greys are starting to show again). I think this is a perfect time to try the reward system.

The youtube video below is the songs I want from I-tunes.  It's by a Christian Rock band called "Press Play".   I absolutely love it!  So here's to no more sugar!

Wish me luck!

Recap.

Last night I went to bed a little bit after 1am.  I rushed home after work and did all my pre-bedtime stuff as fast as I could because I had a goal.  I wanted to wake up to go to Zumba at 5:30 in the morning.  Yes, you heard it...5:30 AM!  Crazy right?  Well believe it or not I managed to actually get my bum out of bed and went to class.  It was a good class.  It was hard of course, but really good.  I had a lot of fun.  I'm just not used to moving that fast that early in the morning, haha!  I decided to go to this class because I'm really trying to get to at least 3 classes a week and these are the times that I can make it.

After class I was talking to my instructor Tricia about my journey.  She's also noticing the changes that I have been having.  It's pretty awesome that people are starting to notice.  During out conversation it came up what I'm doing differently this time around.  This is the longest I have EVER stuck to any kind of diet, workout, healthy regime, etc.  So I just wanted to share with everyone again what it is that is working this time.  I know I've cheated a few times but I have always gotten back on track.  It's not like every other time.  I would work at it, lose a little, then go back to what I was doing that caused me to gain the weight in the first place.  Well, here's what's different this time and what is working for me:

1.  Don't Set Big Goals

• In the past I always set these weight loss goals that would never happen.  I would always think I need to lose this much by this day, or I need to lose this much every week.  I always lose a decent amount pretty quickly at first.  I then think that I can lose as quickly every week so when I do the math I would think I could lose this rather unrealistic amount in a short amount of time.  Of course that wasn't the case.  I wouldn't reach the goals that I set and would get discouraged and give up.  This time around I'm taking it one day at a time.  I'm accepting any and all losses whether they are big numbers or even half a pound.  What's key is that I'm not gaining.  I still have a ways to go but I am making progress each week.  

 2.  It's About Being Healthy...

• So many times I've started some kind of weight loss program in the hopes of bettering the way I look.  I was unhappy with the way clothes fit or the fact that I couldn't climb stairs without losing my breath.  Every other attempt has always been about my body image.  Well I'm really good at lying to myself.  I am really good at hiding what I don't like.  However, this body image mindset was always so superficial and short lived.  I would lose weight and become happy with that small weight loss.  Not this time.  Getting healthy sounds and IS so much more important than being able to fit into a certain size.  You can't argue with science.  Everyone knows that your life expectancy exceeds if you're healthy, the risk of diseases are lower if you are healthy, and pretty much any aspect of your life will be good if you are healthy.  So this time around I've gotten rid of the superficial body image idea.  I'm focusing on getting healthy for myself and of course for my family.  My kids do what I do.  All my past BAD eating habits have already been passed down to them.  As I'm learning to be healthy, so are they.  It is imperative for me to become healthy not only so that I can live and be with my family but so that they learn these important lessons as well.  So I will wear what fits and not worry about the size of my pants.  The size of my clothes will lessen as I become healthier.  Being healthy is the true reward.

 3.  Don't Do Too Much Too Fast

• A big reason for a lot of my past failures is that I would push myself too hard too fast.  I would start working out and dieting like crazy.  After a while my body would just get tired of it.  I also have a horrible problem called "laziness".  It's really quite awful.  I tend to give into my laziness too quickly.  In the past I would start working out everyday a couple of times a day, and dieting hardcore.  This time I spent almost a month introducing working out and being active into my daily life.  I spent the time finding out what worked and what didn't work.  I learned what workouts I could and would actually stick to.  Instead of doing something by myself at home, I went out of my comfort zone and found one of the best things that has helped me so much in this journey...yes, you guess it...Zumba!  Going to live classes and meeting wonderful people who all want the same goal and finding such inspiration in the instructors has been the winning formula for me.  I have never been this active for this long in any other past attempt at losing weight.  After spending some time getting used to working out I started focusing on my eating.  Taking it one step at a time instead of a huge bunch of stuff all at once has really been a winning formula for me.

