day thirteen...when cravings attack

The day I dreaded finally came...the day I crave food all day long. Even after I finished a Medifast meal or a lean and green meal, I felt like I needed to chew on something else. Thankfully, I had some sugar-free gum. I was able to quench those cravings with a prayer to the Lord while chewing on a stick of gum.

At one point I thought to myself, why am I really doing this program? I can eat a juicy burger right now. Why don't I? It took me a while to truthfully answer my own thought, but then I realized that this is a lifestyle change. Eating well and frequently is not just a 6 month plan, but it is my life from now on. I am sure in the future I can splurge every once in a while, but right now, I just can't. There is no need for a mental debate. I simply cannot have that food because I am changing my life for the better and this will only take me back three steps.

Before I put something in my mouth, I need to ask myself: Will this benefit me? Will this help me further my healthy lifestyle or pull me back into the depths of my past sin? It is either going to be one or the other, and I hope—with the Lord's help—that I choose to further benefit my health.

Oh, and I made it through the whole day without caving into my temptations and stuck to my Medifast plan...in case you were wondering. It makes me so happy to know I stood my ground and said no to those harmful foods—gives me hope for the future. :)


Breakfast

This mornings breakfast is one of my all-time favorites: a dark chocolate shake. You know what it reminds me of? A Starbucks Frappuccino. And I would be lying if I said I didn't miss those. But this is a great substitute. Maybe I will add a shot of espresso to it one day and make it a mocha "frappuccino".

Morning Snack

Two words: oatmeal cookies. These are so good! I am not a fan of the oatmeal by itself, but when you mix it with a little bit of baking soda and cinnamon and bake for about 15 minutes, they are delicious. Click here for the recipe.

Lunch

I had my go-to lunch today. A simple salad with meatballs and light Italian dressing. Can't go wrong with this combo. Delish!

Afternoon Snack

This is when the trouble started. Well, it really began after I ate my salad for lunch. It wasn't that I was hungry, but I felt that I needed to chew on something. I was going a little crazy by the time my snack time came around. This is another reason why I love this plan so much...I get to eat every 2-3 hours. It's perfect! I usually do not like the Parmesan puffs, but they weren't all that bad. I think they were the ideal crunchy snack I needed at the moment, and satisfied my craving to chew something.

Dinner

Dinner was my favorite meal of the day by far. I am pretty sure the s'mores bar is my favorite Medifast food option. I savor each bite. Love it! I will be so bummed if they ever discontinue it.

Dessert

After dinner I went to church and was satisfied for the 2 hours I was there. However, I was definitly ready for something sweet when I got home. So I whipped up a mocha milkshake. It totally hit the spot. Perfect ending to a rough day.

Well there you have it, another day complete! I have almost completed 2 weeks already! Time has flown by...I feel like I just began this plan. And the best part is, is that I am not tired of the food whatsoever. I actually find myself looking forward to my next Medifast meal. I definitely prefer them over my lean and green meal. Go figure. :)

But before I leave you, let me tell you a funny story that happened tonight. After church, when I was making my milkshake, my parents and I caught our cat trying to sneak outside. We do let him outside at times, but he is mainly an indoor cat. But he sees what door my dad opens for him to get out and how he opens the door (via the handle). So we turn around and he is standing on his back legs trying to open the door with his paws! It was the cutest thing! Sadly he was unsuccessful (shocker), but it made for a good laugh. Here is a picture...

I hope you all have a blessed day!

xoxo,
Toni

day four...an evening stroll and a lesson learned

I cannot believe I have completed day four! Time seriously is flying by. I can't tell you how happy I am and how much I am looking forward to how I will feel and look a month from now or even six months from now <---I am hoping it takes about six months to get to my goal weight of about 105 pounds. I am only 5'1", so this weight is in the healthy weight BMI range for me. :)

okay, moving on to breakfast! I had a smoothie today. An orange mango smoothie to be exact. I can't put my finger on what the taste reminded me of, but it tasted so familiar. Who knows. Overall it was a nice, icy cold and fairly thick smoothie—components for a perfect smoothie.

Moving on to my morning snack, I had a blueberry soft bake...that I did not "bake" but rather cooked  in the microwave. This tasted pretty similar to a blueberry muffin. Actually, it tasted like a real muffin a lot (minus the vitaminy taste. All the Medifast foods are stock full of vitamins). I also thought I would switch up the pictures a bit and show you a step-by-step of how I made this little morning treat. I promise you, there are blueberries in the batter, they just all sunk to the bottom.

So for lunch, I switched it up and had some chicken rather than ground turkey. I also added some sauteed red peppers and put it all over a bed of romaine lettuce and added some light Italian dressing to it.

It was at this time after my lunch up until my afternoon snack that I struggled a bit. I wasn't tempted by other foods, it was more of a I just have to eat something right now. But by eating every 2-3 hours (not every hour) is how my body stays in a high metabolic, fat burning mode. So I waited and practiced discipline.

So, when it was time for my snack I decided on the cheese pizza bites. And you know, they actually did taste like cheese pizza. I was pretty shocked! The cracker part, which acts like the crust, is covered with a cheese and tomato flavor which just comes out to be a pretty delicious snack. I definitely like these better than the BBQ flavored ones I had yesterday.

Around 5pm, I got off work and began to eat my next Medifast snack: A Caramel Crunch Bar! I am not the biggest fan of caramel (I prefer chocolate over anything), but this bar wasn't too bad! I am liking all of the Medifast bars so far!

I ate my bar while driving with my mom to the backbay so we could take a leisurely walk through nature. While walking we listened to a message by Cheryl Brodersen and it just taught me a lesson for sure. <---This is my lesson learned. ;) She had given this message the day after Pastor Chuck (her father) went to Heaven. The joy she had in the midst of a difficult and sad time was incredible. I am currently going through a time at home where it is hard to find joy and love for those who just get on your nerves. You know? But the Lord spoke to me and was telling me I had to show love for these people. I not only think of how Jesus would treat these guys, but also of how Pastor Chuck would have treated them? Both would do it in love.

So we strolled along the beautiful nature path quite briskly while listening to a message, along with all the different birds and animals sounds in the distance. It was such a peaceful moment. After we got back to the car I told my mom, "Wait! We have to take a picture for my blog!" And so we did. :)

All in all, we only walked a bit under 3 miles (we were shooting for 4 miles). But hey, we still burned 235 calories in about 47 minutes...and all we did was walk! Plus, it was nice spending time with my mom.

When we got home, I began making my last meal of the day. It was oatmeal again. But this time it was a brown sugar flavor and I decided to attempt and make a muffin out of it. It didn't turn out exactly how I thought it would, but I will get it right eventually.

So there you have it! My day in a nutshell. Tomorrow I face day 5!

xoxo,
Toni