This is me, begging, pleading....

I need everyone to sit down and read this.  Read into it, don't read into it, do what you will with the information I'm about to provide for you.

Listen, this isn't my first rodeo.  I've gained weight, I've lost weight, I've gained weight, and now I've lost weight...the weight has finally stayed off.  It's been ONE YEAR since I hit my goal weight and I am so happy and excited that I finally figured out that friggin' healthy eating actually DOES work.  I haven't had a McDonald's cheeseburger in 20+ months, or their fries.  I will admit to eating two burrito supremes from Taco Bell, but honestly, two in 20 months is a huge feat...at least for me it is!

Anyway, here's the deal.  If you start this journey, clean eating, healthy eating, whatever you want to call it, you HAVE to stick with it.  If you don't, you'll gain every ounce of weight back.  This is NOT a diet, this is not temporary...it's a life style change.  Once you jump on this ride, you're in it for life, unless you want to ruin all of your progress.

This is why I HIGHLY recommend cheat meals.  One to two per weekend should suffice.  Get that pasta in there, get the sugar in there, get the pizza in there...be bad.  That is totally fine.  The scale may go up a pound or two, but you'll end up losing that the following week, I promise.  Just, be aware of what you're eating.  I wouldn't cheat with a hamburger from McDonald's, at all.  If I'm going to cheat, I want the real deal...I want real food...food with cream in it, and butter.  This past weekend I had Eggplant Parmesan and a side of Alfredo fettuccine noodles...it was fantastic.  There were also tacos added into my weekend somewhere, as well (the innards of the taco are ok, the flour shells, however are no bueno...so those are always a treat for me).

If you go, say, a month without eating anything other than real, clean, healthy food please don't be surprised if you go for your first cheat meal (by the way, I lasted two months until I went for my first cheat meal), you eat it and you're almost instantly sick.  Whether it be throwing up or you're on the pot for a while throughout the day.  Pizza is my kryptonite.  It's the one thing I consistently use as a cheat.  I will eat it and almost always regret I ate it.  Also, if I have too much sugar in a cheat day, my tummy is NEVER happy...ever.  Oh, and I also rarely drink any alcohol.  I've paid attention to my body and when I drink it, it's very, very hard to get the weight off the following week.

So, do this for me - I need you all, who are trying this thing out, to please, please, please don't give up.  Honestly, it works...this whole being healthy thing is actually pretty great.  Remember several posts back when I gave you the run down of everything that's different about my body?  My hair and nails grow insanely fast, my skin is the clearest it's ever been....the weight loss!!  So many more positive things have changed, as well, and it honestly scares me to lose all the progress I've made.  I loved the old me, I have/had great self esteem, but I felt heavy and I knew I deserved a long, prosperous, and healthy life...I have so much more to give to the world and so do you!!!

If you take one thing away from this, please just be aware of what you're doing to your body and how it will impact everything when you make changes...good or bad.  Stay strong, people...you got this!!!

As for my food list today:

*8am - 2 hard boiled eggs and a banana (I'm reducing down to two to see what it'll do...if anything).
*10am - banana (I need to cut up my watermelon and buy more strawberries).
*12pm - grilled asparagus and baked Greek chicken.
*2pm - 3.5 cups of air popped popcorn.
*6pm - grilled shrimp with broccoli and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Say "cheese"...spread!

Oh my word!  While at the grocery store yesterday my children were trying every single free sample the grocery store had out.  They went from fruit, to lunch meat, to cheese, to cookies...and then my daugher asked to try some pretzels that were situated by a free sample of this cheese spread that no one really thought two licks about...until my daughter asked to try that, as well.  She did and she kept going back for more.  I looked at the label and figured I could at least try it...y'all, it was AMAZING!!

I've always been open about eating and loving cheese (it's really the only dairy I ingest), within reason, of course.  Honestly, I wouldn't call it "clean," as it has cream in it...etc.  However, it's low calorie and has zero sugars and very low carbs, so I bought it and have 2 tbsp of it here with me, today.  I'll be eating the cheese spread with carrots, naturally.  I was so excited for my 10am snack time today.  Ha!

Anyway, the kids are off with my parents this weekend so I have a few day to myself, which will be nice, but super weird.  I've been so busy with back to school stuff, for both them and me.  My fall semester starts August 17th and the kids start August 24th.  I cannot believe the summer is over.  We took some great trips, saw some awesome things, and spent a good amount of family time together.  Once again, though, the daily grind will come and we'll all be too busy to really stop and smell the roses.  I'm hoping this Fall/Winter we will all be able to get in that good quality time, so it doesn't seem like a blur, like it usually does.  Life is seriously flying by these days.   

So, that cheese spread, it's this:  http://www.alouettecheese.com/products/flame-roasted-red-peppers-soft-spreadable-cheese  If you need a new veggie dip or something to spread on your lettuce sandwich wraps, I HIGHLY suggest this.  Yum!  Measure it out, though...don't do it blind, or you'll eat too much of it, I promise, it is THAT good.

Last, but not least (and always my favorite part) is my food list for the day...yeah!!

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs and a peach
*10am - 12 baby carrots and 2 tbsp of the above mentioned cheese
*12pm - roasted pork tenderloin and steamed brussel sprouts
*2pm - 9 strawberries
*6pm - I'mma going out and I believe I'm having the grilled mahi tacos.

I hope you all have an awesome Friday and an even better weekend!!  Peace out, my homies...and much love!!

P.S.  If you wanna try that cheese spread out, it's on sale, BOGO, at Harris Teeter (if you're a local) until next Tuesday.  

I've been a bad, bad girl.....

There are these days, these niches in time where you just need comfort.  You want your mommy and your blankie and you want to curl up and hide away from the world.  

Yesterday ended up being that horrible day, for me.  It was so bad that I ended up eating the world's largest carb filled dinner.  Well, at least "large" in my book.  Let me tell you this, though, it wasn't planned, it just happened.  The bright side?  I didn't over eat, though, thank goodness...there wasn't that immediate regret, or that "stuffed to the gill" feeling.

So, here's the thing, there are days when you need something more, you need a hug so big that it just envelops you.  You need someone on your side, your cheerleader, to let you know that you're ok and what you're feeling is completely valid.  These days, for me, come few far and in between, but last night I hit a wall.  I hit this emotional wall and all of my strength was gone.  I needed, no, I wanted something greater...I needed to be bad.  When cooking dinner I had a plan, I was going to do frozen veggies and chicken, no biggie.  However, I ran out of pots after making everything else (for the kids and boyfriend), so, I said "freak it."  Freak those frozen veggies...I ended up having one taste of those homemade creamy and buttery mashed potatoes and my world came tumbling down into a fantastic carb induced dinner...and it was delicious.  Not my usual drug of choice, but it's just what my mind and body needed. I browned chicken and then baked it, I took the leftover juices from the chicken and I made white gravy (sawmill gravy if you're from the South), homemade mashed potatoes...with cream AND butter, and a box of stove-top stuffing (for the boyfriend)....oh, wait, sweet corn, as well.  I ate it and I savored it and I thought to myself, "self, this weekend you'll do amazing wonderful 'clean' things, but today, tonight, during this very meal, you're going to eat the crap out of some good home cookin' and you'll be fine!"

This is why I'm writing this:  I woke up this morning and I looked the same in the mirror, I wasn't 40lbs heavier, my dress zipped up.  That one night of carb filled goodness did not do me in.  I'm still me, I'm still Kristi, and I'm still eating healthy!  I woke up this morning, made my eggs, ate my banana and had a very healthy lunch, and will soon eat my strawberries.  This is because I'm disciplined, this is because I know that I'm not perfect.  We all mess up at some point and although I wouldn't call this a "doozie" screw up, I'd essentially admit that I really let the day get to me, but in all honesty, I needed to do something out of the ordinary for once.  Screwing up is ok, I promise.  One meal with homemade mashed potatoes won't ruin the past 20 months of my life...uh-uh, no way...I'm stronger than that.

