What's for lunch?

Been doing good since I got back from the con. Tuesday, Shelley had us over for dinner and I stood strong! They had STEAK and baked potatoes!!! All I had was a potato with a dab of smart balance and salt & pepper,watermelon, and a side of the yummy zucchini and sqaush which had a liiiiitle bit of parmesean cheese but after everything I ate over the weekend, big deal. I have to say, I snuck a couple bites of steak, but only a couple!! I didn't have NEAR a whole serving. Last night I was excited because I got to cook dinner for my husband. It had been a while since we sat down to a meal at our table together that wasn't wrapped in paper and since we're broke, we had no choice. I pulled out an organic roasted veggie pizza from the freezer (no cheese, of course) and made some broccoli and tomato 7 grain pasta (mostly veggies) to go with it. Canned diced tomatoes are my new best friend. It was light, and very yummy and I felt great. Not only because I ate right but because I got to share dinner with my hubby and contribute to his good health as well. Plus there was pasta left over and some meat sauce in the fridge from last week so rachel got to eat too. So I've been super excited and motivated to keep it up. here's what I had for lunch today:

Southwest brown rice over romaine lettuce and vegetarian refried beans.

I made the most out of what I made for the kids today! They had beef taco salad, no chips of course because their in preschool and it's a choking hazard. But I got to use the beans and lettuce. I had some brown rice leftover from yesterday so I just heated that up with some fresh salsa and corn. It was SOOOOOO yummy and FILLING! Doctors orders: eat more beans! Like I need it, hehe :)

Just wanted to share!

Confessions and Convictions

Yesterday I was at Walmart and decided to "take it to the next level" and buy a bottle of slim quick, this is a product that is supposedly designed to help women lose weight with things like water, hormonal imbalances, and other things that keep us from losing weight.

Last night was my first night as a youth leader and a friend spoke about prayer and about how important fellowship with God is. And BAM! Conviction hit me. Wasn't I trying to center my weight loss around God and committing it to him daily? Wasn't I seeking him for strength and endurance? Didn't I tell God that I wanted him to be glorified in this? Well, if I'm taking a weight loss supplement, isn't that going to take some glory away from God? So I need to take them back to the store. I need to continue on this path that I feel God has me on for a purpose much bigger than me just getting to a size 10.

I think I'm meant to motivate others as well and encourage them in their journey's. If I don't give God all the glory and commit all this to him, I will not succeed. Flat out, I cannot do this without Him.

On another note, I had an amazing workout today:).

Memorial Day!

Oh I am so proud of myself! So 1st, on Saturday I went to California Adventure with my family and I made whole wheat biscuits and turkey bacon for breakfast (yum). Next I packed tuna, whole wheat bread, apples, carrots, and nuts for food and we didn't buy any park food. We saved money and calories:).

Next, Memorial Day BBQ. I've learned, the trick is to make your own dish to bring and share and make sure it's low in calories/fat yet so tasty you won't be tempted to eat all the pasta salads and chips...I found this cookbook call Cook yourself thin from the tv show on lifetime. It is amazing, the idea is to cut as many calories in a dish without cutting the taste. So for our BBQ today, turkey burgers, chicken breast, veggie kabobs, multi-grain fat free mac and cheese (it is to die for, everyone wanted the recipe)and a lemon and orange cake that was incredibly difficult to make but the taste more than made up for the hard work not to mention a nice big slice packed only a whopping 220 calories!

Now, I have 2 weeks before my friends wedding that I would like to look fabulous for. So now, I buckle down. Morning: hard boiled egg, fat free yogurt and a handful of granola, Mid Morning Snack: spinach smoothie, Lunch: Lean Cuisine, Dinner: Soup and Salad. For the next two weeks:) I'm so determined and motivated it's exciting to see what kind of results I will have.

full plate

With being sick and being under stress I put off caring about my health. Guess it's time to start up again huh? Every day is a new day right? Ysterday was all about chicken nuggets and fried rice today is about grapefruit, hummus and brown rice. *sigh* I need to pray for a better attitude.

