12-week transformation...day ten

Let's just say that this morning was pretty much the worst morning I have had in a while. You ever have those days when everything seems to be going wrong? Yeah, well...that was me.

To start of the day, I made a dark chocolate shake and when I went to take it out of the fridge, I dropped it and apparently the lid wasn't on all the way and my shake went everywhere. I mean, everywhere. I thought about taking a picture, but I was just so in awe of the mess I had to clean up that I just grabbed a towel and go to work. But just picture the entire inside of a fridge covered in a dark chocolate shake. Not fun.

So, it took me a good 15 minutes to clean everything up. But I had to still get ready...so dripping in sweat, I rushed to dry off, put on some makeup and get dressed. Oh...and make another shake. Then while putting on makeup, my blush ran out! Not a huge deal, but it is when your morning isn't going so well.

And to put the cherry on top of it all, I came into work and was feeling sick all morning. Stomach was killing me. So yeah, not the best start to the day.

But I did learn something...I learned why people (not just kids) cry over spilled milk (or shakes)! Why? Well, because it goes everywhere...that's why. ;) 

Breakfast
As I mentioned before, I first made a dark chocolate shake, but since I dropped it, I remade my shake, but used a mocha packet instead.

Morning Snack
Right after drinking my mocha shake, I had a really bad stomach ache and it continued all the way until it was time for my morning snack. I almost didn't even want it, but then a warm drink sounded pretty appetizing and soothing...so a chai latte it was!

Lunch
I was feeling better by lunch and decided to make a protein-style turkey burger with a side of broccoli.

Afternoon Snack
Still going strong with having a better day, I had some mixed berry cereal crunch for my snack. It cheered me up a bit...I love cereal!

Dinner
As I have been mentioning these past few days, our church is having a week of prayer. So before I attended tonight's service I ate a smores crunch bar.

Dessert
As the night's before, I was fairly hungry by the time my last meal of the day came around. I got home and made a coffee milkshake and then headed off to bed...I was eager to end today and see what tomorrow holds for me.

Hope you all have a better day than I did! ;)

Aren't these cats the cutest! Love them! :)

xoxo,
Toni

12-week transformation...day four

Today's transformation email was great! All about breaking habits and how to break them...here is what Dr. A says:
  
Changing your habits is a four-step process:

1. Identify the foundational choices that support optimal health, and implement a plan to incorporate them into your daily choices.
2. Become aware of the daily choices you make that don’t support health.
3. Think long term.
4. Create a microenvironment of health by removing as many negative stimuli as possible. If you have a Health Coach, you have already begun to build a powerful microenvironment of health and support!

Good advice, right? Seems pretty reasonable to me!

Now, I won't lie...this week has been tough. As I mentioned before, I usually eat all sorts of junk when I am working a conference, but this time, I am sticking to my plan and I feel better than ever. I love this feeling, but it's hard...especially when everyone else around you is not on a diet and eating all sorts of goodies.

But...I have made it this far...I can finish out the week. Can you believe it's Thursday already? Time is just flying by this week! I am pretty happy about it because I cannot wait to get back into my own bed and be able to work in my own kitchen without a cooler or walking everywhere to get ice...it's the little things in life.

Breakfast
So I don't know if I was really hungry or something, but for some reason my mocha shake this morning tasted like heaven. It was delicious! Nice and smooth and creamy...with a bit of thickness to it. Just divine I tell you.

Morning Snack
The morning was pretty busy, so time flew by. By the time I looked at my watch I realized it was time to eat! Praise the Lord because it has been quite difficult craving wise...so I am hanging in there.

Lunch
Well my lettuce is all gross now, so my salad wasn't all that great...so sad. :( I will just have to treat myself to a yummy lean and green meal tomorrow. The salad was the same as all the rest and included romaine lettuce, chicken, parmesan cheese, and light chipotle dressing. I will be honest and admit that I added some more cheese to cover the not-so-great taste of the lettuce.

Afternoon Snack
I don't think I was really hungry, but I definitely had the munchies. I think it was more me wanting to taste something yummy...because of the whole lunch debacle. So I did end up eating some honey mustard pretzel bites along with a sugar-free zero monster. I don't drink these often, but today was just one of those days, you know?

