Week 1- JM body revolution done!

Well today marks the end week 1 of Jillian Michaels Body Revolution. I will be the first to admit that I usually don't make it past day 2 or 3 of any workout videos so finishing a week is kind of a miracle. I really like this workout a lot. Not only is it not a lot of time out of my day but it is an asskicking workout during that short time. By the time the 30 minutes are over I am dripping with sweat and really feeling like I got a great workout. The first two days I was very sore and it took a lot of move but now I am no longer sore and feeling really good. I am also trying to follow her diet plan. That is actually harder than following the workouts. I picked some menu items that ended up being a little more time consuming than I thought so I was pretty frazzled the beginning of the week trying to get my meals cooked for the week. This next week should be better since I figured out what to do and what not to do. The meal plan also is very limited in meals if we are expected to eat this way for 90 days so I bought her metabolism cookbook today so that I can use recipes from there too. I know that it is not exactly what she wants done but I figure it is her own cookbook so it should work just fine.

The best part of this week was weigh in today. I lost 4.6 lbs!! That makes getting up at 6am to workout totally worth it. Plus the way I feel is great too. Since the first of January my total weight loss is 16.1 lbs and my total inches lost is 15.5. I can really see a difference in the way my clothes are fitting. I wore some jeans the other day that I couldn't even button a couple weeks ago.

I haven't posted any new recipes for a couple weeks because the few things I have made are not worth sharing. I hope to have some new and tasty recipes coming in the next few weeks.

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful spring weather!!

Sorry I have been MIA for a couple weeks. I really didn't have anything to report. It was just the same thing day after day. It actually putting me in the dumps for a few days last week. The weather was bad and I have horrible spring fever that I just let it get the best of me. It took me a couple days to snap out of it and now I feel so much better. I didn't realize how much better working out made me feel. Because I was in a funk I didn't work out at all last Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. When I finally did get my butt in gear and exercise on Wednesday it was like a cloud had lifted off me. I felt so wonderful. I guess I needed that darkness to make me realize and appreciate the light!
I am now done with 5 weeks of my couch to 5k training. I have 4 weeks to go. On the last day of week 5 I had to jog 20 minutes without walking to break it up. I was so scared that I wouldn't be able to do it. I did have to stop for about 30 seconds to get a drink of water but besides that I went the whole time. I was so proud of myself. I actually cried when I was done because it was something I hadn't done before and I did it! I am doing and completing things that I didn't think I could do. I'm realizing that I can do it and it may hurt but the result is so worth it. My next session bumps down to 5 and 8 minute jogging sessions. I think that I will use these times to try to get a little faster. I am a super slow jogger and would really like to complete my 5K in 45 minutes or less. Right now I am at about 50-60 minutes. I know it is not a race but I need a goal or I might just take half the day for it. :)
I finally got my Jillian Michaels Body Revolution and I have completed two days. I am so sore right now that I feel like I need a grab bar by my toilet just to get back up. It is a really good workout though. It is only 30 minutes but when I am done I am so sweaty!. The 1st phase that I am doing right now is just a warm up for the coming phases. I can't even imagine what that will be like. I think I hear my body crying just thinking about it. Luckily I have 2 weeks of phase 1 to get my body ready. I really like this workout so far and will keep you posted on how I am doing. I have figured out a schedule for my exercises so that I don't wear myself out or get to a point where I don't want to do anything.

Saturday - JM in am and 5K in afternoon
Sunday - JM in am
Monday - JM cardio in PM
Tuesday - JM in am and 5K in afternoon
Wednesday - JM in am and 5k afternoon
Thursday - JM cardio in am
Friday - off

I figured this will be the best so that I have workout and cardio almost everyday and a day for doing nothing!

slowly....

I lost 1.5 lbs this past week! It is coming off. Slowly but surely!

Mmmm... Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Growing up some of my most precious memories are at my grandma's house. She always had fun stuff to do and she made the best food. My favorite thing that she would make was her homemade spaghetti sauce. It was always a treat to be there when she made it fresh but it was also delicious when she canned it and we could enjoy it during the cold winter months. To this day it is still a special treat.
When my cousin Michael was wounded in Afganastan we had a fundraiser for him that included a auction and a spaghetti dinner. We all made sauce from my grandma's recipe and used that instead of store bought. We had so many people tell us that it was the best spaghetti dinner they have every had. It was the sauce that they all loved so much.
Last Tuesday after I went to Gloria's funeral I was surprised to see my aunt Kally at my grandma's house. We all three went to lunch and after that we all went to grandmas to make spaghetti sauce. It was a really great day and a nice end to what started out as a sad day.
Normally I would post the recipe of what I have cooked but I don't have it with me today. Besides when we made it my grandma just told us what to add not really following a recipe. It is very simple ingredients but the true secret is letting it simmer all day. You can make it quick but it just won't taste the same. Sorry I don't have quantities for the ingredients.

