WOW!!!!

I can't believe it's been so long since I've been on here! I'm so sorry....but I was very surprised - and happy - to look through my old posts and see my weight loss journey! I am happy to report that today is my 1st day of Phase3 of my HCG diet and I have lost 32.6 pounds! My size 16 pants/shorts are literally falling off of me and I feel so fantastic! At my last measuring, I had lost a total of 14.5". I am going to measure later today to get an updated loss!

While the food on Phase2 is very boring and very limited, it is also soooo easy! I feel satisfied every day and seeing the number on my scale go down every day makes it so worth it! On Phase 3, I am able to eat a lot more and will have some recipes (low carb) and pictures!

Some things I will be trying this week, compliments of my blog "friend" Birrdie (http://www.birrdiecooks.blogspot.com/). All of her stuff is low-carb and all natural!

Vanilla Cupcakes:

Low-carb pizza/crust



Really?? How could you resist??? Once you find the diet that works for you, you finally feel so in control of your life!!

Do something special for you today and always be true to you!
Hugs,
Heather

Tough Thursday

Whew! I've realized today that I MUST take vitamins! With this low calorie eating, I'm not getting the vitamins and nutrients I used to. I have felt so sluggish and just blah all day. I've finally taken a vitamin (once I realized it!) and I'm starting to feel a bit better!

It's amazing....I was looking back through my pics on here and I am amazed with the transformation just my face has taken from losing 24.5 pounds!! YEP - that's right! I'm so excited every morning to weigh myself as I know I'm going to see a loss!!

Friends and family think it's "weird" and "undoable" but let me tell you: it's not weird, it's very doable and I love it! I have finally broken my emotional tie to food and I've cleansed my body of all things chemically changed (sweeteners, diet soda, etc) and I feel better for it!

Hmmm....I don't think I have any new pics as most of my food is the same (or close to it). I am missing T-Man this week too. I'm going to pick him up (he's been at Disney with a camp) on Monday and can hardly wait!

Hope you have a great weekend! Be good to your body!

Be true to you,
Heather

19 Pounds GONE forever!

That's right! I've lost 19 pounds in 15 days and I have my sorority sister, Stacie (http://www.theskinnytrain.com/), and HCG to thank for it! Here are a few of my old stand-by meals:

3 ounces grilled chicken, 4 ounces cooked cabbage, 1 small apple and 1 wheat melba toast (with lemon water on the side, of course!!)

3 ounces curried chicken over a bed of 4 ounces curried cabbage, 1 medium apple, 1 sour dough melba toast, cup of herbal tea (black chai - my favorite!!) and cold water - of course!

Does this look boring? Yes but it is so worth it as I only eat like this during this phase, which lasts 40 days at a time. Here is a fish dish I was very inventive with!

I had a wonderful cut (3.5 ounces, pre-cooked) of mahi-mahi. I washed it and didn't dry it (as I can't have/use any oil) and put my melba toast in a food processor to grind it down to "bread crumb" size. Then mixed in my spices into the bread crumbs and "breaded" my fish. I baked it for 30 minutes on 425 degrees - along with my asparagus. It was DELISH!!! Loved this meal and will definitely have it more often!

I have truly realized with this diet/way of living that we are the only ones in control of ourselves. Yes, T-Man loves his carbs, the girls love their ice cream and french fries, my hubby eats low-carb so he indulges in cheese (one of my weaknesses) and the bestie munches on hummus and crackers (our favorite midnight/Bachelorette snack) but I choose not to eat these foods. I choose to be healthy, thinner, more confident, enjoy shopping for clothes and most of all - I enjoy seeing that number go down each and every morning! Am I tempted? Of course I am but the alternative is such a greater pull for me: being thin and healthy.

I truly love this diet, love how I feel on it and I am making this my way of living. I am learning not to munch out of boredom, from being upset or in celebration. I eat to live; I no longer live to eat.

I hope everyone is having a great summer and taking time out for YOU!

Be true to you!

Hugs,

Heather

All Happy Endings are Bittersweet

Today is my last day at Georgia Perimeter College. I am waiting for my last final today at 5:30pm and then I will have a wonderful 8 week break. While I am happy to be transferring schools (to Clayton State), it is also sad. I have met some wonderful people while at this school, who are very close to my heart. I have learned a lot about myself: about my drive, my love for learning and what is most important to me: my family. While my studies often take time away from my family, it is very important that I do what I'm doing for the long-term goals for my family. Being in the nursing field, we will always have stability.

I have always wanted to be a nurse and I regret to this day that I didn't stay with that major in the 90's. Luckily, I found my way back and here I sit....taking in the beautiful landscape of this campus, enjoying people watching and happy to never have to eat at the bite and die (aka cafeteria) ever again!

The area my campus is in has two sides to it: the diverse, lower-class area and the older we've-lived-here-forever area. I ate in a little country restaurant today for lunch on the latter side of the two. I was by far the youngest person in this restaurant. Most cars had handicap tags and most patrons had canes or walkers. One couple in particular caught my attention. This little old couple was so sweet! They were both hard of hearing so they basically yelled their conversations so it wasn't hard to overhear their conversations. They talked about their children, the weather (of course!), how cold it was in the restaurant (I was quite comfortable) and their life together. From what I could get from their conversation, they had been on a road trip visiting family. I thought to myself: "Self....this is what me and hubby will be like when we are old like this. Still loving one another yet getting on each other's nerves!" LOL
Each time one spoke to the other, there was no response and then you'd hear "Did you hear me??" and the other would yell back "No, you talk too soft!" Ha! Ha! Ha! It was so funny and so cute!

While I do enjoy being back in school, I also miss being in the work force and worry all the time about this journey. I worry about getting into a nursing program. I worry about my grades. I worry about making the right choice school-wise. It's all fair game at this point so I just try to go with the flow.

