Living A New Life At 17

My Old Food Journal...AND a SPECIAL message from ME!

2011-03-07T21:36:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! Last week I talked about starting a food journal, well, I was going through my day planner and stumbled upon a few pages from my old 2007 food journal! Let me just tell you, I'm amazed that I lost any weight back then, I can't believe I ate this stuff while trying to lose weight...I figured I would share just a few of the gems that are there;

Nov 19,2007

Breakfast: Chex cereal with whole milk, and a couple spoon fulls of sugar (I didn't measure out the correct portion of cereal either)

Lunch: Turkey Sandwich with mayonnaise (on white bread, with lots of mayo), cheese, and chips.

Snacks: 100 cal. pack of "Cheese Nips), cup of coffee (with lots of creme and sugar)

Dinner: Mac & cheese, fried ham.

Dessert: a 170 cal. Oatmeal Creme Pie

November 20, 2007

Breakfast: 90 cal granola bar, iced tea (with sugar)

Lunch: Taco Bell; 2 "Ranchero Chicken Soft Tacos with NO lettuce or tomato, Nachos and cheese sauce

Dinner: KFC Extra Crispy Chicken, Mac & cheese, and potato wedges.

Dessert: Hot cocoa (made with whole milk, extra scoops of hot chocolate, and lots of marshmallows)

November 21, 2007

Breakfast: 170 cal Oatmeal Creme Pie, half a cup of coffee (again with lots of cream and sugar)

Lunch: McDonald's; Cheeseburger, small fry, all together 550 cal.

Dinner; Homemade pizza, probably 3 slices (This was before we started using whole wheat flour)

November 25, 2007

Breakfast: Nothing (not good)

Lunch:Hot dog and chips, (on a white bread bun)

Dinner:340 cal frozen dinner, I ate less than half, so I decided to eat a 450 calorie piece of cheesecake to make up for it...go figure...

Snacks: 100 cal. Cheese Nips, a 70 cal. piece of chocolate

November 26, 2007

Breakfast: A Ham & Cheese Pouch (from the local doughnut shop, for whatever reason I thought that they were only 150 calories...oh how young and naive I was...

Lunch: a grilled cheese (on white bread, with 2 slices of cheese) and Ramen noodle soup

Dinner: Popcorn chicken, and wedges

Snacks: 70 cal piece of chocolate

Dessert: A nice sized piece of pretzel Salad (which is made of jello, pretzels, sugar, cool whip, and cream cheese).

I will remind you that what I was eating here, was still LESS than what I was eating back in 2006, so believe it or not, I actually did cut back...

I was most amazed by the fact that I ate as much fast food as I did...looking at this shows me how much my diet has changed in the last few years...I'm so proud that I eat vegetables now, and eat so much healthier! :)

I think that back then I should have tried to balance it out better, like if I had Taco Bell for lunch, cut back the portion, and maybe have a salad for dinner, of course back then I hated salads...I made mistakes of either not eating anything or eating too little for breakfast, but then I'd eat unbalanced meals...

I think that if I'd changed it up back then, I would have lost weight faster, and I would be healthier, but I didn't know then, what I do now...no matter what I did back then, it has gotten to a good place now, and no matter how bad I ate a few years back, it makes me so grateful for the way I eat and live right now!

Here is an example of what I ate the other day:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup of cottage cheese with about 7 pieces of canned fruit mixed in the cottage cheese

Lunch: A deli turkey sandwich on 2 slices of low cal whole wheat bread =100 cal., a 50 cal piece of cheese, and lettuce, and 7 "Wheat Stix" instead of chips.

I had a cup of coffee after lunch, and one later in the afternoon, (both made with Stevia In The Raw sugar substitute and Fat-Free coffee cream.

Dinner: a salad with beets, feta cheese, 4 olives, and some low cal dressing, and 1 slice of homemade pizza (which is made with half whole wheat flour)

I've changed portion sizes, added veggies, and have switched to some low cal/fat free options. I just wanted to share with how I ate way back in 2007, when I started losing weight, I am much healthier than I was back then! Thanks for reading, have a great week!

~Michelle

NOTE: Everyone, I've decided to take a break from blogging for a little while, I may come back to it, I'm not sure...I just need to take some time and be there for my family right now...I'm making a lot of travel plans for the Summer, and I need to focus on other things for now...I will leave the blog open so you can still ask me questions, I will still be able to answer them, feel free to talk amongst yourselves on here, you can always find me on twitter (just check the twitter link on the side of the page)! I thank every single one of you that have read my blog, you guys are great! Keep up the work outs, the good eating, and the weight loss! I am so grateful for all of you, thank you! I wish all of you nothing but success in your weight loss and your life! This isn't goodbye forever, just goodbye for now...again I thank all of you for all of the support!

xo ~Michelle

Fit Facts...

2011-02-27T12:55:00.001-06:00

Howdy! Let's talk about weight loss fun facts! For instance, I've recently heard that drinking COLD water, like really cold water, boosts your metabolism. Personally, I prefer to drink my water at room temperature, I find that I can drink a lot more, and it quenches my thirst better, just my preference...

I've often wondered about this next question myself; what time of day is best for working out, morning, afternoon, or evening? Well, from what I've heard/read, it doesn't really matter, whatever time that works best for your schedule is great! The only bad thing that I've heard, is that you shouldn't work out before you go to bed, because of the endorphins, it will keep you awake at night. So try to avoid doing that...I like to work out in the morning, I like to start my day with it, it gives me energy (most of the time, depending on how well I slept the night before), plus I just like to know that it's done and I can move on with the rest of my day.

I don't mind working out in the afternoon, I just feel like by the time I'm done, my energy is zapped for the rest of that day. I don't really work out in the evenings..

I've heard that you should eat breakfast within the first half hour to an hour of waking up, and I've heard that you should eat before working out, that way your body will have something that will give it energy as you work out...I don't usually follow this rule, I work out before I eat, most of the time. And I don't eat within an an hour of waking up...I'm a rebel ;) Sometimes I do eat and then work out, but usually I don't...but I ALWAYS eat breakfast, it really does kick start your day! Never skip breakfast or any meals for that matter!

You also should drink water WHILE you work out, again I don't do this, I really should but I'm so into the work out, whether it's yoga, running or the elliptical, and I just don't think about it...Plus it's kind of hard to carry a water bottle when you run, or when your doing a yoga work out...I can drink when I'm on the elliptical, but I just don't feel like it first thing in the morning and I'm not thirsty...though I do drink lot of water throughout the day, it's my beverage of choice! :)

This isn't really a "fact" but I want to tell you all to start a food journal, I know, it sounds like a pain, but it does help when your trying to lose weight, or even maintain. When I first started losing weight, I tried to have a food journal, but I never would keep up with it, but last year I needed to see what I was eating and how I was working out, so I started to write it all down. Now, I still keep one, and it isn't hard to write what I eat or my work outs. I just write the date, what my weight was that morning, what I ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, if I had any snacks, and what my work outs were, and how long I worked out. If I gain a pound, I can see what I had the previous day, and what my work outs were...you must make sure to write EVERYTHING that you eat or dink! If you don't, the journal really doesn't help you...

I will share one last fun fact with you, as a runner I found this cool; you burn about 100 calories in every mile that you run, no matter how fast you go! I just found this interesting/awesome!

Anyway, I wanted to share some of these things that you can try if you want to boost your metabolism or give you some energy! Thanks for reading, talk to you later!