Cook onions, garlic and mushrooms (optional) in some olive oil

Add tomato paste and tomato sauce

Here she is ordering us about. Lol!

Add tomatoes and Italian seasonings

Here is the finished batch after it simmered all day. Yummy!

Dinner is served! Oh the memories this brings back!!

Blah....but on the bright side

Well today I am up 2 lbs. I know exactly why and there are two reasons. One was completely in my realm of control and that would be my pantry and food. I did not go to the store this week so I really just ate a lot of carbs and ate out more than usual. I didn't eat very many veggies and  I also didn't drink water everyday like I should have been doing. The second reason is female issues so... 'nuff said. Next week will be better and I will keep on keepin' on! I have been working out doing cardio everyday except Monday. I am feeling better and better and a lot more energized. I have said this before and not done it yet but I really need to add toning and strengthening into my routine. I really enjoyed Crossfit but I do not enjoy the cost of Crossfit. I could plop down the $125.00 a month for a membership but that would mean I give up a lot of things and I am really not willing to do that. I also thought that maybe I would just buy a punch pass for $90.00 which is 10 workouts. I could go once or twice a week and do cardio for the other days. Then while eating breakfast the other day I decided to watch the informercial for Jillian Michaels new program that just came out in January. I have channel surfed past them for weeks now but thought I would finally see what it was about. Now I will admit that I really get sucked into informercials and usually want to buy every item I see. Luckily I have some self control and I don't buy them. This one was no exception. I wanted to call that minute and buy it. I talked it over with my sister, decided not to buy it but then kept thinking about it and so today I bought it. It's the same price as one month of Crossfit but its mine and I can do the program a lot longer than one month. I think what I like about this is what I like about Crossfit. Crossfit is a high intensity workout that only lasts between 15-30 minutes and you actually get a really good workout during that time. Jillian's program is very similar. It is only 30 minutes a day and high intensity as well. The program is a 90 day body revolution that has 15 disks that you workout from. Changing up the workouts so that boredom doesn't set in. Also that fact that it is Jillian Michaels I know that it will work. She has proven herself over and over again on TV. I just have to be committed to doing the program. I should get everything in about 10-12 days. What I will do is instead of riding my bike in the morning I will do the DVD's. Its the same amount of time but will burn way more calories and tone and strengthen. I am really excited to get going on it. All the reviews I have seen so far the people are really enjoying them. They are hard but not impossible. Once I get them I will keep you updated on my progress.  Here is the information if you are interested in seeing what I am talking about.

www.jillianmichaelsbodyrevolution.com

Yep, It's possible! You just have to work for it. Easier said than done, right?!?

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Are you grateful?

Sorry that it has been a few days since my last post. Life is kinda getting in the way of things and I haven't been able to post like I want to. I have been trying to do so much and it is kind of catching up with me. On Monday I was just exhausted. I decided to listen to my body and not go out and train for my 5k. As a matter of fact I just  went home, put on my pj's and went to bed at 6:00. I didn't go to sleep I just laid there and watched TV until about 9 then I went to sleep. I only ate a granola bar for dinner! That's how tired I was. I think my body needed it.
Yesterday I went to a funeral for my friends mother. While I was sitting there waiting for the mass to start I heard a cry of grief so great that it physically hurt my heart. The grief that my friends father was experiencing at the loss of his wife was a sound that I have never heard before. It was a wailing of sorrow and sadness and things to never come. It was so heartfelt and sad that tears immediately came to my eyes. I thought of my parents and the love they have for each other. I thought of the heart ache that they will feel when one is gone. I thought of the years ahead for my friends dad and hopefully the void in his heart that he will be able to fill with his children and grand children.
This was the 3rd memorial service that I have been to in 30 days. Needless to say I have been doing a lot of thinking about death and life and how tragic it is that these 3 people have passed away long before they should have. One was for a 5 year old little girl, one for a 25 year old woman and one for a 60 year old woman. All three had so much more living to do. So many things that they could have accomplished. I mourn for these beautiful souls and the things they will never do again. I mourn for the parents and family that have lost a loved one way too soon. I mourn for the 2 girls that will never get to dance with their fathers at their weddings and for the grandma that will never see her grand kids graduate or get married. I mourn for the lives that will never be touched by the kindness of these three individuals.
It really makes me sit back and be grateful for all that I have in my life. Of course there are things that I want. Husband and kids, grand kids, more money to travel or live abroad, the list could go on and on. I do realize though that I have been blessed beyond words. I have so many family and friends that I could call on at a moments notice and they would be there for me. I have a sister that is my best friend. I have both my parents and I can talk to them everyday. I have a house that I own and a job that I enjoy and don't dread going to. I have been given a family that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Of course we have our ups and downs but in the grand scheme of things they are pretty fantastic. I have money in the bank and food on my table. I have friends that I can laugh with and act stupid with and tell secrets to. Honestly I have more than a lot of people. I try not to take it for granted and I am so grateful for what I have and who is in my life. I wouldn't trade any of it.
If you do nothing else today, just take a moment to tell someone how much they mean to you. Call your parents or your kids, your grandparents, your extended family or your friends. You never know when that last moment with them will be. Cherish those moments and make the most out of every second. If I haven't told you yet, I love you and I am truly grateful that you are in my life!