On a more upbeat note, I am down 16.8 pounds today and I can really see a difference! I'm so excited about this HCG diet! The lunch I had today had something in it that I probably shouldn't have had (I'm not sure what....) as I feel blah and when I eat my cooking at home I don't have this sluggish yucky feeling. Hopefully it won't show as a gain tomorrow!

T-Man has been in Alabama getting his stuff packed to move with us and also has a baseball camp at Disney World next week. He's been gone about a week and I'm really missing him. He is such a sweet kid! I know he's missing me too as he calls me almost every day - especially this week!

Well....I guess I'll go review some things for my final! I hope you are all having a wonderful day and a great summer! My summer officially starts tonight around 8pm!!

Always be true to you!
Hugs,
Heather

Miracles do come true!!

Where do I start?? I have been very busy getting caught up in my studies for school and preparing/studying for finals - which are only 1 week away! Then I get 6-8 weeks off and it's so needed! T-Man is going back to his hometown for summer camp and to get all his stuff to officially move here with us. In the meantime, we're making plans and doing all we can to make his transition as easy as possible. The good news? I get to redecorate his room (as it's very girly right now!!)!!


To date, I've lost 8 lbs even - in 3 days on my HCG drops and eating low-calorie! Exciting or what?? I think so!


I had roasted radishes the other night which were really good - to my surprise! I keep reading about it on the forums for the HCG diet and finally decided what the hell? I'll give it a try!

I had some grilled flounder - which completely fell apart - and strawberries as well! It was all delicious!

The miracle of the week??? My Daddy called me the other morning and offered to help us pay to get the pool fixed! YAY!!! We ordered the filters needed today (which aren't cheap, mind you) and we're bringing a water sample to the pool guy tomorrow so he can tell us what to do from this point. I can't believe that in about 7-10 days we'll have a crystal clear, blue watered pool again!!! We still have so much time left in the season so I'm super excited about this! I've been really bummed about it. Thanks, Daddy!

Have you had any miracles in your life lately - big or small?

Be true to you!

Hugs,

Heather

Oh happy days!

I'm on a roll!!! I'm getting caught up with my school work (there's only 3 weeks left!!!), my house has been tidied and I lost 3.8 pounds this morning on my weigh-in!!! Whoo-hoo!

What am I doing, you ask? I'm on the HCG diet. You can get shots administered by a doctor or sublingual drops (you put under your tongue). I did a lot of research on this before jumping into it and I also asked my doctor about it, to make sure it's safe. Not only is it safe but it is FDA approved. Wonder how all the rich and famous lose weight so quick - and keep it off? HCG!

Yesterday I woke up early and had my orientation at Clayton State, which I am starting in the Fall. I was so nervous that I didn't sleep well the night before. Once I got there, I was really excited though!!

What a beautiful campus and oh-so BIG!! I got lost a few times when I was by myself (like, looking for my car! LOL). Because the HCG diet is so strict, I went to school prepared: herbal tea to drink on the way, melba toast for a mid-morning snack and my fruit (an apple) on the way home. Once home, I made my protein (3 ounces of cooked chicken with no oil) and my veggie - cooked cabbage, with no oil. I felt so much better once I ate this! I did good with my drops and taking in my 100+ ounces of water during the day. Dinner was good - lean ground beef wrapped in lettuce and an orange! I went to bed with a slight headache but they say that is normal the first couple of days.

Today I had 3 ounces cooked chicken, cooked cabbage, melba toast and an apple for lunch. It looks really boring on the plate but was delish!

The only real down side to this diet is no Diet Coke and no wine while on the drops. I'm in Phase 2 right now (Phase 1 is a cleanse which I opted out of) and will be for about 35 more days. I will then go into Phase 3 to get my body set at that weight for about 3 weeks and then back on the drops for the next round of weight loss. While on Phase 3, you can eat and drink what you want as long as it's low carb. After losing 3.8 pounds this morning, I feel it is so worth it!!

If you want to look up the details on the program, go to www.theskinnytrain.com for the "skinny" on it! LOL Stacie, a sorority sister of mine, is the Skinny Train Girl! She went from a size 12 to a 4 and has maintained that weight loss! Her mom has maintained her weight loss for 2+ years!

Well, I have to do some prep work for dinner tonight. The bestie and I are hanging out by the pool with a cold glass of ice water, cooking out (fish - yum!) and enjoying the cool weather of the evening while the kiddos play with their new wiffle ball set! Have a great evening!

Stay true to you!

Hugs,

Heather

Today, I hate food

I have started a new weight loss program that is proven to be effective, safe, FDA approved, all natural and healthy - and it's killing me! Why, you ask? The first two days you have to "load" on any and all foods - anything you want - and you should gain 5-6 pounds of weight in those days. Today is day 2 and I never thought I would be as sick of food as I am! Tomorrow starts the low-calorie days and I am so excited I can hardly stand it! YAY - I don't have to eat much tomorrow!!! As I take this venture, I will keep you all posted with updates of the weight loss (I have to weigh myself every morning), pics, etc.

I'm home in bed much earlier than usual as I have a BIG day tomorrow! I have my new student orientation in the morning at Clayton State and I'm so nervous and excited all at the same time! I am transferring to Clayton State in the Fall (September) to finish my pre-requisites and will hopefully make it into their Nursing program! While the campus is an hour away, it is a great school and will be worth it!

Hope you've had a wonderful week and your weekend is even better!

Be true to you!
Hugs,
Heather

Happy Post Fourth of July, Y'all!

Whew! What a busy week and weekend this past week was! It was a fun week and holiday weekend but really took it all out of me! I did a lot of cooking and a lot of hanging out with good friends. I had a nice glass of wine Friday night next to my not-so-pretty pool while the girls played in their "kiddie" pool:

Hopefully we'll be able to get the pool/pump fixed before the end of the season! I hate not having that beautiful crystal blue water! Regardless, I enjoyed my wine and the kids enjoyed the water!
Saturday, me and T-Man decided to have a Mexican fiesta for dinner! We didn't have any chips for the homemade salsa I made so I improvised with baked ones:

They were delish, as was the salsa!! We used tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and bell pepper from our garden for the salsa!

