Nah, you don't have to eat the right stuff...

.....UNLESS YOU LIKE THE IDEA OF LOSING WEIGHT and being supremely healthy!
Weighed in on Saturday...2 more pounds GONE! I know I shouldn't be THIS SUPRISED, but I really am. I can NOT believe eating the right things really makes THIS big of a difference. I mean..I KNEW it mattered....but this much??? wow!

I haven't been "dieting". I haven't been starving myself and going around hungry all the time. All I've been doing is eating DIFFERENT things. I'm still eating all. the. time. and still going out to eat and even having a few little splurges...but I'm losing weight at the rate of 2 pounds per week, all because of the different decisions on food I've been making.

We did Olive Garden again yesterday...and again, I had salad with NO dressing, no breadsticks and I ordered a light entree (670 calories total) and halfed it with Matt. I figure I consumed about 500 calories total while I was there including the 2 Andes mints I ate at the end. I felt great (while everyone else was heavy and stuffed) and I didn't have any guilt. SUPER COOL.

I hope you will just try it...see what happens!

15 days of Eating Clean

So...I've made it to Day 15 of this 20 day challenge! I am still feeling the best I've EVER felt! Not one single time in the last 2 weeks have I been full, bloated or lethargic! WOW!

I did flub up last night though. (hanging head...) Here is my excuse: 2 ladies at my church had babies this past week. I offered to take them both dinner but since my schedule is SO INSANELY BUSY right now, I decided to buy pizza for their families and just bake them fresh, homemade chocolate chip oatmeal raisin cookies. Long story short, I bought the same for my family and left a few cookies at home for us...and I ended up eating 2 slices of pizza and a cookie last night. Even though I know that isn't THAT HUGE of a deal...because quite frankly that is about HALF of my normal 4 pieces and 2 (or more) cookies....STILL that is NOT what I wanted to do during this challenge and I'm bummed that I gave in. However, even after that, I wasn't stuffed or heavy feeling and I at least stopped before I let myself get too carried away, so I am not going to count that as a loss, but more like a little stumble. :)

Since I started this on a Saturday and I weighed in last Saturday...I will weigh in again tomorrow and see where I am. I am excited about finishing out this thing (next Thur. Sept 1) and I'll let you know the final results!! There is no doubt that I have learned an important lesson through this!! If you were doing it with me, I hope you have too! :)

Menu for this week:

A few people have asked me to post my menu for the week and while I know it is boring reading...if it helps even one person...then it's worth posting! :) I know I have a sort of weird schedule and eating habits...but this is what I do and what I will consume this week.

Monday:
Breakfast: 1 small biscuit, 1 egg white, 1 turkey sausage link, coffee
Snack: Shakeology with 1/2 banana and 1 T. Peanut Butter (at 11:00)
Lunch: Green salad with 6 oz. of albacore tuna and 1 T. strawberry vinagerette (at 2:00)
Snack: 10 mini rice cakes with hummus and 1/2 an apple (at 4:30)
Dinner: Shakeology again (on Mondays I have Shakeology for dinner because I have a fitness class from 6:30-7:30 and I can't eat anything heavy before or after. Shakeology is perfect.)

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Non-instant whole grain oatmeal with blueberries, walnuts and Truvia, coffee.
Snack: Apple and string cheese.
Lunch: Shakeology.
Snack: Banana and 1 rice cake with PB.
Dinner: Baked flounder with Orzo, grilled asparagus and salad
Dessert: Fruit

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Veggie omelet, 1 turkey sausage link, 1 whole wheat toast w/ spray butter, coffee
Snack: mini rice cakes with hummus
Lunch: Shakeology with PB.
Snack: Apple and 10 almonds
Dinner: Grilled shrimp, baked sweet potato, green beans, salad
Dessert: 1/2 c. plain non-fat greek yogurt with blueberries

