Wednesday, January 30, 2013

CHIRO... WHA??? (Written by guest blogger and Chiropractor Christie Ducote)


The post below was written by a friend of mine, Christie Ducote, who is a chiropractor living in the College Station area, and is newly engaged to be married (WOOHOO!!!)  She shares my passion for health and wellness and has written this information to share with you all.  This helps to explain how chiropractic has contributed to my weight loss (among other things).  I'll write more about my personal experience later, but without further ado, the excited, inspired, Christie Ducote!

"Our bodies were designed to need certain things.  We obviously need air to breathe, water to drink, and food to consume.  But there is something else- something much greater than these three- that your body needs every second of every day in order to live. 
You can tell how important something is to your body by how long you can live without it.  Although I like to joke and say that I could only go hours without food, truly, our bodies could last at least a month without food.  If you’ve ever watched survivor, you know that humans can go a long time without food.  Jesus, Moses, and Elijah all went 40 days without food.  Some of us can probably last even longer than others without food, depending on how much “storage” we have.
We know we should drink half our body weight in ounces of water every day, but the reality is that we could survive several days without water.  I’m reminded of Aron Ralston, the extreme hiker, who got his arm stuck behind a boulder while hiking in Utah, and lived almost a week with very little water before freeing himself to survive.  Likewise, we've all timed ourselves to see how long we can hold our breath under water.  So we can obviously last minutes without air.
 There is one thing, however, that you can’t even go one second without.  Have you thought of it yet?  What would happen instantly if I chopped off your head?  That’s right!  You wouldn't survive!  You can go weeks without food, days without water, and minutes without oxygen, but you can’t go one second without nerve supply!
 God put an amazing healing and functioning power in your brain that controls every single cell, tissue, and organ in your body.  For your heart to beat, your lungs to breathe, for you to digest all of the amazing foods that you are putting into your body- that power must flow from the brain, down the spinal cord, and over the nerves at 100%.  When this information is disrupted, your body can not function and heal at its optimum potential.  Over time, this disruption leads to disease.

 How does this occur?  Well, the spine has a position it HAS to be in.  It has to be completely straight from front to back and have 3 curves from the side.  In this position, there is no pressure whatsoever on the nervous system and you can function and heal at 100%.  When one of the 24 bones in the spine shift out of alignment or you lose a curve in your spine, it puts crushing pressure on the nervous system.  This is called subluxation.  With subluxation in your spine, you can never be truly healthy.



What does this have to do with weight loss?  Well, how much good will it do to eat amazing, organic foods when you have crushing pressure on the nerves going to your digestive system?  What about when you lose the curve in your neck and the nerve going to your thyroid is getting choked?  You may lose some weight, but you certainly won’t keep losing weight.  Ever find it easy to lose 10-15 pounds and then plateau?  You probably have damaging pressure to your nervous system.
 I have seen countless patients try everything in the book to lose weight, but can’t seem to move forward.  Once they learned the principle that their nervous system was first and foremost, the weight just fell off!  If you’ve never had your nervous system evaluated, please find a structural care chiropractor as soon as possible!  You can go to www.maximizedliving.com and click “Find a Doctor” to find the one nearest to you!"

Thank you Dr. Christie for taking the time to share this information!  It's extremely helpful and beneficial to anyone who has ever been "stuck" and unable to move forward in their journey towards health and wellness. For more from Dr. Christie, please visit www.vitalityfamilychiropractic.com  or facebook.com/vitalityfamilychiropractic

Thanks for reading!  Have a FANTASTIC day!

The Fat Girl,
Slim
  

CHICKEN ASPARAGUS MARSALA

As often as possible, I will share recipes so that you can try some of these delicious meals with your family.

I meant to post this the other night, but I didn't get a chance to, so I'm sharing now.  This meal is one of our family favorites, and I may or may not be drooling while I'm thinking about it.  It's called Chicken Asparagus Marsala, and is THE reason my kids beg and plead for more asparagus.  

Seriously.

As a rule, we double this to feed our five children and my very active, hungry husband.  Occasionally we even have leftovers for lunch the next day.  But I'll post the recipe as written. 

So without further ado...