Sunday, we felt so worn out from the week, me and the Bestie treated ourselves to pedicures:

How cute, huh?? We decided just to go all out! We even dressed the part for dinner, drinks and fireworks:

While this weekend was wonderful, we were all exhausted from it on Monday! I also started a new "diet" today and will keep everyone posted. Especially after seeing these pictures, I just cannot take the extra weight anymore! I will fill you all in more on it once I'm more than a day into it!

Do something special for you this week - you deserve it! And as always, be true to you!

Hugs,

Heather

Roller Coaster Week

Do you ever have one of those weeks where your emotions are completely all over the place and you just don't know why??? This week has been that way for me - and it's only Wednesday! HA!

Monday was an emotional roller coaster for me. I'm not sure why....I've even looked at my diet trying to decide if there is something I am eating that is throwing my hormones out of whack but no luck on that so far. Because I had such an emotional crying fit most of the day, my bestie took me out for Mexican (margaritas included of course!) and it was fabulous and much needed! We had all of the kids with us but put a basket of chips in front of them and silence falls over the table! LOL

Anywho, after a fabulous dinner out, we came home and hunkered down in my bed to watch our newest guilty pleasure: The Bachelorette! Yes, I know....it's all so ridiculous but we have become completely emotionally attached to this show - which is going to make us watch The Bachelor next! My horrible Monday ended so much better than it started - thanks, Bestie!!! You're the bestest!

Because of crying most of Monday, I didn't get any exercise in at all! Yesterday I got a lot of studying and tests done in the morning. I am a bit behind on my studying right now, which I will work on diligently over the weekend, so it was nice to sit down and have the time to really dig into my studies. Once I was done studying, I had a delicious Green Monster! I made this one with flax seeds, banana, strawberries, spinach and milk. While it was good, I didn't feel as satisfied as my first one with peanut butter instead of strawberries. I straightened up the house some in anticipation of a friend of ours coming over for dinner.

Once Steph got over, we indulged in some veggies and hummus with our wine while my hubby got the grill ready. We had a FABULOUS dinner: grilled steak, my "world famous" red-skinned mashed potatoes and a salad. Both the hubby and I had very little potatoes as we're trying to keep our carb intake on the lower side. We had great conversation, great food, great drink and lovely weather! I'm so glad it's going to be a bit cooler this week!

Today we had our Fun-Filled Family Day: Six Flags!! Me, the hubby and T-Man do this every summer when he comes but I guess we can do this even easier in the future with him living here now! What a day we had!!! I love roller coasters - not having roller coaster emotions! LOL
We are absolutely exhausted from the day! We had such a great time! I would love to go to FrightFest for Halloween. Has anyone ever been to this? How is it?

I have a couple of appointments in the morning and then I'm going to go to the park (especially since it's cooler these days) to get a really good walk/jog in - I'm going for a full 5.5 miles!! Later in the afternoon, I'm taking all the kids to the library as we do each Thursday. I'm kind of excited as T-Man has a reading list for his upcoming school year!!

Hope you're having a great week!!

Be true to you!
Hugs,
Heather

Relaxing Sunday

I hope you've had a nice weekend - I've had a great weekend! My pool party went pretty well last night, all things considered. As discussed before, T-Man brought out his TOGA outfit but it just wouldn't stay on right so we never took a picture of it but it sure brought on a lot of laughs!!! He sure is funny!

After much discussion, we have a major family change: T-Man is going to move to Georgia, transfer schools and live with us! As he pointed out to his Mom (he's so smart!!), we have a much better school system and athletic programs, which will help his chances to get some great scholarships into a great college. Did I mention he's an AWESOME baseball player???

We took care of some commercial clients this morning, met his dad for lunch at his restaurant and then came home to do some laps in the pool and relax a bit. Once we got out of the pool, we changed clothes and did some pilates and a booty boosting exercise circuit on OnDemand (which he really made me laugh hysterically over at times!!). We've decided to become training buddies, to help me lose weight and increase my exercise in general and to help him build up his cardio and overall strength so 1) we can run a 1/2 marathon together (we're thinking October-ish) and 2) he can get ready for high school (he's going into the 8th grade this year) athletics! We're super excited!

So, that's it for now! I'll keep you posted on our training - and I promise to get better at picture taking and posting! I'm off to make a Green Monster!

Be true to you!
Hugs,
Heather

The summer of 2010 with T-Man

As I've mentioned before, I have two bonus (step) children. T-Man is 13 and the sweetest kid you'll ever meet! We have built our relationship over the last 2 years and he told during this summer visit he would like to start calling me "Mom" if I didn't mind! Didn't mind??? What an honor! I'm so proud to be thought of so lovingly by a 13 year old young man!

We have so much fun together: we go jogging at the park together, shop together, cook together, talk about girls, school, sports and cars together, eat at our favorite restaurant together (a Chinese buffet) each time he visits, sing in the car together, dance in stores together, and truly enjoy our time together as friends. I never thought I could love a child as my own and with him, I really do.

We are having a cookout with some family friends at our house tomorrow and he is right there with me cleaning the house, preparing food and coming up with his cool TOGA outfit - yes, toga....he is very much his own person and does things that make him happy and set him apart from others. While he is so much like his dad, it's almost amazing, he also has the sweet tenderness of a Southern Gentleman.

**watch for photos tomorrow of the TOGA!!**

What or who do you have in your life that means so much to you, that surprised you?

Be true to you!

