MommyWeighLess

This is my year...well the last several months at least. The progress is slow but steady. Picture 1: June -221 pounds Picture 2: July -210 pounds Picture 3: August -198 pounds Picture 4: September -190 pounds Picture 5: October - 187 pounds Picture 6: November -186 pounds Picture 7: December -182 pounds Just goes to show how much your body can and will change! /> onclick="javascript: document.getElementById('image1').style.height='100%'; document.getElementById('image1').style.width='100%';" />

The New Year is Upon Us Again! I am still in shock with how quickly this year has flown by, and how much I have changed this year. When 2012 started I was 231 pounds, eating whatever I wanted, never exercising, very insecure, and really down on myself. When I went for my annual visit in January  my doctor told me I was obese. I started 2012 with the resolution to lose weight. Just a general thought, lose weight, but no real goals or anything. Just one of those many resolutions that millions of people make each year but never stick to. This time I stuck to it..well eventually! The first six months or so I just kind of played with my diet changes, and did not exercise at all. And then in June, while on vacation I saw this picture of myself. Up until then I had completely avoided having my picture taken.   In this picture I was 221 pounds, so in six months I lost 10 pounds. This picture, and the doctor telling me I was obese, was my defining moment, that mom...

AHHHHH ! Just had to let that little yelp out! It is that wonderful time of the year that we all love so much. Everything is green, red, and sparkly! The weather is nice a cool (I'm in Florida...no such thing as cold)! The Christmas lights are all gleaming...and the yummy food is baking! Wait! The baking! The food! The sweets! The...oh no I ate TOO much feeling! This is a difficult time of year for those of us trying to lose weight and maintain a healthy diet. There is so much pressure put on you to join in on the family eating festivities, and guilt tripping when you don't. It is hard to refuse sweets and such most days of the week, when there is no holiday, and the holiday only makes it about a hundred times worse. I have a huge sweet tooth. HUGE! I love all the yummy sugar cookies, gingerbread men, cakes, pies...if it has sugar in it, I dig in. Well I used to anyways. I have worked really hard on my self control. Fighting that little devil over my shoulder that e...

Oh the joys  pains of  running! While the mental aspect of running is amazing, the physical can be a bit disabling sometimes. A few weeks ago I shared a picture on Twitter of my poor ankle wrapped in an ace bandage. After a super leg session at the gym, and finishing that off with a couple miles run, I thought I was going to die from a pain shooting down into my ankle from my calf. I thought maybe it was sprained or strained and just babied it some. Then on Saturday I went for a 3 mile run. I was about 200 feet from my driveway when my calf turned to putty. Completely obliterated. I pulled it. Ouch . Thankfully I was close to home. It dawned on me that the pain in my ankle was actually pain ascending from my calf. Make sure you listen to your body. It will let you know when something is not right. I hobbled the rest of the way home, sat on the front porch, and thought about crying. While I sat there it dawned on me that SpiderTech Inc.  had sent me a samp...

I am going to share something with you that I am a little ashamed of sharing, but I know I am not the only one that has done it. Right before I step on the scale once a week, I pray for a two pound loss. I deem it my 'Two Pound Prayer'! As silly as that sounds I did this for a really long time. I would take a deep breath, close my eyes, step on the scale and pray there was a loss. Finally the stress of that got to me. Weight fluctuates daily, and it can jump up to 5 pounds depending on where you are in your cycles (if female) or how much water you are retaining. I was driving myself nuts watching that number. I was obsessing over it. I stepped on that darn thing every time I walked by it. Then Dustin made the comment that it had become a permanent fixture to my feet and  I realized I had formed an unhealthy relationship with the scale. I decided to put it away and join the local SAA...Scale Addicts Anonymous. I hopped on MyFitnessPal and started trollin...

