Updates

I took a little break from blogging for a few weeks.  But I'm back!!!!!!  In the past few weeks I have:

• Discovered Clean Eating and it makes perfect sense!
• Purchased, tasted, and fell in love with the Larabar
• Learned how to make my own Larabars, which is awesome because I can't afford to love store bought ones!
• Made the most delish chocolate cake and brownies out of BEANS!!!  DO NOT KNOCK IT!
• Donated a trash bag full of toys and clothes to Salvation Army
• Enjoyed Thanksgiving and did not make a pig of myself - at all
• Started a new Christmas tradition with my son with the Elf on the Shelf.
• Completed the third and final memory quilt for my boss.
• Realized that I need to change my payment policy for quilts :(
• Received 4 new orders for quilts, one of which is a Memory Quilt!
• Completed all Christmas gift shopping, (except for finishing touches for stockings and my Salvation Army Angel)
• Learned to like water - unsweetened and with out artificial flavorings.  WHAT WHAT?!?!?!
• Decided to try at least one new food every week.
• Joined the Green Monster Movement! 
• I have lost 3 more pounds
• Received my 5 finger sneakers but they didn't fit on my Frankenfoot, so I had to return :(
• Ohhhhhhhhhhh and my daughter has started GED prep classes!!!!!!  (Very proud :)

I am feeling very healthy in every aspect of my life.  Family, health, finances, everything except my house cleaning, I've been slacking a little.  I need to nip that in the bud and get back on track.  I have been on a Clean Eating and couponing rampage, so the house is a mess, trying to find room for everything.  Part of this weekend's goals were to get the front hall and kitchen back under control.  I heard the hubby in the front hall looking for paper towels a few days ago and I thought he was going to turn into the Hulk and start tossing everything in a rage.  Haha!  There is A LOT of stuff out there -  Part of which I think I will be donating because I scored majorly coupon-wise on canned soups, cream of whatever soups, canned broth, and those fruit snacks that my son adores.... But that was all one to two weeks before I discovered Clean Eating (by mistake) and now I don't want to eat any of those foods or feed them to my family.  I stumbled upon Clean Eating when I came across an email from Circle of Moms that read "HowArtificial Ingredients Can Lead to Artificial Kids".  You can read the article here.  I read the article and immediately thought of my son.  He is instantly affected by certain foods.  He will be sitting still one minute and then give him some processed snack or food and he is zooming within a couple bites.  It makes my hubby's day very trying to say the least.  And I was feeling it on the weekends when I mainly "deal" with the results of his eating a diet (unknowingly) packed with artificial flavors, colors, preservatives and exorbitant amounts of sugar masked behind scientific names.  From that article in Circle of Friends, I found my way to the author's website, OurFamilyEats.com.  I became a bit obsessed with reading all of her posts and recipes, and printed out her 6-week challenge and went to town on cleaning up our acts.  I started making changes immediately.  I have noticed a difference in my little man's behavior.  He is still a VERY active almost three year old, nothing is going to change that (nor do I want to), but he seems to have a bit more control over himself now that he is eating almost nothing processed.  We are continuing to make healthy changes so I will update my findings on how Clean Eating is working for my family.

As for myself, I have never felt better.  I am still significantly overweight, but I am not stressing it.  I am eating healthy and Clean.  I am exercising (not as much as I should, but adding more movement every day).  I have more energy.  I do not feel exhausted like I did before when I wasn't Eating Clean.  I am eating delicious whole foods (food with little to no refining or processing and containing no artificial additives or preservatives; natural or organic food.)  I know that by continuing to eat clean the pounds will come off effortlessly and I will never feel deprived of scrumptious foods.

Since starting to eat clean I have lost a little over 3 lbs in about a week.  I am not counting calories anymore, I am just eating when I am hungry and only eating whole (unprocessed) foods.  I am never hungry.  I am never stuffed.  I am always satisfied.  I eat every 2-3 hours and drink a shit ton of water.  No juice, no soda.  I have discovered some new (to me) delicious healthy foods and I know that I will never go back to eating processed SHIT food again.  Just reading all of the crap that is listed on most packaged food in the grocery store infuriates me.  I just don't understand the manufacturer's "need" to add all of this crap and chemicals to the foods we eat and feed our growing children.  Many of these ingredients are proven to cause obesity, brain damage, behavioral problems, cancer, and many other ailments/diseases.  I will no longer allow any processed food in my house and since I am the primary food shopper and cook, it will be easy to control.   No one seems to miss the old processed stuff.  Well that is not entirely true... my son constantly asks for his Captain America snacks and chocolate milk and whenever we are out he asks for McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts and I deny him every time.  My hubby asked for and received Burger King last weekend.  The hardest to break will be my teenage daughter, the junk food-a-holic.  But she will have to get herself a job if she wants to eat shit because she won't find it in the house.  Funny story:  My daughter was out one afternoon and all of the sudden she came running in the house and running for the bathroom.  She comes out a few minutes later and said, OMG, I had to poop so bad.  I asked her if her stomach was upset.  She said no, it was a normal poop but she wasn't ready because she already went yesterday and she usually only goes once every 3 or 4 days.  UM WHAT?!!!  I said what, you only go every 3-4 days?  She said yeah, but since I've been eating home more I have to go more.  I said, yeah...When you eat shit...you can't shit.  She started cracking up and said, yeah I guess so.  I proceeded to overload her with all of the "fun facts" I discovered by reading about Clean Eating and all of the side effects from eating a diet full of highly processed foods.  She was amazed but she is addicted to sugar and all of her convenient foods.  She is 17 and isn't too interested in her health at this time.  One day she will come around.  But, in the meantime, she will have a hard time finding anything processed and junky at home.

