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Saturday, March 30, 2013

BodyPump pump pump it up...

Pump that Texan spirit up! Whoa just had a flashback to my high school pep rally days. Yes, I'm from Texas. Yes, we were the Texans. Original, I know. We were the quintessential "Friday Night Lights", division 3A, football is life, small town (in fact some of my classmates were even extras in the movie!) Anyway, I digress.

Workout:

BodyPump class @ 8:30am

Came home, ate some lunch and went for a run

 
(hilly and humid)

 

Now I'm kickin back, patio style, enjoying a tasty skinny margarita #lifeisgood


I wish you all a blessed Easter!

-Candice


 


 


 


 


 

Friday, March 29, 2013

Flex Friday

Happy Good Friday Everyone! Hope you are all kickin' off this wonderful Easter weekend right.

Workout
(Today)

Stair master sprints 10 minutes (turn that S up and go fast)
Tabata 20/10/4

bent over rows (10lb & 12.5lb)
dumbbell punches (10 lb)

lateral delts up and out (7.5lb & 10lb)
shoulder press (10lb & 12.5lb)

bicep curls on one leg (10lb & 12.5lb)
kick back triceps (7.5lb)

finished it off with some interval speed work on the treadmill
Run hard 1/4 mile (I ran at an 8)
Recover by jogging for 2 min (jogged between 5-6)
Repeat 6 times

It came out to about 3.5 miles and I slow jogged (5) another half mile to cool down for a total of 4 miles

After that I did a little bit of ab work

10 crunches (start counting when it starts to hurt)
10 side crunches on both sides (" ")
10 crunches with legs raised (" ")
20 plank knees to elbows (" ")
20 supermans with 5lb weights
plank hold (2 min 13 sec)

Just plankin it up like a boss

Yeah so, this happened after coming home from the grocery store...

At least it wasn't the real eggs right?!

Never a dull moment around here! #twinsarefun #ilovemycrazylife

Here's your Flex Friday Pic :)

 
 

Have a great weekend!



-Candice

Thursday, March 28, 2013

I like tacos

Hey hey! Sooo, what's for dinner tonight? We are takin it easy and whipping up some lettuce wrap tacos (a weekly staple 'round these parts).


Here's our go-to recipe for easy peasy lettuce wrap tacos:

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 pkg. taco seasoning (or just make your own)
1 pkg of butter lettuce (it's the best!)
Condiments:
sour cream (optional)
diced tomatoes (optional)
shredded cheese (optional)
salsa (optional)
jalapenos (optional)
avocado (optional)

Directions:

Brown turkey in a skillet, drain any excess oil, and add the taco seasoning and water. Let simmer for about 15 min or so. While it's simmering, chop up your tomatoes and wash your leaves of butter lettuce. Fill each leaf with the delicious goodness and Enjoy! Like I said, easy peasy! We also like to serve this with some homemade guac and chips made from baked Mission low carb tortillas. Yum-O! If you're really ambitious, you can try your hand at some cauliflower Spanish rice, I however have yet to master this dish, but when I do, you will be the first to know!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Calgon er Mizuno... Take me away!

Workout

(Today)

Ran outside-

3.5 miles/37 mins

Slow, hilly, easy-ish

Today's #1 reason for running...
to get away from these little devils angels!

Seriously, I know I have the cutest kids eva, and I love my kids, really I do, but ermehgerd! Sometimes I just have to get away from them so I can continue to like them! You know what I mean? no? crickets... hmm
Mka, moving right along...

I was super pumped to see these beauties popping up along the trail! Love me some Texas bluebonnets!

Just a little visual reminder that spring is FINALLY here! This Texas girl cannot handle the cold, plus I kinda miss bitching about the heat all the time :)

Happy hump day y'all!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Weekend recap

 
Um, so yeah this happened...


Not gonna say I'm proud of it, but it was damn good! It was a unicorn weekend, something that so very rarely occurs it's basically mythical, so when it does come around, you just have to hold on and enjoy every single second of it cuz who knows when/if it will ever happen again. I'm talking about an entirely kid free weekend! With the kids away, the mommy and daddy will play!


We basically treated this weekend with reckless abandon, shoveling fat laden food and booze into our pie holes without thinking twice about it. We did manage to get in some great live music... caught this guy at a rooftop bar downtown, and then this amazing acoustic solo performance of Citizen Cope <3 So cool!
So yeah... this pretty much sums it up

 

I came to a couple conclusions after this wknd of debauchery:
1) if you're going to eat Mexican food, you better make damn sure it's GOOD Mexican food - there is nothing I hate more than wasting a "cheat meal" on something that tastes like ass!
2) do not attempt to ride a see-saw in a dress...


3) plan a day of recovery before picking up your kids. In the moment, you can't wait to see your babies, but in a matter of 5 minutes you will be ready to pull your hair out without recuperation!
4) eating like sh!t will make you sh!t, so be prepared to become better acquainted with your bathroom while your body revolts against you for your poor food choices

Annnnnd scene. Deep breathes, back on the fitness/diet train today. How was your weekend?
 


