christmas confessions and happy new year!

I have a lot to tell you...well, I have a lot to confess to you really. This past Christmas holiday took me for a spin down an endless food frenzy. I went off plan for about nine days and while it was fun for the time being, I hated the way I woke up the next morning and how I felt all day...it was like a sugar hangover. However, I still found myself going back to eating off plan by the end of the day...I was back to my old way of thinking and eating. I am sure I would have been back at my starting weight in a matter of weeks if I kept up this lifestyle.

BUT...thankfully I was able to turn it around. My mom (my main supporter in my house) instructed me to step on the scale and face the damage. It was the only way to really move forward. So, I stepped on the scale and cringed at the number staring back at me...I gained 12 pounds in only a matter of days. So that was it. No more...it just wasn't worth it. And you know, to tell you the truth, I missed being on the program. I missed the food and the structure of it. I felt kind of lost with my meals and snacks during those nine days.

With that said, I am looking forward and not behind at my mistakes. I won't lie...I was pretty hard on myself and kept playing the "what if" game in my mind...but what is done is done. There is no turning back...only moving forward...one step at a time.

So...who is ready for a New Year!? I know I am! It's a fresh start. A blank canvas. All those things that happened in 2013 (both good and bad) are gone. Those days are never coming back. So let's put those mistakes behind us and move forward...welcoming 2014 with open arms.

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead" (Philippians 3:13). 

xoxo,

Toni 

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Moving-Forward#sthash.UoFJ5IsP.dpuf

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Moving-Forward#sthash.UoFJ5IsP.dpuf

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope and pray that you have a very merry and blessed Christmas! Remember...Jesus is the reason for the season!

Love you all!
Toni

Christmas Vacation

Enjoy this wonderful video of Chris Tomlin singing My Soul Magnifies the Lord. One of my favorite Christmas songs. :)

Well...I am taking some vacation time off from blogging until Thursday. I hope and pray that you have a wonderful and blessed Christmas and I will talk with you all soon!

When you have some free time, watch my all time favorite Christmas movie, A Charlie Brown Christmas, for free on hulu. Just click here.

xoxo,
Toni

day sixty-five...he put a ring on it

My older sister, Sterling, is engaged! I am beyond excited for her and cannot wait to see her walk down the aisle and live happily ever after. *heavy sigh*

It has been a long day, due to all the excitement of the engagement, so I am just going to quickly go through my eats for the day and head to bed. Don't worry though...I will talk more about it tomorrow. ;)

Breakfast
Woke up this morning and made myself a dark chocolate shake. We had to attend a memorial in the early afternoon, so I got ready while I sipped on the shake.

Morning Snack
On the way to the memorial, I snacked on a blueberry muffin. It's been a while since I ate one of these, and I was pleasantly surprised with how good it tasted!

Lunch
After the memorial, it was off to my sister's boyfriends mom's (what a mouthful!)  house to celebrate the engagement of my sister and her now fiance, Gabriel. I ate some honey mustard pretzel bites a little while before I got there.

Afternoon Snack
Once we arrived, there was a spread of finger foods. I sort of strayed off plan and had a few meatballs that had BBQ sauce on them (didn't snap a picture of them). But shortly after the little get together, we went to dinner at Baja Fish Tacos, where I had a salad with carne asada. Not as good as chipotle, but still pretty good.

Dinner
A little while later I made a calorie burn cappuccino. This was so perfect. I was really full for some reason and the warmth helped settle my stomach.

Dessert
I had dessert really late, but once I did, I ate a smores crunch bar. I ate it pretty quick for some reason too. Maybe I just wanted to get to bed. It has been a long day.

Well, that is that. More to talk about tomorrow. :)

xoxo,
Toni

day sixty-four...making progress

It has been a good morning...the weigh in...excited news! But...I will get back to that later. First, let's talk about my day and what I ate.

Breakfast
Woke up this morning with a smile on my face ready to face whatever the day had for me. I made myself an eggnog shake and headed into work. Today was our inventory day. Basically we count all the inventory in our warehouse. It was quick though, only took us about 30 minutes...I would say that's a record.

Morning Snack
I was hungry by the time my morning snack came around so I opted to make a chai latte and sipped on that for a good 45 minutes. It's amazing to me how much those drinks fill me up and keep me full!

Lunch
I was out and about doing errands at lunch so I decided to treat myself today and went to chipotle. I got a salad with steak, fajita veggies, and pico de gallo salsa. This has to be my favorite going out meal. So good!

Afternoon Snack
Lunch held me over for sure. But I did end up having some coffee with my afternoon snack. I sipped on some coffee first and then opened up and ate a bag of the mixed berry cereal crunch. Perfect afternoon snack.

