Get to know me, not my fat!

For so many years I would never reach out and get to know people for fear of being "Fat Shamed" or made fun of behind my back. Sounds silly in this day and age that people are still so childish that they discriminate against obese people, but it happens everyday. It even has a name called "Fat Shaming" and it means what it says, where people are rolling their eyes, laughing at, poking fun or just being rude and trying to shame an obese person.

While I blame no one for my size and weight, I don't think it is right to make a person whom is obese feel worse than they already do about themselves. Personally I do not see how that will change their lifestyle or situation one little bit. In my case it made me become a hermit and I am not joking about this. For years I would not leave my home except for the occasional trip to the grocery store for fear of the judging eyes and comments that were to follow me around the store. What was worse than the grocery store was when you would go out to eat at a restaurant and maybe you would treat yourself to a dessert, and you could feel people staring at you. Probably saying "Does she really need that piece of cake?" And of course the logical answer is "NO" I don't need this piece of cake.

But the bottom line was I had not reached my bottom line yet where I was ready to make the big changes that I need to loose weight and be healthy. This article is not to defend my size or other people's obese sizes, but it is to bring compassion to those of you whom are not overweight. If you met me in a grocery store would you start judging me in your head, saying oh thank god I am not that big, or man she needs to loose weight. Or would you try and walk up and simply say "Hi" to me. Unfortunately whether we want to admit it or not most of us  would start with the inner criticism having never met me, or knowing my journey and what it was that got me here in the first place.

Compassion is one thing I have for obese people because when I see someone whom is obese my first thought is, what happened to this person to get them to this point. Because every pound they have gained on their body there is a story to tell , and most times they are heart wrenching and heart breaking. Next time you go out to dinner, or your local department store and you see an obese person try not to judge them. Feel compassion because underneath all of that weight is a person in extreme emotional pain.

 

Strawberry & Blueberry Protein Smoothie

What you will learn about me is that I like to pack as much protein as I am allowed into my smoothies. There several reasons for this one being after surgery it will be crucial for me to eat a high protein diet, and two protein really helps you to feel full for a longer period of time. So all of my smoothie recipes that I share with you are always packed with lots of protein! This smoothie will give you 23 grams of protein in a 12 ounce serving that is awesome and it will range around 270 calories.



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Great tips to get you grilling healthy this year

With the weather starting to turn warmer it is time to start up that grill and start enjoying some tasty foods. But part of our new lifestyle of living healthier is making better food choices so today I was going to share some great tips for grilling healthier this year.

Make Better Food Choices:

One of the new things I have started doing is checking and reading the food labels of everything I eat now, and one of the things I recently saw that shocked me was the calories in just one hot dog could be as much as 350 calories, and that is just for one hot dog. So this year instead of choosing those high calorie options read your food labels and maybe opt for turkey burgers instead of beef hamburgers and substitute turkey dogs instead of normal regular hot dogs. By cutting those calories and fats from your diet will allow you to eat more with your meal like fresh fruits and veggies or a great side salad.

Choose great Condiments and toppings:
Another great way we tend to add a lot of unnecessary and unwanted calories is in our condiments and toppings. Be sure to read your food labels and when it comes to your ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauces, mayonnaise and more be sure to choose the lowest calories and lowest fat versions you can find. And for your toppings try to choose fresh options to keep your calories way way down, try offering fat free cheese slices or low calorie cheese slices, lots of dark green leaf lettuces, tomato slices, avocado to replace your mayonnaise, onions, cherry tomatoes and so much more.

Choose your leaner meat options:

This year try cooking chicken and fish like salmon instead of your traditional steaks and hamburgers and hot dogs. By choosing leaner cuts of meat you are lowering  not only the daily calories you are going to consume but also your fat intake. When cooking chicken be sure to marinate your chicken in a low calorie option to boost it with flavor and cook your chicken in its skin to keep it moist and just take off skin before eating to remove that unnecessary fat. If you want a steak just try to choose a more leaner cut of meat to help lower the amount of fat you are consuming like choosing a flank steak, top loin or filet Mignon instead of a rib-eye or T-bone which tend to be on the fattier side.

Use rubs instead of sauces and marinades:

We all know the best part of a good BBQ is the flavor that comes on the meat, and this year try using rubs and herbs and seasonings more instead of marinating in fattier marinades to help cut down the calories and fat intake. Use heart healthy oils like coconut oil or canola oil and then seasonings of your choice. Some great options are lemons, ginger, garlic, cracked pepper, hot peppers, onions, chiles, cilantro, steak and chicken rubs, and more.

Add some veggies to your grilling:

A super fun to incorporate some veggies into your grilling is to make some kabobs. Kabobs are great way to offer a healthy food choice which still getting your yummy veggies in. Some great veggies you could try this season are mushrooms, onions, red onions, green peppers, pineapple, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and more. For your protein options you could use chicken breast pieces, beef pieces, or a firm fish like a salmon or tuna. Just season in a low sodium and low calorie marinate or use a rub and grill those yummy veggies for a healthier grilling option.

