12 week transformation...day twenty-five

Fun and random post today!

So Tuesday was my very last orthodontist appointment! It has been a three year process dealing with braces and my retainer....but I am finally done! And just for fun, here is a before and after picture of my teeth. Look at my face and my neck too! I have changed in a good way since three years ago. :)

This just goes to show that if you stick with something, you will see results. You may not see them everyday, but overtime, you will notice those small changes.

Workout
I did my run early this morning, since I am going to be busy after work. I won't lie...it's really hard to get up and actually start running. It took me a while to wake up and stretch out, but about five minutes into the run (or really jog) I felt pretty good. It was quite cold this morning, so that helped to wake me up too. It's actually kind of fun running in the morning...makes you feel pretty energized for the rest of the day.


Breakfast
Nothing too exciting for breakfast this morning. Made a french vanilla shake and took it with me to work. Boring...I know.

Morning Snack
I just love calorie burn cappuccinos!!! I loved every sip this morning...totally hit the spot on this cold and gloomy morning...which I totally love! Finally having somewhat of a winter!

Lunch
I enjoyed yesterday's lunch so much, I made it again! Had another turkey burger with cheese and broccoli on the side. Delish! I wish I could show you...but I was just so hungry I completely forgot to snap a pic.

Afternoon Snack
Had some cinnamon pretzel bites this afternoon...haven't had these in quite some time. I am glad I reordered them! These are pretty good!

Dinner
For dinner I made a mud pie shake...or really just a chocolate chip cookie shake packet blended with some instant coffee, ice, and water. Ah-ma-zing. So amazing...that I forgot to take a picture...again.

Dessert
To finish off the night, I ate a smores crunch bar. Perfect ending to quite a busy day.

I am off to a weekend camping trip with my college group from my church, so no blog posts until Monday. But I hope and pray you have a beautiful and blessed weekend. Remember, to keep your eyes on the Lord!

xoxo,
Toni

12-week transformation...day nineteen

This was my prayer this morning...and all day really. Such a a beautiful song by Hillsong United. If you can, take a listen to it...it's called "Oceans".

Breakfast
Pretty standard morning for me...made a french vanilla shake and am pretty sure I drank it in record time. For some reason I was really hungry this morning.

Morning Snack
It was overcast this morning here in Orange County, CA and I was so happy to have to some (California) winter weather. And sipping on a warm calorie burn cappuccino just made it all the better.

Lunch
So my family went and got mexican food for lunch and I was all like..."I want a treat too!" So I went to chipotle and ordered a steak salad. So good! :)

Afternoon Snack
Mixed Berry Crunch Cereal!!! This is my favorite snack of all time...at least right now anyways. It tastes kind of like fruit loops...but way better for you! ;)

Dinner
For dinner I whipped up a peanut butter milkshake and drank it while getting ready for church. I also forgot to take a picture.

Dessert
During church I snacked on a cinnamon roll crunch bar. It is so good and satisfying.

Also, almost forgot! Today was a weigh-in day! I weighed in at 139.6! Finally back in the 130's! It took about a month to undo all the damage I did at Christmastime.

Well, that is all I have for now! And don't forget! February 14, 2014 is my launch date for my new website...Pretty in Pink Peonies!

xoxo,
Toni

12-week transformation...day seventeen

Do you have goals? Well, in today's Take Shape for Life Transformation email, it was all about setting goals. I really liked it and thought I would share it with you all...hope you like it as much as I do!

Your goals should be SMART:

Specific: Your goal should be specific and clear. For example, rather than setting a goal to lose weight or get healthy, specify the amount of weight you want to lose or what specific activity you’d like to be able to do. The more meaningful, the better.

Measurable: Make your goal easy to measure. For example, rather than saying you want to have more energy, say that you want to be able to walk 18 holes of golf carrying a bag without being short of breath.

Achievable: Set a reasonable goal. If you’re overwhelmed, you probably won’t stick with it. But if you know you can reach it, you’ll find yourself excited by your progress.

Realistic: Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you set a goal of never having dessert again, you’re likely to rebel. Instead, decide that just for now, while you’re getting down to your healthy weight, you’ll do without dessert. If you want to have dessert later on, you can do so without guilt or feelings of failure.

Time-Oriented: Set a time for accomplishing your goal. I suggest that you make a timeline of activities.

Cool, right?

Wanna hear my goals? Well, I tried on bridesmaid dresses yesterday and actually ended up ordering a size down because of my success so far in this program. So, my first goal is to fit into that size 6 dress by the end of May.

Second goal is to start working out! I have been so terrible at this and need to get up and get going. Plus, the dress is strapless and why not show off some toned arms. ;)

Write down your goals and put them up somewhere where you can see them everyday and be motivated!

