5 Things

ONE
Sunday the husband and I made the journey out to Calhan to visit the folks. I love it out there. It is so quiet and peaceful and most of all homey. I always come back thinking I could live out there. The husband thinks this from time to time as well. But deep inside we both know we have become too accustom to the conveniences of the city to honestly make the move to the country.

Taylor, Lindsey

Me, P

Mom, Dad

TWO
Saturday night I made the cupcakes that Curtis Stone made on The Biggest Loser. The cake part wasn't too bad, but the cream cheese/banana frosting was awful! I already threw the recipe away.

Harley with flour on his nose.

Curtis Stone Cup Cakes

THREE
I finally won at BUNCO! This is the first time I have won since us group of women started playing. I wish I had a picture to capture my excitement!! In case you have never heard of BUNCO it is a dice game.  There are many different ways to play, but basically you have three dice and try to roll as many sixes as possible. You keep rolling as long as you roll a six or three of a kind. If you don't roll a six the dice goes to the next person. You are paired with the person across the table from you. Once the head table reaches 21 points you total your points and the winning team moves up to the next table. The goal is to reach the head table and stay there for as long as possible.

FOUR
Ashley and I are eating clean starting tomorrow. Ashley and Josh are doing the Beachbody workout Insanity by Shaun T. They just finished week 2 and are seeing great results! Ashley, though, will admit that she hasn't been focusing on her diet. She recently decided that if she is going to put in the effort to do Insanity than she might as well give it everything she has starting in the kitchen. I decided to support her and eat clean with her for the next 10 days. Have you seen Ashley's post P90X pictures? If you are wondering she still looks like this!

Ashley post P90X

FIVE
I ordered the fabric for my dinning room curtains on Sunday. I am so excited to get it all put together! Luckily, my Grammie agreed to help me sew them. Here is the before and after picture of the wall that I painted and the picture that I am basing room around and the curtain fabric (the white is actually more cream). Do you think it will all come together?

Before

After

Inspiration

Curtain Fabric

WHERE IS THE HAPPY MEDIUM?!?!?!

Not eating clean is so not cool. I have put junk and more junk into my body since last Wednesday, after I won my share of the Work Weight Loss Challenge. YUCK!

I am going to start eating clean on Wednesday (I know why, not tomorrow? Tomorrow we are putting on an event at work which will involve catered in Salsa Brava. So yes I am waiting until Wednesday, wouldn't you?), the same day as day one of our 3rd round of the our Work Weight Loss Challenge. I am ready to start eating healthy again! Plus I have eaten everything under the sun so I shouldn't be craving anything crazy because I have already eaten it!!

This brings me to the second topic: WHERE IS THE HAPPY MEDIUM?!?!?!?! There has to be a happy medium... right?? It is ridiculous to eat crazy healthy and clean for 10 days and then completely throw it out the window on day 11. I vow to myself to find the answer...

Tomorrow I am going to paint the dinning room. I bought the paint and supplies, took down the drapery and taped it off. Stay tuned for before and after pictures!!

I DID IT!!!!

I won the Work Weight Loss Challenge!!! Actually Sheila and I split the winnings. 

This morning when I stepped on the scale I about had a heart attack when I saw the following...

I wasn't expecting to see this number. I just assumed I would see 132.9 lbs exactly. I actually had to step on the scale again, because my first thought was I didn't meet my goal. Once I realized  131.8 lbs is below 132.9 lbs a rush of emotions came over me. My first thought was I actually did it! I stuck with something for 5 weeks and saw it to the end. My next realization was I actually got below 133 lbs! I had somehow convinced myself that I would hit a plateau once I got to 133 lbs. Ridicules right?!   

 I am so happy I cut out all carbs Monday and Tuesday. I think it really helped. I also made sure to drink plenty of water. I love Smart Water. If you ask me Smart Water taste better than any other bottled water, especially Arrow Head. Arrow Head is the worst! 

The next Challenge isn't going to start until the 27th. The goal from now until then is to continue to eat clean and hopefully get to 130 lbs!

Is it Wednesday Yet?

Will this be me in the morning...

Or this..

This morning I was down 1 pound! I have eaten super duper clean these past two days and I have been working out to the Beachbody program Turbo Jam.

I have a really good chance of winning the Work Weight Loss  Competition!! Actually I am sure I will be splitting the winnings with one other person.  

Lunch/Dinner Ideas

Sometimes the hardest part of eating clean is figuring out what to eat. I have found some really great healthy recipes so I thought I would share.

*I cook all of my chicken on a George Foreman and season it with All Spice which has 0 calories and more importantly 0 sodium. I like to buy the individually wrapped chicken breast from Costco.  