Everyone in the family better get used to it because this is not a diet, it's our new way of life.

JUST DO IT!

If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not you'll find an excuse.

This statement is true for all aspects of life.  I am really trying my hardest to not make excuses for anything anymore.

If it is important to me to lose weight and be healthier, there should be no excuse, I should just be making the changes needed to be healthier.  I have already made significant changes but I know in order to reach my goals I will need to kick it up a notch.

I seem to have already hit a plateau in my weight lose although I have only lost 10 pounds.  I was consuming 1700 calories a day, but I have decided to cut out 200-300 of those calories and bring my total daily intake down to 1400-1500 a day.

I also RAN on the treadmill at work last week.  This was SUPER exciting for me.  I have never ever been a runner, but with my injury it just seemed so out of the question.  Granted it was only a 2 minute sprint, but it felt great and not only did I challenge my body, I challenged my mind.  I KNOW that a big part of my limited exercise is mental fear of hurting myself.  But I showed myself that I can do alot more than I give myself credit for.  As a birthday present to myself, I ordered a pair of FiveFingers sneakers.  I've heard great things about these funky little sneaks.  Hopefully I will be able to wear them comfortably on my bum foot and really focus on incorporating at least 10-15 minutes a day running on the work treadmill.  If not, I will return them, get my money back and just wear my old sneakers and do the same.

If it is important to me to be financially stable and also prepare for my retirement and my son's continued education, then there should be no excuse.  I have went from zero savings, no retirement fund, and no college fund to a little over $200 saved over a couple accounts, enrolling in the 401k plan at work and also enrolling in a 529 college fund for my son.  I have cut back on spending, made a plan to tackle and pay off all of my debt, and made my first significant payment towards eliminating debt.  All of this in less than 4 weeks.

I plan to continue in this manner, cutting back even more.  I am anxiously awaiting January, when my contract with Verizon wireless will be up and I can drop them and go with Virgin Mobile as a provider.  I currently pay approximately $60/month with VW, I will only pay $27/month with Virgin Mobile.  HALF!  The money I save I will put toward paying down my debt.

I have been coupon crazy over the past month and have saved over $100, just by clipping coupons and being semi-organized.  I also saved .80/gallon on gas during my last fill up just by carefully planning my grocery shopping at Stop & Shop.  That was very exciting :)  $2.46/gallon!!  I have also been depositing the amount that I save with coupons in to my savings jar.  I will go to the bank this weekend and deposit all that I have saved into my savings account and I WILL NOT TOUCH IT!

If it is important to me to have a clean, presentable and inviting home than I will do what it takes to make it that way.  I will stick to my cleaning schedule and take care of my small daily tasks.  By spending a few minutes everyday I alleviate myself from being stressed out and confined to my house to clean for the entire weekend.  It is important to me to not be overwhelmed by what is on my plate.  If I am overwhelmed and stressed then something needs to change.  I know that if I do not prioritize my time efficiently I do not get anything done and I end up running around like a mad woman and usually have a crappy attitude that I unfortunately subject my family to.  When I take a few minutes to evaluate my surroundings and what needs to be done, everything just falls into place.  I know that I can not do everything in one day, so I prioritize what is most important and take care of that first.

Small changes bring major results!  No more excuses, just get 'er done!

What have you been making excuses for?  How will you overcome and make the changes necessary?  Please share :)

Feeling good!

Just want to start off by saying how proud I am of myself!  WHOOT!  I have been eating healthy for the last 3 weeks.  I have lost a little over 6 pounds and I feel great.  I do need to get some more exercise in, as my plan to wake up early and work out on the Total Gym just is not happening.  I am simply NOT a morning person.  I need to dedicate at least 20 minutes five days a week to the Total Gym.  I just need to prioritize my time after work better to do so.

In spite of my lack luster and often non existent exercising, my pants are fitting looser and I have lost those 6+ pounds I mentioned earlier.

A woman that I work with approached me and asked if I would be interested in having a little friendly "Biggest Loser" style competition with her .  Hell yeah!  We decided that the Biggest Loser would receive a $10.00 gift card from the other.  I'm all for it.  We are doing it for 10 weeks.  Then after those 10 weeks we will start the competition again, and again, until we reach our goals.  Of course we both want to win, but regardless of who the winner is, we will both be WINNING!  We will both be sticking to our plans, encouraging each other, and just being healthier in general.