Breakfast
I am finally back and home and this morning whipped up a french vanilla shake. Simple and delicious.

Morning Snack
As I mention every morning, I really like these hot drinks. This morning I had a calorie burn cappuccino.

Lunch
For lunch...my lean and green meal of the day, I had a turkey burger wrapped in lettuce with light cheese and also a side of broccoli. I think this is becoming my go to meal now...but I will always love salads.

Afternoon Snack
Had some brown sugar cereal crunch for my snack this afternoon along with some coffee...this is such a delightful pairing.

Dinner
I made dinner for the family tonight and drove back to the house I am house sitting for. On the way I ate a smores crunch bar. Sort of felt like I just skipped dinner and went straight for dessert! And c'mon...who doesn't love dessert? Oh, and to be safe while driving I didn't take a picture of the crunch bar. ;)

Dessert
After I got to the house, I whipped up a warm and gooey and divine brownie. If you have not tried these...you must. They are the best. All warm and melty-like. Yum! Sorry...no picture of this either.

Big news!!! I have a launch date for my new website!!! Ready?! Okay...mark your calendars because I am launching the new site on Valentine's Day! I thought it would be so perfect and cute! So, on Friday, February 14, 2014 I am officially launching my website called "Pretty in Pink Peonies". Yay! I will share even more details soon!

xoxo,
Toni

12-week transformation...day fifteen

 
Boy oh boy, it was a busy weekend. My parents and I put together an engagement party for my sister and her fiance, Gabriel this past Saturday night. It was a ton of work, but so worth it. I loved putting together such a fun and cute party and am so thankful for my dad and his impressive cooking skills. We cooked for about 25 people...it was a complete success!

Then yesterday, we attended a wedding in San Juan Capistrano for a sweet family friend. Here is a picture of me overlooking this gorgeous golf course in San Clemente. This is my I'm not quite ready for picture half-smile. ;D

I also took note of some good ideas to share with my sister! My mom and I are in full-on wedding planning mode. I loved this life-size version of jenga. It was not only entertaining to the people playing, but also entertaining for the people watching! She definitely needs to have this. There was also a game called toss across...the men seemed to love that one and all you really do is throw a bean bag across and try and to make it in a hole. So easy and simple but everyone loved it!

PS...the girl below actually got that piece out without the tower tumbling over! Mad skills right there!

Now, you are probably wondering if I stayed on plan this weekend and...yes...for the most part I did. I did have a few "off-plan" bites here and there, but nothing crazy. It was a fun and successful weekend overall. Praise the Lord!

Breakfast
Monday mornings are hard...especially after a busy weekend...you just want to throw your alarm across the room and sleep in for a few more hours. Obviously  I did not do that, and I got up and made my self a french vanilla shake and headed off to work.

Morning Snack
I was all munchie-like (yes I made that phrase up) after my breakfast, so my morning snack could not come fast enough. Thankfully, it did come around pretty quickly. I made a calorie burn cappuccino and enjoyed every sip.

Lunch
Lunch was a tad different for me...instead of having my lean and green meal, I had another one of my snacks. I had some things to do at lunchtime and I just didn't have enough time to eat a meal. So, I had some brown sugar cereal crunch cereal and munched on that for about a half hour or so. I just love these cereal meals!

Afternoon Snack
Next up was my very last chocolate chip cookie dough bar. At first I wasn't the biggest fan of these, but I slowly began to like them. Still don't really like them, but when I dip them in coffee, it tastes much better.

Dinner
I finally had my lean and green meal today! And it was a good one. I had a salad with boca crumbles in it. Funny story...I bought this bag of boca meatless crumbles the last time I was housesitting and accidentally left them in the freezer. As I returned a few days ago, I found them! They were still in the freezer! Yay!

Dessert
I ended this lovely Monday with a coffee milkshake. It was so perfect and much needed after a long day.

Well, that's all I have for today! But keep reading because I am going to be announcing my new website launch date! I will go into more detail about my new website soon, so be ready! :D

xoxo,
Toni

12-week transformation...day eleven

I am feeling much better today...like 1000 times better. Yesterday was just...well, one of those days. But now, yesterday has passed and it's time to look forward to today.

I was reading my transformation email I receive daily and I thought I would share with you all this one. It teaches you eight steps to break habits. Wanna hear them? Well, even if you don't, here they are anyways...I hope they help you guys! :)

1. Stop—Challenge—Choose.
Any time you become aware of an unhealthy thought, feeling, or action, use the Stop—Challenge—Choose Method. Let’s say you’re about to eat a whole tray of appetizers at a party because you’re nervous. First, stop and take a deep, slow breath to help bring your emotions under control. Next, challenge yourself by thinking about why you’re feeling or acting the way you are. Finally, choose the behavior that supports what you really want.

