It takes a village...

They are my VILLAGE, my inspiration, my motivation...where's yours?

After one of our workouts yesterday, we found ourselves sitting on our mats discussing turning points, struggles and frustrations...

To find true change, I always thought it was 100% a solo effort but that's not necessarily true.  I think it can be done alone but why not rally the troops and do it as a team!!

I have learned over this past year that change 

can also come from opening our eyes to others and letting them in.  

I was having a rough day many months ago and during the workout, I began to cry...I will never forget that day. I decided I'd not only tell the truth on this blog but I'd share it with the women in my workout group...I mean, why not? 

It's like we went from a workout group to a support group WAY beyond the workouts and we haven't looked back since...   

It is AMAZING to see what happens when we show our true selves, holding little back.

I use this blog in the same way.  I believe honesty is the only way to truly help others.  If we lie and say it's all a walk in the park then we will set others up to fail, giving false hope.  Why?  I would rather lay it all out there, the good and the UGLY.  The times in my life where I have felt my best and the times in my life where I cried myself to sleep, wishing life would end.  It's the truth, so why hide behind it.  It doesn't help anyone to hide behind the shame, the guilt and the frustrations.  We only grow and become stronger by admitting the flaws and learning from them.  

Becoming better because of the battles we fight and the obstacles we overcome, right?     

To see that we are not alone and to have a glimpse into the lives of others.  

It is crucial for us to see that we may fight our battle but their battle is just as important.  

I listen to these women.  I listen to their words, their pain and their victories.  All of it.

It is SO important to know that not only do I teach them, they teach ME.  They teach me more than I ever learned in school.  They have taught me about honesty, opened my eyes to knowing it's not only the emotional eaters like myself, not only about those that struggled with weight most of our lives...it's about ALL OF US.  "It takes a village"  

We all have reasons that we seek change, a better quality of life or better health.

We are not all the same and we shouldn't be.  

We should celebrate our differences but work together to achieve our goals.  

ALL OF US...YOU TOO!  

Most of the time when a group of women get together at a party, social event, wedding, Church function or school gathering it's usually not all sunshine and roses.  

There's the women we find intimidating, the women we "heard" are a gossip, they are rude, they cheated on their spouse, their child was kicked out of blah because of blah etc...

and the list goes on and on.  

We are women.  We have it in our nature to compare and judge others, don't we?  

I mean lets be real.  

A member brought it to my attention today that somehow, someway we have created a judgement-free atmosphere each week.  We get down on ourselves, had a rough morning but arrive at workout- look to our left and right and see HOPE.  We see STRONG WOMEN of all shapes, ages and sizes.  

Each of us walk away to a different obstacle at home, in our minds or with our family and friends...

But for that hour, we share it all.  Put it all on the table.  We are sweating, burning, in temporary pain but we are NEVER QUITTING.  If you look around at any given point, you see these women holding back words-that are probably not the nicest words and some even fighting back tears...

It's beautiful.

Not beautiful to watch women in pain but to see a bond form that cannot be described.

Something draws us in each day, each workout.

We find ourselves craving the socialization of women like ourselves.

Yes we are all different, VERY different but share the common goal.

I ate through my emotions and fight hard every day to not continue that cycle.

Some fight other obstacles FAR different from my own but we can RELATE.  

We can be open with one another and discuss it.  

I am so guilty of comparing apples to oranges.  We all have at some point in our lives, right?

I want to be petite, more fit, have smaller feet, get rid of my stretch marks and loose skin but to some of these women I am their HOPE.  

...and that blows my mind.  

I was talking with one of my Momma's today and she said she really thought about our conversation after workout yesterday and that she was going to focus on being the best person SHE could be.  No more "Oh I wish I looked like ____" and it hit me.  She's right.

We waste time wishing we lived someone else's life rather than being content with our own.  

We want that 20 year old's bikini body but we are DIFFERENT.  All DIFFERENT.

We don't need to live life comparing and picking ourselves apart physically. 

We should be proud knowing we've worked hard to get where we are today, we will keep that pride as we work hard again tomorrow...and the next and the next.  I will embrace my stretch marks and loose skin knowing this is ME.  I didn't get to 254 lbs without some stretched skin so I must embrace that and use it as a reminder of where I've been and to never go back.  

I will no longer allow those imperfections to steal my glory.  That would be crazy.   