Even though I haven't really been getting my workout on at home, I have been sneaking a little bit in here and there at work.  I keep a weighted hula hoop at the office and I have been hooping during lunch when I watch my shows.  I also walked around our building one day.  I am going to try and do that everyday.  I am entitled to two 15 minute breaks a day and I am going to start taking them.  WHY NOT!?  I think I just decided that I will take two walks everyday.  If I recall correctly one lap around the building is a 1/4 mile.  I need to double check just so I can log my activity daily.  But regardless, it will be exercise and fresh air. (I rarely leave the building for fear that I won't come back, haha!)  I also have a Pilates Toning Ring in my office.  I do not use it like it is intended, instead I use it like a Thigh Master a'la Suzanne Somers and to work my arms.  Oh, excuse me, I said I use it.  I meant I will dust it off tomorrow and then I will do those things I mentioned.  My job also has a small gym.  There are two treadmills, a Gazelle and some other things in there.  I can walk or "gazelle" in there if the weather is bad or if I just wanted a little change of pace.  I really have no excuse.  Just need to do it.

Below is a quick list of the changes I made to my daily routine:

• eliminate white sugar
• drink at least 1.5 quarts of water a day
• take multi vitamin
• eat 6 small meals a day
• eat fresh fruit and/or vegetable with at least 5 out of 6 meals
• sneak in exercise whenever possible
• try to eliminate all processed foods
• only whole grains

I am enjoying eating healthy meals and snacks.  I have always loved fresh fruits and veggies, and I have always eaten a good amount of them.  But I have also mixed in a lot of processed foods and sweets.  I will always have a sweet tooth, but I am learning to appreciate the natural sweetness of fruit again.  I honestly am preferring the sweetness of a juicy clementine or some frozen red seedless grapes over cake or a doughnut.  I have been VERY good during the work day despite the constant influx of baked goods and random junk that my boss continues to bring in.  This past week alone, there were brownies, 3 different containers of cookies, more than half of a 1/4 sheet birthday cake, and a big bowl of miniature candy bars. I have not indulged in one single morsel.  I refuse.  I am letting the sight of the junk piss me off.  I have found that is my best defense.  It may not be the right way, but it is working for me.  What is a little scary though is that it doesn't look like any of the cake has been touched.  That most likely means that in the past I was the main culprit in devouring any baked goods that were brought in.  haha!  Whatever.  I hope that bastard cake rots all over the counter.  I WILL NOT EAT YOU!  

What else??  Oh, I am learning to like water.  I really don't think I will ever LOVE straight up water.  It's just so... blah.  But I am loving water with lemon or lime in it.  Sometimes I add a packet of Truvia to make lemonade or limeade.  Yum!

I have not added any white sugar to anything in about a month.  I have replaced sugar with Truvia in my occasional coffee.  I use honey, Truvia or agave nectar in my smoothies and tea and when needed in cooking.  Sometimes I use brown sugar as well.  But NO white sugar.  It is extra bad and I don't want it in my system.  I also don't want any sugar substitutes that contain saccharin or aspartame.  Truvia has replaced Splenda and Equal for me.  It is all natural, made from Stevia (which is a plant) and calorie free.

I've been getting in more whole grains.  I have always preferred them with the exception of white rice.  I truly do love me some white rice.  But I have not been eating it.  I switched us to brown rice.  I can't say I love brown rice, but it is growing on me.  Quinoa is a favorite of mine as well as steel cut oats.  Frigging yum!  I can't even eat regular oatmeal anymore, haha!  I haven't been eating much bread lately, but when I do it is 100% whole wheat or some other whole grain bread.  I honestly can't remember the last time I had white bread.  I don't think my kids have ever tasted bread that is not brown.  And my oldest is almost 17.

I have been adding 100% organic Coconut oil to my diet daily.  Yes it is a fat, but it is a healthy fat.

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc.

When I have toast I spread a little on instead of butter.  I add a small amount to my steel cut oats.  I add it to my roasted root vegetables.  It is very good for you and the flavor is delicious!  I bought two jars of it and I keep one in the kitchen and the other in the bathroom.  I have been using only coconut oil as a moisturizer for my skin and it is phenomenal!  I use it my hair a few times a week before bed as well.

I have not been drinking alcohol as much.  I'm not a big drinker, but in the summer I definitely drink more.  Over the past 3 weeks I have cut my alcoholic libations from 3-4 a week to just one.  I think this has had an impact on my weight loss.

I have had ice cream when I wanted it (if I had the calories to spare).  I am just not willing to deprive myself of everything.  I won't last if I restrict everything from my life.  I don't want this new way of eating to be a diet, this is a new way of life for me.  I am not eating like this for a certain period of time, this is how I want to eat for the rest of my life.  Food should nourish your body and give you energy.  Not hold you down and make you sluggish.  I want to continue to look at food simply as nourishment.  Eat to live not live to eat.  Don't get me wrong, I will always love the taste of food.  I don't want that to change, but food should not be the center of my universe.  It should not be the focus of a get together, rather the company of good friends and family should be.

Healthy breakfast, snacks and lunch are all ready for tomorrow and I am prepared to continue down my road to a healthier happier me.  Feeling good!  :)  Now if I could just get my butt in the bed earlier.  UGH!