My eat clean journey starts now

I just wanted to check in to say I'm still here. I don't want to say trudging along because weight loss is a journey that doesn't have to be drudgery. I returned to the gym two days ago and while I wasn't going at it fast and hard I went and I'm proud of myself.

Since September I've been following Paul McKenna's I can make you Thin "diet." I've lost approximately 22+ pounds just following his system. It's easy but SLOW. Since the process has been slow for me I've decided to take it up a notch and start working out + eating clean.

Maybe I shouldn't tackle two things at once but my eating has change TREMENDOUSLY since I started listening to Paul McKenna. I started eating clean without even knowing it. I started to reach for foods that weren't overly processed. I started eating real food. I started craving real food. So the other day my sister in law and brother were visiting and she mentioned how she makes it a point to eat clean. I was like well I've heard about it and I even bought the Kids and Families edition of the book some time ago for $3.50 at Marshall's but never really started to do it. That comment stuck and got me to thinking why not start?

Lately I've been in spring cleaning mode. My husband and I cleared out 1/2 the contents of the garage that a neighbor driving by thought we were having a garage sale! LOL I thought if I'm getting the house clean why not "clean" all other aspects of my life. So that's what started this journey of clean eating. Do you "eat clean?" if so how is it going for you? Any recipes you can share? Post below!

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Weight loss update

As usual life gets in the way of blogging. I'm presently on spring break but its far from a break and being in Florida it's sort of like spring.

I just wanted to update the blog with my weight loss progress. A quick background. Since September 2012 I've been listening to Paul McKenna's I can make you thin CD and have lost 15 pounds by just following the 4 golden rules of his "plan." I can tell you that I've made no special effort what so ever.

I'm the mom of a girl scout so needless to say I've devoured more than my share of Tagalongs and Trefoils (Samoas and Thin Mints make me want to hurl). Anyway, I can tell you this year was a bit different. I only bought one of each box! Normally I would buy at least 5 of each and polish them off before Easter hit! LOL For the record I DON'T ever give up sweets during Lent it's counter productive in my book. Not to mention I need some sort of sanity during the PMS days! This year (like you really want to know) I gave up profanity. That is much more profound than giving up something digestible. Just saying.

Anyway, this year I admit I polished off the box of Tagalongs in less than 24 hours, alright let's be real, 12 hours. No one was looking so the calories don't count. Am I right? The box of Trefoils however are still there. Well not the entire box. The point is, after having them in my possession for over 2 weeks the fact that any Girl Scout cookie is still within my reach is nothing short of a miracle!

Not to sound like a scratched record but I've really noticed a difference in the way I eat and what I eat. I was telling the girl I commute to school with about how much I've changed. I feel like I've changed so much I ask myself ALOT "who am I?" Seriously, I no longer eat fast food, I primarily only drink water, and get ready for this...I have more than my share of my daily allowance of fruits and veggies! Gasp!!! Can you believe it? Well I guess you can...If you knew me in real life you would swear that I would die and be buried with a Quarter Pounder w/cheese in my hand. Now the thought of going into McDonalds let alone eating something there makes me want to you know...

Now I opt for more whole foods. If I can't pronounce the ingredient chances are I'm not eating it. The weight loss is slow going but I've noticed a change in my facial skin. It's cleared up quite a bit. I'm one of the fortunate that never really suffered from blemishes but my skin tends to discolor because of the PCOS. I'm assuming it's the better quality of foods I'm eating that is giving me somewhat of a glow.

Oh! I've also lost over 7 inches off my total body in the last month. Mom jeans are looking rather sad and saggy now. ;-) I'm not ready to invest in anything new until I'm in a comfortable 14. I've been in a tight 18 and now a loose 18 and semi-comfortable 16W. My ultimate size goal changes from a size 8 to a size 2. At the present moment I want to be a size 2! It may change next weigh in. I'm really not sure why I weigh myself because it's really the inches that count. Ya can't drag a scale into a dressing room hoping that size 6 will fit!

Well, that's all I have to report for now. I mean I can report a whole lot more but I will spare you the whining and fussing. Please tell me how your journey is going? Never give up...just say you're taking a little break! All the best!!!!

Weight loss Progress

Happy Friday!!

I've postponed my Fashionable Friday post so I can post my weight loss updates. I won't do it every week but maybe once a month. Since I'm doing the T-Tapp 60 day Challenge I wanted to be able to see where I've started and where I'll end up. I've been keeping track of my progress on my iPad in the Notes app. I like taking my iPad to gym so I can catch up on my soaps and shows while I'm on the treadmill. I figured since I have my iPad with me I can record my progress there as well.

Here goes:

Goal Measurements:
Bust: 36" 
Waist: 29"
Hips: 39"

December 15, 2012
Bust: 50.5"
Waist: 44.5"
Hips: 47

January 20, 2013
Bust: 49"
Waist: 43.5"
Hips: 46

So I've lost a total of 3.5" in 1 month and from December to January it was strictly following the principles of Paul McKenna's book and nothing else.

Inches left to lose:
Bust: 13"
Waist: 14.5"
Hips: 7"

I personally like tracking inch loss instead of weight loss. My philosophy is that the number on the scale will not determine if I'll be able to fit into those size 8 skinny jeans or not. Plus 34.5" is a more attainable number than 100 pounds! Don't cha think!?! How's your progress going?

How does your food make you feel?

I ask that question because I just finished my breakfast and it wasn't what you'd call the "typical" breakfast.

I had:
Baked eggs (my fave style eggs)
50/50 salad which contained, white onions, salt and pepper, garlic powder, and olive oil.

I ate it before I was able to snap a pic of it. You'll have to settle for the image above. Next time I'll snap a pic, promise.

