This is so true. I'm a pretty optimistic person normally but when I really started to think about food in a holistic way, things changed. I learned what foods made me feel good, or frumpy and down right tired. Its take more than one meal but try eating clean eating for 3 days and see how your mood shifts. Do it for a week and notice your energy lift. Do it for a month and see physical changes in your hair, face, and skin (and you might lose a clothing size too.). Try it for a life time and NO ONE can kick you to the curb!

I love shoes, no doubt about it.  In my 40's I finally feel comfortable enough to wear high heel sexy shoes. I think it's time for some "Shoe Porn ". Some pretty pink ones to go with that Easter Dress. Happy Easter everyone.

Here's your sign

CLASSIC!

Biggest Loser

Seeing myself with Gerard Butler and having my  fan picture go global I had to take the weight off. I used that experience as a motivator. I was back to journaling all my food, and activity. I walked every day dreaming about meeting Gerard Butler again.  One evening in 2010 I was flipping channels trying to ward of the evening cravings and I caught an episode of the Biggest Loser. I used to watch this show all the time and loved it. How hard the exercised, how they had meal plans to follow but the last few years was more about the drama. Who hates who, all the crying and how mean Jillian is. It was less about the food and exercise plan. I sat through the show anyway and at the end, they had a blurb about tryouts for Season 11 in Canton Michigan. Do you qualify? I thought for a second, what if? I have always dreamed what if I had the opportunity? I was getting excited and I called my brother, who is a real large guy as well. I asked him if he would like to join me. They were looking for families this season. All my family struggles with weight issues why not try this.
The first words out of my brothers mouth were HELL NO! He's a truck driver and works hard at his job and was not about to doing something crazy like this. I pleaded with him to try out with me, I called my mother in hopes that she could talk him into it. NO luck, I was on my own

I downloaded the application  for the Biggest Loser Season 11 and started to plot out my plan. The applications was over 11 pages. They wanted a lot of detail and it was quite time consuming to fill out. I was at home and I had no one to take my picture. I had my 7 year old son stand on a chair and take my picture. After multple pictures I found one that was worthy.

This picture is very hard for me to post, as it is not very flattering and it reminds me of how sad I was. You can tell by the look on my face that I wasn't very happy but they wanted the facts and I was going to give them the facts. Canton, was only about an hour away, I could make the trek and be home by dinner. I set my alarm for 4 am. The website said auditions were at 8 am. I packed a light lunch, a blanket, umbrella, coffee and a chair. The forecast was for rain that day, but at least it wasn't cold.
I was nervous and excited all at the same time. I packed the car and headed out by 5 am. No traffic, just me the radio and darkness. I had on cropped pants, flip flops and a long flowing earthy colored shirt. I wanted to look nice but needed to be comfortable too.
I got to the location and not many cars yet, that was good news. It was being hosted in a furniture store interestingly enough. I wonder how lazy boys were sold that day.
Mostly women lined up on the sidewalk running down the side of the building. I left my coffee cup behind as I wouldn't be able to take a bathroom break or I would lose my place in line. I grabbed my picnic chair, blanket, umbrella my sandwich and headed to the back of the line. Only about 30 people so far. I made my way to the end saying hello and smiling as I passed by people. It was very quiet, no one said hello back. I thought to myself this is going to be a long day if I can't talk to anyone.

Daylight broke and the misty rain stopped, hopefully the sunshine would lighten up the mood. People watching is always interesting. I saw people bring in bags and bags of fast food and coffee to their friends waiting in line. Some had big coolers of food and big thermoses of drink others had food delivered..I saw a lot of junk food and big gulps as I sat quietly and ate my apple.

The line started moving so we all gathered up our stuff and walked slowly in the front of the building. When we got inside the furniture store you could see all the lines wind around like we were waiting for a roller coaster. People passed each other in opposite directions and small chatter was beginning to start. Most of the comments were light, just conversation about the cool lamp or coffee table but it was at least talking. I was passing a very large women when she turned and looked at me and said in a rather loud tone "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE? YOU'R NOT FAT!" I almost tripped and fell on a lamp shade as that comment hit me. I looked at her completely confused. I wasn't mad but more surprised and upset to hear something like that. I'm in line with a bunch of fat people and I'm getting yelled at for not being fat enough? Oh God, I need to get past this lady before she yells at me some more. Luckily, I didn't see her again as I approached the front. One of the workers for the Biggest Loser spoke up and said they are calling people in groups of 7, when you number is called go the right or left and follow the signs. My number was 5.
Me and my group of 7 waited in a hallway for about 15 minutes and then a door opened. A really  pretty girl with a name tag on smiled and waved us into a room. We all sat around a banquet table and folding chairs waiting for instructions. We were told we each had 5 minutes to share our story. One by one we each spoke as to why we though we should be chosen. We handed in our filled out application and photos and  then were escorted out the back door.
I got out to my car and thought, what just happened. All that uncomfortable waiting for half the day, being verbally yelled and it was over in 5 minutes? Needless to say I was not contacted. Congratulations to those that were.