~Michelle

P.S. Boosting your metabolism means that you will burn more calories, you need to have a higher metabolism to burn more fat and calories...another little fact for ya! ;)

Redemption...To Yourself...

2011-02-19T21:25:00.003-06:00

Hello! I hope that everyone had a nice Valentine's Day, and didn't overindulge too much, but if you did, now's the time redeem yourself!

This time last year, I was slowly gaining some weight, I wasn't sure why, I just couldn't figure it out, but I've been thinking about it recently and I think I figured it out...

I don't like to say this because I feel like I failed, but I did something that people who lose weight sometimes do; I lost a nice amount of weight (80 lbs), and then gained some back, not all but like 13-14 lbs! At the time I didn't think that I was being that bad when it came to food, but looking back,I had this crazy logic that was, if I ate something and no one saw, then it didn't count. Weird right? It's not that I would eat huge amounts of junk food, it was actually healthy stuff, like a handful of granola, or some dried fruit, or a handful of low cal cereal, not a huge amount but I knew that I didn't need it, plus I would have more than I really should have had. I did work out pretty hard, though. But in retrospect I regret ever snacking, I'm a person who can't really "snack", my idea of a snack is a nice cup of coffee with fat free creamer and 2 packets of a low calorie sugar substitute (I use Stevia In The Raw), a big cup of coffee ends up being around 60-70 calories. I have that after lunch and it curbs my appetite until dinner.

Anyway, I just don't eat snacks, but back then I would have a snack because I thought it was ok, I thought that I wasn't eating enough. You know, I screwed up, and I own it, and now I know that I have to stay on top of my diet and my weight, if I see a change in the numbers on the scale, I need to adjust what I'm doing, I'm not going to sit back and gain weight again, like I did last year.

Since last year I've lost weight, have a much healthier diet, and have a pretty good workout routine! Gaining back those couple lbs, actually was kind of a good thing...it was a wake up call to tell myself that I lost weight, but I can gain it back faster than I lost it, and the numbers on the scale can go up so quickly...I need to keep myself in check.

Right now, I'm not sure what weight I would like to be at, I just want to play around and see what weight is more comfortable and one that I can maintain.

I've made mistakes, but I know that I'm way better now than I was last year, and completely different than the person I was 5 years ago...I've kind of gone back to the person that I was back in 2009, when I was really good at losing/maintaining!

I just want you all to know that even though I did lose weight, I also made bad choices and gained a little back, but I want you to now that even if you've made mistakes you can still redeem yourself! I screwed up, but by screwing up it gave me the drive to change my habits, and myself! Even if you fall off of the wagon, don't say "I messed up, I might as well give in", you can change, messing up can be exactly what you need to light that fire under your butt and get you motivated again!

I hope that this helps those of you that have made mistakes when it comes to weight loss, or has been a cautionary tale of what to avoid if you are just staring your weight loss journey, you don't have to gain any back, just don't think that it will stay off by magic, you need to watch your food and your work outs...Thanks for reading!

~Michelle

P.S. I'm not a big fan of sugar substitutes since most of them contain "aspartame" or "acesulfame" which I've heard can possibly cause cancer, I don't know that for sure I've just heard it. Which could mean nothing, one day something is good for you, then the next it's bad, a year later it's ok again, so who knows if it does cause any kind of health issue? I just stay away from it, I use Stevia In The Raw, I use 2 packets in my coffee, that's it and I use it only because I haven't heard of health problems associated with it, I just know that it doesn't have any "aspartame" or "acesulfame" in it, and neither does Sweet 'n Low, which I haven't tried yet. It just is a low calorie option to sugar in my coffee. Just wanted to let you know that!

Past, Present, And Future...

2011-02-12T22:08:00.001-06:00

PAST :
Hey everyone! I must confess, in 2007 when I started to lose weight, I was no angel! I did cut my portions, but I still ate some fast food, and didn't eat a ton of veggies. I did work out, I started out little by little, working my way up to more exercise. I also don't think that I started losing weight for the reasons that I should have...

I thought that if I lost weight I would be skinny, happy, pretty, and that I could finally wear cute clothes in the size that I always wanted to be, to be able to find clothes in my size. Now those reasons are probably normal for the average 15 year old, but I wish that I decided to do it for my health, clothes can come in second. I think back to all the diseases that were just around the corner from me, I was on headed down the road for diabetes (pretty sure I was pre-diabetic), breathing problems, increased risk for heart attacks, cancer, heart disease, strokes, and if I didn't change I would have gone from overweight teen to obese adult! Back then all that registered with me was clothes, I never really thought about the health risks. I'm glad that I did something to change the course I was on!

PRESENT:
I'm now 19, and I eat healthier now than ever before, I work out 6 days a week for 40-50 minutes a day! It has taken me almost 4 years to get where I'm at now, it took 2 years to lose weight, 1 year to maintain (and gain), and this year I've lost a few lbs and I'm finding my comfortable weight. Over the years I've learned a lot about exercise and eating well, I know what my weaknesses are when it come to food, and I know that my head is what makes me over-indulge, not my body. I'm learning to think of food more as "fuel" for my body, not as something to do for fun, I still enjoy food, just less of it, and much healthier food!

To lose weight you have to find a reason to do it, as much as I wish that mine was for health, I know that if that was my reason, I wouldn't have stuck with it, clothing was fun and it gave me the drive to do it, so I guess in the end I'm thankful for that! You also have to do it for you, if you do it for anyone else, you won't stick with it! Also don't go into it thinking that losing weight will make you happy, you need to know that your weight only plays a small part in your unhappiness, and you need to figure out what the main problem is.

When you are losing weight you will slip up and you will make mistakes, I do too, but at the end of the day as long as you say "tomorrow will be better, tomorrow I'll be better", and you wake up that next day and you have that drive to better yourself, you'll be just fine. I've found that as long as you strive to be better, you will be ok, it's when you give up and give in, is when you've cheated yourself out of your own greatness.

FUTURE:
Over the past 4 years my work outs have changed, I do different things with different levels of intensity, my diet has changed too, I know that over the years my work outs and diet will change even more, as I grow up. There isn't one magic diet and work out that will work the same for everyone, and it won't stay the same over time. As your body loses fat, you need to increase intensity of your workouts, your diet will need to be changed too. I wish that I could tell everyone to do x,y, and z, and you're done, but I can't. I've had to play around with different work outs and changed my food to see what works and feels right for me, and you will too. Heck, I'm still figuring this stuff out too! This blog is to give you some ideas to incorporate into your own plan, so thanks again for reading ya'll! Have a great week, and Happy Valentine's Day! (Watch those chocolates!) ;)

~Michelle

Give Salads A Try!

2011-02-05T14:48:00.002-06:00

Hello Blog friends! I have really been getting into eating salads, they are so versatile! You can put pretty much anything in them, from fruit, to nuts (use sparingly), and chicken or tuna! There is one drawback to salads, and that is the dressing...I can't eat a salad without dressing, so I've found that Kraft Fat-Free salad dressings are great! As with everything, check the label, and make sure that for 2 TBSP of dressing the calories are about 50 cal or less. Kraft has a good variety of flavors!

