Elf4Health in Review

During the past four weeks I was privileged to have been part of the Elf4Health challenge run by two great women. I stumbled across this challenge from another blog that I was following. It is amazing how wonderful these blogs can be to help lead you to something wonderful and exciting!

I was partnered up with another Elf, one for the first two weeks and a second for the last two weeks. Both elves were great support systems and I really enjoyed communicating with them. My first elf really got me going on the right track though and encouraged me to hit all of the challenges laid out for us.

When I tell you there was a great support system, I really mean it. Not only did I have awesome elves but there was even a Facebook group created so that we could share our pictures of us completing the challenges. It was great to see how people took the challenges and went in so many different directions and made each challenge their own.

Below is a list of challenges that we completed through the four weeks. If you run across this challenge next year, make sure to sign up! I will be on the lookout next year for this challenge.

Spreading Christmas Through Ornaments!

Fellow blogging friends of mine Jennifer and Jenny decided to host an Ornament Swap in which they invited other bloggers to join up, then they gave us partners and it was our task to get to know our partners over a few weeks. I would certainly check out Jennifer and Jenny's blogs if you have not already. These ladies are pretty fabulous!! What a great job they did with the Ornament Swap.


I was very fortunate to have a wonderful partner named Katie. She blogs over at Big Apple Girl and is so good at paying attention to detail and I am pretty sure has read almost all of my blog posts to see who I am as a person. I was thoroughly surprised to receive my ornament and then be able to open it up not knowing what to expect. I almost started crying because this ornament has to be my all time favorite and came at such a great time. I was losing steam with my weight loss and my journey but Katie has re-motivated me to keep going on.

Can I say... COOLEST ORNAMENT EVER!!! 

I really enjoyed chatting with Katie and getting to know her over the past few weeks. She has encouraged me to share some of my other talents with all you blog folks so the next blog post will be about one of my hobbies.. You will not want to miss it! Make sure to go and look at all the other ornaments that were sent to my blogger friends either through Jenny or Jennifer's link ups! If you were not a part of it this year, I highly recommend participating next year. This is going to be a new Christmas tradition for me.

Lessons we Learn

With the help of one of my fellow elves, Brianna put together a link up. So my guest poster is the very talented Laurie who has a few blogs; Travel with Cajunville and RV Cajun Cooking.

☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼  ☼

God, don’t we have enough experience yet?

The CEO of a very successful business was asked how he became so successful.  He responded “he never makes mistakes”.  The interviewer asked “how do you do anything and not make mistakes?”  To which the CEO responded, “Experience”.  The interviewer then followed up with one more question, “how did you get your experience”.  The CEO finally responded, “I made lots and lots of mistakes”.

Expertise can come from experience and is not always the result of a mistake; sometimes stuff just happens.  My husband, John, and I are dedicated RVers and we recently took a trip from Louisiana to a family wedding in Boise, Idaho and back to Louisiana.  In seven years of RVing this was by far the trip with the most “RV experience” leading to expertise.  Some of our friends call this our “trip from Hell!”

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

The lessons started as we pulled out of our driveway when our pivoting hitch began making a popping sound.  Long story short, six hours later after a complete pin box rebuild we began our trip. 

No blinkie, no blinkie, no blinkie

First morning in Texas during our safety check before getting on the road, we thought we had a burned out taillight.  Three days later, after backtracking half a day, a professional service technician changed a portion of the wiring harness in the RV which had shorted out and we once again pointed the front bumper in the direction of Boise.

“John, why is that truck kinda sideways?”

A couple days later traveling into Colorado we started receiving interstate high wind warnings.  They continued to increase through Denver until we reached the Wyoming border.  At the first Wyoming exit we were met with flashing lights with the instructions, “warning high winds, all RVs must exit now”.  Luckily we had planned to stop for the night at that exit so we had reservations and we rocked and rolled all night.

LOUD BANG!  No, really, a LOUD BANG!

Our next experience occurred in the town that coal built, Rock Springs, Wyoming.  Most RVers that pull a 5^th wheel trailer will tell you there are two kinds of RVers those who have unexpectantly dropped their trailer and those who have yet to do so.   Upon pulling out of the campground at Rock Springs, the trailer slid from the hitch and banged onto the bed of the truck.  After the chaos of the immediate bang after we were able to catch our breaths we realized no real damage had been done; we rehitched and were on our way.