September of 2010 my weight was 255. It was going the wrong way and it was driving me crazy. I write down all my food, I eat healthy  I exercise, what is my problem.

I went to my doctor in search of some explanation as to why everything I was doing wasn't working. My doctor is a little old man about 5 foot tall with larger than usual ears. My husband called him Yoda, but never to his face. He was such a great guy he would say nice things like you're beautiful,you have such a wonderful personalty, Look at the bright side, you have your health. Always trying to make light of my situation. We talked about options and what I can try. We decided on a diet pill. Thinking OK, maybe I was just eating to much. I'm not much for pulls but I was willing to try anything. I took the diet pills as instructed and I don't think I slept for a week. It was weird how it worked, I wasn't jittery or anything just awake all the time. I continued to record my food, exercise and keep my journal. I did this for them for over 6 months and by March my weight climbed to 262.I turned into a total basket case.

One of my friends that has dealt with yo yo dieting much like myself had decided to do the lap-band. She was and is very successful with it and seemed happy enough so I though that I would look into it. Tom and I went back in forth about how I thought I needed it and how he thought I was totally crazy,  In the end he went for it, anything to make me happy he says. So I called my insurance company to see if  I could get any help because it was expensive and no way would I be able to afford this on my salary.
For insurance to cover a procedure like this I needed to have high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease. My heath is excellent and didn't qualify for any thing. It was the end of world for me at that moment.  I sat in my car crying uncontrollably, thinking I had lost all hope (as I have done so often after each failure) I called Tom and he had to talk me down as I was so shook up after yet another feeling of failure. I couldn't drive home. It was time to go home and regroup.

In the end I really didn't want to do anything that invasive but I was at the point where I was not looking at my health anymore, I just wanted the weight to come off.. On to another plan.

My version of Skittles.

Karma

I went to Boot camp last week before my business trip and when I walked in and looked around, I immediately though what have I gotten myself into. Emeka had tires, weights, rope ladders and a log crawl. Not quite sure what he had in mind but it looked like it was going to be either fun or completely miserable. I have been going to his class for almost 6 months and every single day each class is completely different. No two classes are the same.

That's why I like it so much, you never know what you going to have to do and you never know if are going to have to crawl out the door because your legs are so tired.

When I was heavier no way would I do this class.  My biggest fear was not being able to keep up and having people look at me and make me feel like I didn't belong. I was one of those people that thought I need to lose weight before I exercise in a group setting. Over the last 6 months in class I have watched people come and go. All different sizes, shapes and stories and in those 6 months it was great to see transformations and how positive people became  We welcomed everyone when they walked in the door, we made fun of each other, pushed each other and congratulated each other. Its a big step to venture out of your comfort zone and put yourself at the mercy of someone else. I look back now and wish I had had the courage and strength sooner to step out and just do it like so many people are now. It would have made the journey more enjoyable with others to share my pain.

Rooting each other on and helping someone get through tough time gives you a sense of accomplishment and it makes you feel good about yourself.
One of the most valuable lessons that I've learned during my weight loss transformation is that life is to short to be uptight and angry. I'm more confident in who I am, I feel good both physically and mentally and I believe in karma.

This wooden board is in the woman's restroom at boot camp and I read it at every class.
 Be fabulous everyone!