Here is a list of things that I like to mix and match in my salads;

Lettuce, of course (bag lettuce, or a head of lettuce, which ever you prefer)
Spinach leaves
Leftover Chicken
Olives (green or black)
Pickled Beet Slices
Mandarin Oranges
Capers (They come in a jar and have a salty flavor, just a few of them)
Cheese (like shredded cheddar or crumbled feta, you can use low fat cheese)
Croutons (I make homemade croutons with low cal whole wheat bread)
Tomatoes (either grape tomatoes cut in half, or a regular tomato diced)
Green beans, wax beans, garbanzo beans (I use a few beans from a can)
Apples are good too

You just have to make sure that you watch how many of these things you put in the salad, don't put more than just a few of whatever you putting in there, I don't put all of this in my salad at once, I pick a few things. You really have to watch the croutons and the cheese, just a little goes along way!

Here is my recipe for my low-cal homemade croutons;

Ingredients

Half a loaf of store bought, pre-sliced whole grain or whole wheat bread, it should be around 50-60 calories per slice.

Olive oil

Kosher salt and Coarse ground black pepper

Garlic Powder (optional)

I take half of the loaf of bread, cut the bread into cubes, about 1 inch. Put the cubed bread into a large bowl, drizzle a little bit of olive oil, add a few dashes of salt and pepper, toss the bread to coat every piece of bread, you may need to put in more salt,pepper, and olive oil. Once it is lightly coated, Spread the bread onto a large rimmed baking sheet, you can drizzle more olive oil, salt or pepper, if needed. Now if you want a garlic flavor, you can take just a teeny bit of the garlic powder and sprinkle it on the croutons, put them in the oven for 10 minutes, check to see if they are crunchy, if not swirl them around a bit, then back in the oven for 7 minutes, and check, if still not done, do 2 minute increments until crunchy, like a crouton should be. If they are almost done and your afraid they will burn, you can leave them on the baking sheet on a towel on the counter until they cool. There you go, low cal croutons!

This week, I made a delicious Panzanella Salad, it was from Teresa Giudice's (from Real Housewives of New Jersey) Cookbook, "Skinny Italian". I got the book for Christmas, and this is the first recipe I've tried and this is the best panzanella salad I've had! You have to make croutons, and I don't think that you should use homemade croutons for this recipe, it is better to use Teresa's recipe in this case. Here is the recipe, it makes 8 servings;

Croutons

1/3 Cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 1 tsp of minced garlic in a jar)
1/8 tsp salt
1 loaf of day-old crusty Italian or French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

Position a rack in the center of the oven, Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Wisk the oil, garlic, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the bread cubes and toss well, I added a little more salt and olive oil, the bread just wasn't coated enough for me. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Salad

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded,and cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 ounces of fresh mozzarella, cut into bite size cubes (I used 8 ounces of feta cheese and cut it into cubes)
1/2 cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
10 fresh basil leaves (I actually used 12 spinach leaves, I'm not much of a basil fan, used spinach for color)
1TBSP drained capers

To make the salad, wisk the vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually wisk in the oil. Combine the croutons, tomatoes, mozzarella (or feta), olives, onion, basil, and capers in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss well. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving.

It is SO good! I highly recommend this cookbook, I plan to use several recipes out of it!

I hope that this has inspired all of you to give salads a try, they are so good, and this is coming from a girl who never would have touched lettuce 3 years ago! Thanks for reading everyone, have a great week!

~Michelle

Try Something New and Different!

2011-01-30T18:12:00.001-06:00

What's up everyone? This week is all about new things!

This weekend, I tried Yoga for the first time, and it was great! I got this beginners set that came with a mat, a foam brick, a strap, and a 30 minute Yoga dvd, for like $17! I have read people say that Yoga is very calming, and I thought that I'd give it a shot, well they were right! I felt this automatic sense of calm wash over me, you let everything stressful in your life fall away, all you do is focus on the poses and stretches! By the way, the poses feel so good, you can feel all of your muscles stretching!

I'm going to do cardio 3x a week, and the other 3 days I'm going to do 30 minutes of Yoga with 15-20 minutes of weight training thrown in, so we'll see how that goes!

This week I have been sick and my diet has been pretty much soups, 'cause that's all that sounds good... so it got me to realize that I like eating lighter, so I'm changing my diet a little, I'm starting to eat more salads, having them as meals sometimes.

I just have realized that I don't like really heavy meals, I'm still going to eat things like pasta, meat, and stuff, but I'm cutting back on the portions. I also have decided that I would like to lose 2 more pounds, I feel like I would be a little more comfortable going between 138-140.

When Summer comes, I'm going to replace my elliptical with running and bike riding. (Can you tell I'm excited about Summer coming, I talk about it every post, sorry, just can't wait!) I will probably still do Yoga, and I might look into Pilates in combo with Yoga...all I know is that I actually do like it, and all day Saturday I was in a very "zen" mood!

So I would like for all of you to go outside of your comfort zone and try something different, whether it be yoga, pilates, work out dvds, whatever interests you! I've heard that there is a "Zumba" dance work out that a lot of people like, so maybe give that a shot! Try something new, who knows, you'll either love or hate it, if you hate it, try something else, there are tons of different exercises to try!

So thanks again for reading my post, you all are AWESOME! Have a fantastic week!
~Michelle

Different (And Awesome) Exercises!

2011-01-22T18:34:00.001-06:00

Hi all! This week let's talk about different exercises! I like to have a balance between "weight Training" and "cardio", I do weight training 3 times a week and do cardio the other 3 days, and usually take Sundays off.

Weight training is using dumbbells, or weights of some kind. It is really something that you do in repetitions, you don't do them very fast.

Cardio is something that is fast pace, like running, dancing, walking, etc.

In the Winter, I've been using my elliptical 3 times a week, and I vary the level of intesity that I do it on, for about 40-50 minutes every time. On the other 3 days, I use some exercises that I got from a magazine and I throw in some of my own exercises and I use dumbbells, for about 40-45 minutes each time.

The exercises that I do are lunges, squats, side leg lifts, I kick my legs as high and hard as I can, and I do this move where I squat and come up and twist and punch with dumbbells in my hands, almost like punching the air.

The magazines that I got some exercises from was Seventeen, one of the routines was a Yoga routine, and I LOVE it! In the article, it shows a pose that you hold for 30 seconds, then you transition into an exercise, it brings me this sense of calm that is amazing, and it really uses the strength of your own body!

I will warn you though, I've looked Yoga up online, and some people say that some of the exercises are kind of dangerous, I'm going to start doing "beginners" yoga, I'm not quite ready to stand on my head (nor do I think that I will ever be!)

Be careful before working out, stretch really well, and know your limits, it is one thing to push yourself, it's another thing to push yourself over the edge, so just please be careful!

I'm looking forward to warmer/sunnier weather, I am going to get back into running and walking, riding my bike, all that great stuff! This Summer, my goal is to get up to running 6 miles, and not stopping! But, before I can do that, I'm going to have to go slow and work my way up there, start with running 2-3 miles, so that I don't hurt myself.

There are lots of different exercises that can be found in magazines or online, or even just come up with your own! Don't be embarrased to pick up a copy of Seventeen and check out the exercises, or you can probably find them on seventeen.com. They do have very good exercises and healthy eating tips! Please don't think that exercising has to be boring, it can actually be fun!

I hope that this helps all of you learn to love exercising like I do! Thanks for reading! Talk to you next week!
~Michelle

No Post This Week...

2011-01-17T10:07:00.002-06:00

There is no post this week, but I think now more than ever is a great time to reflect on what Martin Luther King stood for. Have a wonderful Martin Luther King day, use it to reflect on everything.

