17 Day Diet - Day 2

I woke up today very early, before 5am.  I first woke up because I had to go to the bathroom,  I have been drinking a crazy amount of water.  12+ cups a day. Then right as I laid back down Colton woke up and was ready to go for the day so he and I went down to the play room and did Zumba on the Wii.  Well I did Zumba, he half looked at me like I was crazy, danced with me for a bit and then went and played with his toys. 

Breakfast

• 1 cup of pineapple
• Dannon Greek Yogurt Vanilla
• cup of green tea

Snack

• apple

Lunch

• 1 large bowl of chicken-vegetable soup
• cup of green tea

Snack

• Dannon Greek Yogurt, Vanilla

Dinner

• turkey lettuce wraps
• cup of green tea

Exercise

• Wii Zumba, 20 minutes

17 Day Diet - Day 1

I woke up today feeling very encouraged and energized.  I weighed myself so that I would have a starting point to measure from for the next 17 days and I was pleasantly surprised.  I was down 2.4 pounds!!

So I am about to do something that I have never done on my blog before....I am going to tell you how much I way. {for the sake of keeping it real}

Starting Weight  180.4
wooo....I am about to have a panic attack!  I will not be weighing myself every day but when I do I will make sure to update to track my progress.

Breakfast

• 2 scrambled egg whites
• 1 cup of pineapple
• cup of green tea

Snack

• fresh fruit

I did not eat my morning snack.  I wasn't hungry, even when I went to eat lunch so I decided to skip it. 

Lunch

• Large green salad topped with chicken. I put lots of veggies on my salad today.  Cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, red bell pepper, and button mushrooms.  I used Walden Farms Raspberry Vinaigrette. 
• cup of green tea

Snack

• Danon Greek Vanilla

Dinner

• grilled chicken with sauted yellow squash and zucchini
• cup of green tea

Exercise

• 30 minutes on the elliptical alternating between resistance. 

Day one went off with out a hitch even though one coworker brought in cupcakes and another brought in cheese and bacon scones!!!  I did not partake because  I am prepared in advance and making sure that I have my healthy options accessible to me.  Last night I laid out each snack and labeled which day I would be eating it.  It might be a little OCD but it will help me to keep track.

Back In The Saddle

About three months ago I fell off the wagon.  Yep, there I said it.  I haven't been exercising on a regular basis since the end of October.  I can pretty much tell you the exact day.  But I had been doing good with my eating.  I was maintaining my weight and even made it through the holidays only gaining two pounds.  I would exercise here and there but nothing like I was before.  I thought when January hit that I would start the new year off right and get back at it.  Only instead I didn't pay much attention to what I was eating and ended up gaining 4 additional pounds.  AGH!  But for the last three days I have been counting my calories and staying under my limit and I have been exercising.  :)  I can make excuses for why I haven't been doing it but I am not even going to waste my time writing them out.  I know they are just that...excuses.  Things I told myself to justify not working out and eating 12 cupcakes. 

I know that it may seem like I am the type to fall for fad dieting.  I did afterall do the HCG diet but that was what started this journey in the first place.  I lost over 20 pounds on that diet and went on to lose an additional 20!  It helped to kick start this progress and help me become accustomed to better eating habits.  This time aroundI am not going so drastic.  For the next 17 days I am going to follow the diet plan layed out in the book The 17 Day Diet.  It isn't too different than what I ate on the HCG diet except it allows yogurt and it doesn't restrict your calories as harshly.  What I am hoping is to get back in the habit of planning my meals in advance, taking snack with me to work so I don't choose unhealthy options, and eating more vegetables. 

So join me as I restart my weight loss journey.  I will probably be posting twice a day.  Once for whatever fancies me and then another for my meal plan and exercise for the day.  I think that will keep me focused!

Book: Water For Elephants

This book was, well...rude, vulgar and at times plain awful.  However there was something that compelled me to read to the end and honestly I am glad that I finished it.

This was actually my second attempt at this book. I checked it out from the library several months ago and didn't make it past the second chapter before having to take it back even though I had it for a month before needing to return it.  I just couldn't get into it.  But since I hate starting a book and not finishishing it, I checked it out again.  And still this time it took me a few days to get into the book. I was a quarter of the way through before I found myself actually wanting to finish it.

I was engrossed with the story line between Jacob and Marlena and pained at the fact Jacob was telling the story from his dementia dreams. It was very sad to me that he was in a nursing home and was starting to lose it even though he could completely recall every event from his years on the circus with perfect detail.

The whole scene of the traveling circus was both incredible as it was crude.  I really like the scene that was set and the detail of the events but the language was a bit much for me. 

Overall it was a nice twist on a love story.  Very untraditional but compelling all at the same time. 

Happy 4th Birthday Lauren

Four years ago today our beautiful little Lauren decided it was the perfect day to make her appearance into this world.                        
After 18 and a half hours of labor we were finally able to meet our sweet girl.                              
                                                            
It’s been an amazing ride! 
I love watching you grow.

I love watching you learn.


and I love how you have turned into such a little lady.                            



Daddy and I are taking you out for a special day today.  We are going to see “Beauty and the Beast” in 3D.


When Daddy told you we had a surprise for you, you said “Are we going shoe shopping?”
  

Princess Pledge

A princess

promises to be pretty,

peppy,

smell nice,

sparkle a lot,

sing happy songs very loudly,

and never,

ever be mean.

Princess Pledge - Olivia

Cooking With Kids {Individual Meatball Sub Recipe}

 Last Sunday I took Lauren to a cooking with kids class at the grocery store my work is in. 
                                            
She fell asleep on the way there so she looks a little cranky!




But as soon as the class started she perked up.  She loves to help me in the kitchen so taking her to these classes is a no brainer.



Roll up the sleeves and dive in.   

Squish the meat, parmesan cheese, onion soup mix, egg and water all together.
                                           
Roll into one inch balls
                                           
Put them all in a pan.


Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes depending on the size of your meatballs.
                                           
Put onto your bread, top with sauce and cheese and enjoy!



Easy Individual Meatball Subs
                                    
Ingredients
1/4 lb ground beef
1/4 egg
2 tsp water
3 tbl Italian Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 envelope onion soup mix
dash salt
dash pepper
1/4 cup marinara
1 or 2 slices of mozzarella or provolone cheese
1 hoagie
                                                                
Directions                                        
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In large bown combine egg, water, bread crumbs, paremesan cheese, onion soup mix, salt and pepper and stir until mixed well.  Add ground beef, broken into chunks and smash with your hands until thoroughly combined.  Form into 1" meatballs and place on a broiler pan.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until meatballs are no longer pink in the center.  Let cool for a couple of minutes and add the meatballs to the hoagie.  Top with cheese and marinara sauce.  Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

Jewelry Organization

I have declared 2012 to be the year of organization and clutter clearing.  I have lots and lots of ideas of what I want to do to my house and a lot of them I have been getting from pinterest.  When I saw this way of organizing necklaces I knew I wanted it somewhere in my room!

Source: laurenzietsman.wordpress.com via Sonya on Pinterest

I normally have a few necklaces hanging from this thing in my bathroom.               

Or haphazardly all over my dresser!


So the other day I was at my favorite shopping place ever looking around at different storage ideas, towel racks and curtain rods and I came across this.



I thought it would fit perfectly on the wall by my mirror in the bathroom.  Then I found these shower hooks.  I wanted some to match the hook rail but these are just slightly darker.  They were the only ones I could find that didn’t have some sort of decorative piece on it.



So here is the wall before. 

I had my wonderful husband hang the hook rail.


and voila!!!!!!!!!!  I really like it.  I bet this will encourage me to accessorize more.