Tools to help!

Over the past 8 years I have tried and failed in my weight loss journey I have also had some amazing successes, today I am here to share some of the tools that have helped me to succeed.
One of the Biggest keys to my success was finding a website and app for my phone that would track my calories in and calories burned so that I wasn't spending all my time doing it. I discovered www.myfitnesspal.com It is amazing in that it tracks your food, including restaurant food and counts your calories. I will warn that sometimes the calorie count is off so you do have to be careful when entering it. The thing I found that was best is that it can be customized to your specific weight loss goals and you can add friends just like other social media sights like Facebook. This way my friends and I can support and encourage one another without fear of others inter fearing or judging us. Another tool I found is www.mapmyrun.com  I use it to GPS my runs and my warm up/cool down walks. It tracks exactly where you went and how many calories you burned doing so based on your speed, distance and your body weight. I use it for everything. The best part is that it can be used for bike rides, walks, runs, etc... I have both of these tools on my Phone and computer.
Another tool to weight loss success is something that takes a little planning and time on your part but it is key. I have started making a meal plan for the entire week it includes breakfast, mid morning snack, Lunch, mid afternoon snack, dinner, evening snack, and my 2 consumption's of Milk( or in our case almond milk) daily.  It takes about 30 min to 1 hr on Sunday afternoon to do but it makes things extremely simple all week and it helps keep me on track.
Another great tool is to have alot of 1 Tablespoon measuring spoons around the kitchen. Do not use a knife or eating utensil to scoop out peanut butter, butter, jelly, or any condiments you plan on eating. If you use a true measuring spoon you know you are being accurate and it makes things much easier when tracking your food for the day. I was originally turned off by this thought but then it dawned on me that you have to dirty a utensil anyway so why not use the right one, it just makes since. 
Finally The biggest Tool of all is to get the entire family on board, even the kiddos and people who do not need to lose weight. I am not saying put them on a diet but what I am saying is cook the same thing for the whole family. Change is difficult but if you do it as a team you are more likely to stick with it in the long run. If you are eating healthy Great, but if you lose the weight and then go back to eating junk cause your kids have it around or your spouse is eating it, then You WILL gain it all back!!! I am not saying that to be ugly, mean or rude. I say that because I have been there and done that. I cant tell you how many times I lost 30 ,40 50 or more lbs then put it back on because I went back to what everyone else was eating. I know what you think, I thought that way to, your thinking "ya but I will be skinny and working out so I can eat it" WRONG!!!!!  You can have tasty treats every now and then if you are working out, but it has to be just that an every now and then treat, not a daily thing!
Well I hope this has helped, next week I hope to have enough info about eating out meals to give you some great tips on how to stay on track at some of the most common fast food joints!

P.s. Im actually down another 20 lbs from this pic!which was taken about 1 yr ago

Do not Lose Heart!