2. Make time your ally.
Time can be a powerful ally as you build optimal health. As you’ll see, your daily choices can, over time, lead you from non-sickness to disease. But conversely, time can serve as your ally as you make choices that lead to optimal health.

3. Avoid peer pressure and toxic environments.
Do your friends and family follow the same Habits of Disease that you do? Are you hanging out in an unhealthy environment? You’ll learn more about modeling later in this program, but for now, it’s a good idea to avoid, as much as possible, any activities, friends, and environments that are not conducive to healthy behaviors.

4. Keep a journal.
Every time you engage in an activity or make a choice that doesn’t support health, write it down. Make a note of what triggered the behavior and kept you from controlling the unhealthy choice.

5. Exchange a negative for a positive choice.
Once you’ve mastered Stop—Challenge—Choose, this technique can help lead you to healthy alternatives. For example, say you’re tired at work in the afternoon. You probably habitually grab a cup of coffee, but as you’ll learn about sleep, this choice can actually exacerbate your lack of energy by robbing you of sleep that night. Instead, recharge naturally by taking a brisk 10-minute walk or by resting for five minutes with your eyes closed while listening to relaxing music.

6. Avoid giving the bad habit your energy or focus.
The best way to avoid acting in a certain way is to direct your focus elsewhere. If you keep telling yourself you’re not going to overeat or watch a second movie instead of heading to bed, your mind will stay focused on what you don’t want to do. The key is to avoid thinking of the behavior in the first place—which will become much easier as we load your daily choices with healthy habits that support what you really want.

7. Create barriers to the Habits of Disease.
I am absolutely powerless over the aroma of warm chocolate chip cookies. I go into a feeding frenzy, and 1,000 calories later I’m wondering what hit me. So there are standing orders in my house that my children and my wife, Lori, never make cookies when I’m home. Later in this program, we will delve into improving your environment, like your kitchen, in greater depth.

8. Get support.
If you aren’t sure how to conquer a certain temptation, ask someone who has experienced the same challenge, like your Health Coach. If you don’t personally know someone who has made the journey to optimal health, visit my Facebook, and ask our wonderful community members for help.

Pretty informative, right? It really helped me when I was first starting out on the Take Shape For Life program and is still helping me today.

Breakfast
This morning I had a choice...do I sneak a day old pastry and eat it in secret or do I make a delicious and creamy french vanilla shake? Easy answer to that one...the shake of course! So I made and drank a delicious shake and was set to start my day.

Morning Snack
I could not wait to sip on a piping hot cup of chai. Why? No reason...it just sounded really good. I was pretty happy when the time came around and was satisfied once it was all gone.

Lunch
I wasn't able to go home for lunch (my car is getting fixed), so I had some chili nacho cheese puffs with a ton of water. I just get so thirsty whenever I eat these! But they are so good!

Afternoon Snack
Still not able to go to lunch, I pulled out my next snack...a cinnamon roll crunch bar. It was even extra tasty when I paired it with some coffee. ;)

Dinner
I am house sitting my aunt's house again for the next week, so after work I went straight over there and finally made my lean and green meal. I made a simple salad with some chicken and light dressing and cheese...no picture though...totally spaced.

Dessert
Once I got settled in, I whipped up a java chip frappuccino (chocolate chip soft bake packet blended with instant coffee, water, and ice). My favorite ending to my day.

It was an overall good day...but tomorrow is a weigh-in day...so we shall see what happens!

xoxo,
Toni

12-week transformation...day nine

I highly encourage you to attend Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa any night for the rest of the week and join together with the church in a time of prayer. I have gone the past two nights and it has been such a sweet time of prayer and fellowship.

As a random side note...I am creating a wedding website for my sister and her soon-to-be-husband and I think I may be switching over my blog to a new site. The website I am creating is pretty easy and it looks great and clean. I don't know yet...we will see. As for now, I are still here.

Breakfast
Nothing too special about breakfast this morning. Made my last french vanilla shake and headed off to work. I drank it pretty quickly though! Must have been hungry...or thirsty...or both.

Morning Snack
I will be honest...these hot drinks from medifast (chai latte and the calorie burn cappuccino) have really helped me to stay on the Take Shape for Life program. I feel like I am treating myself to a delicious coffee shop coffee drink everyday! Today I had the calorie burn cappuccino and loved every sip of it!

Lunch
I have a new burger from Trader Joe's! Last night I bought some turkey burgers and boy-oh-boy are they good! I think I have found a new favorite! I topped my romaine salad with a turkey burger, some shredded parmesan cheese, and light chipotle dressing. Delish!