I am a HUGE fan of Gerard Butler like every other women in the world and have always dreamed of meeting him one day.  I followed a twitter feed about movies being made in Michigan and Gerard Butler was filming a movie called Machine Gun Preacher. I highly recommend it, great movie. It was being shot in parts of Detroit and I had the day off, what the heck it was only a couple hours away I could jump in the car and go. I asked my husband to take me to Detroit in search of my hunky actor.  July 26th, 2010 we headed to Detroit with only a possible sight location from a tweet that I received  The filming wasn't in the best parts of town and we were a bit hesitant of getting out of the car to ask for directions. What am I suppose to ask? Excuse me, have you seen Gerard Butler? We drove around for a couple hours and were on the verge of giving up when we drove by what seemed to be an old abandoned trailer park. Out of the corner of  my eye I saw big lights, tents and a lot of people. I screamed stop stop stop, I found him. I was bouncing in my seat like a little kid and I just wanted to jump out of the car and make run for it. Forget parking I was ready to jump and roll. I could hardly contain myself as we looked for a parking spot. Surprisingly, not a lot of fans were around and we could see some filming going on in the distance. Security all around to make sure that we didn't get to close.

I could see him but we were quite a ways away from the filming. We waited for a couple hours for him to take a break or at least have lunch soon. We were right, it was lunch time we saw the set people starting to break up. Gerard was starting to walk towards us with other members of the film crew, I could feel my heart race. He started from left to right shaking hands and as he got closer to I felt like I was going to die.I could hear his Scottish accent as he walked and talked. I have been a loved the Scottish accent. I grew up watching Sean Connery and the 007 movies. Love that man! When Gerard was just a few people away from me I heard a crew member say it was time for him to go. My heart sank, no way could he go without shaking my hand or something. I must have looked like someone had just taken away my puppy.

As Gerard was turning away my husband jumped up out of the crowd and said pretty loudly "hey, I just drove two hours for my wife to meet him, can't we at least get a quick picture of the two of them?" Gerard had his back to us and turned around with a smile and said "OK". We came directly over to me and I jump up and put both my arms all the way around the man. I couldn't speak. I had my arms completely wrapped around him. I was in heaven and I did not want to let go I was so excited. All the way home I was smiling and I couldn't believe that I actually met Gerard Butler.

Its turns out at I was the only one out of all the fans that actually got a picture with Gerard. And, the story was picked up by his oversees fan club as the women who drove two hours to see Gerard Butler. WOW!

It was all so exciting that all my friends an family got pretty tired of me talking about it I'm sure. I Cherish this picture and now when I look at it this I wish I could have the chance to meet him again. I want an updated picture with the brand new me. Maybe next time I won't be afraid to speak.

Anyone for Kale?

Here is one of my favorite drinks to make. Its' easy to make and quite refreshing.

Handful of kale  (not the stalk)
1 apple cut and cored (any kind)
1/3 cup blue berries
1/3 cup black berries
1/2 peeled cucumber
2 stalks of Celery ( try to get some of the stringy stuff off)
1/3 cup of strawberries
3 springs of fresh Mint
Juice from one lemon
2 tablespoons of Stevia powdered
and water. Blend up and enjoy.

Scrap Booking and Eating are a Dangerous Combination

When I took the BodyBugg off  it was like I put my life on hold. My weight started to creep up to 250 and plus. 2009 was just not my year, bagged it. 2010 will be better right? My husband turned me on to scrap booking with a starter kit that I got for Christmas. He knew I was down on myself and he thought it give me something to do beside moping around the house bitching and complaining about my weight.

All winter I scrapped booked, bought lots of stuff to master the craft. I found reasons to shop for the crafty items, cool bags and storage containers. I even started making holiday and birthday cards from scratch to send out to family and friends  Everyone loved them or said they did as they were original  I have to admit I was getting pretty good at the craft and have several books to show off. (Which are now stored and dusty) I went to a couple scrap booking party's and chit chatted with other mothers. Now, I don't want to offend any scrap bookers out there but its a free for all on eating when you do this hobby. I would unload my supplies and wheel everything into a school library or community center to set up. There was always a fee with these groups to help pay for the facility and food. Over flowing choices of high fat foods, high salt snack mix and desserts.  I remember one time we had chicken enchiladas and all the fixings. You can literally eat all day and  have no idea of what you are putting into you mouth. I would put on my elastic waist band pants and be gone all day eating and gluing pictures.

My weight really started to climb for a variety of reasons. I stopped exercising, I had a sit down hobby. I still didn't  eat fast food, soda or fried foods but I did eat and my will power was low and it was nothing to eat a box of crackers while scrap booking. By March I was 260lbs.

Summer of 2010 I'm sitting in my dream car. Big Black Camaro. But, no room for a car seat, and I was not feeling very sexy to drive it. You want to feel good if you are going to show off in a sports car and at that time I was in hiding as much a possible.

I felt like I had given up on life and stayed home more and more. I wouldn't go out with friends because I wasn't comfortable in my own skin. I stayed home with my family and my garden. 

