day thirty-three...the great pumpkin

Thanksgiving is quickly coming up and surprise...pumpkin is everywhere. It seems like everything has pumpkin in it. For some, this is not a problem...but for me, it is...or at least used to be.

I love all things pumpkin...pumpkin bread, muffins, pie, pancakes, scones (my all time favorite), lattes, you name it. Even this year, before I started Medifast, I was eating everything out there! Now, I am able to say no and instead eat my own Medifast approved snack.

If I can resist the pumpkin temptation, so can you. Seriously, I am the biggest pumpkin fan out there (ask my family), and I am, by the beautiful grace of God, able to easily say no to all things pumpkin. It just ain't worth it. So this Thanksgiving, say no that pumpkin pie and instead whip up a pumpkin shake using a french vanilla shake packet and a few drops of the Capella Pumpkin Flavor drops. Chances are, people will want what you are having instead of that pie. ;)

Breakfast
Had a strawberry shake this morning and it was goooood. I am really liking everything lately. Love it!

Morning Snack
A couple hours after breakfast I had a chai latte. It was cloudy and cold at the time and it warmed my shivering body. The drink is a tad powdery even after you mix it, but still delicious. A wonderful alternative to a fat laden chai tea latte, which is also loaded with sugar.

Lunch
I am so predictable when it comes to my lean and green lunches...today I had the same romaine salad but topped it with a vegetable burger (chopped up) from Trader Joes. It sort of tasted like an egg roll for some reason. That's a good thing...the egg roll taste. At least to me it is.

Afternoon Snack
For my snack this afternoon I finally finished up the bbq bites from my last order. I didn't order more, so these were officially my last ones.

Workout
I think I am going to be working out after work. It is so hard for me to get up in the morning let alone having to get up and workout. So, today after work I did a 30 minute toning workout. I used the workouts from one of the SHAPE DVD's. I love it. The moves are simple, but it still works your muscles and let me tell you...you will feel it the next day. That's a promise. ;)

Dinner
After my workout I made some macaroni and cheese, and I didn't overflow it! All that cheesy goodness (thankfully) stayed inside the mug. I apologize because there is just no way to snap a flattering picture of this meal, but here it is.

Dessert
I had to eat dessert in church again...but it was a smores crunch bar so I was okay with crunching a little bit. And yes...that is the smores bar hiding in my purse. I tried to be discreet. ;)

Besides my pumpkin rant, today was a good day! I am thrilled to see what tomorrow brings...it's Wednesday! I love Wednesdays. Why? Well, I love going to church on Wednesday nights and I am also halfway through the week! Plus...I hear rain is coming!!!

xoxo,
Toni

day twenty-eight...pasta for days

 No pasta for me of course. I just made it and everyone else ate it. And I am a-okay with that. I enjoy making food for people actually. We were celebrating my brother's birthday (yes a week late) as a family. It's hard getting everyone together with such busy schedules. But I love my family and am so happy we are all so close.

This is the second time I have made pasta in the past week. Why? Well, since I cannot taste the food, I am just cooking what I know how to cook. So pasta it is! Plus, you can't go wrong with a big bowl of spaghetti and sausage.

Everyone enjoyed it, so we will just leave it at that. :)

Breakfast
I was out of it this morning and totally forgot to snap a shot of my pineapple mango smoothie. This was my last one and I didn't order any more. I wasn't the biggest fan of them and I was basically just eating them because I already bought them. I mean, the taste wasn't terrible, but it was just a tad off for my liking.

I was so cold after drinking the smoothie, so I made myself a cup of hot tea. I chose the Tazo chai tea and it was divine.

Morning Snack
Last night, I bake some oatmeal cookies to take with me to eat for my morning snack. All I did was heat them up for a bit in the toaster oven...but you really can just eat them the way they are. I like my cookies a bit more crispy rather than soft.

Lunch
I had to run some errands today at lunch so I only had enough time to throw together a quick salad for lunch. I just heated up a pizza burger and mixed it together with some romaine lettuce and light Italian dressing.

Afternoon Snack
I was pretty busy after lunch so time flew by. Before I knew it, it was 3pm and time for my afternoon snack. I had the BBQ bites, which I am actually beginning to really like. I didn't order any more this past order, but I just might next time.