Thursday:
Breakfast: Open faced egg white sandwich. (egg white, 1/2 slice low-fat cheddar, turkey bacon on 1 slice whole wheat toast.
Snack: Apple and low-fat string cheese
Lunch: Shakeology
Snack: Green salad with strawberry vinagerette and left over grilled shrimp.
Dinner: Grilled pork chops, seasoned brown rice, broccoli and salad.
Dessert: 1/2 c. plain non-fat greek yogurt with blueberries

Friday:
Breakfast: Non-instant whole grain oatmeal with blueberries, walnuts and Truvia, coffee.
Snack: Granola bar and apple.
Lunch: Shakeology
Snack: Raw veggies and hummus
Dinner: Going to a Gala Ball...and will eat and drink whatever is served! :)

I will also do the following workouts this week:
Monday: Intense Interval Class, 1 hour
Tuesday: Bootcamp Insanity, TurboKick practice, 2 hours
Wednesday: Weightlifting class, TurboKick practice, 2 hours
Thursday: Bootcamp Insanity, TurboKick practice, 2 hours
Friday: TurboFire, 1 hour
Saturday: Intense Interval, 1 hour

The 100% Guaranteed way to lose weight

That is a bold title, yes? Yes! I am confident though.

This is why: For the past 7 days (today is Day 8) I have been eating nothing but lean meats, fresh veggies and good carbs. I've cut WAY back on any fats (very little to no dressings, sauces, etc.) and I've also cut my carb consumption in about half. The biggest change, by far, for me has been not having dessert.

My "normal" is to have dessert at LEAST once a day. :( I know...it's naughty. But it's probably one of my favorite things in the whole world and as hard as I work, I "feel like I should have a treat." {side note: that is the stupidest, most ironic thing I say and I hear people say ALL THE TIME. When you work so hard to eat right and exercise daily...don't TREAT yourself by eating crap. DUMB DUMB DUMB. A small little indulgence occasionally is fine...but don't look at it like a reward. Reward yourself with a smaller size item of clothing or a pedicure or an hour to yourself to read a good book or something. Anyway..okay back to where I was...} The problem is I don't have dessert once in a while..I have a treat once or twice a DAY. I've always known this is what is most likely holding me back and keeping me from losing the weight. Guess I was right. The good news is I have discovered that this new amazing way I feel tastes better than cupcakes and pies and cookies.

ANYWAY...I said of all of that to say...that in just ONE WEEK of completely changing the way I eat...I've dropped 2.6 pounds! I knew I felt lighter...but I really was surprised to see that big of a drop. What a shame that I've been tormented for so long trying to get rid of this weight when all along ...this is all it would have taken! And ohmyheavens...I feel AMAZING!

So...do you want to know what prompted this whole eating clean thing and why I've been able to stay SO MOTIVATED??? This may or may not be a great reason and it may not help you at all, I don't know...but one day about 2 weeks ago, I put on a cute outfit and even though it looked fine from the front, when I turned around there were 2 big floppy love handles hanging over the sides of my britches. It was so disgusting that I took a picture of it and texted it to my coach Demi. I asked her WHAT could I do to get rid of it? Her answer? "EAT CLEAN 100% OF THE TIME!" So simple, yet...something I hadn't done since my first round of P90X (when I lost 17 pounds and got muscular for the first time in my life). I decided right then and there that I KNEW she was 100% right...and that until I was ready to commit to that....I would never have a lean body like hers. So...every time this week when I was tempted to flub up, I saw that image of that text from her to me with those words and I considered what I was about to do. I was about to sacrifice 100% for 90%...and I already know what results that gives. So...I stuck to my guns (with the exception of Tuesday night and the stupid fried pickles. :-(

More of the story:
For years I've been struggling to lose these last 10-15 pounds. Because I'm not overweight or unhealthy, it seems extra difficult because honestly I'm not THAT unhappy with myself. Still, my personality is one that wants to achieve and back in 2004 when I first started this journey, I made the goal of getting to 125 pounds, thus for the first time since my 16th birthday, making my drivers license honest again. :)
Even though this whole thing started because I wanted to LOOK better...the way that I am feeling now is like a drug. I'm addicted. I never want to feel bloated, heavy and stuffed again.

