Pictures Update

Good morning/afternoon/evening!  I am now down (just shy of) 32 pounds!!!  Weighing in at just about 208.  I started at 240.  Can't wait to get below 200!!!!!!!

  I have been keeping a PowerPoint presentation with pictures of my progress and without further adieu..... here is a look from July 2013 and January 2014.  Now, it still isn't pretty... but it's pretty progress!  Sooo if you aren't ready to see a big ole pale tummy, click out now...
















seriously........













here it comes!

It's pretty cool to see the tummy shrink!  My only thing is I don't know what to do about the back - it is pretty darn gross still and am afraid it won't be bikini ready for #bikiniby30.  I have been getting up at 4:30am every day before work to get my cardio in.  I manage to get in some weight training - a tiny bit.  I have also signed up for my second 5k with the ColorVibe Run and am totally stoked!  Going to do this one with some friends.  Our team is "No Teacher Left Behind"  ;)  That is going to be in March so I'm getting ready for that!  I'm working out 6 days a week these days.  I'm going to try and get it to 2-a-days but right now I'm so exhausted after teaching that I haven't made it in the evenings yet.  I just took over a new class and I have been there until 5-6pm every night.  After getting up at 4:30, working out, then teaching a bunch of 6-7 year olds, I'm wiped out.  I'm hoping after I get my new routines down that I should be getting the 2-a-days in very soon!  Less than 6 months to go until the big 3-0!  Ahhh!  

As an added bonus, my rump is getting a hump!  I'm pretty proud that i'm getting some definition down there...

Sorry for the wrinkles - it was before I put my pants in the dryer to de-wrinkle :) but look at that little bubble that's starting!

I also tried on my bikini from 2001 (yes, 13 years ago... still sitting in my drawer) that I wore in the privacy of my own home.  Now, I was able to get the top on (WOO HOOO) but it looks TERRIBLE so I chopped that bottom half off.  Hopefully I'll be ready in 6 months to wear it all out in public!  My dear friend Molly also told me to turn that thumb around and smile - she's right.  This is progress!!!!  And hey, I got the darn thing on and it covered my whole bottom lol.  I have come a long way and still have a long way to go!

"A little perspective, like a little humor, goes a long way." - Allen Klein 

This is Some Biggest Loser Stuff!

BOOM SHAKA LACKA -4.5 POUNDS THIS WEEK!!! 19.5 TOTAL!!!!!!!!!  220.5!  I swear, this Whole 30 lifestyle is amazing.  I have like 2 or 3 days left - technically - but I'm going to keep this up.  How can I not?  I was talking to my friend who told me about this diet and I was saying how when this is over I want to have a Publix sub.  my mouth is watering just thinking of it - but she just said how it isn't worth it.  Has she had one?  No, seriously - she is right.  Why would I go through this whole month and then throw it away with empty calories?  I need to keep this up for a bit longer - it's the best thing I've done for myself. Ever.  I may not be as hard core with worrying about every drop of a possible grain of sugar - I'm just going to be mindful.  I don't need that Publix sub, and right now I don't even want it.  I've had it before, I know what it tastes like.  It's a freaking sandwich.  "Food doesn't taste as good as thin feels."  And let me tell ya - I'm loving the way I feel in my tankini :)  So, sorry, Publix sub - you will have to wait.  I still have 40 pounds of weight loss to go so I'm not considered "obese" and then I'm just "overweight."  Ugh.  I. Can. Do. This.   I AM doing this.  CLICK HERE TO READ AND FOLLOW WITH ME.  PLEASE, IF EVERYTHING ELSE YOU'VE TRIED DIDN'T WORK, DO THIS NOW.  START TOMORROW.  OR TODAY IF YOU HAVE HAD THE FOODS YOU CAN HAVE.  It is such a great jump start.  Remember - you will feel like crap at first... then feel great... then feel like crap again... and then amazing.  AND THIS IS WITH MINIMAL WORKOUT!  IE: running around my first grade classroom.  OH which reminds me - sorry for not posting last week (I had lost 2 pounds) but forgot to write on my blog.. becauuuuuuuuse I WAS TOO BUSY SETTING UP MY CLASSROOM!!!!!!!!!!  YES! I got a job!!!!  It is a long term sub job for a mommy on maternity leave and I'm scheduled until November 1.  YES YES YES! I have never been so thankful to have been rejected by so many jobs.  I knew I was holding out for the right thing to come along and this is certainly it.  I have the BEST team to work with and I'm learning so much!  I don't know how I could have gone into this teaching right away with all that is happening in the classroom.  Holy moly.  Anywho... I'm loving it.  I have some real cuties in there that just make me laugh.  So fun!

On today's menu I tried something new for dindin.

Shrimp Tacos

Now, you're thinking TACOS?! JENNIFER! I THOUGHT YOU COULDN'T HAVE GRAIN!!!! Oh oh oh let me tell you the magic of cauliflower - that is the most versatile vegetable on this planet.  I have made so many meals with it.  And it was so easy!  Here is the recipe for the tortillas. And oh yes, they hold like a soft shell taco and don't crumble apart which is what I was afraid of.  Here is the recipe for the shrimp - which obviously cut down and I didn't put in the sugar.  