 

 

Are you addicted to your scale?

When I first started out on my journey of learning to loose weight in a healthy manner, I was afraid to buy my first bathroom scale. By buying that bathroom scale it meant that for the first time in my life I really, truly had to be accountable to myself. No more was I going to be able to sneak in that extra cheeseburger or sugary snack and not have to worry about it, because now that bathroom scale would show me the true consequences of my actions.

For a few weeks I truly put off buying that scale, and then the worst part was having to buy the right scale for me. Now what that means is I started this journey weighing in at 326 pounds, you cannot just pick a scale up off the Walmart shelf and go. You have to do your research and make sure that the scale will be able to calculate  your weight, which in itself is very humiliating and shameful. Just another one of my things in life that I have had to adjust to to accommodate my size I had become.

Once I got that scale at home I made it a plan that I would weigh myself in every 3 days and I would weigh in at the same time each time. So the plan was to get up in the morning, go to the bathroom and then hop on the scale. One of the first thing I started to notice about my relationship with my bathroom scale was on some days I would be giddy as a school girl and other days it would leave me feeling depressed, mad at myself and ashamed. So this relationship with my bathroom scale was not starting off on the right foot. Soon I began to notice that I was developing an obsession with my scale, and instead of waiting my three day period I would find myself weighing myself several times a day, it was like a uncontrollable urge to see where I stood and then to scold myself. What I was noticing over time, is that I was allowing this bathroom scale to define the person I was becoming, rather than using this as a tool of losing weight like it meant for.

Soon I started to share with my friends in my support groups about my unhealthy relationship with my bathroom scale, and how it was almost turning into a unhealthy addiction how many times I was weighing myself a day. After speaking with several friends I realized I am not the only one who has or has had this same issue with their bathroom scale. So I started doing some research online to discover how I could fix, and turn this into a more healthy relationship where the number on the scale was simply a tool or information to motivate me to continue on my goal of loosing weight.

Here are a few signs that maybe you are having a unhealthy relationship with your bathroom scale:

1. Start to constantly weigh yourself:

When you first start out on your diet or healthy new lifestyle it is normal to be scared to step on the scale for your weigh in. But when you start to find yourself staring at your bathroom scale when you go to the bathroom and then start to find the urge to use it each time you see it, you might be developing an unhealthy relationship. You do not want to find yourself constantly preoccupied or obsessing with the number on the scale.

2. Find yourself weighing in more than once a day:

When speaking with my family physician whom I am working with on my 6 month medically supervised diet, he recommended weighing myself in on the scale no more than every 3-4 days and preferably once a week. The reason is your body is going to fluctuate in weight from each day with all the changes your body goes through. From the food you eat to the retaining water weight, bloating etc. By putting yourself on the scale more than once a day your are starting to put your mind through an emotional roller coaster that you do not need. Your journey to loose weight is a hard enough one without stressing yourself out even more.

3. At any point on any day you can point out your weight down to the fraction:

This could be a sure sign that you are starting to truly rely on the number on the scale too much. You should have a general idea of what your current weight but to know down to the fraction is a pure sign that you are weighing yourself too often.

4. You let the number on the scale determine how your day will go:

I suffered from this a lot when I first started out, if I saw a number that I didn't like I could have a full day of depression and going through the "Oh poor me" syndrome. And normally when this would happen I would quit, and that would be it my diet was now over. If I didn't see weight loss then in my mind that was a excuse to quite because obviously it wasn't working. Instead of looking at why did I gain that weight, did I eat unhealthy or maybe not work out enough or maybe it was my time of the month. All of these are factors in gaining weight.

So my advice to you is if you have any of the above symptoms then you are having a unhealthy relationship with your scale. At this point I would recommend putting your bathroom scale into a closet or out of the way and only bring it out once a week to weigh yourself and then immediately put it away when you are finished. By not having that bathroom scale out in the middle of the room staring at you, it will make it easier to stop weighing yourself in too much.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Juice Recipe

Yes you read that right I could not figure out a good name for this juicing recipe, so that is what I came up with. Now the great thing about juicing is that you are using fresh produce and there is so many wonderful combos you could try. Today's juice was created because basically I had produce that was starting to go bad, and rather than throw it out I used it in this juice drink. Also I have to be honest this was as seriously delicious juice with just a nice balance of sweet and hearty.

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Juicing, is this a crazy new trend, or is this for you?

So I saw my friend David was getting rid of his old juicer and I had always wanted to try one before so I was intrigued. Then he explained further that he had watched as documentary called "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" about a Australian man who started juicing for 60 days to see if he would start to feel better. So that night I headed to Netflix and watched this documentary myself and it was so interesting. The main person in this documentary is Joe Cross and it chronicles how on his journey of only consuming fresh juice he was able to get off all of his medications, drop a 100 pd, and get healthy.