Thanks!
~Michelle

Declutter Your Space, Declutter Your Life!

2011-01-10T09:07:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone! Since we have dealt with the emotional "clutter", now is the time to deal with the physical clutter!

Just like what I said about weight representing your emotions, the cluttered closet or room, represents your cluttered life...

Dealing with clutter isn't as hard as people like to think...just pick the cluttered room, or closet, pick a spot to start, and just start going through things! Once you start, it gets easier, it will start feeling like second nature!

Here are some simple tricks that I LOVE;

If you can't decide if you should keep an item, use this trick to decide; if you haven't used it in a year, get rid of it!

If you have some papers that you always lose track of, you can buy a plastic box and make your own file box, put some dividers in there and you ready to go.

If you have some full page recipes, you can put them in a binder!

If you only keep piles of magazines around for 1 or 2 articles, just cut out the articles you like and put them in a binder!

I love using baskets, they look so good! You can also use clear plastic boxes, or fabric bins!

I think one of the best investments is a label maker, you will not regret this purchase! I label everything, and it helps remind you to put things back where they belong!

Getting rid of even just a few items, can free your mind of clutter, and it feels awesome! When you are organized, you can think clearly, and better handle things.

When you have gone through everything, and you have a "get rid of" pile, you can donate these items, or give them to friends and family, your call!

The main thing organizing comes down to, is putting things back where you got them, and where they belong! You have to make it a routine to put things back. At first it may be a pain in the you-know-what, but in the long run it will save you time when you need an item. Instead of spending minutes looking for the scissors, wouldn't it be nice to know right where they are all the time?

I find organizing fun, I enjoy it! I hope that you will try and organize something, too! Believe it or not, it really does help you in your life, it makes it just a little bit easier, and we could all use you that, right?

When you are organized, you can think clearly, and better handle things.
I hope that everyone found this post helpful, thanks for reading!

~Michelle

New Year's Resolution: Resolve the past...

2011-01-02T10:50:00.002-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! I hope that you all had the happiest of Holidays! Recently, I have been reflecting on how I have changed over the past few years, I have been thinking about how I'm stronger, smarter, etc. I haven't been reflecting on negative things, I have been thinking of the positive changes, like how I am glad that I have come to love working out, it brings me a lot of joy, almost like therapy...

I think that with the New Year here, we should all take time to reflect on the positive things, like how much we have changed for the positive, and even appreciate the hard things that have happened to us, that have brought us positive changes to ourselves. I don't want you to think about negative things, or regrets, only positive changes, no matter how small they may seem...

I will give you a word of advice, what I am about to say, kind of goes against what I just said, but hang in with me here; Before you start losing weight and working out, you must deal with the core of why you are eating like you are. If you have issues that you have just put to the side, haven't dealt with, or even if you thought that you have dealt with them, you have to sort through them again.

I know what you're thinking, but again, stick with me. I have learned this lesson the hard way, I thought back then, that my only problem was my weight, I thought that if I lost weight, I would be happy. I didn't know back then, that there was an actual reason for me eating the way I was, I had no clue that I needed to figure out what was the "emotional" part of my "emotional eating".

I just thought that I liked food, a lot! I learned the hard way, that if you don't deal with the core issues, every issue that props up will just add to the pile.

I have also learned that really, the weight is just a representation of your emotions that you haven't dealt with, the weight really isn't the problem, it's just an obstacle.

Trust me, if you don't deal with the issues beforehand, you will just become basically depressed after you lose the weight, and you realize that just losing the weight won't solve every problem in your life.

If you find that to deal with your issues and problems, you can't physically change anything, like mend a relationship, friendship,etc., try and find a way to say to yourself, "That person messed with me and left my life, I'm going to just let them go". Try and find a way to just let it go, yeah they may have screwed you over, or hurt you, but just let them out of your life, and move on to the positive, you can't change other people, you can only change yourself! Trust me, I believe that Karma will come back to bite those people who did you wrong, in their behinds!

If someone can hurt you so much in your life, and be so negative, let them walk out, they don't deserve to be in your life and bring you down, you will find people worthy enough to be in your life!

If something happens in a relationship/friendship, and it hurts you, but there is still hope for a mending that relationship, try and move past it, holding a grudge only hurts you more in the end.

I think that reflecting on yourself positively before going through the emotions, helps you get through it, whether you are just starting a weight loss journey, or you have already lost weight, it is something that everyone should deal with before it all just, kind of, explodes in your face.

Then once you have gone through the personal stuff, you will be ready to deal with weight loss in a positive way, and you will avoid a year's worth of sorting through the negative stuff, like I did. But, I have come to the realization that I am in charge of myself, and I don't want to be negative and hold grudges, I want to be happy and positive. I had a tough year, last year, but it's in the past, I'm moving forward and doing so in a positive way!

The New Year is a great opportunity to leave the past in the past and be the "new you", or get back to the old you that you haven't been for awhile...There are things about me that are "new", like my attiude and my view of life, but there are parts of me that are from the "good old Michelle", like my sense of humor, and my sense of happiness, things that I haven't seen from myself in a long time...I also have this new sense of gratitude and appreciation, after everything that I have been through in my 19 years of life, I have found that what doesn't kill you, does make you stronger, you just need to realize that...

I wish all of you a very Happy New Year, and I hope that you come with me on this journey of discovering ourselves even more. I will do my best to help you with your weight loss and self esteem, I will share what I have been through with tackling this weight loss issue.

I am still learning. Losing weight isn't something you do, and then it's a non-issue forever, it's something that you have to deal with everyday of your life, for the rest of it....

I sincerely thank you all for reading this! I will be back next week with another post, please check back next Monday! Xoxo

~Michelle

Bye Bye 2010...HELLO 2011...

2010-12-12T08:45:00.001-06:00

Hello everybody! This is going to be my last post for 2010, with the Holidays coming up, and my Birthday just around the corner, I won't have much time to write any posts. I'm taking some time off, because I have a lot on my plate, and a lot on my mind.

I don't know about you, but I am glad to see 2010 come to an end, to some of you this may have been a great year, but for me, not so much. I had high hopes for this year, but it didn't turn out like I expected...

This year was filled with lots of drama, lies, blame, anger, sadness, chaos, misunderstandings, tears, hurt feelings, self doubt, self esteem issues, confusion, weight issues, thoughts about the future, thoughts of the past, worries and confusion about the future...

I started this year, and I just wasn't myself, I was sad, and down, I couldn't figure out who I was, or what my future was. For awhile I was totally not myself, I was withdrawn, upset, depressed, I think that I am better, but I still struggle...

I have done a lot of soul searching, and I kept trying to pull myself out of this "funk", it didn't work, and I tried to hide how I felt,and I didn't hide it very well...

I somehow had a semi-breakthrough, it has taken months, almost a year, to get out of this mind frame, but I am hopeful about next year.

I have realized stuff about myself this year, I have realized that what other people have to say or think about me, doesn't mean a thing, all that matters is how I feel about MYSELF and MY actions. I also figured out what I want from the future, what my goals are...it has taken me a year to realize that, what I always said I was gonna be since I was 7, is what I am actually have the desire to be, and what I'm going to be. I should have had more faith in myself all along...

It sounds weird, but since I have lost weight, I actually lost myself, and the person that I was...That makes me incredibly sad, I thought that losing the weight would make me confident and happy, and it did for awhile. Losing the weight is just part of it, I guess you also have to look inward, to yourself, and your emotions, and sort through all of it...and I didn't know that I was supposed to do that...

