One Year Later, Taking a Moment to Reflect...

On June 21, 2010 I made the choice to change my life. I received an email from my boss about procrastinating and how we will make up excuses to start something tomorrow instead of today. For me, that email was more than a typical email, it was a sign. A sign that I took and ran with, a sign that I needed to see that day, my first of many 'a ha!' moments :) As I celebrate my one year anniversary of gaining my life back, I am taking time to reflect how far I have came. This year was by far the hardest year of my life, but absolutely the most rewarding in the same breath. I have discovered who I am again, and found out more about who was buried underneath my own skin. Its truly amazing, and I'm so relieved to know I don't have to hide anymore! I'm ME! I've never been happier, felt more confident, beautiful, and fit! I am physically fit, that in itself it frickin awesome! :)

Here is a list of my top 10 accomplishments in the last year:

June 21, 2010 Before:

1. 203.4lbs
2. Size 18 Clothes or XXL Shirts
3. Didn't exercise at all
4. Couldn't jog for more than 30 seconds at one time
5. Bra size 40DDD (yikes!!)
6. Couldn't mow my own lawn without feeling like I was going to die
7. Ate so terrible I would hide it
8. Could only walk around my block once
9. Rollerblading was an activity from my childhood
10. Was asked to get off of a roller coaster because it couldn't strap properly

June 21, 2011 After

1. 149.6lbs
2. Size 8 Clothes or Medium Shirts
3. Exercise 4-5 times per week
4. Completed four 5k's, most recently finishing at 30.04 setting a personal record
5. Bra Size 36C (yippee!)
6. Not only mow my own lawn, can mow my neighbors too
7. Eat very healthy and am not ashamed of anything I eat
8. Walk/run 4+ miles regularly
9. Am currently training for an Inline Marathon in September 2011
10. Am going to re-visit that roller coaster and get back on to ride it!!!

What an amazing year!!!! And many more exciting things to come :)

Gym Time Baby, Vacation is OVER

I took a little over a week off of work recently for vacation, and I made the decision to take a small break from my workouts. I needed to relax and just let my body recover a little, I took exactly two weeks off and it felt GREAT! I loved every minute of it, I needed it! This past Monday was my return to the gym, it was hard getting back into the routine and geez was I dying! :) Yesterday and today I'm paying for my little break, I worked out again today and needless to say I am a hurting unit! But I needed it, I needed to get back to the gym, I needed to push through those moments wanting to quit and knock it out.

Its amazing how taking a two week break can make you feel like you haven't worked out forever, wow have things changed :)

Back to the gym again tomorrow...and the next day, vacation is over.

Recipe - Ranch Burger with Coleslaw

The perfect summer dinner! Love love love these burgers, and the coleslaw is just as delish! :)


Ranch Burgers

1lb Lean Ground Beef (93/7)
1 Package of Ranch Dressing Powder
1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar (I used finely shredded)
Whole Wheat Hamburger Bun

1. Mix beef, ranch seasoning, and cheese in a bowl

2. Make 6 hamburger patties out of mix

3. Grill burgers for apprx. 5 minutes on each side

4. Serve on whole wheat bun

1 Hamburger Per Serving (7 WW PointsPlus Per Burger w/ Bun)


Coleslaw

1 Bag of Coleslaw Mix
1/3 Cup Dried Cranberries
2 Cups of Fat Free Mayo
2 tsp. Sugar
2 tsp. Vinegar

1. Mix all ingredients in large bowl

2. Place in fridge to chill before serving

3. Split into 6 servings and enjoy!

Servings are apprx. 1 cup (2 WW PointsPlus per Serving)

Helllooooooooo 140's, its been a while!

I officially broke into the next weight bracket! 149.6 to be exact!!!! I haven't been this weight in 7 years! Yes, my main goal was 50lbs but my ultimate goal was to be in the 140's :) Woot woot!!! Now that I'm here I'd really like to stay! When I got pregnant with my daughter 7 years ago I weighed 143, never in my wildest imagination did I ever think I could get close to that! Hell yes!

I missed you 140's, and I'm hoping we'll become great friends!

Recipe - Breakfast Burrito of Champions

I used to never eat breakfast, I would starve myself all morning and then binge eat at lunch. When I started my journey, I very quickly realized the importance of that first meal of the day. Though I have many breakfast favorites, I discovered I could turn my egg white omelet into a delicious breakfast burrito that definitely does the trick! I have been using "Flat Out" bread for many different meals, and they are so good!! You can change or alter the veggies to your preference, but this is how I make mine:

1 Flat Out Bread (3 WW PointsPlus) I buy these at Walmart
3 Eggs Whites (1 WW PointsPlus)
Mushrooms Chopped
Onions Chopped
Green Pepper Chopped
Salsa
2oz Pre-cooked Chicken Breasts Strips (cut up) OR 2 Fat Free Turkey Slices (Cut Up)

1. Spray Saute` Pan with Cooking Oil, add prepared veggies and choice of meat. Saute` on medium high heat for apprx. 5-7 minutes or until done

2. Spray finished veggies/meat with cooking spray lightly BEFORE you add egg whites, pour egg whites right on top of veggies in pan and scramble until finished

3. Add prepared food to middle of Flat Out Bread, and top with a little bit of salsa. Roll up and eat as a burrito :)

Serving Size 1 Burrito (6 WW PointsPlus per Burrito)

Other Ideas to Use Flat Out Bread:

Pizza
Wraps
Sandwiches

The Love of a Great Dog

Jack December 2006 - June 2011

Five years ago, I brought my mom to a dog breeder's home to pick up her new puppy. I walked in and immediately saw this very dark puppy that was distinctly different from the rest. He came right up to me, and I held him while my mom finished up her paperwork. I couldn't put him down! I knew I just had to have him, though we were not prepared for a puppy and had no intentions on getting one I some how convinced my husband to let me bring him home! Welcome home Jack!!! Jack was a Morkie (Maltese/Yorkie), and was a little less than two pounds the day I brought him home. He was a good dog from the start. He had such a personality! He was sure he was a large dog, very protective of us and his territory.

Through the years of his life, he molded into more than just a dog. He was a part of our family, and is the main reason I started walking one year ago. Him and I bonded so much during our many many walks/runs, he kept me company and pushed me to keep going even when I was ready to give up. He loved to walk with me! All I had to do was grab my wind pants and he knew it was time, he'd start jumping around and running back and forth until I grabbed his leash. During our long walks, he pranced around with this look of absolute fulfillment. I would praise him and talk to him, he was so happy. It was funny to see this little eight pound dog think he was 100lbs trying to take on the larger dogs in our neighborhood! That was just Jack :)

Two days ago, we suddenly lost our Jack. He was tragically taken from our life, and it will forever change us. I am not sure when I'll be able to face going for a walk without my partner. Our house feels empty without him here! I never knew how hard this would be. His loyalty to me and my whole family was unbelievable, he was a great dog and will be missed. My family is heartbroken, and it will take us a while to move on from our loss. I feel that without jack, I'm not sure I would've continued walking, I truly did it because he motivated me to want to do it.

There is nothing greater than the love of a dog, rip Jacky, Wacky Jacky, Jackers...