Hey I'm picking up "Look Great, Feel Great" this week. Anyone want to join me?

bad day:(

So today was not a very good day. I didn't get to go swimming or to the gym, instead spent my morning battling the ants that were trying to invade our home. I did well for breakfast and lunch then I went out for coffee with a friend, had a nice sugary, creamy Carmel machiatto which I thought would be my treat...then had chicken chimichangas for dinner loaded with cheese...if that weren't enough I then shared a half a soft pretzel and an icee with my brother...so not a very successful day...

But alas, tomorrow is a new day. I will swim and then I will walk 2 miles at Marie Ker park and I will have my morning smoothie and I will eat nutritious meals that will help me continue to lose weight.

Thank you God that your mercies are new every morning.

Zenergize!

I found this alka seltzer type product at whole foods. A tablet you drop in a 12/16oz. bottle of water. It claims that it's fueled by Green Tea, Caffeine, and Chromium plus 100% Vitamin C to give you a healthy metabolism boost. 0 sugar, 2 calories, 100% natural nothing artificial, ever.

At 7.99 for 10 tablets I thought, this is cheaper than diet pills...so I tried them. I am on day 2, the taste is horrible, some people may like it but it reminds me way to much of alka seltzer...which I can't stand. But I have noticed an increase in energy which is amazing since I have been getting up at 5am almost every day and spend most of my days chasing around a toddler. And, I haven't noticed any sort of crash. I found two flavors, Raspberry green tea and Peach green tea. I have the Raspberry, doesn't even remind me of raspberry.

I decided to add the water with the dissolved tablet to my smoothies, it has helped me take it easier, then I don't have to think about it for 12/16oz...I can just enjoy my smoothie and know that I am benefiting from my tasty beverage:).

So there you have it my product endorsement of the day, I'm not sure about the weight loss but I'm hoping since I have noticed an increase in energy and just overall feeling better that I will also be satisfied with the outcome:).

Click here to Zenergize!

Oh yeah...btw, I weighed myself at the gym this morning I lost 6lbs. since the last time I weighed myself, which I think was 2 weeks ago! yay!!!

Proverbs 31

Ok, so I get this Proverbs 31 woman devotional everyday and I just had to share this one with you all it is so good! I'd also like to add a "failing forward";

Failing forward...after I've eaten some pasta or ice cream when I know that in order for me to reach my goals I have to be strict with my diet. But also knowing that it does not mean that I have given up or am going to take this as defeat. I will pick myself up and keep going as if I had never cheated.

http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/
Failing Forward
13 May 2009
Renee Swope

"The steps of a [woman] are established by the Lord, and He delights in [her] way. When [she] falls, [she] will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds [her] hand." Psalm 37:23-24 (NASB)

I admire, maybe even envy, people who aren't afraid to fail. You know, those people who see personal setbacks as another goal to conquer. People who don't even consider defeat when they blow it.

I wish I were that kind of person. But honestly, I am not always so courageous in the face of failure.

Failure is painful. It's embarrassing. And sometimes it makes me want to give up, mainly on myself.

God is teaching me a lot about failing. In fact, He is giving me a little push these days, to fail forward.

This week He's be en challenging me to determine in my heart and mind that I am a work in progress and move forward even when I have a setback. He is reminding me that I am a woman who is becoming all He created her to be.

A woman who is growing.

A woman who is getting better and better each day.

A woman who is not perfect - but who tries to surrender to God's perfect love and perfect power at work in her.

Failing forward...after I shoot harsh words across the room to "shoosh" my child when he announces that the yogurt in our near empty refrigerator has expired and there is nothing to eat! That is, after I'd just opened the large container of perfectly good yogurt, eaten some myself and served it to his brother for a snack.

Failing forward...after I criticize my husband and realize I failed to honor my man, again. Instead I've added to an already stressful day for the husband and father who just brought home groceries.

Faili ng forward...after I let myself be "too busy" to take the time to encourage, sit with, talk to, and listen to my always-giving-and-forgiving-mom who stopped by unexpectedly this afternoon.

Failing forward...after I tell God that a certain ministry assignment is too stinkin' hard so I can't do it because surely I don't have what it takes.

Every time I fail to be the woman God calls me to be, or the woman I expect myself to be, God reminds me of the progress we've made. Because, even though I may not be who I want to be, I am not who I used to be!

And I get that much closer to who I am meant to be every time I fail forward.