After work I rushed home and started cooking my brother's belated birthday dinner. I made some pasta with sausage, a crisp salad, toasted up some jalapeno cheddar bread with butter and garlic and ended the meal with a warm crumb topped apple pie topped with vanilla ice cream. Oh! and they drank some martinelli's of course...delicious!

I think they liked it too... :D

Dinner
While my family ate the spaghetti dinner, I made myself a peanut butter milkshake. I will take that over pasta any day...well, at least right now I will.

Dessert
Tomorrow is my one month weigh in day, so I wanted to end my day with something light. So I had a peanut butter crunch bar with some water. It was perfect. Just the right amount I needed.

I will update my pictures, weight, and measurements with you all tomorrow, so keep an eye out!

Have a good night!

xoxo,
Toni

day sixteen...running the race

taken after the race

 Today I ran a race...both physically and spiritually. Let's start with the physical race.

Well, I woke up this morning, got ready, and headed out with my parents to run a 5k color run. Now, before I began Medifast, I would run about 3-4 miles three times a week with no problem. Yes, I would get tired, but I would always push through it. Today however was a different situation...totally different. My health coach told me to take it easy with my running for the first two weeks of the program—which I did.

I am in week three now, so I thought I could just breeze through the run like I have in the past. But I was wrong...like way wrong. I pretty much struggled the entire time. The first mile went pretty good, not too much pain, but soon after I was hurting. I definitely had to listen to my body—it was screaming for me to stop and walk. It was humbling, but I did. My mom was also with me the entire time and did not leave me in the (color) dust...she's a keeper. ;) After walking for a few minutes, we would pick the pace up again and begin running...only for me to call a break and start walking once again. We did this for the rest of the run, but it worked. We ran the majority of the run, so that is an accomplishment. But I can honestly say that I did the best I could.

taken before the race

Moral of the story...listen to your body and know that you will not be able to do all you could do before the Medifast program. I am going to begin a workout plan beginning Monday, but it will mainly consist of toning exercises. I will probably add some cardio as well, but just try to shoot for 1 mile of running rather than 3. Some things will have to be adjusted because I am not feeding my body all the calories and energy I used to. My body is still adjusting to the low calorie diet. I'm just taking it little by little.

Okay, so here is the spiritual side of the story...after the run and me realizing just how weak I was, the Lord gave me a verse that spoke wonders to me. Now, I have heard this verse more times than I can count, but in this particular moment, it was just what I needed to hear. Taken from Hebrews 12:1, it says,

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." 

How great is that! I may not have broken any records running today, but I did endure and finish the race! Even with my new health program. It is helping me lay aside the sin of overeating and turning my focus to the Lord rather than my flesh. Keep running your race. You may have just begun (like me), but the finish line is there, we just need to keep enduring and we will eventually see it.

my mom and me right after we crossed the finish line

Anyways, I hope that this encourages some of you today who may be struggling with endurance. Keep going! It may hurt physically, but you will win greatly spiritually.


Breakfast
I had to make a quick breakfast to eat on the go to the race. So I made a pancake muffin in a mug. I then cut it in half and stuck it in a toaster. Delish!

Morning Snack
I had my morning snack a little after I finished the race. I wasn't too hungry after that difficult run, but I ate it anyways. I chose something small and easy to eat (because I was in the car). Also, I came prepared and pack multiple snacks. You just never know what will happen and you don't want to be without your meals! And yes, those are my running pants...covered in color!

Lunch
Lunch was a little late for me today, so I ate a simple meatball salad. It is quick and easy to make and tastes delicious too!

Afternoon Snack
At this point, I was just relaxing, so it was nice to eat a crunchy snack while doing my nails. It was easy to eat too so I didn't mess up my freshly painted fingers.

Dinner
After my fingers dried, I decided to try out a little recipe. I took the brown sugar oatmeal and made granola out of it. But I will get to that next. For dinner I made a dark chocolate shake. I was going to a friend's house and this was a perfect meal to make and take with me to drink on the drive over.

Dessert
I made granola, and it wasn't half bad. I baked it in advance because I had to take it with me to eat at my friend's house—didn't want to be unprepared and tempted. While they were eating pizza, dr. pepper, and brownies, I munched on my oatmeal granola. And you know what? I didn't feel left out! No one even mentioned or asked why I wasn't eating pizza too. They all understood! Love my friends! Just make sure that you have supportive friends who won't drag you down.

