Real Food: Chicken Something

We are in the midst of our 2nd Advocare 24 Day Challenge. The first 10 days is a "cleanse" so the idea is to not eat anything processed. 

You eat whole food meals. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and complex carbohydrates.

That means eliminating particular foods (but not limited to):

It's a Lifestyle: 24 Day Challenge - Part I

We are about to start our 2nd Advocare 24 Day Challenge. Aboy and I are already getting into mental readiness mode. 

The challenge starts on April 6th. 

For the first 10 days, we will do the cleanse portion. It's not a violent or volatile type cleanse... it's more of a gentle scrubbing of the flora in our digestive track. This helps prepare the body for the "Max" phase which is high in nutritional intake and absorption. 

It's a lifestyle: CocoNUTS!

You already know the mantra: 

New Year - New Me 

I say it all the time and I am living it every day. 

I'm owning this shit. 

I have to. I owe it to myself and my family to be the best person I can be. That includes my physical well being. 

Somewhere in time when I crossed the "40's" threshold, I began to see wrinkles. Laugh lines around my mouth, some crinkles across my forehead, some bagginess on my eyelids.

It's a Lifestyle: Better than Mom's Cooking!

We went to NY this past weekend for our Niece's wedding. It was so much fun to go and enjoy family time. 

The trip was short but well worth it!

We took lots of pictures with our new #selfiestick. 

We really had a lot of fun! 

*****

Part of the requisite of visiting home is to indulge on phenomenal food. 

We spent more time in the car than we did visiting and doing stuff - but, we did eat!!

1. I had a slice of Pizza and an Eggplant Parmesan hero
2. I had Zeppoles
3. I had Rice & Beans with Steak
4. I had an Empenada
5. I had Fried Chicken Wings
6. I had a Leggios Hero
7. I had a Cinnamon & Raisin Bagel w/ Cream Cheese 
8. I had a couple hunks of Italian Bread
9. Not to mention, Subway and Zaxby's on the ride up. 

I weighed myself today...

I lost 2 lbs this week. 

Since January we drastically changed our eating habits - but going home is a treat and we definitely "treated" ourselves to some awesome food. We stuck with our #Advocare regimen while we traveled and got right back on the meal plan wagon when we got home (I did have some leftover Rice & Beans for lunch on Monday tongue emoticon ).

It's a Lifestyle: Is that Bacon?

If you've been following along, you know that we did the Advocare 24 Day Challenge that began on January 7th. 

Basically what the challenge does is it acts as a "Lifestyle Adjustment Tool". 

IT IS NOT A DIET. Like, I can't reiterate that enough. We are NOT ON A DIET. 

Change is derived from the word chaLLEnge (in Terri-Town) and we took the 24 Day Challenge to start the path for a lifestyle change. The food, tools and supplements that you use during the challenge prepare you for living a healthier lifestyle; to prepare your body to accept the nutrients you receive from real food. There are supplements to help keep you on the path. Think of them as tools to help build your foundation. 

Make sense?

++++++

We were almost 2 weeks into the challenge. Literally the no dairy, no unhealthy fats, and definitely no bacon part of the challenge. We were on our Saturday shopping trip to Trader Joe's and then to Whole Foods to pick up our weekly food supplies. 

Trader Joe's went great. We picked up our fresh fruits and vegetables. Aboy picked up organic coconut water and some healthy chips and other things for the road. I like their Brown Rice Pasta selection and also picked up some frozen fish.

On to Whole Foods. 

So, before I take you through that experience... let me set the stage a little clearer. We usually go on our shopping adventure right after we leave the gym. We have a piece of fruit or a healthy snack before shopping so we don't go in the store "starved"... and then have a nice lunch when we get back from shopping. 

Well, it was a Saturday morning and Whole Foods parking lot was jam packed. The Whole Foods we go to has an extensive deli type setting with seating and food to order. We walked in and were overcome by the smell of bacon. Like yummy, fuck the challenge - smell of bacon!! And the closer we walked to the restaurant area - the stronger the smell. 

We needed some coconut milk and yogurt - so, that brought us to the perimeter of the restaurant area. 

I wish I could show you the look on Aboy's face as we got closer to the smells perpetuating through the air. I have to admit - it was very enticing! 

We could have succumbed to the pressure, but to that point had really stuck to meal plan and decided once we got through with the challenge we could have some bacon as a treat.

So, we won that challenge!

++++++

In the world of nutrition and daily eating, bacon will be our treat. It tastes great but offers very little in the way of nutritional value. 

North Carolina is famous for it's bacon. We will always eat bacon. 

