So, I'm such a goober. I made this big plan to write everyday or week and it's turned into almost never. My apologies. Here's some great things I've learned though. I've always considered myself a really healthy person, but to make the most of my life and working 3 major jobs, I needed a plan that would be able to sustain me.

So, I got on the Jillian Michaels 3 month aerobic plan which is amazing. It's 30 minutes every morning and that's it. It's not for everyone and she can be fierce, but for me, it works. Combining that with my new diet, I'm so much stronger now and have lost about 10 lbs. Here's a funny story. I put on a dress last week that zips up to the neck and once zipped up, I couldn't breath. The only way to save myself from passing out was to put my bra on the largest setting and hope for the best. It worked. The reason. My upper body is so defined and strong now that apparently I'm busting out of my clothes like the Incredible Hulk. I didn't think when I lost weight I'd need to get my clothes taken out.

Now, I start my day with my workout and have either oatmeal or cheerios with berries and 1/2c of whey powder. Then I have some coffee with skim milk and the other 1/2c of whey powder. The whey is so sweet, I don't need the sugar. It's like drinking a mocha but you get the protein. Sometimes I'll have a side of eggs too. I've had egg white omelets for the longest time with veges but noticed for as much ketchup I put on them, I might as well get the regular eggs as there's so much protein in the yoke and x-out the ketchup. This usually sustains me until lunch. I feel by starting my day out with whole grains, berries and protein, I'm much happier and focused AND my moods are in check. More about that in a sec. For lunch, I've been sticking with either a turkey wrap or turkey, tomatoes and swiss on a multigrain roll toasted with lettuce and mustard. Accompanied by a salad full of fiber and nutrients and some seltzer water. If need be, i'll have some yogurt or fruit or both for a snack but since my stomach has been shrinking, I haven't wanted it. In fact, if you breathe all the way out and push your fingers towards your belly and grab any excess, that's the real fat you're dealing with. Everything else is muscle. I was so happy to do this exercise and see my puppet tummy shrinking. :) Oh, for dinner I normally have some fish or protein with a side of whole grain jasmine rice and a fiber rich salad. If I need something sweet, I'll often have a few squares of dark chocolate or blend up my chocolate whey with raspberries, blueberries and an apple in some water. It's SOOOO delicious!

The biggest lesson I learned the hard way, which is one of the reasons I hadn't been able to write as much, is that food is a major food enhancer. My eating habits have been so inconsistant that I was just all over the place. Having a much better balance now and feeling like I've been really getting my nutrients, sticking to whole foods and cutting unnatural sugar and soda completely out of my diet, I feel so much better. Leaps and bounds. It's scary to know what exactly is in diet soda. The same things that go in car batteries and fireworks...pure chemicals. It's ssoooo not safe and was a huge wake up call. BUT, because I've loved soda, to curb my craving I'm now drinking flavored seltzer which is delicious and bubbly.

It took so major plows to the head even for someone that's considered herself as happy as I've been. Whole grains, fruits, veges, protein from foods and cutting all unnatural sugar and chemicals from my diet makes me happy AND it's so much cheaper! Trader Joe's is my haven. Even so, the meals we consider to be easier add up to actually being much more expensive but then there's the doctors bills on top of that for probably feeling more sick often and having to substitute other chemicals to make yourself feel better. Working from the inside out is the only way to do it. I chose my life and chose to keep is strong. It's too demanding to keep going the way I had been and survive.

I'll keep writing. My goal is to lose another 15 lbs to be down to my fighting weight. :) Wish me luck!!

Love the comments too. Let me know how you're doing.