I think the only regret I have is not taking a picture of the meal and sharing it...ha!

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a fantastic week and you're all hanging in there.  Remember, you are strong enough, you have the discipline, you ARE worthy of the life you lead. 

MIA? I think NOT!

Sorry, y'all...I swear I'm not MIA or AWOL.  I took Tuesday off and spent it with my daughter...running errands, dentist appointments, and ice cream...you know, the usual.  My excuse for yesterday, well, meetings, meetings, and it was my night with the boyfriend...so instead of wrting, we spent family time together.

I know, I know...how could you go an entire week without writing?  Well, I've been super-de-duper busy, y'all!  I did, however, promise a brand new recipe and I'm here to, finally, share it with you all.

Who doesn't love seafood?  When you eat the way I do seafood is an amazing option; it's always lean, very low in calories (well, depending on how you prepare it), and has such amazing flavor.  This week I was craving shrimp, but not just any shrimp...I needed, I wanted...shrimp scampi.  Here's what I came up with:
  

Shrimp Scampi

1 lbs uncooked shrimp
2 tbsp garlic
1/2 of a lemon, juiced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock (I used organic)
1 tbsp parsley
1 tsp Italian seasonings
black pepper and sea salt to taste

Add the olive oil to a hot pan and then add the garlic, let it simmer for a couple of minutes (make sure it doesn't burn).   Add your parsley and Italian seasonings to the garlic and let that simmer for a minute.  Then add your lemon juice, veggie stock, black pepper and sea salt.  Let it all come together, let the flavors mingle, while simmering on medium heat.  Add the shrimp a few minutes later and cook the shrimp until pink and curled up.  Put over spaghetti squash, shirataki noodles, or leave it on the side and add a nice helping of veggies.  I had about one cup of shrimp with a side of broccoli (around a cup to a cup and a half) and I was satiated the rest of the night.  My daughter ate it over linguine and went back for seconds.  The sauce IS watery, but the flavors mingled with the pasta and she just adored it.  My son had mac n' cheese...don't ask.  Ha!

Last night I made tacos (taco salad for me) and made it with my usual homemade taco seasonings.  My son asked if it was a new recipe and if it was "homemade?"  I told him I yes, it was and he declared they were the "best tacos...ever!"  I'll share my taco spice recipe with you next time, though!  
My food list today goes a little something like this:

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs, banana, and a small handful of almonds and cashews
*10am - 7 strawberries
*12pm - shrimp scampi with steamed broccoli
*2pm - 1.5 cups of watermelon
*6pm -  pork chops, grilled aspragus, and homemade apple sauce (no sugar added, only honey)

On a completely unrelated note - A HUGE shout out to my momma, Karen, on her 60th Birthday today!!  She's currently in Florida, somewhere on the panhandle; I hope she has a wonderful day.

Here are the cupcakes I made her, for her birthday...they were delish...and yes, I indulged!

Suuuuuugar, you're sweet.

There isn't a day that I don't login to Pintrest and drool over the hundreds of recipes people pin to their baking boards.  I actually have a board dedicated to "yummies" and I've made many things on there, nothing has disappointed...yet.  Not only that, but I have a board named "dinner" that I habitually post really unhealthy dinner recipes on, you know, just in case I need something horrible for myself or something for the kids/boyfriend to devour while I'm eating my grilled chicken and brussel sprouts.  I'm also the Queen of love and inspirational quote pins, but that's another post, for another day. 

There's so much I could say about sugar and how it really effects your weight loss and gain, but I'll keep it simple.  If you want to lose weight, you have to ditch the sugar.  These days, everything has added sugar in it...including peanut butter and jarred pasta/spaghetti sauces.  Reading labels is key to your success and maintenance.  Once you read enough labels, though, you'll know what you can and can't buy and shopping gets way easier (and quicker).  Sometimes, those convenience things, like the jarred spaghetti sauce, isn't the best bet.  That's why I decided to start making homemade spaghetti sauce.  Sure, it took me awhile to find the best recipe, but when I did I was ecstatic...it's all I ever make now.  I also make enough of it so that I can freeze the leftovers, so if I'm in a bind one night, all I have to do is throw it in the pan and let it defrost and simmer, and voila, perfection!  This goes for sloppy joe mix/cans, jelly, certain canned tomatoes, flavored oatmeal, yogurt, BBQ sauces and marinades, salad dressings and obviously baked goods (there's way more to that list, but I'm experiencing a total brain blockage).  If you really, really want to change your life, start making everything homemade...sure, it takes more time, but do it on a day you have extra time and make extras.  If you make extras and freeze them, you will start to see your meal prep time becoming easier and easier.

I do have bad news, though.  I have yet to find a low-carb/sugar baked good recipe that compares to the real deal.  There is a peanut butter cookie recipe I tried once and it was ok, but honestly, it's not worth sharing...and for that I'm sorry.  However, I do have some AMAZING full on sugar recipes, including cupcakes...the ones I'm known for, the ones I'll be making this weekend for my mom's 60th birthday party.  You also better believe I will partake in the cupcake eating, because it's the weekend and I allow myself a little bit of sugar on the weekends...usually in the form of ice cream on Sundays, but we'll go all out with a cupcake this week. 

Anyway, if I could ask you all to do one thing to change your life, it'd be to start watching your sugar intake!  Be aware of what you're putting in your mouth and into your body.  Once you adjust your daily sugar levels (I get my sugars daily, Monday-Friday, from fruits and vegetables, nothing else) you'll notice a huge difference in your body, even your taste buds will start changing.  Per the American Heart Association women should only be ingesting 25 grams or 6tbsp of sugar, per day.  Take a step back and really look at what you're eating today.  If looking at the per serving on the label and then the sugar content, how much sugar would you be eating today?  For me, I'd be at zero added sugars and around 25grams with the fruit/veggies/PB I'm eating for meals/snacks today. 

Here is my food list:

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs and banana
*10am - 9 whole strawberries
*12pm - grilled chicken burger (has feta and spinach and spices in it) with steamed broccoli
*2pm - 12 apple slices and 2tbsp peanut butter
*6pm - homemade spaghetti sauce and my shirataki noodles (no carb - found at Walmart in the refrigerated produce section).  My children, as always, will eat regular spaghetti noodles.  I'll also add in browned chicken tenderloins to the sauce. 

FYI, the spaghetti sauce is this:  http://www.tammileetips.com/2013/05/gwyneth-paltrows-go-to-tomato-sauce-recipe/    It is amazing!!! 

It's National Junk Food day!!!!

Who all is celebrating????

I would give anything to sit down and eat an entire can of Pringles and cookies and chocolate, but I care about my body too much to do that.  Sure, I'll indulge on the weekends with a little pasta or pizza, but my all day indulgence is gone.  I know that if I take an entire day, I'll gain weight I don't want again.  Sure, it may not be a huge number, but why screw up a good thing...you know? 

Although, I'm led to believe that there isn't enough caffeine in the world to help me function today...so maybe my "indulgence" will be an obscene amount of that wonderful energizing drug.  One can only hope that I'm not this groggy/foggy/tired, after that much caffeine. 

Since I'm not celebrating (insert pouty face here...because a can full of pringles sounds amazing...LOL), my food today is pretty on point and filling.  Here is what I have:

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs and a banana
*10am - 6 small strawberries and one small nectarine
*12pm - pork loin, steamed broccoli, and one baby bell cheese
*2pm - 12 baby carrots and 2tbsp roasted red pepper hummus
*6pm - undetermined (I'm house/dog sitting so the dinner situation will be something completely made up; meal prep doesn't count when you're not at your house.  ;) ).

I hope everyone's weekend was great.  It's already Tuesday so we're getting closer to Friday, already...yeah! 

Getting to know you (errrr....me?)