Hugs,

Heather

New Beginnings

I did just as I said I would today and went on my walk! Unfortunately, I didn't make it as early as I wanted to and was soooo HOT I thought I was going to pass out! But - I did make the 2.5 miles, along with Twister and bonus son, T-Man, who rode his bike. The track I run has mile markers every 1/10 of a mile so I walked a fast pace for 2/10 and then ran for 1/10 for 2.5 miles in the blazing heat at 12:00 Noon!! I felt so good afterwards - even hot, sweaty and red-faced!! I cannot take Twister in the middle of the day anymore - it was just too much for him.

When I got home, I made my first Green Monster (GM) drink! This was what is considered the Naked Green Monster (but I added some peanut butter for some extra flavor - and I love p.b. on just about anything!). You can find more recipes on www.greenmonstermovement.com. There are some great ideas on there!

I used 1 T flax seed, 1 cup thawed frozen spinach, 1 banana, 1 cup milk, 1 T peanut butter and about 1 cup ice and blended. I was really scared about the spinach part of it but I couldn't even taste the spinach!! I was so full after this that I didn't even have lunch - that was my lunch! The bestie loved it too!

Remember, spinach and kale are great foods for iron - especially if you're a vegetarian, as the bestie is, and you don't consume much iron (from red meat). She hasn't been feeling so hot lately and I think this will start to help her!! :) We are going to try some berries soon in this - I think it will be awesome!!!

After my GM, I worked on some school things, made dinner for everyone (cheese pizza) and then we all went swimming for about 2 hours - again, more exercise - and it was much cooler than the park and fun! In a while, I am going to journal all of my food for today. I think I've done really well and will start to see a difference.

Tomorrow, I have an appointment with a client in the morning and then I will come home and find a yoga lesson on the exercise On Demand channel. Have you looked at these? They are awesome!! Later, I will take the girls to the library, as we do every Thursday and then off to Huddle House for a bite to eat (kids eat FREE from 3-8 on weekdays!!).

Here is a funny picture that will give you a little giggle....this is one of the cats of a client of mine - he is so funny!! He looks like a cartoon cat with his goofy crossed eyes!!! HA! HA! HA! And he follows me around all over the house and talks to me - he's hysterical!

Are you being true to you and taking care of yourself as well as you take care of those you love around you?

Be true to you!
Hugs,
Heather

It's HOT, HOT, HOT!

With the summer months hitting us so hard this year, it's been difficult for me to get into my warmer-month routine of going to the park with my dog, Twister, and walking 2-5 miles a day. Instead, I have been working hard in my yard: mowing, weeding, edging, etc. While I have not seen much of a change in my weight, I do feel good in the sun and sweating every day!

I have realized I am going to have to change my schedule a bit in order to get my walk/jog in each day. I will either start getting up early - before the high heat - or go in the evening hours when it starts to cool down. I'm actually opting for the early morning as I like knowing the rest of the day my workout is done.

I am also a bit torn about my eating. There are so many articles on low-carb, vegetarian, raw diets, blah, blah, blah. How is a girl supposed to figure all of this out? So what have I been doing? Kind of finding the happy medium. I am eating higher fiber, leaner meats, lower sugar, virtually no caffeine and more fruits. And I must admit I feel pretty good! But again, no real change in weight. Hmmm.....I think I will keep a journal of my food intake and see what I "really" eat on a day-by-day basis.

I've started an online account with http://www.fitday.com/ where you can enter in your food that you eat and it will pop up all of the nutritional values on food and keep it in a log for you! It's awesome! Doing this to "test" it, I've realized I already overate today - calorie wise! Eeeek!!! Maybe this will be the key to get me off this plateau and keep moving in the right direction!?

What do you need to keep you moving in the right direction?

Stay true to you!

Hugs,

Heather

Happy Father's Day!

I have been so bad about keeping up with my blog and I am so sorry!! I will be better at it from here on out - promise! :)

I have been so extremely busy with my business (which I'm not complaining about!), school and my personal life! All good things going on, of course! My hubby has his 2 children here right now - ages 16 and 13 - and they're a handful but a lot of fun! I was happy he had them here for Father's Day! That is a first in itself!

CD and T-Man with their Daddy:

My Daddy's birthday was on Friday and today is Father's Day. Our schedule's didn't jive for us to have a celebration together this weekend so we're having a cookout at my house next weekend with some great friends. I'm really looking forward to it!

Last night, my and my bestie had a GNO (Girl's Night Out) and had an amazingly wonderful time! We started at a Mexican restaurant near our house and had some margaritas and dips - guacamole, salsa, cheese dip and sour cream - and then started taking silly pictures! HA! HA!

We then went over to my hubby's restaurant where he works and had a couple drinks - LOTS of fun! Today we are both a bit on the sleepy side from our night out but it was sooooo worth it!

Today the kiddos woke me up to "supervise" their cooking breakfast for their dad - scrambled eggs and french toast. Yummy!! We are now getting CD packed and ready to fly back home. T-Man is going to work with his dad tonight so it'll just be us girls at the house tonight!

Hope you all have a wonderful Father's Day and have the Daddy and hubby that I have!!!

Be true to you!

Hugs,

Heather

Life is a Bowl of Cherries!

Today is one of those days when I don't have much to write about other than life is GOOD! My family and I have had some really rough months at the beginning of 2010 but it is really turning around for us! This can only lead to easier healthy living too, right??

How has your 2010 been? Have you made any wishes or dreams come true?

I am starting Clayton State University in September to complete my pre-reqs for nursing and will be applying to their Nursing program in August/September so keep your fingers crossed!!! I'm super nervous and SUPER excited about it, all at the same time.

I am also have to report I have lost another 1.5 pounds! Slow and steady wins the race.

I am meeting someone very near and dear to my hubby's heart tomorrow and I'm happy for that - and nervous! What if she doesn't like me? What if it's not a good visit? Oh well....what's not to like, right? HA!

Stay true to you!!!

Hugs,
Heather

TGIF!!

