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Sunday, May 27, 2012

Cat Food Diet Fail

Weight loss progression.

Here I was pregnant... at Christmas... just a few short weeks before delivery. Nearly 235 lbs.


I still weighed nearly 200 lbs on my wedding day in May.


And this is what I look like in my dress today, a year later :)



Now, only 10-19 lbs to go.



And I've started "mainstreaming" the cat food diet early. I burned myself out on planning ahead. My mainstreaming is not that great... but hopefully I'll get better. I still have two weeks left in our biggest loser competition at work and I'm sitting in 3rd place - I sure would like to win that money :) I managed to go 26 days without coke (in Southern terms, any form of "soda") until I tried my dad's homemade root beer on tap last night... delicious! I am contributing a healthy, roasted corn guacamole for tomorrow's Memorial Day festivities. Enjoy your weekend, and be safe!











Anniversary Post

Tomorrow is mine and Josh's one year anniversary. Last year this time was full of hustle and bustle... Carter was in and out of the hospital. Dad and I graduated.


Two weeks later we were scrambling for the wedding. This was taken at the rehearsal dinner.


Wedding day.


Sweet boy in his tux :)


We have been so blessed over the past year. Our little man has grown stronger and healthier. We bought a house and have made it our home. We have taken vacations. We have not had any major financial problems. We are happy! Please pray for us to continue to have a healthy and happy marriage, and for wisdom as we raise this wild youngin'! We are blessed beyond measure to have friends and family that uplift and encourage us, and we so appreciate the prayers for us and Carter.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Cat Food Challenge: Day 15 to Present - Vacation series

Days 15-17

I don't remember all the details... but I know my dear husband made the zucchini pasta with homemade tomato sauce one night. I made the sauce ahead of time on Monday, and we had ground turkey in it - this was my favorite cat food recipe so far. Josh was surprised that he liked it, and I was, too! Another night we had lean hamburger patties, and Josh made fresh baked sweet potato sticks (yummmmm). I made some homemade guacamole to top them... this was an amazing combination... it's my new favorite burger. We had a cook-out at work Thursday and I stayed away from the chips and potato salad and ate a ton of protein and a little fruit. I think I ended up consuming two hamburger patties, a smoked chicken thigh, and half a smoked chicken breast.... I couldn't have snacked that afternoon if I wanted to. Tuesday night I did body sculpting and zumba, Wednesday was abs and kickboxing, and then Thursday was body sculpting and zumba again.... and our last night with our instructor Caressa :(  She's moving to Tennessee. I did a short mile one of those days... I don't even remember - it's logged in dailymile though!

and now.....

Present

Let me explain.... I was stressing about my vacation because I didn't know if I'd be able to make cat food choices work... no alcohol... blah blah blah. At our work cookout we were talking about the alcohol limitation, and one of the guys tells me this fun fact: distilled liquors 80 proof or higher contain ZERO sugar. So I did some research. It's the truth. Any alcohol 80 proof or higher has ZERO sugar... and your liver converts in to straight up acetate. YAY! That afternoon I was telling Shannon about my discovery and we were discussing my vacation... and she told me not to stress about it - just enjoy myself and get back on the wagon when it's over. That was exactly what I needed - for someone that was supposed to be keeping me accountable to give me "permission" to fall off the wagon! :) Thanks for enabling me, Shannon! Hahaha. So yesterday I started off with a smoothie (no sweeteners) from Tropical Smoothie Cafe, and mom got cookies... so you know I had a little... this was the best, first "foreal" cheat. I am definitely a chocolate addict. I sipped my smoothie while we got a pedicure, and then we made a bee-line south on 231 for PC. We went to Dillard's at Pier Park and I got my first post-baby bikini. We went to a little beach bar that had a guy strumming and crooning = LOVE. I had a dozen oysters Rockefeller and a top shelf margarita... and a few bites of Nichole's nachos. The other half of the crew got in around 8, and we got ready to go out. Nichole, Danielle, and I went to Rum Runners. Josh and I spent most of our honeymoon at the one in Destin last year... I fell in love with this type of fun. WE HAD A BLAST LAST NIGHT! I had too many margaritas, we met a Tim Tebow look-alike. I randomly asked "Timmy's" friend if he did crossfit - pinned him! Bragged about my hubby a little bit... and then Danielle drug/drove us back to the resort. I paid for those oysters/margaritas. For breakfast I had a hangover... along with two advil, two cups of coffee with real creamer, a bagel with cream cheese, a banana, and two bottles of water. I just got in from what I think was a mile run... and I'm about to do some planks and abs before hitting the beach with the rest of the crew. I'm enjoying every minute of this vacation... it's long overdue. I miss my little man and Josh, but I know they're doing just fine. I'm so thankful that I have a husband that is capable of holding down the fort so I can have a few days of fun :)

Speaking of that guy... he is all about some crossfit competitions now! We're planning on going to Dothan the end of June for another one. He has the fever. We were watching a re-run of last years ESPN competition... and he said he wants to be on there. I love his competitive spirit... and his drive to better himself.