We just choose to use it as a treat and not a staple in our meal plan. 

It's a Lifestyle: 60 Day Check-In

What's up Party People??

J/K! I am just so amped about how great I feel. Plus, I did my measurements this morning and it's all good in the 'hood! 

Woop! Woop!

If you've been following along with my dysfunctional life - you know that I made a few New Year's commitments. Part of the New Year, New Me determination was to lose #50poundsBy50years and I am happy to report that it is March and I am on a great path to achieve that goal.

On January 7th, I began that journey doing the Advocare 24 Day Challenge. I lost 11 pounds in 24 days. Well, today is day 60. I continued to use the Advocare products and I'm happy to report my total weight loss to date is 17 pounds.

Now, that number may not sound like much - so let me explain why.

As part of the New Year, New Me initiative, I also joined a gym. I have yo-yo dieted most of my life and over the years have not just lost weight but a lot of muscle mass as I put my body through different starvation methods to drop some pounds.

So, 17 pounds lost would probably equate to 30 pounds lost if I wasn't building all this lean muscle.

The truth is in the measuring tape. I have lost 33 inches off my body. Notably 6.5" off my waist and 4.25" off my chest. My thighs are losing their saddlebags, sag and old lady dents.

I think what is the most phenomenal change... and I'll have to give you some history before I disclose what I am witnessing...

As yous know, I claim Caucasian on the "what race do you identify with" surveys. I have been afflicted by a genetic deficiency... most specific to white women (although I have seen other races / ethnicities that suffer as well)... 

It is called "NoAssAtAll"....

Yup! I admit it - I have a pretty extensive "back".

No ass; just back.

The conversation generally goes like this:

Me: "Aboy - how does my ass look in these jeans?"
Aboy: "You mean your back?"


Yeah. Like that.

Well, guess what Exercise + Advocare = ???

ASS!!!

I texted this pic to my Cousin Kathy the other day. She didn't believe it was my ass! I had to send her the full picture for her to believe me! Even then - she thought it was a butt pad! 

This is 100+ squats a week. I started off slow, but hard work is paying off! I am lifting and separating - all over my body!

So - now you know why I've only lost 17 pounds! I'm building muscles YO!!

I am not prepared to show you my total before and after pics. I want to get a little closer to my weight loss goal before I do that. 

I have another blog post to follow on how I stay on my meal plan and motivation to work out.

In saying that, I have to wrap up this post because my Line Dancing Class & Zumba Class are starting shortly and I don't want to miss it!

Make it a great one!

It's a lifestyle: One Pot Zucchini Mushroom Pasta

I'm all for easy. One pot easy is an even bigger win.

I found this recipe on Pinterest last week and told Aboy I was going to make it this weekend. 

I picked up the fresh ingredients after we left the gym yesterday. 

Yous know we prep the week of food the day before Aboy has to go back out - so, this seemed like a nice dinner (meatless), plus given the amount of ingredients, some extra for the rest of the week. 

It was simple, but I tweaked the recipe a little bit because Aboy is not a huge fan of peas. 

The original recipe is here 

I beat to my own drum - so this is what I did...

In the pot:

About 6 cups of water (because there was so much food in the pot)

2 garlic cloves (minced)

1 lb of Spaghetti (I used brown rice pasta - I think the next time I will use wheat)

8 oz container of cremini mushrooms (sliced)

2 sprigs of thyme

1 lb chopped spinach (frozen)

2 large zucchinis

Salt & Pepper and a couple shakes of Sazonador Total (which, BTW - is my new favorite seasoning)

Sauce:

Parmesan Cheese (I didn't measure this - I'm Italian... we don't measure Parmesan)

1/4 cup of heavy cream

Just like the instructions said - I threw it all into the pot - let it boil down until it had reduced to hardly any liquid. 

Then I added the cheese and cream, stirred it up - let it cook for another 2 minutes and turned off the heat. 

We took out Mahi Mahi earlier, so I baked that (with a pesto glaze) and Waa-Laa!!! Sunday Dinner!

It's a lifestyle: What's for lunch?

I have been blessed with "big bones" (that's what Nan Guy used to say)... in actuality - I've been heavy my entire life. 

What you don't know is, I have invested 49 years of investigative research to provide you with the following useful information. 

Skinny people eat all day long. 

Yup, no bullshit. They just snack on shit all day long... WHAT they eat is different than what fat people eat. 

That's the difference. 

Instead of picking up a twinkie, they eat some carrots or almonds. 

Simple, right?