Afternoon Snack
It is hot outside today, but that didn't stop me from having a coffee with a cookie dough chewy bar. These bars taste so good when dipped in the coffee. Not a fan of them by themselves, but dipped in coffee...amazing.

Dinner
Once again, I went to church tonight for the week of prayer. But before I left I had some honey mustard pretzel bites.

Dessert
By the time I got home, I was really hungry! So I made a brownie soft bake and drank it along with a ton of water and called it a night.

Don't forget! If you are in the area and are free any night this week, stop by Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa and pray it up with fellow believers in Christ!

Lastly...check out this full moon! I love it when the sun is setting and you can see the moon!

xoxo,
Toni

12-week transformation...day three

Well hello! Great quote, right? I just love it! Even if you had an off-plan day, today is a new day and a fresh start. Take advantage of it and stick with your plan! :)

So this morning I woke up feeling pretty good...had a little pep in my step! Well, okay, let's be real...I was really tired, but I was feeling good. It's funny though, because I had a dream I ate every junk food known to man...so waking up this morning and realizing I am still sticking to the plan felt pretty good.

Today is day three of my transformation and I am expecting a new shipment of Medifast to arrive hopefully next week. I always get all giddy when a new shipment comes in. I'm weird...it's okay, I know.

Breakfast
As I mentioned, I was feeling really good this morning, but I woke up with a growling stomach. Maybe it was all the imaginary food I ate in my dream last night...who knows. But either way, I was ready for my morning shake. I made a french vanilla shake and added some ice to it...because even though it was a chilling (for me anyways) morning, I still like my drinks icy cold.

Morning Snack
I was pretty good hunger wise by the time my morning snack came around. I just love the calorie-burn cappuccinos...feels like I am getting a delicious and creamy-smooth drink from a coffeeshop!

Lunch
Well...my lettuce is getting a tad worse as the days go by, but I was still able to pick through the bad pieces and create a mediocre salad that consisted of romaine lettuce, chopped chicken, parmesan cheese, and light chipotle dressing...not bad, but not great either.

Afternoon Snack
Did the same thing as yesterday and drank a coffee while enjoying a s'mores crunch bar...perfect and lovely pairing!

Dinner
I looooove cereal...I have heard that most people are not a fan of the Medifast cereals, but I just love them! The brown sugar cinnamon crunch cereal smells and tastes like french toast...how can you not like that? Beats me...I like it whether or not anyone else is a fan.

Dessert
Best dessert ever...well, not ever, but it was pretty good. I made a cookie dough milkshake using a chocolate chip soft bake packet and blending it with some water and ice. Easy peasy and delicious!

Hope your day is crazy fun and blessed...it's almost Friday!!!

xoxo,
Toni

12-week transformation...day one

Today is day one of the 12-week transformation hosted by Take Shape For Life! If you haven't already signed up, you can do so by clicking here. You can also visit that link and find out more information about the challenge.

I technically signed up on New Year's Day but I got my first "day one" email today. I so excited and am feeling pretty motivated to keep going. This came a perfect time for me too...especially coming out of the holiday eating. I am thrilled to get back on track and stay on track!

Alright...so here is how my day one went!

Breakfast
I have to switch things up a bit on how I made my meals because I am working out of town and do not have all the luxuries of eating at home. With that said, I made a french vanilla shake by adding some water and ice to a bottle and shaking it up. I like my shakes freezing cold...in case you haven't noticed.

Morning Snack
I was hunnnnngry by the time my morning snack time came around. I was pretty excited to drink a calorie burn cappuccino to say the least...and it did not disappoint! It was divine.

Lunch
My lunch looks pretty good but unfortunately the lettuce was kinda wilted. Bummer! So I had to pick through the bad pieces and just eat the chicken and cheese and what was left of the crunchy lettuce. All is good though...I ate it and was satisfied.

Afternoon Snack
Lunch thankfully held me over until my afternoon snack, but I definitely had to add a coffee to drink with my cookie dough chewy bar...I was getting a little sleepy.

Dinner
I had breakfast for dinner! I love having breakfast for dinner...my favorite! So tonight, I ate some mixed berry cereal crunch.

After I ate my cereal, my mom and I went in to listen to Wayne Taylor. Such a wonderful message...the Lord totally spoke to me. Here is a panoramic shot I took during the study.

Dessert
To end the night, I heated up a brownie soft bake while drinking lots of (failed to drink 64 ounces today). I took a picture but it was just hideous...so I decided not to even post it. ;)

So there you have it. Day one of my 12-week transformation is complete!

xoxo,
Toni