Wanna hear my life story?  Yes?  Well, you aren't getting it, but I'll give you the CliffsNotes to the last, say, 12 years of my life...to show you where I've come from and how I got here.

I was married young (22), became a mother a year later (23), my second child was born 2.5 years later (25) and I was a very young divorcee (27).  I was a Navy wife and absolutely loved it.  To most, they think that's what did my marriage in, but it really wasn't.  I loved moving to new places and meeting new friends.  I've lived in Yokosuka, Japan, Virginia Beach, VA, and New Orleans, LA (there was a 6 week stint in Olathe, KS, as well).  In those five years I webbed my way through different weights.  Between pregnancies and being downright depressed, I'd gain and lose, lose and gain.  I never really dieted, I just new to cut back and be more active...but losing to me was 5-10lbs here and there, nothing like 40.  When I was pregnant with Jake, I gained 10lbs...we lived in Japan, didn't own a car and walked everywhere.  I even walked home from the hospital after having an emergency c-section!  Talk about horrible and daunting (can you kinda tell why I divorced the ex, yet?).

My biggest weight gain was when I was pregnant with Kara-Lou.  After 55lbs I stopped looking at the scale...I weighed upwards of 260 when I delivered her.  Yep, 260..wowee.  Here's a picture of me at 38 weeks along...one baby, not twins, I swear.

Kara-Lou ended up being 8#5oz and 18.5 inches long, 9 years ago. 

I was so embarrassed by how big I got, but the doctor told me I was retaining a ton of fluid.  When the swelling went down, after having Kara, I only had a few pounds of pregnancy weight to lose.  It's amazing what our bodies can and will do during pregnancy.  Geesh.  







Anyway, fast forward to today.  I work full time at a University here in North Carolina...I do exciting stuff like administrating....haha!  Also, I'm a college student working towards my associates degree.  You see, I decided that if I were to go back to school, I wanted to go for something I love and believe in.  To me, that is writing.  I'm on a very slooooow track to getting my two year degree (it's more like a three year degree) and will then transfer to the University I currently work at for my Bachelors in Creative Writing, and then I'll move on to my Masters in Communications.  I want to write, I want to communicate, I want to make a difference.

Several weeks ago I thought long and hard about this summer, I felt like something was missing...and it was.  I wasn't writing papers or reading literature (notes to the boyfriend wasn't cutting it).  So, here I am...writing to you all and hoping I'm making some sort of difference in someone's life, not to mention, I'm writing and it feels great!  Luckily, school starts back up in a month and I can't wait; Fall semester will be packed, but it's worth it.

Through everything - the kids, weight gain and loss, the divorce, the boyfriend, school, and work - I knew who I was and who I wanted to be.  Yes, it's taking longer than expected, but that doesn't mean I'll give up or throw in the towel...this goes for everything in my life, not just weight loss or school.

Last but not least, my food list for the day...I have a real treat for you, breakfast for dinner!

*8am - 2 eggs (gasp...only two!) and one banana
*10am - sliced apples and 2 tbsp peanut butter
*12pm - leftover taco salad (last night's leftovers)
*2pm - 1 cup of red grapes
*6pm - Clean pancakes (www.pinterest.com/pin/270708627575677094/ ) with 1tbsp real maple syrup and sliced strawberries.  I may buy turkey bacon, but I'm not sold on it, yet.  The kids will have real pancakes with pancake syrup (no high fructose corn syrup included), the bacon, and fruit.

So, tell me.  What about your story?  What have you overcome, or what have you decided to change about your life??  It's all in your willpower and personal belief in yourself.

100lbs lighter than the pregnancy picture.  Sincerely happy (and able) to climb Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.  May 2015

A little bit of this and a little bit of that....

I've come to the conclusion that you absolutely cannot be a picky eater while eating clean/healthy.  I mean, I've heard so many people say they can't do this because they don't like veggies or they can't eat that way because they can't give up beef.  Here's the thing...you can do it...you just have to be open minded. (FYI, you don't have to give up red meat to be clean; that was my own personal choice..what you do need to do is make sure you're eating grass fed beef/red meat and very lean cuts.)

I found that I ate the same veggies over and over again and things quickly became redundant.  This is where and when I found that I love all greens...dandelion, turnip, collard...you name it, I eat it.  This was also the point that I tried okra.  This was one vegetable I was not budging on, at all.  That is until I ate a certain dish at our local Cajun restaurant.  They put the plate in front of me and I saw the veggie of doom, okra, but it looked different this time.  I tried it, I didn't gag...so I ate a little more. Low and behold, I actually liked it.  Y'all, we aren't talking fried okra dipped in ranch or anything super unhealthy, I'm talking straight up okra.  The following week I decided to buy frozen okra and play around with it to see if I would still like it, and I did.  So, a total win for me!

I guess what I'm trying to say is, once you change the way you eat and you cut out sugars and fast food and any "bad" stuff, your taste buds will change.  You won't need as much salad dressing on your salads and certain foods will almost be too sweet to eat.  When starting this journey, even if you're just trying it out, allow yourself to try new things, don't be afraid of anything.  Believe me, vegetables won't kill you, even if you try one bite...pinky swear.

So, I promised a recipe on my Facebook page...so here it is!  My very own stewed okra...it's delish.

1 frozen bag of okra
1 tbsp diced garlic
1 med. vidalia onion
1/4 cup diced celery
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 small basil leaf
garlic and onion powder, sea salt, black pepper - to taste
**saute onion, garlic, celery in extra virgin olive oil until the onion and celery are soft.  Add the basil leaf and saute for a minute.  Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, then add the frozen okra.  Simmer until okra is no longer bright green (it'll turn a dark green when it's ready).

On another amazing note, I remembered my food today.  WOOHOO!  Here's my list:
*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs and a banana
*10am - 1/4 cup roasted almonds
*12pm - roasted chicken breast and stewed okra
*2pm - 1.5 cups watermelon
*6pm - pork roast in the crock pot, green beans, and leftover okra.

Who wants to share something they've come to love or something they still refuse to try?  I also despised sweet potatoes and I can eat one baked and plain now...it's amazing how things change.  I hope everyone has a fantastic Tuesday!!! 

My worst fear became reality...

Maybe I can blame it on Monday, or that today is my first day back from vacation.  Maybe I can blame it on the kids not being fully ready this morning when I wanted to leave the house, or maybe I could just blame myself and get over it.

As I pulled up to work this morning, I paralleled park in the same spot like I always do.  I put the car in park and sat for a minute listening to the rest of the radio show, and then I finally made the decision to turn the car off and head into work.  I reached over to get my one daily diet coke, my purse, and my bag full of food for the day.  Everything was where it was supposed to be, except my food bag.  Breakfast, lunch, and my two snacks were in that bag...the bag that is still sitting on my dining room table in my kitchen.  When I get home tonight, I'll have to throw it all away, minus the banana.  I hate wasting food (I only have one bag of trash per week to put out in the garbage can for garbage day), I hate wasting money...I also hate having to pay for meals.  Today, however, will be a day full of waste and money being spent on food...and it sucks.  Yeah, call me a downer, but honestly, everyone deserves a crappy day and today is that day for me, at least.

I was really, really looking forward to lunch...string cheese, rotisserie chicken breast and squash.  But noooooooo.  I'll head to the grocery store in a few minutes to pick up my food for the day.  I'll probably get a cup of instant oatmeal, banana, and maybe some fruit I can divide between my two snacks today.  For lunch, I'll pick up a pre-made salad, and that'll be my day.  Nothing exciting, nothing to look forward to.  I guess this means I will have to make dinner extravagant tonight, right??  I deserve that much!  Ha!