So that's it! Quite a busy day, but it was a good one. I hope your Sunday is a fun one!

xoxo,
Toni

day twelve...take every thought captive

"...bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).
When you are having a tempting thought, immedietly take it captive and release it to the Lord. Trust me, He will get rid of it for you—but only if you are willing. I have found that singing a song of worship when a tempting thought comes into my mind helps me to switch my thoughts from sin to praise. Next time you are struggling, stop and pray. Sing a song. Begin reading the Bible. There are so many options. But it is up to you to make that step to stop and do what pleases the Lord.   

Breakfast: calorie burn cappuccino

Have I mentioned before how much I enjoy these? Well, I do...a lot. It not only wakes me up a bit but the taste is delicious and it keeps my stomach full all morning. I wasn't hungry whatsoever when it was time for morning snack.

Morning Snack: blueberry soft bake

Yes, I know this looks unappetizing, but it is quite the opposite. It was soft, chewy and and bursting with blueberries (which seem to hide within the soft bake). Perfect meal after a wonderfully hot cappuccino.

Lunch: chicken salad

Lunch was amazing. I sauteed some chopped chicken with a few pieces of purple onion and it turned out perfectly moist and packed full of flavor. So simple, yet so delicious.

Medifast Lean and Green Breakdown:
Lean: 6 ounces of chicken (breast)
Green: 2 3/4 cup of romaine lettuce, 2 tablespoons of purple onion
Healthy Fat: 2 tablespoons of light Italian dressing

Afternoon Snack: cheese pizza bites

This crunchy snack is so good! Highly recommend it to anyone looking for something to crunch on. My only suggestion is to have some water with you because they are kind of dry. ;)

Dinner: attempted pancake muffin turned into giant pancake

So I attempted to make a pancake muffin in a mug, but...I accidentally put twice the amount of water the recipe called for, therefore, it did not work...like not at all. In my attempt to salvage my gooey mess, I decided to pour the half-cooked batter into a pan and fry it up like I would a normal pancake. It worked to an extent, but obviously it looks hideous. I almost didn't post this picture, but then I thought, hey, we all make mistakes...why not just post it. We can all learn from our mistakes. The next time I try and make a muffin out of pancake mix, I will think twice before I add the water.




Dessert: caramel crunch bar

I actually had to eat this in the middle of church tonight. I thought it would be okay because the bar is soft, but I was wrong...it still had some crunch to it. I began eating very slowly so I would not annoy the people around me, but it still had a loud crunch at every bite. Oh well, you do what you gotta do.

Overall, today was a fantastic day. I was able to put my focus on the Lord when my mind began thinking fleshly thoughts. I thank the Lord that I made it through yet another day—to God be the glory!

xoxo,
Toni

day eleven...the Father's warmth

the view from the middle of my street this morning

Have you ever had one of those mornings when you wake up and just want to stay in bed all day long? That was me this morning. My alarm went off and I immediately felt the chill overcome my body as I began to get out of my bed. I stood for a moment and hopped right back under my covers just so I could feel the warmth once more. I did not want to leave—I knew that as soon as I did, I would be cold and uncomfortable.

This is the way I should be with the Lord. He keeps me warm and happy as He wraps His arms around me. I never want to leave His presence, and I know that as soon as I do, my life will become stale, cold, and uncomfortable. Now, I can prolong this misery, or I can jump right back into His open arms as He begins to warm me up once again. God will always be there for me—whether I am walking with Him or if I have strayed. He is there. Arms open wide, just waiting for me to return.

Just think about that as you go about your day today. Stay in the Father's warmth.

Now, I totally spaced this morning and didn't get a picture of my breakfast or morning snack, but I became more diligent as the day went on. :)
But for the record, I had a mocha shake for breakfast and a peanut butter crunch bar for my morning snack. Both delicious!

Lunch: Meatless Meatball Salad

These meatless meatballs from Trader Joe's are amazing. You simply bake them for ten minutes and they come out crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. It paired very well with some romaine lettuce and Italian dressing.