Hello all! Well, I have no pics for today - unless you want me to stick in some random ones - but I have a lot on my mind and a lot going on in my world...

I have a "friend" on FB who I really admire. I say friend in "quotes" because we have never met...weird, huh?? Anyway, after talking over FB last night about my nasty habit of smoking - yes, Nancy, I'm talking about YOU!!!....I have really realized how gross of a habit it is. I'm on day 3 of no caffeine and I am desperate for a diet coke or a a big GIANT Starbucks but I won't do it! I know, I know....I can get a decaf but what's the point??? And why tempt myself??? So I'm doing without all together.

I digress....back to Nancy...Nancy is a mother of two, helps her hubby with his company, retired cop (hot, huh??), fox hunter, horse rider, animal lover, and now a triathlete!! She is truly an amazing woman! She has become my inspiration for so many changes in my life and we're meeting in person soon and I can hardly wait! It's amazing to me how someone who isn't a part of your every day life can make such an impact.

As I was cleaning a house of a clients today I was thinking to myself "if you could change anything, what would it be?". I would have finished my nursing, check - in the process! I would have never started smoking....it truly is the hardest thing I have ever tried to kick (thank god I've never been addicted to drugs!) and they say it's harder to kick than heroin....can you imagine???

So, with that being said, I am on a quest to lose 75-100 pounds. That's right - I've said it out loud and put it out there! This will not make me "rail thin", "anorexic", "disgustingly thin"...this will make me at the weight I should be. Will I put the number out there? No. Telling you I want to lose 75-100 pounds is a big enough step for me. I've lost 2.5 pounds in the last week and we're now counting down....

Next up?? Another 2.5 pounds and quitting smoking. I can only imagine how "unhappy" those blogs will be..... :)

Thanks to all who support me and read my blog! Be sure to become a "follower"!!

What is your secret? Will it make you feel more free to put it out there??

Be true to you!

Hugs,
Heather

Goodbye, my Old Friend!

Because of my quest for clean living, and a healthier me, I am now on Day 2 of a caffeine-free life! For any of you who know me well, this is a HUGE step for me! I typically drink 2 VERY large cups of coffee in the morning and Diet Coke (and water, of course!) throughout the day. I had a bit of a headache last night and I have a small one right now but it's nothing I can't push through.

Why, you ask, would I put myself through this?? Well I'm glad you asked! :)

I have never given up caffeine in all my years of working towards getting healthy and I thought - maybe this should be the time to do so? I really do consume way too much caffeine in a day and I'm sure this is part of the reason I have had trouble sleeping. Not to mention all of the Splenda I use in my coffee and all of the aspartame in the soda.

Next up....quitting smoking - for good! So....goodbye, my old friends (coffee and Diet Coke)!!

We have a garden my sweet hubby built and planted at the beginning of this season. Today we pulled our first tomatoes, cucumbers and jalapeno peppers! They are all beautiful and delish!

With that being said, I have been reading a book on canning and preserving and I have decided to make my first dill pickles this weekend!! I've always wanted to make my own jellies and learn how to can, and from what I've read, pickling is a bit easier than jellies so this is where I'm starting! I may even make some salsa or tomato sauce!! I'm very excited about this! Can we get anymore "organic" or fresh than making our own???

Like I said before, I've always wanted to learn how to do my own canning but never had enough faith in myself. Everyone always says "oh, that's so hard and time consuming!" which pretty much turns me off of it. But after reading this book and realizing it's a bit easier than I thought - time consuming, yes - but I think it will be so worth it! And, it's just an added boost to my getting healthy!

What have you wanted to do to help your healthful living, but haven't due to others poo-pooing it? Why don't you start it this weekend?

Be true to YOU!

Hugs to all,

Heather

WHEW!!! What a CraZy few days!!

I hope everyone is enjoying this fabulous holiday weekend - and I hope you don't have to work on Monday! I have tried to sit down so many times to write and just haven't found the time! It's the good and bad of being a business owner! :)

So....after much conversation on Thursday in my house (especially between me and the bestie) we decided to cut out a lot of the fatty meats we have been eating (largely due watching our pennies) and cutting out all the white food in our diets and eating more fruits and veggies! I am glad to say I woke up Friday feeling really pumped and it has only gotten better since then!

I had two little ones with me - JJ and Mya - and many errands to run. We were all super hungry and I needed gas so I stopped at QT. Normally I would get a super sugar-laden latte and an apple fritter. Instead, I had a diet Coke, pineapple wedges and a protein bar!

Sooooo proud of myself, if I do say so myself (but that fritter was calling my name as I walked all the way out the door!!)!

After many errands, we got home to have some lunch and hang out by the pool. Afterall, that's what summer is all about, right?? I made myself a salad with tomato, sliced strawberries, feta cheese, a little bacon (there's that fatty meat - oops!!), some balsamic vinegar and EVOO. It was delish!!!

Later in the evening, me and my bestie had some yummy cocktails, a delicious grilled fish dinner and our own version of karaoke on the patio with the girls:

Mmmmm...grilled fish on brown rice with a black bean/corn salsa and a side of grilled veggies!

Saturday morning came waaaayyy too early (remember, we had cocktails and karaoke!!!). I had a cleaning job to do so I had some peanut butter on a slice of whole wheat toast, mixed fruit and coffee with my NEW soy milk!! YUM-O!

I skipped lunch and came home so tired and hungry I took the girls out for dinner at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. I just wanted to be waited on after a long day!!! I ordered veggie fajitas, which I've never had, and LOVED them!! Lots of delicious grilled onions, peppers and squash! The girls had cheese quesadillas so we had an all-around veggie dinner!

Today I had my last cleaning job of the holiday weekend - whew! I had some peanut butter on whole wheat in the morning but didn't have any lunch as it was soooo hot and I can't stand the thought of hot food when I'm hot! When I got home from the job I had some hummus on pita chips and then decided to mow the lawn - for my workout of the day!! Needless to say, I'm very sore but very happy with the yard and with my diligence over the last few days!