July 15th 2010, was a turning point in my life.For some stupid reason I weighted myself at 10:00 pm and I was 262 lb. I think I cried myself to sleep. I found a small notebook and I started recording all actives for the day including my beginning measurements and food.  I strapped on a NEW BodyBugg  renewed my membership and I was back at it determined to make a difference. Don't ask me why but I bought the new improved smaller black version of the BodyBugg. Yes, I could have used the old one but I wanted to new one to go with my new life. Only money right?

Here were my measurements:

Hips: 54"

Thighs: 29.5" 

Bust: 49" 

Belly: 51"

Biceps: 15"

I figured if some accountability and writing everything down helped I was going to do it.  I also started an online source to help keep track of my food intake. I used FatSecret it had colorful charts, graphs and a buddy system, it was really user friendly.

Every day I recorded my food, exercise and weight. I sometimes wrote down my moods or if it was a crappy day. It was all recorded in sloppy writing and barely legible but it was working and I so needed it to work. I exercised every day, mostly walking to start as my back was in bad shape. By July 22nd I lost 2 lbs. I was on a roll. WooHoo {Yea, sarcasm}

Below is an example of what my journal looked it. I have many stories to share while using this journal.

July 15th, 2010 Journal

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Learn to love an apple.

Over the last couple of years I have really learned to love apples They have been instrumental in my weighloss success. They are crisp, crunchy, sweet and filling when you are looking for a quick bite. They are so versatile and and can be added to anything. Learn to love and apple..

 I have learned over the last 2 years the kitchen by far is more important than the Gym. Just sayin.!!!

Don't Get Sick in My New Car!

Has anyone here every used a BodyBugg? I was still on the search for motivation and the BodyBugg looked cutting edge.  I know there are no magic pills to lose weight but, I did know that I was not comfortable in my own skin and the person that I saw in the mirror was not the person in my head.
I talked Tom into joining yet another gym.  A new one was being built just down the road I thought maybe a new gym would be new motivation. We got to know the trainers and managers pretty good and we were able to get some perks so we signed up.  I hated the thought of paying someone to tell me how to exercise when I have been doing it for years but I was willing to try anything. 

Before the BodyBugg was popular on the Biggest Loser I bought one in 2009 and it certainly wasn't cheap. I had the big fatty white one and it took up most of my arm. I would wear it all day and it would stick out under my sweaters or jackets.  It looked like I had a growth. People would stare at it and it was just a matter of time for someone to ask. Some thought it was a heart monitor, or blood pressure device. I was even asked if it was a tether! I decided to have some fun with it so I told people that if I passed out just hit the button and it would wake me up or, I would say that its my beam me up device.  But, over all, it was pretty cool how it worked by keeping track of calories burned. It had all kinds of bells and whistles, on line food database and a matching watch. I was dedicated to making this work, I spent so much money on it I had to justify it. The trainer that I worked with put me on a diet of pasta, broccoli and chicken.  He wanted to get an idea of why I wasn't losing weight so he had me eating same thing over and over. It was exciting to watch the BodyBugg work in tune with my body and I was eager to exercise to see it add up the calories. I started walking  my dog and I could actually feel myself getting motivated with the watch telling me how many steps I took, in what time frame and how many calories I'd burned. Then I would jog to burn more and watch the burn go up.  I didn't really care for the diet but I went along as it seemed to be working. I was doing good and I lost 12 lbs in 3 months but I was really getting sick of broccoli and pasta every single day. After I lost 12 lbs my weight stalled out. The trainer suggested to do highly intense bursts of running or stair-master during my hour long cardio sessions to shake things ups. I hated the fact that I had to work out harder within my hour but what was I suppose to do? I followed the program faithfully. I watched my burn and made sure it was more than my intake but the weight stopped coming off.  I was was losing my mind and motivation as a year had passed. I only lost 12 pounds? Really?

My weight hovered between 230 when it stalled. After my subscription expired I decided that I'd had enough. It was a very expensive 12 lbs to lose and a nice dent in my arm from the Velcro band.  I put the BodyBugg away in my 'yet another failed' folder.

I was a regular at my doctors office because of  chronic back pain, and the added weight was really getting me. I went through months of talking to specialists about options. No way was I getting my spine fused so I looked into pain management.  I have two lower discs that were badly damaged from an car accident when I was a kid and its been something that I have had to deal with my whole life. The added weight was really making it difficult to do daily routines let alone exercise.

