The First 43: My Life Now

My friend Alasen made this awesome calendar! It's almost April and it's time to tone those arms!   Each day is one set so even if you aren't all that strong you can definitely get through this.  As she notes, if you want it to be more advanced, do 2 or 3 sets each day. Work your way up!   There are even built in rest days or catch up days if you get behind.  If you don't have a plate at home you can just use something that weighs 15-20lbs instead (Bottle of water? Bag of flour? Juice jug?)  or use less weight if that's where your comfortable. So who's in? Who wants to join us in this challenge?  I am going to take some before photos on Monday and then post the after photos at the end of the month. We'll see how Awesome Arms April treats me and it would be great to get before and after results from you too! You can copy this image or you can repin it on Pinterest (just click on the button on the side menu and head to my Fitness & Health board) T

When I saw this it really spoke to me. It will hurt but it will be worth it.  Nothing about this last year has been easy, not a day has passed that hasn't required me to change my habits, go against the grain of my daily routines and to make a conscious effort to change.  You sacrifice and you get sad while everyone is enjoying an extra slice of cake which you know you can't have and you should be happy you were able to have the one delicious slice you treated yourself to.  Most of all though, it takes willpower , you have to want to change more than anything else.  It would be so easy, even now, to slip back into old habits but you need to fight and keep going. It's so much easier to put weight on than it is to take it off.  So for all of you trying to lose 5lbs or 50lbs or just trying to stay active and fit, we're all in this together and it's worth all the hard work!

First I want to thank everyone who reads this blog. I have passed the 10,000 page view mark.  It's pretty incredible considering I started this blog to keep me accountable and keep me on track. Thank you for reading, being so interested and so supportive of my journey. Often I post photos so you can see the changes that have taken place on the outside. Huge changes, over 50lbs worth of change.  It's what you notice when you see me and it shows success very clearly. What it doesn't show you though are the improvements on the inside, the other parts of me that have become healthy in the process too so I figure after such dramatic loss photos this weekend, the internal health and changes should be shared as well. The first thing people ask me now is "Do you feel different?" and for a long time I said "No, I just look different" but the more I think about it, it's just not true. I do feel different, in a few ways. Back Pain I didn't even no

It's been a little while since I've posted progress photos as I continue to lose weight. I did reach my goal but I'm beyond that now. Total pounds lost - 51! Here you go, from start to now.  Only about 8 more to go until I reach my new goal but honestly I've been so much more relaxed since I reached my original goal of 43 lbs. I am eating more, being less strict, and not beating myself up if I can't make it to the gym. I am keeping up with the healthy eating and exercise habits, I'm just a little less... intense.  It's actually worked out because I'm still losing weight and I no longer feel like I'm on such a strict diet (well, aside from tracking my food!) I've now been calorie counting for 338 days in a row! Almost at that big goal of 365 days. After my one year, I am not sure if I will continue to log daily but I will definitely still use it as a tool to keep me on track, especially when eating at restaurants.  Another big thing? I told

I decided to make these today. Banana Oat Chocolate Chip cookies. Mmmmm.  I've just been craving them but, I wanted something a little bit more healthy than you can find in store. There are only 3 ingredients in these cookies - Bananas, Oats and Chocolate Chips! This recipe makes 16 delicious cookies. Calorie Count: 50 calories/cookie.  Can't beat that! Recipe can be found at: http://www.theburlapbag.com/2012/07/2-ingredient-cookies-plus-the-mix-ins-of-your-choice/

 Strawberry Ice Cream using coconut milk! Another week of the iron chef challenge and as you probably guessed, the ingredient was coconut milk.  The ice cream tasted delicious and it was the first time I've had strawberry ice cream and it actually tasted like real strawberries! I used my KitchenAid for the instant freeze but the recipe says you can just throw it in the freezer and freeze it that way. I cut the recipe in half otherwise I'd end up with too much ice cream. Ingredients: 450g Fresh Strawberries 2 tbsp honey 400ml can of Coconut Milk (I used Rooster Brand)  Place all ingredients into a blender and puree.  Once that was done, I put the mixture into my ice cream maker and set it on stir for 20 minutes. It actually blended better than some of the actual ice creams I've made in the ice cream maker! Calories: 98 calories per half cup Original recipe can be found at:  http://www.kumquatblog.com/2012/05/strawberry-coconut-milk-ice-cream.html

Found this delicious recipe on SkinnyTaste!  I have to share it with you because it's just that good. Sure it isn't summer when we all normally eat it but, potato salad is always yummy any time of the year. I did make a few changes to suit my taste but, it's pretty close to the original which I linked below. Ingredients:  2 tbsp Chives, chopped 625g (22oz) Red Potatoes, cut up 1 tsp Dijon Mustard 1 tbsp light mayo 1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar 1/4 cup Red Onion, chopped 1/2 cup Celery, chopped 1/2 medium green pepper, chopped Directions: Cut the potatos and boil until soft which is about 10 minutes. Strain the potatoes and place them in a bowl, set aside to cool. While the potatoes are boiling you can prep everything else. Dice the onion and green pepper and mix with mustard, vinegar and mayo. Chop the chives and set aside. Let sit while the potatoes cook.  Once the potatoes are cool, add the mix to them and add the chives. Add a little salt and pepper to taste

A little update for all my loyal readers! As you know, I've stopped being incredibly strict about my diet, trying to get myself into a normal active lifestyle with more daily food intake.  Well, things have been going better than expected. I've lost so much weight in February honestly without trying so hard. Well, not as hard as I had been trying. I've mainly been trying to stay healthy and lose half a pound a week.  I've lost 6 or 7lbs in the last month! Maybe there is something to be said for eating more to lose more, my body obviously needed the extra energy I've been feeding it! Here is a photo from today, showcasing the chalkboard wall we inherited in the new townhouse we are renting (so much fun) and my 50lb lighter self.