I fell off the Wagon

When I say I fell of the wagon, I don't mean I just slipped off and landed on my feet.... I mean while I was twirling around in excitement from my success I lost my footing and did a faceplant in the horse poo and the mud... or rather a pizza and mac and cheese.

I started to tell you the whole story but as I was typing it, it all just sounded like a bunch of excuses. Any thing I could say other than I ate a whole pizza and taco bell in one day and didn't exercise or take my Advocare Vitamins would be an excuse. And I am so ashamed.

I am a compulsive overeater and stress plus the smell of pizzas equals disaster for me... every time... and if anyone has ever lived in a dorm during exam week knows that you can escape either of those things.

But I want to you know that it was not a split second decision to order a pizza  or go pick up taco bell. I struggled with the compulsion to do it for literally days before I gave in. Which in turn increased my stress level. I couldn't focus on anything else... like really, I couldn't remember kids names or the date or anything.

So I gave in.

and I regret it. and I'm finding it hard to get back on the wagon... today I just sat in the mud and looked at the wagon and complained about my swollen ankles and Tried to come up with some plan where this will never happen again...

But... The thing is...

It will happen again. I've just got to figure out how to cut my recovery time  considerably. Its like show choir or Guard auditions... they aren't judging you completely on how perfectly you can perform the given routine.... they need to see how quickly you can recover if something unusual happens, because one day it will.

So what do I want you to take away from this?

1. We ALL fail... and sometimes we wallow in our failures.

2. Tomorrow is a new day with no Mistakes in it yet.

3. Its ok if tomorrow has a mistake... just do what you can to make it better than today. 

So yes I fell off the wagon... but in the morning I'm setting my alarm, eating breakfast, dusting myself off and hopping back up on that wagon.

Thanks for reading today.

Hopefully the next post will be more upbeat!

Chels

24 Day Challenge: HALF WAY UPDATE

I Made It Half Way!

This is further than I got last time. 

Before, I had already gotten frustrated with the pills and and my lack of ability to adhere to the program. I felt really defeated, but today.. as I'm rounding out day 12 I feel really good. 

Even if the scale isn't moving like I'd like it to, I can see the positivity in my face and I can feel the progress when I wear a t-shirt and the sleeves hang lower than normal and I can definitely tell a difference in my stamina as I work out.

I can see and feel a difference in my hands and wrists when using hand sanitizer or putting on bracelets.

I know why the scale isn't moving like I want it to. Its because I am not following the nutrition plan as it states. If I stuck with exactly what It said I'd be dropping the weight like crazy ... but I love cheese (I don't eat it every meal, but its so dang good) and I love ice cream. So I've made the decision to be ok with the rate at which I'm reaching my goal because I'm not avoiding them completely and at the same time reminding myself that those things are treats and not necessary for life.

I also have to keep reminding myself that losing the poundage for good means I need to do it slowly and work for it. If it just fell off without much work then I'd return to old habits quickly and put it right back on.

 So there you have it. A Half Way update. Here are some stats for you.

12 days of 24 day challenge

4 lbs gone

8 of 50 days working out

Wk 2/Day 1 of running plan complete

Until Next Time!

-Chels

I am an Advocare Distributor and I'd love to answer any questions you may have or you can visit my Distributor Page to order products yourself.

24 Day challenge: week 1 update

 First.. This is my 100th Post! Aahh! I couldn't believe it. As a little happy to commemorate this post I want to do a give away. Since I'm saving up for my YWAM adventure it'll have to be handmade by me. So the first person to text me " 100 Posts!!! " will get a painting with a quote of your choice on it! I'm sorry if you don't have my number.... but this way I know I'll be able to hand deliver it rather than having to mail it (like I said broke)... Next give-away will be open to a broader crowd!

You can even have this one!

Ready, Set, Go!

Now on to the update!

This Challenge has gone much better than my last. Probably because it was paid for with my hard earned money and I'm just in a better place in my mental and spiritual  and all around life to be able to commit to a program like Advocare. I'm already down 3 lbs.

