day fifty-six...movin' about

The photo above fully demonstrates how I felt today.

Why? well, today I moved offices. Yep...moved from one office to another...and I share that office with my mom. At first I thought, Oh no, I am going to be spending all day in the same room as my mom? This is going to end bad. But you know what? After we got situated, I actually enjoyed being in the same room as her. It was nice talking with her and I think that rather than drive us apart, this is going to drive us closer together. Love you mom and can't wait to see what happens. :)

Breakfast
Waking up this morning, I knew it was going to be a tough and long day, so I made a dark chocolate shake and made my way to work.

Morning Snack
All morning I was walking back and forth moving my stuff into my new space and then helping my mom get settled into her desk space. It was a crazy busy, but I still made some time to make a calorie burn cappuccino. It was a perfect stress reliever and was exactly what I needed at the moment.

Lunch
Despite all the craziness going on (we weren't the only ones being moved today), my mom and I managed to escape for a quick lunch break. I made my usual pizza burger and Parmesan cheese salad with a drizzle of light Italian dressing. Simple and delish!

Afternoon Snack
After lunch things started to calm down and I was able to take a much needed deep breath and get my desk organized. While doing so, I ate some cheese pizza bites.

Workout
Despite feeling kinda sick, I knew I still needed to run. So, I went on my normal run and then before I got back home, I decided (for some crazy reason) to go around another block. It only took me about 33 minutes to go 2.73 miles. Not bad, I guess. I will only get stronger from here. :)

Dinner
I felt a little better by the time I got back, but about 20 minutes later I hit a wall...hard. I felt really sick. So I made a mud pie milkshake (recipe soon) and laid down and relaxed as I sipped it.

Dessert
Still not feeling better, I manged to eat a chocolate crunch bar with a bunch of water to wash it down and called it a night. Well, I wrote this post and then called it a night. Don't you just love my Christmas tree PJ's? I do...I mean, I only get to where them once a year. ;)

Well, goodnight! I pray your Friday is the best one yet! Keep a lookout tomorrow...it's not only a weigh in day, but it's also a updated picture and measurements day! :D

xoxo,
Toni

day fifty-two...doubt

Yesterday at my second Christmas party, our college pastor, Abraham deAlba spoke on doubt and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Me? Doubt? Never. But...I was wrong. I have been doubting God unknowingly, thinking certain things will just never come to pass. I am a doubter. Simply put.

I need to remember that the Lord has a plan. Sure, I may not know when it will come to pass, but He does and that is all that matters. Easier said than done, right? I want things to happen right now...today. However, I cannot doubt God. I just can't. There is no sound reason why I should. I mean, He is the God of the universe and knows every little detail about me, and I want to doubt Him? I am crazy!

So that is it...no more doubting. No more questioning God. I need to practice patience and rely fully upon the Lord and trust in His timing. He will make my desires come to pass if it is His will.

Now that we have that settled, let's move on to my eats for the day!

Breakfast
Had a lovely morning sleeping in today. Once I woke up, I made a mocha shake and drank it once again while curling my hair...I think I am going to make a habit out of this.

Lunch
After church I was hanging out with a friend at Portola Coffee Lab and while drinking an iced coffee I had a bag of cheese pizza bites. Honestly, not the best pairing, but still good when eaten by itself.

It was also my friend's first "hipster coffee" so I had to snap a picture of her taking a picture of her beautiful mocha...she's the cutest. Love you Kim!

Afternoon Snack
Once I got home from my coffee visit, I cleaned the kitchen and then had a chocolate crunch bar. I then started to put together and cook my dinner.

Dinner
I made a new lean and green meal for dinner! I am still testing it out, but I am hoping to master the recipe by Christmas. I made a turnip gratin. Not my favorite to be honest...it still needs a bit of tweaking. Keep a lookout for the recipe soon.

Dessert
I had a calorie burn cappuccino as soon as I got home from church. Don't know why, but I was just in the mood for a nice hot cup of coffee.