I have looked into the Beachbody P90X fitness and nutrition program for a while now, and always felt that it was too pricey for our budget. I also felt I needed to be in better physical condition. I have been working so hard for nine months and I finally feel that I am at the level needed to take on such a challenging program. Well a girlfriend of mine loaned me her set and I cannot wait! I am so excited to take on this challenge! I have no idea what to expect other than a killer workout. I have no idea what kind of results I will get. I have no idea how sore I will be. I have no idea what kind of challenge lies ahead of me. What I do know is that I am 100% ready to accept whatever Tony Horton can throw at me, and use it to improve my body! I will start my 90 day challenge on Monday, December 17, 2012. I planned to start today but realized I need a yoga mat, heavier dumbbells, and  a pull up bar. I will pick those things up this weekend (used and cheap at Play It Again...

I cannot express enough how important proper diet is when it comes to weight loss and healthy living. Sure you can ingest a couple of drops of a "hormone" and eat 500 calories and lose a ton of weight...but who wants to starve? Like it or not FAD diets DO NOT work. Nine times out of ten all the weight you lose, and then some, on a fad diet will return. Every day I am bombarded with emails from companies that have the next great weight loss tip or tool or whatever crafty word they use to describe their fad. And when people are desperate they will try anything and everything. These companies know this. They take advantage of our desperation. And rob us blind. You do not need a pill, shake, wrap, surgery, hormone, expensive program, or anything else of that nature to lose weight. All you need is good quality foods, proper portions, and exercise. I have said it before, weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise. You cannot exercise away a bad diet. Your body needs good whol...

So yesterday I painted my own toenails...why is this news you ask? Before I would have someone else do it because I couldn't bend over like that or breathe when I did it. But yesterday I did it and never lost my breath and bent like a pretzel with no discomfort. This is what is called a Non Scale Victory or NSV for short...or a weight loss victory not related to the numbers on the scale or tape measure. I decided I would share a few of my NSVs, things other people might not think are important, that have been huge milestones for me. I have a BMI of 28.1! Yes that means I am still overweight according to national standards but considering my BMI started at 37.4 less than a year ago...I think that is amazing! My doctor no longer tells me I am obese and I need to lose weight but instead encourages my new 'category' and weightloss. I like her more now! My body fat is 29.2%! Once again this means I am still overweight but I started at 51% body fat...I have lost almost half...

Thought I would share a little about myself...too be more personable. These are a few quirky things about myself you may not know.  1) I am a 23 year old stay at home mom, in a very happily committed 5 year relationship with Dustin. 2) I have a 4 year old yorkie/chihuhua mix named Indica (yes after the pot flower..not my choosing). 3) I went to school to be a cosmetologist, plan on finishing after the babies go to school. 4) We are trying for Moore number 2 (no such luck...I am not ovulating because of my weight loss)...but I would really like to reach my goal weight first. Hoping for a boy! 5) I am allergic to raspberries. 6) I hate wearing tennis shoes...I am a Florida girl and I love my flip flops! 7) My daughter Scarlett Rose..has red hair..and we named her before we knew what she looked like. 8) I am in love with Kenny Chesney and Tim Tebow...and Dustin knows this. 9) I have a fear of bed sheets...they make me feel claustrophobic...

Oh my goodness. I stumbled across this recipe when looking for a protein to add to dinner tonight. Best thing I have ever done with quinoa. So yummy! I tweaked it to my liking and you can do the same. Quinoa (cooked original way 1 cup quinoa/2cups water) 3 cups milk- used vanilla almond 3 beaten eggs 1/2 cup shredded coconut 1/2 light brown sugar 1/2 crushed walnuts 1 tspn cinnamon. 1 tspn lemon juice 1 tspn vanilla extract 1/8 tspn salt 1 tbpn butter After you have cooked and cooled the quinoa mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into a greased baking dish and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the pudding sets (gets solid). You can also use pudding dishes but I do not have any. Enjoy! Serves 6 (make servings smaller to lower calorie count but I wanted a lot!) 345 calories 10g protein

Here is the difference one month can make. I only had a four pound loss...but weight lifting is starting to change my body!