Understanding that has changed our grocery purchasing habits (again) and approach to eating. If it doesn't come into the house, I'm not as likely to make a bad choice when I get hungry. 

Another thing yous don't really know about me, I have an inner Libertarian that rears it's head from time to time. I don't want anyone telling me what / where / how to do shit. I definitely don't want a doctor or the government telling me what I can eat, that I have to take medicine that is going to make me sicker than the actual disease and I don't want anyone in my personal business. 

So, at this point of my life - I have decided that my health is in jeopardy, which is something I have complete control of. I choose what goes in my mouth. I choose how much time I commit to exercise. I can reverse many of the things that I have brought on myself by making better choices.

If I can do it, ANYONE can do it!

There is no willpower involved. This is about control. 

Just because I'm an adult, I don't always make adult choices about what goes in my mouth. The consequences are too great for me to continue along that path.

Besides, I have so many other aspects of my life under control - this is really one of the only pieces left for me to come full circle in my own universe. It is a journey, after all - I'm just at that point of my journey that I want to see my grandkids have grandkids. 

*****

Since Aboy and I have started Advocare it has helped us wrangle in some of the demons of bad eating and manage our sugar, fat and caffeine addictions. And believe me WE were addicted. No doubt about it! We chose Advocare because we could eat real food (that is so important to both of us), not count points and not microwave pre-packaged meals (we threw out our microwave last year). 

I did a lot of research and found that one of the key ways to help change the way we eat was through preparation. 

Every video I watched, every blog I read... everyone said that preparation was the absolute best way to guarantee success. The products just help with supplementing nutritional deficiencies, energy and hunger control. 

Whatever they do - they are really helping. I am making it to the gym almost daily, I don't crave anything and I very rarely have the urge to go off meal plan. 

So, each week - we take a few hours on the day before Aboy is set to go back out and just cook a week's worth of food. I bake yams and potatoes, make rice, bake chicken and fish... then we portion it off so it's easy to put a meal together. 

It really removes the excuses to eat crap. Since the food is pre-cooked and frozen, it's easily heated up. 

It's healthier because we control the seasoning. There are no preservatives. It's pre-portioned, so the risk of over eating is drastically reduced. 

We are eating more. THAT is huge. We eat the right things, at the right time = it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.

*****

If you read my blog the other day, you understand my frequent meal choices are influenced by Mexican Recipes. They're high in nutrition and low in calories. 

Today's lunch has become comfort food for me. I need 2 hands to eat it, it's very filling and it brings in all the things I need for a complete meal. 

Also, if you've seen some of my Instagram or Facebook picture posts... you know how much I love a snack scrap for lunch (you have to click the link to understand that joke).

Lunch for today: Chicken Wrap

What made it GREAT was the ingredients!

I used a tortilla we picked up the other day at Trader Joe's

Like I mentioned - we pre-cook the chicken and freeze it. I have a scale (to keep me honest) and I just throw the chicken into the oven for 10 minutes to warm it up.

I ALWAYS add Red Wine Vinegar. Pompeian is my fav!!! It makes me "ACK" (that's a noise I make if it hits the back of my throat with nothing coating it)... but, it has great zing and flavor!

I also add homemade guacamole and some roasted red peppers or sun dried tomatoes. Aboy puts a small garden on his (he is a big guy)...

 Like I said... you need 2 hands to eat it. It's very filling, hits all the taste buds and you won't think about eating again for a few hours!

No pain, No gain!

Last night I did Kettle Bell and Zumba again. I think both instructors had a bad day in their real life because both classes were extra intense.

During Kettle Bell we worked every muscle group and in Zumba it seemed like every song was 160 heart beats per minute speed! It was two hours of constant movement with barely enough time to squeeze in sips of water!

Lucky for me, soreness is temporary. Before I left the house, I drank a glass of Arginine Extreme. Then, just before I got in the bed - I took the Nighttime Recovery supplements. 

I have been doing this regimen for about a week now and when I wake up in the morning, I'm not "body-won't-move" sore. I do feel like I worked out, but in a "slim" kind of way. And I sleep GREAT! 

This is not a sales pitch in the least... this is an affirmation that Advocare products are working! 

I have put off working out for years because it hurts. I don't like sweating. It all seems like martyrdom. 

I do know that in order to be a better farmer, have fun with my grandsons and to enter my golden years with minimal health issues - just like everything else in my life - I have to take control of my physical health.

They say that a great body doesn't come in a pill... maybe not, but this bottle helps me to go to the gym everyday. I know the next day I am not going to have all the soreness and stiffness. That is a big mental and physical relief!