Flap, flap, flap, bang!

Sometimes wine is more expensive than it first appears.  Returning from Guy Drew Vineyards after purchasing our obligatory case of wine,

we crossed the private bridge exiting the property and caught our tire on a damaged piece of metal.  After entering the highway the telltale flap, flap, flap, bang told us somehow the wine was going to be more expensive than we had just paid for it.  Two days later and two tires later that case of wine ended up costing us about $700.

Big Bang! (way back there someplace)

A Big Bang between Pecos and Ft. Stockton, TX began a several day saga that saw us replace not only a damaged trailer tire but our spare tire as well. 

Whir, Whir, oh crap!

“John the right leg is not coming up”.   We were two hours late leaving the campground in Beaumont, Texas due to a bolt coming loose from our front leveling legs on the RV.

Finally on the road on the way home.

Bump, Bump, Geez…Bump, Bump, Geez… 

Yes we are getting closer to Louisiana.  But, then there was that really big bump not long after getting on the Interstate.

Honk, Honk, Honk. 

The guy in the car next to us on the Interstate in Beaumont tells us we are dragging our waste water tank.  What?  Impossible.  Nah…  On the side of the interstate with the RV oscillating back and forth from the 70 mph traffic passing inches from the RV, John is under the RV having a near death experience and finally frees the tank hanging under the RV.   After emptying the tank (clear, fresh water thank goodness) we are loaded up and headed for home once again.

Certainly a part of expertise is experience and while we don’t claim to be RV experts necessarily we certainly have a lot of RV experience and therefore expertise.  On our last leg of the trip home John looks at me and smiles that quirky smile he has and chuckles, then I look at him and blurt out, “OK God, we have enough experience, you can stop now”.  

New Years Resolutions and the Gym

So my sister asked me to write a blurb to be put in a nutrition newsletter about fitness and New Years Resolutions. This is what I came up with for the newsletter and it was sent off tonight.

January is right around the corner and it is time to begin thinking about a New Years Resolution for 2014. Did you know that 40% of Americans create Resolutions each year with 21% choosing to lose weight and 14% want to increase the amount of exercise they are doing? This is why gyms around the country see an influx of people signing up for memberships and attending throughout the month of January. I have clients come in with the best of intentions and by the end of January, only a vast few are left trying to accomplish their Resolutions. The reason is due to the fact that when we create goals, they are often far out of reach and unattainable which causes people to lose their momentum because they are not where they ‘see’ themselves being.

When setting fitness goals, one should have a larger goal in mind and then set up mini goals to reach along the way. One of the easiest and sometimes most difficult goal can be to walk into the gym with an open mind. Take the time to talk with other clients and staff members to figure out what it is that you want to set as your goal and then work to achieve. Maybe you want to lose inches off your body but do not know how, or you want to eat better but are not sure what direction to go. Another small goal could be to sit on the floor and be able to get up with ease. Remember there is no such thing as a silly or too simple of a goal, and whatever you choose does not have to be extravagant and over the top. One client had trouble touching the floor as one of the moves to a Zumba song. She decided to make that her larger goal and created smaller goals that she would work towards. First she started with touching the floor once, and then twice, soon she was touching the floor every other time. At the end of two months she was able to not only hit the floor every time but would hit it hard so everyone knew she had succeeded in reaching her goal, it was her reminder that she can do it. This inspired her to create another goal in which she tried other fitness classes that were being offered at the gym to see what she could challenge herself with.

Your goal can be that simple; trying one new class a week or even one new class a month. Make a goal to increase the amount of time or the number of days you spend at the gym. When creating your New Years Resolution consider a few things:

1. Make it attainable
2. Create mini goals to get to the larger goal
3. Be realistic
4. Believe in yourself

Out of the 40% of people who create New Years Resolutions, only 8% of people are able to carry out and reach their goals. Are you willing to challenge yourself to be part of that small group to successfully complete your goal in 2014?

Gym and Personal Records

With the Elf4Health challenge this month, it has really pushed me to do more and push my boundaries to be a better person and look at what I can do to simplify/better my life. I have been able to do many of the challenges and while some I was not able to accomplish, I am not giving up. One of the best features is that I have been given two separate elves to help me out these past three weeks.