 


 


 


 

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Gotta Start Somewhere...

Hi y'all thanks for visiting! So I decided to jump on the blogging bandwagon after being an avid stalker reader of so many other fitness/weight loss related blogs (mainly her, and her, and she's always funny, and of course her - love her!) I am hoping to use this little 'ol blog as a place for me to talk about my goals, my dreams, and all things I aspire too- specifically in weight loss and fitness. It's become an all consuming part of my life. Learning to eat cleaner, train more efficiently, and basically be the best me that I can be for myself and my family.

To understand the beginning of my story, you have to understand a little about me. Growing up I never really struggled with weight. I was never super thin by any means, but always average and athletic. I played soccer, volleyball, ran track, yada yada yada. Even throughout college, my "freshman 15" never stood out, I still fit in and could wear a bikini whenever I wanted without the slightest hesitation. It wasn't until after college, when I moved to a new city where I didn't know anyone that I really began putting on any weight. Even then, I managed it well I think (I still had that young metabolism!). Then my boyfriend graduated and moved to the same city and after a few years we got comfortable - well I guess I got comfortable. I gained some weight, but before my wedding was able to lose some of it - but I'll be honest, I wasn't too motivated to lose it.
June 2009
 


I think Leigh Ann put it best, so I am just going to quote her here, "Bottom line- I love food, booze, and passing a really good time. I also really love to feel thin, fit, and super hot- be real you do too. Unfortunately, a fast lifestyle and a hot sexy body can't co-exist - ah moderation, my favorite word (HA HA!). There's always a turning point, a wake up call, a slap in the face, denial ain't just a river in Egypt honey- moment when you decide which one you want more and you're gonna have to put in WORK to achieve your goals." For me, that moment was about 6 months after giving birth to my twins in May of 2011. After coming to terms with the fact that I WAS NOT one of those moms who would lose all their baby weight from breast feeding, I was stuck with the fact that just the opposite was happening. The weight was creeping on slowly. Up to this point, I had not be physical AT ALL in over a year! This was our 3rd attempt at IVF and I was not going to do ANYTHING that could possibly jeopardize this pregnancy. Well, at 27 weeks, I was put on bedrest where I remained until I delivered 10 weeks later. Praise the Lord, both babies were healthy, I on the other hand was not so lucky :( I had what is called Placenta Accreta - a condition in which the placenta attaches itself too deeply to the uterus and is unable to disconnect from it, thus resulting in removal of the uterus (and subsequently half my blood supply in the process). So imagine if you will a new mom, who can't even sit up without passing out, failing miserably at breastfeeding (b/c of said blood loss), tired beyond comprehension, morning the loss of any future children, and trying my best to do everything right as a new mom. It was a rough couple weeks. I actually lost all but 8 pounds of my baby weight when the twins were born, but it wouldn't stay that way for long. When they were 6 months old, I went in for a routine physical (which apparently you have to start getting once you turn 30 - oh yeah - I also turned the big 3-0 in the midst of all this!) and my doctor was concerned about my weight gain (which at that point was 150 lbs. and I'm 5'3), my constant fatigue, and mild depression - all of which I thought were perfectly normal things to have as a new mom of twins. Turns out my vit D levels were pretty low and my thyroid numbers were through the roof. I had developed post pregnancy hypothyroidism - yay. I will say that it was a major relief to know that there was a reason for everything that was going on with me (tiredness, low milk production (which sadly I had just given up at 8 months), weight gain, sleeplessness, etc.). The next step was to find the right amount of medication to level off my hormone levels and then take medication for.the.rest.of.my.life. sigh... At least I had answers and a plan. A couple months and blood tests later, we had found the magic dosage and my hormones had finally leveled off and I was beginning to see the pounds drop off - FINALLY! I was determined not to EVER see 150 again and thus began my journey to get fit.

                                             
April/May 2011
                                                                                
So, I never really had any real issues with food, nor had I ever really dieted before, but I did know enough to know that diets don't work. Like ever. Calories in, calories out, and work off more calories than you intake - that's when weight loss occurs. Or so I thought. So, I was reading through my daily blogs one afternoon in June 2011 and came across this little post on one of my fellow mom of multiples' blog: Stacee's Pieces Blog - Metabolism Miracle

And OMG - I felt like she was writing it for me! I had to know more info, so I went on Amazon, pretty much immediately, and ordered the book and the cookbook. A few days later they came in the mail and I read that sucker cover to cover and was floored by all the information and how closely it seemed to resemble my issues. In the words of Suz, have you ever found something that just “works” and you want to shout it from the rooftops?…
I believe I have found “that thing” that works for me.

