Inspiration comes from everywhere.

This song is very inspiring for me right now....today....best line is the below:

"You don't have to feel like a waste of space
  You're original, cannot be replaced
  If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow."

----Katy Perry (lyrics from Firework).

Going through a rough time right now, but I know to pray, mediate, and things will be just fine in the end.  Have to be thankful for what I do have and stop focusing on what I "should" have.  Have to remember that I shall not want.  I am alive, healthy (for the most part), and can get out of bed each day and be thankful for a new day with a clean slate and a chance for a different decision or opportunity.  I have to remember that if I want to do something and change my life, I have to just do it and forget about what others think whether that be family or friends.
Just needed a place to vent....I had to put my thoughts down and get them off my chest and out of my head. 
I am blessed and I have to remember that daily!!!

Motivation, yes!

So today I realize it's been WAY too long since I have blogged.  I also need to share this blog with my FB Fitness page.  Today I made a video because I want to start putting those in here too.

I need to motivate myself (no one else is responsible for doing this).  LOL

Creative Foods I made this weekend

This past Friday I went to the Farmers Market to stock up on my fruit and veggies for the week.  I definitely like to do this more in the Spring/Summer as the weather gets warmer.  I also like to look for ways to incorporate the ingredients I buy into items that I have stocked in my pantry.

This morning I was feeling really creative with my oatmeal.  I stumbled across a bag of whole ground flax seeds as well this past weekend at a wholesale store that I just couldn't pass up and I also added that to my oatmeal along with the fruts from the market.

So here it is!! 

Now, what's in here you ask?  Well for me, typically, I have associated Oatmeal with winter time and I was looking for a way to "Spring" it up so to speak.  I added half a apple diced (Red Delicious brand), 1/4 cup fresh blueberries, 1/4 teaspoon of flax seeds and ground cinnamon ( I use a spice container for the cinnamon and I used about 6 shakes- you can add more/less to your taste).

I generally heat up the oatmeal by itself first with the water (or milk if you desire) for 1min.  Then, I add the fruits/cinnamon, put it back in the microwave for another 50 sec, this way the apples, blueberries, and cinnamon blend together, then when it's all done, I mix in the flax seeds last.

This was my first time making this today.  It was VERY YUM and I will be making it again!!!

I also made some blueberry muffins today to eat as a mid morning or mid afternoon snack (you can also have these for breakfast on the go) I made them from the Betty Crocker snack pack size and only 120 calories per muffin.  I then added some Caramel/Cinnamon sprinkles from Tastefully Simple on top of the batter before baking them.  Here they are, fresh out of the oven...can't wait to try them!

Next blog I will show you how simple it is to make a healthy on the go egg sandwich in 5 mins or less, if you can spare 5 mins in the morning, you will avoid the drive thru's/takeout and your waistline will thank you!

Fitness update:  Marathon Running Training is going well.  I signed up for my first 5k which will be on 5/26/12 at 9am.  I am very excited.
 My strength on bench presses has gone up 10 pds, I know bench 40 pds in weights plus the bar of 45 pds for a total of 85pds! Yikes!  When I started really weight training with my boyfriend Marty, I could only bench the bar itself...I have come a long way.
My timed distance for running is getting better and I am using the app on my phone called Runkeeper to keep a log of it all.  They have a website also (www.runkeeper.com).  They track cycling, running, walking, etc.  Great app to just keep a distance/time log of all those kind of activities.  I really like it.
  Weight wise, I was maintaining for a while however, with my thyroid I can't eat like I used to be able to and I gained almost 10pds back in 3 weeks. The weight loss site I use had maintaince up around the 2k calorie range and for me, that isn't possible with the thyroid.  I ended up gaining some back.  I now know that won't work for my body. No worries though, my jeans (size 12) still fit and I am back to my normal calories of @1300-1500 a day and working on getting those 10pds back off.

Motivational Tip of the day: 

And did you know? :

Till next time, love yourself and be kind to your body! 

