day fifty-five...when you're at your lowest

I am sick...still. Most of my friends have come down with a cold this past week and I thought I was the lucky one who surpassed getting sick. I was wrong.

So anyways, I woke up this morning with a sore throat and just felt like my face was going to explode. I have to tell you since I couldn't last night, but as I was getting in my car yesterday morning, I turned KWVE on and Pastor Chuck Smith was teaching. It was too funny because as soon as I turned on the radio, Pastor Chuck was saying something to this effect: "Let's say you are not feeling well. Watch out because that is when the Enemy attacks. It is when we are at our lowest that he comes in and pounces." Well, there you have it...I better be in the Word today!

Breakfast
Nothing new to report for breakfast...except for the fact that is was a chilly 39 degrees! I am a wimpy Californian, I know. Once I did manage to leave my warm and cozy bed, I started to get ready and made a mocha shake and enhanced it even more by adding instant coffee to it.

Morning Snack
My new shipment of Medifast came in yesterday! I opened it up right away and decided to sip on a calorie burn cappuccino (which I ran out of a few days ago) for my morning snack. I was going to make a cup of coffee anyways, so why not just make it one of my meals. And although it was beyond divine, I did end up burning my tongue with the first sip...so that wasn't very fun.

I also got this sweet stack of recipe cards that are all holiday themed! I love it and cannot wait to try some of them!

Lunch
Back to the same old meal for lunch. I made a salad topped with a chili lime chicken burger and shredded Parmesan cheese as well as a drizzle of light chipotle ranch dressing. Simple but delicious.

I also paired my salad with a diet ginger ale...I needed a little splurge today.

Afternoon Snack
My stomach was rumbling by the time my next meal time came around. I ended up snacking on some brown sugar cinnamon cereal crunch for about 20 minutes. These not only fill you up buy they last a while too!

Oh...and I had another cup of coffee with the cereal...it's just one of those days. Isn't the white Christmas tree pretty! It's up in our office area and I love walking by it every time I use the restroom or walk to the kitchen.

Dinner
I was in the mood for some cheesy goodness tonight. So I whipped up a batch of macaroni and cheese and added a small pinch of shredded Parmesan cheese to thicken it up and give it a touch more flavor. The mac and cheese is pretty good when I add just the smallest thing to it. The picture looks fairly appetizing, right?! I think it looks a tad better than my other mac and cheese photos. :P

Dessert
Cut up a smores crunch bar to munch on after church tonight. I stayed for a while talking so it was a perfect "pop in your mouth" treat. No one noticed or at least cared (I think), which is a double bonus!

So, I will admit that I have had better days, but the Lord is still on the throne, so I have nothing to complain about...although I do admit to complaining several times today. I am praying that the Lord would change my heart and help me to be thankful in all things...the good and the bad.

xoxo,
Toni

day forty-six...possibilities

[source]

The smell of popcorn hit me like a ton of bricks as soon as I walked into the kitchen. I stood there and deeply inhaled and slowly exhaled. It was a delightful smell. One that seems to linger hours after being popped. I quickly filled up my water bottle and made my way out of the kitchen...there was no reason for me to be in there...especially with the popcorn smell lingering and my mind beginning to think about food.

It's funny how just the smells of food can stumble you. Sure, I didn't feel like I had to eat popcorn like I used to, but I am still tempted. Food is not going anywhere. And everyday that I deny my flesh, my spirit gets stronger. It is not impossible to say no. Trust me, it's not. It may be difficult, but you can do it! The Lord always provides a way out. And most of the time it's as simple as walking out of the room.

Breakfast
Well, I'm back to my normal routine today. Woke up around 7am and started getting ready for work. Right before I left, I made a strawberry shake. Lovely start to my Monday. Did you notice the Christmas decorations in my office? :D

Morning Snack
For my snack, I made a oatmeal muffin using the apple cinnamon oatmeal. For some reason, it was really good today! It's usually a hit or miss with the oatmeal muffins, and today it was a hit!

Lunch
I decided to eat a simple lunch today. I cooked a chicken burger and paired it with raw broccoli. I also used chipotle ranch dressing as a dipping sauce for the broccoli. Delish!

Pre-Afternoon Snack
Before my afternoon snack, I had a little bit of coffee with 2 tablespoons of sugar free creamer. I needed a little pick-me-up...

Afternoon Snack
For my afternoon snack I had the cheese pizza bites. I was feeling rather snacky, so these were perfect!

