Challenge: day 42

Do you ever have days when you feel like things are just not going your way? Thursday's are just really crazy at my house. That is co op day, so I start the day at 6:30 cleaning my garage so I can fit in baskets and produce. Then I make breakfast and get the kids off to school, just to have 3-5 kids come to my house for the day. I don't mind having extra kids here, don't get me wrong, there are just some days that no matter how many times I ask them to stay out of something, they don't listen. Or to not pick the tomatillos and smash them on the back porch. Or not to climb in the peach tree. Yeah, some days are just crazy! Every day after lunch I have the kids pick a movie and we have quiet time with a movie. Lately they have been sitting for about 10 minutes and then they are up and running again, so I don't get any quiet time some days, which I need to stay sane and keep my stress down.

Some days I wonder if stress adds to my munching. I'm sure it does, since those days are the ones that all I want is carbs and just to eat anything I can find. I had my two shakes for breakfast and lunch and did well for dinner. We had chicken and home made French fries with pineapple. And had crackers and cheese for a snack after dinner. So I did pretty good. I just need to eat more veggies. I was planning on a salad with dinner and forgot, so I thought I would have it for a snack later and forgot again. I need to be more conscious of things. I had to run to the store and get some cabbage to make a salad for our ward camp out tonight as well as some almond milk for my shakes, so I got a little walking in.

So I was going to make some pumpkin cookies the other day to take to some neighbors, and I have yet to do that. I have been so busy with cleaning and canning and other things that cookies haven't been made yet, which is good, I might just eat to many of them because they are so yummy. They don't help with my challenge.  I need to try some new things with my shakes though. I noticed in my recipes for them, they have a pumpkin pie recipe, so I will have to try that one. So far I have just tried fruit ones and a peanut butter cup one with cocoa powder and peanut butter, which is really yummy. The other one I really like is blueberry cheesecake. It has cream cheese, blueberries and graham cracker crumbs. I really like that one. So I do get some variety in my shakes.

As far as my DYT challenge, I am still loving the new me! I am still in need of more clothes, I am feeling like I wear the same ones over and over. I am also still looking for lots of gold jewelry! I found a great website after I had bought a bracelet on eBay, that they sell tons of stuff, but all their jewelry was very cheap! 18kt gold plated jewelry with jewels and just pretty for less than $10! With free shipping! You can't beat that! They also had lots of silver as well as clothes and shoes and other things as well. I also need some new shoes! I only have a couple pairs now that fit with my DYT chroma. I am loving it though and I'm always on the look out for new fun and colorful things! Love it.

So tonight we are going to a ward camp out with our ward family. I am hoping it won't be to cold tonight but its even cold here, so in the mountains I'm sure it will be cold! So now I get to go pack some really warm clothes and especially Pjs for everyone, so I better get busy, since I also have a massage today as well. So until Monday, everyone enjoy your weekend!

Challenge: day 41

So I have gotten into a rut the last couple days. I think it's time for a change again!when I start to make to many bad choices, it's time for something new!

This is the Type 1 in me, needing change all the time. Once things start to get boring or monotonous, it's time for something new. I thought I was doing well yesterday...snack in the morning, sautéed chicken and salad for lunch and then opted to eat dinner with my family.  I made breakfast pizza with a whole wheat dough of olive oil, honey, whole wheat flour and milk. All natural and yummy! Then I top it with some country gravy, scrambled eggs, turkey bacon and ham with cheese. The whole wheat crust is yummy with the breakfast pizza. It is a little more sweet than normal, so it kind of reminds me of a biscuit and gravy type breakfast.

Evenings haven't been too hard to stay away from food, but all of a sudden, I just want to munch at night. So I have decided its time to switch up my plan again. I will go back to shakes for breakfast and lunch and then eat dinner with my family.

I am still very happy with what has come from this challenge so far,  so even if I don't lose anything else from here on out, just knowing that I have tried and made it this far and I am now more healthy than I have been in a long time, it has been worth it. But seeing as how I am only almost half way through, I still have plenty of time for things to change in my favor and to my benefit. So wish me luck and keep sending  all the good vibes my way so I can stay on track.

Challenge: day 40

I must say, making the wrong choices really comes with awful consequences! The last few days, I have not made some of the best choices for snacks and meals and I have realized how bad they were. When my stomach just rolls and is uncomfortable after I eat, you know that wasn't the best choice. When I weigh in and haven't lost anything, or worse, have gained some, I know the choices I have made have been wrong.

Yesterday I had my two shakes, but decided to have left over lasagna, since I was good and didn't have any Sunday night, but that started the stomach rolling and uncomfortableness. Then I drank my dinner shake to fast and just felt to full. Then my hubby decided that we needed to go to Zeppes for gelato, which this place closes for the season in a couple weeks, so Im glad we went, but even a small was hard to get through. The Italian ice itself isn't to bad, it's fat free at least, but the gelato is pretty bad, good thing there isn't to much in it. It was a good treat, and we may not be able to have another until next summer, so I'm ok with it, but I sat and shivered while I ate it, and luckily I didn't feel to full after, but the choice to have it could have been avoided.