Dinner
It was semi-busy this afternoon, so time semi-flew by. I kept looking at the clock for some reason. Oh well...I was able to eat eventually. I ended up having a strawberry crunch bar, which seemed to satisfy my non-hunger-munchies. Check out that giant dried strawberry on the top! :P

Dessert
I had a sweet tooth around dessert time...like major sweet tooth. I really wanted to eat some chocolate...like really bad. But then I thought about why I am doing this program (Take Shape For Life)...so I heated up a chocolate chip cookie soft bake instead. Satisfied me right away and now I am going to bed feeling fantastic.

Tomorrow is a weigh-in day and I can't wait to see what the scale reads! I am excited! Hopefully I will have reached the weight (138.0 pounds) before my holiday weight gain.

xoxo,
Toni

day nine...what's your reward?

Today was the day of the men's conference. Yes, I am a girl who went to a men's conference, but I am going for work. This was actually my 12th men's conference. But I like it, keeps me busy and on my feet—aka...I am burning calories all day long. Can't go wrong with that!

As far as my eating goes, I did very well! All glory to the Lord! But, I will admit it wasn't easy. In years past, men's conferences were always a day full of eating—before, during, and especially after. At the end of the day we would all usually pack up and then go to a restaurant and eat our little hearts out. It was my way of rewarding myself for working such a hard day. I mean, I deserved it, right? Well, not today. My body does not deserve to be tortured by eating food that will harm it.

This year, I rewarded myself, but in a completely different way. No food was involved. Instead, I went home, took a nice hot bath, put on my comfy pj's and simply relaxed. So much better than gorging myself. I felt better and was relaxed at the same time. Win-win for me! But I will admit, it was hard to say no to dinner (especially when it was at my all-time favorite restaurant). Now, I could have gone and ordered a lean and green meal, but I don't think I am quite ready to venture out into the restaurant world. I would rather cook the food myself anyways—that way I know exactly what I am putting in my body. Most places serve healthy food, but load it with seasonings and salt.

With that said...here is what I did eat today...

Breakfast: dark chocolate shake

So I woke up at 5am this morning and got ready to work the men's conference. Right before I left, I whipped up a shake and took it with me. Perfect on-the-go meal. I used the starbucks cup so I could just throw it away and not worry about bringing home my cup...in case you were wondering.

Morning Snack: calorie burn cappuccino

Love, love, love this drink. I had mixed feelings about it earlier, but I ended up liking it. I already have my next Medifast order in the cue and this is definitely on it. Plus, it lasts a while and keeps you full for quite some time.

Lunch: apple cinnamon muffins

Once again, I had to postpone my lean and green meal until I got home. So for lunch I had the same muffins I ate yesterday. They are way better than just the oatmeal in my opinion. I will probably be making these until I run out of oatmeal. :) And yes, this is the same picture from yesterday.

Afternoon Snack: cinnamon and brown sugar cereal crunch

This isn't the prettiest picture, I know and I am sorry. I literally took it while helping a customer. But a picture is a picture, right? Hopefully I can make up for it tomorrow. :)

Dinner: turkey salad...and a sugar-free monster

Well, back to the same old dinner. But that's okay. While everyone went out to eat, I stayed home and ate this. And while I was eating, I was thinking about how I would be feeling if I did go out and eat what my flesh wanted. I would have had momentary pleasure but then guilt would have set in for the rest of the night. It just is not worth it. I also had a sugar-free zero monster with my dinner. I kind of figured this was my "treat". I try not to have diet cokes and sugar free drinks, but on occasion I will. And today was an occasion for me.

I then went outside and saw this...

I was speechless. I love sunsets like these. I just felt like the Lord was saying, I'm the ruler of this world. I know all about you and what you are going through. You will make it through this time. Just hold fast to Me and My Word. That was all I needed to hear. God is with me. What more do I need?

Dessert: S'mores Crunch Bar

This bar was the perfect ending to a wonderful day. As you can tell, I had a little bit of fun with this picture. I think it's cute. who doesn't like a cute little bird on a bough? Plus, the s'mores bar is just too amazing not to have a bird. ;) I really like this bar and can see myself eating this everyday for the rest of my life. Just kidding...sort of.

