christmas confessions and happy new year!

I have a lot to tell you...well, I have a lot to confess to you really. This past Christmas holiday took me for a spin down an endless food frenzy. I went off plan for about nine days and while it was fun for the time being, I hated the way I woke up the next morning and how I felt all day...it was like a sugar hangover. However, I still found myself going back to eating off plan by the end of the day...I was back to my old way of thinking and eating. I am sure I would have been back at my starting weight in a matter of weeks if I kept up this lifestyle.

BUT...thankfully I was able to turn it around. My mom (my main supporter in my house) instructed me to step on the scale and face the damage. It was the only way to really move forward. So, I stepped on the scale and cringed at the number staring back at me...I gained 12 pounds in only a matter of days. So that was it. No more...it just wasn't worth it. And you know, to tell you the truth, I missed being on the program. I missed the food and the structure of it. I felt kind of lost with my meals and snacks during those nine days.

With that said, I am looking forward and not behind at my mistakes. I won't lie...I was pretty hard on myself and kept playing the "what if" game in my mind...but what is done is done. There is no turning back...only moving forward...one step at a time.

So...who is ready for a New Year!? I know I am! It's a fresh start. A blank canvas. All those things that happened in 2013 (both good and bad) are gone. Those days are never coming back. So let's put those mistakes behind us and move forward...welcoming 2014 with open arms.

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead" (Philippians 3:13). 

xoxo,

Toni 

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Moving-Forward#sthash.UoFJ5IsP.dpuf

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Moving-Forward#sthash.UoFJ5IsP.dpuf

day sixty-four...making progress

It has been a good morning...the weigh in...excited news! But...I will get back to that later. First, let's talk about my day and what I ate.

Breakfast
Woke up this morning with a smile on my face ready to face whatever the day had for me. I made myself an eggnog shake and headed into work. Today was our inventory day. Basically we count all the inventory in our warehouse. It was quick though, only took us about 30 minutes...I would say that's a record.

Morning Snack
I was hungry by the time my morning snack came around so I opted to make a chai latte and sipped on that for a good 45 minutes. It's amazing to me how much those drinks fill me up and keep me full!

Lunch
I was out and about doing errands at lunch so I decided to treat myself today and went to chipotle. I got a salad with steak, fajita veggies, and pico de gallo salsa. This has to be my favorite going out meal. So good!

Afternoon Snack
Lunch held me over for sure. But I did end up having some coffee with my afternoon snack. I sipped on some coffee first and then opened up and ate a bag of the mixed berry cereal crunch. Perfect afternoon snack.

Dinner
I had dessert for dinner today. Why not, right? I made a peanut butter milkshake using the peanut butter soft serve. I haven't made myself one of these milkshakes in a while, so it was a nice treat.

Now, I have to tell you...I spoke in front of my college group tonight! I was asked to give a word of encouragement before the study, and so I did! I was really nervous, but the Lord totally worked through me. It was a great feeling to be used by the Lord...despite my heart beating a million times an minute and my palms getting all sweaty. Oh well, God knows what He is doing, and He has a special plan for each and every one of us. Tonight is a night I will never forget.

Dessert
When it was time to eat my dessert, I was in the middle of church. But, I thought ahead and cut up a cinnamon roll crunch bar and brought it with me. I discreetly snacked on it while listening to the message. :)

And now...the moment you have all been waiting for! Okay...so last week I was 141.6 and I kept thinking all week that I just want to be in the 130's for Christmas. And as of this morning I am 138.0! I couldn't believe it! I don't even remember the last time I was in the 130's. God is so good and gracious. I could not have done it without Him.

Remember that this weekend...when you put God first, things just fall into place. I would not be where I am today if it were not for the Lord. Trust me, I tried doing every diet in the book on my own, but it was only when I surrendered my will to the Lord that I have succeeded. No turning back!

xoxo,
Toni

day fifty-seven...month two update

Hi friends! Can you believe that it has already been two months!? I mean, where has the time gone? It's flown by, that's for sure.

The reason for my quote above is because I was so concerned about my weigh-in this morning and what would happen...what if I gained? But you know what? Instead of worrying about it, I should be excited to see how my hard work has paid off! :D Future notes to myself.