The Spark energy drink mix is really helping with my desire to be sedentary. Its like watching tv and scrolling through pinterest are less important so I need to find something else to do. Which is great for my goal of exercising  every day. I've found that I only need one Spark a day, even though the challenge says you can have 2 a day. I can't get to sleep at night if I have two. You've also seen the effects of Spark on this Blog! There's been some changes here in the past week and its from the mental energy Spark provides.

All in all I'm feeling much better in general. I don't feel like sleeping until 10 like I used to (I don't get off duty until 12:30 so its not like I'm sleeping an extreme amount of time.) but I did feel like I was sleeping the day away. Most days I have been up before my alarm clock by an hour and unable to go back to sleep because my body was ready to get started. 3 of the days I've gotten up and been finished with my work out before my alarm clock went off.  I like that!

A Couple of other neat tricks:

My Blender cup and A Quart Mason Jar are my best friends:
The blender cup makes sure the Spark and Fiber Drinks get blended well.
The large mason jar helps me measure my water intake. Each one is 32 oz. and I just need to drink 4 of them a day to be right on track with my water consumption. I keep 2 in the fridge so They are ready to go. I've found that If the water isn't sitting out next to me I will forget to drink it.

I put my blender cup with the right amount of water or juice into the freezer about 30-45 minutes before I need to blend my spark or fiber drink and it helps make it super cold and kinda slushy, which helps immensely when it comes to drinking the fiber drink.

My Advocare distributor Amy suggested mixing the fiber drink with Orange Juice. GREAT IDEA!! This makes it much easier to tolerate. Its just like drinking very pulpy orange juice (which I love) rather than orange flavored mud... haha.. its not that bad.. but I have a texture thing when it comes to food.

So there you go. An update on my 24 Day challenge.
I am an Advocare Distributor and I'd love to answer any questions you may have. or you can visit my Distributor Page to order products yourself.

Thanks for reading! 

-Chels

Meatless Monday: week 1

So as I was scrolling through pinterest I came across this post labeled "Bob's skinny rules" After reading them all of them seemed so doable. a couple include: No Carbs after Lunch, Don't Drink Your Calories, Go to Bed Hungry and several others. 

The one that came to my mind often this weekend of Going Gluten free was to Plan to Make one day Meat Free. I started thinking about it.. and it really is a good idea. Not from a "Protect the Animals" point of view but from the "Eat your Veggies" point of view. 

I mean, think about it. If you can't eat meat , and like me you cant have most breads or pastas, what else is left to eat? Fruits and veggies!! So I'm gonna try it. I know that I can't commit to more than just one day because I really enjoy eating meat.

I've decided for me the best day to do it is Monday. I have to work every Monday, and there are very few times where something comes up and I don't have control of where and what i'm eating. As long as I plan before and have the right foods in the fridge I am confident that it will go well. 

I am hopeful.. I don't know how much it will effect my health but, I know that it will help train myself to make choices that are positive and to abstain from over eating. 

Today I had:

a vanilla yogurt with caramel

Hummus with carrots and rice crackers

Amy's Mexican Casserole

Lots of water

a Pickle
 Amy's bean and cheese burrito

a tomato with salt and pepper

Not too shabby, I usually have coffee as well but my monday was too busy for that this morning!

So there you go.. Meat Free Mondays begin!

- Chelsea lou!

Going G-Free

After having a crazy 5 day long headache last weekend I decided that I needed to do something about it. It had to be what I was eating/not eating that triggered it and wouldn't let it leave. I've had headaches like that when I was in college but I hadn't had one in a LONG Time. I could feel it from the tip of my nose all the way through my shoulders and down to my back, I can feel it now as I am telling you about it. UGH... I was miserable, medicines wouldn't help and I slept all but 8 hours on Saturday (4 to eat thanksgiving lunch and family photos and then 4 to drive back to  and still woke up on Sunday with this nasty headache.

So, I went through my diet last weekend when I was home, and low and behold, almost every meal included some type of flour or wheat product. Knowing that I have a gluten intolerance I immediately knew what needed to be cut out/way down in my diet everyday. Even though the lack of caffeine starts the headaches, if I've had gluten that day it won't simply go away with taking in the caffeine.