I work dang hard and dedicate A LOT of time and energy to my health but we only get one life, one body so why sit back and let it waste away?  Our bodies were born to work hard and conquer fears and goals...and I will NOT rest until I have reached women across the world and help them see that they are WORTH IT 

and that although it would be NICE, they don't need Chris Powell or Bob Harper (although I LOVE them both and would give anything to meet them!!) to come yank them from their living room to get moving and fight to LIVE.  

We can do that by finding the "village" within us or around us!  

WANT to I WILL

Living a life full of THINKING and WANTING CHANGE never gives us...

CHANGE.

It's pretty simple.

We want something, we work hard for it. 

We don't dream of a million dollars and it magically appears, just as we don't dream of losing 15lbs and wake up and POOF! it's gone.  Right?

We THINK we are ready to work hard but can't quite imagine that it will take sacrifice, dedication and the fight deep within us EVERY, SINGLE DAY.

We WANT to eat right, exercise and take care of our health BUT...

What's the "BUT"?  

You tell me.

"But ________________"

Whatever the answer is, I want you to think hard about taking the "BUT" away.

Changing the WANT to I WILL will change things in your mind drastically.

I will workout. Instead of "I want to workout BUT____"

I will eat right.  Instead of "I want to eat right BUT ______"

I will focus on drinking less soda and more water.

I will dedicate my evenings to some time outdoor and active with my family.

I will stop feeling sorry for myself. Instead of "I want change but it's not fair BECAUSE________.  

This is Kelly.

Kelly met me back in October, I believe.

She is a fighter.

She showed up the first day, as we started our warm up jog and said to me, "I don't run, I never have and never will...I just don't run" 

That was BEFORE she ran her first 10K and signed up for a half marathon!  Uh YES!

Sounds to me like she stopped using "BUT" and started believing in herself!

She's unstoppable...just look at her!

She is inspiring.  She had the baggage that some of us carry from being heavy for a part of our lives...it's tough to believe in ourselves after going through times of self-defeat and failure.  Instead of feeling sorry for myself for going through that in my life, I used it as fuel and I think she does too, every day.  We share the food struggles and her and I have discussed it MANY times.  It's tough to be able to talk about something so personal but I truly think it helps to know we are not alone in the battles we face.  Amazing isn't it?  When we start speaking up, we can help one another in a way that cannot be explained in words.  

More than just workout buddies, these Move It Mommas share a friendship.  Even when I dreamed up this idea, I never imagined we would form the relationships that we have...it's incredible to me.  If we're having trouble taking the next step on our journey, we discuss it before one of us falls down and hits rock bottom once again.  It's not about "Oh I'm starting over..." It's about "I'm ready to fight back time and time again".  

These women do not all have issues with food or emotional eating problems as I do, 

but we all have a mountain.  

A climb that tries to knock us down to the bottom every day.  

We share that and it's powerful.  

Some of us had a disease that tried to defeat us but it didn't win, some of us have battled weight for most of our lives while others are insecure and want to feel and look better.  

EVERY reason is a GOOD REASON to take care of ourselves TOGETHER.  

And even if a group like this doesn't exist near you, find a group and make it happen :)  

And after that pep talk, I'll leave you with some nachos I created for my boys and they LOVED them!  I used the leftover turkey mixture that I made for burritos, added wheat thins and some 2% cheese melted on top, served with a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt and served to happy boys!  Oh yes I'm sure they'd love the full-fat, deep fried version from the local Mexican restaurant but this alternative just made nachos a bit better for my kids and that matters SO much to me!  

It's the little moments that make the biggest impact and 

I strive to work on that every day for myself and my family!  

the mountain.

You know sometimes I love to put things into perspective, to help each of us see our capabilities...I want to inspire and convince you that change is always worth it so here we go:

When we think about change- losing weight, gaining strength, getting healthy or whatever health and fitness goals we may have, we probably realize that it's going to take work, sacrifice and determination but are we TRULY prepared?
The mountain.
I heard it on Extreme Weight Loss and it's SO true.

If we stand back and look at the mountain from a distance (our weight loss, our health issues, etc)
it'll seem TOO big.  TOO much to conquer.  TOO hard.  
But if we don't look "up" and just start climbing, chipping away at it and slowly making our way forward then it might not seem as big.  
If we lose focus and momentum instead of turning around and climbing back down to the "bottom" we should stop, take a few breaths, see how far we've come and continue moving UP!