Each month I make a list of goals I plan to achieve. By setting monthly and sometimes weekly goals, it has helped me immensely with my weight loss. I though I would share my goals with all of you. Please feel free to share yours here or on my Facebook page: mommyweighless.  I will hold you accountable if you need me to! Mini Goals for everyday: 1. Drink 64 ounces of water everyday. 2. Walk 2 miles everyday. (FitBit to the rescue) 3. Take 30 minutes for mommy. 4. Eat a veggie in place of a fruit (I do not eat a lot of veggies). 5. Eat at least 100g of protein. Goals for each week: 1. 3 weight lifting sessions (work at personal bests). 2. 3 hours of HIIT. 3. Walk 10+ miles. 4. Lose at least 1/2 pound. 5. Do progress pictures on weigh in day. Overall Goals: 1. Lose 5 pounds. 2. Move around more. 3. Push on weight training. 4. Up 5k practice to at least 7 miles by end of month. 5. Enjoy the holidays! My goals are not anything special, but they are s...

My family has all been really sick with a stomach virus..and I thought nothing is better than homemade chicken noodle soup after being sick. I looked at a few recipes, and they were all really high in sodium, so I decided to take a stab at my own. It was so yummy! Dustin took the leftovers to work today! So here you are... 4 cups low sodium chicken broth 4 cups water 3 medium chicken breasts 1 cup diced carrots 1 cup diced celery 1 diced medium yellow onion 1/4 cup dried parsley 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 tbpn dried basil 6-8 ounces of noodle of choice Place everything but the noodles in the crock pot and cook on low for 5 hours. After 5 hours pull out chicken breast and cut into pieces. Put chicken breast and noodles into crock pot and cook on high for 30-45 minutes. I used a multigrain noodle instead of egg noodles because I was trying to make this as healthy as possible. When noodles are done serve with crackers. Enjoy! Calories- 295 cup Protein- 22g Fat- 2.8...

I have fallen in love all over again (sorry Dustin I am having an affair with a piece of technology). On Black Friday we ventured out to have lunch with some friends, and putzed around a few stores. We wandered into the Best Buy and amidst the hectic confusion, I found my way to the fitness area. The Aria Scale is what originally caught my eye, and right beneath it was the FitBit Zip and FitBit One. The Zip was $49 and the One was $99. I looked at the difference between the two to determine which would better suit my needs, and what the price difference is. The difference between the two is the One has a sleep tracker and stair tracker, where the Zip does not. Personally I sleep great and do not need help with that, and I live in Florida. It is flat. The most stairs I climb are the four going into my parents house when we go to visit. Once I realized that was where the price difference was I decided it was not $50 worthy and went with the cheaper, the Zip. It has been one o...

My wonderful and beautiful friend, Chelsey, and I did the Turkey Trot 5k at the local YMCA this morning . This was her first 5k and I am so excited to share the wonderful experience we got to share. I am so proud of her, she did incredible and persevered even though she was having terrible chin splints and ankle pain. The race started at 7:30, and we got there just before 7:00. The registration process was moving smoothly, especially considering there was at least 1500 people. We ran in, got our bibs (her first ever!), and went out for pictures! The course was a beautiful one that cut through a very scenic neighborhood, and was very clearly marked. It was a paved course which is much easier than the dirt, especially for a first timer. During the race I came across a full baby bottle, sprinted and caught up to the owner, and returned it. Funny little thing that I came across, and thought I would share. Crazy things can be seen and can happen in a race.  START PHOTO  FINI...

So yesterday my girlfriend, Chelsey, and I decided to do legs..for real. Not just play with the machines(still did machines though)...but use real weights...free weights! I remember squatting in high school, but that was 5 years ago, and I only did it for one semester because I broke my foot. I have been apprehensive about lifting heavy because I have plantar facisitis, and it likes to flare up when I do heavy lifting. Anyways, we wandered into the free weight area and looked around like we were a little lost, because we were...and finally settled on the right equipment.            A little Chelsey history, she was a great weight lifter in high school, competed and everything, so she had an idea where we should be and how we should do it. She is getting married in February...yay!...and is trying to lose some weight before then. She has become my workout buddy, and flunky. And she is doing great! Back to our session... We set up wit...