Take a look at these photos of me from the end of May (just before starting MM) and one from after 7 weeks on MM (please don't make fun of me, I know I'm fat, that's why I'm doing this):


(Ugh, must tell the hubs not to include my face!)
 
You can read more about The Metabolism Miracle here. I should also mention that around the same time I started MM, I came across this amazing Mama's blog (if you're the only person left on earth that doesn't know mama, you have to check her out, she is amaze-balls and super inspiring), and was introduced to this crazy bitch and the c25k program, and thus began my love affair with running. So the results you see in the pics were from a couple weeks of running and 30ds as well as MM. You can read more about my journey herehere, and here  I felt so empowered and inspired at my own accomplishments. I started out like many people and couldn't even run half a mile, but after every run I felt myself getting stronger and my endurance improving. My 8 weeks on MM turned into 10 b/c of some set backs along the way, but I finished it, as well as the 34 30 day shred and the c25k program. I was all "This girl is on fire!" when I was finished. I had lost a good amount of weight but wanted to keep going, so I figured why fix what's not broken, right? I started half marathon training and ripped in 30 - I guess I'm a sadist or something cuz that B is cray cray. I got myself some good running shoes and I was off!
 
September 2012
 
I signed up for and ran, with.out.stopping. the Dallas Half Marathon on Dec. 9, 2012 in 2 hours 24 min (not my PR, but the course also wasn't exactly as flat as the trails I had been training on). The hubs, bambinos and my BIL were all there at the finish line cheering me on and I felt on top of the world, you could not have wiped the smile from my face if you tried. It was an absolutely AMAZING day that I will never ever forget, but that I do intend on repeating.
 
 

 
So that brings us to today. I kinda fell off the wagon after the half marathon. We were so busy fixing up the house and packing for our move, plus I was "recovering" that I kinda sorta stopped working out all together. I honestly just did not have any time - and this comes from someone who is a proponent of the mantra "If it's important to you, you'll make the time". Once we moved in mid January and got all settled into our new house, I had to have a "come to Jesus" meeting with myself regarding what I was seeing in the mirror (can I just say, that 128 lbs when you're fit looks a lot different than 128 pounds when you're muscles start turning into fat again). So here we are... it's March and I am ready to kick some ass again. As of today, I am 5 days into a 10 day reboot of Step 1 of MM and have been running about 4 days a week for the last 2 weeks, AND have thrown some Insanity workouts into the mix as well (4 days in). I can already see changes happening and I LOVE IT!
 
Sooo, that's me. I only hope that my story will resonate with you and help you to continue or start your own journey. Thanks for reading!

Friday, March 15, 2013

Well hello there 120's, it's been a while!

originally written 9/17/12

That's right folks... I am officially in the 120's again (129, but still)! It's been over 5 years, maybe even longer since I have been able to honestly say that! Super pumped about it! While I am proud of myself for reaching this "goal" (I use this term lightly as I am not really concerned with the number on the scale as I am with the reflection in the mirror), I still feel like I have a ways to go. I don't think I have an unhealthy body image or unrealistic expectations, but there is definitely a certain way that I hope to look (flatter stomach, thinner legs, less cellulite, blah blah blah, same as every woman in America, right?!) Here is a side by side comparison from when I started Ripped in 30 two weeks ago, and today (just completed week 2).






It's hard to really see a difference, but when you compare it to where I started back in June, you can definitely see the changes.
(still shudder when I look at these - yuck!)

I love seeing my body change and feeling it get stronger and knowing that I am breaking through barriers and setting personal bests, it's very empowering! I wasn't sure if I would really be able to do this whole half marathon thing, but low and behold I ran 6.2 miles the other day (granted it was on a treadmill b/c it was raining), but I couldn't believe it when I moved the towel and saw that I had ran 1.2 miles more than what I had set out to do! (on a side note, in case you were wondering, I always put a towel over the treadmill tracker b/c seeing the time and distance always psychs me out) And the really incredible part was that I could have kept going! I know, right! But alas, I had been running for 68 minutes and needed to go pick up my babies, or believe me I would have kept going just to see how far my legs would take me! I may be slow as all get out, but at least I am running the.whole.time! I am thinking about running a 10K before I take on the half - we'll see. In the meantime, my goal is to work up to 10-11 miles before the half (never knew this, but apparently you don't actually run a bunch of half marathons to train for the half), I've been told 10-11 miles is all you need to work up to, and on the day of the race, your adrenaline and body will carry you the rest of the way to the finish - I sure hope so!

Anyways, I attribute good music on my run mix to being able to "just keep running", but am always looking for more songs to add to the playlist and would love to know what your favorite running/workout songs are? What's on your playlist?

Keep Calm and Run On :)

Ripped in 30 - Week 1 Down!

originally written 9/10/12

That's right - I not only suffered through the 30 Day Shred, I have also made my way through week one of Ripped in 30, and I gotta tell ya, that Jillian isn't messin around! Whew! Here are the pics from day 1:


Here's the deets:
weight - 133 lbs
arms - 11"
belly - 34 1/2"
booty - 38"
legs - 22 1/2"
under boobs - 29 1/2"
boobs - 38"

*all measurements were taken on the left side and at the widest point.

