what do you want most?

I had to remember this quote this morning as I wanted so badly to hit the snooze button and go back to bed rather than wake up and workout. Thankfully, I thought about what I want in the future rather than wanting to sleep in the moment and worked out.


It's not easy! It is truly a struggle to get up and get moving. But with the Lord's help, I was able to do it. In case some of you are wondering, here is my weekly workout schedule...

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: I do the Bridalicious Bootcamp DVDs (yes, funny name, I know, but it sure makes you sore the next day.)

Tuesday, Thursday: I do my 2.15 mile run/jog

So overall, I am working out 5 times a week. That is a lot for me, but I am really determined to keep going and get toned for my sister's wedding.

Fight that urge to sleep in or watch TV instead of working out. Release that inner lion and fight your flesh and for what you want.

Now, I did not take pictures, but in case you are wondering about my eats for the day, here they are in list form...

Breakfast: chocolate chip pancakes with sugar free syrup
Morning Snack: Chai Latte
Lunch: turkey burger, broccoli, light cheese
Afternoon Snack: mixed berry cereal crunch
Dinner: smore crunch bar
Dessert: peanut butter milkshake (pb soft serve blended with water and ice)

So there you ahve it! Remember what you really want for your future. Question your eating habits...is this going to get you where you want to be? If not, then don't do it. Simple as that.

xoxo,
Toni

PS...Don't forget! This blog is moving to an official website on Friday, February 14!!!

12 week transformation...day twenty-four

Yesterday was so much fun! My dad surprised me tickets to go see the LA Lakers take on the Indiana Pacers. Fun fact about me...I love to watch sports...especially basketball and baseball.

My dad and I left work early and grabbed some coffee before dinner. It is currently, DineLA week right now, so we were going to go to a restaurant participating in the event, but ended up just going to Wolfgang Puck. And confession...I went off my plan for dinner. I won't lie though...it was pretty much the best burger I have ever had in my life. Seriously. But you know...usually I go all crazy and eat everything in sight since I already "broke my plan" but this time I didn't. I ate only half my dinner and was done. This is huge for me. I am changing. :)

Breakfast
So this morning I am back on plan and ready to attack the day! I made a dark chocolate shake and made my way to work. Don't you just love cloudy and gloomy mornings? I do!

Morning Snack
I was busy creating this morning, so time flew by! I made a chai latte for my morning snack while still working away. I learning that I love designing.

Lunch
I made a turkey burger wrapped in lettuce for lunch today with broccoli on the side. Simple yet oh-so-delicious.

Afternoon Snack
For my snack this afternoon I had a bag of mixed berry cereal. I love this cereal...so good!

Dinner
I ate a quick strawberry crunch bar before dinner. I wasn't too hungry, so this was perfect.

Dessert
After church I came home and made a peanut butter milkshake. I can have one of these every night and never get tired of them.

So there is my day in a nutshell! Friday is almost here!!!

Oh, and PS...the Lakers lost...but it was still a super fun game! :D

xoxo,
Toni

12-week transformation...day twenty-two

This was my exact face as my alarm went off this morning. The weekend went by way to fast...I was not ready for Monday.

...Little Peggy just gets me...

Breakfast
It's still a good morning even though it is Monday. Made a mocha shake this morning with added instant coffee for an extra flavor punch.

Morning Snack
I am guilty of not drinking enough water lately...it's even making my face a tad puffy! I know it and I know I need to change that. So this morning I have been drinking water like crazy, which has made me feel full...so by the time my snack time came around, I wasn't really hungry. But don't get me wrong...I still had a chai latte.

Lunch
There are times when I just want to yell, "LUNCHTIME!!!" But, I practice self control and do not let out that yell. I am sure my co-workers are very thankful I can resist. Anyways, today for lunch, I had a steak chopped salad from Rubios. I had to get my oil changed during my lunch hour, so I wasn't able to go home and grab lunch.

Afternoon Snack
Due to me working out after work, I ate my snack about an hour beforehand. I ate some chili nacho cheese puffs along with a ton of more water. Water, water, water...all day long!

Workout
I did my normal 2.18 mile run tonight after work. Felt good...well, after I am done, I feel good. During...well, that's another story. But, I did it!

Dinner
Once I got back from my run, I made a chocolate chip pancake and drizzled it with some medifast sugar free syrup. Yum! I love breakfast for dinner!



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

Well, you made it through Monday! I pray your Tuesday is a good one! Mine is going to be...I will tell you all about it tomorrow. :)

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 sixteen

This quote explains my day to a T. I had some growing to do the moment I woke up.

I am still house-sitting, and as a result I have to drive on the freeway and past about 4 schools to get to work. Well, I was running late this morning and as a result I hit a ton more traffic than usual. The way people are so inconsiderate and cutting me off multiple times just really got to me. I arrived at work pretty upset and grumpy. But, I asked for prayer during our devotional time at work and I immediately started feeling better.  Praise the Lord because I hate being grumpy around people.

