It’s Friday once again and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t ecstatic! I have worked late a few times this week, so I have a shorter day today. I’m so happy! I don’t have any big plans this weekend, but that’s how I like my weekends! Working out, TV and swimming are all on the agenda!

Last Friday I highlighted some of my favorite blog reads for the week and I’m hoping to make this a little tradition. I don’t have a snazzy name for it, but I thought I’d share the love anyway!

This Veggie Patch Lasagna recipe from Jenn looks amazing! I love love love her recipes! I gotta try this asap!

Laura talks about her Summer of Fit in this post. I love the summertime motivation!

Nikki was my foodie penpal match for April and I’ve enjoyed reading about her time (and her eats!) in Hawaii! Catch her Island Eats Part II post here!

In this post, Angie listed the top workouts songs from Run Hundred. If you’ve been reading my blog for a little bit, you know I love me a good playlist!

Wow, Ari’s Non Fat Brownie Batter Fro Yo looks yummy and refreshing! Yeah that’s right, I said Non Fat Brownie Batter Fro Yo. Wrap your head around that!

I hope everyone has such an amazing Friday and a great weekend!!

Happy Thursday! I have had a pretty good week in terms of diet/exercise, and I cant wait to share all the details with you this weekend! For now, you get some Thursday Ramblings. I’m switchin’ it up from bullets to numbers for your viewing pleasure.

  1. I’ve been really contemplating going back to school. I mean I always have wanted to go back to school, but I’m itching to now. Unfortunately I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.
  2. Speaking of growing up, my 30th year on this wonderful planet is coming to an end. My birthday is in June. That was fast…
  3. I need to find a new breakfast, asap. I’m getting tired of oats. The problem is I don’t like that many breakfast foods. HELP!
  4. It’s my sister’s birthday today! Happy Bday to this sassy gal!

sisters2 Thursday Ramblings.

  1. I decided to give America’s Got Talent a shot on Monday, just because all the good shows are ending  and I gotta say, not my fave. I know it will get better as time goes on (and the talented people are shown more) but eh.
  2. Have you had mashed cauliflower? I can’t get enough! The thing is, it’s not even like it’s new to me! If you haven’t had it, try Jenn’s recipe. You won’t regret it! Unless you don’t like cauliflower. I’ve been making different variations of this recipe for the last few weeks and loving it!
  3. It’s officially hot here. like 100′s hot. no biggie for a native like me, it’s just overwhelming to realize that the weather won’t be nice again till like October haha.
  4. Just realized that my numbers started over after I inserted the picture, but I’m too lazy to fix it.

What’s going on in your world?!

Hi guys! This week is speeding by, it’s already Wednesday! I have been busy this week, but I’m loving the feeling of being “back on track.”

 

WIAWbutton What I Ate Wednesday: Grilled Goodies
 
I’m also happy to be back on track with What I Ate Wednesday! I might’ve taken a bit of a hiatus, but I’m back with some of the yummy food that I’ve been enjoying. Thanks as always to Jenn from Peas and Crayons for hosting the party!

 

cereal What I Ate Wednesday: Grilled Goodies

Sadly, this is the kind of breakfast I was consuming last week. I loooove me some honey nut cheerios, but they are NEVER a good idea for me, cuz a) I sugar crash and b) I’m hungry within an hour. bad idea!

orange What I Ate Wednesday: Grilled Goodies

I have been digging on oranges for snacks. I sprinkle chile powder on them. yum yum yum.

LUNCH What I Ate Wednesday: Grilled Goodies

This week, I have been bringing all my lunches to work, which is huge for me. Featured is salad, chicken and oranges all in one crappy phone pic!

grill What I Ate Wednesday: Grilled Goodies

This was last night’s dinner. Grilled zucchini, yellow squash and mashed cauliflower. Not much protein, but delicious and filling none the less.

ARTICHOKE1 What I Ate Wednesday: Grilled Goodies

Mikey grilled up theses artichokes the other night and we got our hands dirty eating them, but YUM they were so delish!

This week there have been no special drinks for me. It’s been water all day, everyday.

Sooo that’s my week of getting back on track! I’m way into the grilling. Okay, more like I’m way into eating the food that Mikey is grilling!

 

Don’t forget to visit Peas and Crayons and link your yummy eats!