Motivational Saying

Belly Fat tips

An interesting excerpt today from my Women's Health Magazine:

Easy Ways to Burn More Belly Fat

Changing your body doesn't always mean getting more mileage on your gym membership. Travis Stork, M.D., host of The Doctorson TV, wrote The Lean Belly Prescription as his 911 response: to blast belly fat—stat! His method? Non-exercise aerobic thermogenesis, or "N.E.A.T." Here are the basics: Get Outside People who spent at least 20 minutes a day outdoors felt they had up to 20 percent more physical and mental energy than those who stayed inside thought they did, according to scientists at the University of Rochester. Clock in Some Cardio It can be as beneficial as a formal workout, according to a new study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. Just 20 minutes of playing soccer or dodgeball raised adults' heartbeats to 88 percent of their maximum and burned 160 calories, researchers found. Ball It Up "Use a Swiss ball for 20 minutes every hour you sit at your desk," says sports-performance coach Charles Staley, C.S.C.S., author of The Unnatural Athlete. The ball will not only keep you in perpetual motion, but also strengthen your core muscles, alleviating another side effect of too much sitting: back pain. Get On Your Feet When you talk on the phone, stand up. You won't think of it as exercise, but it can help you burn as much as 54 calories for every 20-minute conversation. An alteration of as little as 100 calories a day can start you on the road to serious weight loss.

Breakfast Foods to switch up, workouts, and update

To my friends, family, and any others reading this blog.  I promised you I would give you some more tips on healthy eating and living, so here it goes!

Last summer I discovered Oatmeal.  I honestly never used to eat the stuff, I am a texture girl when it comes to food so when I found out you could add your own level of water to make it mushy or chunky (which I prefer) I finally gave it a try! I had been reading how healthy it was to get your day going and I was working very hard to avoid the fast food drive thru's in the morning. So we started getting the lower sugar apple and cinnamon oatmeal (Quaker Oats brand).  I don't know if you all know this but cinnamon is great for your body and  also kick starts your metabolism.  We got a bulk size of 40 packets (cost $7.79 a box which lasts us a month plus) still in the Lower Sugar variety from our local wholesale store and it comes with 20 of the Apples & Cinnamon packets and 20 of the Maple Syrup & Brown sugar packets.  When I do have the Maple & Brown Sugar brand in the morning I put a half of fresh diced apple slices in with it and also add some Cinnamon from my spice bottle.  I keep a spice bottle at my work desk to sprinkle additional Cinnamon on my oatmeal as well as we keep another spice jar of Cinnamon in our pantry at home.  You can find the spice cheap at your local grocery store especially if you go with the store brand.   Now some knowledge time on Cinnamon!!


Here are some other health benefits of cinnamon:
 - 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol
- cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections
- In a study published by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Maryland, cinnamon reduced the proliferation ofleukemia and lymphoma cancer cells.
- It has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.
- In a study at Copenhagen University, patients given half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder combined with one tablespoon of honey every morning before breakfast had significant relief in arthritis pain after one week and could walk without pain within one month.
 -When added to food, it inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative.
- One study found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.
- Researchers at Kansas State University found that cinnamon fights the E. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices.
- It is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.
-  the combination of calcium and fibre in cinnamon can help to remove bile, which prevents damage to colon, which helps prevent colon cancer.
**(Credit to: Eat this website.  There is also a small list of interactions/side effects if you are taking certain medications- so take the time to view this since I don't want anyone to hurt their bodies.
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/side-effects-of-cinnamon.html )

Now onto the other thing I traded/discovered for breakfast last summer.  I tried out Turkey Bacon.  It was difficult to change from regular bacon at first, but I am used to it now.  We also get this at the local wholesale   food store after I noticed it was a few dollars more to get 4 packages in one which lasts us alot longer. We freeze the other 3 till we need them and when ready/out, we put the next package in the fridge.  The local grocery store wanted @$4.00 for one package when it wasn't on sale and at the wholesale club we get it for about $7 for 4 packs in one which is a better deal and it lasts longer for us.  I put up a picture of the one we buy.  It's simple to cook when you're in a hurry too.  For me in the morning I put two slices on a paper towl and heat it in the microwave for about a minute and a half (they come out crispy- that's my preference).  If you want them more mushy then do less time.  Figure out what works for you. 2 slices of Turkey bacon are 70 calories with this brand.  I also use it on salads and egg sandwiches.  I will save my egg sandwiches in under 5 minutes for breakfast for my next blog :) So I munch on these in the morning before I get to work and then eat my oatmeal when I get to work.