Now I have to tell you, I kind of went balls to the walls Thursday through Sunday (drive to Wimbo, floating the river, eating at the Gristmill, complementory hot bfast at the hotel, wings and fries and aggie football, only to be followed by beer, beer, nachos, beer, and more football at the Texas State game, oh and who could forget the Buc-cees beaver nugs! ), whew! Needless to say, my body was in no way used to the crap that I was putting in it, it's a wonder I survived the weekend! Anywho, all that to say that I don't really want to weigh myself at the moment or take any pics, but I did start week 2 of Ripped today and plan to post a pic after week 2 :) I did however weigh myself on Friday and was super pumped to see I was at 130.4! Soooooooooo close to the 120s I can taste it - although probably not quite as close anymore! But hey, I had fun! Here's to a week of getting back on the wagon and kickin week 2's butt! Oh and I move on up to 5 mile runs - thank God for the cooler weather that blew in! Here are some fun pics from the weekend...

Alyson and I at Sean Patricks for some pre-game grub


Alumni tent

Eat 'em up cats!


Why does my head always seem so small in pics?

I know Jason has more pics on his phone so, I will edit and add more pics later,


A work in progress...

originally written 8/29/12

Soooo, I have officially completed Step 1 of MM and the 30 er 35 day Shred (I may have skipped a day here and there, what can I say, I'm not perfect!). Here are my before stats and pics:

Start of MM - June 25
 weight - 148 (didn't take measurements)

Start of 30 Day Shred - July 24
weight - 144
arm - 11 1/2"
pouch (under belly button baby pouch) - 37"
booty - 40"
leg - 23 1/2"
boobs - 38 1/2"
under boobs - 31 1/2"

*all measurements were taken on the left side and at the fattest widest part.

End of Step 1 and 30 Day Shred - Aug 27 (although I am continuing with Step 1 through Sept. 5)
weight - 132.5
arm - 11"
pouch - 34 1/2"
booty - 38"
leg - 22 1/2"
boobs - 38"
under boobs - 29 1/2"

That's a total loss of 11 1/2 lbs. and 8 1/2"! I'll take it!




As I mentioned above, I plan on staying on Step 1 of MM until Sept 5th, because I know I slipped up here and there over the course of Step 1 and we will be leaving for Wimbo/San Marcos on Sept 6th and I have NO intention on being on any kind of diet while I'm down there - I envision delicious food from the Gristmill, mouth watering cheese enchiladas from Herberts, juicy hamburgers and fries from the Tap Room, stadium/tailgating food at the game, and of course we can't forget the beer, I'm sure I will have my fair share of that as well! So, when we return on Sept 10th, I will do a 10 day detox in Step 1 and start Step 2 fresh on Sept 20th (which I plan to be on indefinitely). Since I completed the shred, I am going to start the Ripped in 30 workout today (gotta love Jillian), so stay tuned for progress pics of that - I think I am going to take one weekly. Can't wait to see the 120s again - I'm so close!

You may also remember that I started the C25K a while back and am now running 3-4 miles on the regular about 4 days a week! I used to hate running outside - heck I hated running period, but now I love the way I feel after running - even if I still hate it for the first mile, every.single.time! But I did run a whoppin 4 1/2 miles last night - woot woot! I'm a work in progress. I have apparently inspired Jason to start workin on his fitness as well, and grrr I just hate men sometimes! He works out for a week and is already all firmed up - guys have it so easy! I want to run in my first 5K, but think I may wait until it gets a little cooler less hot outside. Then I think I may try and work my way up to 5 miles, then a 10K, and maybe even a half marathon in December- we'll see. If Mama Laughlin can do it, then so can I right?!

My Little Miracle...

originally written 8/13/12

No, for once I'm not referring to one of my precious babies! So, I was reading through my daily blogs one afternoon in June and came across this little post on one of my fellow mom of multiples' blog:
Stacee's Pieces Blog - Metabolism Miracle

And OMG - I felt like she was writing it for me! I had to know more info, so I went on Amazon, pretty much immediately, and ordered the book and the cookbook. A few days later they came in the mail and I read that sucker cover to cover and was floored by all the information and how closely it seemed to resemble my issues. In the words of Suz, have you ever found something that just “works” and you want to shout it from the rooftops?…
I believe I have found “that thing” that works for me.

Take a look at these photos of me from the end of May (just before starting MM) and one from today (after 7 weeks on MM - please don't make fun of me, I know I'm fat, that's why I'm doing this):

(Ugh, must tell the hubs not to include my face!)