Too often in my past and with people that I help on their journey, they will look at the mountain, feel intimidated and inferior because their mountain seems bigger than those around them.  Instead of motivating them to keep climbing, they'll look up, see fear and climb back down because down is EASY.  Trouble is if we slowly work our way up only to come tumbling down we've not helped ourselves AT ALL, we've only created more problems with failure within ourselves and in our minds.  
Truth is, our mountains are ALL different.
We may not see where others struggle or what they hide.  We may not realize that their mountain contains just as many obstacles as our own.  
The key is to never lose sight of the CLIMB.
Sounds silly but we must keep climbing.  Even when we wanna stumble down and give up.  We can't because it will only bring us to the place we've been before, the place that felt alone and helpless.  The place that was intimidated and full of fear.  

GET UP AND KEEP CLIMBING!  
I'd climb a million times over to beat feeling the way I felt for so long.  
My mountain has no peak and no end...if it did, I'd slowly work my way back down and I will NEVER do that.  I REFUSE.  


A big part of my journey, my "climb" is my children.  I want to create awareness of their bodies, their heart and their minds.  I want them to see that exercise and healthy foods play into EVERY aspect of our lives.  I want them to see that it is SO important to treat our bodies right...to take care of them.  

Another huge "climb" for me is my foods.  
I love to over eat.  
I am an emotional eater and that doesn't just mean when I'm sad.  I want to eat when I'm bored, angry, happy, sad, stressed...you name it, I wanna eat through it!  Eeeek!  
It's a DAILY struggle and "climb" for me to fight temptation when I'm going through an emotion and for me to constantly remind myself that FOOD IS ONLY FOOD.  Whew this one is rough for me, DAILY.  There isn't a day that goes by that this doesn't try and defeat me.  It's tough but I am reminded that it's a far better struggle than the ones I used to feel when I was helpless and afraid to change yet miserable in my own body.  Not a good place to be for any of us.  
To avoid defeat, I keep things simple and I'm always changing things up to avoid boredom with my eats.  

Trader Joes multi grain pancake topped with PB and some berries was one of my pre-workout breakfast items the other day!  
I make these and freeze for easy grab and go options for myself and the kiddos :)

Turkey Burritos:
Ground turkey, one can Mexicorn, can black beans and a little cheese on top.  Brown meat with beans and Mexicorn then layer Ole high fiber/low carb burritos with meat mixture, roll up and top with a little cheese.  Serve on lettuce leaves with a spoon of my Greek ranch on top! (I keep this made and handy each week for veggie dipping, etc) 

My husband's version just added salsa, which I can't stand but he LOVES it!  

YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG WITH OATS!  1/2 cup cooked oats prepared with berries and cinnamon.  You can add a few banana slices and cinnamon, pumpkin puree and cinnamon...ANYTHING!!!!  

Sometimes just sitting and talking about our struggles and ideas to make healthy living easier makes the journey that much easier to handle.  After our workouts we talk, share struggles and triumphs together as a group.  Bounce ideas off one another until we reach successes each week!

Having that support makes the "climb" that much easier.  Your mountain won't be the same as the people around you and it SHOULDN'T BE.  We should want to have our own story to tell.  Our story can help those around us in ways that we may not realize at the time.  Keep climbing UP instead of only looking up and feeling defeating time and time again.  You'll continue on the path that you're on and chances are, it's not where you 100% want or need to be.  I'm always a work in progress, slipping up or kicking butt...BUT I keep on keepin on!  Ha, if that even makes sense...and YOU SHOULD TOO!!!!

an eye-opening video that has me on a roll...

Wow, my eyes are open and my mind is turning over this video someone shared on facebook today.  

Video HERE 

if that doesn't work you can type this in:

http://kfor.com/2014/08/10/wow-powerful-video-may-change-the-way-you-view-healthy-eating/

I suggest watching then proceeding with this post...

it left me speechless and uneasy.  How about you?

If you cannot relate to that video on some level then hats off to you.  

Whether its you personally as it was for me, or a sibling, mother, father, husband, wife or our own children...

I see it every day.  I saw it working in cardiac rehab, I saw it with the students I taught in Physical Education and Health, I see it all around...

It is important not to judge but to take a step back and realize what we are doing as a society.  

If we grew up heavy and unhealthy, we sure want to ensure that our children don't go and make the same mistakes that we did, right?  If we didn't but saw others around us struggle then we should still want what is best and healthiest for our children, correct? 

Or maybe we watched an unhealthy family member that couldn't keep up or play like the other children?  Maybe it's an adult you know and they used to live life and are now bound with health issues and countless excuses?  

My heart aches knowing we can do better TOGETHER...all of us.

