Try these!

I love sharing yummy things with my readers. One of my new finds....Beanitos Chips.They're corn free, gluten free, have good fiber and fats (omega 3's) plus a whole list of other things.
My mother-in-law gave me a bag of the Cheddar Cheese Pinto and Flax to try (I know, I know, it doesn't sound that great). To my surprise by the 2nd chip, I was hooked. Then I was cruising the health food section at the grocery store and found out there were other flavors...and they were on sale 2/$4. So I grabbed the Black Bean Chipotle BBQ.....DE-lish!!!
One serving is 10 chips, and while that may not seem like a lot, it is satisfying....with 5 g of fiber.
I've been trying to "JERF" lately- "Just Eat Real Food", and while these aren't technically in that category, I can look at the ingredients and recognize what goes into making them. I would put these in the "good alternative" column especially when cravings hit for some other, worse options.

Darn Skippy!

There's something about peanut butter. It flips a switch in my head, turns me into a uncontrolled, by-the-spoonful, maniac. Generally I don't keep it in the house for this reason. Plus, 2 of my 3 kids are allergic (and the baby isn't quite old enough to try so I don't know about her yet). If it's in the cupboard it can be a very bad thing for me. So why do we have 2 enormous Costco-size jars in the cupboard? Good question. Last time we bought it I donated 1 jar to the food bank just to get it out of the house! My husband doesn't get that it's like crack to me. A little jar of kryptonite staring at me when I open the cabinet. He likes the occasional pb&j sammy, I like to inhale it. I should've told him I'd get a small jar at the grocery store, instead of buying the "bargain" twin pack at Costco. But I thought "Surely I can control myself". Wrong. Lesson learned. I came to this realization yesterday as I was digging out a second tablespoon. Thankfully this process is teaching me that just because the urge is there, doesn't mean I have to indulge myself. I wanted more than just 2 tablespoons. I was able to recognize what was happening was a chemical brain response. I stepped away from the jar and was a happier girl for it. It wasn't easy, but I did it. Now I also know that the smell of pb can send me over the edge. Now I know to be careful. I knew I had an issue with Skippy, but I didn't really realize how big of an issue until yesterday.
The moral of the story.... recognize your triggers. I have others, but this is a big one. Being aware, instead of mindless, is also a big deal.
My weight is kind of stuck right now. It's time to go back in and tweak. This morning's weight- 160.0. Sunday morning it was at 162.0. Some of this "stuck" is from eating random things that aren't the best, having a few drinks, and a new strength training regime. I know I've lost some body fat (unfortunately that part of my scale is on the fritz and I need to figure out if it can be fixed), but that number is bugging me. I'd really like to see 150 something, and have it stay in the 150's. Consistency. Consistency. Consistency. I know. I keep telling myself to take a day or two off the scale, and I keep getting on anyway. Thankfully now that I understand water fluctuations, the number doesn't have the power it once held. My mood used to be dictated by the number. How I ate and behaved was often affected by that silly number. At this point, while I'm frustrated by the lack of movement on the scale, it doesn't send me into a downward spiral. It's more of a curious science experiment. What will happen today with the number? A much healthier approach. Since that's what the ultimate goal is... a healthier approach to life, I'm going with it. Strong and lean right?
How are you at recognizing your triggers? This has been a process for me. How do you deal with your responses??

Quick update

Once again the scale is playing games with me. After seeing 158, the scale promptly jumped back to 160 and there it sits. While I know I just need to ignore it, it's still slightly irritating. It's like it's taunting me lol. I think sodium may be the culprit, so I'm really going to concentrate on whole foods today.
Other than the scales' head games, this week has been good. I've been running and getting my Ripped on. Fingers crossed the scale gives me some love...

Wedding recap...

Hey y'all! Hope your weekend was fantastic. Mine was pretty hectic. The wedding we went to was beautiful. Besides some family drama that seems to be a requisite and a broken down car, the weekend was a success. Yesterday's weigh-in: 160.2. I was pleased with maintaining because my food choices weren't stellar (not horrible either though). I just tried to keep my portions in check. I ate some dessert, drank some beer and had a good time. This is real life for me.
After getting home I made a run to the grocery store and restocked the fruits and veggies. I had planned on a run but just didn't have it in me. Not an excuse, just reality.
Yesterday though was an on-point day. I got in 2 good workouts- Ripped in 30 and a 4 mile run. My eating was good and I really pushed the water because I knew some of my previous food choices had caused some retention. This mornings' weight- 158.6!!
With a number like that, I can't help but be motivated! It also helps that my size 10's are getting some room in them and the 8's are feeling pretty darn comfy. Non-scale victory!!
This week's goal is to complete 5 days of Ripped and get all my runs in. Also, keep the eating clean and controlled.
Now, I leave you with one of my favorite pictures from the wedding-
Here's to a good week!

Look at the lovely colors...

As I was mowing through daintily eating my salad yesterday, I had to stop for a second and just admire how pretty it was. All the bright colors just popped, the yellows, greens, reds. So much good fuel for my body to work with. And it hit me...I need to eat a rainbow, every day. No not Skittles(though I do ♥ me some Skittles), but a rainbow of fruits and veggies. Not only does it look pretty, it makes you feel pretty too. So I'll be challenging myself on a daily basis to incorporate as many colorful fruits and vegetables as possible...cause you know what? It tastes good too!

Today's weight: 160.6- gotta ♥ water flux
Planned workout: Ripped in 30- wk 2

Do you eat a lot of colorful fruits and vegetables? What are your favorites?

Mmmm....fat!