Dear Lord, I am so thankful that with Your help, I can fail forward!! I don't have to see my setbacks as a step back. In fact they can lead me forward if I let them. Today, I will take Your hand and trust Your heart as You pull me back up again and use my failures to help me become the woman You created m e to be. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Back on the wagon

Now that cinco de mayo and mothers day have passed I think I have finally rid my house of bad food. We're out of soda, left over carne asada, and cheese. I went to Soup Plantation for lunch with my mom for her belated mother's day and didn't make it to the gym. Usually hanging out with my mom is really discouraging. I don't know how many of you have seen my mom but she is a tiny Asian lady (size 4 to be exact) with glowing tan skin and tone muscles. She's so focused on health and fitness and it's ALL she talks about. She's the person that remembers that random diet I said I would start 6 months ago and asks if I'm still doing it, if I'm still working out, doing wii fit, fasting carbs, etc etc etc. It's the kind of accountability I hate, mostly because it's my mom and it feels less like accountability and more like mom disapproving of me. Plus she has her ideas of what is healthy that are different than mine and she's always trying to get me to have smoothies every day and drink aloe. But yesterday was more about her concern for my PCOS, which I was surprised about. In the past she didn't show much enthusiasm about me getting pregnant. She was confused about the Metformin and thought that i had diabetes and wasn't telling her. I eased her fears and let her know that PCOS is treatable and that I should see results within the year. She felt much better and the she was very encouraging to me, just saying that she was proud of me and that she's glad she doesn't have to worry about me because she knows I'm all grown up and have my life in control. It felt good.

It also made me excited to eat healthy, so I made some yummy wheat pasta with mushrooms tomatoes and spinach for us to share and we spent the evening having communication time which was so nice. This week was looking up but I feel like I'm getting sick. Please pray that I don't let it be an excuse to eat chicken soup and loaf around! If I can still breathe without coughing I want to go to the gym and if I can still stand for a bit I still want to make veggie soup with beans to eat instead of chicken rice soup. I know this is just my body purging toxins! So if you think about it, please pray that this doesn't get me down and out!!

I'm taking a personal day off of work on Thursday, thank the LORD! It's so needed!

The rollercoast of weight

So I did go to Disney Land on Saturday and I did eat very healthy. I brought tons of fruit and veggies to snack on and Jen M bought us a very healthy lunch of a salad and sandwich from La Brea Bakery. Sunday however, not so good. It was Mothers Day and my wonderful husband wanted to make it special for me, he made me belgian waffles for breakfast which were very yummy and he made me pasta for dinner...So I kinda carbed out yesterday...

I went swimming this morning but I felt a little nauseous, I'm wondering if it was my bodies reaction to all the carby food I consumed yesterday...

But just because I had one cheat day doesn't mean I've fallen off the horse, I plan on holding on like I didn't have any set backs at all. I'm losing weight because of the lifestyle switch and I am desperate to stay on this path. I've been under attack lately and part of that is in the area of weight loss. There are so many lies that I have to reject and not believe, "you'll never succeed, you may have lost a little but you'll gain it all back, you can't stick with this, you don't have the strength..." Well you know what I say to those lies? Your right, I don't have the strength...on my own but as I commit my ways to the Lord daily, my plans will succeed!(Proverbs 16:3)

Thank you ladies for your prayers:)

Being a woman

So I started my period yesterday...I tried to go swimming anyway, my swimsuit was still wet and rolled up in a ball from the day before so I wore swimming trunks a sports bra and a tank top, when I got there they told me I couldn't go in with my tank top on...so I ended up not being able to swim. But I did go to the gym and I felt a wee bit better afterward. It was strange because instead of my body craving chocolate as I usually do on my period, I was craving juice all day. Better than chocolate but still more sugar than I'd like to be in my diet right now.

Today I was able to swim, even though I woke with a bad attitude and wanted desperately to just stay in bed all day. After my swim I felt so much better, when I got home I made everyone a yummy breakfast of egg whites, turkey sausage and spinach, raspberry, strawberry, banana smoothies with flax seed. It was delish!