Well, I'm off to get some sun - everyone enjoy your weekend.... I know I will! :)

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Cat Food Challenge: Day 14

We still had no food in our home... this makes CFC hard. Coffee with coconut milk for breakfast... and then went with some co-workers to Applebee's and had the spinach/shrimp salad. Stayed busy so I wouldn't want to snack (not that I had anything to snack on).... When I got home this afternoon we headed to Publix to re-load. I was in the kitchen from 6pm-10pm cooking dinner (fish and frozen veggies), homemade tomato sauce with ground turkey for our meal Wednesday night, and the filling for the pork chops we're having today. Also made 18 egg muffins for the week, and boiled some eggs to have on hand. Made a new smoothie tonight - peach and banana with orange juice and coconut milk - delicious. I needed to get a run in... but it didn't happen. 

Mother's Day(& Cat Food Challenge: Day 13)

Mother's Day was a good day :) I elected for no presents from Josh and Carter since I'm going on a beach trip this weekend. I'll be doing some shopping for my new size at the outlets! My daddy got me a sweet card, some new pink golf balls, and a shiny, new, red putter! One less excuse for my sucky golf game... but I can't wait to try it out! We took mom to Farmhouse Kitchen at Hampstead for brunch (I ordered a GIANT serving of eggs/sausage since it was all I could eat... and they brought me a tiny serving... 2 eggs... 2 links... STARVING). I ended up eating some of mom's fried chicken (sans skin) and picked around fruits and veggies from Josh and Greyson's meals, too. Mom was a sweetheart and kept C that afternoon so Josh and I could go see The Avengers - what a great movie! We stopped by Tropical Smoothie Cafe before the movie so I could get a "snack"... and then Josh taunted me with popcorn and a coke at the theatre. We had a nice little date, and apparently Carter got to go on a ride on the lawnmower with his Papa once he got home from Tennessee. Dad took us all out for Mexican that night (hello again, fajitas). Another busy day to end a busy weekend. I am so thankful for my amazing mom who shaped me into who I am today. I don't know what I'd do without her, especially considering the support she gives us with Carter. I love you, Mom!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Cat Food Challenge: Day 12 - #4#

Today was a busy day... and my eating reflected that fact. We woke up at the crack of dawn (0530) to get going for #4# in Downtown Montgomery. C was less than thrilled to be awakened early. He and I stopped by mom's to grab lawn chairs and I snagged a banana from her kitchen. We made it to the Riverwalk right before 7, when the first event was scheduled to begin. Josh was in a late heat, so we got to watch some other competitors, walk around, and let Carter see the puppies/dogs that people had with them. Josh killed his first event... this guy was moving more weight than anyone. Unfortunately, the last event of the competition was cancelled, and everyone left due to the storm... and they still haven't announced the final results since scoring had to be altered. I'll update again if anything special comes of that - but regardless, I was SO proud of him. We only saw his first event since C needed a nap after that. Here are some pictures.

Kiddo got tired of the stroller after an hour... during Josh's event, he kept reaching for him :)


Josh rowing


Heavy lifter... he doesn't even know how much this was (lol) Anyone out there know what the colors were? He had a red, green, and blue plate.


Right after his event.. I don't even know how he was holding the child


Daddy's boy


We went home for a long nap (0930-1130)... I downed a strawberry-banana smoothie before I laid down. (Did I mention we need to go grocery shopping again... all we had in the house was fruit.) We headed to AUM's graduation to watch my Big, Megan, get her degree - so proud of her! We swung through Chik-fil-a for my usual... I had a moment of panic while trying to park at AUM... it was raining, and I had a child with two casts, and there was no close parking. I drove around for almost 10 minutes, and finally someone close pulled out - SCORE! C talked loudly and played the entire time (I got there late intentionally because I knew he wouldn't last). He clapped after everyone else stopped. Yelled down the stairway. Ate goldfish. Shh'ed me when I Shh'ed him. Gave kisses. And then got sleepy. After we saw Megan walk the stage, we headed back downstairs and paced the lobby until it was over and we could see her. We were planning on going back to #4# to see the awards, but Josh called on our way home to let us know it might be cancelled. He was home with us around 6:30pm... and we went to my other favorite CFD outing - Mexican! More steak fajitas.... yummm. After we got home and got C settled, I had a sweet tooth... but since I'd already had so much fruit I fought the urge for a smoothie and just sucked on a frozen strawberry for a few minutes (ha!). Oh the joys of CFD....