It is our responsibility to teach them the right way TODAY.  Not tomorrow.  

In many cases, tomorrow is too late.  

And even if that loved one is not overweight, what are they eating? How is their activity level? 

Is it not mind blowing that we see the warning signs, we see the effects that unhealthy foods and behaviors have on our bodies, mind, family and our quality of life YET we still continue to live that way because it is all we know.  It is all we expect from ourselves so we accept it and move on...slowly through life without soaking in all the beauty that life has to offer.  Is that sad?  

It is VERY sad to me and watching that video struck a cord for me...that WAS my life.  

Yes I was not morbidly obese and was not dying of heart disease but if I would have stayed living the life I was then who knows where I'd be today...it's scary.  Sad and scary.  

I'd love you to voice your thoughts in the comments because that video, although fiction is why I fight HARD every day to change the world, one person at a time.  And I truly believe that when we have passion for something that we love and care so deeply for then anything is possible and I will NOT QUIT until I have reached millions and allowed them to see that 

CHANGE IS POSSIBLE...ALWAYS POSSIBLE!  AND WE ARE ALWAYS WORTH IT!

This week of workouts has been awesome!  I am pushing myself and these ladies HARD each day and week...I want them to see that they are gaining strength, endurance and a healthier way of life EVERY DAY.  It makes me smile just thinking about it :)

Every evening we go PLAY!  We get outside and we PLAY!  We ride bikes, play baseball, basketball and football TOGETHER as a family and it is something I never take for granted.  I know these are the times we will all cherish the most.  The little moments that would pass us by if we didn't grab hold of them tightly.  It makes me happy knowing we all agree that life should be lived and that the outdoors are FUN. I sure didn't feel that way as a child and I'm now hoping to teach my children much differently...

My son's breakfast selection before boot camp...yes, while one child chose a Pop Tart-he gets those every now and then, my oldest chose THIS:

a Moon Pop with Neuftchael cheese and cinnamon with an Activia yogurt-yes he tasted these at my mom's house and he LOVED them LOL!  
Knowing this was the choice he made helps me believe that our children DO learn from the examples that we set as parents

and these ladies...whew we work hard and they give me looks like they're going to come after me in my sleep but they keep going and NEVER QUIT!  I love it :)

Our kiddos playing while we exercise...
I just LOVE seeing pictures like these, isn't that what it's all about?

We had a little Move It Momma pool party, complete with Subway lunch!  It was FUN and we work hard so celebrations are sometimes needed!  Often needed!  

gotta WANT IT

The road to change no matter what kind, is HARD.

You've gotta want it.

You've gotta dust yourself off time and time again.

You might fail several times or a million times...

If you want it bad enough, you'll stop at NOTHING!

Seeing progress within myself is the "WANT" that keeps me going. 

I think for so long I only saw myself BIG so I was unable to visualize what I would look like smaller, more fit and in shape.  I would look around and see others that way but could never picture what 75-100lbs off of my body would look like...and it will look different for each of us.  
It may be 5lbs we're trying to get rid of or trying to simply firm up and gain muscle...
but until we WANT IT badly enough, we are unable to see ourselves that way.  
It is something I think SO many women struggle with.  Body image is tough, especially for young women growing up in a society filled with thinner is better, beauty is skin deep and magazines with women that are photo-shopped "perfectly"...

Growing up I didn't want anything like I wanted to be "skinny".  Fit didn't matter or even being healthy, I just wanted to shop at the cool stores, 
wear a smaller size and not have rolls folding over my jeans.  
And oh to this day, to wear a bikini-I can't even imagine...
I WANTED it but DIDN'T WANT TO WORK FOR IT...

See the difference?

We can WANT money, health, fame, to be thinner, more fit or happier but if we're not willing to work for it then DO WE TRULY WANT IT?! 

I often think about the changes physically and mentally that I have made over the last 10 + years and while some of them have been much slower than I wanted, they happened MUCH faster as I wanted them more, worked for them more and wanted them for the right reasons.  

I now want to be fit and healthy for me, my husband, my boys, my Move It Mommas!

I don't care about sizes or shopping in the popular stores, but I do care about FEELING GOOD, MOVING BETTER, HAVING ENERGY, FEELING STRONG, HAVING CONFIDENCE AND BEING A ROLE MODEL FOR YOUNG CHILDREN 

WHO STRUGGLE AS I DID...AND STILL DO.  

I honestly believe that if I can-you can but YOU GOTTA WANT IT!