Please pray for me tomorrow, I am going to Disney Land with my friend Jen M for her birthday and I know I will be faced with tons of temptations. I plan on coming armed with plenty of healthy food and water but you know how it is when you are on your period. So your prayers would be much appreciated:).

Sorry I don't have anything more interesting to share today, I still feel like a nap is in order...

lost inches!!!

Ok so, last night we did this detox wrap thingy and i did my tummy and my neck/chin because i have a serious case of chub face and double chin:(. She measured us before the wrap and then after about an hour and these were my results:

chin/neck: before 9 1/2inches after 9 inches
Tummy top: before 41 1/4 after 41 1/2 (bloated)
Tummy middle: before 49 1/2 after 47 3/4
Tummy lower: before 51 1/2 after 50 1/4


This morning a re-measured...
chin/neck: 9 inches (same)
Tummy top: 40
Tummy middle: 43!
Tummy lower: 50

with a total loss of 9.25 inches!

I feel like this was the kind of thing I needed to keep me motivated. To see the inches fall off. I probably won't keep doing the wrap because I can't afford it right now but I will keep working out and swimming and drinking my water and soon the number of inches will be a lot higher. yay!

and everybody say awwwwwwww

So me and my husband have a pet name for each other. We call each other "Babes" pronounced bay-biss. It's usually accompanied with baby talk something along the lines of "hey dere j00 babes, um i wub j00" followed by a "no me!" etc.

So last night as we went to bed, Kyle can over to snuggle me and I felt like I had to apologize for the night before when I was being a ridiculous.
I said "babes, can I tell you something?"
and he says "k, as long as I can tell you something too"
"oook, that's fine. I wanted to say I'm sorry for last night and for being a big jerk face. I was out of line and I really appreciated all your help yesterday"
"thanks babes, I uh-cept your apology"
"k, now you go"
"um.... babes?... I want...a baby babes"
I giggled and said "me too babes, but what brought this on"
"I dunno I just do... so uuuum.." and he rubs my belly "no more meat, k? Do it for little baby babes"
and I giggled again "K :)"

So yeah, next time I think about eating meat or dairy or eggs, I can think of this conversation and I'll be too busy crying to eat anything!

This was followed by an hour long discussion about baby names... a successful one I might add :D
and no, I'm not going to tell anyone! HAHA!



I love my husband!

Give God the Glory!

So I had a rough night last night, 3 drinks and some of Theresa's delicious Carne Asada. I got so bloated from the alcohol I just felt like a huge cow and I started to get really emotional. By the time I got home I was so discouraged and felt so huge I was starting to doubt myself. I was frustrated, Why couldn't I just lose 20 lbs overnight. I started thinking about the past few years, I've been on this weight roller coaster since I was 17. I have always heard people say that you have to make God the center of your plans. I thought ok so I just listen to worship music while working out, right? Uhm..ya I'm gonna have to find some more upbeat worship music...

But this morning I decided to get to the pool 10 minutes early and just read my Bible, I felt like I needed not only strength this morning but wisdom as well. So I was in Proverbs and I read chapter 15 and half of Chapter 16. I won't post the whole chapters here because this would be the longest blog ever, but I encourage you to look it up. Chapter 16:3 tugged at my heart, "Commit to the LORD, whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." This is it, this is how I make Christ the center of my weight loss. I have to commit my weight loss, my exercise, my diet, everything to him and I will succeed! So I prayed, I committed my swim to God and I asked for strength, endurance, and wisdom. Let me just tell you, I am going to do that everyday.

This mornings swim has been the best, most successful swim yet, we just swam laps back and forth and the endurance just came. The more laps we swam the easier it got and through it I was joyful and was able to thank God. It was the best feeling ever. I finally get it! I realized I trust God with every other part of my life, why not me weight loss? It is time to give it all over to him and I am so excited to see what happens:).

Oh yeah and I saw this verse in Proverbs 15:17 and thought it was kind funny so this is for you Theresa:). "Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred."