On a completely unrelated note, vacation was friggin' amazing and I wish I could go back.  I love Florida so much. I also love that we got to spend our first real family vacation together, all while getting to know the boyfriend's parents (we stayed at their house in Jacksonville, FL).  They were great and my children were well behaved...so I call it a WIN!  The food was good, I stayed as clean as I possibly could, but I was also very, very active while there...so I made sure I upped my calories to make sure I wasn't depleting myself of anything.  I was able to jump on the scale this morning and sure enough, I lost weight, not a lot, but the number definitely went down!  I'm hoping this trend will stick and the numbers will keep going down.  Although I'm happy with my weight loss amount, ultimately I would like to lose another 10 pounds, but if not, then that's ok.  I'm perfectly happy with me...and that's all that counts! 

Here is a picture of us four, my little imperfectly perfect family: 

Brian, Kara-Lou, Jake, and myself - St. Augustine, FL July 9, 2015

A year and a half ago...

I decided to make several changes in my life.  I came up with a list and I shared them with Brian, the boyfriend, or kinda boyfriend at the time, and my mother.  I actually still have the list on my Facebook messenger and recently read it all.  I decided I was going to lose weight and become a healthier person, I was going to move into a large home, and I was going to adopt a dog for myself and my children. 

Not to brag or anything, but I accomplished all of that last year.  I lost close to 40 pounds, I moved in August to a 3 bedroom home, and in October I adopted Juliette...a Catahoula Leopard mix.  I had everything I wanted...I was flying high!!! 

Fast forward to today.  The change in eating is still great, the house is still great, but the dog, well, not so great.  Juliette is not what I envisioned for my family.  I could go on and on about how she needs something else, a playmate (another dog), or kids who want to take the initiative to really help out, or how she really needs an owner to give her the time and attention that I just don't have, but I won't.  This decision was grueling.  Sure, she's not a fit for our family, but I love that dog...she's so dang cute and when she's not crazy she's insanely loveable (I have a black eyebrow bone right now...so when I say crazy, I mean crazy...think 80lbs of fur jumping towards your face for a toy that you're trying to help her with...yeah, it hurt, I cried, I was done after that).  I want to say that I'm a failure, but I won't.  After talking to the children, and Brian, I made the decision to contact the rescue we got her from.  They were able to find her a nice foster home, so she's leaving us tonight.  To say I'm sad would be a complete lie, I am indifferent.  I wish this was black and white, but it's not....it's very, very gray.  I'm torn in between these feelings and I don't know how to act or feel.  I know I'll be insanely sad tonight, I'm not looking forward to it, but I am looking forward to a new normalcy that I haven't had in 9 months. 

I know you're wondering why I'm telling you all this, but for the past few weeks I've been talking about the stress I've been under and, well, this is the reason.  I also wanted to tell you that through this process and the decision making, I haven't turned to food.  I've turned to friends, I've turned to family, I've turned to my boyfriend...I found support elsewhere.  I know so many of you who use food as your comfort when things are going bad, but please know you don't have to.  If you need to talk, I'm here - email me, message me, find me on Facebook...something.  Your progress doesn't have to waver because of one bad day or three bad weeks...at all.  (I'll let you slide on vacation, though...LOLOL...as long as you return home and get back on track right away.  Ha!)

So, to kinda get back on track, I do have my food log for you!!  I really hope you all are enjoying the log...I know it's repetitive a lot, but once you get to know what your body likes and what you like, you'll probably stick to your staples, as well.  Plus, being stressed out for a few weeks hasn't helped my creative food bone...maybe next week I'll make, and post, different recipes for y'all!! 

Here you go:

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs and one banana
*10am - 9 whole strawberries
*12pm - grilled pork chop and 1 cup of green beans
*2pm - 2 cups watermelon
*6pm (or whenever tonight) - I'm going out, the destination has yet to be determined, but I'll post an update, with a picture, after I eat!!  :)

I hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday and if you're going through anything sad or stressful, just know, you can get through it, I promise!!! 

And the verdict is:

Alright, I'll admit it, I've been MIA and I'm sorry for that.  I rushed myself to Urgent Care last Wednesday, only for them to tell me to turn around and go straight to the ER...they thought I was having an appendicitis.  Well, after blood work, a urinalysis, and a CT Scan...and several hours in the ER...they determined I have two ovarian cysts, and one (the right one) had ruptured.  This, people, is why I was so sick.  A ruptured cyst.  I mean, who knew something so small could wreak such havoc on your body?  Late Wednesday night my fever finally broke, but the headache and overall weakness was there well into Friday. My appetite was gone, as well, but after the boyfriend took me out for a "big" breakfast Friday morning, I started to feel a little better...although my head was still pounding. 

I'll go ahead and admit that this weekend was full of food...I had to make up for the many meals missed since last Tuesday.  I ate grilled chicken and veggies, an omelet filled with veggies, a biscuit, a burrito...naked fajitas (I just eat the meat, guac, and veggies...no tortillas) and possibly a couple margaritas last night (the food list could go on and on, but I don't want to embarrass myself.  Ha!).  Hey, it was my parents' 35th wedding anniversary, I needed to celebrate. 

So, here we are...Monday.  The day that all things start fresh.  Today, my food options are quite healthy and will remain that way, hopefully the entire week, but here's a huge confession:  I leave for vacation Wednesday morning and, well, I have no idea what the food situation will look like, but I promise to be on my best behavior.  I can't promise that I'll post every day, but I will for sure post pics of food and what we're doing down in the great state of Florida!!!

One last thing before I get to my daily food log.  Grocery shopping last week was non-existant, as I stocked up enough the week prior with my last trip being on Sunday (June 28)...I bought 36 eggs, a huge watermelon, bananas (I ate all of them already), whole milk (for the kids), and a few non-essential items for home.  I ran into Wal-Mart yesterday and bought three bananas, enough until I leave Wednesday morning.  So, I think my total bill (which included toiletries and stuff for the kids) was $90 over a week and a half period (but I spent no money last week).  I'm right on a $150-200 budget every month...although I'll pay closer attention next month, when I have no vacations planned. 

Alright, now to the nitty gritty...my food log! 

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs and a banana
*10am - 11 baby carrots and 2 tbsp hummus (plain)
*12pm - BBQ grilled chicken, yellow squash, and zucchini
*2pm - 9 whole strawberries
*6pm - Trader Joe's chicken patties (http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article/1745 the easiest thing to heat up and eat...they're pretty good when you need something quick) and roasted asparagus. 

Here is a picture from the 4th...my babies and I heading to our town's 4th of July parade!  I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and has an even better Monday!   
 

Let's talk about...

Body changes and the things you may notice once you decide to take life, and health, by its horns. 

I'm not going to give you some amazing story of how you'll never get sick...blah, blah, blah...because that's not true.  I had the flu around Christmas time last year and as I'm typing this I have a low grade fever, body aches, and the world's largest headache.  The doctor will be seen shortly, believe me...I feel horrible.  However, I'm still here, writing for you and hopefully giving you some info on how things will change, for the better.

There are three things that changed drastically...skin, hair, and nails.  First, let's talk about my skin.  I was always a pimply teenager, even as an adult I'd have some pretty large breakouts...stress, certain times of the month...really anything would break me out.  Once I started eating healthier, cut out all fast foods (and fried foods) and upped my water intake to 80-100oz per day, my skin was virtually glowing!  I barely wear any foundation/base anymore (just around my eyes...those dark circles won't go away, no matter what I do...LOL).  I do have a pimple here and there, but it's very rare.

The second noticeable change are my nails!  I was a nail bitter for 25+ years.  Several years ago, I stopped actively biting them unless I was watching a movie and by the time the movie was over, my nails would be gone...again!  However, I no longer bite my nails, at all (ok, I play with and pick them some...but honestly, no biting...I swear).  In the last 18 months my nails went from looking horrible and barely growing...to growing so fast that I actually have to cut and file them on a weekly basis.  I, personally, don't think this is a fluke and totally feel that my diet change has given my nails the "life" and momentum they needed!