Since Gluten is in like EVERYTHING premade I had to do some searching and try some new things. Luckily for me Kroger has a whole section full of foods that are gluten free as well as tags on the price tags that state if a food is gluten free... This is so helpful!

These little meals have been a lifesaver this weekend. They really are delicious and far exceeded my expectations. I've also eaten some gluten free organic yogurt with sugar free caramel sauce, Chicken, Tuna, Guacamole, Hummus, gluten-free rice crackers and lots of carrots for dipping and I don't feel unsatisfied which is a BIG DEAL for this big girl.. I love food.

And guess what.. after 4 days of gluten free eating I feel sooo much better. I have more energy, My fingers aren't swollen all the time and I've lost 5lbs with little effort. I haven't had a headache until today and that was because work started earlier than expected for me this morning so I didn't have time to fire up the keurig before heading out to get the bus.

I wont lie.. its been tough.. especially when student's would have Pizza delivered and it would sit outside my office window or when the waitress delivered those steaming buttered rolls to our table at Logan's. Also when I saw what the cafeteria was serving and I know how yummy that food was.. and it was free but I still had to say NO. but it defintitely has been worth it. 

Now the tough part is figuring out how to keep this up and how I'll do it every day. Like I said.. I LOVE FOOD... and I've just got to work on making the right choices when I am out. I've got to research my options and know what I'm getting before I get to the restaurant so when I see that other yummy thing on the menu it will be easier to say no.

Pray for me as I am on this journey. its gonna be a daily choice and hopefully it will get easier with a little practice. 

Thanks for reading!

Until Next Time!

Chelsea-Lou!

I have a skewed self veiw

I am so tired of being fat. 

And... I am not just eating whatever I want and sitting on my bum all the time either. I am eating pretty healthy small meals and trying to stay under my calorie count, but nothing seems to really work without making me bitter towards it or nauseous just thinking about it (eggs...ugh). 

You see, I have PCOS which is pretty much a hormone disorder that has all kinds of symptoms that are oh so frustrating to the women who have it. I got pretty lucky on some of the symptoms like acne and skin tags that have never been a problem for me. But I do have several of the other symptoms like cysts on my ovaries, super fast hair growth everywhere, insulin resistance and major difficulty losing weight. 

That last one is the most difficult one to live with day in and day out. Mostly because the other symptoms would become less evident if I could lose weight. 

Ugh.. Its just a Vicious cycle where there isn't much hope.

I also have a gluten sensitivity that I'm still trying to figure out and work my way around... but thats another story. 

back to the main topic...

I have a skewed self view... but its not in the typical way. 

Many girls/women OVERESTIMATE their body size, meaning what they see in the mirror is bigger in their minds than in reality, but I'm the opposite. 

I think i'm smaller and thinner than I really am. That girl in the mirror doesn't look half bad and she's not that big, and she's pretty cute. I realized this what not actually the case after seeing some photos from a friend's birthday party... I looked HUGE! I didn't even recognize my body in the photo at first... and I was appalled that that is what I actually looked like. 

This may be a hinderance in my weight loss journey because I feel like I don't have that much to lose when I look in the mirror. That is not the case. I have 100 lbs to get off this body to be in good healthy condition. Some girls would love to have this problem, feeling smaller than they are, but its working against me I think. 

A skewed view is a skewed view no matter which way it is skewed. 

So, I'm gonna work on getting a realistic view of my body and my goals so that I can figure this thing out and get / on my way to a smaller less focused-on-weight me. 

Just needed to share!

Until Next Time

Chels

Weigh-In Week 5

Good Morning My Dear Friends!

Its been one blur of a week, I feel like I was just posting weigh in results from last week!

Well this week I didn't lose any weight but I didn't gain any either. I was sick the last half of the week so I ate comfort foods with bread and crust and noodles, but one amazing thing occurred to me as I look back on my weekend of comfort foods. Although I ate some unhealthy foods I didn't eat nearly as much of them as I would have on a similar weekend in the past. I made a pot of Shells and cheese but ate it for 2 different meals, when in the past I would have split the pot into two bowl fulls, first and seconds at the same meal. I'm learning I don't need nearly as much of anything to survive and be full even with the really tasty bad stuff!