I hope your day was as blessed as mine! Remember...rewarding yourself does not need to involve food. Go get a pedicure instead. ;)

xoxo,
Toni

day seven...secrets

I have a secret to tell you guys. But first, let's go over today's eats.

Breakfast: pineapple mango smoothie

This one isn't too bad. Still can't figure out what the taste reminds me of. But overall, so good. Did you notice how dark and cloudy it is outside? Don't you just love the fall? I do. I love when it gets so cold and chilly outside that you can't wait to bundle up and get cozy by the fire, warming up with a nice hot Medifast Cappuccino.

Morning Snack: chocolate chip cookie soft bake

The last time I ate this, I tried to bake it, but it didn't turn out all that great. So this time, I decided to add a bit more water and microwave it. And...it turned out delicious!!! It really tasted like a chocolate chip cookie, and I enjoyed every bite of it.

Lunch: Blackened Tilapia Salad

Okay, ready for secret number one? I do not like fish...like at all. But, I am making the sacrifice for my health and by eating tilapia for my lean and green meal. You won't see it very often though on my blog. But I will eat it only every now and then.

1 lean: 6 ounces of tilapia
3 greens: 3 cups of romaine lettuce
1 healthy fat: 2 tablespoons of light Italian dressing

Afternoon Snack: Cheese Pizza Bites

For some reason, I really like these. I did the last time I ate them and did today as well. Not sure why I like these but not the BBQ ones. It's a mystery.

Dinner: Peanut Butter Milkshake

"Peanut butter milkshake?" You ask. "They don't have those on Medifast." That is because I created one. I used the peanut butter soft serve and mixed it with a 1 cup of water and 1 cup of crushed ice. Then I blended it all together, and voila! A milkshake. I absolutely loved it, and will be making this again for sure.

Dessert: Peanut Butter Crunch Bar

This bar will never grow old. It gets me thinking that I can get through this Medifast plan with success. I actually find myself looking forward to my next Medifast meal rather than my lean and green meal. Love it.

Okay, so you ready for my big secret? Well, it may not seem big to you, but it is huge for me. As of the end of today, I have been on the Medifast diet for seven full days. That is the longest I have stuck with a diet for as long as I can remember. It has been like years. I have always blown it around day 6 or 7 and just called it quits after that...until I attempted to try yet another diet—which only lasted another 6 days.

Anyways, I hope that encourages you to stick with it! Whether it is a diet, a new exercise plan, or really anything—don't quit! If I can do it, so can you. But let me just say that I did not do this alone. I really cannot give myself any credit at all. All the credit goes to the Lord. He has taken me by the hand each morning and walked with me through each day, helping me push aside those temptations and cravings.

Feed your Spirit rather than your flesh and you will have victory. I guarantee it.

xoxo,
Toni

day three...my food is the will of God

Can't believe it's already the end of day three! Hasn't really even felt like I'm on a diet due to the fact that I'm like eating all day! I love it.

So as I was reading my morning devo it was talking about how my food should be the will of God. That spoke mountains to me. I shouldn't be so concerned with earthly food that will just cause me to become hungry again, but I should be filling myself with the word of God and following the call The Lord has for me. 

The devo is taken from The Daily Light. 

Ok, as for my food today, I made myself the Medifast spiced pancakes for breakfast. They were...not bad. I most definitely prefer the real pancakes, but these were pretty satisfying for being "diet food".

After breakfast I went to church and was a tad late on eating my next meal. Since it was lunchtime, I decided to eat my lean and green meal. So for lunch I had ground turkey "tacos" with grilled onions and asparagus "fries" on the side. 

Then for my first afternoon snack I had some BBQ bites. These didn't taste as good as they sounded, but were still pretty good. 

