Its Not Just a Shake Thing

I have joined the Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge! (crowd roaring in wild applause in background) I started two weeks ago and have lost 7 lbs. already. From Monday the 31st to Monday the 6th (yesterday) I lost 1.5 inches from my waist, 1 inch from my hips and chest, 1/2 inch from my thighs. I LOVE how I feel!! I have more energy, I kick butt at my work outs.. oh.. did I mention I'm going to the gym now - at 4am? Yes. I am becoming a fitness freak. Never ever ever thought that would happen. But once I broke through the difficult first couple of weeks, I found that I really enjoy working out and I love how I feel afterward!! My arms are becoming toned and firm, and my waist and back are slimming down. I see the difference in my shoulders and neck, under my chin, my legs.. why stop now?? I dropped a whole dress size.. I'm NOT stopping now!

Back to the Visalus. I feel great. The shakes taste REALLY good and I love coming up with new ones. My favorites are Angel Food Cake, Strawberry Shortcake, (cake, cake, cake) and Dreamsicle. And there's nothing in them that is bad for me. 2 shakes for breakfast and lunch, then a sensible dinner. Easy! I DO snack in between for those of you who think I am suffering between liquid meals. I eat low-fat or fat-free yogurt, reduced-fat cheese, whole grains (crackers, bread, etc) a small bowl of Special K cereal, fruit, raw veggies, nuts, fat-free cottage cheese, etc. There's no reason to suffer when there are plenty of logical options for snacking.

One step beyond joining the Challenge: Mike and I discussed it at length, and we decided to become distributors as well. I was surprised at how easy it is to bring people into the challenge - they want to lose weight and become healthier too! While we do this for extra income, we are doing our best to help those who can't easily afford to start this challenge as well. We feel so strongly about these products and about helping others increase their overall health and wellness that we want as many people as who want and need it to be able to do it! And the Lord is blessing us. In two weeks we have been blessed with 6 clients and several potentials.

If you read this, and you have been invited to a party, please don't feel as though I'm trying to profit from our friendship. I want to share the success I'm finding, build my home business, and strengthen current relationships, not run all my friends off. If you are not interested, I will not take it personally and I won't beat you over the head with a pouch of shake mix, I promise.

I had a mindset for years that had me shaking my head at people who exercised a lot and watched what they ate carefully. I hated infomercials about fitness gadgets, got sick of dieting scams. I wanted a quick fix. Well, I'm here to tell you that there IS NO QUICK FIX. Not even Body By Vi. (Keep reading.) I realized that the reason why I was shaking my head and avoiding those people is because they made me feel guilty for the condition I let my body get into. I had to accept responsibility for myself and my poor choices and lack of motivation to get off my butt and get some exercise and then DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. My blood pressure is high and metabolism is low thanks to my family genes. But it doesn't have to stay that way. I decided to do this challenge, put myself out there, and be an example to others like me who lack motivation and have 1001 excuses like I did as to why they can't diet or excercise.

I stepped down some stairs wrong and broke my ankle and leg in four places and dislocated it four years ago - while pregnant with my now 3-year-old son. They put the dislocation back into place with no anesthesia (pain medication) and without xrays first. I went through seven hours of surgery and had plates, screws and wires installed in my lower left leg. I spent 4 months in a wheelchair. When Mike was not with me I had to crawl on my hands and knees to get to the bathroom because there was an 8 inch step at the bathroom entrance. (Try jumping up a step that high with staples, stitches, broken bones, torn ligaments and tendons, while pregnant, and on one foot). I had no physical therapy because I was uninsured at the time and could not afford it. I did my best on my own, but to this day I tend to limp badly when I first get out of bed. The tears to my ligaments and tendons permanently damaged my foot and ankle and chances are I will never walk right again. Sometimes it takes me a good hour to get my ankle moving and flexible enough to walk without pain and without limping noticeably. I have been clinging to this injury for the last 4 years as the reason why I could not exercise. Fear, mostly, of reinjuring myself or that I might have pain during any rigorous exertion. I also have asthma. Who wants to exercise when within 30 seconds of any type of cardio they can't breathe?

The point in telling my sob story was this: If I can do it, you can do it. Two months ago I decided enough was enough. I started going to the gym with my good friend Sandy who lives in the house right behind me. It was hard. Very hard. I hadn't exercised in years.. even back then I didn't really commit. I knew that if I didn't push through the difficulty that I'd never lose the weight and I'd never be physically strong and fit... and the risk for heart disease (also hereditary) and diabetes would loom over my head. So I chose exercises that won't hurt my old injury. The eliptical whoops my behind but there is no pressure or pain to my joints or to my ankle. I started out only being able to do 5 minutes, and that was a stretch. I am up to 30 minutes now, and next week I go to 35! I also tone with weights. I worked through the asthma issues and carried an inhaler. I used it at first, but I am very proud to say that my lung capacity has increased as has my stamina and I only need it every now and then. Am I proud of myself? YOU BETCHA!!!!! Now I use ViSalus as a tool to help me reach my goals. It isn't a crutch or an easy way out... believe me, having a shake while my kids eat pizza or my very favorite lunch, Kraft mac & cheese, is NOT easy. It is a way to help me lose the weight steadily, learn discipline, and do it in an insanely healthy, wellness-enhancing way.