Dinner
I had dessert for dinner today. Why not, right? I made a peanut butter milkshake using the peanut butter soft serve. I haven't made myself one of these milkshakes in a while, so it was a nice treat.

Now, I have to tell you...I spoke in front of my college group tonight! I was asked to give a word of encouragement before the study, and so I did! I was really nervous, but the Lord totally worked through me. It was a great feeling to be used by the Lord...despite my heart beating a million times an minute and my palms getting all sweaty. Oh well, God knows what He is doing, and He has a special plan for each and every one of us. Tonight is a night I will never forget.

Dessert
When it was time to eat my dessert, I was in the middle of church. But, I thought ahead and cut up a cinnamon roll crunch bar and brought it with me. I discreetly snacked on it while listening to the message. :)

And now...the moment you have all been waiting for! Okay...so last week I was 141.6 and I kept thinking all week that I just want to be in the 130's for Christmas. And as of this morning I am 138.0! I couldn't believe it! I don't even remember the last time I was in the 130's. God is so good and gracious. I could not have done it without Him.

Remember that this weekend...when you put God first, things just fall into place. I would not be where I am today if it were not for the Lord. Trust me, I tried doing every diet in the book on my own, but it was only when I surrendered my will to the Lord that I have succeeded. No turning back!

xoxo,
Toni

cheesy spinach and kale dip

I love spinach artichoke dip. Well, loved it. I know that I cannot have artichokes so I substituted them with kale. I promise...you won't even notice a difference. This dip is going to rock your world.

Step One
Gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. You will need:

1/4 cup egg beaters
1/2 cup spinach
1/2 cup of chopped kale
4.5 oz 1% cottage cheese
1/4 tsp Mrs dash garlic and herb seasoning
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/2 tbsp light butter
1/2 cup of celery or pepper strips

Step Two
Combine all ingredients in a bowl except parmesan cheese and shredded cheddar cheese.

Step Three
Pour into a casserole dish sprayed with non stick cooking spray and bake for 40 min.

Step Four
Sprinkle cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese on top and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Step Five
Allow it to cool a bit, and dip some celery or peppers in it and enjoy!

This entire recipe counts for one lean and green meal.

xoxo,
Toni

day sixty-three...if it was easy, everyone would do it

Today was kind of tough. Not really for food reasons (although having an entire box of see's candy in my office doesn't help) but rather for exercise reasons. I went for a 2.17 mile jog and just struggled with it. Then I saw this quote and thought, how true! I mean, if running was easy, everyone would be healthy and in shape, right? But the fact is, is that working out is hard! There is just no easy way if you want to see results. Simple as that.

With that said, I am not feeling discouraged, but rather encouraged. Weird, right? But I am excited to see my weight for tomorrow morning. And you know...if I don't reach my goal of 2 pounds, that is okay. I know I am due for a plateau and I am ready for that, but I also know that I have tried my hardest this week and have stuck to the plan. 

But all the glory goes to the Lord for helping me get through my run tonight and also through this week.

Breakfast
Okay...enough with my "life is hard but keep going rant"...let's move onto my eats for the day. For my breakfast this morning I made a mocha shake and added some instant coffee to it. Totally enhances the flavor of the shake...you should try it.

Morning Snack
I was out and about on an errand when my morning snack time came around. My stomach started grumbling and I realized, Oh, it's time to eat! Funny thing though, in about ten minutes my stomach stopped grumbling and I wasn't hungry anymore! Just goes to show that when those hunger pangs do come, stop, drink some water, go for a walk, etc...I promise the hunger will dissipate. :) But anyways, when I did make it back to the office, I made a calorie burn cappuccino and sipped on the hot goodness for about 30 minutes. 

Lunch
Back to the daily grind for lunch today. I had a romaine salad topped with a pizza burger, some parmesan cheese, and light chipotle ranch dressing. Perfection. It was raining outside which is why the table has puddles on it. ;)

Afternoon Snack
For my afternoon snack I had some nacho cheese chili puffs. These are fairly good...just remember to have some water on hand...well, at least for me. They can get spicy at times.

Workout
As I mentioned earlier, I went for a run today. Nothing out of the ordinary, just my same 2.17 mile run. It was hard but fun at the same time. Maybe the difficulty was due to the cold? I don't know. At one point I couldn't even feel my nose! Oh well...I fought through the pain and finished the run.

Dinner
After my run, I made a java chip frappuccino. I just mixed instant coffee with the chocolate chip soft bake and blended it with some water. Easy peasy and delicious!

Dessert
To end the night, I had a strawberry crunch bar. Something light and small...because tomorrow is a weigh in day!