After a long, hot shower, we made pasta primavera with squash, zucchini, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. It was very fresh and light - loved it! Even the girls ate theirs - veggies and all!

Well, I'm off to find myself some watermelon for a "night cap"! I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Memorial Day! Thank you to all of those who have fought for us and to those who are still keeping us safe.

What are your plans for Memorial Day? Are you planning ahead to stay on track?

Stay True to You!

Hugs,

Heather

Need some simple competition??

There are times when life just simply gets away from us...the last week has been that way for me. I'm so sorry I haven't been on here for almost a week! So much has been going on - all for the good - but I'll get to that later.

I've been a bit laxidasical about my new health regimen since I started my blog. Why? I'm not sure...I think the typical woman thing of putting everyone and everything first. I'm not laying blame on anyone but myself. But a strange thing has happened! My hubby, who has gained about 40 pounds since the beginning of the year, has suddenly started eating healthy: watching his caloric intake, his carbs, fat - EVERYTHING! And I say WTH??? Then, to top it all off (with a cherry on top!) he started riding a bike yesterday. And I don't mean a stationary bike and I don't mean around the block. We're talking a real bike with 2 wheels and he rode 2 miles yesterday! He's also cut out all sodas and sweet tea (which is unheard of for him!) and drinks water all the time (strange all in itself!). So I say to myself: Self....get on that band wagon and ride it like there's no tomorrow!!!

So....I wake up this morning, after doing much research on foods, health, etc. (my obsession) and ate oatmeal and fruit this morning, had an appointment at lunch so I had some leftovers when I got home. But on my way home I stopped at Publix and picked up spinach leaves, strawberries, carrots, brown rice, portabella mushrooms and soy milk...yes, soy milk. Why? Because it's better for me, has more protein, less fat, less calories and "they" say I should. So what the hell? Might as well try it, huh??





I visited with some friends tonight - with JJ and Mya in tow.....had a glass of wine to unwind and then headed home. Made the girls some "kid" food, got them in bed and then made my dinner: leftover veggies, brown rice and grilled fish with a corn/black bean relish - delish!! Tonight I'll be doing a power yoga video - after I meet my hubby out for a beer (light, that is!).








So when you're not doing what you "think" you should be doing, do you need a little competition to get you motivated? What excites you and gets you moving?



Love to all!

Hugs,

Heather

Do something new and exciting!

On this day, in 1967, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" debuted on NET (now PBS). I know, I know....how random and what does this have to do with anything? Well, there is always a method to my madness, my Friend! Do you remeber when you were the age when you watched "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood"? Life was so simple. The biggest "issue" in life was losing your blankie!!! Oh, if only life could be so simple again!!

As I've mentioned before, we have a friend (my BFF) and her two small daughters living with us and they are so much fun to have around! "JJ" has autism and "Mya" has Fragile-X syndrome, which often makes learning "simple" things more complicated for them both. Mya & JJ's parents are going through a divorce right now, but with all of this they are the happiest, most delightful little girls you could ever be around! I even said to my BFF today "I hope Mya always sees the humor in everything as she gets older" - this was after she laughed hysterically at herself because her t-shirt got stuck on her pigtails while getting undressed for her bath, making her shirt seem like a "head wrap" of sorts!!! LMAO! It was so funny that she thought it was so funny!

Oh - and I forgot she got a hold of one of my MIL's wigs earlier in the week:

Watching these sweet little girls seeing the fun in life makes me step back and look at my life for the last few months. I have been a bit down as we have been very unemployeed and with that, broke. Because of this, we have all had to look outside the box, so to speak, and find other forms of income/jobs than we would normally take or do. Because of a lot of praying, our lives have taken a very positive turn in the last week and I know with all of my heart it is due to our hard work, love and support for one another. And I know June will be an amazing month!!!

Life is tough right now for a lot of folks, with the economy being in a slump. Use this time to do something different and exciting - something you wouldn't normally do! What did I do, you ask?? Well.....I dragged the whole gang to a farm today!!! That's right! Me - Little Miss City Girl at a farm - and LOVING every minute of it!!! :)

We got there super late (as usual for me) so we missed out on the farmer's market portion of it (which I will go back for next Saturday) but it was just nice to being out together and doing something different, teaching the girls about the animals - and it was FREE!!!

Mya was SUPER excited that I found her "farmer clothes" (overalls) so she could dress like my hubby! He is her new BFF afterall!! :)

Above Left: BFF, Me, JJ (in the red), Mya (in the "Farmers Clothes")

Above Right: Hubby and Mya in their "Farmers Clothes"

**NOTE: The picture above of me has also made me realize why I want to eat healthier, get heart healthy (yes...quit smoking), train for a marathon and be the best I can be as a wife, stepmom, BFF and a nurse.

I don't think anyone was quite as excited as me and Mya were! I felt like a 6 year old with her last night talking about it!!! I think I will find me some farmers clothes for my next visit too!

What excites you? What will make you step outside your comfort zone and think outside the box?

Good Luck to everyone in June!

Hugs,

Heather

Super Sunday!

Monday was such a beautiful day here in sunny Georgia that I decided to take full advantage of it and I mowed the lawn!!! What great exercise! I got to be outside, sweat like crazy (I've decided I should sweat at least once a day - really get the blood pumping!), did something productive, and I got a HORRIBLE sunburn in my haste to get up and get moving attitude!! :-)

Well, regardless of my sunburn - which is starting to feel much better - I am very proud of myself that I got up and moving and it felt good to look at my beautiful yard when I was done! My exercise even prompted my hubby to mow the back yard! ;)


So, as I mentioned above, my new motto is "sweat everyday"!! I have found it feels good to get your blood pumping and you feel as if you've accomplished something really good when sweating is involved!