Breakfast
I ran out of ice, so I had to make my shake the old fashioned way with only water. It was cold water, so it wasn't all that bad. I made a dark chocolate shake and threw in some instant coffee...delicious!

Morning Snack
It was a pretty low key morning, so when my morning snack came around, I was pretty happy. I made a chai latte and sipped with pleasure. It was pretty chilly out this morning, so this warm drink hit the spot.

Lunch
I had to stay at work during lunch because I am leaving early today, so I had a bag of nacho chili cheese puffs. There are so many in a bag! But I love them, so it's okay.

Afternoon Snack
I was out and about when my afternoon snack came around. I was actually trying on some bridesmaid dresses for my sisters wedding. So fun! But when I did get a chance, I snacked on a lemon meringue crunch bar.

Dinner
After I was done trying on dresses, I stopped by Rubios and got a chopped salad with steak. I have a gift card so I figured, why not just get a salad while I am out? Plus, these are really good and are a perfect solution for when you are out and about and need to eat.

Dessert
I finished off the day with a peanut butter milkshake. Same thing as yesterday, just used a peanut butter soft serve rather than a coffee one.

I am working on my new site and cannot wait to launch it! The new title is going to be "pretty in pink peonies". I will still be documenting my journey on the Take Shape for Life program but will also include some of my other interests, such as: cooking, baking, DIY projects, style, design, fitness, beauty, etc. It is going to be full of all kinds of things. I am excited and can't wait for you to join me on this journey! I am sure you will love it. But I will talk about it more soon.

xoxo,
Toni

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 two

So today's 12-week transformation challenge was all about recording what you eat and how much exercise you are doing throughout the day.

Well, as you know, I already record everything I eat, so that is one check down. However, I am slacking this week on exercise being out of town and my normal day to day routine. But when I do workout, I will always record it and let you know. I am doing quite a bit of walking around here though, so that is definitely burning calories.

Breakfast
Same old today for breakfast...just a dark chocolate shake with some ice in it.

Morning Snack
I was hit with the munchies immediately after drinking my shake, but thankfully there was a session, so my mom and I went in to listen and by the time it was done, it was time to eat again! The Lord is go good! Once I was able, I made a chai latte and drank it quite quickly...I guess I was hungry!

Lunch
I had to pick through the bad lettuce, but was able to put together a decent salad that included romaine lettuce, chicken, Parmesan cheese, and light chipotle dressing. Simple and delicious!

Afternoon Snack
I was lagging a bit by the afternoon so I made a cup of coffee and sipped on it while eating a cinnamon roll crunch bar. Seriously, the best pairing ever! Felt like I was eating a sinful pastry with my coffee. ☺

Dinner
The chili nacho cheese puffs are becoming one of my favorite meals! I love to munch on them while drinking some water...plus, it takes the hunger away...and keeps it away for some time!

Dessert
I did end up bringing my blender, so in my room I was able to blend up a peanut butter milkshake (using the peanut butter soft serve and blending it with water and ice). It was so perfect and hit the spot after a long day.

And what a long day it was! I am exhausted and cannot wait to put my head to my pillow...I hope you have a happy Wednesday!

PS...wasn't the sunset tonight just beautiful! Well...it sure was for me! Here is a picture of it...although it doesn't do it justice.

xoxo,
Toni

pushing forward

Today was the first day I have felt totally back on plan. I had no cravings and was able to pass by candy and other goodies with ease. I thank the Lord! It feels great! I am packing to go and work at the Missions Conference in Murrieta, CA, so I am going to keep this post short. :)

Breakfast
Woke up around 9 this morning and watch the live streaming of the Take Shape For Life Conference going on in San Diego. Learned so much! While watching, I ate on a smores crunch bar along with some coffee.

Morning Snack
A little while later I made a french vanilla shake and drank that while cleaning the kitchen.

Lunch
After cleaning I went to the store to stock up for some lean and green meals to bring with me. I had a gift card to Rubios from Christmas and it is right next to the store, so my parents and I went there to grab a bite to eat. I ended up opting for the steak chopped salad with no chips or dressing. So good and filling!

Afternoon Snack
I wasn't really hungry at this point but had the munchies, so of course I still ate. I sipped on a coffee milkshake...I also added some extra instant coffee to give it a little boost.

Dinner
My stomach was growling by the time dinner rolled around so I ate some chili nacho cheese puffs while drinking a bunch of water.

Dessert
I went to church tonight, so after I got home it was time to eat my last meal of the day. I know coffee tends to keep you up, but it was cold outside and I was craving a cappucino. So I made a calorie burn cappuccino and am now calling it a night.

I will keep you all updated this week as I am away from home. Pray for me! :)

xoxo,
Toni