WANT IT for the right reasons and want it badly enough that you crave it, you think about it throughout the day and night, you work hard every day to pursue it and you will stop at nothing to achieve it.  Find that attitude and you will NEVER QUIT.  

My arms-the most self-conscious area of my body along with my tummy.  I hid them any chance I could get because they were flabby and the largest area on my body.  Unlike a lot of women, I gain weight in my upper body more than lower.  I tend to hold my weight in my thighs, belly, back and arms.  It's a little strange but it's ME.  
The other day after boot camp I stopped in the mirror because I was drenched in sweat and I felt STRONG...I looked up and saw these?!  Itty-bitty biceps showing through...
AMAZED!!!  An area of my body that I thought would NEVER come around and it is...slowly.

My tummy is still VERY tough to look at.  Stretch marks, loose skin and not very attractive.  I work HARD and get frustrated because the change comes so slowly to the areas we hide most.  

I am proud of how far I've come and will NEVER alter my body through surgery to get it but it would be nice to have my tummy look how I feel.  Right now it doesn't LOOK STRONG but it feels it.  Knowing I work hard at it helps me believe that in time, 

change with come in that area of my body as well. 

I must understand that I was 100lbs OVERWEIGHT.  

That skin was stretched and pulled in a million directions with each pound that I gained and then lost, and then gained again and again.  I must take that into consideration when I look into the mirror and see flaws, see imperfections and areas that aren't how I'd like them to be.  I am satisfied because I try my very best every day with my health and fitness and that's all we can ask for...but I tell myself every day how badly I WANT IT!

And because I WANT SO BADLY to control my emotional eating, I will keep working hard to keep it in control.  To not allow temptations or boredom to control my happiness and I WANT IT enough to keep trying and working toward it.  

I'd rather be moving toward my goal than running away from it.  

The time goes by no matter what...might as well make it count and help us live a life we imagine, right?

I can promise you right now that if you only want it 80% and are not willing to put in the HARD work then you will probably be in this same situation a year from now but if deep within you WANT CHANGE 110% fight for it and dig for that determination within.  

It's there but life sometimes makes it tough to find.

Fighting cravings and temptations are always though so the more things I find that taste good, the better I am at staying on track each day.  These chocolate rice cakes are DELICIOUS especially with a smidge of PB on top :)  Oh la la...

Turkey meatballs in the crock pot took 10 minutes to prepare and made MANY meals...
My boys had meatball subs, string beans and frozen grapes...Mmmm!

Hubby and I opted for meatballs and string beans!  I put the turkey meatballs on LOW 8hrs with a whole, sliced onion, 4 cloves of garlic-chopped, and 2 cans of diced tomatoes-no salt added.  Simmer and enjoy!  EFFORTLESS AND DELICIOUS :)  

Snack time this morning included a tbs of PB for my boys and I, sprinkle of cinnamon and some apple slices!  BE CREATIVE and don't allow yourself to get bored eating the same foods over and over again...keep it interesting and tasty!  You have the rest of your life to explore new food and exercises so keep your options open and ENJOY THE PROCESS!!! 

 JUST REMEMBER: YOU GOTTA WANT IT EVERY DAY!!!!

My MIM's continue to amaze me!  My cousin and I joined forces to make for an exciting day of fun and fitness!  
He taught the Move It Momma children self-defense while I put the Momma's through one heck of a workout!!!  We all enjoyed it and had fun!!!  

simple rules to follow

I'm no expert when it comes to health and nutrition, yes I have a degree in it but I believe that teaching can only do so much if we aren't going to practice what we've learned...

I was looking back on pictures from when I graduated from college in 2004.  I was much heavier than I am today.  I was working out seven days a week, teaching aerobics 

yet my foods were all out of whack.  

I'd attend college classes every day learning about proper nutrition, anatomy and physiology and bio mechanics yet I'm pretty sure I wasn't applying the information to my daily life.

I am forever grateful for learning and being able to use that in my life to help others, both children and adults BUT seems like what I learned most is that in order for people to believe in us and trust us, we must too live our lives the way that we preach.  

In cardiac rehabilitation I would tell heart attack victims to eat right and exercise but look at me?  Who was I to say what they should or shouldn't do?  

In Physical Education I would have the kids perform various exercises and I'd join them but then heat up a Lean Cuisine on my lunch break...is that fueling my body properly?  Probably not.

Yes I have the KNOWLEDGE but was I applying it and living my healthiest life?  Probably not.

When I meet with women that want to lose weight, get healthy or improve their fitness I often hear...