Dessert #2
I had some friends come over after church and while I made them some cookies, I also made myself some chocolate chip pancake cookies. They were really good...very similar to a doughnut hole. I will post the recipe soon.

That is all I have for today! Hope your day is blessed!

xoxo,
Toni

day forty-eight...freeing saeed

 
I mentioned this earlier, but the church is raising awareness today to save Saeed Abedini who has been in an Iranian prison for over 300 days. The photo above is of him and his family.

Pastor Saeed is an American Pastor who is serving an 8 year sentence in one of Iran's toughest prisons simply for sharing his Christian faith. Join us as we petition the international community to demand the release of this innocent man.

Sign the petition and raise awareness by visiting this site: http://beheardproject.com/saeed

Breakfast
I woke and realized that we had an all staff meeting this morning right at 8am. It's funny because last month (we have it once a month) I just drank my shake afterwards because I was too shy to bring it in with me...not today! I am getting used to my new lifestyle and am less self-conscious about what I eat and when I eat it. The Lord has definitely helped me gain more confidence. So this morning I made a mocha shake and I also added a packet of Starbucks via...and I brought it with me to drink during the staff devotion.

Morning Snack
I was surprisingly not all that hungry for my morning snack, but of course I still had one. ;) I ended up snacking on some mixed berry cereal crunch.

Lunch
Shocker...I ate a salad for lunch. I love them though! I made a romaine salad and topped it with a chili lime chicken burger, shredded parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of light chipotle ranch dressing. Yum!

Afternoon Snack
For my snack, I made a blueberry soft bake...but I cooked it in a cup so it looked pretty identical to a blueberry muffin.

Dinner
Dinner was a quick and easy one. I made a peanut butter milkshake and drank it right before I had to leave for church. I was a little worried I would have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the service, but I made it all the way through...whew.

Dessert
I chatted with some friends after church and around 9:15 I headed home to eat my last meal of the day. I chopped up a chocolate crunch bar before church just in case I had to eat it at church, but I made it out on time and was able to eat it at home.

Please remember to pray for Saeed and his beautiful family. We all know that the Lord works everything out for good, but it's still tough going through the "before" part...before the "good" comes out of the situation.

Once again...here is the link to sign the petition to free Saeed. http://beheardproject.com/saeed

xoxo,
Toni

day forty-five...being transformed

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Church tonight was amazing. Pastor Brian Brodersen taught on Romans 12...which is a pretty common and popular passage, but it really hit me more than usual tonight. And what makes it even better is that my health coach, Charlotte came up to me afterwards and we talked about it...confirming all that the Lord spoke to me about.

This health journey I am on is a transformation of my body. But not only am I changing on the outside, I am changing on the inside as well. This is also a heart issue. I can deny food and be bitter about it, or I can deny food and rejoice in the Lord for the great victory He just allowed me to have.

This is a slow process but one I have to go through—to get healthy and to grow spiritually. I encourage you to read Romans 12 and meditate on it. If you are open, the Lord will surely share something with you. Heed it and take it to heart.

Breakfast
Once again I slept in today. Tomorrow is going to be a fun wake up call getting back on my normal schedule...not really. :P So once I did get up I made myself a mocha shake and then headed to church.

Morning Snack
I brought a chocolate crunch bar with to church so I would be able to eat it right after church was over. We always seem to talk afterwards and I get caught without a snack, but this time I was prepared and ready.

Lunch
After church we went over to my grandparents house and helped them put up their Christmas lights. During the middle of it, I ate a Chipotle salad that consisted of lettuce, steak, fajita vegetables, and pico de gallo. I went to lunch with my parents earlier and just got mine to go. It's actually pretty funny how easy it was to say no to black beans and rice. God is good. :D

Afternoon Snack
After we got done helping my grandparents, we went to Home Depot and got our Christmas tree...a 9-foot Christmas tree! I just love Christmas...like a lot. This is my all-time favorite holiday. While putting up the lights and ornaments I snacked on some mixed berry cereal crunch.