It was a busy, long day - but it sure was fun! I'm looking forward to Josh's next Crossfit competition (TBD) and to see what the "real world" has in store for my sweet Megan. Make it a great weekend, and remember to let people know you're proud of them - recognition of someone's strengths is something our culture tends to forget as we focus on the negative and the gossip.

Cat Food Challenge: Day 11

I was a snack-a-holic today. For breakfast I had two small turkey sausage patties left over from dinner the other night. I had a few pickles not long after. And then I had an apple. For lunch I had grilled chicken and some leftover roasted asparagus. Afternoon snacks included a boiled egg and more pickles. I got home and decided to work in a "long" run... did my 3 mile loop down Blackberry.... it was SO flippin' humid at 3:30pm. What was I thinking?! However, I did it fairly fast, even with some walking at the end. Josh has #4# tomorrow, so he wanted to carb load... he met Mom, Greyson, C, and me at Olive Garden after he weighed in. I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to find anything CFD approved... but thankfully their mixed grill was safe. I had to google a recipe for the sauce to make sure there was no sugar or wine (ha). No tuscan potatoes, extra grilled veggies, please! And this little guy was taunting me the whole meal... not mention the Andes mints and Greyson's Triple Chocolate Strata cake.


No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13, NKJV

Friday, May 11, 2012

Cat Food Challenge: Day 10 - Confession

I have a confession to make.... the unthinkable has happened.... I accidentally cheated yesterday.

I didn't go to work yesterday because we had Carter's appointment to have his casts changed out. I woke up and ate the bacon that was leftover from dinner.... I'm never very hungry when I'm at home, because I stay so busy. We left around 9 for our appointment at 1030. We were finished by 1130 with two shiny, new, red casts. We hit the Chik-fil-a drive-through for lunch on the run and I ordered the same thing as yesterday - 12 ct grilled chicken nuggets, a fruit cup, and an unsweet tea. Something went terribly wrongI took a couple sips of my tea, and after the third, I realized that it was delicious. It wasn't unsweet! They had given me sweet tea. It was hard, but I didn't drink any more of it... thankfully I keep a flat of water in my car. So, there you have it - I cheated on accident. From now on I'll have to have someone test my tea for me (ha). Carter and I napped for 2 hours once we got home, and I had a banana on my way to my hair appointment. For dinner I picked up steamed salmon from Publix, and Josh had roasted asparagus and baked sweet potatoes ready when I got home. Good day besides the cheat...

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Cat Food Challenge: Days 7-9

First days back exercising. Over the headaches and some of the cravings.

Day 7: Monday, May 7th
Back to work! But I forgot my laptop... so back home! Ha. Anyway... egg muffins for breakfast. Leftover roasted veggies, I think? Went to kickboxing class and it was stuffy and hot (nearly 90 degrees) in our room. Worked hard, and had a good sweat. After the drive home I was still feeling the need for a little something extra, so I did a quick mile down Blackberry as the storm rolled in. Beautiful lightning, and lightning bugs! Came in to dinner being ready (love my husband) - baked tilapia, squash, and zucchini.

Day 8: Tuesday, May 8th
Back to work - for real! Today we had our weekly weigh-in for Biggest Loser - down FIVE pounds in a week. Thanks, CFD! I didn't exercise at all last week, so this is remarkable! I don't remember what food I ate during the day. I think it involved an egg muffin, an apple, two grilled chicken tenders, half a sweet potato, applesauce, and a boiled egg. Went home so Josh could hit the gym (#4# Crossfit Competition is this weekend, and he's competing in the Advanced level!), then I headed to body sculpting with Nichole. We did some major buns and thighs, and as always planks and upper body, and some abs. After we did a slow mile in the drizzle... and when I say slow, I mean SLOW. My legs were dead from sculpting them, I reckon. We went to Target to pick up a gift, and then we did the most amazing thing EVER - we went to MEXICAN for dinner. I had steak fajitas and a guacamole salad - hold the tortillas, sour cream, beans, and rice, please. I cleaned my skillet - delish! I had to slide the chips over to her side so I wouldn't accidentally grab one. Great night out!

