Weight Lose Diet Pills | Facebook, Blogger, YouTube

It's time to check in and update my progress for the 40-Day Fat Loss Challenge I entered at my gym.  For my body fat percentage, I'll use my trainer's caliper measure since I won't have access to the machine until the 40 days is up.  The machine measured about the same as my trainer anyway.  My goal is to lose at least 1% body fat each week so that at the end of the 40 days (nearly 6 weeks), I'll have gone from 24% down to 17%.  I'm on track for that now, but would love to get closer to 15%.   PROGRESS Day 1:  24% body fat (112.4 pounds) Day 7:  22.4% body fat (110 pounds)  Day 14: 21% body fat (109.4 pounds)  (These numbers reflect what I weigh when I weigh-in at the gym mid-morning.  My weight below I take first thing in the morning when I wake up, so it's slightly lower.)  Below is a picture of where I'm at as of Day 13.  I didn't take a good "Day 1" picture, so the "start" is from December, but it's a good representation o...

Today (Thursday) marks Day 7 of our 40-day Fat Loss Challenge.  I measured in on Day 1 at 24% (calipers) and today was at 22%!  Woo-hoo!  A 2% difference in 1 week is a big deal!  I'll show you some progress pics soon so you can see what it looks like.  I'm also using my heart-rate monitor (twice) and have been surprised at how little amount of calories it says I'm burning during my workouts.  I'll get into more detail on that in another post soon too. Today, I'm sharing one of the meals I've been eating- a Grilled Chicken Salad and I always make multiples at a time so I can just pull the assembled salad out of the fridge and I don't have to spend time reprepping.   Step 1 is to always have grilled chicken on hand or prepare enough for several salads.  If I'm just cooking 4-8 chicken breasts at a time, I use a grill pan.  Spray that pan with cooking spray, and heat to medium-high heat.  I pound my chicken breasts a little so they are thinner and cook eve...

At the beginning of last year (2014), I challenged myself to get in shape for my first ever NPC bikini contest and reached that goal after 5 months of training (July 2014).  Since then, I'd been pretty much slacking on the diet and workouts, but by October 2014, I was not liking how I felt physically when I had gotten used to being in great shape.  My weight was creeping back up and my muscle was turning into fat.  In November, I started back with my trainer and by December had started embracing my bikini meal plan again, but not nearly as strictly and not without lots of "cheats".  It was the holidays after all.  And I like to eat as much as the next person. Read more »

Hi friends!  I'm definitely back in the workout/eat healthy grind, training with my trainer 3 times a week and doing 30 minutes of cardio 4 times a week.  It feels good to be back to it and I'm already noticing my jeans fitting better again, but being back on my meal plan where I eat every 3-4 hours is where I feel the most benefit.  If you're like a lot of women, you might actually skip meals (and I'm guilty of that too!) but eating consistently throughout the day keeps my energy level constant and there's no energy dip mid-afternoon. If I'm in a pinch and can't eat a whole meal (or I'm just not hungry enough) around 3:00 p.m. (the time I'm typically heading out the door to pick up my son from school), I'll grab a Greek yogurt because it's delicious, low calorie, and full of protein.   I was asked by Yoplait to try their  Yoplait Greek 100 Yogurt , and since it's something I eat anyway, was happy to try their brand and flavors.  I didn...

It's been a little more than five months since I competed in my first NPC bikini competition and I wanted to share what life's been like since then and where I am now with my (lifelong) fitness journey.  I say lifelong journey because as long as I'm alive, I want to take care of myself and never take my health for granted.  With my Dad's illness, I've painfully watched his physical ability diminish to the point where he cannot walk, so I'm always mindful of how grateful I am to be able to move and exercise.   the beginning Almost one year ago, I had gotten out of shape and was ready for a big change.  I couldn't fit comfortably into my clothes, felt sluggish and missed feeling good about myself.  I started working out and eating better in February 2014 on my own, and began working with my trainer (3-4 days a week) at the end of March 2014.  We trained together for 15 weeks and I competed in the bikini contest on July 4, 2014.  I went from 112 pounds and 25% ...