Another thing that is changing is how my t-shirts fit. I don't have to stretch them out with my arms before I pull them over my head to have a nice relaxed fit that doesn't show of my muffin top, which is also shrinking. That is really nice.

There you have it. My weekly weigh-in!

I'll probably post another post this afternoon on something else that occurred to me this weekend!

Love Always,

Chels

P.S. How about them Bulldawgs!?!? They played a great game Saturday night!!
It's always a great day to be a bulldawg!

Weigh In Week 4

Good Morning!!
I'm happy to say that I'm back on track from before the yucky cheat weeks! Yay!
And whats more beautiful, I am starting to feel better, I don't hate getting out of the bed and I actually don't mind taking the stairs. Score and Score!
Here are my stats this week:

Weight Loss this week: 2.1 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 6.6 lbs

Total Loss To-Go: 101.4 lbs

See.. I'm back on track! Yay!

I found this encouraging pin the other day and its really stuck in my head.

 I hope it encourages you in your weight loss journey as much as it has me!

Have a Happy Week! 

Chels

p.s. I am working on a really exciting post that will be up sometime this week! I can't wait to share it with you!

Its been a Great Weekend!

Hey Readers!

As the title states it was a great weekend filled with some fantastic friends from my past, shopping and super yummy food! Yes I went off plan this weekend but only on a couple of things did I really go over board, like that banana pudding concrete from Bops, the China Wok take out for dinner and a Chicken-on-a-stick from that gas station in Raleigh... they were all delicious and I believe worthy splurges. 

I didn't weigh-in today because I didn't stay at the dorm last night and I had to eat breakfast and drink 8oz of water this morning to take my meds I missed last night (oops). So I will weigh in in the morning and let you know first thing! 

I just finished this Quiet Workout I found on pinterest. Its originally from a fitness blog I have been following lately called Back on Pointe. Its definitely quiet but I can't do some of those moves... the :45 plank went down in :15 and the Jackknife crunches looked ridiculous.

 But that doesn't matter.. I did it!

 Go Me!

That means peggy gets fed today after all!

Quiet Workout from Back on Pointe

One thing that I am learning this time around is that I will never be successful on my weight loss journey if I abstain from everything delicious all the time. It has to be a life long commitment to weigh my options and go healthy when I can so later I can splurge on a cheese covered enchilada and not feel guilty. Its also reminding myself that I don't always need a side with my meal. Like that chicken-on-a-stick I mentioned earlier, when I ordered it the girl behind the counter gave me a bewildered look when I told her i didn't want any potato logs to go with it ( I wanted them but I had already made a concession for the battered and fried entree in her hand). 

One thing that I need to work on, and this will probably be a long process, is not eating after I'm full. Every meal that I ate this weekend I can remember the feeling of being full and still having food on my plate so my brain told me to keep eating. Its a learning process. Another reason this has occurred to me lately is I am trying to keep myself to a strict budget so that I can put as much into savings as possible and if I could stop eating when I first feel full I'd have a second meal from each of those that I ate too much at this weekend.

This will be my challenge to myself this week:

 To stop when I feel full and save it for later. 

Hasta la Vista!

Chelsea-lou

Weigh-in Week 3

Alright Guys..
I made a commitment to weigh-in this week even though I knew that I wouldn't like the numbers on the scale this morning.
Here are the stats:

Weight Loss this week: +1 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 4.5 lbs

Total Loss To-Go: 103.5 lbs

Not nearly as bad as I thought it would be but that means that my mani-pedi is that much farther away. :( 

But today I've gotten back on track, its just another day in which I am sticking to my commitment. 

I made a sign to help remind me to stay on track. Here it is:

If its a little busy for your eyes, it says "What you eat in private you wear in public... Think before you open this door." Its on my little fridge in my room so that I have to look at it each time I walk over to just look and see. 

This week will be better. 

I will make this week better.

Thanks for keeping me accountable!

Chelsea-Lou!!

