PriorFatGirl E-Cookbook 2009

The time has come...

A collection of healthy recipes from the friends of PriorFatGirl! Over 50 recipes were submitted...

they are typed up...
nutritional information has been analyzed...
layout has been finalized...

Are you ready to buy the official
PriorFatGirl E-Cookbook 2009?

Click below to submit your payment. Make sure to include in your email address in the comment section. You will receive your cookbook via email 24 hours after I receive your payment notification.

Price: Each copy of the PriorFatGirl E-Cookbook 2009 is $5.00 USD.

Additional Copies: If you are ordering additional copies for friends or family, update the quantity on the order form and include their email addresses in the notes section of your payment--I will also send them their official PriorFatGirl E-Cookbook 2009.

Acknowledgments: A special thank you goes out to MizfitOnline who’s MizFit Moments scattered throughout the cookbook encourage us all add a little extra activity into our busy life. Also to Lindsay from Lindsay: Under Construction, thank you for helping with the cookbook.

Donation Information: $4.00 from each cookbook sold will be donated to the YMCA. Per the YMCA website:

“YMCAs are working to promote healthy living for millions of Americans through YMCA Activate America®. Learn more about by clicking here: YMCA Activate America.”

Questions: I will attempt to answer all questions as quickly as possible. Questions or concerns can be directed to jen@priorfatgirl.com

Thank you all for your support
and encouragement to be healthy,
one decision at a time!

Mexican makes me happy

ah, happy Thursday my friends! I am so excited about this cookbook - holy crapola it looks so great! It's finally gotten to a point where I can announce...

TOMORROW IS THE DAY!

Yep, you read that right - come back tomorrow for information on how to get your copy of the first ever PriorFatGirl E-Cookbook!!! WOOT WOOT!

It's been a lot of hard work, hours upon hours of work and will be totally worth the wait!

But just hold on one more day okay?

Wednesday Date Night
Carlos took me out on Wednesday night to one of my favorite restaurants, El Loro. My friend Melinda and I used to eat El Loro 4-5 times a week when we were just out of high school! We would get off work and meet at El Loro where we would proceed to drink & eat normally shutting down the place. We'd get up, go to work and do the same thing over again - ah, good times! Probably what contributed to many pounds.

Anyways, we went last night and I had my fair share of the chips & dip. They have this white spicy ranch-ish type dip that is devine!

Chips & dip

I'm a cheap date. I always get 2
soft shell chicken taco's and
then scrap out the insides.

I swear, I eat enough of the chips to make
up the carbs & calories I'm passing up
from the tortilla wraps I toss to the side.

Religiously I always get a chocolate
mint on my way out the door.

They have a little container where you put 25 cents in and can take a piece of candy. My favorite way to end a meal: chocolate!

We got home and attempted to watch a
little hulu but after a short period
of time, I looked like this.

ah, alas I gave in and fell asleep around 8:30pm...but woke up at 8:45pm to do some blog reading, get coffee ready and talk with Carlos a bit more. I've just been so flippin' tired lately! The past 3 weeks have been super early mornings at work talking like AT WORK 2-3 days a week between 6:30am-7:15am and working until 5:30pm-6:00pm or later. I just have to make it through this week and then things should settle back down again. (November is our busy month.)

I have been keeping up with my appointments with Kevin - he mentioned it was a good idea to track measurements monthly so I'll wait until the beginning of December and check in on my measurements.

Running
Next week is my Turkey Day run. I'm nervous, anxious, excited and all that jazz. I know I can run the race but I'm pretty sure my time will be way more than I want/thought it would be. When I ran that race back in April, I did it in pretty close to 30 minutes. The run I did on Sunday was closer to 35 minutes - I think it was the cold air slowing me down.

Here's the difference though. Back then, I had about 1.5 years of steady cardio and was pretty well in shape. This race? Well, I'm still in good shape but for most of August & September I didn't work out. October was getting better but I could tell I lost a lot of traction from August & September.

So what does that mean? It means that no matter the time, I'm just proud I am able to run. Proud that I haven't given up. Proud that, when faced with an emotional trauma, I didn't quit. This race next week, it is dedicated to my mom. Who I know will be right there at the end cheering me across the finish line!

Giveaway Winners
Before I go, I need to announce the winners of the Silk giveaway from yesterday! Three winners were picked at random and they are:

• Jen F @ Not Just Big Boned
• Eater Not a Runner
• Heidi O
• Erin @ Losin' It

Friends, email me your mailing address to jen@priorfatgirl.com

See yall tomorrow for the official release of the cookbook!