I still feel that I am doing pretty good, and I just need to jump back in and get back to a good routine and some better habits and choices. Although I am going to try to make pumpkin cookies today. Our family home evening lesson was on service and the kids decided they wanted to take cookies to some people in our ward, so we will be doing that today, but I like when we give them away because then I don't have to look at them, making dieting easier. Plus we are serving and showing others how much we love them.

Thanks to all for your continued support and love of me. For all the encouraging words and the kindness you show to me each day! Until we meet again....

Challenge: day 39

Not a bad day. I did pretty well with my eating and shakes, two shakes, my chicken breast and steamed cauliflower for lunch, had to finish off some left overs. I was even really good at dinner. I made lasagna for my family, which is something that I love. I was going to have some but I was strong and decided to just have my shake, which worked out well, since we ended up doing cake for family home evening dessert. Overall not a bad day, and I feel good when I put on my jeans and don't have to struggle to do up the button. Love that!

So I opted to have a little cake last night. My youngest son was in charge of our treat for family night. He chose chocolate cake. I opted to find a recipe for cake in a mug that I could just cook individual ones for each of the kids. It was fun also because they got to mix all of their ingredients for their own. Which actually ended up being kind of funny...my 10 year old started mixing his and it was so thick. We couldn't figure out why until he said "I put 4 scoops of flour like you said". Hahaha, the recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of flour and 4 tablespoons of sugar. My husband asked if it really said that and said why doesn't it just say 1/4 cup? So I had started out with tablespoons and then switched to a quarter cup measure, but he obviously didn't hear, so he had put in 4 quarter cups. He was so upset that he had done that, we just laughed.

So I wasn't going to do a cake for myself, but ended up adding more ingredients to his and ended up with a big cake. It is actually pretty good cake. I made up some chocolate spiffee whip and we had that in place of frosting or anything else. There are quite a few recipes our there for things like this, this one had a good review and a few suggestions of different things to do with it. Personally, I would either split this with someone or mix up the recipe but pour in two cups. It rose well over the top of the cup and made quite a bit of cake. Here is the link if you are interested: http://www.food.com/recipe/magic-chocolate-mug-cake-microwave-322553

Try it for yourself, it is something fun to do with the kids! So until next time, keep living life to the fullest!

Challenge: days 36-38

Once again, weekends are kind of hard, but this time it was Sunday. Friday I only did one shake for breakfast, a nice sauteed chicken breast for lunch with a salad and sautéed mushrooms and onions. Now when I say "sautéed", that is not in butter or fat or anything, it is in olive oil. That's how I cook my chicken as well, it's not as healthy for you, but since I use olive oil, it is much better, plus it gives it such a yummy flavor. Anyway, Friday night is usually pizza night at my house, so I was prepared to have my shake. Well, my hubby decided that we needed to go to Village Inn for dinner instead, since we have free kids meal coupons. When we got there, they were already doing free kids meal through the month of September, so we were supposed to get them free anyway. Well, I don't think they gave us all of the kids meals for free, I still paid over $30 for dinner, which shouldn't have been that much. So Mike and I both had the endless fish, which is battered cod with French fries and cole slaw. I traded out my cole slaw for steamed broccoli, and even though it was all you can eat fish, I only made it through the original 3 pieces I was given. One thing about fried foods: after not having them for a while, they just don't settle well. My tummy wasn't exactly the greatest.

Saturday I did much better, probably because of what I had Friday night. I was good and did my two shakes for breakfast and dinner and had a nice lean steak with sautéed mushrooms and onions, with a salad and some fresh cherry tomatoes. Didn't go anywhere or do much on Saturday, so that makes it easy to be good.

Sunday I had my shake for breakfast, but had some home made spicy Mac and cheese for lunch and then by the time I got home from church, even though I had had my small snacks and my energy drink and everything, I ended up really hungry after church and ate dinner with the family. One bonus to the weekend.... I weighed Sunday morning and I am down another 2 pounds!! I was so excited! Even with my bad Friday night, I still was able to lose. This is probably the least I have weighed in over 10 years! I almost got down to this weight before I had my daughter, but the last time I was down to this was probably before my first child was born! I am very confident that I will make my goal of 20 pounds lost in the 90 days of this challenge! So far I am currently down 10 pounds from when I weighed August 5! That was before the challenge, but only 6 weeks ago! Yay for me. I will not say I cheat a lot, because I don't cheat, I just have quite a few days that arent the greatest, so if I can do this, anyone can! I also don't exercise the way I need to. I make it maybe once a week, if I'm lucky. The only time I can go is at night, and by then I am so exhausted I just want to sleep.

So if you don't think you can do this, think again! If I, who loves to eat, who doesn't move a whole lot, and sometimes doesn't have much self control when it comes to treats, can do this, anyone can! I am very confident in this program, it works and you don't have to starve yourself to do it, you still eat snacks and food as well, plus it tastes good! Even the Omega supplement that comes with it, does not have the fishy after taste that most omegas do, so I like taking it, it doesn't gross me out like others do. So if you are interested, let me know so I can hook you up with the right person. Until next time....