Some of you know that I have been struggling with my thyroid for a little over a year (I was diagnosed with post-pregnancy hypothyroidism about a year ago), and my doctor finally found the magic amount of Synthroid that works with my body and has kept me in the "normal" range for about 5 months now! What that means is that my hormones will start to level out and my metabolism will speed back up, and theoretically, I should be able to lose the weight I gained from this whole thing. However, I started to get frustrated that what I was doing, and what had always seemed to work in the past (calories in/calories out - working off more calories than you take in) was not working, and it wasn't until reading Diane's book that I finally realized why!
Over the past 7 weeks, I have adjusted my eating patterns based upon the guidelines in the book: The Metabolism Miracle~ written by Diane Kress, RD, CDE, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator.
I have had some amazing results--- more than just physical changes---I FEEL better all around (more energy, no cravings, happier)!

Here are some of the KEY phrases that jumped right out at me and slapped me in the face:
  • fatigue & tire easily (like tired all the time, even after getting 7+ hrs of sleep)
  • gain weight easily and find it difficult to lose (only since the babies were born) 
  • diets that have worked in the past fail you (not that I'm a "dieter" but the standard calories in calories out application was not working)
  • people around you can eat more and yet weigh less than you (ah-hem, Jason) 
  • mild depression, anxiety, irritability, short fuse (super fun to be around~ tee hee)
  • cravings for sweets, candy, bread, pasta or chips
  • midline fat around the waist regardless of your efforts (again, I thought this was because I carried twins around for 8 months)
  • decreased libido
  • you feel an energy slump late in the afternoon
  • have trouble sleeping
  • have racing thoughts
  • often forgetful and worry about your short-term memory
  • bright light or headlights at night bother you
  • have frequent dull headaches
  • infertility issues
  • hypothyroidism
If you have the majority of these symptoms, then you likely have something the author calls Metabolism B or Met B (which is different from “normal” peoples’ metabolism).
“Individuals with Met B will never succeed at following a traditional weight-loss diet because their alternative metabolism follows a different set of rules than those of the standard metabolism.”

It is something that you are born with---45% of those struggling to lose weight were BORN with the genetic predisposition to Met B. (Update: The present day percentage has increased from 45% to 55%! YIKES!)

Health conditions that are linked to Met B:
(I have the ones in bold)
  • ADD or ADHD
  • anxiety or panic attacks
  • elevated cholesterol
  • chronic fatigue
  • mild depression
  • prediabetes
  • type 2 diabetes
  • gestational diabetes
  • fibromyalgia
  • GERD (gastric reflux disease)
  • high blood pressure/hypertension
  • hypoglycemia
  • hypothyroidism
  • infertility related to hormone imbalance
  • metabolic syndrome
  • midline fat deposits (a roll around your middle) and increasing weight without increasing food intake
  • osteoarthritis
  • osteoporosis (I have low bone density - a precursor to osteoporosis)
  • PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
  • sleep apnea
  • sleep disturbances
If you or a relative currently has or has had several of the medical conditions listed above, then you likely have Met B. Crazy, huh?! Is this hitting home with any of you??? Especially those of you who had trouble getting pregnant. It sure did for me.

I actually cried the first time I was reading this book. For the first time EVERRRRR, I felt like someone actually GETS ME! I just kept telling Jason all the things I was reading. Once I understood what was going on inside of my body (the relationship between my liver & pancreas…how my pancreas overreacts and releases excess insulin) it all made perfect sense. You’ll have to read more about it…Diane explains it beautifully in the book. I think my mom and dad were both pretty skeptical, but when they saw me a few weeks ago after having been on the MM plan for only 4 weeks, they sure noticed a definite difference in my overall appearance.

So, about the plan:
There are 3 steps with The Metabolism Miracle. I am currently in step 1 (Until Sept. 5th).

STEP 1
8 wks~ A low-carb period to rest your overworked pancreas and liver while shrinking fat cells. Your energy will soar and you’ll feel content. You will lose weight and your belly fat will slim down. Cholesterol, trigylcerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure all decrease. Oh, and I LOVE that you do not weigh yourself for 8 weeks! So liberating. I AM NOT DEFINED BY A NUMBER ON SCALE, amen?! (I should also note, that I inadvertently made a few mistakes with some food choices and had 2 planned slip ups and subsequently had to tack on extra days to my step 1 phase.)

STEP 2
8 wks or longer until you reach your desired weight~ Reintroduce healthy carbohydrates in the proper amount and at the right time, to promote continued fat burning and weight loss. Gently restart your rested pancreas and liver.

STEP 3
Lifetime weight maintenance~ Opening your diet to more carbohydrates, including the treats that you may have been missing on Steps 1 & 2. Keeping your health and energy levels in tip-top shape and maintaining your weight loss permanently.