It was a great documentary because it showed how Joe would go around the United States talking to people about what he was doing, and inspiring people along the way. This got me to thinking about how I have the next two months with all of this dental work I am going through, and how juicing might be a great option for me. Along this journey I had really tried to think very hard about any morsel food I put into my body, and how it will benefit me in the long run. One thing I know that I am constantly struggling to get more of is my fruit and veggies and figured this might be a nice option to substitute at least one meal daily with some fresh fruit and veggie juice.

While researching for this article I came across so many informative websites that praise juicing for your body, and I wanted to share just some of the benefits I came across to name a few.

• If you are not a big fruit or veggie person this is a great way to get a concentration of your fruit and veggies in a easy to drink juice form.


• Having a highly concentrated diet of fresh fruit and veggies can protect against cardiovascular diseases and cancer and inflammatory diseases to name a few.


• The nutrients and vitamins are more easily absorbed into your body in juice format.


• Eating Fruit and Veggie juice can help in weight loss.


• Juicing can help boost your immune system.


• Juicing provides you with tons of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Some Other great tips for healthy juicing:

• When choosing what you are going to juice try to get it at twice the amount of veggies to fruits. For example two fruits to four veggies that way you are not getting as many sugars in.


• When you juice you loose the natural fiber in your pulp so you can reuse the pulp in soups or muffin mixes to get your daily fiber in.


• Your calorie content on juices will remain lower if you tend to keep your juice heavier on the veggies than on the fruits.


• If  you need protein you can add almonds or yogurt into your juice or even peanut butter.

Word of caution here I would NOT recommend doing a juice only diet, without consulting your physician first. While juicing is awesome, you will also be losing out on a lot of nutrients and vitamins and minerals you need for example your protein which helps you to feel full. For me personally, I am going to add some unflavored whey protein powder to my juice drinks and use these as meal replacements one or two times daily. This is only for the time it takes me to get all of my dental work done. Figured juicing was going to be a healthier option for me personally then just eat soups and pudding for two months. During this juicing journey I will keep you posted on my progress but please remember all of my juices will have added protein.

 

Remembering those small milestones

The last few days I have been battling a horrible sinus infection, and just getting in any exercise in has proven to be a challenge. When I get sinus infections I tend to become a big air head, I think my brain is just on pause. So since I knew I was so tired and probably not ready for a round on the treadmill, I decided to at least try and get at least one class of water aerobics in daily. So Monday and Tuesday I was able to get one morning class in to allow myself to get some exercise in for the day.

This morning as I was walking into my local YMCA it hit me how far I have come in just two months time. When I first started this journey of trying to live a healthier lifestyle I was barely able to walk from one side of my house to the other without being winded and exhausted. In the middle of January I decided to sign up for YMCA to start attending water aerobics, per my surgeon's suggestion. The journey to get from the car to the front doors of the YMCA seemed like I was walking forever. When I finally reached those door handles, I remembered how hard I was breathing, and sweating.  Inside the doors I went in and sat at the chairs immediately to the left,  and just sat there trying to catch my breath. In that moment I remember my heart just racing, my breathing labored, and me sitting there wondering how I was going to be able to walk that everyday.

Sitting there in those chairs, I quietly had a conversation with myself, and I told myself that too often I would join the YMCA and then just simply give up and would quit coming. In honesty a lot of it was because the YMCA is so crowded that I would have to park in the far back parking lot, and walking from that parking lot into the YMCA was enough exercise as it was. I sat there in there chair and made myself a promise that this time would not be like all the other times, that no matter how long and how far the walk was,  we were going to come in and work out. So after I caught my breath, I made it to the front desk and signed up for my membership.

So this morning with my black and white and hot pink bag strapped over my shoulders and feeling exhausted from my head cold, I walked from the back parking lot into those doors of the YMCA, through the lobby and into the women's locker room. Never once did I have to pause or rest to catch my breathe, as matter of fact I had a brisk pace to my walking and I arrived into the women's locker room not out of breathe, but ready to tackle my class. This is a much different site to the one in mid January who could only make it was far as inside the doors before she would have to sit, and rest and catch her breath.

Those days are something I am not proud of, but in the same token I also would not change them. Because I know for a fact that someone reading this very story right now, can relate to where I was just a short time ago. Remember this lifestyle change I am going through all started with one step, and then another, and then another. The difference this time is, when I get tired and have those bad and rough days, I dust myself off and just keep going and pushing myself each and every day. And the most important part is to reflect back and see the changes you are making, and remember even those small milestones and victories along the way. Because they are all important in your journey.