Okay, that's all for the food section this time.  I will discuss a new lunch item and my breakfast sandwiches in the next blog post

So I want to stop for a minute and put down my stats for myself as to where I am today.  I am down 36.8 pds.   My sub-goal is 5 pds away ( which is 41.8 pds) .  After that I will figure out if I want another 10 pds but I think I will to get to my final goal weight.

I have gotten back to my running training.  I had a great time at the park near my home this week.  I am trying to work up to running 3 miles so I can do a 5k.  It felt great to be outdoors and it is a lot different then running on the treadmill.  So I am doing both treadmill and outdoor training now that the weather is getting warmer.  I did 2.6 miles in 45 minutes running and walking this week.

Beginning marker and end marker at the park (which the trail is 2.6 miles in total)  I was by myself this day, so I wasn't in the picture, but I will have an updated one soon with that when I end a 5k.  That's my goal to run one of those and accomplish that challenge!!! I WILL DO IT!!!! 

Tonight at the gym I did the 2nd week of the C25K app.  If any of you reading this are interested in starting to run I highly recommend it.  It is a 9 week program to get you from the couch to running a 5k.  You can download it on your Android phone, Ipod, or Iphone.

Leaving you last with some workouts . You might have to google some of these to find out what they mean, but that's okay, I had to as well.  These don't take a lot of time and its something you don't need the gym to do, you can do them anywhere! Enjoy and let me know how you liked them, I would love to see comments.  Try at least to do 20 mins a day of exercise and if you can do more, do it!

Ending with Motivational Quote:

Inspired and food switches

I have truly become inspired.  It's amazing how you can go through your 20s and 30s not truly knowing what you want to do with your life.  I always feel the need to help others.  I am doing so much reading on health, nutrition, and workouts in general.  Everytime we get to the gym, I try something different, push my body, and the results feel great.  Now I am going to take the time to give back to my friends who have been reaching out to me and asking me in this past year what I have learned and done to get healthy.
I made a promise to some of my friends that are just starting their journey to a better way of life that I would provide some insight and encouragement.  First thing I want to say is make changes in baby steps, don't shock the body all at once, and in return it will make the transition easier.
First thing I did back in March 2011, I started with the 100 calorie packs, almonds/nuts, and yogurt for my snacks. For lunches, I bought the healthy choice and lean cuisine meals.  I started packing my lunch for work pretty much every day.  I did allow one day a week to go out and get what I wanted to for lunch.  Again, not shocking my body. This worked for me for about 2-4 months.  Next I will tell you what I changed for my breakfast last summer that made a difference and fueled my body even more!
My first step last March 2011 in getting healthy workout wise was I started going to Zumba class twice a week.  I know it wasn't alot, but for someone who was sedentary at a 8 hour desk job and then coming home and being sedentary it was good for me.  It wasn't a complete shock on my body and it was fun at the same time.  We had 4 girls from work that were going together so it made it something to look forward to.  That would be my suggestion, if you go to a class, find some friends to come along with you!   I stayed in the Zumba class mode till about the summer, then I will tell you more in the next blog what I added to my workout routines to kick it up a notch.
Did you know fact of the day? Laughter is the best medicine-- according to many doctors. In fact, a single laugh may boost your immune systems defenses for up to 3 days.








There are several exercises you can do to get started that don't take a lot of time or need a gym.  I found a lot of them on Pinterest and wanted to share it with you today. This is for someone who is starting to workout again and just beginning.  Try it in the morning if you have the time, it gets your metabolism going for one and two, you don't need a gym to do this so NO Excuses!  If you do the workout I put below, let me know if liked it, comment, let me know if it was too hard, easy, or not challenging enough.  It's a 20 day workout.  

Another thing I wanted to add today is French fries, especially fast food french fries has been something I have avoided for quite a while since I changed my eating habits.  I wanted to share with you what we have replaced ours with.


Not this:  (greasy french fries) 

Try this instead: (sweet potato fries).  We love this brand and get it our local BJ's store.  

Here is a photo of them not baked (left) and what they look like after they are baked (right).  They are soooo good.  Give them a try and let me know what you think.