Giveaway

Hi everyone! I am so bummed, I taped a video for you today as a surprise for today's post but wouldn't ya guess, my camera died right before I uploaded the video! Oh well, life happens huh? I'll have to find a different way to surprise ya!

My intent is to keep today's post short because I have something uber exciting I'm working on... the PriorFatGirl E-Cookbook! It is really coming together (with the help of Lindsay from Lindsay: Under Construction) and I'm so excited for ya'll to see this!

There are 50+ amazing recipes submitted from you - recipes that you have tried & tested. Recipes that are healthy yet practical. They are awesome! I really never knew I could

There are recipes for soups, chili, chicken linguine, salad dressing, marinara sauce, oh my - so many delish options!

Here's a teaser to the cookbook...

Am I a tease or what?!

I better get back to the e-cookbook, but before I go, what better way to keep a blog short than to leave it all up to a giveaway!

A couple months ago, I was offered the chance to try Silk Soy Milk. I have to admit, I wasn't excited. I tried soy milk about 4 years ago and didn't finish the glass.

Hesitant yet insistent on trying Silk,
I poured it over my beloved cereal.

Verdict? VERY IMPRESSIVE! It had a slight nutty taste which I was impressed with because it gave my cereal a little extra ooomph. I also replaced my normal creamer with Silk and again, it added a slight nutty flavor. One side note, I don't think I would drink it straight - I prefer regular milk instead.

Enter & Win
No tricks, no multiple entries - four of you will win a free gallon of Silk just for leaving a comment and telling me why you wanna win!

Contest ends Wednesday at 11:59pm. Winners announced Thursday AM. Open to anyone, anywhere!

See ya'll on Thursday!

Over or Under?

Sunday, I went for a run. It was about 44 degrees out and freezing. I debated just going to the gym but I knew that I need to start to run outside & get ready for my Thanksgiving run.

I know I need to get my lungs ready. So I made myself do it. First things first, I had to cover my ears. Poor ears get so so so so cold!

I kept the 180's that I wore a couple weeks ago (read about them here.)

But last week, I received a gift from a
wonderful friend (hi wonderful friend, you are great!)
It was a LuLu Headband!
But I can't figure out how to wear it!

Here's the deal: I can't put my
hair in a pony tail. It's reverse bob
and is short in back. I have two options.

Hair over the headband...I
like this better from the front

But it makes my hair stick out in the back.

Or hair under the headband.

No hair stick-outage.

For my run on Sunday, I went with the
headband over my hair. Call me vain but
I care about what I look like when I run.

Whaddya think?
Over or Under?

Back to my run, I wanted to see
how my lungs would do as the
temperature got colder so
I mapped out a 5K.

AND, I DID IT! I ran the whole thing! YEEEHAAWW!!!

It was very hard to run the whole thing. I wanted to stop and catch my breath. My lungs hurt from the cold but I kept running. I didn't give up, I just kept going. Because I refused to walk!

I didn't track my time, mainly because I am just proud of the fact that I can run a 5K! I can't believe I can do it - it still gives me goosebumps. I never considered myself a runner, still don't - yet I am!

What can you do that you never thought you could do?

Banana's & Pumpkin

Howdy friends! How was your weekend? Mine was fabulous - no special reason other then the fact that I got a lot done! I love those weekends! I accomplished the goals I had this weekend.

1. Finish thesis - CHECK! Well, kinda. I dropped it off at Kinko's for them to bind & turn it into a hard covered book. I have to get 3 copies, 2 for school and 1 for me. Will get them back next week.
2. PriorFatGirl E-Cookbook: CHECK! Well, again - kinda. I made a HUGETASTICK dent in it, OMG I cannot wait for ya'll to see this! There is a little over 40 recipes. Just wrapping up a few loose ends on it and will share ASAP!
3. Laundry, dust, vacuum, dishes, gym 2 times & cuddle with Carlos.

HA, okay, #3 is what I do every weekend. Am I odd that I actually enjoy spending my Sunday's cleaning? Guess it kind of makes me feel "ready" to start the week!

Anyways, I wanted to share a snack I've had a couple times this past week and plan on having SO MUCH MORE cuz it is YUMMY!

100% Pure Pumpkin!

Each 1/2 cup is 50
calories and 4 grams fiber!

I've had 1/2 cup with a little brown sugar,
some wheat thins and a Laughing Cow
Light Cheese wedge. Totally filling!

On Saturday, I stopped over at Lindsay's house from Lindsay: Under Construction. It was a celebration for her birthday AND cuz she just bought a beautiful new house! Lindsay also just got a gym membership and I totally can't wait to guilt her into ask her nicely to meet me at the gym.