It's been about two weeks since I wrote in, declaring my intentions for the 21-day meditation with Oprah and Deepak.  The update is I have failed miserably.  Like bad.  In the past 14 days, I have meditated a total of three times.  Yeah.  The challenge started on a Monday, but I began on Tuesday because that's when I got the email linking to the first meditation.  I also meditated on Wednesday and Thursday.  Friday is where I fell off the wagon.  I totally forgot about meditating on the weekend and then into the next week I never got back on the wagon.  Now, I feel too far gone to continue.   The meditations are only available for 5 days, so I could start back up (having missed some) but I'm so not into it right now. Admitting this to myself and you feels like a big failure, but I would rather be real about my failures than pretend to be someone I'm not.  I hear the negative voices in my head and have to work to let them go.   ...

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of going to Oprah's 'The Life You Want Weekend' event courtesy of P&G brands OLAY, Tide, and Orgullosa.  Being a huge Oprah fan since middle school (I would watch everyday after school at 4:00 p.m.) and having subscribed to her magazine since the first issue, this was a big deal.  I'd always wanted to go to a taping of her show, but never got the opportunity, so getting an email offering tickets to the event was definitely a good mail day.  At the event, our seats were close to the stage, so seeing O up close and personal was pretty thrilling, a bucket-list item  happily checked off.   On day 2, Deepak Chopra was one of the speakers and, during his presentation, he lead us in a group mediation.  I've always been intrigued with the idea of meditating, and my two closest friends are daily meditators, but I have never put it to consistent practice in my life.  In fact, I've only tried it a handful of times and usually end up t...

As we draw closer to the end of the year and towards the holidays and cold weather where we just want to bundle up and stay inside, I'm reminded that I don't want to slack off now and lose the fitness level that I worked so hard to achieve earlier this year.  It's so hard to get in shape, but so easy to get out of shape! I'm definitely going to enjoy myself and won't be sticking to a rigid routine these next couple months, but I plan to continue to exercise and eat healthy because I want to take care of myself and feel good.  As part of my daily meals, I typically eat a  LÄRABAR  each afternoon as that's about the time I'm hungry and heading out the door to get my son from school.  I'm never without them, because my son likes them too (as picky as he is), so there is  always  a  LÄRABAR in my purse, gym bag, or car.  Do you do that too?  If you've ever been out and about, starving and grouchy, with equally grouchy and starving kids, you probably do....

Happy Friday friends!  My friend Leanne ( And Away We Go ) sent me a slow cooker recipe for chicken tacos (one of my faves!) that I had to share with you! Don't you just love a slow cooker/crock pot meal?  Nothing better than getting dinner going at the beginning of the day and then not having to worry about it again!  I think this will be on our menu this weekend!   ___________ Now that the days are cooler and our routine is busier, I have pulled out the old slow cooker and started to add a few soups and casseroles to our weekly menu. These slow cooker chicken tacos have been an old stand by in our house for a few years and I was excited to make them again the other night! The recipe is just what I think every slow cooker recipe should be; toss the ingredients in the pot and turn it on! The mixture of chicken, beans and corn makes for a filling meal, packed with protein.  I've made this dish for guests and taken it to parties and have always had lots of re...

This month is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and I'm proud to wear my  Skechers  in support of breast cancer.  (I shared my own family experience with cancer on Honey We're Healthy and you can go here if you want to read it.)  I already love and wear Skechers GoWalk line of shoes because they are the most comfy and lightweight shoe I've found- perfect for busy days running errands.  This new performance division line  where proceeds go to the American Cancer Society   are not only helping win the fight, but are a truly fantastic shoe.  Anyone who walks, runs, or exercises consistently knows the importance of a great performance shoe to keep you moving.  This one is cute too in pink and grey. ;)  GOwalk2 Flash   GOrun3        GOrun Sprint How Sketchers Supports the American Cancer Association Skechers Performance Division proudly supports American Cancer Society in the fight against breast cancer wit...

During high school, my skin (especially on my cheeks) would break out pretty bad.   I heaped on the makeup to try to hide it, which I'm sure only exacerbated the situation.  My skin was never "perfect", but later, when I got on the birth control pill, my skin cleared right up.  I also noticed that it kept my hair from getting oily.  I got off the pill awhile ago and ever since, I've noticed my hair getting greasy and my skin not looking as clear.  My forehead and the area around my jawline was full of little bumps under the skin. After about two months, I ended up going to my dermatologist and he prescribed Acanya, which is a combination of Benzoyl Peroxide (2.5%) and Cindamycin Phosphate (1%), and also told me to use Witch Hazel as a toner after washing with Cetaphil cleanser (which I've been using since high school). So far, so good.  My skin is looking much clearer.  I wish I had visited my dermatologist when I was pregnant with my son- my back/sho...