I have mentioned before that I am from the south and down here we deep fry EVERYTHING! That being said, I also happen to come from a very obese family, and was just like them up until this past year. This started as my New Years Resolution, and it has now become my life. One of my biggest obstacles while changing my life, was learning to deal with my unchanging family. They have been stuck in their ways for a lifetime, and have no intention of changing. When I started they told me I would not do it or I could not do it, which just made me push even harder to prove them wrong. Then once I began, so did the jokes. When I would pack in my own meals, I was accused of thinking I was better than them. When I would say I could not do something because I was working out, or running a race, I was accused of taking this too serious. They constantly crack jokes about my eating habits and say things like I am starving my family, depriving my daughter of good food (junk food), or denying...

The worst part about starting exercise after a couple of years not doing any..was my inability to go for very long. I lacked endurance and stamina. I still am not where I want to be when it comes to both. And while you may think they are the same they are not..at least not to me anyways. When I think endurance I think of the ability to push through things, especially pain, and finishing what you start. When I think stamina I think of the ability to go harder for longer. But some people categorize them as one and the same. When I went to the gym for the first time, at 220+ pounds, I could only walk on the treadmill for 12 minutes before the shin splints got so unbearable I thought I was going to break my leg. That is to be expected for someone that is obese. You muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, everything that makes you move is under a tremendous amount of pressure. Their way of fighting back is to cause pain and make you stop. But you have to endure and push yourself to go further...

Found this recipe online and tweaked it to be lower calorie, and family friendly. It is so delicious! Scarlett inhaled her bowl, so even your kids will love it! This is a slow cooker recipe. 3 6 to 8 Oz chicken breast(boneless skinless) 1 can chilli beans 1 can whole kernel corn (drained) 1 can tomato sauce 2 cans diced tomatoes 1 12 Oz beer 1 package of taco seasoning In crock pot mix chilli beans, corn, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beer and taco seasoning well. Place chicken breast on top and push down lightly until covered by mix. Cook on low for 5 hours. Remove chicken, allow to cool and shred. Then mix the shredded chicken back into the crock and cook an additional 2 hours. Serve and enjoy. Makes 8 (1 3/4 cups) servings 245 calories 26 grams protein I also added 2 tablespoons of sour cream, and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Totaled 360 calories and was super yum! Also dipped a few veggie chips in it! Enjoy!

The biggest thing you will hear from people about exercise is to start slow, and take a day off every now and then. They call that day off a 'rest day', a time for your body to heal and recuperate from all of the extra demands you have put on it, and allow muscles some time to heal. When you exercise, especially lifting weights, you get micro tears in your muscles, and in order for those to heal and make bigger muscles you must let them rest. Lifting heavy repetitively and causing micro tears on top of micro tears is what allows body builders to continue to get bulkier, and that is why they lift around the clock it seems.   However if you are not looking to body build or gain muscle quickly, you need to have a recovery period.   I have a super duper hard time doing this!!!   I know in my head that I need to rest, my body will be screaming for it, but my conscience won't shut up and let me think it is okay. I have worked so hard and so long to get as far as I...

Did my second 5k today(November 10, 2012). That is 2 in two Weeks! Woohoo! It was at another nature park, but this time the path was paved, and much easier to run. Only complaint was having to dodge doggy poo because people were allowed to bring dogs, and none of them picked up after their pets! So rude and inconsiderate! This was a much smaller group this time, probably only about 100 competitors. So I figured I had a good chance of winning because it was being done by age groups. Sadly I did not win a medal by 34 seconds but I am proud of myself either way! Even though it was a paved path, I was slower today by a minute, my time was 40:22, but I also did not get enough sleep this week. Sleep is so super important when you are an avid runner, it provides your muscles with the time they need for repair. During the race I kind of fell behind due to a cramp in a thigh muscle I bruised really bad when I walked into the corner of a cabinet, but as I started to catch up I would find a p...