Now, we'll move onto my hair...my golden (errr...gray) locks.  Unfortunately, eating clean won't stop the process of going gray...I wish I had better news for you, but I don't.  I started graying when I was very young (in my early 20s) and it's only gotten worse the older I get.  Here's some good news, though...once you move onto eating clean and getting all of those vitamins and minerals into your body you weren't previously getting, things go crazy...like your nails and hair.  I usually get my cut and highlighted every two months.  I go with blonde, because it hides the gray better, and I can go a couple months without noticing the gray roots (or maybe it's denial...who knows).  Anyway, my hair grows insanely fast now.  I cut it all off in March, decided to go for a new 'do, and I just had it trimmed up again a couple of weeks ago and it's almost to my shoulders...so in two months it went from an inch under my ears in March to my shoulder (when straightened) in June/July.  It's complete insanity.

So, for all of you clean/healthy eaters...what differences have you noticed, besides the weightloss?  Do you have any stories to share?

Oh, and last, but not least....my daily food list (it's a little less than usual...my appetite is non-exsistant, but I'm still eating):

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs and banana
*10am - 10 whole straweberries
*12pm - homemade sloppy joes over half of a sweet potato (dirty loaded sweet potato!!) 
No snack at 2pm and dinner is still up in the air with the way I feel.  The kids may get a hot n' ready pizza from Little Caesars and I'll eat the leftover Amish cabbage dish I made last week (I was able to freeze three helpings for future meals). 

I hope you all have a wonderful day!!! 

Comfort food...is there anything better?

Once upon a time, when I ate "badly" I used to eat this wonderful concoction called, "dirty fries."  It was homemade sloppy joes (ok, ok, sometimes Manwich) over baked french fries, with a pile of cheese on the top.  After I changed my diet, I lost a little piece of myself when I lost my dirty fries.  Alright, a lot of myself...

Fast forward to tonight.  I made homemade sloppy joes and put it over baked sweet potato fries. 

So, here's the deal - the recipe...it's my very own.  When I say that my kids devour it, I really mean they inhale it.  It's clean, no sugar...nothing bad.  I put the kids' sloppy on buns with a little cheese and mine, well, I put over Trader Joe's sweet potato fries with a tiny sprinkle of cheese.  Tomorrow, my leftovers will be over half of a sweet potato...so maybe we should call that a "dirty loaded sweet potato?"  Hm. 

Anyway, you can dress this up or down...however you want it...or keep it the way it is.  This is my tried and true recipe, I've made it over and over again...I sincerely swear by it.  Now, without further adieu, the coveted (at least in my house) recipe:

Clean Sloppy Joes -

1 lbs ground chicken/turkey
1 small onion
1 small green pepper
(brown these all together until the veggies are soft and the meat is cooked through.  Add sea salt, black pepper, garlic and onion powder, as well...all to taste).

2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1.5 tbsp honey
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 cup tomato sauce
3/4 cup water or chicken broth
(add all of this to the meat/veggie mixture, stir well until blended, add sea salt, pepper, and onion powder to taste.  Cover and simmer for a good 15-20 minutes so the flavors mingle).

Serve this delicious sloppy meat mixture over your choice of sweet potato fries, baked sweet potato, or steamed spaghetti squash.  Here is a picture of this yummy goodness:

So, my food today was pretty low, again.  Totally clean, yes, but I missed a couple snacks, but my eggs, banana, grilled chicken with steamed broccoli, and strawberries (I believe 7 of them) all happened today.

Now, what questions do you have?  Do you have any variations to this recipe?  How were your weekends....and what are you doing this weekend for 4th of July!?!   

Super quick, super fast:

I have a pretty busy weekend ahead, but I wanted to give you a food list today, as it's a little different. 

*8am - 3 hard boiled (warm...mmmm) eggs, 1 banana
*10 - 1/4 cup mixed nuts and 3 strawberries
*12pm - the cabbage recipe from last week, there was enough to freeze three meals.  So, those leftovers and a string cheese
*2pm - 1 whole peach
*6pm - probably the same thing as lunch...since I have so much. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and an even better weekend.  Enjoy! 

Stressful days and stressful nights, but I will not over eat!

Four words:  Cold soft boiled eggs. 

Those were my breakfast and I'm pretty sure I gagged a little.  I LOVE runny yolks...love them.  However, they have to be warm or hot.  I can do soft boiled eggs (or even eggs over medium) every day if I wanted to, but when they are cold, there's just no way.  I also had an overripe banana this morning.  Think we can restart the breakfast part of the day?  I'd like to give it a try, at least...who has the time machine?!  Ha! 

So, yesterday.  Whew!!  Probably one of the hardest days I've had in a while.  Lots of decisions to be made, nothing really over the top, but as you all know I'm a single mom...a full time one, at that.  I live by myself with the kids and see the boyfriend a couple times per week....we have our routines.  Anyway, being a single mom, at times, is really, really stressful and exhausting.  The daily choices you make, even the simplest ones, could be detrimental to your future.  So, as I'm sitting here, writing, I have several forks in the road and I am trying really hard to figure out which one will be the best one.  It's overwhelming to say the least.

Here's the thing, though,when I stress out, I don't stress eat...I write (bet you couldn't have guessed that)!  I take time out of my day to put words onto paper....whether it's typed or handwritten.  Sometimes I'll share it with people, other times I just save it to my computer and move on.  I've heard from several people about stress eating and I totally get it, I do, but I think what we need to figure out, for you, how to move away from the food and move towards something else that will be more beneficial.  What do you like to do?  Knit, write, exercise, playing sports...there are so many options out there.  I will say, the absolute best thing I could have ever done for myself is get rid of all the junk (other than the kids' snack stuff that I usually don't eat anyway) so I wouldn't have the temptation. You don't have to throw it away, either.  Donate it to a local food bank...so many people in our areas, wherever you live, need these items.  If you absolutely need to snack...have peanut butter (or any nut butter with NO added sugar.  I highly recommend Trader Joe's nut butters) and an apple, carrots and hummus, and sliced fruit (although I try to stay away from grapes)...I'd say dark chocolate, as well, but I'm not a very big fan and it's very easy to over eat it. 

Please take this into account: although you're eating better, you can still overeat.  By overeating you can gain weight and make it more difficult to lose the weight you've already lost.  Make sure to count and measure things out.  Measuring is the best thing you could ever do for yourself.  Buy a food scale (I found a super cheap one at Walmart), find out how many calories each strawberry has...or how many calories 2 tbsp of hummus has.  I know that if I sit down with my full container of hummus in front of me, with the Sam's Club bag of baby organic carrots, I'll eat until I can't see anymore...and that overeating can cause weight gain.  Believe me, I'd rather gain weight from a huge bowl of ice cream, than overeating carrots and hummus!!!  LOL 

Oh, yeah...one more thing.  Someone asked me about cheats and if I started having cheat meals right away.  No, I did not.  I took three months to have a cheat meal...and it was only one meal per weekend at that time.  I slowly wanted to incorporate certain things back into my diet...even if I was only eating them on the weekends. 

And here's my food list for the day....I know, I know...super repetitive, but I hope this list is helping someone, somewhere!

*8am - 2 COLD soft boiled eggs and a very overripe banana (gag, but I got through it)
*10am - 2 cups watermelon
*12pm - chicken breast, steamed broccoli, and green beans.
*2pm - 7 strawberries
*6pm - shrimp and chicken quesadillas.  Instead of tortillas, I'll use my living lettuce (bib) as wraps and the kids will have the tortillas.  I'll have a whole tomato, a little salsa (Trader Joe's), shrimp and chicken (I'll boil the shrimp in chili powder, cumin, and sea salt.  The chicken is a frozen bag of grilled chicken strips from Trader Joe's and I'll add a little spice to them, but not much), an avocado, and I'll make black beans (canned...rinse the beans well before cooking...add olive oil, a little bit of garlic and a bay leaf, let simmer...then add your beans and let it all simmer together for about 30 minutes....sooooo very good)!   Here is a link to the chicken I buy from Trader Joe's, http://palepage.com/?p=2517, these are amazing for quick meals, I use them for a lot of different things.  FYI, I will add a little colby jack cheese to mine, as well...the kids will have more than a little, since they're having quesadillas. 