I dedicate this post to Kimber Brown, Caitlin Kremler and Gloria Lopez. Gone but most definitely never forgotten.

Purple Cauliflower Soup

pretty!

Last week while grocery shopping I went to grab a head of cauliflower and noticed that they had purple and orange as well as the regular white. I immediately grabbed the last of the colored ones and couldn't wait to make something yummy with them. I didn't want to just steam or roast them either. I searched online and finally found a recipe that was simple and one that I had all the ingredients for. Purple Cauliflower Soup! It was delicious and very easy to make. It took about 40 minutes from start to eating. Click here for the original recipe. I really didn't stray too far from the original recipe. I used low sodium broth and unsalted butter because I like to control the salt in my food. I'm not a huge salt fan. I also did not garnish the soup with a drizzle of olive oil. It didn't really need it. I highly suggest garnishing with smoked paprika if you have it. It gives it a nice smokey taste that I can't really describe. It is also good without it too so it doesn't matter too much if that is something you don't have in your pantry. I din't puree mine to a completely smooth consistency. I liked having a few chunks of cauliflower in every bite.

Purple Cauliflower Soup

1 head of purple, orange or white cauliflower (They all taste the same BTW)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter (I  used unsalted)
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
4 cups chicken broth (I used low sodium and 1 can was fat free)
smoked paprika
good quality olive oil (optional)

Clean and break up cauliflower into small florets.

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat up the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sautee for 5 minutes.

Add minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.Be careful that the garlic does not burn. Add cauliflower florets, stir to cover with oil and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Puree soup using an emersion blender, food processor or blender and return to pot. Check seasoning. Garnish soup with smoked paprika and a drizzle of good quality olive oil.

Enjoy!

What? That's what it takes?

It seems that for as long as I have been alive, I have been on a diet. I've tried them all. I've even tried to make up my own. I would lose some then gain it back plus more. On top of that I had myself convinced that I hated exercise. I don't love it now but I am finding the benefit of working out and on occasion I am actually enjoying it. For years I have heard people tell me and also read everywhere that the key to losing weight is to eat in moderation and exercise. I was hoping for a miracle diet. One that would shed the pounds in weeks and I wouldn't have to work out.  Over the last two months I am finally listening to those people and those articles and it is paying off. I also know that part of losing weight is mental and I think that I am at a place in my life that I just feel "Enough is Enough!" I'm looking at myself with love and admiration for what I am accomplishing. Right now is the longest I have stuck with any sort of weight loss program. I know that this is not a program and it is a lifestyle change but it is also changing my life. I'm ready to stop hiding behind the fat and go get what I want. 
For the past two weeks I have amped up my cardio and cut down on my eating. I don't eat a morning snack anymore. If I do feel hungry I have a protein shake. I am also noticing that at dinner I am not as hungry as I used to be. I continue to ride my stationary bike for 20 minutes every day and I also do my couch to 5k at least 3 times a week. Because of this I lost another 3 lbs this week!!! That is a total of 12.4 lbs so far in this journey! I am learning so much and enjoying what I am doing. I don't feel deprived or hungry. I'm not grouchy or sad. I'm feeling great!

2 months down!

Well it is 2 months since I started my journey to be healthier. I am really happy with the progress that I am making and I am really looking forward to the future and all that I will accomplish. So far I have lost 9.4 lbs and a total of 12.5 inches off my entire body!! I am really glad that I decided to measure myself back in January because that is where I am seeing major changes. It's nice to have something else to gauge my progress with besides the scale.

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