I have a funny story about getting the pain shots. Not that the shots are funny but the car ride home was priceless. My doctor suggested pain shots directly into my lower back. I would do a series of 3 shots and see what happens. It was an outpatient procedure but I would have to use anesthesia and needed someone to take me home. My wonderful mother-in-law drove up to help me because Tom had to work and get the kids after school. Everything went fine and I was in recovery in no time. 

You know the big plastic bags that they give you to put your clothes in when you check in to a hospital? I had to do this and I told Sharron (Mom in law) that I wanted to keep the bag as it was heavy duty. I got dressed after the procedure and I had my bag in tow. She put me in her brand new car of only 100 miles and simply said "Don't get sick in my new car". I felt OK and thought not a problem. The car started to move and that was all she wrote. I started  feeling light headed and sick to my stomach. She asked if I was okay and I said NO, OH MY GOD I'M GONNA PUKE. All I can say is thank gosh I decided to take that plastic bag home as I stuck my head in it. You can guess the rest. Luckily I had the bag and no accidents. I looked at Sharron thinking oh no, she is going to kill me and she started laughing.We still talk about it to this day. 

Let There Be Cake

I watched Dr Oz like the rest of the world last week and he had on Dr.Joel Fuhrman. I have read all of his books and with a few exceptions adopted the program, I totally agree with the healthy eating lifestyle to live better physically and mentally. I'm always looking for good food recipes to make that are one, not to hard to make and two, actually good.  Today, I decided to make his Never Get Sick Chocolate Cake.
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-joel-fuhrmans-never-get-sick-chocolate-cake

It was not easy but more intermediate to make and I blew up the kitchen with the food processor, blender and beets. It looked like a scene from Dexter, when I got to the beets. The texture is more like a brownie than a cake, it was a bit on the heavy side. Dylan loved it as he likes most food and Vince well, I was happy to see even try it. I'm hooked, it's good. Heck, more for me if they don't like it.

Still loving my Sundays in the kitchen. I get the fridge ready for the week's lunches and dinners. I slice and dice my way to the rest of the week feeling good about what I'm feeding my family and it's easier for when I have to work late. Tom can reach in and find something quick. Plus, it's harder for him to say he can't find anything to eat or say he doesn't have time. (method to my madness). It doesn't look like it here but we are a meat eating family. I cook chicken, taco meat or maybe a meatloaf to go along with all the vegetables. If it were up to my boys we would have bacon every day.  Today, while prepping my vegetable madness I made a 30 min dinner dish out of a Rachael Ray magazine. Spaghetti Carbonara with Asparagus & Chicken Sausage . She was right on for 30 minutes which afforded me the time to do the almost not really chocolate cake.                                                                              

Along with the cake, I made my weekly kale drinks for my morning snacks. Tom won't have anything to do with them but I love it. He says it's a texture thing and he's right, they are a bit gritty but I have a lot of floss. The great part is you can pretty much blend up anything and it turns out fine but, there are some tips along the way that you pick up  when blending fruits and veggies.  I recommend not using fruits with lots seeds like black berries or you will be spitting them. My favorites are Kale, Cucumber, Apple, Mint, Lemon juice, Celery, Blueberries water and Stevia. It may not the be the prettiness thing but it packs a wallop and keeps me from munching before lunch. I have a busy job and sometimes I miss my snack so having a power packed kale drink really hits the spot and holds me over until my next meal.  

   

   

                         

Getting My Red On!!

It was hair day today, Woo hoo. I look forward to hair day. My stylist is really my shrink that happens to know exactly how I want my hair. She knows more about me than most and is non judgmental.  We clown around and we always seem to learn new things from each other. Everyone needs a hair, mani pedi, or a whatever day to unwind and just relax and forget about our busy lives even it its only for an hour. Highly Recommend

Something to think about when you're at the salad bar.

Don't cry over spilled milk

When you're a new mom, not much else matters but the new baby. I was very fortunate that I could take four months off from work to stay home with my little bundle of joy. That meant I lived in Pajamas and sweatpants every day. Good thing Yoga pants weren't in yet? My little bundle was an eater. I would breast feed for a whole two hour movie and then he would still want a bottle.  The turning  point for me in breast feeding was when I spilled the milk I had just pumped all over the counter. I was getting ready to label and freeze it and when I bumped it and over it went. I fell on the counter face down bawling NO NO NO! Talk about crying over spilled milk. I only made it 5 weeks with breast feeding.