I'm so excited to tell you about the new group exercise class I tried last Monday, "cardio kickboxing".  My husband said he was going to do it with me, but when we got there, it was only women lined up, so he politely declined. (don't blame him!) I'm so glad I tried this class- it was my absolute favorite of all the group classes I tried !   It was a new experience for sure, I've never worn boxing gloves before or punched a heavy bag.  The bags were all stored in one corner of the class and you had to move it to the room to use.  They are so heavy, you have to squat down with your back against the bag to even move it into position for class- that's a workout in itself.  Most people were two to a bag, but I had my own.  The class was an hour long, but went by fast.  The instructor played awesome music and was great at explaining what combinations to do.  I watched the two women in front of me (they seemed experienced and knew what to do) so I just ...

Last week, I challenged myself to five days in a row of group exercise classes.  I was feeling like I needed to push myself more with my workouts and thought that the group atmosphere would be a good motivator to keep me determined and giving my all to my workouts.  I was right.   These classes are no joke!  I ended up making it through four classes and took Friday off.  Last week was one of the busiest weeks of school so far with lots on the calendar, which meant for many early mornings and late nights.  I knew that I physically could not do one more class on Friday and was disappointed that I didn't complete all 5 classes.   But, now I know for the future that it's best to do three or four classes, take a day off, then do three or four classes again.  That's what I'm planning this week.   Below is a detailed recap of each day and a review of the classes I took.   MONDAY - YOGA Mondays are always hard, and, as I lay sleeping in my war...

Hi friends!  I'm trying something new this week to shake up the semi-funk I've been in lately with my workouts.  I only worked out once last week because I felt too busy with all the commitments going on.  Some weeks are like that, but they leave me feeling icky.  And, as y'all know, when we workout, our eating is typically better.  We don't workout so hard during the week, just to "blow it." So, this week, I'm doing a week (Monday - Friday) of group workouts.   I feel like I need the boost of energy and support you get when working out in a group.  There's a commitment because it starts and stops at a specific time and you do get a great workout.  Once the class gets started, it's rare that someone leaves without completing that class.  I printed out the schedule and class descriptions of group exercise classes at my gym and found they typically have three options for the time of day I like to go (in the morning right after dropping my son o...

I hesitated about posting this recipe here, I mean, it's got bacon it in, which I know isn't the healthiest option.  But, in my flavor-loving defense, I used center-cut bacon and each serving calls for just one strip of bacon- unless you eat the whole pan in one sitting.  Which you might want to do.  After our initial serving at dinner on Monday, my husband actually brought the pan to the table and we finished it off straight from that bad boy!  It's that good.   INGREDIENTS (serves 4) brussel sprouts (about half a pound) cauliflower (half a head) small potatoes (6) garlic (3 cloves) center-cut bacon (4 slices) olive oil (1 tblsp) salt and pepper (to taste- I give it one small sprinkling, probably l/2 tsp) DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  The veggies cook for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through.  You cook the bacon and garlic on the stove under low-medium heat.  Then, combine.  Details below.  Wash and pat dry your produce....

So, I've been working out again (on my own- no trainer), but I learned so much while working out with him and have continued to do the type of workouts we did.  Our workouts consisted of "active rests" which sounds like a contradiction, because you really aren't "resting" at all between exercises, unless it's just to catch your breath.  So, if I'm doing squats, in between sets, I might do 30 jumping jacks, jump squats, lunges, push-ups, etc.  Or, I just move quickly between exercises.   I tracked my workouts on my iPhone in the Notes app so I could share them with you.  I didn't always write down the "rest" exercise I did, or I was just going from one exercise to the next with little rest. You can add in anything that keeps your heart rate up- a lap around the gym, step-ups, jumping jacks, burpees, etc. CARDIO I start my workout with 30 minutes of medium-hard cardio (typically the treadmill at intervals of  incline at 15-18 and speed 2...