Other things that I LOVE about this way of life:

~ EXERCISE: Intense exercise isn’t necessary! 30 minutes of increased activity (it can be broken up throughout the day), 5 days a week. A light bike ride, walk around the neighborhood, swim in the pool, etc. I actually decided to start the 30 day shred (again), but fully intent on finishing it this time, I am currently half way through it! I also went to my first Zumba class the other day, and have also been working on endurance running. I can currently run about 3 miles before I completely die! I'm thinking of starting the Insanity workout once I am finished with the Shred.

~ SLIP UPS: For a specific party or special occasion (a one time thing), don’t change anything during the day to compensate for the party. Enjoy the party, eat what you want and then return to your plan by eating an appropriate snack before bedtime that very night! (no more than 1 slip up a week) I did this for my dad's 60th birthday last month and just had to add on 3 days to my step 1.

For a long weekend, holiday, or vacation~ eat what you want and then as soon as you get home, go through a quick 10 day detox (Step 1), followed by 10 days of reprogramming (Step 2). SUPER EASY and you don’t have to feel guilty. The trick is PLANNING for the slip up, and planning for the clean up afterward as well.
TOTALLY doable, right?!

~ HEALTHY FOODS: I don’t have to buy any expensive diet shakes or weight-loss products. It is a rounded diet full of healthy veggies, protein, good fats, good carbs, etc.

My fav things to eat on Step 1:
  • nuts (more specifically, Emerald Cocoa Roasted Almonds, OMG YUM-O!)
  • cheese
  • veggies (you will not believe the versatility of cauliflower and/or spaghetti squash!)
  • meats
  • salads
  • low carb bread and tortillas (no specialty store needed, Sara Lee and Mission made 'em!)
You can also have diet sodas, coffee, liquor and wine! I bought The Metabolism Miracle Cookbook that has tons of recipes. I NEED MY SWEETS and I always make sure to have plenty of the peanut butter cookies on hand. I also joined the Miracle-Ville website, which has been INVALUABLE! There are women (and men I'm sure) that are full of support, advice, tips, recipes, etc! Even if you just joining for 1 month, it will be SOOOOOOO worth it!

By following the steps in this book, I have seen remarkable improvements in my physical, emotional, and mental health~ and I am just beginning! Maybe Suz wasn't trying to necessarily lose weight, but I was, and I wanted to BE HEALTHY and feel better, ya know? Have more energy. Get that twinkle back in my eyes, some life back in my face. The weight loss and shrinking waistline are just an added bonus.

I hope that some of you reading this post will be able to relate to my situation and know that this plan can help you too! It will change your life. I promise.

So far, so good!

originally written 2/8/12

Well, I did my first weigh in yesterday since I started on this whole journey and woo hoo - I am down 2.5 lbs! Not really sure how that happened after the mass load of bad food I ate Super Bowl Sunday! But hey, I'll take it! So one of the hardest things for me is menu planning... 9 times out of 10 I sit at the computer searching for things to make for dinner (healthy options) and I usually get frustrated and give up, but something got into me yesterday, maybe it was the good mood I was in after weighing myself?? But, I wrote up a menu plan for the whole freakin month - woot woot! And it's all relatively healthy stuff (ww recipes, pinterest healthy recipes, stuff from skinny taste, etc). Here's a sampling of our meals this week:

Wed - grilled chicken salad with lots of veggies and hard boiled egg for extra protein
Thurs - turkey spaghetti with zuccini and squash (maybe add some spinach and/or kale too??)
Friday - Shake n Bake pork chops and corn
Saturday - WW Shepard's Pie (never had this before, hope it's good!)
Sunday - Chicken tortilla soup

*we eat leftovers for lunch

I've been pretty good about working out too. After my workout yesterday, I was all ready to hop on the treadmill and start the c25k running program, but when I got my phone to get some tuneage goin, I saw that I had 6 missed calls and a text that Mr. Max had a fever and I needed to go get him from MDO, wah wah wah :( So... I guess the c25k will have to wait. Jason is working at the office today, so it won't be happening today either, but def tomorrow!

BTW - Max is fine, but the MDO people did a good job of totally freaking me out! They told me that he wasn't acting himself, and that he had a slight fever and get this... had a couple "tremors" - what the hell does that mean?? Of course, the follow that up with a comforting, "No to freak you out or anything, but you may want to watch him" - really?! Well no sh!t! Max has never had a "tremor" before, so I'm not sure what they are talking about?? When we came home, he was totally fine, happy, took a good nap, ate great, so... yeah. In other news, Emma is recovering very well from her face plant into the coffee table. Her lip is no longer swollen, and her cuts are all but healed - thank goodness! She is one tough cookie!