Dinner and Dessert
We barely finished decorating the tree when we left to go to church. Once I got back home, I ate my last two meals at the same time so I didn't have to wait up just to eat again. I ended up making a chocolate chip pancake muffin in a (Christmas) mug and a chai latte. Perfect and delicious pairing.

Well, that is all for today. Don't forget to read and meditate on Romans 12.

xoxo,
Toni

day forty...forty days and forty nights

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It has already been forty days since I began the Take Shape For Life program. Forty days! I will be honest...there are not a lot of things I have stuck to for forty days. I am beyond thrilled and cannot wait to continue on this journey toward losing weight and getting healthy.

And it is only by the grace of God that I have even made it this far. I could never have done this by my own will...I would have eaten a dozen cupcakes by the second day. But with Christ, I am strong. He gives me the strength to say no to those temptations and keep fighting each day.

If any of you are interested in starting this program, click here. :)

Breakfast
I am off work for the rest of the week, so I slept in a bit this morning. When I did wake up, I made myself a dark chocolate shake. I love having the shakes first thing in the morning...they get me going.

Morning Snack
After breakfast, I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned...my room, not the house. My sister was here as well, so we cleaned up our room and then went to the store together. Once we returned, I ate a chocolate crunch bar while reading the latest Rachel Ray Magazine.

Lunch
I made something different for lunch. Since it is Thanksgiving week, I wanted to stray a bit from my mundane salads and try out some new recipes...especially since I have the time. So today, I made some turnip fries and paired it with a protein chicken burger topped with a little bit of light cheese. Delish! I have actually never had turnips before today, but they were pretty good and really close to potatoes in texture. Keep a lookout...I will post the recipe soon.

Afternoon Snack
Lunch kept me quite full, so I wasn't all too hungry for an afternoon snack. But, I still had one. I ate the honey mustard pretzels along with some water. There aren't that many pretzel bites in a bag, so it was a perfect amount that kept me satisfied for the next couple hours.

Dinner
I had to bring dinner with me to church, so I just a made a coffee milkshake. It was easy to take and drink...plus it was delicious. It was actually sitting around for over an hour and it was still icy cold when I drank it! Love this stainless steel cup. You can buy it here. It is actually 30% off right now too!

Dessert
After we got home from church, I ate a blueberry soft bake. I followed the new instructions that came with the new box and it came out so much better! No overflowing...only because I cooked it in a cup. :P

Well, that is all I have for today. If you can, please keep my dad in prayer. He injured his knee and is in constant pain. Just pray for the Lord's will to be done and that the Lord would give the doctors wisdom on what to do next. Thank you!

xoxo,
Toni

day thirty-seven...from the rising to the setting sun

So today I watched the sun rise and the sun set...meaning I have been up since 5am. Today we had a warehouse sale at my church and it was crazy busy all day long. My mom and I were non-stop from about 8am to 3pm. It was tough, but fun. Despite all the madness going on, I still managed to eat all of my Medifast meals and my lean and green meal for the day. There were times when I had to sneak a bite in between helping customers, but it all worked out.

Breakfast
I ate breakfast around 6am. I wasn't all that hungry, but I knew I had to eat. So I made myself a quick chocolate chip pancake muffin to take with me and eat on the go.

Morning Snack
For my morning snack, I had a strawberry shake. I totally spaced and forgot to take a picture of it. It was right when we opened the sale and things were crazy. I was only able to take sips in between helping customers.

Lunch
We were still busy at lunch, but I was able to sneak in a time to make a chai latte. I just added some hot water and stirred. It was perfect to have a drink at this point...a lot easier to drink than eat. ;)

Thought I would share a cute picture from the sale...this is The Bear Hug Band! It was so precious to see the kids dancing around to the music while their parents shopped. So, many thanks to The Bear Hug Band! I am sure the parents thank you too for keeping their children occupied while they got some shopping done distraction free. ;)

Afternoon Snack
As we were nearing the end of the sale, things were slowing down and I was able to eat a chocolate crunch bar. Once again though, I was eating it intermittently while helping people. But it all worked out. There were only a couple times people caught me with my mouth full. Whoops!