On the Menu

Today I resisted temptation!!! Lunch for the kids today was Chinese Chicken Salad. The chicken I use for it is so yummy! They're teriyaki chicken nuggets, just little grilled one ounce chunks of chicken. It's processed of course, ground up and then formed into the nugget shape, but they are one of my favorite things to nibble on. So i prepared, I had to go to the store to get more bags of salad for school lunch anyway so I also grabbed some bean sprouts and tofu. When I got back to make my salad I smelled the chicken and thought 'hmmmm, maybe just one' and then I quickly thought 'NO! One will turn into 3 and then 5, 6, and before you know it I will have eaten 10!' So I cut a bit of tofu off and soaked it in some teriyaki sauce, finished my work and then went to build my plate....

Chinese Tofu Salad
about a handful (give or take) of...





bagged garden salad (something with red cabbage, yummy and pretty!)
green cabbage
mandarin oranges
bean sprouts
broccoli
chow mein noodles (the canned stuff, which I wouldn't reccomend because of the trans fat but it's what I had)
oriental dressing (ken's makes a really good one)
3 oz or so of tofu
bottled teriyaki sauce

I put the tofu in a bowl and splashed some teriykai sauce and a teensy bit of OJ on it and let it sit. I stacked my plate with all the rest of the yummy veggies. I heated a skillet and greased it with some smart balance. I layed out the tofu and srinkled a pinch of brown sugar on each one so it would caramalise (and maybe get crisp, since I don't really like the texture of tofu). I fried the tofu up added the leftover sauce from the bowl and then cut it up and threw it on the salad. A sprinkle of noodles and some dressing and YUM! I didn't need the chicken after I saw my new, pretty creation. Now mind you I hate tofu, I hate the texture and it tastes weird to me. But I thought if I could put it in with all these other things maybe I'll just get used to it and it was actually really good. Towards the end when there was a lot of tofu left with all the rest of the little salad bits that always float to the bottom the texture started to get to me. But I got over it because the flavor was really good. If I was at home I would have used almonds instead of noodles and added some cilantro and green onion. I have managed to get to 1:12pm without any animal products. When I go home I will have to fight not eating the left over carne asada! Wish me luck!!

Cinco de MEAT-O

So how lame is it that I bought a bag of "steak" strips (very expensive ones might I add) to make fake carne asada for my self yesterday and still ended up eating the delicious cow flesh with everyone else :(

I got cranky and tired and didn't want to take the time to make a special dinner just for me. I realized at about 7:30pm that I had been doing nothing but cooking and cleaning all day long. As nice as it was to chill with my friends the night ended badly and since I was so wound up I couldn't sleep until almost midnight. So I got approx. 4 hours of sleep. It's one more reason that I'm seeing that seeking Jesus for strength and spiritual growth is going to help me more than anything else. I need to pray for my bad attitude, my moodiness. I have found in the past that when I focus on God, the diet and exercise comes much easier. ... seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you... right? Oh how we forget the simplest things.

This reminds me, I wanted to recommend a book to everyone. It's by Joyce Meyer and it's called Look Great, Feel Great. Rachel was the first to tell me about it. She scared me with some info about diabetes and then I got curious. It's a devotional but also just a great read. It helped me gain perspective about my health and not just my size. And how health isn't just about your body, it's actually about your soul first. But I think the most eye opening was the (very long) chapter about stress and how much it wrecks our bodies. I guess I just never thought about how bad it really is. I think I'm going to pick it up again and go through it as a devotional this time, week to week. It kind of says to go through each chapter in 2 week intervals, like read a chapter and then apply it for a couple weeks before moving on. If you guys are interested in doing it too let me know! You can grab it on amazon for like a buck + shipping. I got free shipping because I signed up for some premium program that had a free trial and then canceled. It's neat you can get free 2 day shipping for anything on amazon for a month. Anyway let me know.

Although my day has started off pretty crappy I think it's going to look up, here's hoping.

Pray for strength...

So Laelle and I were in the pool this morning and I was struggling (whining) and I was so tired. Then Laelle said to me, "Why don't you just pray for some strength?". I just sort of sat there awe struck, "right here? In the pool? Why not?". So I prayed and God helped me "power" through the rest of our swim. It still wasn't champion swimming but I didn't give up, I stopped whining and starting looking towards the goal.

I've been stewing on this all day and it hit me. This is life, when we are tired and don't want to try anymore we want to wait till there some good time to pray to God for his help. But what better time than right in the midst of it. As nice of a thought it is to wait till Ali takes a nap and I have quiet to just sit and talk to God, I don't have to wait. I can do it right when I think this little toddler is driving me crazy "testing" me. I can do it right when I am craving a cheeseburger or chips or soda and just God give me strength!