Whether you choose to join me on the 90 Day Challenge or not, do SOMETHING to better your health. Remember, just because you are small or slim does not mean your body is healthy. If you need to lose a good amount of weight, set short term goals and celebrate smaller victories, that way the big goal doesn't seem so far away!

To my loyal readers: A shake for breakfast and lunch means I still cook for dinner.. yay for more recipes! :D

I Haven't Given Up!

I haven't posted in a good while, I know. But I haven't given up! I have to learn how to balance all of the things I'm doing and the projects I've got my hands in, because I tend to spend a lot of time on one thing, and neglect the others.

I started couponing, and that has taken a lot of my free time lately. I have started saving at LEAST 50% of my grocery bill every time I go shopping. Sometimes more. This past weekend I went to Publix and rounded up $90 worth in my buggy, and spent out of pocket $25. Making the list and getting organized is time consuming! I'm also working on my garden still, and that takes even more time. Then we got a pool.. lol so you see, I'm trying to learn balance!

My weight is holding, even though I'm probably not losing like I would if I were really concentrating on only that. The garden work - which you think wouldn't think of as being all that strenuous - is taking a lot of work. My body is sore after shoveling up grass roots then raking them out.. it took several days to get all the grass out and I still have some root hairs popping up. Then we made the rows. Yesterday I walked three miles with a friend AFTER the garden work.. I fell asleep quickly last night around 11pm and didn't wake up until 8am! I'm still in a 16, which is great. I think by the end of this week I will be ready to weigh and see where I am.

I am also considering trying the Visalus weight loss system. An old acquaintance has started doing it and posts his progress (some of you might remember John Knox) and he is losing fast using Visalus. He is a distributor too and is recruiting people left and right. I know people can get their product free by bringing three people to the challenge with them.. that's what I'm talking about. I'm not a salesperson, as my track record proves.. I have a hard time for some reason selling to my friends. Something like this might be different. I am just ready to get the weight off, while learning to eat right. I won't be using Visalus forever.. once the weight is gone you have to learn to eat properly on your own. If I decide to go this route, I will post my progress. I hear only good things about it, including better overall health. I hear people are reporting coming off blood pressure medications, cholesterol medications, etc. (with a doctor's supervision!!).

Well, I hear a baby fussing from her crib, and so my day begins. I will post more soon. :)

Italian Chicken with Peppers

I wouldn't count on there being any leftovers... there wasn't a scrap left tonight!You won't need a knife to cut the chicken when it finishes. It is so tender and juicy, and the flavors are wonderful together. The only extra (jar/canned food) was the spaghetti sauce. I usually try to make my own, but this sauce had everything I needed, and for convenience sake I threw it in.

6 boneless skinless breast halves (Winn Dixie has started selling packaged chicken breasts that are sliced down to a more portionable size! Yay!)
1 jar (26 oz) garden style spaghetti sauce (I used Prego Chunky Garden - Tomato, Onion & Garlic)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 each, small green, sweet yellow, and red peppers diced or julienned (or 1/2 cup Winn Dixie's diced pepper trio in the produce section - time saver!)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Cooked whole wheat spiral pasta
Shaved Parmesan cheese, optional

Place chicken breasts into the slow cooker. Layer the onion over the chicken. In a large bowl, combine the spaghetti sauce, peppers, cheese, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Pour over chicken.

Cook on low for 4-5 hours. When nearly finished, cook pasta according to package directions. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta. Top with shaved Parmesan.

Emotional... What? Who Are You Calling Emotional?

Certainly you don't mean me! Couldn't possibly be...

Oh, of course it's me. It's my lot in life. I wear my heart out on my sleeve, and I am far too sensitive for most males, and even some females, to tolerate. Now add to the existing over-sensitivity a pile of girl hormones. See where I'm going with this? Okay wait, there's more. Add prenancy or post-partum insanity to that mess! A woman deserves a good two-year free pass when it comes to post-partum adjusting, wouldn't you say, girls?

There you have it. A trainwreck. I think we could all relate to that term at one point in our lives or another. Personality, stresses, hormones... all contributors to our emotional existence. And sometimes there's just no emotional outlet, so what do we do? Eat them!