I'm slowly finding bits and pieces of who I was, and I'm also figuring out who I want to be. I am starting to let go of all of the stuff that has happened over the past few years, that have always had somewhat of a hold on me.

I have realized that people are who they are, and they aren't going to change. You can either accept them for who they are, or cut them out of your life. I also have learned that people who turn they back on you or don't care about you, don't matter, and if they don't care about you, then you shouldn't care about them...

I am letting go of the negativity and am embracing the positivity. Yeah people will tick me off, annoy me, and lie, but if it is small enough, I will let it roll of of my back, because in the end, life really is too short.

Life is too short to have other people's, and even my own, pity party's, or negativity, bring me down, ever.

So I'm done with the pointless tears and self doubt, I'm done with the negative, and depressing.

I am getting a plan together for 2011; goals that I want to get done, how I want to act and be. I'm even thinking over how I want to look, i.e. clothes, I'm re-thinking my style.

I'm doing soul searching, but instead of focusing on the negative aspects, I looking for the positive things, and changing my thinking, and really letting go of the past, because I'm not going to let it hold onto me anymore.

So I hope that this will motivate all of you to think about the new year, and how/who you want to be. I'm really looking forward to 2011, and I hope that you are too!

I want you guys to enjoy the Holidays, but remember what I always say,

1. Watch the portions
2. Try and workout whenever you can, for at least 30 minutes everyday to every other day.
3. Everything in moderation (instead of 2 cookies, have one)
Most importantly, enjoy the Holidays, laugh!

I hope that everyone has the Happiest of Holidays! Have a Happy New Year, as well!

I really appreciate every single one of you, that take the time to read my thoughts/complaints/life! I love you all! I will be back better than ever in 2011, until then, Happy Holidays! XOXO

~Michelle

P.S. I just got Natasha Bedingfield's new album "Strip Me", and inside the cover, Natasha wrote this and I wanted to share it with you...

"So many things in life tear us down, squash us, burden us, take from us, but we can't let these things steal our hope and our freedom. Even if you lose the things you thought were secure around you, absolutely nothing can take away the power of your voice, or the magic of who you are. Every single person has uniqueness and an incredible power and creativity. Let no one and nothing tell you or treat you otherwise".

I thought that this was a beautiful quote, it's a FANTASTIC album as well...Bye ya'll! XO

Winter Workouts...

2010-12-05T11:24:00.002-06:00

Hello blog friends! It is now Winter, which means it is getting cold, really cold...Since it is getting so much colder, running isn't really comfortable for me, so pretty soon, I am going to start using my elliptical again, in place of running.

I'm still going to the gym, unless it is snowing, in which case, I have an exercise ball, and dumbbells, my own little version of the gym!

For those of you who choose to work out in rain/sleet/snow, I salute you, I'm a chicken!

For those of you like me, who would rather work out where it is warm, but you don't have an elliptical or exercise equipment, don't fret, just look around your house, you have your own makeshift equipment!

For instance, cans or jars (full, unopened cans/jars, like tomato sauce, soup, beans, etc., make excellent dumbbells/weights!

If you have a staircase or even just one step, you can do step-ups, if you have a full blown staircase, you can pretend that you are on a "stairmaster", which is what you will become when you're done with them! :)

You can do sit ups, squats, leg lifts, push ups, crunches. You can even put on some music and dance around the house, or your room, dancing is very good exercise, not to mention fun!

There are lots of exercises you can do in the Winter months, just because it's cold doesn't mean it has to ruin your exercise routine, you just need to adjust it a bit.

I hope that these tips help you, thanks for reading! Talk to you next week!

~Michelle

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2010-11-21T20:20:00.001-06:00

Hey! With Thanksgiving being on Thursday, I just want to remind you that this is a great Holiday to be with the ones you love, realistically, the food isn't what matters most. The memories that you get this year, won't be about what food was there or remembering exactly what you ate, the things that you will remember will be the people that you were around, and the things that happened (especially the chaos).

For instance, I remember something that happened a few years ago on Thanksgiving, it wasn't about the food, it was that my Dad put potato peels in the garbage disposal and clogged it up, long story short, my Mom had to wash ALL the Thanksgiving dishes in the shower! I can't tell you what I ate, but I can tell you stories about that Thanksgiving, and let me tell you, there was A LOT of chaos that year! ;)

You remember the sweet moments, and the crazy moments, and the wonderful and silly people that you were around, not the food. Sure, Grandma's pumpkin pie brings you back, but it isn't because of how good it is, it really just stirs up all of the wonderful memories that you associate with the pie. I understand that certain foods trigger certain memories, and that's just fine, but you need to remember that the food isn't really what makes you happy, it's the emotions that the food has behind it that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.

The reason I'm telling you this, is because I don't want you to overindulge in those types of food, just because you remember happier times. Maybe you should just take some time to remember that person or event, on it's own, not reincarnated in food.

Also, enjoy the people around you, the food comes second.

I want to remind you to eat your meal slowly, take time to join in conversation, and to drink plenty of water, and I would like you to resist seconds, please, the scale will thank you! People eat so many more calories on Thanksgiving than they need. People eat the amount of calories in one one meal on Thanksgiving, that they would eat in THREE or FOUR days! Crazy right?

I would also like for you to go for a Thanksgiving walk or run, I know that may be hard if you are cooking, but maybe you can take one in the afternoon/evening, that would be really good for you!

I want you to eat slowly, enjoy the people around you, exercise, drink plenty of water, watch your portions, and remember to enjoy the whole day, no matter what chaos happens, it will build memories!

I also promised a sweet potato casserole recipe last week, sorry I was SUPER busy, but here it is, just in time for Turkey Day! I am planning on putting this together day before Thanksgiving, and then throwing it in the oven Thanksgiving day. I'm also going to bake the sweet potatoes in the oven at 375 degrees, for about an hour and 15 minutes, until they are very tender. I would rather bake them than boil them...I don't cut them or anything, just put some foil on a baking sheet, toss on the potatoes, and stick them in the oven! If you want to boil them, that's fine too!

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE (LOW CAL)
Ingredients
Cooking spray
3 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/3 cup honey
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mist an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot with a large steamer basket in place. Put the sweet potatoes in the basket, cover and steam until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and let cool slightly. Add the honey, egg, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the nutmeg, ginger and 1/2 teaspoon salt; whip with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread the sweet potato mixture in the prepared baking dish.

Mix the brown sugar, pecans and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl; sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake until hot and beginning to brown around the edges, 40 to 45 minutes.

Per serving: Calories 160; Fat 4 g (Saturated 1 g); Cholesterol 25 mg; Sodium 180 mg; Carbohydrate 31 g; Fiber 3 g; Protein 3 g
(recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger, and Food Network)

Thanks for reading, everyone! Have an amazing Thanksgiving!
~Michelle

Healthy Holidays...

2010-11-14T18:42:00.001-06:00

Howdy! Winter is on it's way, which means holidays, lots of food, and family. I'm going to tell you something, with winter coming, it means that there is less sun, which means that our happiness goes down, sun = happiness. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true, when there is less sun, we are less happy, and often bored. When you're bored and bummed out, what are most likely to do? Eat. Especially if there are lots of sweet Holiday treats around, cookies, cakes, pies, you name it.