My husband made sure that I had everything I needed before he headed off to work for the day. TV remote and food. My favorite snack was peanut M &M’s and since we had a membership to Sam's we bought big bags.  I remember sitting in the lazy boy in my animal print pjs with my matching son watching TV. He would eat and I would eat M&M’s. I couldn't help but think that if I ate enough M &M's would my milk taste like it?

 

The realization that I was getting heavy did not set in until I had to put real clothes to go back to work. I honestly thought that I would be able to walk into my closet and put on my stuff. No problem, right? Wrong! I panicked as I was pulling clothes out trying them on and flinging them on the bed in disgust. Nothing fit, I was beside myself. No one told me that I wouldn't be able to fit in my clothes.  What was I going to do, what was I going to wear? I couldn't squeeze into anything. I had to go back to work in a week and I felt like a slob. Was I going to have to wear a bed sheet? My poor husband saw how upset I was and calmed me down and assured me that it was only temporary. He handed me a hundred bucks and said go shopping. He knew better than to go with me as I was an emotional wreck. I said to myself over and over Tom is right it's only temporary so I will buy cheap clothes. I went from size 14 to a size 20 and I weighed about 250. Devastation was setting in. I went to a local cheap clothing store and found some things I could wear, crying through the whole process of nothing but brown and black.  It was the worst shopping experience ever. I felt like a middle aged women with no hope. I bet I scared other shoppers as I rummaged through clothes mumbling to myself wiping my eyes. 

All my hard work was gone, my body was gone. I was not mentally ready to do anything but feel sorry for myself. I was so angry for letting my body go and for being to stupid not to realize it. 

About a year had passed and I was still not able to lose any weight. I was trying to eat the way I did when I was in shape but I was eating food that my little toddler would leave behind and I was cheating.  I remember his first birthday I could feel getting myself getting upset as I cut his first ever cake. I knew that would not be able to enjoy a piece of cake of it with my son. We have family for a little party and I passed off the tears as tears of joy. I don't think I was fooling anyone.

I cried easily all the time and I would get down on myself. I hurt every day from my back to knees to ankles. How was I suppose to work out when I hurt so bad. My job was started at 5:30 in the morning and now I had a new baby to care for plus my step son needed a mom. How am I suppose to do what I did in the past? Everything I knew was gone and I couldn't find myself. 

From 2004 to 2005 My weight held around 240. It took me a year to lose 6 lb's. Holy hell, what was I going to do? Tom and I joined a local gym just down the street from the house figuring that I would just have to work out harder. We walked in, I put my sleeping baby in his carrier on the desk and Tom bought a membership. For the life of my I tried to workout but my weight just would not budge I was in pain and I was angry. I quit the gym. 

In 2007 I saw an ad for a weight-loss place on TV. I thought OK maybe I have an eating problem and they can help me figure out what to do. After forking over money for powdered food that was suppose to be real food. I thought can I do this? I followed their charts, journal my food, I did the weigh in's and I bought what they told me I needed to buy. Nothing was working and I didn't lose any weight, I would have some serious conversations about nutrition and did you know that they don't have to be certified to "give you nutritional advice?" What a joke, I knew more than these people and they did not like to be challenged. I guess if you put on a white coat you can do what ever you want. Oh, by the way, the food tasted like crap. Money wasted again. Next adventure to come. I'm not at my highest weight yet.

  

Knowledge is power

I would like to have a small section dedicated to really cool nutrition facts. It will cover nutrition and healthy practices I have adopted along my journey. These techniques have worked well for my motivation or just interesting and helpful. Sound like a good Idea? Once you get that body you want, you gotta keep it .

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

Train like a Warrior- Just don't eat like one.

I got to Fit Body Boot Camp tonight and Emeka says We are going to do 60 minutes tonight instead of 30. You have 12 seconds to call some to pick up your child. I may need a Motrin when I get home But this 46 year old was beside a gal that was in her 20's and I wiped the floor with her.

I want talk about my family a little.We are a close family and my husband is my best friend. I have 2 boys, Dylan 19 and  Vincent 9, 2- dogs, Dexter and Sally, 2- cats, Binti and Pickles and 1- husband Tom. I don't have pictures of my cats, they're shy. My family has stuck it out with me through thick and thin, eat this not that.
It was funny the other night I showed Vincent the picture of me and Bear and he said that person  kinda looked like me in the face and hair but it wasn't me. I said why not? He was afraid to answer so I said is it because lady in this picture is bigger? He said  yeah but he did not want

to say the word. What a great kid.

