Menu for Week of Monday May 19th

Monday, May 19th

When I lost 50 pounds back in 2011, one of my weekly practices included menu planning.  After 6-8 months of menu planning I stopped, thinking, "I got this".  I also gained 20 pounds!!  So, I am re-implementing this practice into my life of health weekly menu planning.  This practice keeps me in check.  It helps me prepare meals more quickly and efficiently.  It also helps me stay on track.  I want to eat healthy.  I want to lose 20 pounds.  I want to look hot, hot, hot!  So, in addition to thinking about what I eat and making healthy eating choices, I need to plan my meals.  Here's a peak into what I'm eating today.

BREAKFAST

• 1 egg fried, one slice grain bread, mustard, ketchup
• one cup iceberg lettuce with balsamic dressing
• one cup fresh blueberries
• one cup coffee with moo, cinnamon and SUGAR 

LUNCH

• Mexican chicken soup with fresh vegetables
• two cups ICED green tea with STEVIA
• Greek yogurt with strawberries

DINNER

• fried tofu with soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds
• fresh veggies (carrot sticks, celery sticks, cabbage, and/or corn on the cobb!)

SNACKS

• smoothie with banana, cinnamon, and almond milk
• one gala apple with peanut butter

DAILY PRACTICES

• mulitvitamin, fish oil, water, and weekly exercise (now it's primarily aerobic, will add resistance training this week too)

Long Time No See!!

Oh my God!  It's been AGES since I've written ANYTHING on my blog!!  But, today I'm back.  May 5, 2012, I became a licensed Zumba fitness instructor!!  Who would have imagined?  And, I'm about to CELEBRATE my 2 year anniversary as a ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR next month!  Woo hoo!  I'm so excited.  And, yet, in that time, after keeping my weight under control for almost 2 years, I slowly regained 20-25 pounds back!  My first clue was when my skinny jeans no longer fit me!  And, when my tan pants were tight in the waistline.  What happened to me?  I began to think that I could relax a little bit with my eating.  I stopped being meticulous and careful. But, mainly, I began eating tortillas, fried tacos, Mexican sweet bread and chocolate in greater proportions than before.  I know why I did this; I let another person influence my eating in this way instead of maintaining control over my diet (and by diet I mean food intake).  Get over it already!  Time for change, and self-responsibility!!

Summer is approaching, and I have an important family function to attend in July.  I have 3 months to prepare for fitting into this hot dress!  I want to look, and FEEL, my best!!  And, I know, past experience has taught me, that 3 MONTHS is plenty of time to CHANGE MY BODY!!  All I have to do is eat the right foods in the right proportions, and stick to it!!

Recently, I did the Dr. Oz 2-week Rapid Weight Loss Diet.  I really liked it because it gave me an opportunity to refocus on my eating habits and to begin again of making healthier life choices when it comes to the kitchen!! I lost 6 pounds on it, and probably would have lost a bit more had I not cheated a few times.

Right now I am watching what I eat.  I am diligently focused on clean eating.  I am thankful for a friend and a support group that she started.  So, we send messages to each other and try to support one another.  That is a god-send for me!!  To be continued...

A Changed Life...Begins with a Single Step

Before and after.  A lady came up to me at church today (Lisa) and we talked about everything health and fitness.  I love that!  After leaving my conversation with her, I was beaming!  I couldn't stop smiling!  I don't usually walk around with a smile pasted onto my face, but, this morning I couldn't help it.

She told me, among other things, that I looked like a completely different person (now that I have lost a significant amount of weight)!  I get that alot.  My mom has said to me on different occaisens that she didn't even recognize me (at times)!  Another lady at our church (Marilyn), said the same thing (that I look like a completely different person)! 

I don't take it the wrong way.  It is a compliment to the "new and improved" me.  I take it as a compliment to the new way I look, and as an acknowledgement of the hard work that is required of oneself if they truly do want to lose weight!  I take the comments as words of encouragent, to keep me on the healthy path of life and wellness.  There is really no other way to take it (their words).