I've been on this journey for 8 months now!  This is the longest ever!  It is because of the different things that I'm doing this time.  My mindset is in the right place now.  It's not about image, it's about health.  That's what is important.  It's about finding what works for you so that you can stick to it.  It's not about being unrealistic in your goals, find a goal that you can reach.  Take it one step at a time.  I've fallen a few times but what counts is getting back on track.  I'm going to end with my motto.  It's from a Toby Mac song and it is so true to where I am right now and it can apply to everyone!

We lose our way
We get back up again
It's never too late to get back up again
One day you will shine again
You may be knocked down
But not out forever

Random Rant...

...about clothes.

These last few months I started working out on a regular basis.  I have discovered how annoying certain fashions for women who exercise is really quite annoying.  It seems that whoever comes up with these fashions are trying to make styles that make women look "sexy" when they workout. 

I can tell you for a fact that I am no where near any form of attractive when I workout.  I could be trying my darnedest but it just doesn't happen.  I am not a fan of clothes that are tight.  I prefer loose fitting clothes especially around the mid-section.  Unfortunately it's hard for me to find anything like that.  I could just wear t-shirts but I also hate the necklines of t-shirts. 

OK, so this is what I'm talking about.  I cannot wear this shirt because it is too tight around the midsection.  I do not like having to re-adjust my clothes the entire time I'm working out.  Also I do my best to hide the "spare tires" that I have.  The last thing I want to see when I workout is every little bit of extra weight.  Now some people may wonder why I just don't get a shirt like this in a size larger than what I wear.  Unfortunately, that doesn't work either for me.  If I get a shirt size bigger then the chest/shoulder area of the shirt is waaaaaaaaaay too big.  It's a no win situation for me.

I'm not saying that nobody can pull this off.  There are a lot of people who can and that is absolutely awesome for them.  I look forward to the time I can wear a shirt like this.  My issue is that when I go shopping for workout clothes this is the only style I can find.  I just wish there were more options out there for those of us who don't want clingy clothes when we workout.  That's all. 

So here's a nice goal to achieve in the near future.  Until then my husband is going to get sick of me wearing his t-shirts, haha!

Not M.I.A, I promise!

Phew!  Well that was an interesting last couple of weeks.  I know I haven't posted since October 5th.  That's a long time.  Well believe it or not but I was sick (and the rest of the family) for that long.  It was so miserable.  I think what was the worst about it was that I wasn't prepared.  I had no idea how hard it was going to be to make good food choices, and exercise all while being sick.

Needless to say I strayed while I was sick.  All I wanted was food that was hot.  I didn't want to eat any food that was cold.  I also didn't want to cook.  So I ate a lot of bad foods.  Pizza, french fries, etc.  Then I so foolishly ate some real sugar.  When I put any form of sugar in my mouth I go into a crazy food frenzy.  I think that I can argue that certain foods really are addicting.  People say all it takes for alcoholics to fall off the wagon is one drink.  I can honestly say that that is the case for me when it comes to certain foods.  What's even scarier is that when I eat like this I can't stop.  When I eat properly I often forget to eat because I'm not hungry.  When I eat horrible junk food it's like I can't get enough.

So the first week of this sickness, I didn't lose any weight.  Ok so not so bad.  I can live with that.

The second week, I was finally getting over this sickness...I have been back on my eating plan and have been working out again (2 days to be exact) and I lost 1 pound.  Score!

Ok so it's not a lot.  It could have been better.  The key is that I am losing.  I am not gaining.  It's slowed down quite a bit.  But the fact that I could go almost 2 weeks of not working out and eating badly yet still manage to lose 1 pound is a good sign.  It's a sign that my metabolism is starting to get back to where it should be. 