Workout
Upon getting home from work, I changed into my workout clothes and went for an evening jog. Except tonight, I didn't do it alone! My dear friend, Kiera came with me! She is the best...just sayin'. We did 2.18 miles in about 28 minutes. It was a ton of fun having her join me. I had my sister take a picture of us...but somehow it got deleted...I think that was my fault. Bummer. Oh well.

Dinner
After our workout, I made some mac and cheese and brought it with me to go because Kiera and I went dress shopping for a formal Christmas party we are attending on Saturday night. I also added a little bit of shredded Parmesan cheese to it and it turned out really good! It thickened up the sauce a bit as well. Loved it! I promise it tastes so much better than it looks. I can never get an appetizing photo of the mac and cheese.

Dessert
I just got home when it was time to eat dessert. I am so happy I saved the lemon meringue crunch bar. It was easy to eat as I watched last weeks episode of the Biggest Loser. Doesn't the lights on the Christmas tree look pretty? I love it.

I pray you have a blessed night and even better day!

xoxo,
Toni

day thirty-nine...motivational monday

I saw this quote and just knew I had to share it. I am still truckin' along and I do at times get weary and want to eat a cake or something. Weight loss doesn't happen overnight, so I just need to remember that even though I may not be at my goal weight yet, and may still have a while to get there, I am one step closer to that goal. Every day counts. As long as I am sticking to the TSFL program, I am one day closer to my weight loss goal.

Remember that today. It can really apply to anything in your life. Just make it through the day and you will be one day closer to that goal. Even if you mess up...start again the next day or better yet, the next minute and continue going. Don't beat yourself up. We all make mistakes, but it also our choice to get back up and start walking forward again.

Breakfast
I am back to my normal schedule today (unlike yesterday). I woke up, got ready, and made myself a mocha shake. I think these shakes are one of the things keeping me going on TSFL. All of the flavors are so good!

Morning Snack
Because it was the first day back to work since the warehouse sale on Saturday, we had a lot of clean up to do. I was busy all morning, but I was able to take a quick break and eat an oatmeal raisin crunch bar. I love being busy...makes the time fly by! PS...these bars are amazing!

Lunch
Back to my normal salad today. I made a pizza burger and put it on top of some chopped romaine and mozzarella cheese. I then topped it all off with some light Italian dressing. It was really good! I thought I wouldn't be able to taste the cheese all that much, but it was very prominent in the meal. And I love cheese.

Afternoon Snack
The salad didn't hold me over all that well because I was hun-gry by the time my snack time came around. Whenever I do get hungry, I just tell myself that I am going to eat in an hour...so just hold on. I also drink some water and chew gum which seems to help.

So for my snack I had the nacho chili puffs and drank a ton of water while eating them...they had a spicy kick to them!

Dinner
I made some macaroni and cheese tonight but decided to put a twist on it. I sprinkled some parmesan cheese in it to help thicken it up...it worked too! After I cooked it in the microwave I put the dish under the broiler to attempt to brown the top...but it only burned. Whomp, Whomp. It was actually pretty good though! Kind of tasted like a grilled cheese sandwich.

Dessert
To end the night, I had a peanut butter milkshake. This is the best dessert! Can't believe I get to have milkshakes on the TSFL program and still lose weight! Love it.

I pray your day is blessed and that you will continue to strive toward your goals. Just take it day by day.

xoxo,
Toni

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 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-six...guilty feelings

I have a confession...for the past few days, I have been getting down on myself and feeling guilty for the things I am eating. I have given myself a little more freedom and creativity when it comes to my lean and green meals, and I am simply not feeling thinner...if that makes sense—so I feel guilty because it must lead back to those lean and green meals. And maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. Either way, I need to start treating myself better and feeling guilty for eating according to plan. I am on the right track...there is nothing wrong with that.

With that said, I have a plan. For now on, I am going to have a "treat" lean and green meal on Friday and Saturday or Sunday and every other day I am just going to keep it simple. Simple meaning, a salad with a protein. A treat meal can mean making pizza boats, zucchini spaghetti, or cauliflower pizza. That way, I am still having a little fun in the kitchen, but not all the time. 

Wow...okay...now, let's talk about what I ate today.

Breakfast

I had spare time this morning, so I decided to make an oatmeal waffle. I just mixed the oatmeal with some water and put it in the waffle maker. It stuck like crazy, but it was still crispy and delicious.