Looking good is just the "icing on the top" now. Feeling this way is my motivation. :)

For an example of what I've been eating:
Breakfast : 1/2 of a whole wheat english muffin with egg white, 1/2 slice low-fat cheddar and 1 slice turkey bacon. (eaten like an open faced sandwich)
Snack: Apple and 10 almonds
Lunch: Shakeology and small salad (no dressing-just a little salt and pepper)
Snack: Celery with natural peanut butter
Dinner: Lean Roast with steamed cauliflower, salad and 1/2 ear of corn.
"Dessert": 1/2 c. greek plain yogurt with strawberries.

The Shakeology is a MUST! It is keeping my digestion working like clock-work. :)

Eating Clean: 6 days and counting!!

I am so happy to say that I am STILL eating clean and lovin' every minute of it! :) I do have one confession to make: On Tuesday night I had dinner at Texas Roadhouse with some family and THEY ordered fried pickles and I had a few. :( I shouldn't have, but no one was eating them (no one else liked them!!) and I couldn't STAND to see them all just get thrown away! I didn't go overboard at all. I probably ate 10...being honest. There were probably 50 in the basket...so I definitely exhibited restraint. :) BUT...I didn't have the warm rolls they bring out and I ordered Sirloin Steak and Veggie Kabobs. I had them switch out the rice that comes with it for fresh veggies and a baked sweet potato with NO toppings of any kind. I drank water. It was DELICIOUS and a great time and I'm so impressed and encouraged that I can still eat out with my friends and family and not have to leave feeling like I need to be wheeled out in a wheelchair! Even after I eat a large meal like that, I still feel great because I didn't overload on fried, greasy food (no fries!!) and no heavy carbs. It's GREAT! One thing I can DEFINITELY COMPLAIN about though is how much healthy entrees COST! Oh my goodness!!! The grilled salmon (which is what I really wanted) was $5 more than the sirloin kabobs!! :( When we went to the Olive Garden last week, my baked fish was $15. I usually spend around $7/ plate when we go out...so this is a bit hard to swallow...but oh well, I guess that's just the way it is. Can't really do anything about that. :(

I have to admit, if it wasn't for my daily Shakeology (which I've been mixing with 1 TBSP of peanut butter and it is AMAZING!) I don't know if I would be handeling the "no sweets" part so well. But that shake made with the PB is so creamy and big and sweet and delicious that it is completely satisfying my sweet tooth! -Or maybe the sweet tooth is going away already!?!? I don't know but I'm loving this way of eating and I just can't believe I don't do it all the time. (or haven't as of yet). Chips and crackers and cookies and french fries and nachos are NOT THAT GOOD. They taste good for a few seconds while they're on your tongue but the misery that accompanies them for hours and days later is so not worth it. For almost a week now, I've been feeling energetic, light, thin, fresh and healthy and just really vibrant. I pray I will NEVER go back to those old ways. For those of you who said you were going to do this with me...how's it going? Are you feeling great too?

"Before" 20 Day Challenge-Front

Don't know why these pics are so small!?! Maybe becuase I took them with my phone. Anyway, this is my "Front" before picture. Let's see what happens in 20 days!

"before" 20 day challenge pic

I don't know why this picture is so small...but this is my "before" side view picture for the 20 day challenge. Taken on Sat. Aug 13, 2011.

