Week 1 of Macros Plan

Well, it's been over a week since my last post.  Blogger fail right here!  I wanted to do a quick update on my macros plan that I started last Monday.  The first week went very well.  I had a few small slip ups here and there, but I did lose 4 pounds so I must have done something right!  I stuck to the plan Ashley created for me and the only problem I had was trying to eat all the food each day.  There were a few days that I didn't.  I haven't had the craving for 'junk' food like I normally have.  We went to a baseball game Saturday and I bypassed the Dippin' Dots and hot dogs.  I did share some nachos with my daughter for lunch.  I asked them to put the cheese on the side and I sparingly dipped my chips!  Again this week I chose to stick to the plan Ashley gave me but I plan to try and create my own meals next week.  Anybody else experimenting with macros? 

The End of Operation Red Bikini = Another Beginning for Me

Well, the Operation Red Bikini challenge officially ended Friday.  I was no where near my original goals I set back on January 4.  I was so motivated and determined in January and February.  Then I let life get in the way and March came and brought a super stressful month at work, there was Easter, birthday parties, weekend road trips, and lots of fast food.  I am more conscious about what I eat and how much exercise I am or am not getting.  I definitely credit this challenge and the amazing ladies I've met along the way for that.  I just have a huge problem with commitment.  I get bored and have lots of off days where I lose sight of my goals. 

Knowing the end of this challenge was near and I wasn't even close to where I wanted to be, I felt like a total failure.  So last week I made my mind up to ask for help and I reached out to Ashley Leahy.  I originally began following her on Instagram.  Then I saw her post a few before/after pictures of her clients and I read a few posts from some ladies they were on her macro plan and what a difference they saw.  I knew I needed some structure and I also knew that I could do it if I tried.  Plus there will be someone to really hold me accountable.  I started my plan today and my weight this morning was 217.4.  That's a 5+ pound gain in 3 weeks!!  I honestly can't believe I let myself get here again.  So today is my new beginning of what I hope will be a successful attempt at changing my lifestyle to healthier eating, being fit and feeling good and I will never have to 'start' again!

Kid Funnies

I've pretty much kept this blog for my weight loss/getting in shape journey with a few doses of my family here and there.  Today I want to share some funny things my kids have said in the last few years.  I've been keeping up with them on my phone notepad but I know it will all get wiped away one day so I want to put them here so I can have a back up.

(A little backstory: Hunter is almost 10 now, very laid back, can keep to himself or talk to anyone who will listen.  Abigail is now 7, very high strung, talks way too much, and thinks she's a princess.  This will help explain why I have way more Abigail stories than Hunter stories.  I'm not showing favoritism.  This also explains why I have 736 pictures on my phone and Hunter may be in 30 of them!)

Thanksgiving 2010

• One day while riding somewhere, the kids were in the back seat arguing when Matt says in true parent form "If y'all don't stop, I'm pulling this car over and somebody's getting a spanking."  He slows the car down but doesn't actually stop.  Of course the kids get quiet and a little later we hear Abigail whisper to Hunter, "Whew that was close."
• Hunter decided one day that all of a sudden he could speak Spanish.  Then he proceeds to say, "Hola, I can speak espanol." 
• Abigail dropped something on the floor and when I asked her to pick it up, she walks behind the door and says "I'm sorry, Abigail's not in right now, please leave a message after the beep.  BEEEEEEP!"

Dr. Seuss Dress Up Day at school

• Abigail loves going with me to get her nails and toes painted and she always gets so tickled listening to the ladies talk.  One day, she tells me, "I wouldn't want to be a finger nailer because I don't want to learn how to speak Chinese!"
• During the Super Bowl the New England Patriots were leading when Hunter says, "They can barely speak English but they're winning a football game?!?!"  He thought the team was from England.
• We were getting ready to go to town one day and Abigail was insisting on wearing her princess Halloween costume.  It wasn't even close to Halloween and I told her no, because nobody wears a princess outfit to town.  She then tried to convince me by saying "I can wear it and people may think I'm a real princess and we can just pretend that I am and they won't really know."

She has her own fashion sense.

• When Matt & I got new iPhones, we gave our old ones to the kids.  They have no cell service and basically operate as an iPod.  Abigail loves taking photos and videos.  One night we were installing an update on hers when we look through the photos and videos.  There was a video of her 'teaching karate lessons'.  She started by saying "Here's the first karate lesson." and began kicking and karate chopping Hunter.  The video of course goes all over the place and he's laughing uncontrollably.  She turns the camera back on herself and says, "Sorry you had to see that."  Then she continues karate chopping Hunter.  When she's done, she turns the camera back to her and says "Yeah, that's how it's done."  I tried to email the video to my phone to keep but she got away from wifi before it sent and then deleted the video.  It was so funny!
• After school one day I asked Abigail what her test was on (meaning what was it about) and she replied, "Um, paper."

 

Disney - November 2010

• One day the kids were laughing about something and Abigail snorted while laughing.  Hunter tried his best to convince her that she had the 'pig flu' because snorting is the first symptom you get.  He really had her going for a bit until I could no longer hold it in and began laughing so hard.
• I was having a Tastefully Simple party one night and Hunter made a sign to put on the door that said "Parking $1.00".  He thought he could make a little money!