We almost become like bears, we kind of hibernate, only instead of sleep, we eat. we shut ourselves in our homes, and we feast. We tend to forget our goals, and if you run outside, let's face it, you don't run when it's really cold and/or snowing. There are lots of exercise programs that you can do in the Winter. You can also do lots of sit ups, squats, leg lifts, push ups, arm work outs, lots of stuff, if you have a set of stairs, or even 2 steps, use them to do step ups, or use your stairs as a stair-master!

Not only does the lack of sun drive us crazy, but with Holidays comes family, and some family members can drive you crazy, or you argue with them, and it can be a lot of chaos. When there is chaos or stress, you may be more likely to reach for that second piece of pie, or just eat way more than you should...

Don't think that eating more will help you stay calm, it will actually add to your stress, because you will feel guilty about eating too much. Just try to smile and remember that the Holidays only last a little bit, and then there is a brand new year just around the corner!

I don't want you to think that just because your on a diet, doesn't mean you can't have your favorite dishes, this time only happens once a year, and you should enjoy it, but in moderation, cut your portions. You can even swap out some healthy ingredients in your favorite dishes, like using fat-free things, or cutting back on the butter a little, or try using mashed sweet potatoes as opposed to regular potatoes. Add some nuts to your cookies, or add some oatmeal, or switch to dark chocolate chips, to make your sweets a little bit healthier!

For Thanksgiving this year we are changing just a few things, with my Dad having diabetes, and with my parents and I being very health conscious, we are making some swaps. I'm making a sweet potato casserole, but it is a very healthy version. My Dad is probably going to have a baked sweet potato, he may have just a little bit of mashed potatoes. I'm going to be making a healthy sweet potato pie. Are we cutting everything out? No. It is ALL about moderation, keeping your portions small, during dinner, will let you have your piece of pie for dessert!

Thanks so much for reading my blog, you all are great! P.S. I will share my recipe for the sweet potato casserole later this week! :)

Thanks again!
~Michelle

Sick...

2010-11-07T17:33:00.002-06:00

Sorry everyone, but I don't have a blog post this week, I am feeling really bad. I have whatever is going around right now...my head is THROBBING...I will be back next week with a post, I promise! :)

Sorry again guys...
~Michelle

2-Mile Run, Part 2...

2010-11-01T19:20:00.001-05:00

Hello, and a Happy November to ya'll! On Saturday, I ran my 2nd 2 mile run! Last year, I went into it just wanting to prove to myself that I could do it, this year I went into it wanting to beat my big brother!

I ran the coarse a few times before race day, and the shortest time I had was 17:15, I was really happy with that, and I will admit, I kept that from my brother because I knew if he heard that, he would REALLY try and whoop my behind! His fastest was 17:45.

I started out just wanting to beat my bro, and then I thought, instead of that being my main goal, how about letting this year's race, showcase how far I have come, even in just a year. I have only been running a year, and I have completely fallen in love with it! Last year, I had to stop and walk during the race, I really hate that I did that! So I didn't want that to happen again...

I was nervous before the run, but my Mom and Dad were there for me. Before the race my brother and I jokingly smack talked each other, or at least I think it was jokingly... :)We took pictures, I got a good luck hug from my niece, and I went to get in the starting line. I took a second and closed my eyes, I just cleared my mind, and just told myself to do what I love, just run. I heard the guy say "On your mark, get set, GO!" I remembered to not let myself get caught up in the craziness, and to pace myself, let everyone else burn themselves out during the first few minutes, and then towards the middle, I could just turn on my turbo run.

I kept a good pace, I lost sight of my brother and sis-in-law, but I just kept a good pace, and then towards the middle, I could see everyone start to slow down, so as they slowed, I sped up. I went up this big hill, which was a sign that the finish line was near, I went up the hill as fast as I could, leaving people in the dust. I had figured that my brother had already finished the race, but when I came up at the top of the hill, I saw his black shirt and I knew what I had to do... I kicked myself into overdrive, determined to catch up with him, and I did! As I ran past him, I could feel him doing a double take, and next thing I knew, he raced right past me, and I was too tired to go any faster, so he beat me, but only by like 5 seconds!

I am really proud of him, he did really well, I'm proud of both of us because we squashed our times from last year. I was proud that I had my fastest time of 16:50, I believe it was. All in all, it was a great day! Here are some pictures from race day!

My Mom took this pic of my Dad and I walking to the race, I thought it was pretty neat

Me before the race

Me running to the finish line

Me after the race

Thanks so much for reading my blog! Take care all!
~Michelle

Don't Dread Workouts, Look Forward To Them...

2010-10-25T12:55:00.000-05:00

Hello all! This week's topic is about pushing yourself to workout. I will admit, I sometimes dread going to the gym, and I really shouldn't, because once I get there and start working out, I feel so good! I leave the gym in such a great mood, the other day I didn't even want to leave! :)

My Mom dreads going for walks, but she admits that she feels better after she walks. I have had days, when I didn't really feel like working out, I was very tired, but I pushed myself to do it anyway, and I felt great that I worked out.

I know how hard it can be to get that motivation to get up and move, but you need to force yourself to do it anyway. You will feel 10x better than you did earlier!

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to work out, go to the gym, run, bike rides, all that stuff, just sometimes its more tempting to have a "day off", but I know in my heart that if I don't work out, I will deeply regret it. I just don't feel like me when I don't work out...

Just try and tell yourself, "I know that I really don't want to do this, but when I'm done, I'll be glad that I did it and I will be in a great mood!"

I will remind you not to push yourself to work out when you are sick, if you feel sick from your neck down, DON'T work out, but if you feel bad above your neck, like a head cold, you can work out, just don't push yourself too hard. A few weeks ago, I got a cold, and I still went for runs, and rode my bike, but I cut the length of my work outs down. I pretty much walked when I was supposed to run, because every time I tried to run, I thought that I was gonna be sick, so I just walked, which was fine too. Just listen to your body, and if your body tells you to slow down, you should listen!

Thanks again for reading everybody! I will be back next week, I'm doing a 2-mile run, I will fill you all in, wish me luck! :)
~Michelle

Plateaus...

2010-10-17T14:12:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! Let's talk about hitting plateaus while losing weight. You'll be going along losing weight, then one day you wake up to find that you are stuck at a certain weight, and it won't budge, your weight won't go up or down, for weeks. The tricky part is, are you working out enough, are you watching everything that you put in your mouth? Or could you be working out too much? There are so many possibilities, your body may be holding onto food and fat, because it thinks that you're starving yourself.

If you think that you could be working out too much, back off just a little. When I hit a plateau, I played around, I backed my work out time down, I backed down the amount of days I worked out, and I watched what I was eating, keeping my calories low.

If you don't think you are exercising enough, you might need to bump up the intensity or add more days of working out.

Also watch what you eat, you need to watch the sweets, and add more veggies and fruit, salads, and watch portions, stop eating when you start feeling full. But don't deprive yourself from everything, reward yourself, with a low cal treat.

You really just need to play around with it, and don't worry, you will get past this plateau, you just can't give in or give up!

When you originally start losing weight, your body is working off of a good amount of fat to burn, but when you lose weight, there isn't the same amount of fat to burn off, so you need to cut your calories and do a little more in your workouts. You can cut your calories, but remember to eat, I ate 3 meals a day, you DON'T want to skip any meals! That will send your body into a tailspin.

But, after a certain point, when I was getting down to the last few pounds, I had to bump up my calories a little, not too much. Because, my body started going into starvation prevention mode, and I ate a teeny bit more, and worked out. First I would try and cut calories, and work out. I kept it in my mind, and I kept my calories at or under 1,000-1,200.