Motivational Quote of the day:

Just a small personal update for me as of Feb 2012:  I started running as a goal to up my distance and train.  As of last night I am now up to 1.80 miles, that is my farthest distance to date.  The scale has moved 2 more pds this week adding for my total loss since last March (2011) of 34.6pds.  It has not been easy and it's a daily battle. I am also focusing on how hard I work out at the gym number wise, how much weight I can lift, reps I can, and how far I can push my body.  The scale is just a bonus.  I enjoy this life, all who are supportive and encourging,  and I want to help others who want to learn/get ideas from someone who has been there. 


Thank you for reading and if there is anything you want me to add in my next blog, let me know!

Workouts, food, and clothes!

It has now been  2 weeks since I am back to my work out routine and this week has been great in the gym!! (January was a wash since I was sick for 3 weeks of it with some version of the flu virus along with bronchitis and sinus infections).
First off, I mentioned previously that we were going to switch to a new gym location,we did, and we are loving it there....newer machines, a more spacious layout, and just a nicer looking gym all around.  We are still with the same gym company just a different location.  It may take us 3 more minutes to get to the gym from where we used to go, but I will do it for the sanity!  Now we don't have to wait for weights/cables or the cardio machines....I know I already said it, but SO nice to just walk in and start your workout and not have to stand around due to crowding!!  

I have burned more this week then all of the last month combined I think and I love getting back to our hard core stuff.  Courtney and I are up'ing our distance for the run we are training for and doing a great job....we are at about 1.25-1.30 miles right now and we will work on increasing our distance over time.  We are making progress and running for longer lengths of time each time we get to the treadmill to run.  I can't wait for the weather to get nice and days to get longer so we can start running outside.  I have to say, It is very nice to have someone next to you on the treadmill, knowing they are after the same goal. It's just a great motivation...we really do cheer each other on. 


Onto my other topic, I truly have been loving Pinterest.  It has helped me to continue working on my new years resolution of finding 2 new meals a month to add to our routine that is healthy.  We typically have the same things and this is adding spice and variety to our lives,  plus we enjoy cooking together in the kitchen and trying out new things.  In January I made the below dishes and they turned out YUM! 

1. Turkey Chili: we used pinto & kidney beans with 2 lbs of Ground turkey, chili seasoning and diced tomatoes...once you brown the ground turkey we just added the other ingredients and let it cook on the stove for one hour...it tasted GREAT and we were able to have left overs for lunches as well!

2. Chicken Quesadillas (made with a twist from a recipe I found)

I used Spinach wraps I found at the grocery store in the bakery aisle.  I used grilled chicken, black beans, tomatoes, and light Colby jack cheese and added some light sour cream on the side for dipping.  I have a Quesadilla maker so this was very easy for me to do and dinner was not only fast but healthy!  I liked that I made a twist on it and used the Spinach wraps which are thinner and not as heavy as typical flour tortillas.  

I am still going through my Pinterest healthy recipes board but I really want to try and make this soon!!  It is Creamy White Chicken and Artichoke Lasagna.  If anyone wants the recipe, here is the link for the site where it is posted. 

http://tandriantastytidbits.blogspot.com/2011/11/creamy-white-chicken-and-artichoke.html?showComment=1320724777727#c2360032814037639630

Weight loss update: held steady as of mid week, now just holding off till Saturday morning to see where I will be on my weigh in day.  I am kinda nervous to see what my body has been doing and not being able to peek at the scale has been hard.  I did however fit into a size 10/12 jeans at the store this past week, that shocked me!! I haven't been a size 12 since after high school which was 20 years ago!!!  Now I really have to go out and start getting more clothes one by one. The pants and tops I have are just too loose and look a little silly since I still have the 16s in my closet and only have 2 pair of size 14 jeans.  The 16s need to go and I need to get more clothes to replace them. This time last month I got rid of the 18s, amazing how now I need the 16s to go....I  need to check out co-signment shops only because I don't want to spend a lot of money since I still haven't yet reached my final goal.  So I might check those out soon and see what I can find.  

                                      Ending Motivational picture for today:

Motivation & Looking forward

I found a great motivation on Pinterest last week when I was looking through the website.  I shared this with a couple of friends and I have officially decided I need to do this for myself for the 15 pds I want to get to for my first weight loss goal.  It's a daily visual and I just think the idea is awesome!