I put a hold on my membership for three months because I had started TurboFire and did not want to lose my last month membership. So I started up again on Wednesday. I have a deeper appreciation for the gym and have realized how vital it is in my own life and that 

Today was one of my favorite challenges because it forced me to be uncomfortable. I dragged myself out of bed before work to go to Spin class. So I made it to the 6am class and then the challenge for the day was to run your fastest mile. I did that today and have beat all previous records that I have personally held. I started a year ago with completing the 1 mile in 19 minutes. This morning I was able to run 1 mile in 10:19. It is my personal best and I am very proud of myself for having come so far in the last year. 

With the end of the year coming up, what are you proud of? What is something that you have accomplished in the past year or have noticed a change in?

First Time Video

So my sister Stevie, owns her own gym which caters to women only. I go down there about once a month and workout or get a nice massage. It is a really nice place and she has been in business for a number of years now and have moved a few times because of a need for more space for her clients and the workouts she offers.

Once a week Stevie puts up a video of some tips that will help clients during the week or some minor changes that may help improve their diet/exercise regime. We were all home for Thanksgiving so she decided that I would be the perfect 'guest' for the video this week. It is my first time on actual video and I think I did pretty good for a first time. It was about the holidays and how to stay on track during the next month or so with holiday parties, Christmas and New Years. So check it out, let me know what you think!!

Elf4Health

I love support groups and having others encourage me and encouraging others. With the holiday season coming up a fellow blogger posted about a challenge coming up called Elf4Health. Basically we are all assigned an "elf" or buddy for two weeks. Our goal to motivate the other person and support them through blogging and e-mails. I was so excited to look at the nicely created spreadsheet by Elle and Lindsay. They are working hard behind the scenes to create a successful event for all of the 800 participants involved.

My Elf for the firs two weeks is a lovely woman named Crystal. She is a fabulous person that is so full of life and enjoys communicating with me. I enjoy receiving e-mails from her on a daily basis, once in the morning and another at the end of the night. While we are only two days in, I like having that constant contact and be able to see where we are struggling. I am using the perspective that I am telling her what my plans are and I cannot let her down. Almost as if this was a relay and we are relying on each other to hit a home run with these two weeks.

Each week we all receive an e-mail with the upcoming events and challenges for each day. This week is not looking too difficult.
Monday: Go meatless. I was able to do this except at dinner because of the 2 pieces of bacon I ate.
Tuesday: Unsubscribe to at least 3 emails. I was at 75 and am down to 25. 
Wednesday: Try a new workout
Thursday: Call someone to tell them you are grateful for them
Friday: Track your water intake
Saturday: Treat yourself
Sunday: 100 Burpees

I have been re-motivated to finish 2013 off on a high note. Not to mention I want to crush my Diet bet challenge and see 175 for the new year. My other challenge for the week is to burn 3,500 calories. With have a pre-Thanksgiving feast tomorrow night and then Thanksgiving on Thursday, I do not want there to be a question with weigh in. I am knocking it out of the water.

I have not felt this inspired in a while. Keep your mind open to everything around you and inspiration will come to you when you least expect it. If you want to participate in the Elf4Health, there is still time. You can join the next round which will happen in two weeks. Cheers to taking the steps to make your life better.

The Chew

One of my friends posted on Facebook last Sunday that she had an extra ticket to go sit in the audience of The Chew on Tuesday. So, I decided to jump on the opportunity and spend the morning in NYC at the taping. I was so excited to go, and not just for the fact it was my first time at a taping but also because I was able to take the train in to the subway over to 66th street.

Now some of you may not know but I grew up on Long Island, so I jump on the chance to get back into the city whenever I can. I could not help but take pictures of my exciting day. Lower Manhattan on my train ride in. The tallest building is of course the Freedom Tower. It was BEAUTIFUL and such a great sunrise! 

I got off the subway at 7am and walked over to Columbus Avenue and 67th street. On my walk over, I was excited to see one of the news shows. 

My friend Catherine and I were able to get in quickly. We got our tickets and we were number 15 and 16. They moved us from the street to a white room to wait until we could move to the studio. They started calling numbers and so we got in when they called 1-20. We all walked down a long hallway before getting to where we sat as an audience.

This was my view from where they put us, the third row on the right. Which means, that you will be able to see my beautiful face a lot during the show. It was tough not looking at yourself in the camera that was showing the audience what they were looking at.

So we all were sitting and the Emcee was pretty hilarious. He kept us laughing and entertained while getting ready for the taping and in between segments. There must have been 8 segments and each was about 5 minutes so they had music and Carla Hall was up dancing and enjoying herself with the audience.