"I know the right foods to eat and how to exercise, I just don't"

ARGH!

Why not?

I am not only frustrated with them, I get frustrated with myself, with society, 

WITH EVERYTHING.

That "I just don't" statement is SO sadly true.

I personally knew but "I just didn't"

Most of us know people that "just don't"

It's about finding the discipline within ourselves to get the job done.

We want to lose weight-then DO IT.

We want to get leaner and more physically fit-then DO IT.

I had to choose to just talk the talk or to DO IT...and I chose both!  LOL!

I could talk about health, nutrition and fitness all day, 24/7 because I LOVE IT.

I love what it has done for me personally, for my family, my husband and MY LIFE!

I LOVE IT!

TODAY let's make "I just don't" a thing of the past...forever!

Oats and berries and ya can't go wrong!  

Perfect balance and great pre-workout meal to give you energy and feeling fuller, longer.  

Boot camp yesterday morning!  YES it was a Monday!  Amazed to see so many beautiful faces, meet new friends and have my old Momma's come back!
THIS makes me smile EVERY day!

Our Motto is NEVER QUIT and it should be yours too!  
It's the ONLY attitude that brings success...I promise.  I tried 'em all!  Ha!

mixed emotions here...

Left: Trip to NYC in 2000, Right: Yesterday 2014

a picture can bring up 100 emotions and for me that picture shows defeat, sadness, guilt, insecure, unhappy, unhealthy and A GIRL THAT IS NO LONGER HERE!  

That girl on the right is a bit different...

she will NEVER QUIT!

I have found that I MUST have that attitude in order to stick with the path I'm on.  

If not, I'll fall three steps back and then three more...three more and so on.  But even if you're in a place where you feel you've fallen 50 steps behind, back where you "started" and feel defeated this is where you pick yourself up, keep trying and get rid of the "I just don't" attitude once again.

 It's IN there but you gotta dig deep and find it, do the work and stop making excuses...

make up your mind and the rest will follow...

Wow...no words

seems like a new picture always makes its way back into my life.  

This one above/on the left, a great memory with good friends but look at me?!  

I don't even know that girl.  What happened?  Those that are closest to me swear they never remember me looking that way and that makes me happy but look at that?  
It is still hard for me to realize how FAR I am from that girl these days.  

My hope from sharing my story? 
I want to help everyone see and believe that if I can, 
they can too...YOU CAN TOO!

It doesn't get unhealthier than I used to be...
I did it all wrong.  
Ate horrible foods at all hours of the day and night, I smoked cigarettes and drank heavily.  
I didn't exercise and if I did with friends, it was Tae Bo in the living room followed by Olive Garden bread sticks and lasagna.  If it was time to "diet", it was starving myself and only eating lettuce with carrots and some cabbage soup.
I'd get fed up, binge on an entire bag of Doritos or an endless bowl of chips at the local Mexican restaurant 
and while I gained and lost weight more times than I can count, it was always the SAME cycle...
overeat, starve, overeat, starve...OVER AND OVER AGAIN.  
It was exhausting.

I had three ladies join my group for a workout yesterday and one very nicely said, "Wow, I loved the workout.  Love your arms and legs-all so lean"...and sadly it was hard to hear.  Not because it wasn't a huge compliment but hard for me to accept that she was talking about me?  The girl who NEVER stood out for looking good but always looking bigger and larger than those around me...
It's CRAZY.


But honestly there's no special secret that I need to share...
it's simple really.

Two things:  
1. Find balance with your life-adding exercise and healthy foods the RIGHT way. 
2.  Make up your mind, stop making excuses and decide that quitting isn't an option!

A new find that seems to be popping up everywhere!  Chobani Greek with steel-cut oats!  Yum!  160 calories and 10g protein!!!  And I haven't had my hands on one yet but friends tell me they are pretty delicious :)  Woohoo! What an easy solution to breakfast!!

It may not look like much but a bundle of frozen grapes has been my go-to post workout snack on these hot, TX days!  YUM!  Balanced with a spoonful of PB or handful of almonds and I'm good to go with a gigantic glass of water!

I used to crave a Breakfast Jack from Jack In The Box ALMOST every day.  I'm sure I was only craving the crappy feeling it gave me, but still...
I have an alternative these days and it's wonderful!
2 egg whites cooked in coconut oil spray, slice of Boar's Head low sodium turkey and 1 tbs Greek whipped on a sandwich thin.  

Oats with fresh strawberries!
Sprinkled with a little cinnamon and it is delicious!