Day 9: Wednesday, May 9th - TODAY
Had the usual egg muffin for breakfast with an added glass of watery apple juice. Enjoyed a boiled egg for a mid-morning snack, and then hit Chik-fil-a with a couple co-workers. I had a 12 count grilled chicken nuggets, fruit cup, and unsweet tea. I was completely satisfied after that meal! Just ate my mid-afternoon snack of baby carrots and cucumber/avocado dip, and will be going to kickboxing at the Y again tonight! I may try to get another run in if the rain stops... hopefully 2 miles! Tonight we're having breakfast - turkey sausage, bacon, eggs, biscuits (for Josh and Carter), and smoothies! I'm figuring out how to mix things up so I don't get bored with chicken and fish. I can't wait to try some new recipes next week! I feel really good overall... still kinda sluggish during workouts... but the food aspect of it is definitely getting easier.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Perfectly Boiled Eggs

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
This recipe could change your life. Just saying....


Ok, I don't know how many of you are even aware that boiled eggs are not supposed to have greenish/grey yolks. I didn't know... but now I do! A perfectly boiled egg should have a bright yellow yolk, just like if you were to scramble it or fry it! I'm going to give you the skinny on how to boil your eggs to perfection.

Put your eggs in a pot and cover them completely with cold tap water by about an inch or two. Place them on the stove over high heat, and stare at them until they start boiling. Just kidding... but keep a sly eye on them, because as soon as they get to a full boil, take them off of the heat and cover the pan. Let the eggs stand for 10 minutes. If you're using the eggs immediately, you can peel them under cold running water. If you're not using them right away, throw them gently place them in an ice water bath to lower their temperature and stop the cooking. I usually dry them off and then store them in a Tupperware in the fridge for the week.

Speaking of eggs, mom and I found these precious ceramic egg crates on clearance at Target last week, and we each picked up two. Josh thought I was crazy, but then we bought 2 1/2 dozen farm fresh eggs at Publix, and they weren't easy to store - voila! They are being used!


Cucumber Avacado Dressing

I've had one of those night where I just wanted to get things done - ha! I decided to make a couple recipes that will last most of the week. This is one that our Cat Food Coach, Hardy, told us about. It's wonderful because it can be used as a salad dressing or a dip for veggies!

Cucumber Avocado Dressing

Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 fresh cilantro, chopped
2 avocados, peeled/seeded/cubed
1 large cucumber, peeled/seeded/cut into chunks
1/4 lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Puree the olive oil and garlic in blender until smooth. Add the cilantro, avocado, cucumber, and lemon juice. Puree again until smooth, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

*Notes: I pressed my garlic because I hate chopping garlic. I eyeballed my cilantro because I'm good like that. I just mushed my avocados out of their skins, because them puppies are getting pureed anyway. And I have no idea how to seed a cucumber, so those bad-boys went in there, too! Also, I didn't add any salt or pepper because I thought it tasted pretty scrumptious without it. AND, I used my absolutely fantastic KitchenAid Immersion Blender to do this.... super easy.


This recipe says it yields about 4 cups. I had enough for a snack container to take to work, and this pint. Approximately 3 cups after I splattered some all over the kitchen - gotta love blending. I also love any recipe that can be stored in a Mason jar. They're one of my favorite things in life :)

Cat Food Challenge: Day 6

Started of my morning with one of the egg muffins and a short glass of Carter's Mott's for Tots Apple juice (40% less sugar!). It makes me feel better if I don't have to dilute it myself... haha. Had an apple mid-morning, and C joined me :) He didn't like the way it tasted, but he liked biting into it!


Mom, Greyson, and I had a late lunch/early dinner at Longhorn. I had a salad (no croutons, no cheese) with balsamic vinaigrette, a sweet potato (no butter, no cinnamon sugar), and a small filet. We took a nice long nap late in the afternoon (which is why I'm still up), and then I was busy until almost 8pm. I wasn't super hungry, so I made a quick smoothie and was done for the night. Today was an easy day - no headaches - but I was in a kinda crummy mood. May have been the weather. Hopefully I'll make kickboxing or get a run in tomorrow night. I'd like to log 10 miles this week since I busted that goal last time I set it.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Cat Food Challenge: Days 2-5

Still going strong.