I will say that it was easier for me to count calories with things like Lean Cuisines, and Breakfasts, that had calories on the label.

There are so many reasons why we plateau, working out too much, not working out enough, eating too much, and eating too little, but the point is, everyone hits a plateau, you just need to try different things to get back into losing weight.

Your body might even be used to the workouts that you have been doing, you should try and do something different, add in some new workouts. I have heard that you should change up your routines, every 6 weeks, so take that into consideration.

I wish that I could tell exactly what to do, but I can't, it is something that you need to play with, and figure out on your own, I just wanted to give you some suggestions. I have hit a few plateaus, about 3, and 1 time it was that I needed to kick into gear and exercise more, and cut my calories down more. Another time, I just kept working out, and gave it my all, and I knew that what I was eating was pretty good, and I just kept pushing through, and after a few weeks, I was back to losing lbs. again, and the other time, it was that I was overdoing it, and I backed down my workouts. So every time it was different, and for everyone it's different...

Thanks so much for reading my blog, I truly appreciate it!
~Michelle

Eating Disorders...

2010-10-10T21:38:00.000-05:00

Howdy blog peeps! This week, let's talk about eating disorders (I know, cheery topic right?) Anyway, I'm not just talking about anorexia or bulimia, but also overeating.

I am happy to say that I haven't had anorexia or bulimia, and I don't ever plan to, but I did have an unhealthy relationship with food...

It can seem hard to find the right balance with food, you have to eat enough, but not too much. You sometimes have pressure from peers, family, and media, to be thin, which may drive you too not eat, or to throw up. NEITHER OF THOSE ARE OK! DOING THOSE THINGS WILL MAKE YOU REALLY SICK, OR WORSE!

No matter how much pressure you are under, you must lose weight and become healthy the right way, changing your diet, and exercise. That is the only healthy way!

I guess technically overeating is a disorder, so I guess I did have one after all. I have been there and back on this particular disorder. I still love food, just not as much of it, and I have replaced most of the bad stuff with fruits and veggies. I'm not perfect though, I will have one of those days where I eat a little more than I should have, but I have really learned that I hate how I feel, when I think I ate a little too much. I feel gross, when I overeat a little, I just don't like how it mskes me feel, like physically. But I am human, and I do make mistakes.

There are lots of reasons why people have eating disorders, pressure from people, some kind of control over your life, feeling sad or even happy, fear of becoming something that you don't want to be.

If you are overeating, do not feel like you need to stoop to making yourself ill to lose weight, you CAN do it the HEALTHY way! It can be done, I promise!

None of these disorders are acceptable, they are really dangerous. If you or anyone you know have an eating disorder, reach out and get yourself or that person help, the disorder must stop! I can't speak for bulimia or anorexia, but I know you can come back from overeating, and I'm sure that you can be helped with the other two, but you must change your ways because of YOU not for someone else.

Thanks for reading my blog, I wanted to touch on this very important subject. I'm here if any of you need anything, you can feel free to comment anonymously...
~Michelle

Been SUPER Busy!

2010-10-04T19:01:00.000-05:00

Sorry guys, no post this week! But I will be back with one next week, I promise! Remind yourself of this, healthy = happy! Thanks! ~Michelle

Diabetes...

2010-09-25T18:47:00.006-05:00

Hey everybody! Recently, my Dad found out that he was pretty much a diabetic. My
Mom and I have been trying to help change his diet and get him to exercise more.

He has been on a very healthy diet the past week, lots of fruit and vegetables. He has taken up walking more. We are all trying our best to find a way that he can control his diabetes without taking medication.

His biggest issues were with sodas, and unhealthy fast food for lunch. His dinners were fairly healthy, he just didn't eat vegetables.

He has vegetables with pretty much every meal, and I'm so proud, he ate broccoli, he used to hate broccoli, and now he doesn't seem to hate it anymore! He has to watch the breads, and starchy foods. No more candy, he has healthy sweets, ones that are packed with good stuff for you, but in moderation, of course.

He can't have the sodas anymore, he drinks water and tea that is sweetened with either stevia or truvia, he just can't take it unsweetened.

The food around here has changed a little bit, not too much, but there are even more fruits and veggies around. It's nice that we all can eat the same meal for dinner now, before my Dad wouldn't eat most of the healthy stuff that my Mom and I would have. It's nice to have everyone eating more fruits and veggies!

I keep trying to talk my Dad into running with me, but he just hasn't taken up the offer, yet...

He takes blood from his finger to check his blood-sugar level. Diabetes is scary, but I believe that with changing your diet and exercise, it can be controlled without insulin. This isn't a disease that you can ever get rid of, it can be controlled, yes. But it will never go away.

The biggest difference will be him going from all of these sugary drinks, and snacks, and switching to water, fruits, and healthy snacks like nuts.

We are changing our diets around, having sweet potatoes as opposed to regular potatoes, having more green vegetables instead of my Dad's favorite, corn. Little things like that, which will make a big difference.

I really suggest that everyone who drinks soda, should think twice before you take another sip. I believe that sugary sodas and drinks cause diabetes, especially in kids. So please take the time to think about diabetes and if the sugar filled goodies are worth your health. Thanks again for reading!
~Michelle

Enough With The Comparisons Already...

2010-09-19T18:39:00.001-05:00

Howdy! This week's topic is about, not comparing yourself to anyone else.

It can be so easy to say that someone else is so pretty, so skinny, and how you wish you could look like that person. Trust me, I have been there WAY too many times to count...We compare ourselves to celebrities, peers, friends, and even family members.

We always put down what our bodies look like on the outside. We say, compared to someone else, that we are gross, ugly, horrible, etc. We can never just look in the mirror and find just one thing to appreciate. We torture ourselves into a corner, we beat ourselves up inside, we are our own worst enemies.

We are fed images in the media, telling us that there is a certain way we should look, walk, talk, and act. The media forgets to mention the hours of airbrushing it takes to make one picture of a celeb to look pretty, the amount of money spent on trainers, and dietitians, and the amount of time devoted to stupid unhealthy diets. There are very few celebrities that show how real people are, and what real people look like, not those Barbie doll wannabes.

Let me just tell you right now, very few of those pictures you see are 100% real, celebrities have zits, muffin tops, all of that, they just don't want you to see it...

I have compared myself to everything in the book, and trust me, you will never win, once you let your mind go to that place of negative thoughts, it is so hard to get back out of it.

Comparing yourself to a friend, family member, or peer, is different than a celebrity, because with a celeb you can dismiss it as the truth, airbrushing. But, with a "real life" person, you can't say that. What you don't realize is that everyone is different, they may be taller, they may be an athlete, they may just not like food, lol.

You just can't punish yourself for how someone else looks, that thinking isn't right. I am gonna let in on a little secret, nobody truly loves EVERY part of their body, everyone can find at least one thing that they would change, or that they hate.

Instead of tearing yourself apart, do something, take action and change your diet, and exercise. Just accept that people are different than one another, and you are amazing! Don't try and lose weight because you think that you will fit into the crowd better, do it because YOU want to! It will never work if you do it for anyone else but you!

I have pretty much stopped comparing myself to others, I have accepted that if I don't like the way I look I am the one who has to change it, it won't happen magically, and telling myself how terrible I THINK I look, that doesn't solve anything now does it?