I may or may not have eaten half of
everything in this picture for dinner.

Her cat who is 21lbs. Yep, you read that right!
Carlos says he is a massive kitty!

Sunday, I woke up and as mentioned
above did miscellaneous errands
around the house. I also made banana bread.

YUM!!! I snacked on 2 slices
throughout the day and then
froze the rest for a party I'm
having later this month.

And finally, I made my own 100 calorie pretzel bags.


This makes it so much easier to make my
lunches during the week, I can just
grab a bag and go. AND, its way
cheaper than buying the pre-packaged stuff.

AND, that's all I got for today.
Did you get all your goals done this weekend?

What you don't see

I would like to pretend that I still don't struggle as much as I do.

That when I go out to eat, it is easier to choose the "healthy option."

That working out is a routine.

But who am I kidding? Sugar-coating not included, two years later and I still cry "IT'S NOT FAIR" when I'm out to eat with a friend and they order a cheeseburger & french fries while I order lean meat, no sauce and veggies on the side.

I still cry foul when my friends meet for happy hour after work while I force myself to go to the gym.

I still get embarrassed when my coworkers go down to the cafeteria for lunch but because prefer not to deal with the temptation, I sit at my desk and eat my frozen meal.

True, there are some people out there who, after doing something for a good length of time, can make it a habit.

Clearly, that hasn't happened to me. So consider this fair warning to all of you out there who think one day you'll get it. Who think one day you may enjoy eating healthy. Who think you can figure out "temptation."

What you don't see is that once you get to the point where you think you want to be, you'll still fight just as hard.

Weekend Update
I have 2 plans this weekend. First, to send my final thesis to the printer. Yep, you read it right! A little over 6 months after "graduating" I'm finally hitting submit on the project and calling it done. (Luckily they gave me till January to finish it so I'm technically ahead of schedule).

Secondly, I plan on finishing the E-Cookbook that ya'll have been SO PATIENTLY waiting for! I actually called in back-up and asked Lindsay over at Lindsay: Under Construction to help out. Have you checked out her blog yet? LOVE LOVE LOVE! So anyways, hopefully I have some good news for you early next week in regards being able to purchase the cookbook.

What are YOU doing this weekend
Remember, healthiness doesn't take the weekend off!

Good or bad?

The other day, I mentioned the Campbells Light soup I found while at the grocery store. They are super low cal (70 cal per serving) but very high in sodium.

It was delish, especially when paired with
my sunflower & jelly sandwich!

And, I noticed a trend in the comments. People either said:

• Must try it
• No way, I make my own!

I got to thinking - maybe I'm a bad influence on others at the beginning of their journey. Telling them about some high sodium soup, always talking about my frozen meals, my processed this, chemically altered that and refined foods.

I gotta be honest, my weight loss would not be possible if I hadn't of relied on "fast healthy" food. Yes, I ate and continue to rely on things to get by. Things that might not be good for me. But hey, donuts and Doritos and McDonald's and all that other crap wasn't good for me either!

I remember awhile back, there was some chatter about Hungry Girl. Ya'll know this lady who has made a living off connecting people like me to new low-points foods (although I don't track points). Anyways, there were some people who got all in a huffy because the foods she tended to recommend were processed or refined or chemical substitutes - the vented because they said what kind of example is she setting, she isn't giving people good tips on how to be healthy.

You know, we each make decisions on what we will or will not do. And I am 1bazillionandtwo percent confident that I am so much healthier now compared to two years ago. Could I be EVEN MORE healthy? Sure - but I had to start some where.

And to be honest, I don't have time (or make time?) to make my own soup. Or eat more raw foods. Or eat organic all the time. But I do what I can - and it's done well for me up to this point.

THOUGHTS? AGREE? DISAGREE?

Sweaty Proof
A couple more pictures for you before we go. The below people emailed me their pictures. Not to be cool (they are), not to show-off (they aren't) but because they are proud. Proud of their sweat and what it means.

Mandie @ Fighting the Fat

Angie @ Who Do You Chose Today

Adrienne @ Takin It All Off

Workout & Running Updates
I've been doing pretty good on workouts. The past 3 weeks I've made it to the gym 4-5 times a week which is REALLY GOOD considering what I did in August & September. I've been running a bit, not a lot but enough to keep it going. If you remember right, I have the Thanksgiving 5K and am so excited.

