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 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 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

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 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