Morning Snack

It was a chilly morning, so I made a lovely hot cup of the calorie-burn cappuccino. I can drink this every morning. Love it!

Lunch

Like I mentioned earlier in the post, I am going simple during the week for my lean and green meals. So today, I had a simple, yet delicious chicken salad. I ended up using a new dressing today as well. It is the light honey mustard one made by Annie's. It was soooo good! Paired perfectly with the chicken. Even my cat, Peggy wanted a bite. ;)

Afternoon Snack

I actually wasn't hungry between lunch and my afternoon snack! Yay! I am finally getting over these cravings to eat...or really just to keep my mouth busy. Anyways, I opened up a bag of the cheese pizza bites and ate those for a good 30 minutes. There are a lot of bites in one bag!

Dinner

As I mentioned yesterday, I saved the mac and cheese for tonight. And that is exactly what I had. It turned out way better than any other mac and cheese I have made! Not a bad alternative to the real stuff! I am still trying to snap a decent photo of the mac and cheese, but it is just not photogenic.

Dessert

I have been having a crunch bar every day since day one and am not going to stop doing that now...so I had a cinnamon roll crunch bar for my dessert and loved every last bite of it. I actually almost forgot to eat it because my parents came over to the house I am watching and we were all sitting together watching Food Network's Chopped. We were all so in to it and in awe of how these chefs make a beautiful dish out of the strangest ingredients. But anyways, I did end up remembering and enjoyed the bar while watching.

And just to put a smile on your face, here is the cutest picture of our neighbor's cat peeking over the fence into our backyard to say hello to our two cats.

'Til tomorrow!

xoxo,

Toni

day eighteen...a case of the mondays

even my cats have a case of the Monday's ;)

If you are like me, then you do not enjoy Mondays. It is just a reminder that the weekend is over and it's time to get back to work. The old me used to hate Mondays...but the new me doesn't mind all that much. Want to know why? Well, in the past I would binge all weekend long on all sorts of harmful foods and then wake up Monday morning feeling miserable, promising myself that today was the day I would get back on my diet.

Now, I wake up Monday morning with a smile on my face knowing I made it through another weekend eating healthy and staying on the Medifast plan! It is a great feeling. But, Monday's are still Mondays and will always be Mondays, and it is still the day making you well aware that the weekend is indeed over. I am excited however, to see what this week will bring. I think it is going to be a good week.

Breakfast
Woke up and drank a delicious mocha shake for breakfast. These shakes are the best...cannot wait for my next order to arrive! I got a few more shake flavors.

Morning Snack
I was busy this morning organizing old pictures at work, so I completely lost track of time...until my stomach started growling, letting me know it was time to eat. And it indeed was.

Lunch
I had my mind set on a meatball salad for lunch, but then I got home and realized I only had two meatballs left. Bummer. So, I looked around a bit and found the pizza burgers! I fried up one of them and smashed it to a ground meat type texture and sprinkled it on top of some romaine lettuce and light Italian dressing. It was really good! I will probably make it again tomorrow!

Afternoon Snack
My body is so weird. I was completely full after lunch, but about 30 minutes later I was hungry again! Well, let me rephrase that...my flesh thought I was hungry, but really it just wanted a piece (or two) of candy from the office next door. Don't worry...I didn't eat any. I chewed on a piece of gum instead and waited for my next snack.

Dinner
I don't know where you are all from, but here in Orange County it was chilly going home! Okay okay...cold for me...most people around the world would consider our weather warm. Not me! Anyways, I got home and did a 30 minute Barre3 workout and then ate some hot macaroni and cheese. Sooo good for such a chilly night!

Dessert
While watching last week's episode of the Biggest Loser, I drank a coffee milkshake. Yes, I know I am weird...eating something so cold when it is chilly outside. But when it comes to frozen treats, I can have them at anytime...no matter the weather.

Workout
So going back to my workout...I decided to start a program called Barre3. It is basically pilates, yoga, and ballet all put into one workout. You do use weights and a small ball, and I love it. The movements are small which result in you working out one specific part of your body at a time...and boy do you feel it. My muscles were spazzing out by the end of the workout—and it was only 30 minutes long! The workouts range from 10 minutes to 60 minutes. I will eventually work my way up to the 60 minutes ones. But as for now, I will be doing the 30 minute workouts 3 times a week.

here is a screenshot of my workout I did tonight

Well, that's all I got for today. Stay strong and be blessed!

xoxo,
Toni