And now I am off to bed! Isn't this picture of my cat, Peggy, just the cutest! Even cat haters have to love this. I mean, how can you not. ;)

Goodnight!

xoxo,
Toni

oven roasted parmesan brussel sprouts

It wasn't until after I ate these that I realized they are on the "do not eat" vegetables list...whoops! But hey, you live and you learn, right? However, for those of you not on the Take Shape For Life program or are on the maintenance stage of it, here is a delicious vegetable recipe for you!

Most people cringe when they hear the words "brussel sprout", but have you ever really given them a chance? If you have never eaten them roasted, I highly encourage you to do so. And with parmesan cheese encrusted all around them, they are a delight to eat. I promise.

Step One
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and gather your ingredients. You will need:

1 1/2 cups of brussel sprouts
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese

Step Two
Wash and cut the brussel sprouts in half.

Step Three
Put the brussel sprouts in a bowl and add the olive oil and parmesan cheese and coat the brussel sprouts evenly.

Step Four
On a greased cookie sheet (I also used foil, but that is optional), arrange the brussel sprouts face up and evenly spaced.

Step Five
Bake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes, turning around halfway through.

Step Six
Allow them to cool and enjoy!

xoxo,
Toni

day sixty-two...it's my grandma's birthday!

It was my grandma's birthday today! The picture above is of me, my grandma, and my mom (taken last year)...three generations!

My grandma is the best grandma ever...seriously. She is also like a second mom to me. I love her dearly. I went out to lunch today with her, along with my brother and my grandpa, to celebrate her special day of birth. It was just a sweet time of fellowship and catching up. She lives nearby, so it's always nice to get together whenever possible.

I hope you have a very blessed birthday, Grandma! Love you! xoxo

Breakfast
Same old breakfast this morning...eggnog shake. I know I get pretty repetitive with my foods, but hey, when you like something, why change it?

Morning Snack
I had a chocolate chip cookie dough chewy bar this morning, and I paired it with some coffee so I could dip it in there. The hot coffee melts the chocolate a little bit creating this delicious holiday-like treat!

Lunch
As I mentioned earlier, I went out to lunch today for my grandma's birthday. Well, one of her favorite places to eat is called The Habit. So, I looked up the menu online beforehand and found out what I was going to order before I even got there. Looking at the menu too long at a restaurant always causes me problems. So, with that said, I ordered a ceasar salad (with no croutons and dressing) and added some tri-tip to it. The meat was so tender and juicy, there was absolutely no need for dressing.

...and here is a quick snapshot of my grandparents. Aren't they the cutest? ;)

Afternoon Snack
Steak usually tends to keep me quite full, but I was fairly hungry by the time the next snack time came around. I stuck to something simple and drank a chai latte. Sort of helped to settle and digest all that meat I had.

Dinner
I was out and about during dinner, so I just snacked on some brown sugar cinnamon cereal crunch. Have you noticed how crowded it is out there?! There are people everywhere you go! I only went to Target and Trader Joe's and it took me well over an hour and a half to get my shopping done! So crazy.

Dessert
Once I finally did make it home, it was time to go to church. After church I made some mini brownie bites using the brownie soft bake and called it quits for the night. I was exhausted. PS...these brownie bites were amazing! I will post the recipe soon. :)

I hope you have some fun while doing your shopping this weekend. Remember to keep a smile on your face at all times...it will only soften those who are upset and frustrated. Just simply smile! :D

Once again, happy birthday to my dear grandma...love you!

xoxo,
Toni

day sixty-one...seven days 'till Christmas

Let the countdown begin!

I am a huge Christmas fan. I love everything about it...everything. I feel as if people are simply more cheerful and happy as they go about their day around this time of year...or at least I am.

So as of now I am as happy as can be and cannot wait for the family to come together and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Breakfast
Back to the daily work routine this morning. I made myself a dark chocolate shake and went on my merry way.

Morning Snack
I can't tell you enough how much I like these calorie burn cappuccinos. They are so perfect on wintery days. Definitely ranking as my favorite Medifast meal as of late.

Lunch
Back to the salad today. I really like the pizza burger and parmesan salad combo. All I do is chop up some lettuce, heat up a pizza burger and sprinkle some shredded parmesan cheese and dressing and I am done! Quick and delicious!

Afternoon Snack
I was fairly full when it was time to eat my next snack, but I still munched on some cheese pizza bites. I mean...who am I to say no to a snack time? I am also almost done with these...I didn't order anymore on this last order.

Dinner
I am house sitting tonight, so I had a cinnamon roll crunch bar when I got to the house after work. I then got started working on some new recipes!

Dessert
One of the recipes I created was a vanilla pudding cake. Let's just say that if you are in need of a treat, you must make this. :) I will post the recipe soon!

Also...in case you didn't see it earlier, I posted a recipe for a pumpkin pie custard. Check it out here.

Hope your day is a blessed one!

xoxo,
Toni