CHICKEN ASPARAGUS MARSALA  
(adapted from the Maximized Living nutrition plan book)
4   chicken breast halves, boned and skinned
10 ounces asparagus spears, cut
2   Tbsp. butter (occasionally we add a Tbsp for flavor)
1   Tbsp. coconut oil or grapeseed oil (We occasionally add more of this as well, for flavor and moisture)
1/2 tsp. sea salt (added salt to taste while cooking chicken)
1/4 C. water
1/8 tsp. pepper (we don't use this because my kids do not love pepper and the flavor is wonderful without it)
1    Tbsp. Parsley, chopped diagonally into pieces
1/2  Pound mushrooms (this is something we use on occasion as it's not necessary, but does add to the meal)
1/4  C. Marsala Wine

The recipe says to pound the chicken pieces into 1/4- inch thickness.  I don't have that much free time, or anger to unleash, so we just cook the chicken breast halves as they are.  

Melt the butter and coconut oil in a frying pan over medium-high temperature.  Add chicken and cook, turning, for about five minutes or until the chicken is light brown.  Remove chicken and set aside.  To the drippings remaining in the frying pan, add the asparagus and mushrooms and cook, stirring, for about three minutes.  Return the chicken to the pan, add the Marsala wine, water, salt, and pepper.  

Bring the mixture to a boil for two minutes to reduce the liquid.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about three minutes or until the chicken and vegetables are tender.  Arrange the chicken on a serving platter.  Spoon the vegetable sauce over the chicken.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.  

Normally, I'd have a photo to share, but the kids were so hungry the other night that I had to feed them as soon as it came off the stove.  I'll make sure I snap a photo for next time!  

In the mean time, give this recipe a try.  Even people who don't eat healthy regularly will enjoy this!  

Thanks for reading!

The Fat Girl 
Slim

Monday, January 28, 2013

HOW JUICING CHANGED MY LIFE


Meet Tracy Jai-  I went to school with her when I was younger.  I can remember that Tracy was always "that girl".  She was the girl that all of the rest of us "ordinary girls" wanted to be like.  She was (still is) effortlessly beautiful inside and out.

So imagine my surprise when I saw Tracy's before and after photos on Facebook one day.  Not that she was ever really "big", but the transformation in her photos was beyond inspiring.  So I sent her a message and asked her what she had done to reach her goals.  She was working in a show on Broadway at the time, so I didn't honestly expect a reply.  Not only did she reply, but she made time to call and walk me through some of the things I would need to know to get started on this journey.

Have you ever experienced post postpartum depression?  I used to think it was just an excuse for moodiness after having a baby...  until I went through it after having my last child.  I was knee deep in the middle of my depression, on anti-depressants that turned me in to a zombie and really took me away from being the mom I wanted to be.  I have five children that desperately needed me, but I couldn't get up off of the couch.  I couldn't peak with excitement, I had little to no energy, and I couldn't function as a mom, as a wife, and barely as a human.  I felt completely hopeless.  

So that's where I was when I spoke with Tracy for the first time.  During the course of our conversation, Tracy told me that I needed to watch a movie called FAT, SICK, AND NEARLY DEAD.  I wasn't ready for what I saw, but it really rocked my world (seriously- take an hour and watch it.  It will change your life.)  She directed me to this website. Click here for more info and shared with me her story.  After hearing all of the amazing benefits, I decided to give juicing a try. (click HERE to read more of her story).  

So...  because I'll try anything once, I borrowed a juicer from a friend and started juicing.  I didn't really know what I was doing, but I was determined to get out of the pit of depression.  I "rebooted" my body during a 30 day juice cleanse with the help of Tracy and the reboot team.  The website offered tons of juicing recipes and information to help me get started.  Then, after a few weeks of just juicing (with a couple of "treat days" where I enjoyed a traditional meal), I realized that I didn't need anti-depressants anymore.  I also felt better than I had ever felt, and I noticed my waistline beginning to shrink.  In addition to those benefits, I finally had the energy to play with my kids.  I wasn't a zombie, drooling on the couch any longer.  Instead, I was outside kicking the soccer balls with my kids, or having sporadic dance parties in our living room.  I was back, and I was free- full of hope and joy. 

One other beautiful side effect that I noticed, was that I didn't crave sugar and fast food as I had before.  It was the first time in my entire life that I'd felt hopeful about the possibilities of being free from food addictions and a life-long struggle to become healthy.  