To add excitement to it, my brother-in-law, Dan is going to run with me. Dan's dad is running too! AND, I even heard from a little birdie that a family friend (and my friend) of Dan's, Missy M, may be running. MISSY M, IS THIS TRUE? EMAIL ME!

Alright - again, another long post. Sorry! I'll be back tomorrow - hopefully you will too!

Coincidence? I think not.

Uh, cuz Kirsten, good call on that comment yesterday. I failed to mention, my PB&J sandwich was INDEED not real peanut butter. Ya'll know I'm scared of that stuff! It was in fact the sunflower butter!

You know what I've realized recently? Every day I get stronger and stronger. As I pick up the pieces, I am more able to look back and realize why things happened. That's far from it being easier to deal with but being able to connect two events and how one played into another is pretty eye-opening.

In a round about way, I found myself yesterday re-reading the "I am numb" post I wrote at 1:47am, about 12 hours after I found out about my mom passing away. And then I wondered what I wrote about in the post prior to that, the what I thought would be the last post before my final weigh in. As I read it, I got goosebumps.

Here's a snippet:

No matter what happens tomorrow with the scale, I am proud of where I am and how I got here. More importantly, I am proud of the fact that I did not give into marketing ploys or crazy thoughts in my head and really truly allowed myself to be vulnerable. To fail and struggle, to learn how to fall down and to learn how to pick myself back up time and time again. I am beyond speechless at what I have learned about myself and who I am. More importantly, I am now so much more aware of what I have yet to learn, and I look forward to what’s next.

So…on that note, although I will weigh in tomorrow morning, I do not intend on posting an update. You see, tomorrow is a special day in my life; therefore, I plan on surrounding myself with Carlos and my family to concentrate on things more important in my life then the number on the scale.

Wow.

And so true, it was a very special day in my life - and so true that I did surround myself with Carlos and my family, to concentrate on more important things in life then the numbers on the scale. Little did I know how much of an impact that day really would be.

I smile now knowing how much of a cheerleader my mom was for me on my journey. And I pray for each one of you to know what its like to have a cheerleader of your own.

One of my mom's final thoughts, via a comment on the blog was:

“Now as we travel the road of life, we need to pick up others along the way as their loads may be too heavy to carry.”

Please remember - in the end, as much as sometimes it seems to be, the scale is not what should matter in our life. Think of that the next time you get on the scale.

For the love of sweat
You ready for this friends? We've got some serious sweatiness going on. Check out these friends who are taking no prisoners, they are taking control of their healthiness lifestyle.

Anne @ Bananzattack

Marlene @ Marlene on the Run

Mrs. Bump @ Never Mind the Bumps

Kelsey @ Becoming Better...one day at at time

Clickworthy Links

• Mom on the Run has a great giveaway - a Tea Top Brew Mug. Click & win!
• This Is Why Your Fat honored my mom....well, kinda. Click & Smile!
  
  
  

Eat your greens - except you Iggy!

Just so you know, I'm totally rocking out on these training sessions (minus one missed, bummer!) Kevin mentioned last night that I was starting to complain but I made sure he understood there was a huge difference in me complaining while doing the workout and me complaining to get out of the workout. Point being, I was complaining but still doing the workout - I'll take that as a victory on my part. (and in my defense, I really only complain every 4th workout...gotta pace myself!)

How about you? Do you allow yourself to complain?

Eat Your Greens
Well, this is what the doctor told Carlos anyways. Apparently he has low iron - which I suspect most of the population has. Because no way most of us get our greens in. Except if you are on the green monster train like Dori is. That little lady gets her greens in every morning in a liquid form - I haven't jumped on this "green monster" train yet, have you?

ANYWAYS...Iggy must have overheard Carlos and I talking about how important it is to eat enough leafy green stuff and decided he probably should too. Yesterday morning, I was at work & Carlos was taking a shower.

Iggy took a flying leap and scaled the couch. He then proceeded to take one final jump onto the arm rest where he found his version of greens.

My mom's Peace Lilly!

NOW...if your freakin' out like I did, calm down - Iggy is okay! Carlos came down and scared the bejesus outta him (cause apparently Peace Lilly's are toxic or posionis to dogs.) Luckily Iggy didn't eat enough to do anything. AND, I think Carlos mentioned something about only the white part being posionus? After Carlos left for work, I came home mid-morning to check on Iggy. He was and is fine - didn't skip a beat!

Either way, I had a serious talk with Iggy to let him know he is NOT included in the "get your greens" club.

And yep, we moved the plant higher!

No Soup For you!
Ya'll on board there? You know the Seinfeld episode? No Soup for you?! Hello? Anyone there?