I watched an Oprah show about the new book "Women Food and God" by Geneen Roth. WOW! What a powerful message this book has! As I've mentioned before, I am an emotional eater. This book teaches us how to overcome that and look deep within ourselves to find what it is we are trying to squash down with food, all the while we're making food our enemy. I am going out today to buy it!


This is the Product Review on Yahoo:

If you suffer about your relationship with food - you eat too much or too little, think about what you will eat constantly or try not to think about it at all - you can be free. Just look down at your plate. The answers are there. Don't run. Look. Because when we welcome what we want most to avoid, we contact the part of ourselves that is fresh and alive. We touch the life we truly want evoke divinty itself.


Your relationship with food, no matter how conflicted, is the doorway to freedom, says Roth. What you want to get rid of is itself the doorway to what you want most: the demystification of weight loss and the luminous presence that so many of us call "God".




I'm not an Oprah follower but this show was amazing! I have felt - and do feel - the way many of these women do and did on the show! Know what the difference is? I'm 20 years younger than many of the women they talked to on the show - so I have a head start to win my body back!

There was a girl about my age (early 30's) who lost 100+ pounds after going to some of Geneen's workshops and reading her book - that's it! No dieting - nothing - just reading, looking within herself and learning!!! Are you riding this train with me or what??

So....that's it for now! I'm off to Borders to get this book, enjoy the sunshine of the summer, do some reading and then find a way to sweat later! Maybe a brisk walk at the park with Twisty, my loyal companion???


Listen to your body! Are you worth the $20 for this book - to finally face your inner demons, lose the weight and stop the yo-yo dieting forever??


Hugs to all - and keep on sweating,
~Heather

I had an epiphany!!!!!

I finally learned a lesson today that my Father has worked so hard to teach me my entire life: get an education so that you don't have to do something you don't like for the rest of your life; if you do something you enjoy, it's not a job. While I am a proud business owner, I also work my butt off several times a week cleaning homes and offices for others. It is an honest way to make a living and I am happy to be helping my family stay afloat during a rough time, but I can honestly say that being a housekeeper is not something I want to do for the rest of my life.

While I have many clients who have "run-of-the-mill" dirt in a two week period, it is amazing what you can find in other houses sometimes. I have a client who is from another country. The family is very well-to-do. They live in a beautiful home, drive luxury cars, and attend highly-sought after schools (both high school and college). Now I know we all have different customs but the way this family lives is AMAZING. The filth that is created in a two week period is truly indescribable! The wife/mother of the family calls me - on the top of her lungs in her thick accent - about every 20 minutes for her next bizarre cleaning request or decorating opinion (yes....she wants my opinion on the decor of her home on a continual basis).

Now understand, I'm not complaining....just painting a picture. I realized today - as I was scrubbing a toilet - that this is why I am going to school to become a nurse. This is why I have goals and passion. I am not complacent, I am not lazy and I will not be a housekeeper for the rest of my life - and that's a great thing! It truly is refreshing when you have an epiphany like this! It made scrubbing the filthy floors next that much better!!! :)

I smoked less today as I am working towards quitting. Why, oh why is something so enjoyable so bad for me? And why is something as simple as cleaning someone's house so unenjoyable?

What are you doing to better yourself and your future?

Hugs to all,

Heather

God Won't Give You More Than You Can Handle

This is an expression I have heard a lot from people throughout the last few days and I do believe in it. But I sometimes wonder "can I really handle more?" when I feel like more and more is piling on.

While I haven't been journaling what I've eaten for the last two days, I have been much more conscious of what I am putting in my mouth. And do you know what I have learned from the last few days? I've become very aware of my emotional eating and I am starting to learn what "triggers" it as well. I'm not sure if writing here and thinking about topics to write about each day is helping that or what it is but I can tell you it is much more beneficial in the long run! Last night, I wanted a caramel sundae more than anything and opted for sugar-free white chocolate pudding and was quite satisfied!

I had a delicious tuna salad stuffed tomato yesterday for lunch and it was absolutely delicious! I had some whole wheat crackers on the side for a little crunch.

Not only am I learning what my triggers are for my emotional eating, I have also learned that I am only as strong as those around me. For this, I am very thankful for those who are close to me in my world. I have also learned that my marriage has become stronger than ever because we are such a great team and we truly are best friends!

Do you have a person you can go to for anything and everything in your life, whether good, bad or ugly?

Be tall, be strong and most of all (as my Mother would always say): Put your Big Girl Panties on and deal with it!!

Hugs to all,

Heather

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Eating?

It's been a rough couple of days around the Parker casa and being an emotional eater, all I've thought about is food - and not food that is good for me. Luckily I have the emotional strength of my wonderful MIL (mother-in-law), the healthy-eating strength of my BFF and the mental strength of my hubby. But all of this makes me wonder: what do others do without those important "people" in their lives? The people who mean the most to us? The people who know all of our darkest, deepest secrets? I have always been lucky enough to have a close-knit group of strong people that surround me, but I am also unfortunate enough to be an emotional eater who is by myself enough to eat things I shouldn't - and in secret.

What's the big deal with a little cookie here, a spoonful of ice cream there, a small order of fries on the way to an appointment, a sweet tea on occasion? I'll tell you what the problem is: I don't do anything half-way. I do everything full on or not at all. With that being said, I want and crave a sundae with caramel sauce, chopped nuts, whipped cream and a cherry on top! I want a "Biggie" sweet tea, a handful of cookies and an entire plate of french fries....ugh. It's so hard to break through the emotional eating dilemma. But that's why I'm here - to do just that! I am now accountable to more than just myself by blogging!

Just so you know, I have not gone off the deep end and eaten my way into next week but I have had some potatoes I probably shouldn't have had. I don't have any pics to post today as I've been a bit preoccupied with other stuff and kind of eating on the fly but we have some delicious meals planned for the next day or two so you will have plenty of pictures to peek at!!!

