Thanksgiving

Most people think of thanksgiving as the time to give thanks. Why do we wait till Thanksgiving? Why do we only do it once a year? What are you thankful for this year???? A lot of people get nervous around the holidays. Get nervous with food issues, clothing issues, self esteem, or family problems. I think you get my point. :) This year let's not think about what can go wrong, or how you are going to approach different issues. Let's think of all the things that are going to go right, all the things we have to be grateful for.

I will start. I am happy and thankful for the long weekend to spend time with my family. I am thankful for the health and happiness of my family! I am grateful for the ability to host and make such a great Thanksgiving dinner (while still staying with healthy eating). I am grateful that my kids get to spend time with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins but most important their great grandmother. There are soooo many things I am happy and grateful for on this great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!

Good food

OK so I left you hanging again. Let me try to explain. I decided that I am always complaining about going to other people's homes because of my eating habits. I never know what's in the food or how it is prepared. So to that end I decided to host Thanksgiving this year. Wow, so much work! I have never made a turkey in my life let alone all the other stuff that goes with thanksgiving. So as soon as I announced I was hosting I started researching healthy ways to make the tradtional thanksgiving food. I found so many great recipes. Did you know that you can make an 89 calorie per serving stuffing???

I will keep you posted on how they taste.

More changes

Although I do not see the numbers moving on the scale (which sucks) I do notice a lot of other perks of my new lifestsyle. Like my clothes being baggy and I can even fit into some of my old stuff from my skinnier times. I also noticed my eating habits have change (I know you say well, duh) but let me explain. In past when I took a cheat meal I could eat so much. Now not only can I not eat as much, if I do I pay for the whole week following. Last night I had a date with my wonderful husband, to see my Philadelphia Flyers win. In past, I would of gotten Chickie fries all to myself, cheese steak, cotton candy, couple beers ...... Wow , have things changed. This time I got a four piece chicken cutlet with buffolo sauce on side. I will admit I was bummed the sauce was on the side. However, as I always say everything happens for a reason. It was good it was on side and not soaked in. Less of two evils. I ate three of them. I traded my last one to Stu for his celery sticks. Yea, I love my blue cheese and celery. Again, I know blue cheese and celery not good but it was lesser of two evils. I also had one light beer not regualr beer. I did have dessert but instead of me getting cotton candy I shared an ice cream cone with Stu. In the past I would of been bad an eaten a whole cone to myself. Don't get me wrong I could of eaten the whole cone last night but I didn't! And I love ice cream. By sharing it with Stu we both got something sweet without being horrible.

I don't know where I am going with my rambling but I definetly see differences in myself. I am not happy the scale isn't moving or that I am not at goal yet. But, I guess I just have to take baby steps.

"Slow and Steady wins the race"
-Aesop

Leaves of absense

I know I have been gone. Let me explain. I try to be as postive as possible on my blog but lots has been going on and staying postive is very hard. I have stayed postive just not enough to write. Sorry!!!!

Anyway, today was hard but great!! Last year both Stu and I were so out of shape we had to pay someone to do a fall cleanup for us. I know, I know not good but let's fast forward to this year. Not only did we do it but did it with ease. Now when I say ease, I don't mean it was easy because it wasn't. I mean that we were able to do it with out having to take a break every 15 minutes. If you could see the size of the pile infront of our house, you would think we had a landscaping team at our house. Now here's the funny or not so funny part. Every muscle in my body hurts. I did not know what a workout raking actually was. I raked leaves for 2 1/2 hours in 28 degree weather. When I looked how many calories I burned from raking, I can't believe it!!!! 920 Calorie...WOO HOO! The weird thing is at this moment that's more calories then I have eaten today.

Once again sorry I left for too many days, I promise to try harder to keep blogging. If you promise to keep working hard everyday!!! As the great Tony Horton says "Do your best and forget the rest!"

Yucky out

Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.--unknown


Today is a cold rainy day here in Philadelphia. I woke up not feeling great, feeling really runned down. When I dropped off the kids at school I did my errands and came home. I did not want to have to stay out any longer in this weather. Now, normally I would not want to workout not feeling well but instead of doing nothing I took advantage of a quiet home and did Yoga X from P90X ....wow, I forgot what a workout this actually is. It's weird since I started blogging I feel guilty if I don't do something ...... guess that's a good thing. A forced accountabilty , kinda.

What did you do today?

Great To Be Me

The power of Love and Gratitude will dissolve all negativity in our lives no matter what form it has taken . Author Rhonda Byrne

Well I finished the book The Secret. It is absolutely amazing. This book has really made me open my eyes to what has been holding me back. I harvested so much negative in my life that the Universe had no way to send good to me. I have decided no more. When I stopped to think what am I grateful for I realized I have so much to be grateful for.

I am Grateful for my husband, he always knows how to make me smile when I am down. He is my biggest supporter in all I do. He is there in good and bad. He pushes me to be a better person.