Okay, well actually there is soup for you. Where else but the soup isle! About a month ago I was strolling along doing my grocery shopping when a pretty blue label stuck out amongst the red labels.

We all now most broth based soups are pretty low-cal but Campbell's has introduced a new line of "light" soups. Attracked to anything low-cal (good bad, take your pick) I filled my cart with one of every kind! They offer lots of flavors ranging from 70-80 calories a serving!

• Vegetable Orzo
• Chicken Gumbo
• Chicken Mushroom Barley
  
• Chicken with White & Wild Rice
• Italian Style Wedding
  

I was not hesitant. I fully trusted Campbell's. And the best part, you can have a whole can and have a super low count! Dinner last night consisted of...

Peanut Butter & Jelly Toasted Sandwich

and some Chicken Mushroom Barley.

Soup Disclaimer: Most canned soup are very high in sodium. This is true for the Campbell's Light soup too. Some sodium is good, the body actually needs sodium. But too much will cause a person to retain water weight. So although soup can fill you up and be low cal, diets based solely on soup isn't probably a good idea - well, in my non-educated, i.am.not.a.doctor opinion anyways.

Proud Sweaty Pictures
Whoddathunk that so many people would be so excited to share sweaty pics? Here are two friends who are putting their health first, who are not holding back, who are fighting, kicking and screaming their way through their healthiness lifestyle.

Lizzie @ Watching and Weighting

Diane

You made it to the end of today's post. Feel free to leave a comment with your daily thoughts. Or, gotta question you've been meaning to ask? do it do it do it!

Cravings have no control

Happy Monday friends! I have to say, writing that random Saturday (read it here) post really helped me. I never thought I needed to write as much as I am realizing I do. I may not always share everything that's going on but just by talking about how much it effects my healthiness lifestyle really does help me to push through everything.

McDonald's Update
Remember Friday's post (here) about how much I was dreaming & drooling & obsessing about McDonald's? And remember how even though I KNEW I was making it sound better then it would actually taste, that I still wanted it?

Well, I would love to give you an update on this but frankly, there is none. Yep, you read that right. I didn't get any closer to eating the McDonald's. So maybe that's the update in itself, that I am stronger then my cravings. My cravings do not control me.

Tell me this: what is your "craving," what do you NOT let control you?


Proof is in the Pictures
Motivation is everywhere. All over the internet. So many people are pushing through whatever excuse comes up to just do it. Get it over with. Not take no for an answer. No one ever went from unhealthy to healthy overnight. It takes one day at a time, one step at at time. Here are my friends who are taking it one step at at time, here are my friends in all their sweaty glory.

Jack Sh*t @ Jack Sh*t, Gettin' Fit

Felicity

Kerry @ SKINNY ME!!!!!..... coming soon :P

AJ @ AJ Loves to Lose!

Motivational Match-Up
Wow, so many of you jumped on board with the Motivational Match-ups! Love love love it!By now, you should have received an email with your partners email address. (NOTE: If you don't see an email from us, please check your spam folder!)

Not sure what to do now? Don't worry, we didn't leave you hanging - MizFit shot a quick video with some hints, check it out




The bottom line? Be there for them as much as you want them there for you. This is your relationship with them - make it the best it can be!

Sad ol' Saturday

Hiya friends! Yep, its me coming to you live on a Saturday! How 'bout that :)

I packed up my laptop a couple hours ago and headed to the nearest Panera to consume some delish hazelnut coffee and drool at the bakery case.

Despite staring at the bakery case over my laptop monitor, so far, I have stuck with my coffee and have not participated in any bakery consumption. Maybe because my mind is busy. Off in la-la land. Dazed over. My attempt to get work done was disrupted by thought. As I sit here, I watched customer after customer come in.

• Grandparents bring their grandchildren in.
• Mothers & daughters.
• Elderly couples.

A constant reminder of what was missing in my life and forever will be. Sometimes I loose myself in thought. Lost trying to understand how I am that person - that person who lost her mom. Maybe its still shock. Disbelief.

No one would blame me
I've been thinking a lot about how much I have been dragging my feet to get back into the gym. Most of August & September & October I shared often about how my mind just wasn't into going to the gym. How emotionally I was still numb and being at the gym was the last thing I wanted to do. I still hate that darn gym, still drag my feet to work out.

But I pushed myself. And I continue to push myself. Even though you wouldn't blame me. Heck, if I curled up in ball and cried for three months straight, you wouldn't blame me. If I deleted this blog and transitioned back into a non-blog life, you wouldn't blame me. If I gained 3olbs, you wouldn't blame me.