Fun and Creative Ways to Spice Up Your Protein Shakes

My sister was telling me how she spiced up a Kelloggs Vanilla Protein shake the other day and it got me thinking of other ways we could change up our protein shakes. Because after awhile the protein shakes just loose their appeal and it is nice if we can offer some variety while still getting our much needed protein in us. Before I get ahead of myself I wanted to share what my sister tried as it sounds so delicious. My sister used the Kelloggs Vanilla Protein shake and she added it to a blender and added some ice, cinnamon and nutmeg and blended for a new frothy protein shake, it sounds amazing and so easy which I love.

A super easy way to add some flavor without adding any sugar or calories to your drink is to add some extracts to your shakes. Just a few drops of your favorite extract can add some powerful flavor without adding any additional calories or sugar to your protein shake. Some extract ideas you could try depending on the flavor of your shakes are vanilla flavor, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, coconut extract, orange or raspberry.

Another great option is to purchase a flavor shot syrup to your protein shake. When you go to your local coffee shop and get your favorite drink sometime they will add a flavor shot to your drink well you can buy those flavor shots online and they even offer sugar free versions for you to choose from. Here are just a couple I found online that you could try and see if they have any flavors you might like.

1.  Da Vinci Gourmet


2.  Torani

Another great options and probably something you already have in your kitchen right now is spices. Sometimes I think we forget how wonderful and powerful adding spices can be when we are cooking, and the same thing can be said about adding some spice and flavor to our protein drinks. Some great spices you could try to help add some flavor to your protein shakes are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and of course cloves just to name a few.

Another great option I saw on another site is that someone took their protein shakes and added it to popsicle molds and created frozen protein bars. It was a great and fun way to still get your protein in but to get it in a new format.

New Yummy Salads From Wendys

All weekend I have been fighting off a sinus infection and today I just wanted something light and easy for lunch so I stopped by Wendy's and saw they had added two new delicious salads. Wendy's tends to have awesome salads and I always love the variety they offer, but remember those salads can have as much calories as a regular double cheeseburger if you are not careful.

The one I tried today was the BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad and I got the half size as I was not that hungry. This is a very tasty salad but if you are not careful it can really pack on the calories as well. This salad is topped with roasted corn, large bacon pieces, grilled chicken, cheese, diced tomatoes, has BBQ sauce drizzled on it, and on the side you are also get Marzetti's BBQ Ranch Dressing, and bag of croutons. Now on my salad what I did to keep the calories down was I first removed all the bacon pieces they are pretty large pieces so very easy to remove, next I removed about half the cheddar cheese and then I did not use the croutons or the salad dressing as it was already topped with BBQ sauce and figured that was enough calories for me. This salad was super delicious and very filling and a great alternative to your traditional lettuce salads. Calories for this salad with everything it comes with is 310 calories and that is for a half order, that is why you want to try and cut as many calories as possible.

The second new salad they are now offering which I did not try yet is their new Asian Cashew Chicken Salad. This salad looks amazing and it contains edamame sauce, spicy roasted cashews, grilled chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, and comes with croutons and Spicy Asian Chili Vinaigrette salad dressing on the side. Let me know if you have tried this one yet and how you like it. For a half salad the calories on this are 240 with a full salad having 380 so the calorie count is much lower on this salad then on the BBQ Chicken Salad.

 

Overnight Oatmeal perfect on the go breakfast

As everyone knows I am constantly running out the door each morning to make it to make it to  my water aerobics classes on time, and I usually am making a quick smoothie or grabbing a protein bar. But that is not a huge selection or variety for breakfast and then I came across these recipes for the No cook overnight oatmeal and I was excited as I love oatmeal. Personally I have only tried a few of the recipes below but I am working on trying them all and if you have another good one or an alternative please be sure to add that to our comments section.

You will want to start with mason jars or small containers with tight fitting lids so are making individual servings to make it a easy on the go breakfast item.

In your mason jars you want to add the following:

1/4 uncooked old fashioned oatmeal

1/3 cup of milk you can use skim, 1%, silk, almond milk choice is yours

1/4 C Greek Yogurt non-fat I used the vanilla bean flavored

1/2 tsp of chia or flax seeds optional

Now at this point add your lid and shake until all the ingredients are mixed really well. Then you can choose any combos from below to make your own flavors or add your own ingredients.

1 tbsp of sugar free strawberry jam or preserves and also 1/4 cup of fresh strawberries

1 tbsp of sugar free blueberry jam or preserves and also 1/4 cup of fresh blueberry

1/2 cup of sugar free applesauce (or 1/4 fresh apple slices) and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1 tbsp of cocoa powder and 1/4 cup fresh strawberries

1 tbsp of peanut butter and 1 tsp honey

1 tbsp of cocoa powder and 1 banana sliced

Now place a lid on your oatmeal and let it sit overnight. These will remain good inside your fridge for up to two days.