You can see all the Performance Elite products by clicking here.

Hold up... Advo what?

For the past few months, I watched an old schoolmate swoon and rave over how great she felt. 

Some of the things she'd post on Facebook: "I feel like I'm 20 again!", "I can't believe how much energy I have!", "I've lost weight and feel great!". 

I remember saying to myself "yeah, yeah... she' s just trying to make a sale". 

What piqued my curiosity was when she posted a pic of herself in a pair of size 6 jeans... and she used to be a size 14! She had only been using the products for a few months. What a transformation!

I started doing some digging.

It's called Advocare. It is a company based out of Plano, Texas. The headquarters is literally 30 minutes from where we used to live. We had never heard of the products; probably because my social life was Facebook and I didn't mingle with the natives much (but you already know the stories behind that).

In my research, I really could not find anything negative about the products. I went on YouTube and found video after video of people that experienced the same success that my old friend did. I even found that many professional athletes use the products. 

So, I had thought about it for a couple of weeks. The new year was approaching and I knew that Myles and I had to do something about our weight or we would be spending a lot of money at the Doctor and Pharmacy for treatment and medication for preventable diseases caused by obesity. Not to mention I will be 50 next year, I want to live the second half of my life, not be burdened with health problems and medications.     

I sent my old friend an inbox on Facebook and asked her to tell me about the products and what I needed to do. We chatted for a little bit, but she told me to sit tight because a major announcement was coming out within the next few days and Advocare was announcing a National All-In 24 Day Challenge. So, I sat tight (kinda)... I did more research and what I found out is, not only are the people that use Advocare much healthier... many of them had quit their Just Over Brokes (JOBs). And.. they were all happy! 

Too good to be true, right? 
I am a cynic by nature, too!

The announcement was made. I had already talked to Myles about it and even though he was very skeptical, he agreed to do the challenge with me. It was 24 days... not a long time to commit to something in the scheme of things. 

******

After my research, I found out that I could be a "wholesale customer" by paying a $79 fee. The fee got me a box of Spark and a box of Slam and a website. More importantly it got me a 20% discount on products. 

I didn't have to pay the fee, I could have just paid the full price for products and bought directly from my old friend... but, you already know... I do not like paying retail for a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g.! 

Just before the new year, I pre-ordered our 24 Day Challenges and continued to do research. I was introduced to others that were also distributors and using the products and had found there were many people I KNEW that were having great success at both!

I spoke to Myles about the financial opportunity and he wasn't really interested (at first). He wanted to see if the products really worked. I did too - so, I just kept the website under wraps. 

Myles had to start a few days later than I did because the products came in while he was on the road. He will be finishing his 24 Day Challenge on Tuesday. I finished this past Friday. To date, we've combined for over 20 pounds lost. 

I was convinced the products worked by day 3. I was feeling better. My energy - I can't even put into words how great I feel. I'm already a happy person. Now my energy level meets my attitude level. 

Myles took a little longer to come around. What sealed it for him and was the "this shit works" moment, was some of the symptoms that he had - that would ultimately cause repeated Doctor visits and trips to the pharmacy were now under control. Plus the fact that he could eat, had very little cravings and was still losing weight - sealed the deal.

******

Why now? We've tried many "diets" over the years. Advocare is not a diet. Through my research and talking to some of the other distributors - the 24 Day Challenge is really a "Lifestyle Adjustment Tool". 

We already eat half-ass decent. We don't like to count points or heat up pre-packaged meals. We really just needed some assistance with getting our metabolisms under control and be able to eat normal food. It's taking what Myles and I have been researching and studying about nutrition over the past few years and taking that knowledge to the next level. 

I love food. I have been eating 5, 6, 7 times a day - since I started the challenge. I have not been hungry and I have not had any cravings. I just eat more often, in smaller portions. Doing that and adding in the supplements has translated into 21 inches lost = success!

What I didn't know and what was an added bonus... there is a team of people that have years of experience with all the products that willingly coach you through each phase of the challenge. They answer questions about menu items, the products, timing and expectations.

Overall, I am very pleased.

*****

On a sidenote, Myles and I were standing in the kitchen yesterday, preparing our meals for the week and Myles said, "I feel clean". I knew exactly what he meant. Not only am I dropping weight, I feel an energy that I've never felt before. 


To learn more about the products, visit my site -  AdvoTerrific

If you'd like to use the products at a discount, you can sign up here.

BTW, this will be continued - because I have many small stories and wins that occurred along the way!

New Year, New Me...