But I'm different. I refuse to give in. I refuse to settle. I refuse to let my mothers death be an excuse. I refuse to let it be the reason I gain weight. I refuse to let an emotional trauma change what I have worked so hard to get.

As much as I continue to fight and kick and scream, as much as I still cry, as much as I still drag my feet, I refuse to give up.

So thank you friends for continuing to encourage me. I pray that through this blog, you find what you need to fight, kick and scream through what your going through. I pray that despite everything your going through, you don't give up. I pray for all the fight left in you to get you through.

I can do this - you can do this. Together, we can do this...no matter what kind of crap life throws at us, we can do this.

Love you guys!

*P.S., just writing this today has made me feel way better! Time to get some work done.

Craving McDonalds

Uh. I'm a priorfatgirl. I just have to keep repeating this to myself.

I wish I could say that after 2+ years and 100lbs lost it gets easier but I gotta be honest, the last 3 days all I can think about is McDonald's. I have not caved - not because I forbid it, but because I know I really don't want it. I know if I eat it, it won't be as good as I'm making it sound in my head. I know I just gotta get past this craving.

You know what's changed though? 2+ years ago, I would have not made it 3 days of "wanting" McDonald's. I would have eating it 3 days ago. I wanted it, I ate it. Now? I've come too far to give in to a silly craving.

• Sure it would be easy to just swing by and get a happy meal.
• Sure we should be able to have everything in moderation.
• Sure we should not deny ourselves certain foods.

But here this - we each have the power to make our own decisions. I have made the decision to not cave in on this silly little McDonald's desire. It's been 3 days - I am stronger then my cravings.

Tell me - what do you do to get rid
of a craving that has lingered
around for THREE DAYS!

Lost wallet
Enough said. I lost it. Gone. It had no cash in it but can't believe its lost! I last saw it Wednesday afternoon in my purse under my desk. I noticed it was not in my purse Wednesday at dinner so a very short time frame. I sit pretty far off the beaten path - no one every really walks past my desk.


I have retraced and retraced and RETRACED my steps. Looked in my car 3 times AND had Carlos look too. I've called the restaurant, asked company security & housekeeping, searched high & low, even asked Iggy if he knew where it was.

The worst part? It was a Christmas give from Carlos last year - a beautiful black Prada clutch type wallet.

I don't even know what to do, where to start. Boo hoo, boo hoo, boo hoo!
Sweaty Proof
You want some more proof that we got a gang of people who are kicking their unwanted pounds to the curb? Check out these...

Candace @ Believing in C - C is me

Rachel @ I want to LOSE IT. (for real)

You got proof that you mean business? Send me a pic to jen@priorfatgirl.com and I'll put it up! No need to be ashamed. Your sweat = you're serious!


Clickable Clicks

• Last call for Motivational Matchups! You have until Sunday to send us an email - no reason to hesitate, this is simply a way for us all to get through the next couple of high-temptation months using the wonderful on-line community!
  
• Actual Scale is giving away a $50 gift card to Amazon.com to celebrate her 50lbs lost and to thank the blogging community for supporting her - stop over & congratulate her & enter to win!
• My uncle Dean, who recently started a blog, is taking a poll. We'll have to wait & see what he does with the results of this poll but its only 1 question so if you get a chance, click over and answer...and then stick around and read some of his posts. Click here!
  

Twisted Snickers

Remember that one time I wrote about bendable celery? Well today, lets talk about twisted Snickers.

With all of the devils temptation (aka "left over Halloween candy") hanging around the of lately, I have been put to the test. Monday and Tuesday I didn't do so well.

Yesterday, I did better. At one point, I found myself hand deep in the bowl of "fun sized" temptation on my cubey neighbors desk only to walk away with a "fun-sized" Snickers.

I sat down to savor my high-calorie, totally not worth it snack when a big dose of will power ran through my blood vessels.

Friends, meet Twisted Snickers.

From way way down deep, I mustered up all my frustration for not being able to eat that darn Snickers and just twisted the bejesus outta it.

That'll show them darn "fun-sized" Snickers!

Measurements Update
On Saturday, I had Kevin (trainer man) take my measurements. I must say, I was completely shocked by the results! I really honestly thought I hadn't changed at all since January. Sure I had lost 5 to 9lbs but 2 inches on my chest? 3.25 inches on my waist? Holy cannoli!


Another day, same lesson...the scale doesn't measure what is really going on with the body! Besides the scale, do you track your measurements? If not, you should consider it - it will help you get a better understanding of what's really going on. Cuz the eyes can fool us, we may not be able to see our own results in the mirror.