Even still, because I was an "eater"- a food addict, I eventually quit juicing and reverted to my old ways of eating.  Being a full time mom can be exhausting.  In my mind, I had little-no time to cook or plan menus, so we just consumed whatever was fast and easy... and I didn't go back in to a depression, but I did find myself gaining and losing weight, back on the diet rat wheel, trying to figure out what was going to be "it" for me.  

Seriously- my life, up until now, has been the definition of insanity.  

But after discovering chiropractic and healthy eating, I was reminded of the benefits of juicing, and decided to incorporate juicing back in to my life.

So that's where we are now.  

****Before I go on, I feel the need to clarify that I'm not an expert, nor am I a doctor.  I am an "at-home" mom with five kids... who happens to have finally reached a goal and is excited to share the steps towards progress with anyone who will listen, in the hopes of helping others reach their goals as well.  

Juicing wasn't the only thing that helped (as I mentioned in my previous post)- it was just the beginning.  But if you're looking for a good place to start, consider a reboot- a week or a month of juicing to help jump start your progress.  I can promise you won't be disappointed.

So what is juicing?

In my experience, juicing is simply taking raw fruits and veggies, pureeing them, and drinking the nutrients rather than eating them.  It's quick and easy, and if you do it right, it has TREMENDOUS benefits.  

The websites listed below have exponentially more information on juicing (including recipes) than I could ever give you, but I will continue to share everything I've learned and the recipes to help get you going... in more than one way.  ;)



Many of the recipes I create are simply from my personal experience with juicing.  But before I was able to put certain foods together and come up with something that didn't tickle my gag reflex, I had to follow some recipe guidelines- which is where the above websites will really be beneficial.  :)

So what juice did I enjoy today?  I totally made this one up.  

2 stalks celery
2 cabbage leaves
1 bunch spinach
3 kale leaves
2 green apples
1 carrot
1 orange
A very small amount of ginger (which, I learned the hard way, is really NOT awesome juiced, so use it in moderation)

No- it won't be sweet.  I don't even know if it's an official "cure anything" recipe, but I know I like it and it gives me that extra boost I need to get going.  

I'll post more recipes in the coming days.  Right now I'm not in the middle of a juice-only fast, so when I said "I  EAT", I meant it.  Right now, my days look more like this:  I drink 3-4 meals a day (dominantly juicing or an occasional protein shake) and I typically have a handful of raw sunflower seeds, raw almonds, or another healthy alternative for a snack.  I will usually sit with my family for breakfast and/or dinner and enjoy a healthy meal because that's "our time"... and because I love to eat!  

And it's working.

So, on a personal note...  

I'd like to take a minute to thank my friend Tracy.  If she hadn't taken the time to encourage, to follow up with me, to inspire me, I have no idea where I'd be today (probably still pushing 300 pounds... or worse).  She is one of many who blessed me by investing in my health and in my life, and I will be forever grateful.  Thank you friend.  Your decision to reach out to me influenced my decision to reach out to others and share the information that could change their lives.  You rock!  Your life is changing lives!

So, friends, that's Juicing, part I.  Take some time and look over the information- let it marinate.  Go read Tracy's story.  Visit the websites of both Joe and Drew, and decide whether or not juicing is for you.

Thanks for reading!  I'm excited to share more tomorrow!  

Have a fantastic day!

The Fat Girl,
Slim

WHAT I ATE TO LOSE ALMOST 100 POUNDS- EATING TO LIVE

So, do I count calories?

No.  Never.  I don't even think about caloric content when I eat anymore.  (Cue the hallelujah chorus)

Do I deprive myself?

Ha!  (Have we met?  I'd probably eat my shoe if I deprived myself.)

Am I miserable and hungry all of the time?

On the contrary.  I'm actually quite satisfied, and I feel incredible.

Do I eat mostly "rabbit food"?

No.  I eat human food- good food- the way that I was designed to eat and to live.

Am I selling something?

Ha, again!  Um... no.  Not so much.  I've done "sales" and it only pushed away every friend I ever had, so no, friend, I'm not "selling" anything.  Sharing information would be more accurate.

Why am I doing this?

Have you SEEN THIS??? <---- Click there to see the before and afters.

 Because, in my opinion, not sharing this information would be like having the anti-venom and hanging around a bunch of snake-bite victims but never taking the time to share with them the one thing that could, very well, save their lives.  