Day 2: Wednesday, May 2nd
Today was a challenge, as it was C's surgery day. We got to Children's at 0530. I wasn't hungry because of nerves, so the morning wasn't very much of a challenge. Once he was back in the OR and we were just sitting around in the waiting area, I started getting hungry. I went down to the cafeteria and went straight to the Home station like we normally do. Scrambled eggs and bacon. Glad that's okay for the diet! Also got a small fruit cup to help fill me up, and an orange juice. This held me over, thankfully, until 1 o'clock when we finally got settled in a room. None of the proteins were viable options because they were all smothered in sauces and glazed... or fried. So I grabbed a giant baked sweet potato and hit the salad bar for baby spinach and the works. The only safe-looking dressing was a balsamic vinaigrette, so I dabbed on a little. That night we decided to order Steak Out. I got the sirloin tips and went down for another sweet potato and salad. Besides being taunted by their amazing onion rings, dove chocolate bars, and delicious blue cheese burger, Children's cafeteria wasn't as challenging as I expected. I did, however, keep a headache all day, and I'm assuming it was from detox.

Day 3: Thursday, May 3rd
I was tired, not hungry. Carter's breakfast (haha) came up around 7, so I ate the bacon and scrambled eggs from that, and drank the small apple juice, and called it good. We got home around 11, but we had no food in our house, so I just ate an unsweetened applesauce. That night we loaded up C to get him out of the house for a bit, and hit KFC for some KGC. I told Shannon, "I'm not sure if this is cheating, but if it is, it wasn't a good cheat, so it's probably not a cheat." Josh had mashed potatoes and gravy... I abstained, and just ate chicken. Headaches weren't as bad today, but were still there off and on.

Day 4: Friday, May 4th
We went to Publix! Which means we have food now! I didn't eat all morning... just wasn't hungry. Ate an applesauce around 2 on our way to the store. We had a list and a game plan for the week - mainly so we wouldn't overspend. We ended up with a $143 grocery bill (before tax) and Josh only got a few "junk" items (labeled Other) and Dairy that I'm not able to eat.

We got a ton of fresh veggies and fruit, a few cans for Josh's lunch, and a few frozen items for smoothies/quick dinners.

I spent all afternoon in the kitchen. I made 18 Southwestern egg muffins (ground turkey instead of pork sausage) for breakfast for the week. I cleaned out the fridge of old stuff/stuff we don't need. And I cooked dinner somewhere during this time. Peppercorn pork loin and garlic roasted veggies (asparagus, squash, and onions). We ate early and went to the ball field for my brother's game, and Josh got a snow cone for C to share... I was jealous. When we got home and got C settled in bed, I made myself a smoothie of frozen strawberries, a banana, OJ, and coconut milk, and it satisfied my sweet tooth for the night. No headaches today! But sort of lethargic still.

Day 5: Saturday, May 5th
Josh let me sleep in this morning since C kept me up last night. I got up around 10 and ate two egg muffins and had a small glass of OJ. Not sure what I'm doing for lunch, but for dinner we're grilling chicken and eating sweet potatoes and green beans. I'm going to have Josh grill some chicken tenderloins for me to take for lunch during the week, and I'll probably hit Publix for fish a couple days. No headaches so far today, and hopefully I'll start to feel my energy picking back up, because I plan on hitting the gym and the pavement a few days this week. So far I've noticed that my belly is much less bloated, and the scale has definitely dropped a few numbers. I can't wait for our weekly weigh-in at work Tuesday.

Funny story - last night I dreamed about eating a bagel with cream cheese spread, and I woke up in a freakin' panic! I'm so worried that I'll cheat on this diet... especially unknowingly (like in my sleep! haha!). Have a great weekend, and make great choices!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Day 1: Cat Food Challenge

Day one was rough. I've had major cravings. It doesn't help that I wasn't really prepared on the home-front. We've been putting off grocery shopping because we'll be heading to Children's tomorrow. My day consisted of boiled eggs, larabars, fish, salad (no dressing... BLEGCHH!), more fish, veggies, raw almonds, carrot sticks, and unsweetened applesauce. Yummmm. Not. Anyway, Josh took Mav to the vet today for his check-up, and it looks like he'll be joining me on the Cat Food Diet. He weighed a whopping 130 pounds! Not great for a Rott since they're prone to joint issues. His ideal weight is 100 pounds, so they're running bloodwork to make sure it's not a thyroid issue, and we're cutting back on his food. He needs to exercise, but no one fences their dogs out here, leaving too many opportunities for bad encounters if we were to take him running with us. He'll have to settle for fetch in the backyard!