Orange Beach, AL - May 2012

Birthday Memories Linkup



Today I'm linking up with Chrissy, Lindsey & Holly to share my most memorable birthday story.  My memory is terrible but I do have a few vague memories of some of my birthdays. 

The first birthday party I can remember must have been when I was turning 5 or 6.  My mom worked at a rental place that had the inflatable bouncy houses.  For some reason I remember calling it a spacewalk.  I was told that I had to clean my room before everyone came over and I couldn't even come out of my room or my party would be cancelled.  So, I stayed in my room shoving all my toys under my bed.  When it came time for the party I went outside and there was this huge inflatable bouncy house.  I was pretty scared of it at first because it was so hard to walk and keep my balance.  Once I got the hang of it, I loved it.

Another birthday I remember was when I was 14.  I actually have some pictures of this one in storage somewhere.  I was a Freshman in high school and at the time I had way more guy friends than girl friends.  I had probably 6-8 people show up one Saturday night, with only myself and one other girl.  My plan was to just hang out around a bonfire but it must have been raining because I don't remember having a fire.  Well, I had a dirt bike that I had gotten for Christmas the year before and we thought it was a good idea to ride.  The night quickly turned into a mud riding event.  I have pictures of some of us covered in mud as I was blowing out the candles on my cake that featured a confederate flag.  Yes, I was redneck girl of the year back then.  I sometimes get an uneasy feeling of embarassment thinking back to those years that I thought it was cool to 'be one of the guys'.

Sorry I don't have any super awesome birthday stories.  I do remember having a Batman cake one year.  I remember having several birthday parties at the skating rink.  There was one year that I had a New Kids on the Block cake and thought it was the most awesome thing that they could put a picture on a cake.  I must have been 9 or 10 that year.  I don't really have any memories of my birthdays between 14 and 21.  I remember getting my first car, a 1996 Ford Bronco, right before my Sweet 16.  When I turned 21 I had been married for only 2 weeks.  Then I remember being bummed when I turned 22 because I was no longer 21 and really felt like I was getting old.  I turned 30 at Disney World and last year I spent my 32nd birthday eating pizza and playing games at Gatti Town with the kids.  Who knows what 33 will bring!

Weigh-In Wednesday

I am seriously about to take a break from the scale!  I have actually been working out and eating healthy for the most part over the last week and I gained 3 LBs!  I went the entire month of March not working out AT ALL and eating crap and I only gained 1 pound over 5 weeks. 

I can't figure out how to rotate this picture but it says

the same upside down as it does right side up - 212.

I'm blaming this gain on water weight and all those squats and dumbbell exercises that are building muscle!  My clothes don't fit any tighter.  I think the scale is just having an off day.  I just can't get over 3 LBs in 1 week! 

I do know that I am much better off than I was 6 months ago.  At Christmas time I was pushing 230.  I had no concern about what I ate and exercise, what is that?  I actually think I'm starting to rub off on my husband too!  It was his idea to go for a walk around town after church Sunday night and he has said he wants to start doing something regularly to get in shape.  I just wish he didn't work out of state & we could go to the gym together.  Working out by myself is the only complaint I have so far about working out.

Anyway, I will be back under 210 next week. 

That's my goal and I'm sticking to it!

Happy Wednesday!!

Top Ten Tuesday - Favorite Recipes

Today, I'm linking up with Trista for Top Ten Tuesday and we're talking food recipes.  Most of these are more meal ideas and not specific recipes, but here's 10 5 of my 'go to' meals:

1.  Taco Soup - This is definitely one of my 'go to' meals during the   
     fall/winter.  It's so versatile and easy to make.  I actually had to google
     the recipe because I usually just dump it all in a pot and don't follow a
     recipe.  I sometimes make this less 'soupy' and use it as a filling for
     burritos or use it like chili and put it over Doritos or Fritos or even lettuce
     for a Taco Salad. 
      Ingredients:
     2 pounds ground meat - beef, chicken, or turkey

     1 large onion, chopped

     1 can (15 ounces) beans - pinto, kidney, or chili

     1 can (11 to 15 ounces) whole kernel corn ,drained

     1 can (10 to 15 ounces) Rotel tomatoes

     1 pkg. (about 1 ounce) taco seasoning mix

     1 pkg. original hidden valley ranch dressing(dry)

     2 1/2 cups water or more, to make soup broth

      Preparation:

     Brown meat and onions in a large pan with olive oil if needed; drain off  

     fat.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for an hour or so.

2.  Chicken & Dumplins - We love some Chicken & Dumplins at my house.  I

     again don't have a specific recipe I follow, but here's what I do.