It’s Monday again! I had a great weekend and got to spend some time with my mama and the rest of my family yesterday. The past week wasn’t what I wanted it to be, food-wise and exercise-wise. No structure. Giving into temptations. You know the drill.

By the time yesterday came around, I had already had enough. The good news is: There is a new weight loss challenge! My brother and I have been talking about doing a weight loss competition forever. Well after talking about it, we gathered up some family members, and our new challenge is starting today! As you  may recall from the last “biggest loser contest” at work, I love me a good money-motivated challenge. There are 9 people in the contest, and everyone is putting 25 bucks into the pot. The contest will run from today untill July 8th.

I weighed in last week at 242 lbs. After a week of not applying myself, not working out much, and a big eating day yesterday, I weighed in last night at 252. WHAT? 10 lbs in 8 days?! I don’t really think I gained 10 pounds. I weighed in after I ate (a good amount) last night and I normally weigh myself in the morning before I do anything. So while I’m sure the scale would have shown a gain this week, I think it was probably more like 5 lbs. Still? Epic fail. I’m confident that the scale will show a big drop by next weekend.

My plan for this contest is to basically do everything I say I’m going to do. Sounds simple right? I will be:

  • eating five small meals a day- for a total average of 1500 cals per day
  • working out 6 days a week.- this is going to be a step up from the 4 workouts that I usually get a week. More swimming. More weights. More walking. More Classes. boom.
  • moving more in general. Since I’ve had my fitbit, it’s been a reality check on how much I don’t move-even on the days I workout. I need to get up from my desk and take a walk a few times a day.
  • planning my food intake, packing my food for work.
  • Ensuring that I’m drinking all of my water

Now is the time I need to put my money where my mouth is! I’m motivated. I could stand to win a $225 pot!

The really cool thing about this contest is that my mom is doing it too! She doesn’t have a lot of weight to lose, but it will be so good for her because she is diabetic. I’m proud of her for joining!

Action Plan 5/14-5/20

  • Obviously, the things above.
  • eliminate a bad habit.  For me, this is going to be skimping on not “getting ready” in the morning. Sure, I take a shower and get dressed. However, I’m known to rock a messy bun or pony tail and not wear make up. This has to change.
  • create a good habit. I plan to do this by cleaning for 20 minutes everyday, before my ass hits the couch.

I’m gonna kick ass in this contest!

 

Happy Friday! I know this weekend can not come soon enough. I have a family day planned on Sunday but I can’t wait to have some downtime. A perfect weekend to me = exercise+cleaning+being lazy and hanging out with Mikey all at the same time.

I read a lot of blogs. I mean a lot. They inspire me, entertain me and challenge me all at the same time. When I read a post that I love, I always star it in my google reader, either to comment on the post or refer back to it at some point. I’m not as good as commenting as I would like to be, but I thought I would start sharing some of my favorite links each week. So…here it goes!

 

10 Ways to Find Your Motivation to Work Out After Work - Fit Bottomed Girls

I loved this post because I SUCK at motivating myself to get moving after work. Ideally, I love to work out in the morning, but I usually start work at around 6 am, so that makes for a super early morning for me. After work, I’ll find any excuse not to do it. The worst part is my gym is like a four-minute walk from my place. These tips were definitely helpful!

 Pinterest Perspectives: Never Give Up- Bella On The Beach

This post is awesome because Bella is determined to reach her goal. Her positive attitude amazes me. In this post, she inspires me to dream a little icon smile Friday Favorites! and then get my booty movin’!

In My Grocery Cart: Back to Her Roots

As someone who struggles both with menu planning AND a grocery budget (I know, they go hand in hand!) I found this post helpful. It makes it all seem a little less overwhelming!

Must Read Guest Post–Going Sugar Free - Healthy Diaries

I’m loving this post and the perspective from someone who removed sugar from their diet. I’ve toyed with this concept before, but never hardcore. Honestly, I don’t know if I ever will, but it’s interesting to read such a testimonial!

Healthy Turkey Sloppy Joe’s - from Fit2Flex

Extra sloppy! This recipe looks so good to me! I hope to try it soon!

 

What are some of your favorites this week?

Hi friends, I’ve been MIA for a few days. Nothing too crazy going on in these parts, but here are some of my ramblings comin’ at ya.