Where is the information on how to get started?

Right here.  Stay with me.  This one might get a little long, but it's worth it- at least I think so.

So what did I eat to lose almost 100 pounds?

Here is the simplified version- which is still pretty long.  I'll go through each of these in coming posts and give complete detailed lists of examples as presented by Dr. and Whitney Zaino.  

WHAT TO EAT:
Information courtesy of Abundant Life Chiropractic, and Chris Zaino.

Veggies- TONS of veggies.  The veggies I focused on the most were: Kale, Spinach, and other dark green veggies.  Most of the time we made salads, or steamed  our veggies.  Other times, we grilled the veggies, or sauteed them in a pan.  Occasionally (but very rarely, we cooked them in the oven (we usually only do this with Brussels Sprouts).   I have a tendency to be lazy, so my absolute favorite way to eat green veggies, or any veggies, for that matter, was to juice them.  (more info in this afternoon's blog on juicing).  

Lean protein (chicken, beef, eggs, high quality whey protein).  I have some amazing recipes that I will share in coming posts.
Fruit keep in mind that fruit is still a sugar, so if your goal is weight loss, you will want to eat this in moderation.  We mostly eat green apples and berries
Healthy Fats Yes.  You read that correctly.  You must eat fat to lose fat.  Say WHA!?!??!  You mean, we've had it backwards this whole time???  Pretty much.  *sigh*  If I had only known then what I know now...  But I digress.  I bought NOTHING that said "Low Fat" or anything of the sort.  On the contrary, I spent a great deal of time incorporating healthy fats in to our diets and the results have been amazing!  (I'll explain why in a post dedicated to healthy fats and coconut oil.)  Examples of the healthy fats we eat the most are: 

  • COCONUT OIL
  •  RAW CREAMY UNSALTED ALMOND BUTTER
  •  RAW NUTS AND SEEDS
  •  OLIVE OIL 
  •  COCONUT
  •  EGGS 

There are tons more- these are some of the most common forms found in the Muhle Family diet.  

So...  you mean... that's it!??!  

Not quite, but mostly.

Here is a list of things we had to remove from our diets in order to encourage healthy weight loss.

WHAT NOT TO EAT:

REFINED SUGAR- in ALL forms (sodas, white rice, white pasta, and white bread are included in this).  And NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS.  
 

MILK- I know, I know.  We hear it all of the time.  Milk does a body good, right?  Wrong.   Eliminating the milk that comes from cows and replacing it with ALMOND MILK or COCONUT MILK has made a tremendous difference- not just in my ability to lose weight, but in my children and in my husband as well.
BAD FATS- including:  hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, trans-fats, and rancid vegetable oils
MAN-MADE FOODS- Seriously.  I know Pop-Tarts and cereal are tasty,and really easy, but in the long run, "tasty" won't help you reach your goals.  In fact, "tasty" mostly left my family feeling hungry, tired, sluggish, and unsatisfied.  So it's simple- don't shop the aisles.  Unless we're buying toilet paper, we rarely find ourselves cruising the aisles.  We spend less time and money in the store, and we feel better.  So no GMOs, pasteurized or homogenized dairy, grain fed meats, anything with preservatives and chemicals like MSG and Aspartame.

Okay- so I know you're on information overload.   Not to worry.  We're done for today.  Yes, there is tons more information that will help you on your journey, and I'll get it all out in the coming posts so that, if you should choose to, you can begin to apply these changes and be on your way to health and wellness!  

As for now, I'm off to drink my green tea and my morning juice!  

Have a fantastic day!

*Don't forget to check back this afternoon for more information on juicing!

Thanks for reading!

The Fat Girl,
Slim







Saturday, January 26, 2013

I Eat... A Lot

So what do "eaters" eat when they are trying to get healthy and lose weight?

Well, it's a long answer.  In short- I eat food...  good food, and a lot of it.

And I drink juice...  a lot of juice (more info in the next post).

But let me offer you the Cliff's Notes version (courtesy of Pinterest) to help you get started on the eating side of things. .


No, I'm not 100% Paleo, but this is both incredibly entertaining, and accurate.  Also, it's the closest thing to how I eat that I could find...  so just go with it.  I'll follow up with food-specific information in later posts.  And trust me- I know you're eager to get going, so it won't be weeks before my next post.