20 Day Clean Eating Challenge

If you are my friend on FB, you probably saw my post about this on Saturday. Since my hubby and I have a special 13th anniversary vacation coming up soon to Cancun, Mexico, we have decided to do a 20-day "challenge" to see if we can get the "ripped" bodies we really want to have while we are there. For me, that means being able to put on a bathing suit and feel totally confident in it (not just while standing....but while sitting and bending over too! ha ha) You ladies know what I'm talking about!!
For Matt, that means taking his shirt off and and feeling good about the way his chest, back, arms and abs look. No more love handles!!
I am SO excited about this because for once, I am attempting something that I believe is do-able and realistic. Trying to cut out sweets entirely or lose 20 pounds is just too "big" for me...but deciding to "eat clean" for 20 days is something I can handle.
And so far...it's been going AWESOME!
I took before pictures and my before weight Saturday morning and if I can figure out how to get them off my phone, I will post them. My starting weight is 136. I don't have a goal...I just want to see whats the best I can do in these 20 days.

What "Eating Clean" means to me:
1. No junk food (chips, cookies, soda, fried foods, etc.)
2. No fast food (burgers and fries, etc.)
3. No Sweets (cakes, pies, ice cream, brownies, cookies)
**EXCLUSION: is yogurt and fruit. I definitely have a serious sweet tooth and I am not banning yogurt or fruit from the "sweets" category. :)

In addition to this, I am committing to working out 6 days a week. (which isn't hard because I do that already). Sunday's are my rest day and sometimes I end up doing Turbo on Sunday just because I love it so much I can't stand to not do it! ha ha

So, I'm thrilled that so many have decided to join me! Keep checking back for regular updates and please leave a comment on how you are doing!!

Pictures...:(

Okay so it's been a realllly long time since I've posted any new pictures to my blog. And it is NOT because I don't want to! I do, I do! I just have the worlds WEIRDEST computer. It works perfectly fine about 98% of the time...but for some reason, for the past couple of years, it won't let me click on certain things. I mean...I can click on it..but it doesn't "take" or work. One of those things is the "add image" button on my blog. I can click it 100 times and nothing happens. But if I scoot over just one icon to the "add video" icon...it works fine. (I just don't know how to make a video).
And ALL of my pictures are downloaded to this computer (and not my laptop).......but.........if I can email myself my pictures and upload them to my laptop THEN I could probably post some new ones on here. But see how much work that would be?? and seriously, I don't know when I'll ever find time for that. BLAH! Okay, that was 2 whole paragraphs of boring reading and me whining. What I really wanted to say was I'm going to try to post some new pictures soon! Goodness knows I've got at least a years worth I want to share with you!

I heart Diamond!

Many of you know I am a coach for Beachbody...but what you probably DON'T know...is that it is one of the most rewarding things I've ever done and YOU can be a part of it! Whether you allow me to be YOUR free coach or you join me as a COACH YOURSELF on my team ....I want you to be a part of my amazing journey...all the way up to DIAMOND. I know you have no idea what I'm talking about right? Well...speaking in terms of do$$ar signs...Diamond is where the big bucks start rolling in...but that has never been my top priority (although I ain't gonna lie...it certainly makes my love for shopping less guilt-filled!)
BUT...Speaking in terms of HELPING PEOPLE which is where my heart is and why I'm so passionate about this...it means that I will have accumulated a fantastic team of coaches to work with me AND have a large amount of people that have signed up to let me help them!
The reason I am talking about this today is because I WANT YOU! If you've been reading my blog for very long, you obviously have a passion for health and fitness, you probably workout regularly, try to eat healthy and I've never met a person who doesn't want more money. You've either done a Beachbody workout program or you're thinking about doing one. Unless you aren't into helping others succeed, YOU are a perfect candidate for becoming a coach!
And if you've EVER thought about it, even for just a second, I'll tell you why RIGHT NOW is the time to do it. Because I just started my engine and my foot is on the gas. I have an AMAZING leader right in front of me that is leading the way and all I have to do is follow. You don't want to be left behind. If you get in this caravan with us, we will clear the path for you and guaranteed success is right down the road that we're traveling. PLEASE come for the ride!