Afternoon Snack #2
I ate my second snack while cleaning up. I was so hungry I just devoured my bag of cheese pizza bites. By the time I was more than halfway through the bag I realized I didn't snap a picture of it! I am just all off today. Oh well...next time.

Dinner
I had my lean and green meal for dinner...and my goodness it was delicious! I was thinking of something for Thanksgiving that I could make that was TSFL approved. Now, I don't like turkey (I know I am weird), so I thought...what else goes with Thanksgiving dinner? Well, casserole does! So I made a broccoli and cheese casserole. This is one of the best things I have ever eaten! Click here for the recipe. This is comfort food at its finest.

Well, I am off to drink an espresso because it is going to be a late night for me. My friends and I are going to watch the Hunger Games: Catching Fire. So excited!

 Have a good night, my friends!

xoxo,
Toni

day thirty-two...what's in the red cup?

I love the eggnog latte from Starbucks. It is my all time favorite drink...and I can only get it once a year...this time of year. I walked into Starbucks last night after doing a little shopping at Trader Joe's and saw that the holiday drinks were here and available. I will fully admit that it is going to be a challenge this season not to buy any of these drinks...especially the eggnog latte which is probably the worst one out of the bunch. So I am going to resist and not give myself any liberties to buy one. I can make my own at home, Medifast style. ;)

But please pray for me in this season when food and drinks are the center of attention...it is hard for me because my mind thinks, "You only get this once a year...just get back on track after Christmas..." But you know what? I don't want to stop doing the Medifast program! I love what I am doing and really love the results...why mess that up with a drink I will consume in less than an hour? It is just not worth it, right? Right.

Breakfast
It's nice to be back home and back on my normal routine. I made myself a dark chocolate shake and put a little less ice in it to make it more creamy...and it did. It was a delicious shake. Oh, and say hello to the family cat, Bristol...he likes to photo bomb pictures.

Before I had my morning snack, I sipped on some vanilla cinnamon tea I got from Trader Joe's last night. It was so good! I loved the taste of it...plus, it smells just like Christmas.

Morning Snack
After my tea, I made myself a chocolate chip pancake in a mug. I added way too much water, so instead of it becoming a muffin, it became a soft, crumbled mess. Either way it was fairly good. Tasted a tad too eggy for me, but the chocolate chips helped balance everything out.

While shopping last night, I also bought myself some flowers for my desk at work. It is going to be a long and busy week, so I thought these might brighten my day if things get too crazy and stressed. Aren't they pretty. :)

Lunch
I am just trying all these Trader Joe's products left and right today. For lunch I made myself a chili lime chicken burger chopped up and put on top of a bed of lettuce with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese and Italian dressing. This burger is to die for. It is packed with flavor and tasts amazing. Loved it! This time the other family cat, Peggy, wanted to be in the shot.

Afternoon Snack
For my afternoon snack I had some cheese pizza bites. I was craving something crunchy ever since I finished lunch, so this snack was a perfect fit.

Workout
I didn't wake up early this morning...BUT...I did go for a run/walk after work. Yay! It was 2.11 miles...not a bad start.

After my run/walk, I came back home and did a 10-minute arm toning workout.

Dinner
After completing my workout, I ate my dinner for the day. I tried out a new bar...a chocolate crunch bar. My goodness...this is full of chocolate. If you are craving chocolate this is the thing for you. Just have some water handy because you are going to need it. Overall it was fairly good...not my favorite, (I don't think any bar can beat out the s'mores crunch bar) but still good.

Dessert
To end the night, I had a peanut butter milkshake while watching last week's episode of The Biggest Loser. Perfect combo. :)

Today was a good day...I stuck to the Medifast program and I even worked out!

Just remember to keep it clean when it comes to filling that red holiday cup. No eggnog, folks...stick to the skinny drinks or just keep the coffee or tea black. You can do it!

xoxo,
Toni