Just something to consider, before you go about your morning routine (also courtesy of Pinterest... and Ann Wigmore):


Get ready friends...  we're jumping in with both feet!

Check back later for some recipes and some follow up information on why we eat what we eat.

It's good stuff.  Don't miss it!

Thanks for reading!

In this together,

The Fat Girl,
Slim

Friday, January 25, 2013

THE PROOF IS IN THE PROGRESS: BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS

I haven't shared this with many people...

Perhaps it's because I'm afraid people will look at me differently when they see how big I really was.  Or perhaps I'm just vain and since I've always hidden behind a girdle, I never really realized how unhealthy I was...

until now.



That top left photo is me, from the side view.  That was taken when my youngest child was a few months old.  In that photo, I tipped the scale at just over 300 pounds.

There.  I said it.  That thing I never thought I'd ever say out loud (or in black and white).

The truth.

The photo below that is me, this past May at my children's Baptism.  In that photo, I was hovering somewhere between 250-260 pounds.

Sexy, I know.

The other two photos were taken of me- yesterday.  I asked my husband to snap a couple of photos so I could create an accurate portrayal of where I was versus where I am.

And I'm not sharing these for verbal affirmation, or feedback.   I'm sharing them so you realize that even though I'm still not completely healthy, and even though it's taking longer than I'd like, there's definitely progress.

The proof is definitely in the photos.

So be encouraged.  The best things in life take time, and effort- and you have to start somewhere.

It hasn't been easy, and I know I'm not "there" yet, but looking at these photos really motivated me by reminding me that it's not merely that I CAN do this- it's that I AM doing this.

In this together,

The Fat Girl, 
Slim.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Moving Forward...

So I heard this statistic that said by January 15th, most people have given up on their New Year's resolutions.

Like when I resolved to write every day... *sigh*

But what about you?  Have you given up?

I didn't make any official "resolutions" this year (except writing).  I made "goals"- which is pretty much exactly the same thing, but easier to spell- and I'm convinced that it makes you feel better when you don't reach your goals, than when you break your resolutions.

Resolutions seem so... permanent- like wedding vows.  "I, Christi Muhle, do hereby resolve to..."  It sounds less committed when I say, "I'm setting a goal to..."   Not that I have commitment issues...

But, alas.  Potato, poh-tah-toe.

So, have you?  Have you given up?

Do you want me to be honest?  I haven't given up, but I definitely haven't made any progress since last week.  I thought for sure that completing that competition last Monday would somehow make me a different person.  I thought for certain that I would just continue making progress and losing weight...  after I allowed myself a couple of "treats" for the progress I made (I'm convinced it was either that, or a subconscious effort to punish myself for not winning.  But seeing as how I'm an optimist and trying to keep this light-hearted, we'll go with option A.)

So here's what I learned:

1.  Consuming sugar after a sugar fast is not highly intelligent.  But if you must try this, then you might discover that you don't actually enjoy it like you once did (HALLELUJAH)!  But perhaps you are less-than-intelligent and continue to try to "treat" yourself with sugar for a couple of days, you WILL get a food hangover...  for a week.  And you will feel like poop.  End of story.

2.  Oddly enough, in spite of the food hangover, I am still craving fruits and veggies and lean protein.  But I will say- I didn't crave ANY sugar for most of the competition, and sadly, I have found that since my little vacation from healthy eating, I'm starting to experience a little bit of the "old me".

Es no bueno.

It's not like I ate total junk last week, but I'm used to rewarding myself with food and unfortunately, some habits die hard.  So I went to look for a "reward" only to discover that we didn't really have any celebratory foods in the house (thankfully).  So I did what any of us "addicts" would do and I went out to the freezer in the garage. It was there that I discovered...  fundraiser cookies.  I have no idea why I even opened the box.  I mean- they've been in the freezer for three months.  Gag.  I know.

And I've been eating dominantly fresh foods for much longer than that, so why would I even think that putting  them (with all of the preservatives, sugar, crap) in to my body wouldn't have some sort of repercussions? I guess I wasn't thinking. I mean, surely I would just see a gain on the scale and that would be it. Right?

Wrong.

There was no gain.  No loss, either.  Instead, I have been moody, unable to focus, tired, and had a headache (occasionally migraine strength) off and on for the past six days.  I think I'd prefer a ten-pound gain to this past week.