In other news, Jason's offical "start date" as a full time (no longer contract) employee at Bank of America will be Feb. 21st! So proud of him! He works so hard to provide for our family and I feel incredibly blessed that the Lord has provided for us and allowed me to be able to stay home with my babies, even if some days I would rather be far, far away from them! Please tell me I am not the only horrible mother who doesn't want to be around their kids every.single.second.of.the.day! I gotta tell ya, it's def not always sunshine and rainbows, and who ever tells you that it is, is LYING! I swear, I really don't know where they get the incredible amount of energy that they have, other than completely sucking it out of me! Oh, before I forget, does anyone have any advice on how to get the little hellians to stop banging on the tv? Or to stop throwing food on the floor? Apparently, they live in opposite world, where no means, yes, hit the tv some more! yes, thorw your food on the floor so you can eat it like a dog later! Ay de mi! Isn't parenting fun?! But, then there are the moments like yesterday, when for no reason, Emma went up to her brother, gave him a kiss on the head and then gave him a hug - so precious! Anywho... I have got to get this laundry done! Please tell me I am not the only one who has left clothes in the washing machine for 2 days and had to wash it yet again - ugh! I will defeat the laundry today!

Happy hump day everyone!

Here goes somethin'...

Originally written 2/3/12

So, I really debated writing about this and putting it out there for all to see, but I figured it would only make me more accountable, so here it goes...

For the first time in my life, I am "overweight". Since having the babies, I have struggled to get back to my pre-pregnancy/pre-fertility meds weight of about 130 (which even then I wished I were 10 pounds lighter). When I was pregnant, I was pretty much "all baby", or in my case “babies” as they say, and ironically, my struggle was to gain the amount of weight suggested for twin pregnancies. Once I was home from the hospital, I weighed myself and was only 8 pounds more than pre-pregnancy, so I excitedly thought that with breastfeeding, this whole baby weight thing would be a cinch... hmm not so much. I was stuck at that 8 pounds for a while (148 pounds to be exact). Then, about 6-8 months go by and that 8 pounds turned into 10 :( Granted I really wasn't doing ANYTHING to lose the weight (as I was breastfeeding and didn't want to disrupt what little breastmilk I was able to produce). So here I am, almost 15 months later and I am sitting at a depressing 149 pounds. I should also mention that several months ago, I found out I had post-pregnancy hypothyroidism (apparently it's somewhat common, but it usually goes away, but in true Candice fashion, that was not the case for me - awesome). This helped explain A LOT! It explained why I had slowly been gaining weight, why I wasn't producing enough breastmilk, why I was tired all the time (aside from the whole 2 babies thing), etc. So, I have been taking thyroid meds now since August (I think?) and as of my last labs (12/5) - I'm still not quite in the normal range (shocking, I know!), but I almost am! Normal range is between .35 and 5.4 and my most recent level was almost a 7. My doctor upped my thyroid meds and I am about to embark on my personal weight loss journey. I'm scared and a little overwhelmed, not knowing what to expect... I am COMPLETELY out of shape, and let's face it, I love food, especially all the bad stuff that one should stay away from when trying to lose weight (ie: bread, pasta, cookies, pizza, etc). But, like I said before, I've never had to count calories, diet, or watch what I eat - so I'm freaking out a little and worried that this is really going to suck!

My first step in this journey was getting signed up at a gym. Well, honestly I've always been signed up at a gym; I guess I should rephrase this by saying "start actually GOING to the gym". I canceled my membership at the regular gym (the one I have been donating money to for some time now), and enrolled at a place down the street called Private Workout. It's a 30 min circuit training workout that uses weights. I have not been very consistent about going, but starting Monday (I know, I know everyone always says starting Monday, but I really mean it!) I will start going as many days a week as I can (shooting for 5-6 days). It's pretty neat actually, they have this incentive program where you don't have to pay an enrollment fee, but rather you sign a goal contract where you list what your goal BMI/weight is, and they give you 150 workouts to reach your goal (no timeframe is specified), and if you give up, then you have to pay the fee, if you reach your goals in 150 workouts, then you get a lifetime free membership - pretty sweet deal. I am 20 workouts in, but I'm pretty sure you only see results if you go consistently, instead of the 0, 1, 2, or sometimes 3 times a week I had been going. Pretty sure I've already said this, but let me reiterate how incredibly out of shape I am! I'm pretty positive that if I had to run for my life, that I would most certainly die!

Step two of my master plan, is to start a running/jogging routine (hopefully with the babies in the mornings) and try to build up to 3 miles so that I can run in my first 5K - I totally suck at running, so we'll see how this goes. I guess everyone has to start somewhere, right? I am also going to start doing some yoga 2-3 times a week. This I plan to do *at home* for a couple of reasons 1) My physical therapist told me I had to (not the at home part, but the yoga part 2) I am sooooo not flexible and would rather not embarrass myself in public 3) there apparently aren't any yoga studios around me expect for the Bikram yoga place, which I wish I could do, but since I tend to pass out in the heat, especially when working out (stupid vasovagal syncope), I should probably stay away from doing yoga in 95 degree heat 4) it's freakin expensive yo! Soooo, I bought some highly recommended dvds from amazon and plan to start that up as soon as they arrive. Did I mention that it's also a good excuse to wear my yoga pants all day?! Anywhoo... it's probably overkill, but I also REALLY want to do the 30 day shred. I attempted this about 6 months ago (before finding out about the thyroid issue) and can I just tell you, I couldn't even get through the first 10 minutes of the 30 minute workout - LAME! So, I may wait a few weeks to start this one, so I don't completely set myself up to fail!