Today as I read my daily devotional and reflected on last nights Ash Wednesday service I though how appropriate for my fitness blog today! As many of you know Jan 1 almost everyone sets a fitness goal, weight loss, get in better shape, etc...and ironically this week is typically the CLIFF. By that I mean the 2nd week of Feb is the Drop week, when most people cancel their gym memberships or keep paying but quit using them, and all Diet or healthy eating flys right out the window as Valentines is this week and Superbowl  parties last weekend gave way to falling back into the trap of Crummy eating habits.
Today the devotional from "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young quoted Hebrews 12:3 Which talks about Not growing weary and losing heart. This made me think.... WHY? Why do we give up so quickly on our weight loss &  fitness goals?  I  have come to the conclusion that it is because it is so Easy to grow weary, and we lose heart! Think about it..... it is very easy to eat junk ( which is so easy to get, cheap to eat and ready in 1 min) we can easily gain 5 lbs in one weekend, but how hard is it to  lose 5 lbs,pre prep your food, force yourself to workout daily and really count and watch what we put into our body. We too often want the Quick fix, the Magic pill or easy out! Rest assured people I have tried them all and yes you may have temporary success but you will gain it back. Here in Lies the problem.... With any fad diet, magic pill or Yes I am just going to say it Surgery( OH Gasp How dare she) but with all these you do not tackle the real problem! The Problem is mental you are not addressing your WHY? What is it that is causing you to be an emotional eater, What was it that caused you to put on the weight in the 1st place. We Lose heart because we are not willing to take a very personal very hard look inside us and try to fix the real problem. I myself have been guilty of saying oh if I can just hurry up and lost XYZ amount of weight then I will just work out more and keep it off. But I am here to tell you for 98% of the population this is a huge LIE!!!! Until  you look inside and face your demons, I don't care what you do you will gain weight back. I know so many people who spent thousands to lose the weight on surgery, fad diet plans, nutritionists etc... that gained it back or at least 1/2 of it back because when the new wore off and they had to put in the work the will wasn't there. They got stressed, sad, angry and went back to emotional eating again. 
I encourage you no matter what stage you are in with your fitness and weight loss goals, PRAY! Ask for help take a hard look at yourself and know your Why, then address it! If you need addiction help get it, if you need a counselor Go!Do not be ashamed to seek help because at the end of the day Friends will fail you, the things of the world will let you down but God and your own self are all you have and all you can 110% cling to. Do not Lose heart Do not Grow weary you can do this! You can grow and get to be the better version of yourself that both you and God long for you to be.
YOU ARE WORTH IT!
YOU ARE SMART!
YOU CAN DO THIS!
GOD LOVES YOU, AND WANTS MORE FOR YOU!
DO NOT LIVE IN FEAR, LIVE IN VICTORY!

Tips for the week:
1.) Dont drink your calories..... ( Juice and soda are chocked full of unneeded calories, don't drink them) If you want the nutrients of juice then buy a juicer and juice your own fruits and veggies, by doing so you get 0 added sugar, and more nutrients then you are probably eating each day. ALCOHOL is also a NO NO... While some alcohol has no or very little caloric value it does turn to sugar in your blood stream and sugars are automatically stored as fats!
2.) Have snacks ready when you are on the go..... ( have a Snack bag in your car, gym bag, or purse. Fill it with healthy alternatives to the high fat, high sugar foods in vending machines or at fast food restraunts) Great options are prepackaged nuts, Halo oranges, or protine bars( Lar bars are great or if you are low carb people like Ryan and I are grab an Adkins bar or Trail mix for the road)
3).Plan Ahead...... When it comes to healthy living eating out can ruin anyone's diet or plans. Not if you are smart. Understand that most restaurants are not about health they are about taste, so if you go to their websites ahead of time and look at the nutritional facts you can know in your mind what to eat and what to avoid. ( as someone that has both worked in restaurants and with family that does I can tell you the "Healthy choice "there isnt always the Healthy choice) ALOT of Restaurants add sugars to veggies to make them more appealing ( but they don't tell you that) at one national chain the green beans have more then a cup of sugar added to each batch, as does the corn and carrots. Salads are another trap at some fast food joints it is better to eat a burger then it is a salad. Be aware of the calories, the hidden sugars in dressings, and the toppings they put on things. If you walk in knowing I am ordering XYZ then you do not even have to crack open the menu to be tempted by the other goodies that will end up costing you in the long term.

Stay tuned for more inspiration, motivation and weightloss tips!

Faith, Family and Fitness!