I had another training session with Kevin this morning - me, just plugging away at this whole healthiness lifestyle. One day at a time!

Wednesday Date Night
Last night, Carlos and I went out to dinner with his boss who was in town for a couple of days. We went to the Modern Cafe in Minneapolis. We've gone many times before - they have a simple yet delish menu! Any locals been here?


From the website:

The Modern offers seasonal menus inspired by local, sustainable, and organic ingredients. The owners of the Modern believe in sustainable, living wages, commitment to long-term employment and reinvesting in the Northeast community.

I ordered the chicken breast
w/ butternut "hash, chorizo
& pan sauce.

Before dinner, we may
eaten a lotta bread!

Finally...dinner! YUMOLA!!!

AND...some housekeeping items:

• Mary over at Fit this, girl! shared a WW recipe for low-cal mac & cheese. Must make & consume ASAP! (click here)
• CaSaundraLeigh over at A Pinch of This, A Dash of That shared a recipe for Candied spaghetti squash - it's delish AND low-cal!
  

Fun Sized, My Ass

Excuse me for the fowl language.

But who in the Lord's name thought it would be fun to make the devil's temptation (AKA, Snickers, Kit Kats, Butter Fingers, etc) in fun size"?


And who decided it was "fun" anyways cuz it sure as hell ain't fun when I'm wiping Snicker smudges off the interview schedule I was suppose to give the VP later this afternoon. And it sure as hell ain't fun when I gotta make the decision to skip dinner cause I went over on my calories or work out a little longer at the gym (neither of which I did - horribly long work day)

If you remember (uh, does anyone remember from last year?) I managed to make it through Halloween pretty successful. Well, if successful can be defined as not inhaling every chocolate "fun sized" piece in sight.

And then after the fact I inhaled every chocolate "fun sized" piece in sight.


Sorry to report that work got the best of me! The past couple of days, I have been so crazy at work. Last night, I worked for 11 hours. SAD! By the time 7:30pm rolled around over the course of Monday and Tuesday, I had inhaled 7 snickers, 2 butter fingers, 3 Hershey's Crunch bars and a Twix - all inappropriately labeled "fun-size."

(That is the picture from me last year.)

I'm really just wondering - who's having the fun here? Did Snickers place a camera pointed at the bowl and all the Snickers marketers are just sitting there laughing at my lack of self-control? Does the Butterfingers company think its funny to watch me eat the little "fun-sized" candy bars like I am an addict?

Today is Wednesday. I will make every attempt to keep my hand outta the candy jar.

Sweaty Proof
Yesterday, I posted my picture of sweaty proof that I am kicking my stress to the curb. Yeah, I ate some chocolate temptation but you know what? I still was able to run 3.68 miles on Sunday so pooey on the "fun-sized" candy bar makers!

Anyways, here are some of my friends who are kicking poundage & stress to the curb with some serious sweat!

Mrs. Ballou

Jessie @ Figuring It Out

Annie @ Shrinking Girl

Amy

Whaddya think? You got a picture of yourself to prove to the world your not taking prisoners? Send them on in and I'll post for everyone to see!

Clickworthy Links

• MissyMaintains is hosting a great giveaway! Check out Cookware.com for your favorite brands like Hamilton Beach, Emile Henry, Rachel Ray Cookware and more! Giveaway ends 11/6
• Kat is turning her frown upside down & celebrating her accomplishments!
• Motivational Matchups with MizFit is in full swing - wanna know more? Click here! Ready to jump in on the action? Email us at motivationalmatchup@yahoo.com

Giveaway Winner
So many of you entered to win the Kay's Naturals Giveaway - I'm telling you, this stuff is good. Low cal & healthy - meaning not a bunch of added crapola that shouldn't be in our body anyways! DELISH!

The winner is...

Chelsea said...The cereal looks delicious! ____@comcast.net

November 1, 2009 6:30 PM

Running in the cold...

I'm so glad you guys like the idea of a Motivational Matchup! And even more glad that between Mizfit and I, we can match you up with someone special! I look forward to finding out who my motivation match-up is!

Speaking of motivation, I swallowed a big ol' motivational pill on Sunday. I'm serious, I don't know where it came from! I told ya'll about how I am going to run a 5K on Thanksgiving right? Excited, nervous, anxious all flow through my mind. I haven't been running very much - barely making it to the gym 3-4 times a week. I'm celebrating my 3-4 times a week but look forward to getting some more gym time in over the next couple of weeks.