So ladies, through our journey I want to tell you what Laelle so boldly told me, Why don't you just pray for some strength? Think about it, pray about it and just see what God has in store for you. I am very excited about this journey and I am very excited about all of you walking with me through it.

A special Thank you to Laelle for being so bold:).

confession

So since I'm being held accountable I thought I should tell everyone that I chowed down on the pasta and meat sauce I made for school lunch. It started with a nibble and turned into a whole serving. Then after I very healthy dinner of green salad and brown rice w/black beans and tomatoes, I then had about 8 reduced fat oreoes with a glass of MILK! tsk tsk tsk.

But I did work out, even though I had to shift my schedule to do it and I really didn't eat that much yesterday, still less than I probably would have on a normal (not healthy) day. But I'm not justifying! I really need to stop cheating! At this point any meat I put in my body is keeping me in this state! I need to feel bad about cheating and I reeeeealy need the will power to resist all the cafeteria food every day.

Thanks guys!

Dinner!

Spinach Salad with strawberries, blueberries, craisins, pecans, and chicken with poppy seed dressing. It was YUMMY:)

Workout Success!

I am very pleased to report that I not only swam this morning but I also went to the gym. I tried something different at the gym today, I usually go on the Elliptical but today I went on the Treadmill and the whole time I was on it I was thinking to myself, this actually feels good, this isn't as bad as I thought it would be and the whole time my heart rate was in the fat burning zone:). yay! Now if I can do that 3 days a week on top of my swimming I will be in great shape:).

In 5 weeks, I would like to be at a point where people are saying "you look like you've lost some weight", and for me to know in my mind that I have and it was significant and not just 1 or 2 lbs but maybe 1 or 2 dress sizes.

reset

Sorry this is so long, just getting people up to speed. Later updates will be much much shorter.

As some of you may know, my weight loss has been prescribed by my doctor to prevent diabetes and help me get pregnant. At the end of February I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) which means I do not ovulate and my hormone levels are severely off balance. Dr. Copeland suggested I change to a vegan diet, avoiding the hormones in animal products to balance the hormones in my body. Not to mention adding much needed nutrition to my diet to help reverse disease and get my blood sugar levels on track.

Switching to a vegan diet is difficult (to say the least) especially because it's starch based. The media currently leads everyone to believe that more protein and less starch/carbs is the way to go. Although it's true for some, ultimately low carb is just a quick fix and when you start incorporating carbs back into your body you'll most likely gain weight back. The best thing to go for is a balanced diet. I have seen this happen to my self time and time again BUT you tend to like the results you see from giving up carbs. When my doctor told me to go vegan I had just come off of a 2 week carb fast; lots of chicken, eggs, veggies and low fat cheese. And then he was like, so stop eating animal products and I was like.... uuuuuuh I don't know how.

The most difficult part is getting your mind to focus every meal around whole grains or beans instead of meat. Not to mention the particular diet plan he had me look up has less soy protein, so constantly eating meat substitutes was not so much of an option (not to mention it's friggin expensive). So getting my mind wrapped around THAT took a month. I had a conversation with my older sister Mariana one day and I told her about my PCOS, the metformin my doctor prescribed and my new vegan diet (which I had yet to fully adopt). She was the only person who was not surprised. Mind you, my sister is and x-ray technologist in Long Beach. She works at a hospital and knows a lot about general medical information including common medications for my syndrome and lifestyle changes. She said that the vegan thing is often prescribed because the added nutrition and removal of toxins form the body prompts the body to reverse disease, ANY disease. Suddenly being Vegan sounded fantastic so I dove in full force.