 

Great tips for using Greek Yogurt

Lately I have been really trying to use greek yogurt as a replacement for fattier food options including using it in my fruit smoothies to replace plain vanilla yogurt. Greek yogurt is packed with high protein and is a great alternative to replace high calorie food options like mayo. Here are some great tips below and let me know if you have any other ones.

• Cheesecake: When making a homemade cheesecake you can substitute the cream cheese and if you want you can replace all or just a portion of the cream cheese with greek yogurt instead.


• Marinated your meat in greek yogurt spreads instead of oil based alternatives will allow you to cut the fats and calories and keep your meat moist.


• Add a small amount ontop of waffles with some fruit to help substitute your syrup


• Deviled Eggs when making your traditional deviled eggs replace the traditional mayonaise with a healthier option of greek yogurt.


• Mashed Potatoes instead of adding butter to your potatoes try replacing with a dollop of greek yogurt instead.


• When eating tacos and chillis replace your sour cream with greek yogurt to help cut calories but still give you the creaminess you like.


• Add a large amount of protein to your traditional fruit smoothies I mix my smoothies with greek yogurt, fresh fruit, ice, and almond milk and it packs around 19 grams of protein per 8 ounces glass.


• Ranch dressing if you like to remake your dressing with the hidden valley dry ranch mixes instead of using oil and mayo replace with greek yogurt.


• Add a dollop of greek yogurt to your soups to give them a creamy consitency.


• Potato Salad, Tuna and Chicken salad is another great way where you can replace the mayonaise with greek yogurt and you can still keep the creaminess you enjoy but with alot less fat and calories.


• If you are looking for a great dip for fresh fruit you can use greek yogurt plain or you can add fat free cool whip to it or chocolate syrup for a yummy fruit dip.

Facing Your Fears of the Unknown

Over the last few months I have shared with you all some of my fears I have dealt with over my life of obesity, and there are many. Well last night I conquered yet another fear of mine and it had to do with feeling inadequate and out of place and fearing that I could not finish. Yesterday my friend who has been my workout buddy over the last few months invited me to try out a free class of Zumba at our local Liv Rite fitness center. For months now I have seen the Zumba videos online and see all the fun the ladies look like they are having, and I must confess I even tried a few of the YouTube videos in the privacy of my own home. Only to discover this poor girl suffers from the "Two Left Feet" syndrome or better known as "This Mommy can't dance" syndrome lol.

The moment my friend asked me I felt instant fear and also like I wanted to have a panic attack. Because I have been forcing myself that when someone asks me to do something that I normally would not do out of fear, then I force myself to face that fear. But Zumba or a exercise class in general already? Was I ready? Was I fit enough? Was I going to be able to last the whole hour? What if I needed a break to breathe or take a break? Oh the questions they just kept flooding into  my head and it was making me more anxious as the day went on, but I turned to my friend and said "OK let's do this". But as I left our conversation the anxiety was going crazy in me so I decided to take things into my own hands and go and visit the place and see what would happen if I couldn't keep with everyone else or needed a break. The instructor happened to be there and showed me around and explained that everyone works at their own pace there and it was perfectly ok if couldn't keep up or needed a break.

So five rolled around and into Zumba class we went, I had made the leap and conquered a huge fear of mine. Inside the classroom it was really warm and that worried me because I like it when it is cool not hot and humid. Then the class started, now I am not going to sit here and tell you I was an amazing dancer and was salsaing all over the dance floor. The truth of the matter was I was covered in sweat, with two left feet and going left when I should of gone right and going forward when I should of been turning. Inside that dance floor I was a forty-two year old hot sweaty mess of a women who was just trying to two steps together, but the big but of this story is I didn't give up. The old Angie would of high tailed it fifteen minutes into that class when my breathing became almost overwhelming and there was sweat pouring out of every open pore of my body. But this Angie, she pulled her big girl britches up, took a few deep breaths and just kept on going. Occasionally you would see me off on the side taking a break for a minute or so trying to catch my breathe, but you know what. That is ok, because I hung in there, I had fun and I didn't walk away and quit.

For too many years the answer to me facing anything that would scare me was a simple "NO thank you", but today I try to face all my fears. Facing my fears has also proven to me that the things I feared I usually find myself enjoying. Such as my fear of going to the Mall because I was afraid of people judging me, I am a Mall junkie now. My girlfriend and I will go out there on the weekends to get some walking done and some good old girl gossiping, I love the Mall now. Zumba class was also another thing I feared and it wound up that I really like Zumba class and I am going back tonight. So if you have things that you are scared of trying or you hold back for fear of the judgement of others, stop. Face your fears and start to really live your life for the first time.