When I was in high school I ate.  I ate a lot.  I ate a lot of BAD food.  I was active though.  I played sports, I rode my bike a lot, and I walked everywhere.  I have a good metabolism.  I believe it's genetic.  Just look at my mom and dad, or any of my siblings.  We have to work to stay fit but we can be fit.

This is a good sign.  Now it's time to ramp up my workouts.  I am going to try to start going to Zumba classes 3 times a week, and I'm going to start adding workouts for my core.  I'm not sick anymore.  Time to get back on the wagon.  I've written so many of these posts - on the wagon, off the wagon.  I'm going to keep working hard and avoid writing anymore of these posts. Trillionth times the charm right?  Wish me luck, again!

*Cough* *Hack* *Barf*

Ugh.  I'm sick.  I feel like crap.  I haven't been sick in a long time.  I know this because I haven't been sick since I started this new healthy lifestyle.  I am struggling to eat properly.  I'm struggling to stay active.  I had no idea how hard is was going to be to continue to stay healthy and be sick at the same time.

I have no energy to cook.  I haven't done any meal planning.  All I want to eat when I'm sick is bad food.  I don't want to cook.  I want my comfort food.  I always turn to different kinds of food when I am sick that I use to help me feel better.  This could be something from fast food to cough medicine.  I had no idea how much sugar is in cough drops!  I have found sugar free cough drops but much to my dismay they are not nearly as effective as the sugar-full cough drops.

I'm going to try to make it to Zumba on Saturday.  Hopefully I won't be too rundown.  Honestly though it's not looking good.  I have the coughs pretty bad.  When I workout I need my breathing to be steady.  I don't know how good of a workout I will get in when I'm hacking up a lung every 2 seconds.  Plus, it's not very nice to go somewhere and risk getting other people sick.  I think I'm going to just have to stay home and try to get the energy to do my own at home workout.

I was not prepared for this.  I had no idea how hard it was going to be.  I've been making bad food choices.  I have not been active.  At least now I know.  I'm going to have to make sure I pre-plan for the illnesses I'm sure to get this season.  Hopefully I'll kick this bug pretty quick and get right back on track.  Now excuse my while I go find that lung I just hacked up.

It's a Party!!!

This Sunday Studio Zumba/Zumba in the Ville is celebrating their 5 year anniversary!  Tricia Truax is the owner of the studio and creator of Belly Dancing Body Fitness.  I'm beyond excited for her.  This is a huge accomplishment for many reasons.  First of all they are the ONLY "Studio Zumba" approved by Zumba Inc. in the entire world!  There are over 10,000 locations around the world and Tricia's studio is the only "Studio Zumba" approved by the company.  Secondly, five years is a great accomplishment for any small business owner. 

Zumba in the Ville has a very special place in my heart.  It was thru this common location that I have met a lot of amazing women, experienced a lot of fun events, and of course met my inspiration, Tricia.  Over the last few months I've depended on Studio Zumba/Zumba in the Ville for so many things.  Having Zumba in my life and all these wonderful people I've met helps keep me going.  Every single one of them is an inspiration to me.  

A friend of mine wrote something on Facebook about Studio Zumba and Tricia,  and since she's a much better writer than I am I'm going to use it.  In the words of a good friend of mine:

"A special "thank you" and "you're simply the best" to Tricia Truax and Zumba In The Ville!!! Tricia, thank you for your determination, passion and desire to go for what you want in life... you see limitations before you and just blow right through them. Amazing class tonight. Thank you for being a facilitator in my life to pursue the things that matter and to remember, decisions should not be based on fear"

This hits the nail on the head.  I feel the exact same, I'm just not talented enough to put it so eloquently.  Congrats Tricia and Zumba in the Ville!!! Congrats on your 5 strong years of business and I can't wait to see what's to come!  Below is a chronicle of the amazing things I've experienced these last few months!

Tricia's first class back after having her angel

 

Going to a Master Class with Beto Perez, the creator of Zumba

Holy cow I met Betooooooo!