Since then I have lost about 5 lbs (over about 6 weeks) and received a lot of "hey have you lost weight?" comments, which are my favorite :) My doctor didn't notice because like I said, I was starving my self of carbs and then got discouraged and didn't diet for about a month, so I gained weight and then lost a little so the scale said I didn't lose any (well the nurse told me I lost one lb, she was excited for me at least!) I also have been working out at Curves. I try to go 3 x's a week but sometimes I don't. No excuses, I just don't because I get lazy. This past week I got discouraged again and cheated ALL week, not to mention I only went to Curves once. I feel like every day I slack off I balloon up which makes me feel like I have to start all over. I guess the key is not to let every little slip up bother me and to stay stronger during that time of the month and not use it as an excuse to eat whatever I please and not work out. What starts as only a few days of "oh I have cramps. Give me chips, salsa, and a blanket in front of the TV" then turns into a week and a half of sitting on my bum playing video games and eating fast food or whatever junk we have in the house. Guess that's why it's called a "lifestyle change" and not just a diet.

On a less snarky note, this weekend I reached a bit of a milestone. For the first time I started looking at my PCOS as what it is: a disease. Fact is, I am physically incapable of getting pregnant. This is something I never thought I would ever have to face. So after a few months of rationalizing and blaming my self, this Sunday I gave it to God. I accepted that even if I did take some wrong steps on my path to health that God, the great physician, can cure anything. So I finally took it to the alter and asked for His healing. Not just for my PCOS but also for my addiction to compromise that keeps me from being obedient. So here's to striving for spiritual and physical wellness! Good luck girls, and may the Lord bless you in your journeys to that smaller dress size (or in my case, the maternity section) :P

Weekend slam...

So this weekend was a minor setback, I haven't weighed myself because I don't want to be discouraged. It all started with going to the movies hungry:(. Movie theater popcorn is not someone who is trying to lose weights friend...Saturday I did pretty good and I was cooking for multiple people so I made sure everyone ate healthy. Sunday was kinda in between, but I think the fact that I am PMSing and feel like a huge cow is probably the main thing that is discouraging me right now.

But, on the plus side this week I start swimming every morning. I'm excited to see the results of that. I just need to make sure I have no excuses not to go.

1 Chronicles 29:12
Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.

Day 2 and some recipes

I swam today, yay! Then I went out to breakfast with my mom at IHOP, you may say tisk tisk, but they do have healthier options which we were very pleased to discover. I had their spinach, mushroom, and tomato omelet made with egg whites(without the spinach because cooked spinach make me gag)for a total of 380 calories. :)So I feel pretty good about my breakfast choice.

Recipe #1:
Biggest Losers non fried, fried chicken
2 lbs chicken tenders
1 quart of lowfat buttermilk
2 c whole wheat bread crumbs
1 c cornstarch
2 tsp paprika
1 tbs + 1 tsp organic seasoning salt
1 tbs ground black pepper
large pinch cayenne pepper
4 egg white, beaten to very soft peaks
Pam cooking spray or olive oil

Directions:
1. Soak chicken in buttermilk in the fridge for 6 hours overnight.(i don't usually follow this step)
2. Drain and blot with paper towels to remove excess buttermilk.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 degrees
4. Lay bread crumbs out on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Cool. (I buy fat free croutons and smash them up instead, very therapeutic)
5. Increase oven heat to 450 degrees
6. Comine cornstarch, paprika, seasoning salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a large dish - mix well.
7. Dredge drained and blotted chicken tenders in seasoned starch.
8. Next, coat dredged tenders thoroughly with beaten egg whites.
9. Last, dip tenders in bread crumbs to fully coat.
10. Place chicken tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet. Lightly spray chicken on both sides with Pam.
11. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until outside is crispy and chicken is just cooked through and juicy.

For eight servings:
Calories:270
Fat calories:40
Total Fat:4g
Sat fat:1g
Chol:65mg
Sodium:210mg
Total Carb:27g
Fiber:2g
Sugars:4g
Protein:28g

Recipe #2
6 Day Body Makeovers Wild Mushroom and Tomato Rice
2oz. crimini mushrooms, chopped
2oz. portobella mushrooms, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2tsp. dried oregano
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup uncooked brown rice
3 tomatoes, finely diced
1/2 cup of red cooking wine(although I always seem to need more liquid for the rice)

Directions:
Place mushrooms, onion, and green pepper in a nonstick skillet. Saute over medium heat with 1 or 2 tsp of water until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the spices and rice and stir well for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and wine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook for 30 minutes or until rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. One cup of uncooked rice will yield 3 cups of cooked rice=6 servings.