2014 will go down as a "ehh" type of year. I had many accomplishments, but there were also some disappointments that I should have had better control of.

2015 is going to be different, by design.

I think it's safe to say through adulthood, I've approached life as a journey. I hold on to lessons and try to get better. I really, truly aspire to be a better person today than I was yesterday - everyday of my life.

I also try to lead by example... I'm not really (and never really have been) a person that preaches "Do as I say, not as I do". It was a lesson I learned from childhood from simple displays of behavior from my parents. They would tell me not to do one thing, but were doing the exact things they instructed me not to do. It sends the wrong message and develops into trust issues and lack of respect.  Trust and respect are very important to me.

So, in saying all that - I am going to embrace 2015.

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It's actually taken me a long time to put my thoughts into this and to get it "on paper"... I've been all over the place in setting my "goals" (not resolutions) for this year. I started thinking about what I wanted for 2015 in November of 2014. I didn't make frivolous or impulsive decisions about what I wanted to happen this year.

I have some standing goals, that most of the time I do achieve. I renew them from year to year.

• Be more mindful of my words and actions
• Read at least 10 books this year (5 personal interest, 5 self-improvement)
• Learn a new skill
• Show appreciation professionally and personally
• Help others (write resumes for unemployed friends and family, donate time, share knowledge, etc...)

These are usually easy to keep, because they are who I am and what makes me get better as a human.

Then I have my variable goals that change from year to year (some samples would be):

• Say no to things I don't want to do (sometimes I really struggle with saying no to people)
• Straighten out some accumulated debt
• Lose weight
• Make healthier food choices

These are usually a little harder to achieve because:
1. They take you out of your comfort zone
2. Circumstances may not always be ideal to achieve them
3. Life happens

For 2015, along with my year to year standing "goals"... this year I've got a lengthy list of little goals that interlock with each other.

1. Manage my time & schedule more effectively. My career is very demanding and at times stressful. Although I work from home - I found in this past year, I was becoming a slave to my desk. I really had very little time or energy to do things for myself that I needed or just enjoyed doing. That will not happen in 2015.

2. Make time for me. This falls right into my first goal. I have committed to not working more than 10 hours in a day. I know there will be exceptions to my 10 hour rule... but for 2015 they will be exception, unlike 2014 where it was the rule.

• I signed up at the YMCA.
• Aboy bought me knitting needles, yarn and a sewing machine for Christmas - I am going to use them.
• I am going to have a bigger garden this year.
• I will be getting chickens.
• I am going to coupon at least once a week.

These things take time and a mental focus. Lucky for me (as yous know) - everything I do is with a passionate motivation... now I will have the time to achieve what I want to do.

3. 50 pounds by 50 years. I have been working on this since I was 47 and next year I will be 50. I have lost a few pounds over the past few years - but my weight has fluctuated up 10 and down 10 since I started that journey. I have come to the realization that I am venturing into middle age. I want to watch my grandkids have grandkids. This year I'm fully committed to losing it.

4. Build physical strength. This fits into #2 and #3 because 3 of the 5 things I have listed in #2 require a level of physical strength to perform the requirements of the tasks. As for the #3 part of it - why would I lose the weight and have flabby skin from the weight loss? It just makes sense to commit to this.

5. Take better care of my husband. So, these are not in any particular order because this would really be #1 on my list, but without achieving #1 through #4, I could not be any good at completing #5. Everyone knows how much we care for each other. As we enjoy the empty nest, I want to make sure as we journey through our golden years together - I make it as memorable and enjoyable as possible.

6. Cook and eat healthier. I am going to expand on my experimental recipes and try to eat a predominately plant-based diet. I love making my own breads and I am determined to accomplish consistent successful brown rice on the stove!

7. Eat out less. Last year I made a commitment that if I were to eat out - that I would eat at family owned establishments more often than corporate driven restaurants. I want to support our local economy and although I may pay a little extra to do so, it's worth it. I believe corporations are vital to our economy because they do provide jobs for many (me included) - but, living and buying local is helping someone that chose to live outside of that box. Most local businesses offer much healthier choices, anyway. It's something I enjoyed and I am going to continue for 2015.

8. Be more social. I work from home. Facebook is my social life. I am a social person. I need to get out more. Right now, the Y has become that outlet. I plan to build on that as I start to accumulate local friendships.

9. Blog more. Everyone has a story. I want to document mine. I am committing to at least 2 blog posts per month (this makes 1!!).

++++++++++++++++++++

I've got some other personal goals that I am working on (not for public discussion)... they also fall within and interlock with what I have listed.

2015 is my year; because I said so.