I have done some pretty weird things on my roller coaster ride of weight loss with many different diets, strange foods, and exercise rampages, which I will get to in due time. They have endured it all with me and put up with all my stupid notions

Before I get to all this bliss that I have now I will back up to when I was first married being a newly wed at 35. Life was good but I was I was exercising a  whole lot. Tom and I spent hours at the gym We worked out with each other to push each other harder and harder, we ate clean, we read, lived fitness and nutrition.  We even went to the Arnold Classic in 2001- 2003 to see what the industry was doing. I felt great, we looked good  and we hung out with like minded people with fitness and nutrition in mind. My weight was creeping up a little and it was getting harder and harder to take off so I would work out more and more.

We decided to add to our family in 2003. I was 3 months pregnant when we went to the Arnold Classic. I entered a bicep contest and I did pretty good but I got tired really fast and lost the contest. That was our last year  it fun while it lasted. I met personalities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno and lots of fitness pros. Awesome time.

When I was Pregnant all bets were off. The last thing that I wanted was a vegetable, egg white or chicken breast. I had put so much pressure on myself over the years and denied myself most enjoyable foods. I felt like vomiting if you showed me anything "healthy".  And exercise? No way, not in the cards. I had beaten myself up so bad working out so hard that I wanted nothing to do with exercise. We are not a fast food family still to this day, but the day in 2003 I called my husband  and told him I wanted a Whopper he knew we were in trouble. I gained 60 lbs on my pregnancy and he gained 20. My diet was meat and hot sauce. It was like a free for all. I was happy and I could eat what I wanted (it was all for the baby of course).  I didn't see myself get fat, I saw myself as a healthy happy glowing mom to be. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and if  I was younger I would do it again. I even asked my doctor should I be concerned that I had gained to much weight, she said no it all about the baby keep up the good work. This was too good to be true. I struggled with weight my whole life. I remember being 120 lbs in 5th grade. Sports was the only thing that kept me from weighing 500 lbs by now. Being pregnant was amazing and I ate whatever I wanted. Everything turned out fine throughout the pregnancy and I had a beautiful baby boy. Now, the real story begins with a huge reality check and me weighing in at 250 lbs after baby.

Back to the Grind

I hate being sick. I had been sick for about a week and couldn't exercise. I picked up a upper respiratory virus and had to wait it out. When I can't workout I get cranky. Tom is the first tell me flat out GO WORKOUT please.All talking stops and I just go. It's a great stress reliever. I have always had the workout bug my whole life, heavy or not I always did something to get my heart pounding, I had to. I have a whole workout gym and workout discs in my basement. But, of course I feel the need to leave the house to get my sweat on properly. At home I'm half assed because I have kids that want a snack, the phone rings, or the dryer buzzer goes off. As a mother you always have laundry.

I had an online coupon on Groupon for 4 weeks of  Fit Body Boot Camp. close to work and  I thought could I? http://www.fitbodybootcamp.com/mi/lansing-fitness-boot-camp/ I saw pictures of what I thought was more of a torture chamber than a class. I saw kettle bells, weights of all sizes BIG tractor tires, car tires, bags of sand, punching bags, cables, ropes, and scuffed up walls, very manly looking place. I immediately thought of the Biggest Loser Gym and wondered if Jillian or Bob were going to walk in. My first reaction was Oh dear, this is going to kill me, so I bought 8 weeks and planned it 6 weeks out so I could get myself motivated. I added it to my calendar, I talked about it on Face-Book me and Tom bought some workout clothes. I take Tom shopping with me for a couple reasons. 1.) He's an excellent shopper and 2) he makes sure I get clothes that fit. I had a habit of reaching for larger sizes before I realized that I lost weight.

My first day was here. All day at work I was was thinking about this class, I told all my friends so I couldn't back out. I was doing this. It's 4:20 I walk in the door and it smells of sweat and tears. I was greeted by Emeka, the owner.  Emeka Umeh is from from Nigeria, 6"2 and just about as wide. I knew I had just signed my death warrant.