On Saturday November 3, 2012 I ran my first ever 5k RACE! Okay, I'm being all dramatic with the bold print, but I have never been so proud of myself! I always though I would like to be a runner, but always thought I would never be able to do it. Well one of my goals during this journey has been becoming a runner. To me a runner is someone who runs in whatever weather, runs to run, runs to renew their attitude, runs to breathe, and you are a runner no matter what pace. If you are going faster than your fastest walking pace, you are a runner in my book! I love that free feeling I have when I run...that one where the only thing that matters is the constant pitter patter of your feet on the ground and the wind whipping around your face. I do my best thinking, thought sorting, and anger relieving when I run as well! Poor Dustin has learned this the hard way...Mommy needs her daily run! Anyways, enough banter. On to my first 5k. I happened onto this 5k: The Paynes Prairie 5k-Bene...

Have I said how much I love this time of year, you can make almost pumpkin anything, and I love pumpkin! So I decided to take a swing at my own pumpkin pie smoothie! So here you go, and it is yummy! Even Scarlett and Dustin liked it.. 1 can of Libby's Pumpkin Puree 1 can Carnation Swetened Condensed Milk(chilled) 6 Oz of vanilla yogurt 1/4 cup of stevia(or sweetener of choice) 1/4 tspn nutmeg/ cinnamon/ pumpkin pie spice Mix all together in blender and blender until smooth and creamy! Then enjoy! 8 Oz serving and makes 4 servings 99 calories/9 g of protein

When I started this journey I was stepping on the scale at least 10 times a day..no joke. If I walked by it, I felt a compulsive need to step on it. And everytime the numbers were different. I learned as I worked through this that weight flucuates constantly, and is never the same. You weight can fluctuate 3-7 pounds depending on what you have eaten, water retention, salt intake, full bladder, you name it and it can affect your weight, I am sure of it. It is physically impossible to gain 3-5 pounds a day. You would have to eat a surplus of 10,000+ calories. The average adult female should only eat around 1500-2000 and the male 1600-2500(all dependent of weight). After I stopped freaking out over the numbers jumping around all the time, I started to learn that measurements and NSV or non scale victories (for my MFP friends) are far more important. While your weight may not be changing you body percent may be. When I started in January I had a body fat percentage of 49%! Today my body ...

Sounds terrifying right?! It really is...but if you read this and think at the end you could do it...then there is no reason to be scared. The first time I read a forum titled "Eat More To Weigh Less" I thought pfffffftt...whatever, everyone knows you have to eat low calorie to lose weight..right??? I looked at it, laughed literally out loud, and went back to my low calories. I lost my first 25 pounds this way and I figured I would lose the last 50 the same.Then one month came the dreaded PLATEAU! *gasps echo through inter-world* I tried everything, I doubled my exercise, stopped eating back my exercise calories, and not a single pound budged. So after doing a little reading I realized that I was under eating  This made me rethink eating more to weigh less. I revisited the forum. And I read a lot of forum posts where they had been in the exact same situation as me, eating low cal with no more weight loss. They then later went on to say after eating m...

I went on vacation in June to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, and it was beautiful! I kept busy with my exercise even while there, because it was so nice outside,  I couldn't help but run. My poor old Adidas gave out...and I needed new shoes. My grandma and I took off to check out the local shopping, and the shops there were wonderful. We came across a shoe store that was having a BOGO half off sale, and what is better than a sale...nothing?! This was the first time I ever put thought into my shoes, before I just bought a pair, and they lasted forever because I did not exercise(plus I am a flipflop girl..hello I live in the Sunshine State). This time I went to asking questions and doing a little research. I needed good quality shoes (not WalMart cheapness) , that could endure walking, running, and weight training. It is very hard to get all of these qualities in shoes. Most are either or and not in between. I was eyeballing a pair of Nike's that were reasonably p...

Tried this great recipe..and it is only 199 calories a slice. After I made it I took it this morning and made it into french toast..divine! Had to share! Ingredients: 3 bananas(mashed) 1/4 cup butter 1 cup sugar (or sugar alternative) 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 tspn baking soda 1 tspn nutmeg 1/ cup crushed walnuts Cream the butter and sugar together in a big bowl. In another bowl sift together the flour, nutmeg, and baking soda. Beat the eggs and add to the creamed butter and sugar. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients. Add in the walnuts. Pour into a well greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. When the bread is done and cooled slice into 12 even slices. To make the french toast with it you will need 3 beaten eggs. You don't need milk because the bread is moist enough. Dip the bread in the beaten eggs and cook on non stick skillet at medium to high heat until brown on each side. Serve with butter and syrup. ...