Tricia with Beto

Master Class with Tricia in PA

I need to work on my sexy pose, hahahahahaha!

Seriously Addictive...

Diet Soda is NOT a healthy option for me!

There has got to be some kind of ingredient that is put into carbonated beverages because honestly once I start drinking one (diet or regular) I can't stop.  All carbonated beverages are highly addictive to me.  I don't know what it is.  Sometimes I get to a point where I think it's ok to stop drinking my large amount of water and treat myself to a diet beverage.  Oh what a slippery slope that is.  For some reason I can't stop after one.  I will start drinking diet pop once a day, and slowly it becomes my drink of choice for the entire day.  I leave my water behind and drink diet pop.

Seriously what is it about soda pop, diet or regular, that makes it so appealing?  I need to stop drinking it...again.  I need to stop thinking that drinking diet pop is a treat.  It's not a treat.  It's just the opposite.  It's a bad decision.  It enables the triggers that lead to even worse food choices.  I need to ban it all together.  I can't have it at home.  I can't have it if I go out to eat.

Drinking water is so important.  I have not been drinking my water because I've been picking soda pop over my necessary water intake.  Not too mention that the caffeine intake can't be helpful to losing weight.  I've also noticed my skin has been breaking out a little more than usual.  I'm pretty sure that's the caffeine.  So here is yet another attempt to try and rid my life of diet beverages.  Wish me luck!

Everyone Needs It...

I've been on this journey for 7 months now.  You'd think it would come easy to me by now.  Not so my friends.  I'm weak.  I'm easily tempted.  There are temptations everywhere.  Word to the wise...NEVER look at Pinterest when you are hungry...

Everyone needs motivation.  Everyone needs something to help keep them going.  I need motivation like nothing else.  Fortunately music is a very good and much used form of motivation for me.  I want to share 3 songs that I absolutely love.  It inspires me every time I listen to them.  These songs are by Christian rock groups.  So not only are they awesome to hear because I know the message is good but they are also clean songs that I don't have to worry about being offended while listening to.

I love these songs because they apply to my life and my faith.  What's even better is that I can apply them to my journey to becoming healthier.  I can apply them to the struggles I have faced and will probably face again.  They give me a lot of strength.  I just have to share what helps keep me going.  Toby Mac's song "Get Back Up" is my theme song.  I love it.  Enjoy!

 
Toby Mac - Get Back Up

 

Super Chick - One More



 Skillet - Awake and Alive

Now Comes The Real Test

 Today was weigh day!  I've lost another 5 pounds!  So flippin' awesome!  This means I've lost a total of 27 pounds thus far.  Things are going great.  I've had a couple of hiccups but nothing too major.  I've stayed focused and my goal is still in site.  I still have a big fear though.

In the past I've tried losing weight numerous times.  The one thing that I'm worried about after today's weigh-in is whether or not I'll stay on track.  I distinctly remember the last time I tried losing weight I hit this weight loss mini-goal before.  The last time I hit this mini-goal I remember telling my husband that I have finally lost so much weight and that I will never ever again be as heavy as I was.  That statement did not become truth.  Soon after making such a bold statement I went off track and stayed of track.  I not only gained back what I had lost, I gained even more.

Will history repeat itself?  I know it's up to me to make sure it doesn't.  I've lost 27 pounds for goodness sake.  There is no food in this world that tastes good enough to stop the momentum that I have.  At least that's what I'm trying to tell myself.  There are temptations everywhere! 

I am on a roll though.  I've been on this way of life since April.  That means I've lost an average of 3.8 pounds a month!  Those are pretty impressive numbers in my opinion.  I can't let history repeat itself.  I'm doing so well!  I have to work very hard to stay on track and to not lose site of my goal.

Scritchy Scratch!