So, I challenge everyone to find one thing that you like about yourself, and also, stop comparing yourself, just say, "Yeah, so and so is pretty", and just let it go, don't go there and say, "Yeah, so and so is pretty, and I am a cow", it is just a recipe for disaster.

I have beaten myself up in my own head, I have torn myself up, but I have come to realize that being your own worst enemy and critic, doesn't help your body change, you have to do something, put all of that anger, and frustration into exercise. Prove to yourself that you can change, for the better.

I just don't want any of you to hate yourselves, the fact that you are reading this, and want to change, means so much. You are worth SO MUCH, never think otherwise! You are strong, and you can change your life forever! So thanks again for reading my blog, you don't know how much I appreciate it! See ya next week folks! Have a great one!

~Michelle

Highs and Lows, Ups and Downs

2010-09-12T09:52:00.000-05:00

Hey ya'll! You know that I can't lie to you guys, so two weekends, I had a complete mental breakdown. I cried, and I cried because I felt like a failure.

I woke up, and I guess the scale played one of its "Jedi mind tricks" on me, it made me think that I was 3 pounds heavier, than the day before. It made me feel like a complete failure. I kept thinking, who am I to talk about weight loss?

No, I didn't gain all the weight back, but I did gain like, 10 pounds back. I was feeling like a total hypocrite. I also kept coming back to what I've said before, this "weight war" is never gonna be over, I will always have to stay on my toes. I've said that before, but now it is so much more scary to think about. I hope that as the years go by, it will become easier, but I'm just not sure. I'm telling you the same thing I have said a million times, losing the weight is easy compared to maintaining.

As I was having my crying fest, my parents sat me down, and had one of those "parental pep talks". My parents basically said, that I am sharing my weight loss journey, and that this is part of it, maintaining is the most difficult. They also said that, if I was a failure, I wouldn't be worried about my weight, and doing something to take control of it. The fact that I am concerned about it, means something, it means that I am trying to find a solution. Talking to my parents made me feel better, as usual.

I have just had an extremely difficult Summer (I'm glad it's coming to an end), it was just one thing after another. I feel like all Summer, I kept getting the wind knocked out of me, like I would be going along and BAM, something would happen, and it would just take me down. Then, when I would finally get back up and going again, something else would come and knock me off my feet. (All of these were just comparisons, I didn't really get knocked down ;), just saying)

I have been to the lowest part of myself, I have been the lowest version of myself, and I am mad at myself, for letting people bring me down. Letting other people's lies, bring me down. NO ONE should feel the way that I felt, NO ONE. And after it seemed like I was on my way back to being my old self, I realized that my pants didn't fit, and the whole weight issue, that I thought was behind me, was staring me right in the face again. Then I was put back into "the darkness".

I think that the weight thing, was just the icing on my really nasty cake. It just contributed to what has been happening for months now. So when I got upset because I felt like a failure, it was more painful because I was channeling my frustration from all of the stuff that has happened, so when I cried about my weight gain, I was also crying about everything else.

Then, on Monday, I woke up and was down 4 pounds, so I guess maybe the scale was messing with me? Who knows. I don't really feel like a failure now, I am disappointed with myself about it, though.

This blog, is about my "struggle" with weight, not my "Win" over weight. I am telling you all this, because I want you to know everything about weight loss, the ups and downs. It ain't easy, I used to think it was, but it ain't. My hope is that if anyone of you is feeling down, talk to someone, try and get your feelings out.

I am trying to let go of some stuff, that happened awhile ago, and what has happened in the past few months, I know that in my heart, I can never forgive what some people have said and done. What I can do though, is move on, be the positive person that I like to be, and let the other people live in their own drama. If the drama makes them happy, whatever floats their boat, but that's not my thing, I'm about optimism and positivity.

I am working on myself, I'm striving to be better, and be who I want to be. I can see that I have changed a little, and I am pleased with how I handle some things, but I am still a work in progress.

I know that weight will always be a sensitive issue with me, I accept that. I just need to remember that my weight doesn't represent who I am. My weight isn't all that I am. I also shouldn't worry about how other people think or talk about me, as long as I am happy with my words and actions, that's all that really matters. LIFE IS TOO SHORT!

I hope once again, that at least one of you can take something meaningful from this. I thank you all for reading my blog post, see you all next week!
~Michelle

Labor Day

2010-09-03T18:49:00.001-05:00

Hey guys, I won't have a post this coming week, because it is Labor Day. I hope that you all have a safe and happy weekend, and Labor Day!

XO ~Michelle

School Time Is Here Again...

2010-08-29T08:38:00.002-05:00

Hey blog buddies! Well, in case you haven't noticed, it is back to school time. I know, its SO much fun, isn't it? Anyway, I'm here to help you make better choices in the cafeteria!

First of all, if I were you, I would brown bag it (pack your own lunch), it would be so much healthier, plus you would know what is actually IN the food, and it will have so many less calories. Like make a deli turkey sandwich or wrap, so many possibilities!

But if you don't want to bring you own lunch, here are some tips. I would say, if you can, make a salad! I have recently fallen in love with salads, lettuce used to make me want to hurl, but now I love it! I just watch the dressing, I usually use a vinaigrette, or a dressing that has lower calories (I love the Kraft Roasted Bell Pepper one, it has just 40 calories in 2 TBSP.) You can put pretty much whatever you like in your salad, but just be careful of the cheese and croutons, and dressing.

If salads aren't your thing, then here are some scenarios where you can make your lunch a little healthier. For instance, if you want a slice of greasy cheese pizza, a brownie, and a soda, change that to a slice of VEGGIE pizza, WATER, and preferably an apple, but if you must have the brownie go ahead. At least you will get some veggies, and if you have the apple, it will keep you fuller longer.

If you want a bagel, with butter and cream cheese, a cookie, and water, keep the water, and instead of butter and cream cheese that will clog your arteries, instead put a little peanut butter, and slice up part of a banana, and put that on top, that will keep you fuller longer, and peanut butter is really good for you, unless you are allergic. If you are allergic, skip the peanut butter, and put maybe a little jelly on there, and have the banana on the side. Skip the cookie.

Now let's say that you want some chicken strips, or popcorn chicken, fries, and a soda, skip the fries, and soda, and instead opt for baked chips, and WATER, the chicken will probably leave you feeling kind of bloated, but if you must, have it, but add in an orange, it will balance out the greasiness of the chicken, and the acidity of the orange will hopefully absorb the grease.

Don't forget about healthy after school snacks. I have also become a HUGE fresh fruit fan! So I really hope that you choose to have an apple, banana, some grapes, a peach, nectarine, or some strawberries. They are a little bit of sweetness, that will give you an energy burst to get that homework done! :P You can also have one of those 100 calories prepackaged snacks, if you don't want fruit, they are also not bad either.

Breakfast is a must! Even if your crunched on time, grab a piece of fruit, apple, banana, etc. Or a granola bar, some cereal, or some yummy Greek Yogurt. You need to eat something, it will kick start your brain, and it will keep you full until lunch!

Something else that's important, is exercise, whether it be you going for a run, a walk, or even trying out for a team at school, or after school for that matter. Get some sort of physical activity, please, it is so important, and will clear your head! Plus, you know that I'm so pro working out! ;)

Make this school year rule! Go into it with a positive attitude!

I hope that this was helpful for all of you headed back to school! Thanks for reading,I wish everyone the best of luck! Have a great Labor Day!
~Michelle