Often, I hear stories of people who lost 50, and 60 pounds of weight, only to put some or all of it back on again.  I don't want to be one of those people!  I have a very strong desire to maintain the success I've had, if you want to say it that way.  I also have a very strong desire to help and encourage other people on their weight loss journey.  I'm not sure what form that will take in the future, but, I do expect that that will very likely be another part of my future!

I would like to become a certified health and wellness coach.  I am currently exploring ways of doing this.  I love talking with people in general about my own weight loss story, of how I went from 200 pounds to 140 pounds.  But, even more than sharing my story, I love talking about anything and everything related to health and fitness, whether it is making healthier food choices, or active lifestyle changes.  I need to improve in my own self-care, but, I am also "on my way".  I have become a licensed Zumba instructor, and I can't wait for my journey to start and continue here.  The Zumba classes have been an integral and very important part of my life since I began losing weight in January of 2011.  And, Zumba dance fitness will be a platform where good fruit can emerge.  I believe, and am trusting in the One who has helped me along the way; He is/will give me a new platform (of Zumba dance) to help and encourage others along the way too, in their journeys of health and fitness!

Faith, hope and love remain...but, the greatest of these is love!
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, 13

Oops, I guess its my Cheat Day...

Breakfast: Carl's Jr. Biscuit with egg, ham and cheese, hash brown nuggets and cup of coffee with 2 creamers
Lunch: Carl's Jr. Patty-Melt sandwich with jalepeno, pepper jack cheese, fried zucchinni, diet coke, iced tea and water.
Dinner: Nothing!

Monday

Breakfast: Warm water with fresh squeezed lemon juice, one smoothie with grapefruit and fresh cactus, one slice wheat toast with easy peanut butter, one cup of nonfat milk

Morning Snack: One banana, one cup of hot green tea, 2 shortbread cookies

Lunch: One orange, one cup of coffee black, and one mixed grain bagel with low calorie cream cheese

Afternoon Snack: None...well, a client gave me a medium 16 oz. sized Mexican hot chocolate...(milk, cocoa, and cinnamon, and loaded with sugar I'm sure!)

Dinner: One whole wheat medium sized tortilla, Brown rice with lentils and veggies, one cup of nonfat milk, so far that's it...

Packed an apple and yogurt parfait with fruit in my lunch but have not gotten to eat it yet...i guess save for tomorrow!

Summary of today: Not good not bad! A little cheating with the shortbread cookies and the Mexican hot chocolate. It is so hard to resist and say no sometimes! Especially when receiving someone else's "hospitality". However, I DID thorougly enjoy the hot cocoa!! So, no regrets there. It's 9:40 pm now; I have just enough time to go to gym and use elliptical machine if I want. Only problem is it's been raining today and is so cold now. Therefore, it's very difficult to get out of the house! But, if I truly wanted to, I could do it. Hmmm...that is THE question: do I really want to (go exercise now)?

Sunday Meals

7:30 am Breakfast, McMuffin and cup of coffee with 2 creams and 2 splendas, 300 calories

1:00 pm Lunch, One cup of nonfat milk, one small pice of rice cake (ddeok) with beans on top

4:00 pm Dinner, half cup of brown rice, half cup of cooked lentil beans with mixed veggies

4:30 pm Dessert, nonfat yogurt, one banana, honey, one tablespoon peanut butter

8:30 pm Snack, one cup of nonfat moo, one small gala apple, one more tablespoon of peanut butter

Sunday 12/4/11

Breakfast: one slice of white toast with nutella spread, half an orange, one cup of nonfat milk, one cup of hot green tea.

Lunch: yogurt and fruit parfait, one banana.

Snacks: carrot sticks and hummus, the other half an orange.

Dinner: humble black beans, Mexican rice, one cup of nonfat milk, and half a cup of green beans, everything PORTIONED CONTROLLED.

Dessert: one cup of instant coffee with cream and sugar (no bueno).

No exercise today.

Thoughts: Not good, but not bad. Just sort of right in the middle; average! Need to find time for exercise. Have been so busy past few weeks with work. Felt overwhelmed. And stressed. All I can do is my best. And, pray! Prayer will help alot. New week. New beginning!!