Wowzer, I have lost some weight.  I am not near my goal but I still have lost a significant amount.  That is absolutely awesome!  There's a side effect though...I itch EVERYWHERE!  Holy cow does my skin itch.  There are a lot of different possibilities that can cause this itchiness.  I of course googled it.  Never google medical stuff.  All you get are terrifying possibilities.  I learned this a while back when I was having issues with my foot.

When my foot was hurting google told me the reasons could be from something simple like a strained muscle to some horrid problem that would result in surgery and weeks of therapy!  Well it turns out it was something mild.  My foot doesn't bother me nearly as much as it used to.  Every now and again there's a little twinge of pain but nothing like it was before.  It's very rare these days.

So of course when I google itchy skin and weight loss my results varied.  My itchy skin can be due to dry skin from to enough water to some terrible cancerous disease.  Here are my theories.  First, I'm not drinking enough water.  I know that much is true.  I must start drinking like a fish again.  I've been drinking these drinks called "Sparkling Ice".  They are quite tasty.  It's sparkling water sweetened with Sucralose and natural fruit juices.  There is also about 50mg of Green Tea extract in it.  I like them, but just like any carbonated beverage I'm drinking too much of them.  I need to drink water.  That's what's best!  Secondly,  I itch primarily where I am losing weight, namely my stomach and my back.  Finally, I could be deficient in some nutrient.  This I'm not sure of.  I will have to keep an eye on this in case I need to get a supplement.

I'm going to keep an eye on it.  I will up my intake of water of course.  Hopefully the itchiness subsides.  I'm not really worried about it though.  I itch in those exact same spots when I was pregnant and the doctors never found an issue disease wise. Weight loss is wonderful who knew a side effect would be itchy skin.

FOOD!!!!!!

I love food.  We all know I love food.  I love bad food.  We all know I love bad food.  That's how I got to this point.  In my quest to living a healthier lifestyle I have been in the search for new and exciting recipes to keep things interesting.  It's been a lot of fun trying to find foods that I like and recipes to try out.  There are of course some bad recipes that I have tried.  You never know until you try it right?

I have a board on Pinterest where I put all the recipes that I want to try.  If you CLICK HERE, it will take you to my Low-Carb recipe board.  I will update this regularly with what I have found and want to try, or with what turned out good or not so good!

I came across this recipe that was so amazing I have to share it!  I loved it, my husband loved it, and my kids loved it. So I must give this recipe to you so that you may enjoy it as well.  Believe me some of the ingredients in it would make you think I wouldn't eat it (because of my picky-ness) but I did eat it! It was sooooooo good!!!  I'm going to share the original recipe but the red text are my little adjustments.

Grilled Flank Steak With Tomatoes, Red Onion and Balsamic

2 lb flank steak, fat trimmed *I used only 1lb. flank steak

kosher salt and fresh pepper

garlic powder

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic

1/3 cup red onion, chopped  *I used half an onion

1/2 tomato, chopped *original recipe called for 3-4 tomatoes but that seemed like too much for us

1 tbsp fresh herbs such as oregano, basil or parsley  *I used dried oregano

Pierce steak all over with a fork. Season generously with salt, pepper and garlic powder and set aside about 10 minutes at room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine onions, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. Let onions sit a few minutes with the salt and balsamic to mellow a bit. Combine with tomatoes and fresh herbs and adjust seasoning if needed.

Heat grill or broiler on high heat. Cook steak about 7 minutes on each side for medium rare or longer to taste. Remove from grill and let it rest on a plate for about 5 minutes before slicing.

Slice steak think on the diagonal; top with tomato mixture and serve.

Viola!  This is my husband's plate...I didn't eat any stuffing.

So there you have it.  One of the best dinners I've ever made.  The flavors were so awesome!  The saltiness and garlic taste of the steak topped with a tangy mixture of flavors.  To me the flavors of the Balsamic tomato topping was very spring-like.  It was so good.  Now go buy some flank steak and fresh veggies and try this bad boy out!  You're welcome world.