OK so I know it has been a very long time since I posted in here. With having a new baby, Ryan starting a new business and frankly just being busy with life I have let this blog go. For that I am sorry! I have am committing to posting in here more often..... That said here we go!
2016 is a new Year, and a new You. I have been asked so many times how I stay on my healthy eating and running plan. Well let me share my 3 F's
1. FAITH -  Faith is my 1st F. Faith is something we too often over look in our journey to get in better shape and take back out lives! This is something I learned when I was 250 lbs and fighting my inner demons. W so often ask God for help in our finances, with health concerns, with our marriages or with our children but WHY NOT OUR WEIGHT???? Why do we feel that God doesn't care about our weight or our physical health? I am here to tell you that it is Critical that you ASK God for Help. Losing weight is not about vanity for 99% of us. For me and my family it is about Getting Healthy so that I can do more and be more for Christ and his Kingdom. So that I can be there for my children and husband. According to the bible in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 -  we are told "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies" Yes I know this verse is referring to the authors lecture about sexual immorality but think about it why wouldn't this pertain to us and filling our bodies with junk food, and trash? We Treat our bodies like human wast dumps filling them with chemicals, preservatives, trans fats, and Chemically altered foods and then expect them to function at 100% HA HA HA fat chance, literally! I have started using this 1st F - My Faith to change my philosophy on eating and exercise. Daily I Pray for God to grant me the wisdom to make healthy choices, strength to say no to temptations, and the for site to give him the Honor and Praise when I do make those choices and people complement me on my new weight loss. When I Run I use mile 1 to Pray for my needs and to Thank God then any miles after that I say God I am listening and I truly keep my Heart and ears open to listening to what God is speaking to me for that day! ( NO I do not listen to music, I will occasionally listen to Joel Osteen on You Tube as I run but not often, as this keeps me focused and open to hear God"
2. FAMILY - Family is a double edged sword when it comes to weight loss and health, they can be your biggest ali's or your worst nightmares. For Ryan and I it is both.... We are 110% committed to our families we love our kids (who are our biggest supporters) and each other. We look at our babies and pray that we can get in better shape for them, to see our boys Grow up into Godly wise young men, who love the Lord, themselves and their family and friends. I look forward to watching them graduate High School, College, getting married and Lord willing seeing Grand children. They are my reason for wanting Health!! But then you get the Flip side..... You get the Parents, and in-laws, the brothers and sisters wanting to constantly eat out, or givign you false info about healthy eating. If you are like us and you have family that has never struggled with Food addiction and weight problems you get well meaning comments that Franky SUCK.... Comments like " just go walking", All you have to do is Eat less and move more" " just dont eat that if its a problem" Or my personal favorite, " Oh just one isnt bad for you, you can just eat a little." UMMMM WRONG!!!!
 While all of those are true the Fact is when you suffer from true Food addiction or weight control problems it is not so simple. while our family can be well meaning they are in essence sabotaging your weight loss. I know it is Hard but in those times you have to try hard to explain to them you neither need or want their advice and you have to revert back to the 1st F. and Pray for God to help you avoid making poor choices. If all else fails you should explain for a time you will not be able to go out with them or that you will eat before you come over.
3. FITNESS - Fitness is probably the hardest of the 3 F's to grasp and really force your self to do. For me I am now one of those crazy people who actually Loves it and gets very cranky if I don't get to workout daily. For me I have a bad day if I miss one of my 3 daily things. 1. God time, 2. Coffee ( LOL) 3. Daily  workout.  Don't get me wrong I wasn't always this way. In fact just 8 years ago I was full of hatred for a good workout and really I was angry at and jealous of those who did workout daily. I looked at fit people and thought OH they sicken me, they can just eat healthy and they stay so fit. But reality is those people work HARD!!! It is HARD to force yourself out of bed on a cold morning to get up put on runnig pants and go run in the chilly weather, or on days when it is 110 degrees at noon to take my lunch break to run a quick 3 miles. It is Hard to say NO to the cake, pizza and potato chips but if you want to be healthy, if you want to lose weight and keep it off and you want to be there for your kids and your self. Then you have to Let God and Let Go! You have to Trust that you can and you will get healthy, fit and feeling Great if you just put down the fork,and get in some more activity. Try a 30 min walk a day. go to the gym and start small, I don't care what you do just DO something fitness wise. for me when I was 250 lbs I one day said Enough is Enough, I'm going running. HA HA HA Running for me was a "Maybe" brisk walk for most people at 1st but then I built up and got faster and stronger. I started only doing 1 push up a day but over time built up to 50 at a time ( until i separated my shoulder). I started with 25 Crunches and worked up to doing 500 a day. I'm not suggesting you do what I did or even try to go out and run a mile your 1st go. What I am suggesting is start small know your body but get active, push yourself and know in both your heart and your head that you can do more then you really think you can.
Next time I will had out How too advice and maybe some Fast food tricks to stay in a good healthy eating plan! Until next time Follow your 3 F's and Pray hard/ Play Hard!