So there you have it!  The last two weeks for ya!  My goal was to be down 20 pounds by next weekend when my seester comes to visit.  Only half a pound to go! Think I can do it in one week?  I know I can :)  Bon appetite!  Feel free to ask me any questions - I've had people I haven't talked to since high school message me... and others looking for guidance and tips.  Spread the love!!

"The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!" - Marvin Phillips

13 Down!!!!

WOOOOO HOOOO!!!!!!!!!! I'M AT MY LOWEST WEIGHT IN AT LEAST TWO YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!! Lost 3 pounds this week!  13 total!!  9.5 in 2 weeks on the Whole9 lifestyle.  Annnnnnnnd perhaps the most exciting --  I FIT BACK IN MY TANKINI AGAIN!!!!!!!  My muffin top is down to a mini muffin -- so I'll take it!!  Felt darn good swimming in it today, too.  Swam a ton of laps.  Such a great day.

Down to 227! WOOT WOOT!

Let's rewind.  This week, not so great.  Man, my head was pounding for a good three days.  A few other people complained about headaches as well so I'm not sure if the carb flu came back... or if something was in the air.. or if it was "mother nature" visiting me this week.  Either way, the three days sucked.  Wasn't as bad as my first carb flu day -- but the headache was awful.  I rarely get headaches so it was bad.  And, I hate taking drugs so I just let it go.  I only went to the gym twice this week.  I was hoping to go more -- but I ended up coming home to work on a cover letter for a very important job that I had the opportunity to interview for.  Cross your fingers for me -- I'm still waiting to hear... but, I did feel very comfortable in the interview that I landed like a boss... which is a start!

I found a few good recipes, too...

Meet my savior -- "french fries."  These tasty little morsels are made from jicama!  I had purchased the root veggie a few days ago because, well, why not? I've never tried it.  When I was looking up recipes I came across french fries. OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH let me tell you how AMAZING it was!  I had a bite of it raw -- crunchy and kind of like a radish but a tit bit sweeter.  When baked, it had the consistency of a french fry -- just what I needed!  Here is the recipe.  Try it.  I added a lil bit of garlic salt or powder as well. On my shopping trip today I picked up another one!  Can't wait to have more fries later this week!  Even mom liked it -- and she's quite picky when it comes to food.

Also on the menu this week....

"Chicken Alfredo."  I nearly followed the recipe -- I don't like onions, so I kept those out.  And instead of blending it all, I pounded the cashews to break them up a bit because I wanted some crunch... and put everything in a sautee pan to warm it up.  Boiled the (frozen) chicken breasts (instead of thighs), baked the spaghetti squash.  Put it all together and voila!  Delish.  Here is the recipe for this!

Starting week 3 on Whole9.  Can't wait to see what this brings!!!!!

 "You've got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It's called perseverance." -- Lee Iacocca

Foul Mood

I warned you in the title.  So I've been very happy about the 12 pound loss so far...until last night.  Went shopping for some cute clothes for this upcoming weekend since I wanted to kind of "treat" myself..and a guy I dated in college will be here so yeah, duh, what girl doesn't wanna buy a new outfit for that occasion? ...and none of the cute ones fit.  But, I'm not letting this get to me at all.  I was with my friend Molly, and I bought some of them and called them my "spring time outfits." Now I have something to look forward to there. When we left the one store she told me to just walk faster -- HAHA. We did. Gotta keep that heart 'a pumpin'.

Today was a miserable day, too. October 2, and apparently it was snowing this morning at 7am. I was sleeping through that...but my friend Marc helped his brother move up from Florida and they were getting into town at that time and witnessed the horrific event.  I'm so not ready for winter...put on the heat last night.

Went out to buy my local paper today...and even though it was a misty rain, I got my paper and walked my 2.2 miles anyway.  I'm proud of that.  Otherwise I'd be sitting right here like I am right now....clipping coupons. Love saving me some moula!

Stopped by the farmer's market yesterday and bought some zucchini (going to make zucchini bread again for this week's tailgate) and I also bought kale. Now, I've never made kale; only ate it in the soup at Olive Garden but I hear great things about it. God bless Google for recipes!  I was talking to some ladies at the Sustainable Kitchen and one mentioned kale chips. I've heard of them and I figured I'd give them a whirl. To my surprise, they were pretty damn tasty!

Now, I know what you're thinking..."Jen, that looks like a pile of leaves you just picked up off the ground." I swear, it's kale. What you do is wash it and dry it. I used my lovely salad spinner thing. Then, I sprayed my pan with cooking spray...threw the leaves...I mean kale on the pan...sprayed the kale with cooking sprayed, sprinkled some garlic salt and red peppers flakes on them. Preheated the oven to about 330 and cooked them 8-10 minutes. If you love potato chips this is a great alternative. Talk about health benefits -- this is loaded with vitamins. Give it a try and let me know what you think. I ate that whole damn thing there during the PSU football game (which we won't talk about here...)

To end on a positive note, I "finished" my Step it Up with Steph program. I say "finish" in "" because you're never finished. The mind is the most important thing when it comes to weight loss. If you're not in the right frame of mind then forget it.  Her program helps you one day at a time to keep your mind where it needs to be and sets it where it needs to go.  I learned a lot..and have my "cheerleader" -- actually, I have a lot of those now that I look at it.  Thanks again to all of you keeping on my booty... to make it a slimmer one ;)

"The rest of the world lives to eat. while I eat to live" - Socrates