It's called Motivation Marbles and here is a picture of them:

Now, this is just an example from a web blog (credit to HotMessPrincess for her pic) and this is what she wrote on her blog: 

There is a marble for every pound I have to lose from my top weight of 381 pounds. That’s 219 marbles, folks.  Here’s the Hot Mess twist:

In addition to the regular marbles, there are 11 little pink jewels…one for every set of 10 pounds I lose, since I’m doing this “by the tens”.

And the final stroke of Hot Mess genius:  look at the bottom center of the “Pounds to Go” jar.  Do you see the large pink jewel?  Goal weight.  I get happy feet just looking at it.

Of course, I love pink…so hubby’s going to have to deal with these babies in our bathroom.  He thought this was pretty cool, though, so I don’t see him objecting.  I’m keeping them on the bathroom counter so I can see them every time I step on the scale.  And every time I lose a pound…or two…I’ll be able to reach out and play with my marbles.  :-)

Again, as I stated I think this idea is awesome and doesn't have to cost much at all.  I have seen these marble/rocks in bags at the local Dollar Tree along with glass vases like this.  Then all you have to do is by some decals for the words at the local craft store and this is an easy project under $10!  I have shared this with a lot of people and I hope it inspires some and they get to do it!  

As for other news, I gained a small amount back (@2pds) this week since I have been back on my feet.  I think I am probably right now at the weight I should be at this moment in time and that is perfectly fine.  I am still at my lowest weight in 6+ years and this is a life changing thing and I am not worried what so ever.  I will still eat right, run, do my exercises, etc and my body will adapt and start losing again.  It's only been 1 week since I have worked out fully and I have a whole lot of time to lose the weight :)   I do want to share a great motivational picture my photographer friend put together for me. 

The picture on the left is me prior to starting this journey and and the picture on the right was taken of me last week.

This is something I keep looking at to realize how far I have come and how great I am doing. 

Changing the subject, I am proud to say I am training in running and looking forward to doing a 5k with my friend Courtney on May 26th 2012.  It will be awesome and something that will be different and a challenge.  I am VERY excited!!  I have been at the gym working/training on my running this week again since I am back on my feet after being sick for 3 weeks and the highest distance I have so far is 1.83 miles.   The marathon will be 3 miles, I am confident I will do well when the time is here. 

                               Ending Motivational picture for today:

Childhood and Last nights workout

It's been day 2 since I have been feeling better and for that, I am thankful.  Very thankful.  I was taking for granted what it was like to be well and feeling good.  I was starting to think that the past 3 weeks were going to be with me for quite a long time and that was starting to depress me. However, not the case, the sickness, cold, allergies, whatever it was is now gone and I can focus on my health and well-being again... YAY! 


I had some random thoughts in my head as I was driving home from work last night.  I was starting to think of snacks and what we feed our kids and what we teach them about food.  I  think it came from the last conversation at work that I had with a co-worker about what we give our kids and how we teach them what is good to eat.  I remember when I was little my mom would give me a snack bag of cheetos or a snack pack size of M&M's when she picked me up, however, I ALSO remember how my mom always had fresh apple slices or orange slices for me for an after school snack.  My mom did a really good job of keeping me on point with snacks and trying to eat right.  She did good with me on moderation for things, I wasn't allowed to pig out and I was a very active child...I danced, played tennis, ran outside, and was always riding a bike up and down the street and around the neighborhood. Also I was skinny growing up, I wasn't an overweight child.  I didn't have issues with that till my underactive thyroid which started in my 20s and all the weight I am trying to lose now came on.  I was just thinking how processed my meals were though growing up, tacos, spaghetti, pizza, etc.  Sometimes we had chicken, beef, etc...but I remember more the eating out or "quick" meals. Again, it didn't affect me so much I love my parents very much, just was thinking about the food we ate growing up and how times have changed and how my mindset has changed so much now.  I can't even think about fast food now without thinking of the consequences, amazing how my mind has gone there since starting this journey.  Now I enjoy fresh food, natural products, and an occasional treat of eating/dining out and again, it's all in moderation.  
Marty and I have talked about if and when we have a kid how we would make sure they are educated properly on food, nutrition, and exercise.  We want our child to grow up healthy and strong.  In this regard, I have to give some great credit to my sister, she is doing a great job changing their eating habits, educating my niece, and her and my brother in law are cooking and starting to think healthy too.  