CHICKEN PITA POCKET
- 1/2 whole wheat pita (I like to buy the kind that is already cut in half)
- chicken
- mashed avocado or hummus
- romaine lettuce
- tomatoes, onions, green peppers

CHICKEN FAJITA PITA
- 1 whole wheat pita
- chicken
- mashed avocado or humus
- vegetables (onions, green and red peppers, tomatoes and garlic)
- saute vegetables with a little olive oil. Sometimes I add a couple spoon fulls of salsa and green chillies.
- Because I am not talented enough to cut a pita properly I just pile everything on top.

VEGETARIAN SWISS SANDWICH
- 2 slices of whole wheat bread
- mashed avocado and/or hummus
- reduced-fat swiss cheese
- sprouts
- tomatoes
- onion
- cucumbers

TACO SALAD
- romaine lettuce
- vegetables (onion, tomato, cucumbers, green peppers)
- cooked black beans or non-fat refried beans (always wash black beans when you take them out of the can)
- homemade or store made salsa
- optional: walnuts (walnuts and black beans taste very good together)
- optional: low-fat cheese (minus the sandwich above, I try to stay away from cheese and dairy all together)

TURBO AVOCADO WRAPS
- mashed avocados
- red onions
- dash of garlic salt
- cilantro, chopped
- roma tomato, diced
- whole-grain tortillas
- homemade salsa
- cooked black beans
- crumbled feta cheese
- Combine avocado, onion, garlic salt and cilantro. Spread avocado mixture over tortilla. Top with cilantro and diced tomato. Add salsa, black beans and feta cheese.

GREEK PITA SANDWICH
-whole wheat pita
- chicken
- tomatoes
- crumbled feta cheese
- hummus
- romaine lettuce

THREE- BEAN SALAD
- green beans
- kidney beans
- cannellini beans
- any other beans you like
- oil and vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional: diced onion
- Toss beans in oil and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

BLACK BEAN CHILI (4 servings)
- 2 chopped yellow onions
- 2 sliced celery stalks
- 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and diced
- 1 large minced garlic clove
- 2 14-1/2 oz. cans diced tomatoes (Rotel)
- 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and minced
- 1 15-1/2 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 cups water
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1-1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. dried oregano, crumbled
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
- optional: 10 oz. fresh white mushrooms quartered
- Saute onions, celery, bell peppers, mushrooms, jalapeno and garlic (about 8 minutes). Add the tomatoes, beans, water, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chili is thickened- about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Sunday Treat

 Looking for a healthy treat?

Try these No-Bake Energy Oat Balls.

Very tasty and healthy!

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups Oats

1/2 Cup Raw Pumpkin Seeds

1/2 Cup Raisins (optional)

2 Tbsp Raw Sunflower Seeds

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 Cup Almond Butter

1/3 Cup plus 1 Tbsp Honey  

2 Tbsp Barley Malt Syrup (hard to find- optional)

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup Flax Meal (give or take)

 DIRECTIONS
1. Combine oats, pumpkin seeds, raisins, sunflower seeds and cinnamon in large bowl.

2. Stir in almond butter, honey, barley malt syrup and vanilla until soft dough forms.

3. Moisten hands (you will have to do this multiple times) and roll dough into 1-inch balls.

4. Roll balls in flax meal and place on wax paper.

5. Place in freezer for 20 minutes to set, then serve or store in fridge.

ENJOY!

Morning Treat

In the morning I am going to tread myself to a Starbucks non-fat vanilla latte and a banana chocolate loaf. I absolutely cannot wait!

I remember when I was a yuppie in college I boycotted Starbucks. I was all about the local coffee shops. In Boulder there are a lot of good local coffee shops. Now that I live in Springs and out of college I visit Starbucks frequently. I got sucked in.

Speaking of Starbucks I recommend you read the book The Starbucks Experience by Joseph Michelli, PhD. Very interesting book about how Starbucks provides the customer an extraordinary experience.

Moving on, I am going to continue to eat clean (minus Starbucks and a cheat meal sometime this weekend). I tell you, I am going to win this office weight loss competition! 

My Oprah Ah-Ha Moment

I have two days left of the 10 Day Eat Clean Challenge. I am amazed at how much easier it is this time around. The first time I did the challenge I had to constantly think about what I was eating and if it fell within the top two tiers. This time however, I have a much better understanding of what I can and cannot eat. As a result my meals are getting better (by better I mean more flavorful) and I am even trying new recipes. 