Yuck Yuck Yuck

Last night I was disgusted with myself. 

I had a fell-off-the-wagon-so-I'll-wallow-in-the-mud kind of day yesterday. 

I didn't eat anything until like 1pm and then I couldn't make myself stop. I even rationalized buying a party pizza from wal-mart and ordering in that chinese I've been craving for 2 weeks. Not only did I eat this bad stuff I stuffed myself on good stuff too.. a can of green beans and a can of black beans (at separate times of course). It was bad. Its the worst food day I've had since I was on steroids for my back pain in the spring and at least then I could point to a reason I was eating like a crazy person!

It hit me the hardest when I went to get the cash to pay for my take out. I needed one more dollar than I had on me so I went over to the envelope I have for the $$$ I put in Peggy for my weight loss achievements.
 I was literally stealing from myself.
Exchanging silly excuses of why I needed this food for my reward for abstaining from it. I had to figure out what was going on in my crazy brain of mine. What was the trigger, what set it off this time to the point that every-time I got up from the couch or homework I found myself scouring the fridge for something to put in my mouth. Why couldn't I stop myself?

While I was working the late shift pondering these things while making some rosettes for this fantastic blanket I've embarked on (I'll show you photos when I get it finished, Whenever that might be) I realized that I'm lonely. Not just the I'm-single-and-want-to-be-a-bride lonely, but just in general, in this dorm full of girls I never get a break from either being someone's superior or someone being mine. I've got to find some outlet of peers to meet new people. I love my little friend group but they've really become closer than family and sometimes family doesn't fulfill that social need. They just don't. : ( 

After a long text conversation with my friend J$ I felt super encouraged with a better outlook on this whole thing and a game plan to do some more socializing and not just being around tons of people. 

I just needed to be accountable to all you out there because I definitely double bagged that Pizza and put in under by bag so that the Kids on the bus couldn't see it as easily. Also I have to be accountable to myself for the damage I've done. I know that scale isn't going to show me what I want to see in the morning, but if I skip weigh in it will start a slippery slope that I've been down before. and I can't let myself go there this time. 

I can't.

So there you have it. 

Until tomorrow's ominous weigh in.

Chelsea

Update!!

So.. I've been a bad South Beach Follower this week. 

Well really just Wednesday... I kinda threw it all out the window when I went to Jackson for a Dr.'s Appt. My family went to eat at Keifer's, this delicious greek place right off State Street, and I had their cottage fries and feta sauce with very little guilt. But the surprising thing was that I only had 2 slices.. in the past, I could have/would have eaten an entire order of those lovely things all on my own.. But I didn't!

 YAY for Change!!

Then I had a couple of cokes and (hiding my face) Taco Bell for dinner. That meal I am ashamed of. 

But the important thing is that yesterday morning I just got up and started back on track, because Wednesday was just another day and I'll have more of those days where indulging in those old foods will happen. This is a new attitude for me in my weight loss journey, and its a hard one to keep. I want to badly to say, "Oh well, I failed this week so I'll just eat whatever this weekend and start back on Monday." WRONG!!! I have to wake up EACH morning and choose to commit to this thing. "Tomorrow is a new day with no Mistakes in it yet" is what a poster that I have framed in my bathroom states. 

I have to remind myself and fight so that tomorrow will be a good day and even the next meal will be a good meal.

This afternoon I'll post a recipe I made yesterday for our Bible Study/ Grey's night.

 Low-Carb No-Bake Cheesecake!! Yum!!

Talk to you this afternoon!!

Chelsea-Lou

Weigh in Week 2

Well this weekend I cheated... like a little bit from Thursday night bible study pizza and chocolate cake through Sunday night subway run after church, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it because I knew this particular weekend would be extremely difficult to stay away from sugar completely.  You see, there was this thing called a MSU football game and then a very cool wedding shower where everything had sugar except the rotel. I just made a deal with myself on Thursday night that it would be ok for me to enjoy the foods at these events as long as I ate well during the rest of the day and get back on the horse bright and early Monday morning. Here's the weigh in stats:

Weight Loss this week: +.5 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 5.5 lbs

Total Loss To-Go: 102.5 lbs

So there is your update this week.