During the segments, we were not allowed to take video or pictures so we waited until the end. Curtis Stone was not on the show and they had a guest come in. They were all great for standing and letting us take pictures of them.

The whole taping took about 1 hour. The audience members at the end of the show were given 3 coupons for green giant vegetables and a $90.00 gift card. I am still debating on what I want to do with mine. I have so many options.

Catherine and I decided to snap a picture at the end of the segment. I loved that we were able to go and experience this together. It was such a blast!

I researched a good place to eat brunch since we were out of the studio by 10:30 am and I was hungry especially since I ate sporadically starting at 3:45 am when I got my butt out of bed. So we went to this cute Morningstar Diner on the corner on 57th and 9th Avenue. I would certainly recommend it to anyone, the food was great and since the windows were all glass, the sun was shining on us giving warmth.

Catherine and I journey back to Penn Station so I could catch the next train back out to New Jersey. Luckily I did not have to use my subway card so I will certainly be heading back out to the city soon so we can go see a show or something. In true tourist fashion *eventhoughIamnotatourist*, I had to take a picture of the Empire State Building.

I will certainly be meeting up with Catherine again soon. I predict a Broadway play in my near future.

But, if you want to see the episode that I am in, check out The Chew on Monday November 25th at 1pm EST on ABC. I will be there in my purple shirt, smiling from ear to ear. If you have never been in the audience before, I suggest you do it. It is such a fabulous experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Weather Struggles

Colder weather has always been something that I have enjoyed. As a young child, I enjoyed going out and making snowmen and hanging out in the snow. I was warm and looked like a little Eskimo. 

We would sled down the driveway or the dirt bike trail behind our house. I did not mind going out and shoving the driveway with all the annoying blue stone since our driveway was not paved. 

Things started to change for me last year though. Since starting to lose weight, I never seem to get warm even in the hottest days of the summer. It is only mid November and the cold has hit me hard. 

1. I have not exercised since the end of October. Why? Because it is too cold in my house and I rather sit under blankets than actually move around even though I will get warm. 
2. Eating is sporadic. Unless it is warm, I do not like eating it. Nope, no ice cream, not into yogurt. Milk? Forget about it. 

What does the winter mean to me? Well, I need to get my butt moving, whether I want to or not. I have to get in the mindset that I will not be this cold next year. I need to get to goal weight so that I can be firm with my clothing outfit purchases and not worry about dropping sizes from one year to the next. I am only 33 lbs from goal weight, so close and yet it feels so far. I need to kick this cold weather's butt so that I can prove to myself that I am totally worth it.

Cheers to the winter, with all the lovely holidays, and cold weather. Cheers to my continued journey of looking and feeling healthier than ever.

Trip Down Picture Lane

I decided to take a walk down picture lane on my Facebook. I was scrolling through my page and all my posts about being thankful for something each day and then I saw my pictures. Something drew me to looking through them because it is rare I go back and look at old photo's especially since they are of me. 

But I found one that really caught my attention out of all of them. I am not sure exactly what it was about this picture but my mouth dropped and I had to flip through the rest of my pictures and then go back to this one. I mean, I know that I was larger just two years ago but I guess it never hit me HOW big I actually was. I have been telling myself that I was not as heavy as I really look in the pictures and that I really hold my weight well. I was not svelte by any means or a "normal" stature but I never thought to call myself obese let along morbidly obese. I mean take a long hard look at this picture. My rear end is out of the picture because my rear was too wide. My stomach, well I am sure I could not even see my feet if I looked straight down. 

I wonder what I thought pre-weight loss. How I viewed life as far as what I looked like in reality and how damaging it was for myself. I think it is one of those memories that I have removed or one that I try not to remember about the person I once was. Yet I realize that this picture will be my reminder of my college years, one that was filled with lots of eating and stressful times but yet I was 'content'. I use that lightly because I know that the way I viewed myself was to ignore it and hope that it would go away while truthfully, I could not stand to face myself and the demons of my past.