  • Mother’s day is just around the corner. I plan to hang out with some of the important mamas in my life this weekend. (My mom, my sister and my sister in law, along with the rest of my fam.)
  • Calla Lillies are my favorite flower. We got some for our co-workers and I’m totally jealous icon smile Thursday Ramblings

callalillies1 Thursday Ramblings

  • Every Thursday I catch myself saying “How is it not Friday!”
  • I need to take many more steps a day according to fitbit. like thousands.
  • My dishwasher soap is not cutting it. After the dishwasher, my dishes have a weird white film on them. THEY NEVER GET CLEAN WITH THIS SOAP!
  • I got stuck in a haboob yesterday. Luckily (or not) I was on foot. I was able to turn my booty around and wait in a building.
  • I haven’t done Mad Musle May for a few days. What is my prob?!
  • I haven’t taken part in WIAW in a few weeks-mainly because my food lately has been so boring!

greenjuice Thursday Ramblings

  • I want to make a fitness bucket list like Bella’s here. Sure, I have some fitness goals posted, but I just might make a fitness bucket list!
  • I’m hooked on Downton Abbey. (nerd!) I’m late to the game, so I’m barely on season 2.

downton Thursday Ramblings

  • Another guilty pleasure of mine lately: Mob Wives. Specifically, Big Ang.  Yeah, I said it. (and don’t think I don’t impersonate her laugh regularly!)

bigang1 Thursday Ramblings

  • It’s taking me for-ev-er to grow out my bangs. I’m thisclose to giving in and chopping them.
  • President Obama supports gay marriage. I tend to not get political like..ever, but  this is a big step…right?! icon smile Thursday Ramblings
  • You can never go wrong listening to 80′s music at work. Ever.

What’s on your mind lately?!

Weigh In:

 

Last week: 244.5
This week: 242

I’m going back in the right direction I know drinking the green juice and eating a bunch of fruit and veggies this week contributed to the loss. I’m going to be eating a variety of foods this week, but I hope to keep the momentum.

 

Exercise:

 

I got my 4 workouts in this week, and I definitely am moving more.

 

Non-Scale Victories:

 

Is it sad that I can’t think of anything here?

 

Upcoming Challenges:

 

I think I’ll have a little bit of stress since I will be looking for a new car. I hope to keep it under control.

 

Last Week’s Action Plan:

  • log 4 workouts check! I’m loving Zumba on Thursday afternoon.
  • stick with my eating plan for the week. I did really well on this. I ate outside of the plan 2 times.
  • start and finish an easier read. Not so much. I started Girl In Translation, but I think I left it in my brothers car on Wednesday.
  • keep my goals close. check.  I tried to keep my goals in the front of my mind instead of pushing them to the back. There is always room for improvement on this one.

Overall, I am happy with the way the week went. I didn’t completely meet my goals, but I did try and I’m proud of how the week went.

Action Plan 5/7-5/13

  • Fine tune my eating. This is pretty vague so let me clarify.
    Track my calories and stay at or under 1500 a day. (I raised this from 1250.)
    Eat 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings from fruit daily.
  • Take over 10,000 steps 3 days this week. (it sounds easy…but I only managed to pull it off once last week.)

Here’s to an amazing week!

Not a whole lot has been going on over here. I don’t have a lot to say. My triceps are super sore from Mad Muscle May!

flowers Glimpse Into The Past Few Days

Tulips from the boy!

banana Glimpse Into The Past Few Days

Huge yummy banana.

fitbit Glimpse Into The Past Few Days

Over 10,000 steps!

greenjuice Glimpse Into The Past Few Days

Green Juice has been my dinner most nights. Apple, kale, celery, lemon, carrot, cucumber, ginger. Or some variation of that. Pretty basic stuff over here. Nothing too exciting, although I got to spend some time with my family this week.

On deck for this weekend:

 notassocblend practice 5k2 Glimpse Into The Past Few Days

 

You can see more details about this on Laura’s blog here. I thought this would be a fun way to participate in a 5k, no pressure icon smile Glimpse Into The Past Few Days  I’ll be doing run/walk intervals (mostly walk.) Sounds fun, right?

Any Plans this weekend?!