Have a great one!!

Chelsea-Lou 

weak day today

Today I struggled, probably because I didn't eat anything until 11 am and then again at 4:30pm.

Actually It was just more of an internal struggle today. I stayed on track food wise today and did an hour of Yoga with our Yoga Club here at the school but I've stared at the China Royal Menu on the fridge for a good 45 minutes this afternoon, going over all the pros and cons of just ordering it and giving in. But I didn't so Its a Win!

Just needed to share because I want all you looking for inspiration out there that everyday won't be easy, actually most wont. But like my dear friend told me this afternoon when I needed some encouragement ... ITS NOT WORTH IT!!...

I've been saying this quote we saw on pinterest earlier today in my head this afternoon:
"Don't give up what you really want for what you want right now"

Don't give up. Its worth it to keep on track even if you can taste the coconut chicken and fried rice on your tongue.

Until next time!
Chels

BAMM!!

Its weigh in day! 

I hope every weigh in day feels this exciting!! 

I have lost 6lbs this week. 

Wooo Hooo!! 

Thank you God!

I did a 2 minute silly happy dance when I got off the scale, I'm glad no one could see it because I looked ridiculous.  

Also another thing I'm celebrating today is the fact that I went a whole weekend without cheating even once, which really is a first for me! Its only by the grace of God that I was able to do it... Half the girls in the dorm performed at the opening of Krispy Kreme in town and received 2 boxes of doughnuts for free and wanted to give them away. I was able to say No thank you with no problems! 

Now I have something to show you. 

This is my inspiration wall. I got the idea from Pinterest and will adapt it to my life accordingly. Its a visual reminder everyday of my goal and how far i've come and milestones to look forward to. I'll be adding things to it as I go along and I'll share it with you from time to time as I weigh in and reach goals.

This is what I promised to show you yesterday, These are the next 3 goals to meet with their predetermined rewards. A mani-pedi at 10lbs (I'm almost there!), a haircut at 15lbs down and to schedule the massage that I won at a silent auction for half price at 20lbs. Once I reach one goal, I'll set the next. I know I'm gonna really stick to it this week because these nails of mine need some loving!

Thanks for reading!

Until Next Time!

Chelsea-lou

Meet Peggy

 

Meet Peggy. 

She is a piggy bank.

She will be holding $1 for each pound I lose as well as $1 for each workout I complete.

When I reach a certain goal already predetermined by myself I shall empty her contents and go shopping and buy something FANTASTIC which has not been predetermined. 

So I really love shopping and what I've learned from the various weightloss plans I've been on in the past is that you need to reward yourself when you reach a goal. My problem was that in the past I rewarded my weight loss with food. Oh yeah, how counterproductive right?! but in my mind it made sense.
I would leave the weight watchers weigh in and go straight over to China Wok and fill up a to go plate for $5.83. (You can tell how often it happened that I can still remember how much that meal was)

Now I've realized I have to set up my rewards before I reach them or I'll very easily slip into "Oh I lost 5 lbs this week, I deserve an order of Sloppy Fries for all my hard work" mind set.

Tomorrow after weigh in I'll show you some more of my Goals and the predetermined rewards!

Happy Sunday!

Chelsea

Breakfast a la Turkey Bacon

One thing I can have on the South Beach plan is EGGS. 

I practically survived on them last time I did this plan and kind of haven't eaten them much since. I guess I got kind of burned out on them, but none the less its really hard to do South Beach passing up the eggs.

As you know I live in a dorm so I have little stove access so I had to think/find a way to cook this staple food in my room and safely. 

Well did you know that you can cook eggs in the microwave? yeah, I can see the confused and disgusted look on your face. You can! and mine were pretty good. I shall tell you how I made them.

* I looked up about 5 ways to make them and combined the best tips into one easy to follow recipe *

Don't they look yummy!!

