day forty-five...being transformed

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Church tonight was amazing. Pastor Brian Brodersen taught on Romans 12...which is a pretty common and popular passage, but it really hit me more than usual tonight. And what makes it even better is that my health coach, Charlotte came up to me afterwards and we talked about it...confirming all that the Lord spoke to me about.

This health journey I am on is a transformation of my body. But not only am I changing on the outside, I am changing on the inside as well. This is also a heart issue. I can deny food and be bitter about it, or I can deny food and rejoice in the Lord for the great victory He just allowed me to have.

This is a slow process but one I have to go through—to get healthy and to grow spiritually. I encourage you to read Romans 12 and meditate on it. If you are open, the Lord will surely share something with you. Heed it and take it to heart.

Breakfast
Once again I slept in today. Tomorrow is going to be a fun wake up call getting back on my normal schedule...not really. :P So once I did get up I made myself a mocha shake and then headed to church.

Morning Snack
I brought a chocolate crunch bar with to church so I would be able to eat it right after church was over. We always seem to talk afterwards and I get caught without a snack, but this time I was prepared and ready.

Lunch
After church we went over to my grandparents house and helped them put up their Christmas lights. During the middle of it, I ate a Chipotle salad that consisted of lettuce, steak, fajita vegetables, and pico de gallo. I went to lunch with my parents earlier and just got mine to go. It's actually pretty funny how easy it was to say no to black beans and rice. God is good. :D

Afternoon Snack
After we got done helping my grandparents, we went to Home Depot and got our Christmas tree...a 9-foot Christmas tree! I just love Christmas...like a lot. This is my all-time favorite holiday. While putting up the lights and ornaments I snacked on some mixed berry cereal crunch.

Dinner and Dessert
We barely finished decorating the tree when we left to go to church. Once I got back home, I ate my last two meals at the same time so I didn't have to wait up just to eat again. I ended up making a chocolate chip pancake muffin in a (Christmas) mug and a chai latte. Perfect and delicious pairing.

Well, that is all for today. Don't forget to read and meditate on Romans 12.

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 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

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