So tonight, I decided to take a picture of myself to remind me of how far I have come. I took this picture with so many smiles because I know that I am not the same person I was as an undergraduate. What a difference two years can make! I am happier than I have ever been and it is finally starting to click in my brain that I am no longer the person that I once was; at least physically and appearance wise. I realize now that my life is a blessing and all the things I do now for myself and my body are important. I will always struggle with my addiction to food and the feelings of inadequacy. My hope is that the feeling I have tonight shines through it all. The feeling o being so beautiful and realizing that I have done something amazing with my life that not many people succeed in doing. I am no longer that young adult in the above picture. I am someone who is new, who is thin and should flaunt my beautiful body.

Thankful November

With October behind us, November is already starting on a great foot. The weather is absolutely beautiful today! It is nice and warm and there was little to no wind. I am excited for the upcoming holidays and a month of reflection of all the things I am grateful for in life.

Recap of goals from October.

1. Continue Turbo Fire throughout the month It was a struggle but I was able to stick with it
2. Run 2 5k's - Color Run 10/5 and Borough Run 10/12 I did both and placed in the Borough Run!!
3. Continue focus on ratio of fats/proteins/carbs It is a constant work in progress but I am able to see changes.
4. Plank every day and record time Fail on my part. Did not happen
5. Hit beast mode on all EOT challenges on LoseIt! Some challenges I did but not all
6. Start a squat challenge for the month Failed at this one. Did not attempt it
7. Continue preparing meals on Sundays Very easy to do and nailed it every time.
8. Dedicate a weekend to just myself, taking care of my needs. That weekend was awesome, staying in my pajamas, cleaning my room. Just what I needed to do!
9. Drop 5 lbs Lost 2 lbs this month
10. Go for a bike ride on Wednesday's My bike is collecting cob webs. I did not even try to get out.

Overall, I did pretty okay. Not so well on the challenges and I realize that is my fault. I feel like I take on too much and it causes me to get overwhelmed and I struggle to hit those goals.

I have decided that this month is going to be different. My goals for the month are actually going to be for the next two months since we are going in to the holiday season with 2 major holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas).

I want to see myself hit the 175 lb mark on the scale come January 1st.

Goals for November and December:

1. Write EVERYTHING down I eat.
2. Absolutely no candy.
3. Get rid of more carbs.
4. Turbo Fire every day.
5. Participate in Team Relay every weekend.
6. Do not eat anything made by family (pumpkin pie cake)
7. Resist temptation and record it for later use.
8. Limit time on computer and be active
9. Continue to meal plan for the rest of the year
10. Allow cheat days on weigh in days.
11. Be thankful for something each day.
12. Vary more of my snack foods.

Hooray for 75 lbs!

Just this month I hit a new milestone in my weight loss journey. Two actually that are very important to me. The first is one I do not remember doing but I am no longer classified as 'obese'. That is right, the BMI scale does not lie. I am not a fan of that way of telling how healthy someone is but it is nice to finally say that I am no longer another number in the obese population. I am now an overweight person and I want to shout it from the roof tops! This is something I have been working towards like crazy and NEVER thought I would get there. When I started, it felt like I would need a miracle to get there. 




The second milestone is pretty fabulous too. I have finally hit a 75 lb loss from my starting weight of 258 lbs. That is right, I am now 183 lbs. I received this nifty badge from LoseIt! and decided to go a little farther with the image from my profile. I took the image and printed it larger with the help of Microsoft Word. Then I cut it out and pasted it onto purple paper. Cut that and then laminated it. As of right now it is taped on the back of my bedroom door. I call it my 'door of motivation'. I also am cutting up the 10, 25, and 50 lb badge to laminate and put up there. Also, I am preparing myself for my next goal...... 100 lbs!! I am currently 3/4 of the way to my goal.

I am certainly looking forward to continuing my journey to be healthy and fit. It has not been easy but the rewards have been better than anticipated. My favorite reward right now is being able to sing my heart out (while being on key!) I have had a deep passion for singing and was always told I sang off key. With the weight loss, I have worked on my voice and have been complimented by a number of people. The pay off has given me so many opportunities and I am grateful!


Here is a picture of my starting picture to my current 75 lb picture. I was feeling photogenic this weekend and my brain is wrapping itself around the differences in my body. It is tough some times because at times I do see the old me and there is a technical term called 'body dysmorphic disorder'. So I am working to retrain my brain to see what I look like now and today I realized I look pretty fabulous!

Thanks to everyone who continues to follow my blog. I hope that I can continue to motivate and inspire you to do the unexpected!