Eggs in the Microwave

You Need: 

Microwaveable Bowl   

2-3 eggs  

I can't believe its not butter spray

1 tbsp water        

seasonings of your choice (I used Tony's)

1. Mix all of the ingredients in the bowl, stirring well. 

**The water keeps the eggs moist so they don't over cook and get chewy. **

2. Microwave eggs for 30 seconds. 

3. Stir

4. Repeat until cooked fully. 

You know what runny eggs feels like so make sure you have cooked your eggs all the way so that your tummy doesn't get any bugs. 

*You may also add cheese to your mix if you'd like, mix it in before you begin cooking your eggs. 

Now cook yourself up some turkey bacon (follow directions on pack) and have yourself a great South Beach approved meal. Yumm.

Happy Bacon Eating!!

Chelsea-Lou

p.s. Bacon is my favorite just in case you didn't know

Craving.. Rice Crispies???

So I've been doing good this week sticking to the plan with only a few special occasion cheats, you know for the concert and my parents surprised me last night with dinner at The Grill at Jackson Square, and even then my only cheat was a Coca-Cola so I say its been a successful week. We shall see come weigh-in day on Monday morning. 

This morning while scrolling through Pinterest I saw this delicious looking snack and it just sent a craving through my body that seems unusual to me. It was "breakfast sushi" - a banana, covered in peanut butter covered in rice crispies. O M G. To me this morning this little snack sounds like heaven, and as healthy as it is, its not phase one South Beach approved.  : ( sad day in ChelseaWorld.

(I just though I'd let you all know that rice crispies with banana chopped up in them is my all time favorite cereal in the world. Its my childhood. and that's all I can say before I start tearing up!)

But there is good news. In a couple of weeks when this phase is over this will be a great little snack, with good sugars, protein and a little crunch that I'm so missing without the carbs.

Now I want to share a Goal of mine with you. 

You see... I have this nice Northface 3-in-1 Rain/Ski Jacket that My sweet mommy bought for me when I started at STATE. Well.. I can wear it now, but without the fleece liner and only when in standing position does it zip and look flattering. So you see my dilemma. 

before photo. it doesn't look bad just not as comfortable as i'd like. (sorry about the crazy face. mirror pics are tricky.)

My Goal is by the winter to be able to put in the Liner and zip that baby up and have a seat and look like a darling little snow bunny rather than a stuffed pork chop. 

There you have it. My thoughts this early morning post 6:30am Fire Alarm and Office Duty from 8:30-1:30.

Maybe I'll post some recipes this afternoon!! You just have to come back and see!

Until then, 

Chels

Fave Find ... MIO !

Well just as I hit send assuring y'all this was going to be  a successful go at getting fit and plugged in my computer, the craving to eat hit me... typical for me.  

So I decided I'd publish my first tip for you guys. 

Here it is:

That is MIO, Blueberry Lemonade Flavor. It is a liquid water flavor enhancer. All you do is just squirt as much or as little as you'd like in your water to give it a kick. You can take this with you anywhere you go so its always with you when you have just had it with a plain water with lemon but you're trying to stay away from sodas.

You can get it at any Walmart or grocery store and I know Kroger even has its own brand of this cool little product. I haven't tried the other flavors but probably will in the future.  

Happy Sipping!

Chels

Day One... A Success!

Like the title says, day one of my getting back on track was a success! I usually do really great on day one so its not that big of a deal but its ok to celebrate the little things!

I will be posting later this week on my specific goals and plans to reach them so get excited!

One important part of this journey that I want to share with you today is that I have to give this to God, every time, all the time. While still laying in the bed this morning I committed this day and my eating habits today to Him. I can't do this without Him, and I know that!

Back in 2010 when we got serious about losing weight for all the weddings in our apartment it was all Him (My weight  dropped 30 lbs in 2 months). We started off the South Beach program with a fast and each time we felt hungry, we reminded ourselves and each other that "My God is greater than my Hunger." This is a statement that I will need to repeat over and over to myself through this journey. I'll probably paint it on something and put it near my microwave/fridge in the dorm just to remind myself when I'm being tempted!

Until Next Time!
Chels

PS....
Pray for me today. I've got to take my permit test for driving a school bus and I'm not as prepared as my dad says I should be so I'm nervous. Thanks!