What makes you react emotionally? Do you eat for comfort? How do you plan to get out of this viscious cycle?

Hugs to all,
Heather

PS - Congrats BFF on your new job! You'll ROCK it! :)

That's it - No More Excuses!

While driving to school yesterday for my last final of the semester - whoo hoo!!!!!! - I felt like I was going to fall asleep - literally! Why, you ask?? Because I was sitting dead still in this:

Ugh....Atlanta traffic! It's the worst, isn't it?? I look forward to either moving somewhere lovely and coastal or a laid back sleepy town where we own a nice piece of land that's our own little slice of heaven!

When I got to school, I had some time to kill so I had a banana (good brain food) and a large water! Did you know bananas have 105 calories?? Amazing, huh??

Have you ever had an out-of-body experience where you can hear yourself saying something and can hardly believe the words coming out of your mouth? I'm not talking about when you've drank too much and have become a Chatty Cathy - I'm talking about a regular ol' day.

Well....I found myself in this situation yesterday while having a conversation with my hubby about school. My grades aren't going to be the best this semester and I'm realizing that I have more pre-requisite classes to take than I had initially thought! In light of this (and more) I am going to spread out my classes a bit longer and will graduate a year later than we had originally thought - no biggie - just a pain!

Anywho, as I'm discussing this topic with him, I realize I am shifting some of the blame on him for my less-than-stellar grades this semester: "you take up a lot of my time; you always want me to go somewhere with you; you get upset when I'm not home, blah, blah, blah"....as the words were coming out of my mouth they made sense until he said to me "I'm not accepting the blame for your grades so don't even try that on me" and that's when it hit me: I have allowed him to make me feel this way - and what woman wouldn't want her hubby to want to spend time with her??? What the hell is wrong with me, I wonder? I guess I put this extra pressure on myself so I could procrastinate? It certainly hasn't been something I've done consciously, it simply just happened.

I am not the best student in the world but I will give something my all - especially if I want it bad enough - and I want this so bad, and I'm so good at the caretaking part of it! Yet on the other hand, I have found in my older age that I will self-sabotage before I let myself fail at something. So with that being said, I am going to give school everything I have - no excuses! Why make excuses? It just makes us feel crappy later. And I know I can do this - I know I can get accepted to the school of my dreams (Emory....Mercer...do you hear me??) and I'm not going to let anything stand in the way - not even myself.

So this leads me to wonder....is this why so many of us have trouble staying focused on ourselves, our workout regimens and a healthy way of eating? Do you self-sabotage? Do you make excuses? If you had to pick one thing in your life to change - no excuses - what would it be?

Hugs,

Heather

Goals Change with Age

I have asked myself this question several times today and have realized something in my old age and wisdom (ha! ha!)....my health goals are not what they used to be. In my younger years, I wanted to exercise and eat well to lose weight, tone up and look great in a 2-piece! These days, I want to eat healthier for more fiber, less sodium and a balance of fats and lean proteins. I want to walk to help my cardiovascular health, weight lifts to increase my muscle mass, and take yoga classes to help with my balance and stress.

I wonder to myself "what happened?" My "goals" used to be so much easier! Now I take supplements, vitamins and eat certain foods based on their color! Regardless, I feel more in control on my life - now that I'm in my 30's - than ever before. I may be smoking again (something I can honestly say I truly love), I may be the heaviest I've been in 2 years, and I am now the housekeeper for others (when I used to have a housekeeper myself), but I'm also the happiest I've been in many years.

Why, you may ask? Because I have complete control of my life. I am back in school to better my life. I am married to a man who I truly love and adore. I have a car that's paid off, a beautifully decorated home with a lovely pool and a dog who is my best companion. In addition to all of this, I have made peace with my weight, my body and my clothing size. I am now in the mindset to exercise and "eat right" for longevity - not for vanity! WOW!!! I feel so mature these days! :)

OK, OK....I'm off my soap box. But, I am working towards giving up my favorite hobby (smoking ciggies) and training for a half-marathon (yay!). It's something I've wanted to do for some time and I've decided I'm just going to push through the pain and DO IT!! BFF - get prepared because I will be recruiting you to train with me and run this with me (October anyone??)! ;)

I started eating better today - I have not tallied my calories yet, which I will do as soon as I'm done writing. But I'm pretty sure I'm within my alotted 1200 calories I am allowing myself per day....I may even have enough left for a little ice cream!!

I will be posting pics of my day, food, training, etc....but for those of you who know me, I am a bit of a procrastinator as I do have a LOT of things going on in my world! Thank God for BFF's!!! What would I do without you!?!

How have your goals changed through the years?

Hugs to all,
Heather

Guilty Pleasure Sunday

Well....I have been poked and prodded about starting a blog for some time by friends so I here I am! While I'm not sure what to write about, I do know that I want to start with:

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all Mama's out there!!!

As most know, I don't have any children but I do have a busy life all the same! I am a full-time student, working on getting into the nursing school of my dreams, I own and run a cleaning company, I keep up with my family, friends and full-time hubby - and usually feel like I need 10 more hours in each and every day.

My hubby and I have a friend (my bff) who lives with us - along with her 2 young girls, A and J. They are adorable and a big part of our lives! So....add this to the rest of my schedule and you will realize how crazy it all is - but it works (most of the time).

I think the biggest part of this blog will help me become accountable for the healthier lifestyle I am looking to adopt....aren't we all, ladies? I am a smoker (again) and want to quit (again and for the final time), I want to get active (again) and I would like to get back into a more healthful way of eating again. My bff has just recently started counting her calories and journals EVERYTHING. I think this might be a good launching point - so I will start on it tomorrow (why start today what you can do tomorrow, right??)!

I am going to really try to document all that I do - good, bad and ugly. Hopefully I can be inspiring, I can find some accountability and also give you all something humorous to read each and every day.

What makes you accountable?

Hugs,

Heather