5k Runs

The past two Saturdays, I have participated in 2 separate 5k runs. That makes my 4th and 5th run under my belt. I am thinking of a few more 

My 4th 5k run was the Color Run in Allentown, PA. I went out the night before to pick up my packet and they did not have my registration so I had to run out to my car, get my phone and find my confirmation code. I was not looking forward to running at all especially since there was no one I knew running. I sucked it up though and ran it, there were a lot of people and TONS of hills that I had to run up but I finished in a little under 36 minutes. Tried not to get too much color on me since I knew I would get it in my car. Afterwards, I did NOT regret the run at all. Totally worth it all, especially the awesome music. I found out afterwards that they cut the run short because too many people were getting dehydrated and having to be rushed to the hospital. So glad I finished before all of that. 

The 5th 5k I ran was for the towns boro. There were 200 people signed up for the 5k and I was certainly looking forward to this run. One of my teacher friends inspired me to send my stuff in to run it and I am glad I did. I got there a bit early, and it was chilly out but I got my number and walked a bit to warm up. A high school classmate happened to be running as well so I chatted with her and promised to wait for her at the finish line. I came in at 33:24 which means I cut off 3 minutes from my run in April.

I decided to stick around for the results and see if maybe I placed because they did the top 3 for each age group and male/female. When they got to the 20-29 year old females, I was holding my breath. They called the first person up for first place and then......... second place went to me!! I was beyond thrilled and rocked my FIRST EVER medal! My high school friend Kelcie, won third place. I am still sitting on cloud 9, a day after my run. I feel like I am on top of the world and I can do anything. 

At this rate, I am going to need to find some way to show off all my racing bibs and my first medal. Some type of holder. Stay tuned also because winning 2nd has motivated me to continue to run 5k's in the hops of cutting my time first, but also possibly placing.

The Magical Cure to Weight Loss

There are "miracle" weight loss pills out on the shelves and new ones are being developed and tested every day. They are all temporary things to help make it easier to lose weight while not changing any aspect of your eating lifestyle. However, people are shocked when they get off the pill and start piling the weight back on. They did nothing about their lifestyle, only added a temporary fix to their problem.

Years ago I tried the weight loss pills and they got me to a certain point and I gained all of the weight I had lost back. That was 40 lbs in all. This time around, I have been on my weight loss journey for 15 months and lost a total of 72 pounds thus far. As of late, I have had people ask me about my weight loss to try and adapt some of my habits into their own lifestyle. They want to take the weight off for good but need that extra kick start, motivation. So as I pondered I came up with a list of things that are important to know. They are not in any specific order.

Top 10 Ways to be Successful

1. Understand BMR- Basil Metabolic Rate is the amount of calories your body needs to function throughout the day. This includes walking, sleeping, breathing, eating ect. This is the base amount of calories that are needed but it is suggested to eat 200-300 calories about this number. There are a bunch of calculators out there on the internet that can be used. This is just an estimate and the amount of calories is different for everyone. But it is easy to find and use as your starting point in losing weight.
2. Logging- Do you realize what you put in your mouth at any given point of the day? We do a lot of mindless eating throughout the day and are not always aware of the choices we make when it comes to food. Logging everything that passes your lips holds you accountable and you are more likely to be aware of what and how much you eat each day.
3. Meal planning- The question that I hear the most often in my house is "What is for dinner?" People who do not plan often hear this repetitively from those they live with. By taking an extra hour or two a week, sit down and plan out all the meals during the week. Factor in those nights you are eating out with friends or that work party. Want pizza one night? Throw that into the menu, but plan ahead and you are less likely to eat whatever is in the house and blow your calories.
4. Food Ratios- It took me a long time to realize how important it is to make sure the ratio of fats, proteins and carbs is decent. In fact, it was not until I started losing my hair that I realized I needed to focus on these and see what was going on. I upped my protein and started watching my carbs and I feel like a totally new person.
5. Cheating- Who has not ever been tempted to cheat? I cheat with my food once a week, generally it is on weigh in days. By cheating I do not mean getting wild and crazy but I eat up to what Loseit! considers my 'maintenance' calories and that is enough to get all the junk food I do not normally eat during the week into my day and satisfy me for another week.
6. Exercise- 20% of losing weight is from exercise. Get in that 30 minute walk or run and your body will thank you for it. No matter how much exercise you do, it helps not only your mood but your heart will love you and the weight may even come off a little quicker. 
7. Experimentation- I have found a love in the kitchen that I never anticipated. Trying new recipes and adding new foods into my diet. Tonight I just made snickerdoodle blondie cookies and chick peas was the main ingredient. It smells delicious in the house! Find what works and what does not work, this includes exercise and food combinations throughout the day.
8. Motivation- The only person who can motivate you is you. I cannot wave a magic wand and give you my motivation or find some from you within your mind. Motivation comes from within yourself, if you do not have it, you are most likely to fail what you begin. My motivation started with the death of my friend and has become something more. I want to know what it feels like to be thin and healthy. What other kind of motivation could I want?
9. Rewards- One of my favorite things about losing weight is rewarding myself for the weight I have lost. Now, I am not talking rewards as in food but other things to celebrate an important accomplishment in my journey. I have given myself a reward for 10 lbs, 25 lbs, 50 lbs, and most recently for getting out of the obese classification. My latest reward was a Schwinn bicycle, and it is an awesome ride. I love going out on it and getting farther than I could when I would walk or run.
10. Support- Trying to do something by yourself is a challenge. Having people walking by your side to help you when you are feeling low makes a world of difference. My support group continues to grow daily from my friends in real life to those I have met online. I am constantly challenging myself because I know that if I trip and fall, someone is always there to pick me back up and help me along.