Blogging

I've noticed a pattern.  It has become clear to me that this blog has been working.  My original plan for why I started a blog was so that I would stay on track and hopefully build a fan base so that my fans would help keep me on track.  I have reached well over 2000 views, I know a lot of people read my blog.  I have a fan base in Russia and the United Kingdom.  My friends and family read my blog.  Friends of friends of friends read my blog.  I thank each and everyone of you!

That being said there are times when I don't write every day.  I have noticed that when I don't keep up with my blog on a daily basis, I don't keep up on my healthy and active lifestyle on a daily basis. In previous posts I wrote about some bad food choices.  Those times when I did not eat the right food were days that I did not write a new blog post.  However, the days that I do update my blog, my food choices are great.  As it appears this blog has become almost a requirement in my daily routine to make sure I stay on track.  I started this blog to help hold me accountable and it is definitely doing that.

I have to keep at it.  Whether or not I update my blog obviously effects my day to day healthy choices.  So here's another goal for myself.  I must make sure I blog as close to everyday as possible.  Grant it there are days when I just don't have the time, but I cannot let more than 2 days go without a blog update.  It's become essential in this journey.  Happy reading everyone!  Again, thank you so much for your support!

New Discoveries

I am still some ways away from my goal.  However, I am slowly starting to see differences in myself everywhere.  There are some very obvious changes that every one sees but there are some changes that honestly I haven't seen since high school.  It's all very exciting and ridiculously motivating!

My maternity clothes are officially too big!  I am so excited about this.  My youngest child is a year old but I would still wear my maternity clothes well after I was pregnant because those clothes were all I had in my wardrobe that fit.    I recently mentioned on Facebook that I needed a belt with my maternity pants but now even a belt won't keep those suckers up!  As I mentioned, I am not where I want to be but there is some major progress!  I can finally put my maternity clothes in storage.  No more wearing maternity clothes when I'm NOT pregnant! Woooo Hoooo!

I must go shopping though.  My pre-maternity clothes don't quite fit me to where I am comfortable wearing them in public.  So a quick trip to Goodwill for some "filler" clothes is in order.  I call them filler clothes because I don't plan on having these clothes be my permanent wardrobe.  I plan on losing more so my clothes will continue to be too big for me.  What a wonderful "problem" to have.

There are a lot of changes going on.  Here's a weird one for you.  My size has shrunken so much that when I sit on the floor crossed leg I can lower my head such that my forehead can touch my left big toe.  I know that that is totally weird and you're probably thinking "why would you do that?".  Well I have no reason to do it.  What's exciting is that I haven't been able to do that in years!  My stomach had gotten to big, and I had lost the flexibility to do such a thing.  Now that the circumference of my waistline has gotten smaller I am able to do weird things like touch my toe to my forehead that I don't think I've been able to do since sophomore year college!  Weird but totally exciting!

Slowly I am discovering changes in my physical appearance and things that I am able to do again.  What wonderful motivation.  I see these changes without having to look at my pictures but seriously look at these pictures!  It's seriously amazing.  It's only been five months!  I will stick with this and I'm so excited to see what the next 5 months will look like!

PLAN!

It's amazing how necessary a plan is.  It is so easy to fall off track when there is no plan in place.  Let me explain a little bit.  When it comes to eating properly especially if you have chosen to eat based on an Atkins lifestyle you have got to stick to it.  This is a lifestyle that needs every meal and every snack planned out.  You can't just look in the fridge and find something random to eat.  You can't spend all day snacking on little things.  You have got to have a plan.  Not just ideas but a written out "I'm gonna stick to this" plan!

I have been having this issue.  I didn't prepare proper foods.  My supply of legal foods became depleted.  I became hungry.  So my food choices haven't been great.  It's my own fault for not planning, for not being fully prepared.  I knew this.  You'd think that I would have been prepared...  Now my food choices haven't been a ton of junk food or sugary stuff.  My food choices were more like too much cheese, not enough veggies.  Instead of a balanced meal of protein, veggies, and healthy fats...I was eating more of snacks of deli meat, cheese, and some more cheese.  Not completely illegal foods but definitely not a proper way to eat.