Seriously.

Lesson learned.

So why did I share that?  I told you- you aren't alone, and I totally don't have it all down.  I'm still learning.

So maybe you've given up on your goals, or broken your resolutions.  Maybe you feel like a failure, or like you'll just have to wait until next year.  Or perhaps you feel like you'll never reach those goals, so what's the point?

The point is, I'm 33, and I'm just now getting it.

You fall off the horse, you get back on- that's the only way to get where you're going.  And if you're worried that you'll fall again, or that you'll hurt the horse, then just start walking.  Either way, don't give up.  Get off your laurels and pick right back up where you left off.

I'll do it with you.  Clean slate.  Right now.  Today.

No more official "resolutions" for the year 2013.

Instead, commit to move forward, making progress... one day at a time.

I'm in this with you.

Thanks for sticking with me!










The Fat Girl, Slim

Friday, January 11, 2013

The Family That Eats Together...

So, it's not like I didn't know how to eat- obviously.  I mean- it's pretty simple- you take one bite after another...  right?

No.  As it turns out we've been doing it all wrong for hundreds of years!  The secret is in the chewing!  Who knew!??!?!  I'm so kidding...

What I'm in the middle of learning is that there is so much more to eating than I ever thought or knew, or even began to consider.

Some of what I've learned won't surprise you, but other parts may very well cause you to shake your head in disbelief...  and then jump over to Google to check the accuracy of what I'm sharing here.  Seriously.

I feel the need to clarify- I didn't enter in to this lifestyle lightly...  clearly.  ;)

As I've mentioned before, I have started so many "diets" and lifestyle changes, that I had absolutely no desire to try anything new.

And then I went to a conference put on by our Chiropractor and his wife, Whitney.  Some of the information was "new-agey", but it was still information I'd learned before.  But then Whitney began sharing some information and perspectives that I had never  before considered.

Then my brain started reeling.  I could feel the excitement rising up inside of me.  I just knew that when I walked out of there, I would be ready to start my next diet.

And then she started talking about our children and the impact nutrition choices make on them as well.  I started to squirm in my seat because my 9 year old daughter and my husband were also listening to this.  I couldn't help but wonder if they were really hearing this, or if they were sleeping with their eyes open. I tried to make eye contact to see what they were thinking, but all I could get was the side of their zombie-eyed faces... and what appeared to be a little drool.  They were both completely unresponsive, so I began to get discouraged.

But then that moment happened when my daughter leaned in to me and asked if we could start eating the way Whitney was describing.  Seriously.  She said she didn't realize that the food she had been eating had been affecting her the way it had been.  (I'm not making this up, folks...  She really is almost ten, with the mind of an adult.)

After this, my husband started acknowledging several of the points Whitney mentioned, and by the end of the evening, both my husband and my daughter were completely excited and on board to make some permanent, healthy changes.  After years of trying on my own, and working hard to get my health back while the rest of my family continued to eat Dominos Pizza and Chick-Fil-A, my family would now be doing this- as a team!  Yes, we affectionately call ourselves Team Muhle.  

I was thinking about having shirts made...  what do you think?  I'm kidding.
  

I know the whole "team thing" may sound a bit dramatic, but if you've ever been twice your suggested healthy weight, as I've mentioned I was, you probably know what a huge deal this was for me.

So during the course of the evening, Whitney introduced us to several new concepts (cue Google search).  With her permission, I am going to share with you some of that information here.

One of the first things mentioned during the course of the evening, was the need to make this change as a family.  Whitney writes:
"It is never too late to make good changes. However, families must make the change together. When families come into our office wanting to making a change in their health, I can tell you that the most successful families are the ones who dive in 100% and who have ALL of the family members on board! If you truly want to make a transformation, do not allow any of the children to sit on the sidelines and watch as the rest of the family thrives. This goes for parents as well! This is a life changing move, one that you will not regret, but you can do it better together!" (Borrowed from Abundant Life Chiropractic and Whitney Zaino)

I know that's probably not what you expected to read when you clicked on to a blog about losing weight.  And I'm not purposefully leaving out or avoiding sharing your official "what to buy/ what not to buy" grocery list.  I just feel the need to really drive home some of the most important things we have learned on this journey.  Because, friend, you can go to the store and buy all of the healthy food you want to buy- but until the foundation has been laid for your success, you will likely end up like the old me- with some really healthy food... rotting in your fridge, and Chick- Fil-A in your mouth.  