Medifast Lean and Green Breakdown:
Lean: meatless meatballs
Green: romaine lettuce
Healthy Fat: Italian dressing

Afternoon Snack: BBQ Bites

These are still not my favorite, but I am eating them anyways because I did buy them—and no food will go to waste on this program. So I sucked it up and ate them. But hey, it kept me satisfied for the next couple hours.

As I got home from work, the chill began to creep through my thick sweater. And what better way to warm up after a rainy day than to eat hot and steamy comfort food. So I pulled out the perfect Medifast meal...mac and cheese.

Dinner: Macaroni and Cheese

Mac and cheese isn't that pretty to photograph, but I tried and will get better over time. But anyways, it tasted way better than it looked and it hit the spot. Dinner perfected.

And of course, I go in the complete opposite direction for dessert and make myself an icy cold peanut butter milkshake. I have to admit, these milkshakes are becoming one of my absolute favorite things to eat. It tricks my mind into thinking I am drinking a calorie filled milkshake, when in reality, it is just my Medifast soft serve blended with some water and ice. Love it!

Dessert: Peanut Butter Milkshake

Well, that is it for today! I am off to bed and ready to see what awaits me tomorrow.

xoxo,
Toni

day six...you need to heed in order to succeed

When the Word of God is telling you something, you better listen up and do it. Take heed to what the Lord is saying to you. Last night the Lord spoke to me greatly through Pastor Chuck's Wisdom for Today Devotional. It was all about Jesus taking the victory on the cross to defeat satan so that we can in turn have victory.

In case you can't read it, it says, " His [Jesus'] victory means we can know victory. Though Satan will never stop trying to tempt you away from God, you can stand against that temptation and know the glorious victory of Jesus Christ."

Then this morning I received an email from my Medifast health coach, Charlotte, and she sent me another little Word from the Lord and it was all about standing fast. There was that word again: stand. You think the Lord is trying to tell me something? I need to be ready to stand in any situation. Whether it is about the Word of God or even about my diet, I...no we, must remain standing.

It is when you take heed to the Word and those helping you that you will succeed.

After waking up this morning and remembering all that the Lord spoke to me about the night before, I was ready to begin my day. For breakfast I had a delicious ice blended mocha shake. It was nothing special, I just took the Medifast mocha powder and blended it with one cup of water and one cup of ice. Simple perfection.

 

Next up for my morning snack, I ate some cinnamon pretzels. Still on the fence about this one, but I think I am beginning to like them more and more. My taste buds are finally adjusting to how the Medifast food tastes and how it is way better than "normal" processed junk food. Hopefully, one day I will just despise the taste of fast and fat food.

 

Doesn't that pretzel picture just look extra fall-like? I don't know...I think it does and I like it. Lunch was pretty boring and simple, but I like it. I have come to realize that cooking different and new recipes can oftentimes get me into trouble food wise. I tend to go all out and that will not help me when I am on this program. I think for right now I need to be repetitive and simple. So I stuck with my original ground turkey salad lunch. And for some reason, it smelled and tasted just like Taco Bell. I know, totally weird, right? But it was actually really tasty! And way better than Taco Bell...just sayin'.

Medifast Lean and Green Breakdown:

1 lean: 5 ounces of ground turkey

3 greens: 3 cups of romaine lettuce

1 healthy fat: 2 tablespoons of light Italian dressing

For my afternoon snack I decided to go and try the BBQ Bites once again. The verdict? Still not a fan. I don't know what it is about these, but they just don't taste that good to me. I may be crazy. But I still ate them, so I guess they aren't the worst thing ever. 

I had to rush dinner, unfortunately, so I could make it to church on time, but it was pretty good. I made the mac & cheese again and I think I made it right this time! Woohoo! For some reason, there were some tiny chunks in it last time because I didn't stir enough. But this time, I stirred like crazy and enjoyed a nice hot bowl of creamy, chunk-free mac and cheese.

After church, I came home and had my dessert. I have said this before, but I just love all of the bars. Tonight I had the cinnamon roll bar again and enjoyed every bite. When I have to order more meals for next month, you better be sure I will be buying more bars (and shakes).

So there you have it! Day six, complete! I cannot believe I have almost hit a week! Keep posted because I am going to share a little secret with you all tomorrow or on Friday. :)

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