Let me be clear, I still have some odd cravings (such as a Starbucks non-fat vanilla late and low-fat banana chocolate bread) that I at times cannot get out of my head. The difference is I believe, I mean really, truly, deeply believe, that I have control over what goes into my body. There are 4 Starbucks on my way to work.  If I didn't have the willpower or determination to tell myself NO I could easily run to a Starbucks and satisfy my craving (without anyone knowing).

Tomorrow is the second to last weight-in at work. I have to be equal to or below 134.2 lbs. I am telling you right now, I have it in the bag. Not just tomorrow's weight-in, but the competition. I have put too much effort and focus into eating clean to lose. 

And now for my Oprah ah-ha moment... 

the light bulb finally went off (exhale). 

I am in control (of my actions). 

If I lose, it is no ones fault but my own. 

I hold the power.

I finally get it. I'm not saying I won't forget it ever in my life, but right now I get it. 

If you have forgotten then remind yourself.

I am in control of myself. 

I make the decision to exercise or not to exercise, to eat healthy or to grab fast food. The decision is mine.

All (don't you hate the word all. If that was all it took than you would have done it already!) what it takes is willpower. 

Now is the time to make a change. If you need motivation, encouragement or have questions I am here to help you.

The Truth about the 10 Day Eat Clean Challenge

Do you want to know what it is really like to eat healthy for 10 days straight, minus a cheat meal? Here is the truth...

• Days 1, 2 and 3 SUCKED. All I could think about was the unhealthy foods I couldn't have.
• Chocolate Shakeology with a banana SAVED me! I had Shakeology everyday for breakfast and whenever I needed a chocolate fix. 
• Tiers 1 and 2 in Michi's Ladder are restrictive, but doable.
• I did not go hungry.
• It takes planning to eat clean. You cannot wake up and expect to find a healthy meal in your pantry without planning for it.
• More than likely, you will have to go grocery shopping more than once to stock up on Michi approved foods to get you through the 10 days. 
• In my opinion, eating off of the top two tiers of Michi's Ladder is not more expensive than eating regular. 
• A cheat meal is a MUST. It gave me something to look forward to. 
• What I craved the most was Diet Coke. 
• My Michi approved go-to snack was Whole Grain Toast with Almond Butter. 
• My cravings DISAPPEARED around day 5!! 
• Looking back, I probably should have drank more water.
• Alcohol is not permitted.
• I excised while doing the challenge. However, I hurt my back and was not been able to workout the last 3 days of the challenge.
• I lost 2.2 pounds!! I upped my calorie intake on days 7 and 8 to ensure I wouldn't loose any more pounds. We started round two of the Work Weight Loss Challenge on September 8th. There is some strategy to winning the challenge. It does not help when you lose all your weight with 3 weeks to go. 
• It does not take a super hero to do the 10 Day Challenge. YOU can do this!

Sheila and I are restarting the 10 Day Challenge on Tuesday. 

WHO WANTS TO JOIN US?

The prize... a FREE sample of Chocolate Shakeology and a NEW YOU!

Surprising Results

Here's a no-duh for ya, eating clean brings results. When I first started Insanity in August I was frustrated because my weight was spiraling upwards. I thought, well this doesn't make sense. I'm working out 6 days a week hard. Why am I gaining weight? I ended up convincing myself that the gain in weight was normal in the first week of Insanity. The things we tell ourselves...

This time around I am only eating from the top two tiers of Michi's Ladder, with the exception of one cheat meal per week. Since last Tuesday (the first week of Insanity) I have lost 1.4 pounds! I am doing the exact same workouts as I was in August, but this time around I am actually losing weight. This is soo awesome! Obviously eating clean has made the difference.

I am not going to lie,  eating clean is not easy. There are times when all I want is fast food or whatever Preston is eating. The one thing I cannot get out of my mind is pop. Side note: I have always called pop, pop. I think it's a Colorado thing? If I do say soda I like to say it with a Minnesota accent. I would give anything to have a Diet Coke right now! But then that would mean I cheated on purpose and therefore would have to face the consequences. Not gonna happen!

On a different note, fall TV starts Monday!!! This is so exciting. Here is my TV schedule. Good thing for DVR.

Monday: Oprah, House, Kate Plus 8 & Monday Night Football

Tuesday: Oprah & The Biggest Loser

Wednesday: Oprah

Thursday: Oprah, The Office, Grey's Anatomy & Private Practice

Friday: Oprah

Saturday: Nothing

Sunday: Dexter & Keeping up with the Kardashians

*I usually do not watch Oprah, but this is her last season on regular TV. As a woman, I feel like I should tune in.

**Week 2 of Insanity starts tomorrow.