So today's lesson?  

Accountability is vital to your overall success.   

More than any specific foods or supplements (or chewing techniques)- I'd say that the choice for our family to do this together has had a lasting impact- one that I'm certain will carry on to my children's children... and beyond.  I say that because this choice not only affected me and my ability to succeed, but it also encouraged a spirit of unity and teamwork, bringing our whole family closer than we've ever been before.   

So maybe you are single, or don't have any children.  Maybe your spouse isn't on board with the changes you are trying to make.  Don't give up.  Instead- find someone who can hold you accountable- someone who will laugh with you, cry with you, cheer you on, or challenge you to keep going.  Find someone who will walk with you as you press on, journeying towards health and wellness.  

You can do this.  We can do this!  

And don't forget- you aren't alone.  I'm on this journey with you.

Thanks for reading!

The Fat Girl, Slim




READER SPECIAL


Thursday, January 10, 2013

COMING THIS SATURDAY!!! DON'T MISS IT!!!

FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is event I have been waiting to share with you!  DON'T MISS IT!!!  Guests are FREE!!!  If you tell them you are there because of this blog, you will also be given a special gift.  But YOU HAVE TO REGISTER ASAP, as space is limited!!

Seriously- this information changed my life, and the lives of my entire family.  I am NOT an employee of Abundant Life.  I am only a patient whose life was radically transformed after learning this information and I'm beyond excited to share it with anyone who will listen.  I hope to see you there!!!

DON'T FORGET TO MENTION THIS BLOG AND RECEIVE YOUR FREE GIFT!!!!


Tuesday, January 8, 2013

WEIGHT LOSS COMPETITION vs. THE PIE

Okay, so I entered this weight-loss competition.  The goal was to try to lose the most weight between  mid-November, and January 7.

I know I said that losing weight shouldn't be your goal, and it wasn't my true goal.  I just thought that perhaps I could win this competition and help give our family a little income boost.  Before we were given a free car, I entered this to try to help earn a little extra money to help put towards a vehicle for my husband.  And then THIS HAPPENED. Click here to read more.

I know- you're probably wondering if I won.

The answer is no.  I did not win the grand prize.

But I learned a little something about myself.  I learned that it is actually possible for me to complete something I start- no matter how difficult (and TRUST ME when I say this was one of the most difficult things I've done since this journey began.)

My goal was to beat last year's winner- who lost 22 pounds.  I have quite a ways to go on my journey towards health and wellness, and I know much of that will be weight that comes off in the process.  But knowing my thirst for competition, and my passion for health, I thought surely I could beat last year's total.

I didn't work out tons- and now I wish I would have.  I blamed it on an injury, but in reality, I could have done THIS WORKOUT (12 MINUTES a day) and I'd probably have at the very least, surpassed my original goal.

During the competition, I ate only the foods on the "Advanced Plan".  The ADVANCED PLAN is the healthy eating plan we follow out of a book called MAXIMIZED LIVING- more on this in tomorrow's blog.

So, like I said, I followed the plan almost the entire time... with the exception of a few "treats" that I allowed myself, simply because...  I'm a food junkie and eating is what we do.  I'm kidding- sort of.  I really allowed myself a few treats because it was the holidays and I wanted to enjoy the things with my family like the chocolate pie that my mother made (My grandmother's recipe) because, let's face it- you'd eat it to, I don't care how opposed to sugar you are.  Seriously- it's THAT good.


And then there was the Pumpkin Pie.  Seriously- why is it always PIE!?!?

Oh, and did I mention that our family was blessed by Dr. Zaino with a FREE THANKSGIVING MEAL from Hubbell and Hudson???  FREE.  As in....  I totally enjoyed an AMAZING meal with my family (and I do mean A-MA-ZING!) at no cost to us- WHATSOEVER!

So there was that...  but my portions were small (for the most part) when I enjoyed my treats... except for the pie.  I managed to use self-control and I prayed...  a TON.

I was convinced that I could do this and that I would do this...  and I truly believe that through the power of prayer, I DID do this!