Making the time for yourself is another issue that many people have. The excuse that they cannot do it because of this reason or that reason. It may seem hard at first but this journey is a constant work in progress. I know I have my good days and bad days but I do not discouraged and keep on trucking along. My success is dependent on the continual growth with the basic ten list above.

Hello October!

Another month has come to a close and it was an absolutely unforgettable month! Just to recap some awesome things that happened in my life...

My new bicycle!

• College started up again, and what awesome classes I have!
• I am in beast mode on the Eye of the Tiger Challenge
• Worked a lot this month subbing!
• Rocked an interview yesterday
• Visited friends who I missed terribly (after not seeing them for 5 months) and did not realize how much I miss them until I left.
• Lost a crap ton of inches.
• Am no longer classified as obese!! You read it right, my BMI is now in the overweight range and I am loving every minute of it. 
• Cooked and baked at least 1 new recipe a week!
• Won two diet bets with money still being figured out how the pot is being split

And then I totally forgot about my goals for the month but looking back I pretty much hit all of them... Here were September goals..

1. Start and continue Turbo Fire during the month Done that and still doing it. The results are amazing!
2. Focus on ratio of fats/proteins/carbs. The program states to have a 20/40/40 ratio to get the best results.  I need to get as close to that number as possible. A work in progress. I went from 19% protein in my diet at the end of August to 34% this morning. A huge success! Carbs and fats are also down. ☺
3. Eat more veggies! Did not happen as I wanted. There are a lot of carbs in veggies so still trying to find a balance.
4. Do 9 minute missions every morning. Lasted all of one week and that was it. Good intentions but I am not motivated.

October is here and while the weather may not feel like it, the leaves are starting to change and the tractors will be out soon to gather up the corn in my backyard. I am excited and anxious to hit my goals this month!

1. Continue Turbo Fire throughout the month
2. Run 2 5k's - Color Run 10/5 and Borough Run 10/12
3. Continue focus on ratio of fats/proteins/carbs
4. Plank every day and record time
5. Hit beast mode on all EOT challenges on LoseIt!
6. Start a squat challenge for the month
7. Continue preparing meals on Sundays
8. Dedicate a weekend to just myself, taking care of my needs.
9. Drop 5 lbs
10. Go for a bike ride on Wednesday's

A lot of great goals for the month, just have to be laser focused and go for it. I think of this quote as I start hitting my goals for the month.

If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end.   -Julius Erving

What do plan to do for this upcoming month. What goals do you think you can accomplish and have a positive impact on your life?

Life Lately

My life tends to be anything but slow paced and "ordinary" and honestly, I would not have it any other way. The summer goes by so slowly but once September rolls around, I hit the ground running. 

My life has revolved around three major things lately. Work. School. Exercise. In that order. Work has been crazy but fun working with the Preschool 3 year olds. 

Then there is college. I am taking 2 classes this semester which means commuting to the school twice a week and doing lots of projects for my classes.

Lastly, my exercise program which is new for me and I am loving it immensely. It is a challenge for me and trying to eat healthy with this program gives me a run for my money. Especially when trying to make new recipes for meals and snacks.