Now that I think about it, I guess step 1 and 2 really should be combined, but whatever.

Step 3 (or 2?): Jason and I have officially registered for Weight Watchers online. I just did this a few hours ago, but in my brief browsing of their website, I was a little bummed that they didn't have a meal planning feature, at least not that I found, as that seems to be my biggest battle everyday... the elusive "what are we going to have for dinner" conundrum - I hate it! I'll admit it, I'm a little picky, and I'm not the biggest fan of veggies, so this may be the hardest transition. I will gladly take and try anyone's favorite "healthy" meals, as most things in my rotation are probably not weight watcher friendly (ahem, lasagna, Chinese food, pasta, etc). I guess one thing that is working in my favor is that I am not much of a grazer/snacker, maybe b/c I was a teacher for so long and you don't really have that luxury, but I am def more in the 3 squares a day camp, of course I do indulge occasionally in the good 'ol 2:30 snack attack. I started looking through the recipe index on the WW website and immediately became overwhelmed, unfamiliar with most of the stuff I was reading and a sense of regret poured over me, and I went and crawled into bed feeling defeated already - and I haven't even started. So, yeah - this should be fun. I'm trying to keep a good attitude about it, and tell myself that I don't have to been all hard core weight watcher person, and that as long as I eat healthier (more veggies), practice portion control, and try to stay under 1200-1300 calories a day, I should be ok - everything in moderation, right?!

So yeah... there it is. Here are some of my goals (I need to make some short term goals, but here's what I hope to get out of all of this):
-Get back to 120-125 lbs (need to lose 25-30 lbs)
-Get back to a size 4 (currently an 8)
-Run a 5K (and eventually a half marathon)
-Be a model of healthy eating and fitness for my kids (which currently my kids eat waaaayyy better than me, but I know at some point they will catch on that mommy doesn't eat like they do)
-Just feel better
-Look good naked again and in a bathing suit (yeah I said it)
Sooo... hopefully between the health/weight/fitness transformation and the debt elimination transformation, I am really excited to see what the next couple of months has in store for us. Please pray that I am able to stay the course and follow through. Here goes somethin'!
You must try these stuffed peppers - they are AMAZING!

http://peaceloveandlowcarb.blogspot.com/2012/06/philly-cheesesteak-stuffed-peppers.html


The only thing I did differently was boil the peppers before stuffing them to make them softer and not as crunchy. And you should know that somehow, they are even better as leftovers! You can serve this with some cauliflower "rice" or corn or whatever you want. Enjoy!
I've only got one word... YUM-O! You have to check out these de-lish tacos:


http://peaceloveandlowcarb.blogspot.com/2012/01/avocado-taco-boats.html#more

Enjoy!
OK, so this recipe is DELISH! We try to do meatless Monday at our house and this is a go to recipe for us.


Here's the link for the homemade marinara sauce that I use - super yummy and easy to make:
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/09/quick-marinara-sauce.html

Ingredients:

1 cup Almond Flour, about 4 ounces (side note - you can buy this by the pound at Sprouts and it's cheaper than the pre-packaged bags at the grocery store)
1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, 4 ounces
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
Salt, to taste
2-3 eggs
12 1/4-inch slices eggplant
Olive Oil Spray
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cups of marinara sauce (see link above for homemade recipe)
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded, 1 cup
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Breading mixture:

1 cup Almond Flour (if you have a nut allergy, you can also use crushed up pork grinds)
1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, 4 ounces
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
Salt, to taste
2-3 eggs

Combine all the dry ingredients in a pie pan. Break 2 of the eggs into another pie pan and beat well with a fork. Start with 2 eggs and add the third one later if needed.

12 1/4-inch slices eggplant
Olive Oil Spray
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cups of marinara sauce
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded, 1 cup
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Cut the eggplant into twelve 1/4-inch slices and you'll use 2 slice per serving. In a large skillet over medium heat spray Olive Oil Spray. Dip each eggplant in egg to coat, then lightly coat them with Parmesan-almond mixture. Fry the eggplant in hot oil until browned. (NOTE - you can also oven fry if you prefer) Place foil on a baking sheet and lightly cover with Olive Oil Cooking Spray then arrange the eggplant 1 inch apart; season lightly with salt and pepper.

Top each piece of the fried eggplant with 1 tablespoon of marinara sauce and 1/6 of the mozzarella. Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350ยบ about 20 minutes until eggplant is heated and soft through out and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

We like to serve this over a bed of spaghetti squash (which we now use in place of all pasta), a side salad, and a piece of sprouted grain (Ezekiel or Central Market usually) toast with butter and garlic salt. Enjoy!