      Ingredients:

     Chicken - boiled and cubed or shredded, in a pinch, I have even used
        canned chicken
     Chicken Broth - 1-2 cans, depending on how much I make
     Bisquick - prepared per box instructions to make biscuits
     Butter - maybe a couple tablespoons
     Salt & Pepper - just to taste
      Preparation:
      Place chicken, broth, butter, salt and pepper in large pot and bring to a
     boil.  You may have to add some water or another can of broth.  Once
     this starts boiling, begin dropping the bisquick by teaspoons into the
     pot.  After you have added all the bisquick, turn the heat down and let
     simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly.  Serve by itself, over rice
     or with cornbread.

3.  Crescent Roll _____ - Another pretty quick and easy recipe that I don't
     have a specific recipe or even a name for.
     Ingredients:
     Can of Crescent Rolls
     Cheese - I use mozarella or cheddar
     Meat - I use Pepperoni or ham or turkey or chicken
      Preparation:
     Unroll the crescent rolls so they are flat.  You can separate into triangles
     or leave as rectangles or even one big sheet.  I then put my cheese and
     meat on top and fold the crescent roll over or roll it up.  Bake according
     to the instructions on the can.  Some variations I've done are mozarella
     cheese sticks with pepperoni rolled up like a pig in a blanket, ham or
     turkey with cheddar cheese folded over like a hot pocket, taco meat with
     cheddar cheese or shredded chicken cheddar cheese all rolled up and
     sliced into pinwheels.  The possibilities are endless!

4.  Crockpot Chicken - Super easy and time saving!
     Ingredients:
     Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
     Chicken Broth or Water 
     Crock-Pot/Slow Cooker
     Preparation:
     Place chicken in crock-pot/slow cooker.  Add enough broth or water to
     cover.  May add salt, pepper or other seasonings as desired.  Cook on low
     for 6-8 hours.  Once the chicken is done, it will literally fall apart.  I do
     this on a Monday morning and we have chicken for almost the entire
     week.  We will use this for chicken spaghetti, BBQ chicken sandwiches,
     chicken tacos, chicken salad, etc.  I have also done this and froze part of
     it to use later.

5.  Oreo Balls - These aren't as easy and can be time consuming but they
     are so good.  (And I don't like the word balls, but I don't know what else
     to call them!)
     Ingredients:
     Package of Oreo Cookies
     Block of Cream Cheese (room temperature) OR Tub of Cream Cheese Icing
     White Chocolate - Almond Bark, Candy Melts or Bag of Chips
     Preparation:
     Crush the package of cookies.  If I'm in a hurry, I put them in a ziploc bag
     and hammer on them with a meat mallet.  If I'm not in a hurry, I put
     them in a food processor and get them really crushed!  Once all of your
     cookies are crushed, put them in a bowl and add the cream cheese or tub
     of frosting and mix well.  Now you will roll out balls (like you're making
     meatballs or playing with Play Doh) and set them on a baking sheet. 
     After you're done rolling them all out, I put the baking sheet in the fridge
     or freezer to cool and get hard.  Now you will melt the chocolate.  I do
     this in the microwave or on the stove top.  Either way, be very careful
     not to burn the chocolate and whatever you do, don't add water to it!  If
     it's clumpy and you need it to smooth out, add very little (a drop or two)
     of vegetable oil.  Once it's melted good, begin dipping your cookie balls
     in the chocolate and coating them well.  I use a fork, but you can get
     some lollipop sticks and do it too.  After they're coated well, let cool and
     they're done!  I've used this same recipe/technique with cake too - Red
     Velvet, Strawberry, Lemon.

Well, I only came up with 5 instead of 10!  I don't have any super secret recipes that I make often.  Since it's just me and the kids at home 90% of the time, we usually have breakfast (eggs, bacon, grits, biscuits), pizza, chicken tenders, tacos, cereal or sandwiches for supper if I don't cook.  When I do cook, it's chicken or pork chops on the grill with veggies or something super simple like spaghetti. 

  Go check out some other yummy recipes!

Weigh-In Wednesday

Well, I'm a day late and a dollar short.  I weighed in this morning at 209.0.  I finally broke the 210 mark.  Sure, it took getting off my arse and not shoving sugary carbs in my mouth, but I did it.  My next goal is to be under 200 by May 31.  This was one of my original Operation Red Bikini goals and I'm determined to give it all I've got for the next 29 days.  I will drop these 9 LBs!  I said Monday I was going to do the May Meltdown with Ms. Michaels but I totally failed on day 1!  I just didn't have it in me to do it last night.  Plus, I signed back up at the gym and I'm not ready for two-a-days yet so I may or may not be doing Jillian workouts this month.

I have yet to schedule our beach vacay.  I just can't make up my mind if I want to go now and be far from my beach body goal or wait and go later in the summer when I will (hopefully) feel better in a swimsuit.  How lame is it that I'm planning a vacation around how I feel about my body?  A coworker and I were talking at lunch today.  She too is trying to lose some weight.  She said what her goal was and I told her mine was to be under 200 by May 31.  She was in complete shock at what I weigh.  Our conversation then turned to plastic surgery and what we would get done if money were no object.  It made me realize just how critical I am of myself and the lengths I would go to change things.  The way I view myself is one huge thing I want to change during this whole journey.

Happy Friday-eve!!