Now onto last night.....first things first, on May 26th I will be running a 3k with Courtney.  She told me about this run her camp that she works at every summer does and I thought that was great, it's something to work for, a goal and non scale achievement in my life.  I was never really a runner growing up as a kid  (blame the asthma and the military doctors for not listening to my mom that I always had it) even though somehow I got by with playing tennis all four years of high school with no problem and that required running, so I guess somehow I was a runner in a different way.  Anyway, I hadn't been to the gym in 3 weeks or done any kind of workout since being sick....well, even before getting there I was nervous...wondering how would my body react, would I get winded, would I be okay??  Well low and behold, I was just fine!  I was SHOCKED!  I got on the treadmill with Marty on my left on a treadmill to run with me and Courtney on the other treadmill on my right....I started the warm up and walked for 5 mins, then started running, it felt great, I had no desire to slow down and walk till about 9 mins in....I took a min break, slowed down, got some water then ran again and I only took one more minute break and basically ran 98% of the time for 20 mins!! I was so proud of myself. I was going to try the C25K program day 1 week 1, however, I think I need to try week 3 of the program since I have been running before being sick.  I ran a distance of 1.83 miles so 2/3rds of the way to the 3k I have to run in May.....very excited!  Today, my calf muscles are killing me though, LOL.


Weight and Measurement update: I weighed in last week however, I am going to try very hard to just weighing in one day a week (Saturday mornings). I am down 29.4 pds as of last week. I haven't been at this weight I am at now (in the 160s) in over 6+ years...last time I weighed this was back in 2006...I am very proud of my accomplishment and these last 12 pds to my 1st goal will be a struggle, but I am willing to do what needs to be done.  I also need to get back to measuring myself and will do that at the end of this month, going to try and do that on the 15th and 30th of the month going forward.

New Year new challenge!

I have neglected my blog for a while now....wow, it's been since October of last year that I wrote anything!  I need to get back on this.

First thing, I made a new years resolution and it's something I think I can stick to because, well it's fun and easy! First of all I plan each of our meals for the week....lunches and dinners....well in the dinner department its getting to be alot of the same things.  So, my new years resolution is at least once a week or two times a month, find a new healthy recipe and make it!  Tonight, we tried Turkey Chili for the first time making it ourselves and it was fun!  We like to cook together in the kitchen and it turned out great!  We are now going to be eating some leftover chili for a while, ha ha.  I know what I am going to have for lunch tomorrow, tee hee.

The first picture was us prepping the meat (turkey) and onions cooking them till done...then all you do is all the beans, seasoning (we made from scratch), and the diced tomatoes...stir it all in and let it cook on the stovetop for 1 hour.  I made some cornbread to go with this tonight.

My next adventure for next week is going to be Chicken and Artichoke Lasanga!   Here is the picture.  I can't wait to see how this turns out so STAY tuned :)

On another note, been sick with a cold/allergies/asthma issues so this new year hasn't yet allowed me to get to my exercise routines as much as I would like...actually not at all these past 3 weeks. I haven't worked out since before New Years Eve....it's bothersome, however, I am just currently trying to still eat right and keep my food journal going on Lose it and just trying to maintain and not gain anything...if I gain 1 or 2 here or there, that will be fine, I know in time it will come off...I have the whole rest of the year to get back on track...I have 13 more pds till my first goal of 150 pds...then I will try for my last 10 pds to get to 140 pds.  That's my goal for 2012 and I should be able to hit that by summer....at least I hope!

Everything else is going well, also another goal for 2012...save money the best we can, get bargains where we can, plan ahead on things and we are doing good 3 weeks into the year...we are back to getting food at the wholesale store (BJs) where we can get the everyday things we need in bulk and spend less over time.  It is really helping us out...plus they have a great organic fruit section for the winter time where other grocery stores seems to be dwindling out on their produce.

So, once I get this cold/allergy issue done, watch out world....2012 is my year!  :)