The class is only 30 minutes of hardcore, old school exercises and  I a couple trainers  are ex military. The first week I dragged my butt to my car wondering if I was going to make it home. I sent a text to my husband after class telling him I was coming home but my arms were shaking so bad I couldn't get my words right. He sends back don't text and drive. I said I wasn't, I couldn't put my hands on the wheel to drive and I had to wait to gain some strength back. "LOL"


6 months later I'm still going to FBBC at least 5 days a week. Life is going fast and 30 minutes is all I need to. I'm happy, its pumps me up and I make better food choices. I love that each class is different and not to mention that I lost 5% body fat in 6 weeks. I can do man push-ups now.  Lets talk a little about a burpee. Not the kind that you burp when you eat but the kind that will make your whole body wake up. Imagine squatting down like a frog, jumping your legs out behind you, into a push up. Do the push up from the floor, jump your legs back into a squatting position and then burst up from a jump squat. Got that? Now do 15.

I love Sundays

Sunday. I love Sundays. I plan my grocery list looking for bargains ready to fight the crowds of people also looking for the same bargains. Living in Michigan can be challenging to find variety in fresh fruits and vegetables in our winter months. I would rather pay a bit more than pay for prescriptions or doctors visits down the road. The fun I get out of shopping is looking in other people carts. You glance but you don't stare, it's like eye contact with a homeless person, you just don't do it. You always see one person that has 8 packs of soda pop lined up around the cart and frozen boxes of prepared food and snacks in the middle. Reminds me of a castle and the pop bottles poking up are the security fence keeping the bad guys out, or in.

Food is really exciting to me. I've been in the business for over 25 years one way or other around food.I  have learned how to make it for me and you can make it work for you. For years, I thought I was eating "healthy" & "clean". Only eating egg whites, lean meats, low fat dressing, fat free this or sugar free that. I had to learn how to like diet pop because I was told in commercials that it was ok. I read health magazines, I bought a nutrition book to learn more and followed the food pyramid thinking the government had to know what they are talking about. Um yeah. I even got a part time job at a gym so I could make friends with personal trainers and not pay the monthly membership fees. What a load of crap.  My tore up knees will tell you all about it as I was running 4 miles a day to lose weight and I so hate running.

I had worked up into a size 20 I weighed around 260 and then after walking down stairs my knees hurt and I had to grasp the hand rail. I need to make a change. I bought a house, I had a job I was doing ok as a single women in her mid 30's Now I needed to get my weight under control.  I worked it hard and tirelessly I got my weight down long enough to get my husband to marry me. When I met him was wearing a size 16 around 215 I'm 5'10 so I thought that was good. But man, did I have to work hard to keep it in control.

Below are some pictures of me and dog Bear in 1998 when the roller coaster picked up speed and some pretty big hills. Also one on my wedding day 212 lbs.

Hello. This is me.

I got a brand spanking new HP Laptop for the 6th anniversary of my 40th birthday and all the keys work, no reason not to start a blog.

I'm tearing the bedroom apart looking for my notes that I had stated to do this thing. I was nervous to get started already and now I can't find my notes? Crap. My husband leans back in his chair and asks what I'm doing as I'm tearing the bookcase apart. I'm looking for my notes and can't find them as frustration sets in my voice. He says with all the technology I give you with your smart phone, iPad and NEW laptop you used an actual note book? Um, yeah? He's right so I'm now recreating all my ideas using Evernote. Great little tool it turns out, I like it.  He says at least I won't lose my laptop. Ah he knows me all to well after 11 years.

I'm just going to tell the world now, that the love of my life is a geek. He comes home from his geek job and tells me about his geek day and my eyes glaze over. I get more of a kick of his 9 yr old protégé. 

I just celebrated my 46th birthday and it was the best birthday ever. Say what you want about Facebook but its nice getting all the happy birthday's from friends and family. Even from people that made their way onto your Facebook that you don't really know and probably don't really care but they said happy birthday anyway.

My dear friend Jennifer made a comment on my wall that really made me think. She said I was the only person that she knew that was aging backwards.I never thought of it that way but over the last two years I certainly feel better about the way I look and feel and about life in general. Ok, I'm still 46 but I don't feel it and I don't show it. I'm willing to share my not so secret secrets with anyone that wants to feel this way.

First secret, I found a awesome hairstylist that I will follow to the ends of the earth, she puts the red in Red-Zilla. Love you KIMMY oh, and I lost 80 lbs too. No small task as a middle aged mom but I did it and I will share what I've have learned and the friendships that I've gained from it. My husband now calls me a MILF. I will let you figure that out on your own. How I changed from middle aged overweight wife and mother to the category of MILF? I feel like a rockstar!

So jump on for some good humor and take the ride with me.