Something about my eggs and green salad breakfast always makes me feel great. You see ever since I've been listening to Paul McKenna the way I eat has seriously changed. I don't eat "mindlessly" anymore. You know, mindlessly, you eat your entire meal and before you know it it's gone. You don't really remember eating it. You don't savor the meal you're about to eat, you just vacuum it off your plate. That ever happen to you? Well for me things are different now. I take time to savor and enjoy my meal. I put my fork down and enjoy every bite, reminding myself I'm using a fork NOT a shovel!

I love that this breakfast doesn't make me feel bloated, gassy or plain old uncomfortable. I truly hate that feeling. The older I've become the less tolerant my body has been to the foods I consume. Now I take great care to listen to my body and allow it to tell me what it really needs not what my brain thinks I want. Taking this approach has really changed my life.

Here are some more changes I've experienced;
I drink at least 2 cups of green tea daily (because I want to y'all!)
I stopped consuming dairy (no more cheese or milk, eggs yes, duh) I am lactose intolerant (I almost typed Lacoste, jeez what's on my mind...oh yeah shopping!)
I limit breads/pastas to about 4-5 times per week. I'm still working on my weakness for breaded meats. Damn Zaxby's why must you be so good?!

Making better food choices has helped me tremendously! Now I don't have to unbutton my pants or jeans just to breathe therefore avoiding those painful whelp marks on my abdomen. My stomach doesn't start churning or hurting. I feel "light" plus the added value of being proud of the better food choices I've made.

I've lost a couple more pounds in the last week or so. It's slow but it's progress.

My question to you is, What foods make you feel good afterwards? Post below I would love some suggestions!



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Paul McKenna

You may have noticed that I've mentioned Paul McKenna's name a couple times since I've been back. Have you heard of him? Well he guarantees he can make you thin. While the title "I Can Make You Thin" seems pretty bogus I still bought the book. I know I'm crazy! I actually bought the book over a year ago and only started using his "system" this past September. I thought to myself, nothing else has worked with this weight loss situation why not give this a try!

I'm proud to say that it does work!! You read that right! It does!! Now before you leave my blog to head over to Amazon or your local bookstore (thinking I have such a strong influence on you..) there are some things you need to know.

Warning caps are coming... YOU WILL NOT LOSE THE WEIGHT FAST! Gasp!!! But you WILL lose weight. I've lost over 7 pounds since I started listening to his CD back in September. I know that is not alot, but I haven't changed anything else. I wanted to prove this dude wrong. Looks like he proved me wrong. Darn foiled again!

Here's a basic run down, Read the book first (it only takes a 1-2 hours). Follow the four golden rules in the book:

Golden Rules:

1. When you're hungry, EAT
2. EAT WHAT YOU WANT, not what you think you should
3. Eat CONSCIOUSLY and enjoy every mouthful
4. When you think you are full, STOP eating

That's it! Well he also asks you to listen to the CD that is enclosed every night for 2 weeks. I personally think you should listen to it every night for as long as you're actively losing weight. I personally listen to it while I'm falling asleep. He said its best when you do. I can tell you that my thoughts toward food are different. I don't eat every bite on my plate and I crave healthy foods. I think twice about eating junk foods. I can tell you that since I've been listening to his CD I haven't had the remote desire to eat McDonalds! That's saying alot because I was a Quarter Pounder with Cheese junkie!

Have you tried it? or any other self hypnosis system? I would love to hear about it! Comment below!

It's been a while

I know it's been a while. So much has happened. Here's a quick run down:

July:

I was offered a scholarship to return to school to pursue my dream of becoming a graphic designer.

August:

Started school full time and I've been neck deep in assignments ever since. I expect to graduate Summer 2014. I'm quite excited! I discovered Paul McKenna. Well sort of, I purchased his book a year ago and put it on the shelf and forgot about it.

Received T-Tapp exercise DVD set. Started my bootcamp. You can read more about the T-Tapp here.

September: Had to end my bootcamp because my left knee became so swollen I had to stay off of it.

October: My artwork was featured in the school main lobby! Yay!
My weight loss journey has been pretty stagnant since.
So life has been pretty crazy. One thing I can say is that while I haven't lost a major amount of weight I haven't gained any either. I've realized I'm a great maintainer! Yay me! I've learned that making little changes is what matters most. Here are some of the things that are a normal part of my life that never was in the past:

Drinking water when going out to eat
Parking farthest from the store/mall entrance. I no longer stalk people and it has been pretty liberating.
Eat when I'm hungry
Eat what I want
Stop eating when I'm full
Listen to my Paul McKenna CD daily or when stressed.

So my local gym is offering annual memberships for only $99.99 and I'm going to rejoin. It's not in the budget but getting hypertension or diabetes isnt in the budget either. I'll be listing some ribbon on ebay for the budget to allow for this expense. I'm quite excited to rejoin. While T-Tapp was working it put too much strain on my knees and I need to strengthen them before I restart T-Tapp.

Going to gym will allow me to get on the treadmill and relieve stress. In addition burn a few calories and catch up on Downton Abbey on my iPad. Have you watched that show? If not you should! Check it out on Netflix.

November

I joined the gym! I promised myself that I will lose 50-80 pounds this upcoming year. I've continued to attempt to balance school and home life. Moments were good while some moments were not so good. I'd studied like I never have before. I made possibly the best Thanksgiving turkey I've ever made and hosted one of the most fun-filled dinners ever.

December
I completed my first semester of graphic design school with straight A's!! Not bad for taking a 16 hour load plus being a mom!! I walked in the annual Christmas parade with my daughter's girl scout troop, got rained on, and loved every minute of it. I've decided to make some changes and changed the name of my blog and online name.

See lots have happened. I am going to blog here more. I know it's a poor excuse not to blog because of your blog name but hey, that's how I am! :-)