Anyways, I am scared because I am not a baby.its.cold.outside.so.lets.sing.a.song type of gal. No, I'd much rather be inside by the fire. No sledding, no skiing, no snow-tubing and definitely no running in the cold! So why, do you ask, would I sign up for a run?

Cuz I'm nuts like that!

I figured I better do a practice in the cold and marched my butt to the gym to see what kind of ear warmer uppers they had in stock.

I found these 180's Ear Warmers which
came highly recommended by my Twitter friends.

The goods, outside of the box.

I broke them outta the box on Sunday and
decided to take them for a test run.

I thought I took a picture of me wearing them but guess not.

It was about 47 degrees out which isn't that cold but my ears & nose get pretty flippin' cold when I run which is why I don't run outside very often. I'm pretty excited to report that I made it not 1, not 2, not 3 but 3.68 miles! I didn't keep track of the time but I really don't care about the time, I care about the fact that me, a priorfatgirl just ran 3.68 miles! I never thought I would have ever been able to do something like that!

180's Thoughts: I know I would have never been able to run as far as I did without the 180's. They definitely kept my ears warm. I would be head over heels in love with them except for one thing - they kept sliding down & off my ears! The entire time I was running, I was constantly readjusting them back over my hears. Not kidding, about once every 1-2 minutes. It got annoying pretty fast but I kept running - I was just so excited I was running outside!

By the time I finished the run, I looked like
I was about ready to fall over after! I'm sharing it with
you to prove that I mean business - I'm kicking all
of this stress to the curb!

Call for pictures: Want to show the world that you mean business, that your ready to kick your stress & extra poundage to the curb? Send in your sweaty red faced picture and I'll post it for the world to see!

I knew I needed some serious fuel so dug into a banana and added some Naturally Nutty Pepita Sun butter. Remember this from a couple weeks ago? I had a giveaway and mentioned that it was kinda gritty? Well I've changed my mind - the more I eat it the more I LOVE IT!


Iggy is not the type of dog to run with - he weighs about 4lbs now and would much rather just go for rides on Carlos' back.

(yes my friends, that was my cheesy
transition to Iggy - I just wanted to
share this picture with ya'll!)

Germs Germs, Stay away!
Yesterday morning, I started to feel pretty gross. Like sore throat nausea gross. Like "I would rather be home" gross. A little bit of a headache, body aches, freezing & slight cough. I'm hoping & praying & wishing its a one day thing. Cross your fingers okay?

Oh, one more thing - today is the LAST day to sign up for the Kay's Natural giveaway! Winner announced tomorrow!

Motivational Match-up

I am 100% confident that each of you have helped me over the past couple of years because whether you know it or not, you have helped me be accountable to what I'm fighting for. There is no trick to losing weight, no secret I can share with you to explain how I did it other then the "accountability" factor (mostly to myself) and the importance of community.

On August 6th, just 6 days after my moms accident, I wrote about community (full post here). I was rereading that post the other day and something I wrote stuck out at me:

If there is anything I can tell you about how I lost my weight, it was by relying on community. When I was feeling stressed or ready to give up, so many of you instinctly rallied around me. When I shared a victory, you were right there to celebrate with me. That truly is how we continue through life. By supporting each other, by rallying around each other - good or bad. If there is anything I can tell you about how I have made it these past few days, it is by relying on community. We need to do that more.

I mentioned the other week that I was gonna jump on Ebay and get me some serious protective gear to help get me through the holidays, so I don't come out on the other side 20lbs heavier. I am completely aware that stress is gonna run high and food will attempt to be my comfort. But if I have my way, food will not be my reason to live. I need a partner. An accountability partner. A motivational match-up!

Friends, you wanna do this with me? Are you in need of a motivational match-up? Well I have supercalafragilistic news!

MizFit and I are partnering to match you up with someone, somewhere in the world to be your motivational accountability.

What does this mean you ask? That's the best part - cuz it's up to you & your partner! We give you a name & an email address and you define the rest! Be it a text, email, phone call, whatever!

Someone to check in on how things are going.
Someone to poke you when you need a poke.
Someone to pat you on the back.
Someone to give you a reality check.
Someone to send you a impromptu smile.
Someone to be part of your accountability.
Someone who gets what your going through.

If your game, send us an email to motivationalmatchup@yahoo.com with "Count Me In!" as the subject. MizFit and I will match you with a new friend, easy as pie!

Your deadline? Let us know if your on board by Sunday, November 8th. We'll introduce you to your motivational partner soon after!

AND...tomorrow is the last day to enter the Kay's Natural giveaway. Winner announced on Wednesday!