I am Grateful for my three kids. Although they can be a pain sometimes I love them with all my heart and would be absolutely lost without them.

I am Grateful for my family who has always helped when they can. Grateful for the upbringing they gave me, they taught me to be the women I am today. Thankful for the education they provided me.

Grateful for the home I Live in and the food on the table.

So like I said I have so much to be grateful for that I cant believe all this time I let negative from around me keep me down.No more.

What are you grateful for?

I am ......

It is so hard to stay positive when it feels like all is going wrong around you. Let's see I have been applying for jobs since July. I was told last night YET AGAIN that they went in a different direction, even better the person did it over an e-mail instead of calling me (talk about lack class). This time my frustration got the better of me, so I wrote back asking why I wasn't chosen? They told me because a student would be cheaper. How rude to waste my time :) I was really upset after this latest set back, that I sat here with a big bowl of orange sherbet. I walked into the kitchen to eat more but my hubby/coach told me to get out of the kitchen. Telling me that even though I was under my calories I was eating for the wrong reasons. I now know what they mean when they ask are you an emotional eater, guess my answer is YES!

Are you emotional eater?

Below are a few ideas to do when you get upset instead of hitting the fridge:
*Listen to music
*Clean
*Cook healthy foods
*Go for a walk/run
*Write in a journal/blog
*Call a friend

Say what

Some people call it a diet, some call it a lifestyle change. Some may look at a glass half full, some may see it half empty. Everyone looks and says things different. It's all perspective.

To me this is a lifestyle change not a diet. Diet by definition is what we eat. Lifestyle change is not only what we eat but how we act. I know the weight may not pour off, I know I may get discouraged but it will come. The great thing is that my family is changing with me. This is a way of life we will all know for years to come.


"You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be."
- Author David Viscott


I picture myself with a flat belly sporting a really cute bikini.
How do you picture yourself?

Spread the word

For all of you who read my blog daily you know the last couple days I have been pretty down. Last night Stu wanted to go to bed early and read a little. Now I use to read a little everyday but got out of that. Why??? Who knows.....lack of time? or energy? Maybe the fact that every time I got into bed I fell asleep. Well last night I decided with how everything has been going to try to turn it around. I started rereading the book THE SECRET. Forgot how much I liked this book. One of the major things it talks about is you get what you put out there. Basically, I have been moping around and feeling bad for myself. Apparently being very negative, I have gotten negative back. It sucks but it was me causing it, no one else. Well, it's time to change that. I deserve to get what I want. I want a great body, great job and everything else that may come with it. No time better then the present.

Who else thinks they deserve the best? Well let's go get it, TOGETHER :)


"Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it" - William Durant

I get up again

My theme song is Chumbawamba's Tubthumping because of the line "I get knocked down but I get up again you're never going to keep me down......" That's how I constantly feel. I may get knocked down but unless you knock me out, I WILL GET UP AGAIN. This time I'm going to get up and fight harder then before.

Today was a hard day for me. Fifteen years ago today I lost one of my best friends, my mom. My mom like me was overweight and did not take good care of herself. I have had a really tough time going through life without her and that is one of the reasons I AM DETERMINED to make the changes in my life so I am there for my kids when they graduate high school, graduate college, get married, buy their first home..... you get my point.

Today I had been moping around all day and I really did not feel like working out but have no fear....... I DID !!!! My husband/coach made me do it. Now I did not make it through whole workout but doing more then half is better then nothing.

My mom's favorite quote she use to say to me was " If you will it , it is no dream."

Life

Did you ever feel like everything that could go wrong has? Do you feel like all hope is gone? Feel like you don't know who or what to believe in?

Well the last couple weeks this is how I felt. I am having trouble finding a job, I am either over qualified or under qualified. I can't win !!! As most of you know with the market these days the economy sucks. At this point any job :) I am struggling with my weight due to this. I have been depressed because of everything that I have turned to food. Luckily with working out I have not gained to much so far.

When the going gets tough ......... workout!!!!!

Fell off the wagon

Fell off the wagon but I'm not worried I will pick myself up again! Wow was yesterday amazing and tiring all at the same time. A memory my family and I will never forget. As I said my family and I went to the World Series parade in Philly. Between all the walking and holding my kids on my shoulders most of the day I'm sure I got a workout. While holding my son I was getting knocked around so much I had to balance myself without dropping my child. Not easy :) Add to it that I did not sit from about 8:30 am until about 3:00 pm. It was definately a good core workout. Then night time we went to friends to go trick or treating and sleep over. Such a long day!!!

Down at the parade the only thing we could find for breakfast was a bagel and cream cheese. I know not good but like I said I fell off the wagon. Then from 10 am to 5 pm nothing but a bottle of water. Yes, one bottle of water. Then dinner perogies ( 3).

Back on wagon tommorrow watch and see !!!!!!!!!!!!!