So, what questions do you have for me?  I'm here to answer any and all...I'm an open book and will be completely honest with you!  Comment here or send me a Facebook message.  I truly look forward to hearing from you!! 

Way too much on my mind today....

Sorry for posting later than I usually do.  I have several things going on, personally, that I'm trying to take care of..  Nothing to worry about, at all..so no one panic.  Unfortunately, I still don't feel well, not sure what's going on, but the tummy is not very happy.  I barely ate yesterday, but I did get in dinner, thankfully.

Anyway, this evening the boys are going to the movies to see Jaws.  It's the 40th anniversary, so the movie theater in Uptown Charlotte is playing it for $3!  Now, you know what they say: "while the boys are away, the girls will play!!!"  And in my world "playing" means going out to eat!  I thought we'd go to a local BBQ (for all those who don't live in the South, I mean pulled pork and home cooking...) place here, one that's been around for awhile.  However, someone reminded me of an even better BBQ restaurant here in town, so we may go there.  Last time we had the food, Kara LOVED the ribs.  So, maybe we'll share a plate of ribs and have a side each...collards for me and maybe mac n cheese for her.  Tonight, the options are endless!!! 

Well, now you know what I'm doing for dinner, but you don't know what I've done the rest of the day....so here is the list:

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs and a banana (surprise!!)
*10am - 15 baby carrots and 2 tbsp hummus (the carrots were super little for some reason)
*12pm - the food I was supposed to eat yesterday.  grilled chicken, grilled veggies, and half of a sweet potato
*6pm - either ribs or pulled pork (BBQ) and a veggie of some sort. 

Now, I'm off to do a little work and then it'll be time to go home!!  As always, if you have any questions, please ask...I'm here for everyone.  Have a wonderful hump day, y'all! 

I'm on the edge...

The edge of getting sick, that it is. I'm not sure what's up, but there has been a nasty tummy bug going around. I really hope that's not it, but with the way my tummy feels and the constant sick feeling in my throat, I'm leaning towards that. Bah!  

Since I don't really feel like writing today, or eating, I'm going to make this super quick. 

I made a grocery run yesterday. I bought everything I needed for the week (plus some) and bought the kids their stuff. 

 

That's all of my stuff!!  We have: One head of living lettuce, one rotisserie chicken, 2 yellow squash, 2 zucchini, vine ripened tomatoes, 5 peaches, 1 lbs of strawberries, a bunch of fresh asparagus, 2.75lbs of cherries, 2 packages of plain hummus, 2 packages of shirataki noodles, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, one small can tomato paste, and one 15oz can tomato sauce.

Not pictured (kids stuff): A gallon of whole milk, 3 boxes of cereal, frozen pizza, and 2 small frozen lasagnes.  

Total grocery bill: $63. (The cherries were $11...on sale.  Woah.)

Anyway, I think anyone can do this. I understand cost of living is different in every town/state, but you still need a game plan, a meal plan, and willpower. If you have those three things, you can do anything!!  

So, onto my daily food list. I probably won't eat most of this stuff today, but I still wanted to show you what my game plan is/was.  

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs and a banana (I ate this, but haven't eaten since). 

*10am - 21 cherries (they're calling my name right now, but I'm afraid...very afraid). 

*12pm - grilled chicken breast, half of a sweet potato, and grilled mixed veggies from the kabobs on Sunday. 

*2pm - 2 cups watermelon

*6pm - rotisserie chicke (one breast, only, for me) and steamed broccoli with a little shredded Colby Jack cheese...I'm talking 1/4 cup...if that. (I'll make the kids whatever starch/carb they'd like, but they'll eat everything else). 

Now, I'm off to wallow in self pity and pray this is just a fluke. By the way, those cherries are still callin' my name. Have a great day, y'all!

Sunday funday...every.single.week.

I'm not sure if any of you know this, but Sundays are my most favorite days of the week!  I'm a single mom and am divorced.  Due to my ex-husband's work schedule I don't have the usual full weekends away from my children, like some families do.  I have my children 7 days per week, usually.  So, every other Sunday my children head with their dad for a few hours and I'm usually with Brian, the boyfriend.  We have lunch, grocery shop at Sam's Club, eat ice cream, and now, since it's nice and warm (read: HOT) out, we've decided to grill every Sunday night for dinner.  Not only do I get an amazing healthy dinner, but I can make some pretty spectacular lunches for the week out of the leftovers.  Last night was no exception.  After getting back from the lake, the kids went with their dad for a couple hours and I headed to Brian's and we grilled out.  We had chicken, shrimp, beef (for Brian) and veggie kabobs...the kids joined us that night to eat, and we made them pork chops and apple sauce. 

This past weekend was a blur.  The kids and I had so much fun at the lake and were able to catch a ton of fish, swim, jet ski, and just lounge around.  All three of us came back tired, tan, and ready for our next vacation in a couple of weeks!!!  Florida, baby!  This week the kids started separate S.T.E.M programs, so I'm sure they'll have a ton to talk about this week.  Good news is, these programs will not cut into my nightly meal prep and cooking...whew!! 

When you eat the way I do...you need time.  Not a lot, but still some time to really get things ready.  I know you probably hear about people meal prepping and how much time they put into it...etc.  Well, I'm here to tell you, as much as I really TRY to meal prep, I usually don't...other than cut up fruit.  Honestly, when people tell me they don't have time to "eat healthy," I usually take it as them not really wanting to or really caring.  I'm a full time mom, I work full time, and I'm in college (although I'm taking the summer semester off this year)...if I have the time to do this...you do too!  If you can take the time to cut up a watermelon, wash berries, and boil eggs (I do this every other morning) then you have time to eat healthy...I promise.  You really just need a plan of action.  What fruits do you love to eat?  What about your breakfasts...will you do hard boiled eggs like me...or maybe steel cut oats?  For lunches, will you eat leftovers from dinner last night, or maybe a quick, easy to put together salad?  Then there's dinner!!  What will you have for dinner?  Do you need to thaw the meat?  Is there enough to make for everyone and will there be enough for leftovers?  This plan is all up to you and what you have time for. 

I think, for me, it takes less time to cook, as I don't have a complex meal plan.  It's usually protein/meat and vegetables.  That doesn't take long, at all.  The thing that takes the longest is whatever starch/carb I'm making for the kids that night.  Like tonight, I'm making spaghetti (I'll post all ingredients and food lists below).  The kids will have spaghetti noodles and I'll have shirataki noodles (I buy these at Wal-Mart or Harris Teeter in the refrigerated produce section: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Nasoya-Pasta-Zero-Plus-Shirataki-Spaghetti-8-oz/33141085).  These noodles are great and usually around $2 per bag (closer to the fall and winter I stop using these for spaghetti and go to spaghetti squash).  I buy multiple bags per grocery trip, as I use them pretty often.  Make sure to rinse them really well before heating them up, though!  After adding them to your sauce/soup/whatever it'll take on the flavor and they're great! 

So, what is the hardest part for you?  Is it the time it takes to prepare, or just cook, in general?   Are you an extremely picky eater?  What obstacles are you facing when it comes to healthy eating? 

Food list for this wonderful Monday:

*8am - hard boiled eggs, banana
*10am - 11 baby carrots and two tbsp hummus (plain)
*12pm - grilled chicken, shrimp, and vegetables (onion, green pepper, mushrooms, yellow squash, zucchini)
*2pm - 3 whole kiwi
*6pm - spaghetti (1.5 pounds ground turkey, this sauce: http://www.tammileetips.com/2013/05/gwyneth-paltrows-go-to-tomato-sauce-recipe/ and one full bag of shirtaki noodles - the link is listed above...the kids will have regular spaghetti noodles). 