Does anyone else find it difficult to maintain a healthy regimen when your stress level is through the roof? If you find yourself lonely, or grief-stricken, or stressed out over a difficult situation do you find yourself consoling with your favorite comfort food?

Risking the shaking heads and the tsk-tsk's, I'll say that I do. This week has been tough for me emotionally. Mike's time away is starting to take its toll on me, other stresses in my life are magnified by it, my social contact with friends and family is terribly limited, and it's turning to a minute-to-minute battle to stay out of the kitchen. I can overcome it, but I'll tell you, I've experienced few things in life that take as much self-control and discipline as making good food choices does when everything in me is willing me to eat what I crave.

Whew. Okay, now that I've said it, I think I can stare it in the face and push forward! I think when my garden area is finally tilled, I'll have a place to put my focus besides working in the kitchen. I can't wait for that. Looks like it could be tomorrow or Thursday. I need the diversion!!

Anyone else struggling?

Shredded Beef Sandwiches

Watch out - if you are hanging around the house while this cooks in your crockpot, carry a napkin to wipe your mouth because you will be drooling while you beg for it to hurry and finish cooking. It makes plenty, so be prepared for leftovers!

Great tip for those who hate scrubbing out their crockpots as much as I do: Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners. They run about $2.59 for four at Winn Dixie (so they'll be less than that at Wally) and worth EVERY PENNY! Cook, lift, toss!

1 boneless beef chuck roast 3-4 lb(the extra expense is worth the taste, and the fact that it will make so much!)
1 med onion, thinly sliced
1 cup ketchup (Heinz is my ketchup of choice)
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke

Cut roast in half, place in 5 qt (my 3 qt did the job)slow cooker. Top with onion. Combine the next eight ingredients; pour over roast. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours, or until the meat is tender. (Definitely DON'T over-cook!)

Remove roast and cool slightly. Shred meat with two forks. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Return meat to slow cooker and heat through. Using a slotted spoon, place 1/3 cup meat mixture on each roll.

This was a great meal for me nutritionally. No sugary or high-fructose sauces - just a little in the ketchup, and the meat was nice and lean. I removed a minimal amount of fat from the meat after cooking. And it tastes SO GOOD. I was sad when the last sandwich was gone, but we did have it for three days!

With this I recommend Merita Lite-Wheat rolls - they have less sugar and more fiber & protein than other choices I had. I served it with coleslaw mix from the produce section and used a light slaw dressing on it.

Shame, Shame.. You Know My Name.

I am bashfully writing this post because I have not written in what.. three weeks??? Terrible! I haven't been working as hard as I should at keeping the changes intact, but I'm still making good choices in addition to some of the bad ones! This week I am resolved to get back at it with 100% effort. I haven't gained any weight, so I am still at a 14 lb loss.

I was not prepared for the onslaught of cravings that accompany a particular female cycle... I really didn't recognize it at first, all I knew was that if I didn't have some chocolate IMMEDIATELY there would be mayhem at the Winslows. That lasted an entire week and I fought a losing battle with my cravings. It was so overwhelming that even reading and re-reading my previous post about skirting cravings didn't help! So I'm following my own advice - dusting myself off and getting back on that horse. The crazy thing about the whole cycle thing - FALSE ALARM. Good grief.

To make matters worse, a girl I am friends with at church who had missed a few months came back last week. Girl had lost about 60lb and left me in the dust.. talk about a guilt trip! I asked her what her secret was, and she said with a heinous smile, "Diet and exercise!" Ugh. Of course! However, she did invite me to work out with her, and I may take her up on that when my schedule permits!

So tell me, what have you all been doing to stay on track? Have you lost a little time? Are you going to keep at it? Let me know!

I do have some great recipes to share so watch for them!

Zucchini Pasta

Don't groan! This was a really tasty and quick dish! It made plenty so you might have leftovers.

8 oz uncooked linguine (I use whole wheat pasta as a healthier substitute)
3 cups coarsely shredded zucchini (about 2 medium)
4 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (I keep a jar of minced, ready-to-use garlic in the fridge - 1-2 tsp will suffice)
1/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt (Chobani has EIGHTEEN grams of protein per 6 oz!)
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper


1. Cook linquine according to package directions. Meanwhile, Shred zucchini, then in a colander, squeeze excess moisture from it. Pat dry.

2. Warm a large non-stick skillet at medium-high. When hot, pour in olive oil and spread. Add zucchini and saute for 2 minutes. Add garlic. Cook zucchini 1-2 minutes longer until tender. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the yogurt, cheese, salt & pepper.

3. Drain linguine. Add to zucchini mixture and toss to coat.

Serve with 100-calorie garlic pita rounds and chopped, fresh fruit!

Serves 4-6. 3/4 cup = 220 calories! 10 grams of protein, or more if you use Chobani!