I have to tell you, that I am the happiest I have been in a long time. I know that I am not at my goal weight yet, but I feel so much better and am even more confident when speaking with people. The shy girl who stood in a corner is gone...hopefully for good. :)

But anyways, let's move on to what I ate today so you can see my updated photos and measurements!

Breakfast
It's Friday, so it is going to be a fun eats day. With that being said, I made myself an eggnog shake this morning. This has got to be my favorite shake...by simply mixing the vanilla shake with some eggnog capella drops, I can create the drink of my holiday dreams.

Morning Snack
I just love the hot drinks in the morning. I am so happy I ordered enough to have one every day. At first I liked the calorie burn cappuccino better, but now I am leaning towards the chai latte. I don't know...they are both so good! But today, I had the calorie burn cappuccino and loved every sip!

Lunch
I got a little creative for lunch today! It's Friday, so why not? I made cilantro-lime cauliflower rice and topped it with some chicken and light shredded cheese. So stinkin' good! The lime totally compliments the cauliflower. I will be posting the recipe for the rice soon!

Afternoon Snack
Keeping up with the favorites for today, I had some brown sugar cinnamon cereal crunch while sipping on some coffee as well.

Dinner
For dinner, I made something new again. I guess I was just in the mood to try out some new recipes. I made a pumpkin pie custard. And yes, it is as amazingly delicious as it sounds...and then some. So good! Definitely a holiday favorite. I will be posting the recipe for this as well fairly soon.

Dessert
I sort of wanted a chai latte for dessert rather than a crunch bar, so I made one and brought it with me to church. It was perfect because I put it in a red holiday Starbucks cup and I was able to drink it without anybody wondering what it was. ;)

Update
Okay...the moment you are all waiting for...the updates! Well, for starters, I only lost one pound this week, but considering all that has happened with me being sick, etc. I count that as a victory. And let's be real...I am still going down on the scale and have not gained, so double victory. I am excited to see what 2014 has in store for me!

Click here to see my starting pictures
Click here to see my month one update pictures

...and here are my month two update pictures...

Measurements

weight: 141.6 (-8.6 pounds)...I only lost 1 pound however from last week's weigh in
total lost: 24.6

biceps: 12" (-.5") 
total lost: 1.25"

forearm: 9.6" (-.4") 
total lost: .9"

chest: 35" (-2") 
total lost: 5"

waist: 29" (-1") 
total lost: 5.5"

hips: 36.5" (-2.25") 
total lost: 4.5"

bottom: 39.5" (-1.5") 
total lost: 3.75"

thigh: 23.4" (-1.1") 
total lost: 2.85"

knee: 16.5" (-.5) 
total lost: .75"

calf: 15.2" (-.8) 
total lost: 1.3

neck: 12.5" (-.25") 
total lost: .25"

Total inches lost this past month: 10.3" 
Total inches lost overall: 26.05"

I am over the moon...it's amazing how much your body changes day by day. Even though I don't see it, my body is slowly making progress. I hope this encourages you somehow today. I mean, I am a living example that if you stick to this program, you will lose weight and inches.

Please keep me in prayer for this next month and that I would stay on plan and be able to encourage and help others around me. Also, if you ever have any questions, feel free to contact me at confessionsandfood@gmail.com...I would be more than happy to help!

xoxo,
Toni

day thirty-one...getting back into the swing of things

As of this morning I am finally home and done with housesitting. I love house and pet sitting, but I am happy to be home. There is no bed like your own. ;) Now that I am back home, it is time to get back into the swing of things.

Now, I have to be honest and confess that I have not really been working out since I began housesitting. Now that I am back home, I am going to be getting up again in the morning and attempt to work out 5-6 days a week. Not long workouts...just short 30 minute conditioning exercises or a jog. I don't know, we will see how it goes. Let's just take it one day at a time. Sound good? Good.

Breakfast
I woke up earlier than usual this morning in order to get the house in tip-top shape. Bed made, blankets folded, kitchen clean, etc. Didn't take long at all. Before I knew it, I was walking out the door and packing up my car to head home. But before heading home, I made a mocha shake. For some reason, it tasted way better than usual...less icy maybe? I opened up the new pack of mocha shakes, so maybe it is just a really good batch.