I'd love to hear from you with any questions you may have.  Also, I have my Facebook page I started, and am posting daily pictures of food and other links I find interesting.  https://www.facebook.com/fromcupcakestobrusselsprouts?pnref=story. You're more than welcome to Share, Pin, Follow, or comment!!! 

Super de duper quick post!

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't in bed right now. My day has been full of swimming, lounging and fishing. We caught a ton of perch, blue gill and pumpkin-something-or-another today!  It was great. We actually have two lines out right now, hoping for big cat fish!  Don't worry, we're a catch and release family. 

Anyway, down to the nitty gritty...the food. My time lines are all of on vacation, so I'll post a list, without times, like yesterday. 

Breakfast: three hard boiled eggs and 5 whole strawberries.

Lunch: salad with a half of grilled chicken breast and 3 slices of boars head ham. I had 2tsp (yes...teaspoons) of thousand island dressing...because I love it. Sue me. ;)  

Snack: 2 cups of watermelon.

Dinner: grilled turkey burger, lettuce, tomato, pickle (no bun, no condiments), homemade guacamole, multi giant chips, and half of an ear of grilled corn on the cob. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday tomorrow, and to all the dads, Happy Father's Day!!  Does anyone have big plans tomorrow?

(A snippet of my day...lake full of kids and my dad, with his Father's Day cigar, in the midst of it all!)

Lake living.

This weekend I'm at the lake, Lake Murray, that is. My Aunt owns a house on the water and allows us to come down (2 hour drive) several times a year to just vegge out. So, this weekend we decided to head down here and take the time to chill out and relax. I needed a break from reality, badly.  

Anyway, like I said in the previous posts, I do cheat.  I try my hardest to not eat fast food (burgers and fries, are no longer in my vocabulary)...today, however called for something quick while on the road. I went to McDonald's...twice. Breakfast was oatmeal, plain, and a yogurt parfait. For lunch I had a grilled chicken premium wrap, no cucumbers. My snack was a handful of peanuts...and water, water, water. Dinner, unfortunately, will be pizza...so it'll be one of my cheats for the weekend. Tomorrow, I promise will be a MUCH better food day!  

Now, I'm off to get the kids out of the water so that the skin wrinkles will go away before dinner.

Here's my view for the evening!  Have a great weekend, y'all!!

Maintenance, willpower...and all that jazz!

Ohhhh, maintaining.  Let me tell you, this is a life style change.  It's not a diet, it's not a quick fix, it's not something I'll ever give up on...ever.  When I decided to eat this way, I went all in, there was no looking back.  I went years thinking about how different it would be if I finally just stuck to something and not give up.  Here I am, June 18, 2015, and I haven't backed down, I haven't stopped believing.  Believing in yourself and your ability will be the only way you'll ever be able to stick to healthy and clean eating.

This isn't easy, y'all.  It's not.  There is temptation EVERYWHERE.  My children had doughnuts for breakfast...powdered, sugary cake doughnuts.  I wanted one, I wanted to remember how they melt in your mouth after the first bite.  Sweet, glorious, yumminess.  However, I knew that if I took one bite, I'd blow my day out of the water...so I stopped myself, threw away the one last itty bitty bite my son couldn't finish and I realized that this was a victory!!  Kristi - 1, Doughnut - 0.  If I can throw this away, you can too...believe me.  Willpower, y'all...mega loads of willpower. 

Back in April, around Easter, I was at the lake with my family.  We had food...lots of really good food.  I tried very hard to eat clean and keep the carbs down, but my Aunt made this macaroni and cheese that I could not resist.  So, I ate it.  Once I ate it, it was downhill for me.  I gained a few pounds that weekend.  Now, a few pounds doesn't sound like much, but to me, it is.  I feel heavy and bloated and know that I need to really buckle down to get that weight off.  Well, I buckled down on Monday and for some reason the weight wasn't coming off like it used to.  Then, six weeks later, I went on vacation with the boyfriend.  I cheat on vacations, well, because I'm on vacation and if a biscuit is an option with my breakfast omelet...I'm getting the biscuit...and the hashbrowns/homefries (I'm not much of a grit eater).  Dinner was delicious, FRESH, local seafood...but some of it was fried, some of it came with hushpuppies, and those seafood nachos were out of this world.  We were gone for four days and I gained a total of 5 pounds on the trip.  When I got back from the trip, I had gained a total of 8, EIGHT, pounds in 6 weeks.  UGH!  The Monday after we got back I had to do something...I felt absolutely horrible.  So, I did what I always do, I buckled down and started really, really watching what I ate.  It has been four weeks and I've lost 7 pounds...one more pound to go to get to where I was at the beginning of April.  Cha, Cha, Cha!

Anyway, the moral of the story is this:  Please know that if you decide to have cheat meals, that's great, but limit them and don't over do it or over eat...it's very easy to do.  This is a life style, when you start eating something you cut out of your diet (like biscuits or fried food), completely,  your body will go crazy and you will gain weight.  If you DO gain weight, then start all over again.  It's easy, it's simple, you got this! 

Now, for the important part of the day....FOOD!!  Remember, this will be pretty repetitive depending on the last time I grocery shopped and what all I have in my fridge!  Ha!

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs and a banana (yep, again....I'm a creature of habit and I LOVE it)
*10am - 2 cups of watermelon
*12pm - leftovers from Tuesday's dinner (hummus chicken, sauteed spinach, and grilled cauliflower)
*2pm - 12 whole strawberries
*6pm - This:  http://smilesandwich.com/2014/07/25/amish-one-pan-ground-beef-and-cabbage-skillet/ (I'll be changing the ground beef to ground pork and will use olive oil instead of butter, I also may add a touch of thyme).  **My kids will not eat this, so I'll make them something else.  This will leave me with a boat load of leftovers and I'll freeze them for quick dinner meals and lunches.    

I hope everyone has a great Thursday!!  Today is my Friday, though, and the kids and I will be leaving tomorrow morning for the lake in South Carolina...we can't wait!  I promise I'll keep posting while I'm gone.  Oh!  I started a Facebook page so you can connect with me through there, as well.  The link is:  https://www.facebook.com/fromcupcakestobrusselsprouts?fref=nf

I look forward to meeting new people and seeing new faces!! 

Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater!

I find this hilarious and completely ironic, but one of my biggest passions, besides writing, is baking.  Cupcakes, cookies, brownies, cakes, pies...you name it, I've baked it.  I wouldn't say this was the start of my weight gain, cause let's face it, I've always struggled with my weight and fluctuations depending on what was going on in my life.  There was actually a time, when I was much younger, that I actually refused to bake box brownies..I HATED baking.  One day, however, I decided to try my hand at homemade cupcakes...and then cookies...and cakes.  Before I knew it I had a very small side business blooming and was able to bake for people all over my town and for my family.  I wish I could tell you that I've stopped baking, but I haven't.  I usually bake for birthday parties for my family still, and I bake every other Friday for my boyfriend and his doctorate cohorts.  You can say he's spoiled, but there's nothing better than having the satisfaction of someone, anyone, taste something you've made from scratch and they're instantly satisfied.  Instant taste gratification...there's nothing better, well, almost.  Ha!

So, when it comes to baking, I'm sure everyone wonders if I eat any and if I do how much do I eat...etc.  Well, I do taste the batter when making it and once the product is finished, I'll usually eat one or two, depending on what it is.  Although, several weeks ago I made these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and I ate a lot of those.  I couldn't help myself.  I paid for it later, though.  You see, once you start eating clean/healthy and you abstain from eating sugar during the week, your body and your gut changes, drastically.  Anything over sugary will send my tummy into a swirling mess and I'm miserable.  This is why, when I do cheat, I limit myself to small portions.  I hate paying the price for my sugar over-consumption. 

