Maintenance!

HAPPY MONDAY! Hope you had a blast this past weekend!  We've had some gorgeous fall weather and the windows have wide open for past couple of weeks.

We had a blast at the Fair on Friday night and seeing Kip Moore...beautiful weather, good entertainment and hanging with the family = good times, every time!

Riley & his best friend Tariq....they ate their way thru the fair while we were at concert LOL!

Yup I was able to drag my mom to front of stage & about an inch away from Kip Moore after concert (that's her profile in the pic hehe). She's probably his biggest fan and I'm surprised she didn't faint hahaha...he always puts on a good show!

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I'm on Week 3 and hope to rack up a few more lost pounds by end of week.  I'm already starting to feel stronger and my stamina is gathering strength so I love that!  And I've been under my alloted calories every day for 2 straight weeks...whoot whoot!  And working out 6 days a week along with my 10,000+ steps a day.  I love the ease of doing different workouts with Amazon Prime...keeps me from getting bored which is easy for me to do lol!

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Here's the Week 3 Meal Plan as well....I love writing it out, having recipes pinned...easy to make my grocery list and have a plan every evening which makes it easy to stick to clean-eating :)  If any recipes have a (P) next to them they are pinned on my Pinterest board HERE if you need them.

On Cheat Dinners I keep them around 600-650 calories and watch what I eat the rest of the day so I don't go over my calorie allotment.

The Tuscan Chicken Skillet from last week was really yummy...I added a bit more fresh garlic, onions and a can of tomato paste to mine...num!!

Decorating for fall this week and this weekend is Homecoming for my son who is taking his girlfriend.  That means I am taking him shopping on Tuesday...pray for me...because it is NEVER easy buying or shopping for dress clothes for a boy who dresses for comfort 100% of the time ;)

Take It Alllll Off.....

I know...I've heard it many times...you look fine, you don't need to lose weight, why would you think that, you are being silly.  While I appreciate the kind sentiments, I know myself that something has to be done..and soon.  I have to lose 24 lbs and I need to get my health straight and I need to bring down my cholesterol levels (which are higher than they should be) without meds.

It may not be easy to see in pics on Facebook but I've gained a lot of weight since surgery and treatments..the meds I was on didn't help me any either.  And I've been stressed and upset and eating poorly. And because I haven't been well I've not been very active either.  When you are in constant pain and exhausted it kinda puts a hamper on exercising.  So I have to get myself together...I'm 40 and I feel like CRAP!  I don't want to feel like crap anymore, I want to have energy again and I'm sick of not fitting into my pants too...that'll make you real mad every morning.

So this post is to hold me accountable in a way.  I'm not good at dieting or limiting myself so I'm not calling it that or doing that diet mindset...its a GET HEALTHY plan and STAY HEALTHY plan.  I'm allowing myself 2 cheat foods a week in moderation..for me I need them and it adds motivation to get to something good for me each week too. May not work for you but it works for me.  I'm incorporating paleo foods, weight watcher recipes and trying to get rid of all the sugar and processed stuff.  I got lazy this summer with so much going on and it was easy to just grab the "crap" and go...but no more of that stuff. 

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So starting today I'm mapping out each week's meal plans and putting recipes on my Pinterest board.  I am also adding a link in case you want to check out the recipes I add each week...some are tried&true and some are new. I like healthy, good food with lots of flavor..so its just a matter of planning and making it happen. I can be lazy during the day and just not eat...not good for my kind of metabolism..and leads to me sometimes snacking too much late in the evenings. 

 LOSE WEIGHT RECIPES PINTEREST BOARD HERE

I also ordered a Fitbit One Wireless to track my movements...I'm very competitive so I'm hoping this keeps me moving regularly as it tracks me every day. I spent a  lot of time reading reviews of all four fitness bands and this one seemed to be what I needed...it clips on or you can slip it in your bra/pocket. I didn't want a band for myself so that's why I chose this one.  

I'm also using 2 apps to help keep myself organized and accountable for everything....both are free...Map My Fitness and Lose It (both work with the FitBit).

And to help with stress I'm going to be doing Beginner Yoga on YouTube and some Blogilates twice a week as well.  And the usual Jillian Michaels & Tracy Anderson DVDs too...my goal is to do a video 5x a week with regular walks added in.  I have to start out slow...24-35 min workouts because of my health and slowly build stamina. I can't jump right in hilly-nilly...so bare with me.

So at the end of every month I will add screen shots of my progress and what weight has been lost.

I will also share my meal plans if you are interested in trying some new recipes too.

So here I go....anyone going with me??? 

LOL!

Here's this week's meal plan if you want to see it (double click to make larger) and the recipes are on my Pinterest Board Link above.

Chipping Away!

CHEAT SNACKS

One of the things I treat myself to once a week is a handful of chips.  I usually have a hankering for something salty and most days I will have a handful of nuts that are lightly salted because they are good for you (usually almonds, cashews or pistachios are what I have on hand). But I LOVE chips....so if I've been good with my eating plan I treat myself to a handful of yummy salted chips.  

My #1 fave are Kettle Chips with sea salt...mmmmmm YUM!

However I have 2 new favorites that I "try" to keep stocked...I mean try because my family usually eats them all up before I have my 2nd handful!

No none of them are Paleo approved...sorry...but I've gone into a more modified version of Paleo. I try to follow it 80% of the week and if I've been good I get a cheat meal and a cheat snack.  So far it has worked well and I've dropped 16 pounds since I started.  Next week I am starting low-impact exercise again now that the doctor says I can. So that means treadmill walks and light weights for a few weeks to get myself going again.  Then I hope to begin my Pilates and Kickboxing again.

OMGosh if you love Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant (like my boys) then you will love these.  They taste just like a hot wing and have just enough kick to keep you interested but not set your entire mouth aflame.  I've had 2 handfuls out of 2 bags because the two boys in my house gobble them up...I might have to hide a bag LOL!

And then there are these Lays Garlic Bread flavored chips.  And yes they are pretty reminiscent of real garlic bread without the warm butter dripping down your chin :)  We discovered these down in South Carolina over Spring Break and were happy to see our local stores now carry them too!  If you can't have the garlic bread this is a good treat to have to get the flavor.

No I don't know how much fat or calories are in 8-10 chips once a week...nor do I care to know LOL!

Everything in moderation.....

And when I have a sugar hankering I either eat a square of dark chocolate or have some

Gummi Bears.  The dark chocolate is GOOD for you & the Gummi Bears have few calories and no fat.  I love this brand of gummies the best...they are a bit more chewy than others so they keep your mouth busier longer.  That means you eat less of them....I think!

What is your favorite treat to eat?