Morning Snack
After I got home, I had some time to kill before church, so I headed over to Trader Joe's and picked up some essentials for this week's lunches. I bought some romaine lettuce, pizza burgers, and some veggie burgers. When I got back home from shopping, I ate a cinnamon raisin crunch bar and began walking to church with my parents.

Lunch
I had some zucchini to use before it went bad, so I made a plate of zucchini pasta with veggie sausage. This time, however, I did not add any mozzarella cheese to it...only a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Afternoon Snack
After lunch I met up with Kiera at Starbucks and caught up on some blogging and started writing this post. While there I had a black coffee with some splenda and an ice water and later on ate some cinnamon pretzel bites. They actually paired really nicely with the hot coffee.

Dinner
I still have a couple macaroni and cheese packs left from my first Medifast order, so I thought I would eat one of them tonight. Nothing really special to report about it...except that it looks more like cheese soup rather than mac and cheese. :)

Dessert
So I tried out a new dessert tonight...it was a brownie! Wow...this was soooo good! Way better than what I thought it was going to taste like. The brownie literally melted in my mouth. I am liking this Medifast program more and more every day. Instead of getting bored with the meals, I actually look forward to them! Love it!

So anyways, I hope your weekend was a good one! Keep me in prayer as I am starting the second month of the program and that I wake up on time in the morning to work out! :D

It's good to be home and back with these two crazy cats. ♥♥♥

xoxo,
Toni

day twenty-nine...month one update

Don't you just love winter? I know I do. I love the rain and clouds and the chill you feel when you step outside. Love it! I saw the sky this morning and smiled because it looks like it just may rain. But this is Southern California we are talking about, so it will most likely pass right over us.

It has already been one month since starting medifast! Wow...time flies by! Well, this is it, the one month update on my weight, measurements, and pictures! But I will get to all that at the end of the post. First, let's talk about what I ate.

Breakfast
I opened up my new shipment of Medifast foods and tried out the french vanilla shake. Oh. My. Goodness. This tasted like a liquid cupcake. So good! I am bummed I didn't get it before. But hey, I am still trying everything and figuring out what I like and don't like. This vanilla shake is definitely getting 5 stars in my book.

Morning Snack
It is a morning of firsts. For my morning snack I tried out the chai tea. This was delicious as well. I used to love the calorie-laden and creamy chai tea lattes and this is such a great alternative! It is a tad more spicy than I like, but it's still very good.

Lunch
I was feeling adventurous today for lunch. I decided to make an asparagus frittata. And guess what? It is only 3 ingredients! Click here for the recipe. Besides being crazy filling, it was a perfect treat for the wintery weather we are (finally) having.

Afternoon Snack
In celebration of completing one month, I decided to eat my favorite Medifast foods today. With that said, I had the s'mores crunch bar which is just so yummy and satisfying! I actually ate a few bites before I realized I didn't take a picture! I just couldn't wait to dig in. ;)

A little while later I had a an unsweetened iced venti Passion Tea from Starbucks. I haven't had one of these in quite some time, so it was a delicious Friday treat. Thanks for bringing me this, Kiera! You are the best!

Dinner
Continuing with the "eat my favorite foods" day I had the brown sugar cereal crunch for my dinner. I cannot tell you enough how much I like this snack. Such a great "crunchy" and sweet snack.

Dessert
To end the night, I had a mocha soft served turned milkshake. Great end to a great day.

Okay...now the part of the post you are all wondering about. How did I do in the first month? Well, let me tell and show you...

weight: 150.2 (-16 pounds)

biceps: 12.5" (-.75")

forearm: 10" (-.5")

chest: 37" (-3")

waist: 30" (-4.5")

hips: 38.75" (-2.25")

bottom: 41" (-2.25")

thigh: 24.5" (-1.75")

knee: 17" (-.25)

calf: 16" (-.5)

neck: 12.75" (same)

Total inches lost: 15.75"

I would say that is pretty good...wouldn't you? You can click here to see my original measurements and starting photos.

...and here is my one month photo...
 

That's all I have for today, but I hope this encourages some of you! Thank you for following me this past month and for all your support and prayers! I hope you stick around for month two! :)

xoxo,
Toni