Alright, so, cheat meals.  How often do I cheat and what do I eat?  Well, I usually go out to eat Saturday nights for dinner and Sunday afternoons for lunch.  These are my cheat meals, but I always proceed with caution.  If I'm at Razzoos (yummy cajun food) I get the Jumbalya pasta, hold the andouille sausage and add extra crawfish!  If I'm at Antonny's Caribbean Cafe' I'll have 1/4 chicken white, potato salad, and black beans.  Sometimes we decide on Mexican and I'll eat a burrito full of chicken and veggies (although sometimes I'm really good at Mexican and we'll get fajitas for two and I'll only eat the meat and veggies and leave the tortillas for someone else).  Oh!!!  And if it's warm outside, the boyfriend and I will go and get ice cream at a local creamery here in town. That usually happens every other Sunday, on our date days.  I'll have a kiddie cup and it's just enough to take away the ice cream cravings and not give me a tummy ache!  These things are my only cheats, though.  I do allow pasta, I do allow potatoes and mayo....heck, sometimes I'll even eat breaded and FRIED chicken fingers...gasp!!  I've also, very slowly, incorporated pizza back into my cheats.  It really depends on where I'm eating and what they have to offer.  I never, ever, eat fast food, though...at all.  That is one thing I have totally and completely stayed away from. 

Monday through Fridays are my amazing clean days.  I know they say 80/20, but I'm really at 90/10 since I only have two cheat meals (not full days) under my belt in a seven day period. 

Now, onto the really, really important stuff...my food for the day!!! 

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs with banana
*10am -11 baby organic carrots and 2 tbsp original hummus
*12pm - My techs asked me out to lunch today...so a salad will probably be had. 
*2pm - sliced kiwi and nectarine
*6pm - I'm going out with Jake, my 11 year old...we're doing Mexican, not sure what I'll have, but I'm thinking the Fajita taco salad with shrimp (hold the rice, load up the veggies and shrimp)! 

Here's another before and after picture...the one on the left was taken in 2012 the one on the right was last year right after I hit my goal weight!










So, what cheats do you allow yourself to have?  Do you ever go overboard and pay for it later?  If just starting this journey, will you allow yourself to cheat right away, or will you give it time?  (Tip:  I didn't cheat for three months after I started...even on the weekends...it was a gradual thing).

Anyway, I hope everyone has a wonderful day!!  As for me, at the ripe ol' age of 34 I have my very first cavity and it's being filled this afternoon.  On the bright side, though, my lover boy is taking Kara-Lou out tonight for doing so well in school this year, they're going to see The Neverending Story, which means Jake and I have a mom/son date.  Can't wait!!!  

First things first...I'm a realist!

We all have our vices.  Things we know we can give up and the things we know we can't.  For some it may be Starbucks, for others it may be bread or pasta or ice cream.  The best way to determine what you can give up is to make a list.  That's how I knew I could probably kick some major butt in the clean eating realm.  Here's a list of everything I've given up:

Beef/red meat
Milk
Breakfast cereals
All bread products
Jarred spaghetti sauces that contain sugar (Ragu used to be my absolute favorite)
Any and all boxed food products
Pasta
Rice
Potatoes
All frozen and canned soups/meals
Pre-mixed spices
Any oils other than extra virgin olive oil
table salt

That list goes on and on.  This list may be a lot shorter...the things I DO eat:

Lean meats (poultry, seafood, pork)
Eggs...lots of eggs
Fruits, all of them
Veggies, all of them
Beans (including hummus)
Sweet Potatoes
Homemade spice mixes
Sea salt
Olive Oil/Coconut oil

My daily food intake looks the same most days, because I know what I like and I know what satiates me.  Every single morning, for the past 17 months, I've eaten three hard boiled eggs and fruit (banana, strawberries, kiwi, watermelon, nectarine...whatever is in season).  Yes, people, I eat around 21 eggs per week.  Many people have asked about my cholesterol levels, but I haven't had them tested in a couple of years.  I'm hoping this year I'll have my blood taken at my yearly and when the test results come back I'll compare them to the results from 2013. Anyway, to the daily food part!!! 

Today, my food intake schedule is:

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs and a banana
*10am - 11 whole strawberries
*12pm - grilled chicken marinated in Antonny's All-Purpose Caribbean marinade (http://anntonystropicaltastes.com/bulk-orders.html), grilled veggies (olive oil, sea salt, black pepper - onions, baby portobello mushrooms, zuccini, yellow squash, multi-colored peppers) and half of a large sweet potato (plain).
*2pm - around 2 cups of watermelon
*6pm - grilled cauliflower (thanks Trader Joe's for this new item...it's in the freezer section), sauteed baby spinach (olive oil, diced vidalia onion, garlic, sea salt and black pepper), and hummus baked chicken.  (4 chicken breasts, 1 cup original hummus, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper to taste.  Season the chicken with your salt and pepper, then coat the chicken in the hummus.  Spray a pan with non stick cooking spray ((I use Trader Joe's coconut oil spray)), spread the chicken out evenly and then sprinkle the tops with the paprika). 

Everything I listed, minus dinner tonight, is here...I eat, y'all.  I eat a lot.  

So, what are your vices?  What can't you live without and what CAN you live without?  Comment with your lists, I'd love to see them!

January 13, 2014

It's weird how I remember dates.  Certain dates have impacted my life, like no other.  The days my children were born, the day I was married, the day I left my now ex-husband, the day I met my current boyfriend...and the day he decided to call it quits.  January 8, 2014 was probably the most important date, of my life.  It was the day my boyfriend, the one who I thought was my one and only...forever, decided to break it off with me.  I was heart broken, I was mad, however, it gave me enough fuel for the inevitable fire that was itching to be lit.  I decided I needed to really look inside myself and change...everything.  I was ready to bloom, to morph into what I always knew I had inside of me...a person who was much smaller and way healthier.

I gave myself a few days to grieve and on Monday, January 13th I decided to suck it up and went to Walmart with a shopping list.  I had the basis of what I needed, but I wasn't exactly sure if I could totally and completely change my diet for good, so I gave myself a week.  I bought enough food to last that week and if I was still going strong on Sunday, I'd shop again and replenish what I had eaten.

Everything I eat is fresh, everything.  Although, I do utilize frozen veggies, a lot.  With clean and healthy eating you have to grocery shop once a week, sometimes more.  Now, some of you may be all, "that's so expensive, we can't afford that type of shopping and eating!"  I'm here to tell you that you absolutely can!!!  I'm a single mom who is considered low to lower middle class, so if I can afford to eat like this, then you can too, I swear. 

So, here's the low down - January 13, 2014 I started and in August of 2014 I hit my goal of 160lbs.  That is a few pounds shy of 40 pounds lost.  I started at 198lbs...GASP...I know.  I can't tell you if I feel better now, because I do not remember how I felt before I started.  I just know how I feel now and I feel AMAZING!!  Sure, it hasn't been all rainbows and flowers, but it's been pretty amazing.  Oh, and that guy that ditched me, Brian, well, he came back a few days later, and even though we are insanely happy (2.5 years...baby!) I've stuck with this way of life, this new found way of eating...nothing makes me happier than the perfectly steamed brussel sprout, or amazingly grilled asparagus. 

I plan on going day to day with you and my diet.  Tomorrow, I'll give you a low down on my breakfasts, which is basically the same thing, every.single.day, but it makes me happy.  I'll also give you recipes, as well as shopping lists and I may throw in some pictures of my weekly (sometimes daily) grocery carts (in the South, we call them buggies...so please forgive me if I ever call them that).  Now, I'm off to give my almost 9 year old a shower, tuck the two minions into bed...and watch The Bachelorette.  Peace out, y'all! 

Here's a before and after...enjoy!