My April Goals were few and simple. Well, April came and went and it certainly wasn’t my best month. Here is how I did on the three goals that I created for myself for the month of April:

April Goals:

  • see the 220′s at some point. This didn’t happen. In fact I went 4 lbs in the other direction.
  • at least 22 workouts More like 15 workouts.
  • stick to the budget I created.  I was better at this than I ever have been. I did splurge and buy concert tickets I hadn’t really planned on, but I’m glad I did. I know this is more of a process than something I can whip into shape in a month.

Sounded simple. I thought my problem was the amount of goals that I was setting a month, and not being able to tackle everything at once. Yeah, not so much. I’ve come to realize my problem is me, and how I approach these goals.

You’ve all heard of SMART goals. If not, SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. I have heard of this type of goal setting also, but I’ve never tried to apply the SMART philosophy to my goals. In my mind, I know what I want to do, but I don’t always think about what it takes to get there. For example, I’ve been known to set a goal like “I want to lose 50 lbs” by the end of the year. Okay so it’s lacking a few details. I am going to try to work on that this month. If you want more info on SMART goals, check this out.

May Goals:

Lose 10 lbs. To summarize SMART here (I have the long version written down) I plan to lose 10 lbs between May 1 and May 31 by tracking my calories on MFP (hungry4ahealthylife) and getting at least 4 workouts a week.

Get Moving. I plan to move more by making sure I get in at least 10,000 steps. This can be measured by my fitbit (post to come on fitbit!) To do this, I need to move more during the day at work. Short walk breaks through out the day will help. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator will help. I’m not going to rely on these things as my main form of movement (remember 4 workouts a week?) but there’s no reason why I can’t do these things.

Do this:

madmuscle final 01 1024x8891 May: A New Month

Pretty specific, it’s either do or don’t. Before last month fell apart I started doing the April Challenge from Shrinking Jeans. Burpees are hard.

So those are my goals for the month of May. Not too many, pretty specific, and I feel good about them. I’m motivated and I have the tools that I need to get these done!

 

Well, April is quickly coming to an end! I’m sure I say this every month, but it’s amazing how quickly the time goes by! This is my second month participating in The Foodie Penpal program, and since today is April 30th, it’s time to share with you the goodies that I received this month!

 

foodiepal stamp2 April Foodie Penpan Reveal!
 
This time around I received the package from Kandice, who blogs at We Aren’t Scared of Sugar,  I enjoyed her package a lot because of the variety of different things that came in it!
 
 
amazinggrass April Foodie Penpan Reveal!

I had never tried this Amazing Grass Green Super food powder, but it was right up my alley. The directions say to mix it with 6 oz. of water or more or mix it in with a smoothie, which is exactly what I did.

 

bars April Foodie Penpan Reveal!
 
Mikey and I shared both of these bars. The Almond & Cocounut Kind bar is my favorite flavor.
 
bars1 April Foodie Penpan Reveal!
 
I had never tried one of these Sharkies fruit chews before, but I liked it!!
 
chocolate April Foodie Penpan Reveal!
 
We ended eating this chocolate bar little by little with our strawberries. So delish!
 
 
bbq April Foodie Penpan Reveal!

I looooove me some BBQ sauce and this Corky’s BBQ sauce did not disappoint. I had some one night but accidentally poured like a quarter of the bottle onto my plate. still good.

 

cookies April Foodie Penpan Reveal!
 
 
Can’t go wrong with Girl Scout Cookies. I ended up taking these to work because my coworkers LOVE food and because I didn’t need them calling my name in the middle of the night icon smile April Foodie Penpan Reveal!
 
BAG April Foodie Penpan Reveal!
 
 
A bag to put all my goodies in. I used this to take my lunch to work for a few days. Perfect size.
 
card April Foodie Penpan Reveal!

 

I loved the handwritten card and the included recipe for Mississippi Mud Cookies. I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but I’m definitely saving it for a rainy day!

Not pictured were two fruit strips. They were yummy, and I did take a picture, but I accidentally deleted it. Only Problem was, we had eaten them by the time I realized what I did!

Thanks again Kandice, I really loved the variety in this package! My favorite thing was the BBQ sauce!

____________________________________________________________

Here are some details about the Foodie Penpals program:

- On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you may need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
- You will have untill the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
- The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
- You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
- Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
- Foodie Penpals is open to US and Canadian residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get to slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!

If you are interested in participating for next month, head over to theleangreenbean.com by May 4th!