Then the weekends are filled with a number of different activities. Going to Philadelphia, weekends in Camden County, birthday parties, 5k color run, and the list goes on and on.

But my greatest love right now is that life lately is continuously changing. I feel so blessed to be able to do the things I am doing in life and to spend time with friends who I cherish and treasure their friendship. My life is busy but I life it that way and I would not have it any other way.

Dear Nursie

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  Dear Nursie,

  Just recently I was writing down ‘my story’ on how I came to be an obese young adult. I compiled my list of memories over my years in school. While I was writing down my story and finishing up with Pulaski Street, I began to reminisce about my time spent at the Middle School. I was far too young to realize it then but now looking back, I see how much the Middle School had a direct impact on my life during that time and a lingering impact as I have matured through the past few years.

  I experienced a lot of bullying through my 7th and 8th grade years because of my weight and it had such a negative impact on my self-esteem. I never fully understand why the other kids were so mean and chose to treat me in such cruel ways. Of course there were days that I admired all the girls who were thin and healthy but I never made the connection that if I were to be conscious of what I put in my mouth, I could one day become skinny or at least be at a healthy weight. All of the days that I bought lunch and would buy from the snack stand the Snapple, Zebra Cakes and Strawberry Rolls had a direct impact on my weight. When I think back to those foods I tend to want to beat myself up for letting myself eat those things and let myself get so out of control. Yet, I know that I cannot go back and take back the things I ate or did not eat.

  As I reminisce of my Middle School years, you always come back to my mind. I never felt more safe and loved than when I was in your office, it was my safe zone during my 7th and 8th grade year. Stepping through your office door, I felt a sense of comfort and serenity. You nurtured not only me but the “group” of us kids who would come to you needing not physical healing but emotional healing and nurturing. Never did you pressure me to try and lose the weight or be like the other kids in school. I was treated like a Middle School student who had needs that in small ways you helped to fulfill. You accepted me for my personality for who I was on the inside as opposed to what I looked like on the outside.

  In a way you taught me so many life lessons during those years, that I would not realize until I “grew up” and was able to take a stand back and re-examine events in my life. You have this incredibly amazing gift to be able to take care of and care for children who really need it the most. Those hours I spent with in your office are memories that I wish cherish forever. The days we listened to the Bee Gee’s and the hamsters (?) you had on your desk that sang. The way I would feel walking into my ‘safe zone’ leaving all my worries and cares at the door. Just for a little while I could be a kid and not worrying about the impending move from Long Island to New Jersey.

  I will never forget the last time I saw you. It was the 8th grade graduation ceremony at the High School. I was filled with so many emotions; anger, hurt and sadness. It was all due to the day coming so near that I would have to say good-bye to everyone I held close, everyone who I loved. You were one of the chaperones at the dance after the ceremony and the group that once congregated in your office, were all congregating in a circle. Right outside the cafeteria door is where we said our good-byes. A piece of my heart left with you that night and it has always been with you.

  Thank you for all that you have ever done for me. While it may have seemed insignificant at the time, it meant the world to me and it continues to mean a lot to me. The things you did for me touched me in a way that I cannot put into words. Your kindness has furthered my desire of becoming the best teacher that I can be. While you may not have been an official “teacher”, you were a teacher of the best lessons of all; life lessons. Not many teachers/school staff can do that through simple gestures or conversations. I have realized by looking back on my middle school years, I may not have made the best choices especially with my eating habits but I am learning and growing. I know now how I got to be where I was in both weight and my self-esteem. Simple things that I did and sometimes do, like eating when I am stressed has made me become self-aware of when I eat and what emotions I am feeling at that time.

  I am proud to say that I am finally at the weight I was when I walked across the stage at my 8th grade graduation. I have all intentions of continuing in my journey to be a healthy individual for not only myself, but for everyone who has ever had a positive impact on my life and most importantly for my future. I will soon be closing a 10 year door on my weight loss journey and leaving the 200’s behind. It baffles me every time I think of it because I am taking another step closer to being healthy and at a weight where I am no longer classified as ‘obese’. Yet this 10 year road would not be complete without bumps along the way or roads with uncertain futures. Thank you for being there for the early years of my 10 year journey to help set up the foundations that I am using to help improve my own life.

  Much love always,

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  *****This post is part of Blogtember, the challenge was to write a letter to someone special in your life.