And when all is said and done, I can look back at those handful of times that I allowed myself a few treats, and I can say- Yes.  It was absolutely worth it.  I was extremely blessed, after all was said and done, to be able to say that I lost (with my clothes on) a grand total of 18.6 pounds!!!  Wooohooo!!!  Seeing as how I've started several of these competitions in the past and usually give in by day 2, I'd say I'm pretty pumped about this accomplishment.

18.6 pounds is about how much my daughter weighed when she was a year old.  So, I basically just lost a toddler- and gained an excitement, a whole new motivation.

I NEVER thought I'd say I am thankful to have lost a competition- especially when money was involved.  But if the winner (who lost somewhere around 33 pounds...  seriously) feels anything like I do- I'd say I'm certainly thankful that this person won and I did not.

Someone who loses that much weight truly does deserve this.  Without all of my "special treats" and possibly adding back in the work outs, who knows where I would have been?  But this person worked hard to earn the right to be called a winner, and they have my total respect.

In fact, all of us who participated and actually lost during the holidays- I'd say we're all winners!  This is THE FIRST TIME I've ever followed through with a commitment like this- EVER, so I'm looking forward to my next mile marker on this journey.

Tomorrow I'll share some awesome words of wisdom from Mrs. Zaino- Whitney- who has truly proven to be a wealth of information and insight on healthy eating.  And I'll share with you how you can have the tremendous opportunity to learn some more of this information first-hand, this weekend.

Thanks for reading, and thank you for your encouragement.

18.6 pounds lighter (with my clothes on!)

The Fat Girl, Slim

Thursday, January 3, 2013

TRANSFORMED.

Okay, so I have to tell you something.


I love to sing to God.  I love to pray to God.  I love to give to God.  I love to serve God.  

Romans 12 says:
"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

If I'm really being honest, I'd have to admit that it's not very often that I have sought to offer my body to Him as an act of worship- as an overflow of adoration and praise for all He has done for me.  In fact, I'm pretty embarrassed to say that when I consider this possibility, it feels almost overwhelming for me.  Perhaps this is because I feel like I've let my body go to waste.  So, for me to offer up a wasted body would be, to me, like a millionaire blowing all of his money, and then giving God two pennies....  that he found on the ground.

But I can't read and seek to obey only parts of the Bible.  I've always heard that as long as you still have breath, God isn't finished with you- so I have to believe that as long as I have breath, it's not too late for me to make these changes.  I've said it before- either you believe all of the Bible, or none of it.  You can't pick it apart and choose to believe and obey the easy parts, or the fun parts.  So when it says that this is THE way to worship Him, I think I need to reconsider the way I'm looking at my "worship", my life.

But that sounds like "church talk".  How can we learn to do this?  The second part of that verse says "Don't copy the behaviors and customs of this world, but let God transform you in to a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

So it's simple.  The rest of the world may eat a certain way, may live a certain way.  They may consume Starbucks by the billions of gallons and throw  all of their money  on fast food (trust me- I know because I've wrestled with this).  They may spend countless hours in front of the TV, or focused on video games and Facebook and Pinterest (I know, I know- I'm working on this, too).  But the Bible says we shouldn't be like the rest of this world.  He said that He wants to transform us in to new people by changing the way we think. 

I don't know about you, but I want to become a new person, and I can think of no better time than the New Year to make that change.

So the first part of the secret is this:  let God transform you in to a new person by changing the way you think.   If your motivation is to worship Him with your life, with your body, then seek out His plan, His wisdom on how to make these changes.  I'll share everything I've learned along the way, but don't just depend on what you read here to carry you through.

I've learned that the greatest accountability I can ever have, is to God, and to myself.  If I ever needed to be convicted of a choice or a list of choices I was making, all I ever needed to do was open my Bible.  If I ever needed direction on how to live, how not to live, I just needed to seek out the answers in scripture.

And no, friend, I'm not a "super-Christian".  I'm just one of "those people", who believes we were created BY God, FOR God.  So I've learned that there is more to this whole "weight-loss thing" than simply exercising or counting calories.  This change has to become a way of life.


Please know this- I'm not "there" yet.  I told you before- I still have a ways to go, so you are in good company.  I'm going to walk you through some simple changes that you can make in the year 2013 that will help bring you closer to your goals than you ever thought possible.

These are changes that will affect your entire family, so be prepared.  God is transforming you in to a new person by changing the way you think... one baby step at a time.

Thanks for joining me on this journey!

The Fat Girl, Slim.