So this last couple of days I spent time on Pinterest.  I found lots of fun and tasty recipes.  I figured out a meal plan and a snack plan.  I stocked up my house like nothing else.  I'm back on plan.  I wasn't far off but I wasn't quite where I needed to be.  Today was weigh day and I've lost 3 pounds!  This has been a very exciting week.  I'm back to losing weight, I have a great meal plan thanks to Pinterest, I'm feeling energized and excited.  I'm excited to keep going.  I'm feeling strong and determined.  It's all because I have a plan.
 

Just Because It's "Legal", Doesn't Mean It's Legal

Everyone is different.  Different foods effect different people.  What might be perfectly fine for some people could be damaging to others.  This is a journey.  I am on a journey to discover what works for me.  I'm not just trying to get healthy, but I am trying to educate myself in what foods cause the fatigue, the weight gain, etc.  I have a list of foods and beverages that I am technically allowed to have.  However, just because it's on this list does not mean that I can have it.

So yummy but so dangerous! 

Technically I'm allowed to have nuts.  Technically I'm allowed to have some milk.  What have I learned?  Nuts are super easy to over-indulge on.  They cause me to have mad salt cravings, which in turn causes me to retain water and that results in no weight loss.  Milk...I have had it in the form of sugar-free ice cream.  Soooo not a good idea!  My sugar cravings have gone mad.  Since my sugar cravings have gone hog-wild I have started drinking diet sodas again.  The caffeine causes me lots of issues.

So now I know.  I cannot have nuts, or if I do have them I have to be very very careful.  Ice cream?  Absolutely out of the question.  This is how you do it though.  You have to experiment with different food items to find out how they really affect you.  I'm not jumping off the wagon, or cheating, or giving up.  I'm just experimenting with foods I am allowed to eat.  As it turns out my body disagrees with parts of Dr. Atkins' allowed foods.

On a side note, I've been getting really bored with my eating.  Which is to be expected because I haven't been very creative recently.  However, I have really started getting into Pinterest.  I have got to say that place is amazing!  There are hundreds upon hundreds of recipes and low-carb ideas!  Amazing!    I have got to get a plan of action in place.  Because of the soda pop drinking I haven't been drinking my water.  Because of the salt cravings and sugar cravings I haven't been eating my vegetables.  It's time to curb these cravings (again), and continue to grow and learn from my food choices!

Pinterest! What a great idea!
http://pinterest.com/ceciliastar1/

Back on Track!

Today is weigh day!  22 pounds down! BOOOOM!  So I had a little hiccup but the weight loss has returned.  I'm back to losing 2-3 pounds a week.  Suweeeet!  I've hit 2 more of my mini goals!  I'm feeling great again.  I woke up a little bit before 9am today.  That's pretty early for us.  I know that sounds crazy but when you don't get to bed until 3am, 9am is only 6 hours of sleep.  So there you go.  Either way I'm feeling pretty refreshed.  Much better than the last couple of weeks when I could barely open my eyes.

I went to Zumba on Monday and my stamina is where I left it!  It had been almost a month since I was able to make it to a Zumba class.  I honestly was worried if I'd be able to keep up.  Well I did keep up.  Class was great as usual!  I'm going to try and go as often as possible.  I was limiting myself to once a week but now I think I'm ready for as many as I can get in a week.  The videos and walks get boring for me.  At home stuff is really hard for me to keep going because I get bored and/or lazy.  With the live Zumba class I'm excited to go.  I'm starting to make some friends and the energy is contagious.

Everything is back to where it's supposed to be.  I'm eating right, working out, and losing weight.  What more could a gal ask for?

Oh yeah I forgot to mention I have reached 2000 views!! Woooooohooooooo! Who knew I would be popular in Russia, hehe.

Stats:

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United Kingdom	14
Canada	7
France	5
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China	1
Guatemala	1