Weight today- 159.6!! I finally dropped into the 150's. How awesome is that? I've been trying a few things new this week and obviously they're working. As most of you know, I track my food using MyFitnessPal.com. I had noticed however that I lost more weight when I didn't track my food and winged it. So, the expirement was this....I would write down everything I eat through out the day and input it at the end (just to see where the numbers are). I eat when I'm hungry, stop when I'm full and really try to choose the highest quality foods that will give me the biggest bang for my buck.
So far, so good. Because the reality is this....I DON'T WANT TO TRACK MY WHOLE LIFE. Obviously it's a fantastic tool, but I'm getting to the point where I need to be able to figure out how to eat so I won't put the weight back on after this is all done.
One trend I've noticed by doing this, I eat quite a bit of fat. The nice thing about that...I feel satisfied longer. Something to remember- Good dietary fats will not make you fat. Again I say- "Fat doesn't make you fat!!". Excess calories or "energy" from any source, be it fat or carbs or protein, will be converted into fat stores. Period. It took me a long time to understand that. While it seems simple enough as a concept, we've been bombarded for years with the idea that we need to have a low fat diet to lose weight. So we eat "low fat" processed foods loaded with carbs usually, and we're hungry (because it doesn't have good fats to trigger satiety) so we eat more, which gives us excess "energy" which our body turns into fat. (This is a very simplified example of the process, but I'm trying to make the point simple). I use carbs as an example because of all the groups, carbs are the easiest to overeat.
Anyway, the point is, eat more good fat. Slice up an avocado for your salad. Eat a handful of almonds. Use olive oil. You might be surprised how your body responds.
So tell me, do you eat a lot of good fats?? Was any of this news to you or am I preachin' to the choir?

Busy bee...

Since I'm finding it motivating to post my daily weight/exercise updates I think I'll continue doing it...at least for a while. Hopefully it's not annoying. This morning's weight was 160.6. Down another 1.4 lbs. I'm a bit surprised actually because we went out to dinner last night which usually means some fluid retention. As a preventative measure I drank a bunch of water to counteract that possibility. On the exercise front, I did make it out for my 4 mile run yesterday. By the time hubby got home from the shooting range I didn't feel like going but I was already dressed so that was half the battle. I just had to make it out the door. I had contemplated changing into "regular" clothes a few times over the 4 hours he was gone but didn't because I KNEW if I did, the chance of me actually going for a run decreased dramatically. Even though it wasn't the best run, I got it done, and that's what counts sometimes.
This week is a busy one...hubby's brother is getting married out of town this coming weekend, my mom is coming for a visit midweek, one of my kiddos is sick, I've gotta pack for the wedding, haircuts etc., all on top of my normal stuff. I'm a little overwhelmed.
I plan on doing Ripped in 30- week 2 this morning for exercise. Hopefully that will help clear my head and help me be get through what needs to get done.
What are you doing for exercise today??

I did it!

Official weight for the week...get ready, here it comes-162.0!!! Wa-hooooo! On top of hitting my goal (which I didn't think would happen) and making back to the 40 lbs lost mark, I feel fantastic!!!!!!!!! Seriously great. I have a ton of energy when I eat right....duh! This week I've been concentrating on eating good foods and incorporating more raw food as well. I haven't been perfect, but it's been solid. Good fats like those that are found in avocado, olive oil, nuts, and coconut milk are my friend. And, I made time to exercise. Today I've got to squeeze in a 4 mile run at some point, but it will happen because it's important (not only to my overall health, but mentally as well).
Wish I had time to write more, but I've got lots to do today. Busy week coming up. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
What are your goals for the coming week? I wanna hear...

Off to the Farmer's Market

Weight- 163.4. Nice little drop again this morning. Tomorrow is my "official" weigh-in and I'd really like to see 162. All the more reason to keep it clean today. Off to the Farmer's Market this morning to stock up on more fruits and veggies. Happy Saturday lovelies....

Doing better...

Today's weight- 164.4. Down another pound this morning. Creeping closer to the "40 lbs lost" mark again.

"When you know better, you do better."
— Maya Angelou

Reading, listening to podcasts and generally finding out more about nutrition lately is changing my perspective on food. I need to do better. Not just for myself but for my children. Living a wholesome, healthy life is worth it!

Movement in the right direction....

This mornings' weight- 165.4. Down another pound. How is it that the weight shoots up so gosh darn quick but going the other way it's like molasses? So not fair!!! Penalty I suppose for my own bad behavior.
I'm going to try and do more frequent updates as I get my butt back on track to the strong and lean me that I wanna be. I went for a run this morning and then went and mowed lawns. Exercise is covered. Now the hunger is in full swing so it's time to go feed myself....something with good lean protein and veggies I think.
Happy Thursday folks! How's your week going??

Puttin' on my game face...

Well bugger it! I had a BAD few days. Period. Between stress, hormones, and a holiday, I managed to gain 11 lbs in the space of a few days. Seriously... 11 lbs. Yes, some of it's water weight, but not all. The scale at it's worst was reading 171.2. This morning it was down to 166.4. Progress...that's what counts. These types of things are going to happen. Holidays are inevitable as are some of my other triggers for overeating. While I'm disappointed, I have to keep moving forward.
Excuses won't get me to my goal. I went for a run last night....even though I had to wait till 9 pm because it was 104* yesterday. I did Ripped in 30 today....even though the kids made it difficult and I had to stop 3x to put on my "Mommy hat". Even though, even though, even though. Excuses are easy. I know what I have to do. Time to put my game face on and get it done....grrrrr. LOL
I have a wedding to attend in 10 days and while that's a motivator, getting to a place where I feel strong and lean is the ultimate goal. That's why "Strong and Lean" is the new catch phrase. All together now- "Strong and Lean, Strong and Lean, Strong and Lean!" Wooo!!!