Okay my friends, I tried the vegan tropical strawberry shakeology after finding I want the biggest fan of the super food chocolate version, and I liked it even less. I have provided a link to the website again. You can check it out for yourself, and contact a Beachbody agent if you want to sample it. I tried a different way of mixing it. I will share the recipe I used as well as my pros and cons again. I reiterate that this is not a review of their weight loss program, just a sample of the shakes they sell. I am also not trying to start a debate over whether shakeology is good or bad. If it works for you great, if not that is fine too! Vegan Tropical Strawberry Mix: in blender cup 12 ounces water 1 pack of vegan mix 1 cup of blended ice Here is my list of pros: -It did not stick the the side if my cup like the chocolate did -Didn't have to dirty the blender -Convenient breakfast for in the go And my list of cons: -It tasted AWFUL -It was very chalky and gritty...

So a couple of weeks ago I was the winner of a fabulous giveaway on a fitness page! I was thrilled and anxious to test out everything I won. Inside the package was three packets of shakeology , a meal replacement shake that is supposed to be all natural. I have provided a link to their site. Check them out for yourself. There was 2 chocolate and 1 strawberry. Today I decided to give it a go and have a chocolate shake for breakfast. How I mixed it(in a blender): 1 pack of chocolate shakeology 1 cup of ice 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk half a banana This is not a review of their program and weight loss promises because I have not completed the program, and don't really plan to. I know people that have had success with it but I prefer to eat my calories, and they are over priced for my budget. This is a review of the actual shake I had and what  I thought. I also am not trying to start a debate over the product. If you use it and have had results that is great! If you...

This is delectable and only 215 calories a slice (8 slices total)! First I will share my crust recipe then the strawberry filling recipe. Flaky Crust Preheat oven to 400° 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 2 tspns sugar 1 tspn salt 2 tbspn milk 1/2 cup veggie oil Place all ingredients in a 9 inch pie pan and mix with a fork. Pat it to the bottom and around the edges. Poke with holes and bake for 15 minutes or until light brown. Set aside to cool. Strawberry Filling 3 pints fresh or frozen strawberries(cut in halves) 3/4 cup of sugar (can use alternatives) 2 tbspn corn starch 1/2 cup of water In a medium sauce pan heat 1 pint cut strawberries and sugar over medium high heat. Mush the strawberries with the back of a spoon as they cook down to release juice and flavor. Mix the corn starch and water and put into the strawberry mix when it is thick and syrupy. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside and let it cool completely. Once it has cooled put into pie shell and refrigerate for...

Everyone that goes to the gym gets annoyed at one point or another by fellow members. Whether they are talking too much, smell too bad, or just starting at you there are things I just can't stand. Here are 10 rules I think everyone should follow while at the gym: 1) Do not judge others or talk about other people.          This is most important to me because everyone is there to get healthier and judging them or criticizing them for that sets them back. I was at the gym one day and a younger (fitter) couple was bad mouthing a heavier girl for running on the treadmill. They were being rude and loud enough i could hear them over my head phones, which meant she could hear them, and so could everyone else. My heart hurt for her because that was me 9 months ago. After asking them politely to stop, and them refusing, myself and another man went to the desk and reported them. They were told to stop and if it persisted their membership would be revoked. She ...

Okay my dears this is not weight loss related, but something you may have experienced because of your weight and something I feel the need to get out there. I read an article today about a young girl, Amanda Todd , that committed suicide after enduring years of cyber and physical bullying. This girl was victimized for making one mistake, flashing her chest to a pedophile, and it lead to torment. I have linked the article so you can see all the details for yourself. What is wrong with youth today?! Since when is it acceptable to bully people to the point that it ruins their lives. I do not understand this mind set of cruelty that children have now. Are they so desensitized by television and video games, that they do not realize how cruel they are? Or is it simply a lack of parenting? What will become of these children when they are adults? I honestly don't see then amounting to more than criminals and thugs. Since when do boys go around sleeping with girls just so their girlfriend...