 

Hello Old Friend: Getting To Know My Reflection

In my teen years I can remember being obsessed with mirrors always wanting to make sure my hair was high enough and poofy enough, and that I looked cute for all the cute boys, hey it was the 80's don't judge. But somewhere between the teen years and my early adult years I started to avoid looking into the mirrors and it was at that time that I had my first child and had didn't loose the excess baby weight. Avoiding mirrors became like second nature to me whether we were out shopping and there was a reflection in the window I would divert my eyes away, or passing the bathroom mirror I would make sure to keep my eyes aimed forward or up avoiding having to look below the neck area. It sounds silly I know but I became a master at avoiding, to the point that eventually years and years down the road you accidentally take a glance in the mirror and the horror and shock that consumes your heart is almost to much to bear.

"Where did that fat girl from? I do not know whom this person is" that became a sad reality for the last twenty years. It was not that I did not know that I was getting fatter and bigger as the years went on, but I figured if I made up for my looks with a great personality it would be ok. The old hiding behind a sunny disposition trick, and it worked for years. But eventually you have to face that reflection staring back at you from the mirror, and the one thing I realized is that it was like meeting a stranger. The person looking back it me, was a tired, depressed, embarrassed and ashamed women, whom had spent the last twenty years in a abusive marriage. Someone I wanted to reach into the mirror and wrap my arms around and just tell her it would be ok. That stranger was me.

So what do you do when you see yourself in the mirror and you simply do not recognize yourself? You start to really get to know yourself all over again. Over the last two months I have really forced myself to not be mad, embarrassed or ashamed at that reflection looking back at me in  the mirror. Because bottom line is the reality is here, and now we have to deal with where do we go from here so that I can look in the mirror and be happy at the reflection staring back me. So now when I go in to use the bathroom and get ready I am spending a lot more time in there. Taking some pride in my appearance is all new to me, my friend jokes that I will not even go the gym without my hair and make up done. She is right and you know why, because it makes me feel better about myself and that is all that matters in the end.

Now when I look back at my reflections I see the following, a short woman who has a very large stomach, large and wide hips and bad teeth. But you know what else I see in the mirror a women who has gorgeous eyes, pretty hair, who with her hair and make up done is starting to look "HOT" you heard me. So what I still have that fat stomach and wide hips, those are slowly starting to disappear and what I see in the mirror is a happier me. Don't get me wrong I still have bad days when I look at myself and just go into "Put Down" mode. But I really try so hard to stop myself, because we are own worst critics and in the end what good is putting yourself down going to do to your already fragile self esteem. When passing by mirrors now you will see that I stop and checkout my reflection and I don't avoid it. This is very hard to do because my natural habit for over twenty years has been to pass by a mirror or window and look away, but now I force myself to look into that mirror and be proud of the reflection staring back at me.

That reflection that stares back at me, I can honestly tell you today I just love her to pieces. Because I see the struggles daily that the reflection deals with, but the fact that for the first time in her life she does not let anyone keep her down and she gets up every morning and keeps going and has forced me to get to love my reflection a little bit more each day. The saddest part is for the first time in forty-two years I can tell you I am one  hell of person, I am proud of what I am becoming, and that I love myself and my body and I am going to work hard to live a healthy life for me and my girls. If you are also a person who avoids mirrors and windows, as hard as it is force yourself to really look into that mirror and don't be afraid  of the reflection staring back at you. Remember if you don't like what you see, you can always change things and it won't be easy but there is a wealth of support out there especially from online social media. There are days that if I didn't have my Facebook and Twitter friends, or my support group friends, I am not sure how I would get through the day. Reach out and get help and support if you need it, and if you want feel free to contact me and I would be happy to see if I can help you in any way.

Staying Motivated, and Steering Away the Depression and Temptations

Currently I am finding myself having to occasionally fight a battle with depression that comes and goes, and sometimes it will interfere with my motivation to continue on my course.  Figured this was a great blog post for today, because I know for the Facebook messages and emails that I receive that many of my friends and Facebook fans also fight with this problem, of how to stay motivated daily and not let depression sneak back in. Now I am no expert, and I don't know have the answer for everything but I figured I would share my struggle and how I am learning to cope with it. In hopes that it might inspire or help you out as well.

Seems no matter how excited and motivated we are depression can sneak in like a little unwanted monster into your life, and when it sneaks in your motivation can slip right out the window. The challenge comes in how to keep yourself upbeat and motivated on course without verving off due to the depression monster trying to sneak back in. You don't want to go through your day asking yourself "Why am I  doing this again?", when it is so much better to say to yourself "I can do this, just one healthy choice at a time."

With social media so readily at your fingertips these days thanks to modern technology you can now access support via your phone, tablet, ipad, computer and more whenever you need a little pick me up. If you look on Facebook you should be able to find tons of groups you can join to get support from your online community, which is great way to read other people's stories, struggles, triumphs to keep you motivated and going.

1-Set a goal to help you achieve those smaller victories, such as I want a new outfit, or I would love to go out with friends but I need to eat healthy this week and work out. Setting small attainable goals may be a great way to go and keep that motivation going for yourself.