Moving on to my next afternoon snack, which I ate after my hour and 20 minute walk (totally forgot to take pictures), I had a peanut butter crunch bar. This was pretty good and tasted similar to a crunchy protein bar. It also had chocolate on it which just makes everything taste better. ;)

After church I had dinner, which consisted of a nice hot bowl of apple cinnamon oatmeal. The taste was a tad off, but it wasn't all that bad. But next time it may make a muffin out of it instead. Recipe to come later ;)

And then right before going to bed I had a wonderful dessert. It was another frozen yogurt type dessert, but this time it was mocha flavored rather than peanut butter. And I totally put a filter on the photo because the original one didn't look great at all. Bad lighting...or just a bad photographer ;)

So overall it was a great day! I'm excited to see what this next week has in store for me.

xoxo,

Toni

day two...a paddle out and a craving attack

This morning was an emotional one. I woke up around 8:30 and began to prepare my first meal. But my reason for getting up this early on a Saturday evening was because I was going to a paddle out at the HB pier to honor the life of Pastor Chuck Smith. The photo above is when all the men were gathered around yelling out verses and singing hymns. It was definitely a moment not to be forgotten. 

So on my way to the beach I had a mocha shake. I love shakes and I love coffee. So this was just divine. 

After that I had some cinnamon pretzel sticks. Good thing I brought them with me, because I was still at the beach when it was time to eat my meal again.

So yeah, not too excited about those pretzels, they were ok, but not great. Next I had my "lean and green" meal for the day. I got creative and had the exact same thing I did yesterday: 3 cups of salad, 4 ounces of ground turkey, and 2 tablespoons of light dressing. 

Soon after that it was time to eat again and so I grabbed a cinnamon roll bar. Yes, it was good...but not as good as a real cinnamon roll.  

Then for some reason I just had massive craving attack! And it was like an hour after I just had the bar! Now, I am allowed to have diet and sugar free drinks, so I ended up drinking a zero Monster. I know it's not the best, but it's a lot better than eating a bunch of junk. 

After that it was time to have yet another meal. So, seeing that I could treat myself on this lovely Saturday, I made the Mac and Cheese. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't bad at all. Totally hit the comfort food spot. It wasn't as bad as it looks. Promise ;)

Lastly, I had my dessert meal after getting home from church. I ended up baking their chocolate chip cookie. It was surprisingly not bad at all! I was expecting some chemical tasting nastiness, but it actually (mostly) tasted like a chocolate chip cookie. I feel like I'm cheating by eating this kind of food, but it's totally ok! I think I'm going to do this (it's about time too).

Please keep praying as I continue this journey to get healthy and lose weight!

xoxo,

Toni 

day one...here goes nothing

So I did great today! Had very little hunger pangs throughout the whole day! I was surprised at first. I thought I would be starving, but the medifast meals hold me over.

I eat about every 2 hours, so my body is constantly going and my metabolism is up. I can't wait to see how I feel 2 weeks from now.

Now, I totally forgot to take pictures of everything I ate today, so I stole pictures from other people. It's the same exact thing I ate, I just didn't capture the moment.

So here was my menu for the day! Oh, and my starting stats and starting picture (so embarrassing) are below!

Breakfast: Antioxidant Dark Chocolate Shake

photo cred: medifast

I added a bit of ice and blended it...I like my shakes on the cold side.

Mid-Morning Snack: Brown Sugar Cereal Crunch

photo cred: medifast

I love cereal, so this stuff hit the spot and was delicious! Kind of tasted like french toast.

Lunch: Turkey salad (ground turkey, lettuce, and kale)

okay, so this is my one "lean and green" meal I get once a day...I think I put too much meat in my salad though :/

Afternoon Snack: S'mores Crunch Bar

photo cred: medifast

I know this photo shows 2 bars, but I only had one ;)

Dinner: Parmesan Cheese Puffs

photo cred: medifast

So I wasn't the biggest fan of these. They sounded really good, but just didn't live up to the name.

Evening Snack: Peanut Butter Soft Serve

photo cred: medifast

just when I thought I would get dessert...this stuff is so amazing. I am a ice cream, frozen yogurt loving girl and this just hit the spot. Great way to end my day.

I am pretty embarrased with myself as I write this, but hey, you got to start somewhere, right? Let's just say that I will never see that number on the scale again or look in the mirror and see that girl again. Now, let's get started...here are my starting stats!

weight: 166.2

biceps: 13.25"

forearm: 10.5"

chest: 40"

waist: 34.5"

hips: 41"

bottom: 43.25"

thigh: 26.25"

knee: 17.25

calf: 16.5"

neck: 12.75"

...and here is my starting photo...

So there you have it. day one complete! til tomorrow!

xoxo,

Toni