2-Working out can make you feel so much better, helps to remove that guilt of over eating, eating something you shouldn't have, or just keeping the stress away.

3-Have a accountablity buddy whether it is a person that you can turn to for support for those times when you are feeling down, or maybe you fell off that wagon and cheated with a cheeseburger etc. If you don't have someone you feel you can confide in, another alternative it to make yourself a accountablity jar for you ONLY. Put this jar in a private place so only you will access it, and leave notes inside when things are getting you down or you cheated and need to be held accountable. But once you workout or do something healthy for yourself remove one of those notes and dispose.

4-This is one I struggle with and that is making excercise a habit. With our busy lives and busy schedules it can be hard to squeeze in enough time in the day to get your workout in. But I have learned that nothing is more important than losing this weight, and we have to make excercising a priority.

5-If you are losing motivation because you feel like you are working out the same routine or using the same machines over and over again it is time to add a little variety. Try a excercise class like Zumba or water aerobics or try walking your local mall or neighborhood to get your steps in. By changing up your routine it will help to keep you motivated to keep going.

6-Do a before photo showing your profile and post that as your screen saver on your phone and computer this can serve as motivation to see the new skinnier you.

7-Take post it notes and leave yourself little encouraging notes around your computer screen or bathroom mirror to help motivate yourself, and to keep you feeling postive.

 

To Die for Strawberry Smoothie

Ok maybe it is not to die for but it sure is refreshing and yummy and packed with protein and a great way to start off your day. And if you love chocolate covered strawberries an alternative to this would be to add a scoop of your chocolate protein powder and then you are talking protein galore! Enjoy and let me know in the comments section if you try it out.

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Admit it, did you celebrate National Pancake Day?

Come on yummy warm off the griddle pancakes dripping with piping hot butter and gooey warm syrup sounds like heaven to me, and if you leave near an IHOP you can even receive a free short stack of pancakes today for a small donation. But those free short stack of pancakes from IHOP today will cost you around 470 calories depending on the type of syrup you use, and to me that is NOT worth my time and effort to consume so many carbs and calories. But while the IHOP version might not be for you, you can still stop by a local IHOP today and make a donation towards charity, here is information from their website explaining why they do National Pancake Day each year.

Since beginning its National Pancake Day celebration in 2006, IHOP restaurants have raised $13 million to support charities in the communities in which they operate. On March 4, 2014, guests from around the country will once again celebrate National Pancake Day at IHOP restaurants and enjoy a free short stack of Buttermilk pancakes*. In return for the free pancakes, guests will be asked to consider leaving a donation for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals© ** or other designated local charities.

 

So instead I thought I would share some healthy pancake alternatives if you are just craving some pancake goodness.

Coconut Pancakes

Ingredients

• 6 eggs


• 8 tbsp coconut flour


• 6 tbsp coconut milk


• 3 tsp raw organic honey melted


• 1/2 tsp sea salt


• coconut oil for the pan

Directions:

Add all of your ingredients into your mixing bowl and mix well making sure you break up any lumps that might be in the batter. Preheat your pan or griddle to 350 degrees or over medium heat. Using the coconut oil go ahead and grease the bottom of your skillet or pan and then drop your batter into the pan. Cook around 3-4 minutes on each side checking to make sure you don't burn the sides and serve with sugar free maple syrup.

 

Whats On Your Workout Playlist?

As most of you know I have been going to the gym and even at home when I am trying to get my steps in I like to have a workout playlist on my phone, something that makes me want to get my butt up off my chair and to start working out. There is just something about having a playlist with fun songs that you like that make you want to dance that can really help you achieve those goals of working out daily. Today I came across this article in which she shares her personal playlist for working out and I thought what a great idea so I would share some of my favorite songs off my "Workout Playlist" as it is titled in my Iphone.

#1 is Fall Out Boy's Light Em Up-This song's beat can get me up like no other song so it is first in my playlist LOVE IT



#2 is One More Night by Maroon5-You will find ALOT of Maroon5 and Adam on my playlist! I mean come on Adam is gorgous!


#3 is Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars-Bruno Mars is another favorite of mine, most of his songs have a great upbeat dance rhythm to them great for working out.


#4 is Can't Hold Us by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis- This probably my most favorite song period but especially for dancing. It grabs you from the first minute and you are just going going going!


#5 is Dark Horse by Katy Perry- I saw Katy perform this at the Grammy Awards and I was hooked. Love the beat and lyrics on this song


#6 Timber by Kesha and Pitbull- Normally I cannot stand Kesha but this song has a seriously catchy tune to it


#7 Couting Stars by OneRepublic- I have been a fan of OneRepublic for years and love this song also very catchy


#8 Funhouse by Pink- Pink is my girl and I love all of her music and so my playlist would not be complete with Pink lol


#9 Imagine Dragons with Radioactive- If you have not heard this song you do not know what you are missing one of my favorites from the summertime for sure


#10 On the Floor by J.Lo- Can't have a complete playlist without a little Jenny from the Block lol

A Yummy Alternative to dressing up your daily water

As I have mentioned before I am just not a huge fan of drinking plain water unless of course I am working out or out in the sun and then I love plain water. So I needed something to help motivate me to get my daily water intake in! So I like to liven up my water and I have found a few personal tricks I love and some my friends have suggested and ones I still I want to try! Now a couple of tricks to know when making your flavored water is you can make these in pitchers and put them in the fridge and let them sit there for a few hours to like marinate and get ready for you to drink. Also when you are adding your fruit make sure you squeeze your fruit juice into the water before adding the fruit this will help make the flavors a little bit more bold, and on your herbs like mint you will want to twist it up a bit to bring out that rich flavor.

• My most favorite way to drink my water is to squeeze and add a slice of lemon to my water. Sometimes I will even switch it up a bit and a slice of lime also. Makes a refreshing glass of water and great in the summertime.


• Another great one is to add a slice of orange this is really delicious and you can usually drink two full bottles of water from just a couple of slices.


• Mint, I love love mint whether it is in food or in my herbal I am a huge mint fan. It can be hard to find when out of season but a few sprigs of mint with cucumber is so good in your water.


• Cucumber water has really gotten big over the last two years, and it is acquired taste but I personally love it.


• Also just a reminder if you want more of an intense flavor be sure and squeeze your fruit in the water and twist your herbs to really bring out the bold flavors.


• Mixed berries are also a great alternative to dress up your water you can use blueberries, blackberries, raspeberries and even strawberries


• Now if you want to go tropical you could use pineapple and grapefruit, mango, oranges, and even cantaloupe.

Here are a few water ideas to dress up your water intake:

1. Watermelon and mint


2. Cucumber and mint


3. Lemon and mint


4. Cherry and lime


5. Watermelon and cucumber


6. Ginger and lemon


7. Orange and pineapple


8. Lemon and lavender


9. Lime and mint


10. Cucumber and lime


11. Lemon and basil


12. Strawberry and mint


13. Blackberry and ginger


14. Lemon and blueberry


15. Thyme and blackberries


16. Cucumber and rosemary


17. Cantaloupe and watermelon


18. Cucumber, lemon, and mint


19. Lemon and lime


20. Strawberry and basil

Product Review: Trader Joe's Steelcut Oatmeal Frozen

Ok a few weeks I discovered Trader Joe's Grocery store which is amazing in my humble opinion, and on one of my trips I noticed they sold Steel cut Oatmeal in the freezer section. Being new to the steel cut oats trend I was not sure how to cook them, however I had heard they can take a really long time so the convenience of a freezer version sounded appealing to me. Anyone who knows me, understands that I am not a morning person and with water aerobics throughout the week I am always running out the door shortly after I wake and do not have time for a fancy breakfast.

When I first opened the package and saw the oatmeal I have to be completely honest with you, I was so worried. The oatmeal I purchased was the maple and brown sugar variety and comes with two individual servings for $1.63. When you open the box inside you will find for lack of a better term two tan colored hockey pucks, they did not look very appetizing and I began to worry. The big lumps of oatmeal were like hard rocks and they were sealed in vacuumed sealed plastic.

How to Cook them:

To cook these you need to remove them from their plastic and put inside a microwave safe bowl.

Cook them for 2 minutes on high and then when you take them out of the microwave they will still be half frozen as shown above, simply take a spoon and stir what has thawed out. And then using your spoon break it up into smaller chunks and place back into the microwave to cook for another minute and half.

At this point it looks just like normal oatmeal your Momma would of made you with the thick and creamy consistency you are use to seeing. Once your oats have cooked for that minute and half it says to let the oats stay in the microwave for another minute and then you can take out and eat them.

Now if you are looking for a really sweet version of oatmeal like the Quaker Oatmeal Maple and Brown sugar you will be disappointed.  This is a much more hearty bowl of oatmeal with just a touch of sweetness so it may not appeal to everyone, but this is a much healthier version. The good thing with oatmeal is you can add so much to flavor it such as add a little bit more cinnamon or nutmeg, or maple syrup or sugar to taste to your liking. Personally I do prefer a sweeter version of oatmeal but trying to eat healthier I added some cinnamon and truvia sweetener so I was not adding calories to this hearty and tasty oatmeal.

Even though this oatmeal did not look appetizing at all coming in a large hockey puck, I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised they were delicious. And at $.60 a bowl they were very reasonably priced and an item will defiantly be purchasing again in the future. Below I am going to be adding the nutritional value of each serving of oatmeal so you are completely informed before making your purchase, but at 150 calories and $.60 per bowl I think you are getting a great bargain with this yummy oatmeal.