I Blinged My FitBit Flex

I got a new fitbit flex for my birthday from my sweet husband and I love it.
Hold on, I will also show you how I added a little bling to it but first let me tell you a little about this thing.

I had been wanting one of these fitness trackers since they came out.

Its pretty  neat how it works. I set a goal for myself and it tracks my steps, how far I walk, how much I eat, and even tracks my sleep habits and lets me know how well I slept and how many times I was restless each  night.

Here is an example of how mine looked one day.

I use the silent alarm to wake up in the mornings. Yep, this neat little gadget will even vibrate to wake me up when I want it too.

I could go on because it does so much more, but just go to the fitbit.flex website and check out all the cool features for yourself.

You can get these in many different colors but I wanted the slate blue. It looks blue with some outfits and gray with others.

The problem is, they are not too fancy. While I like the sporty and futuristic look of it, I also wanted mine to be different. So I took a trip to to the craft store and bought some bling.

 

Now It feels prettier.

You will see, I didn't add anything to the top part of it, that's because that is where you tap it to put it in sleep mode or see your progress.

I have had my Fitbit for month now and I have lost 5 lbs. It has encouraged me to keep going to reach my goal.

Now I just need to find other friends with a fitbit so we can compete together for extra support and encouragement. I can just log onto the app and it will show all my friends progress in order from the highest to the lowest for the week. This can be fun.

Diet Struggles

I am a perfectly healthy 44 year old. I have no health problems except allergies and achy knees. But at my last wellness checkup, I was labeled overweight. I know I'm overweight but this is the first time someone else told me that.

Until about twenty years and one child ago, I was barely 110lbs. My weight has continued to go up.
I blame it a lot on the lack of exercise I get due to sitting in a chair all day at work, not eating the right foods and eating to much sweet stuff!

However, I did Zumba classes 3 times a week for 3 years and was only able to maintain my weight, not loose it. So I thought to myself, "maybe 155lbs is my ideal weight. over a year ago I stopped Zumba for a couple reasons and now my weight has risen to 167lbs. I eat a lot of sweets and pig out on nacho chips at the Mexican restaurant. Both are my weakness.

I have decided to do something about it. I have a goal now to loose at least 30lbs. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it but I am determined. I'm blogging about this in hopes It will give me more reasons to stick to my goal because I do not like to lie anyone. Other than my Husband and Daughter, I do not have friend support to help me through these struggles. None of my friends need to diet or have the time.

Monday 10/28/13 I started this exercise plan I found on Pinterest:

 

Another goal is to be able to run for 20 minutes in 12 weeks. If my knees will hold out, I will be able to accomplish this. I hope to be down to 130 lbs. by then also. On a rainy day, I will resort to my Zumba Wii workout. 

My hardest struggle is to stay away from the sweets. Holidays are coming up. I will not deprive myself from everything, but I'm going to use the my fitness pal app to help me stay below 1200 calorie diet. Its a calorie counter for your iPhone. Wish me luck!
Oh, and if you have this app and want me to follow you, just send me your email address. We can keep each other going.

Id love to hear your stories or strategies to loose weight.

Big and Beautiful

I Just got in from a weeks vacation at the beach. This time I did not sport a bikini like I have always done in the past . No, No. I actually invested in a couple new bathing suits. This time it was a two-piece but with a modest skirt bottom. Well, It looked more like a big ruffle instead of a skirt once I put it on. It was just enough to cover my bikini line in front but still barley covered my bum in the back but it was a lot more coverage than before. The other new bathing suit was a two piece tankini type. I have to say, I felt more comfortable.

I'm not going to say I'm obese but I am every bit of a size ten. That's big to me considering twenty years ago I was only a size zero. I had been skinny all my life. On the way to the beach, I told my husband and daughter that I was not going to complain about my fat and weight and just suck it up because it is what it is. There is nothing I can do about it now. Its my own fault I'm the size I am. That's when my daughter said "That's right Mom, Just be big and beautiful." [*sigh*] So that was my motto for the week.

Big can be beautiful. While sitting on the beach I noticed a lot of men and women just let it all hang out. I just smiled and thought, "They are big and beautiful (and brave)". Its not your size that matters, Its your health. If your weight makes you not feel good, do something about it. Being over weight is hard on your heart, muscles and bones but if your a large size and feel good then go with it! If you smile, be friendly and love yourself, then you can be beautiful no matter what.

 



I still plan to loose some weight. I want to loose at least thirty pounds and go down about two sizes. Even after that, I will still have curves.  My diet will start at the beginning of the week. My weight has made me have knee problems and no energy. Wish me luck. I have no will power when it comes to sweets and breads! Until then, I will continue to be "Big and beautiful."

Farmers Market Margarita

Happy Cinco De Mayo everyone! We celebrated with a nice Mexican meal at our favorite Mexican restaurant. We have been going to this particular restaurant  for about 18 years now. We go every weekend and have not gotten tired of it yet. I change my order up each time. All the staff know us and always seem excited to see us.

This is also the Month that our local Farmers Market opened in town. SO, I put the two together and decided to make a "Farmers Market Margarita".  Most of the ingredients for this drink you can get at your local farmers market.

 I will confess, I got my stuff from the grocery store around the block. I also had to make a trip to the liquor store up the road as well. Five minutes later, I made a crisp, lite, 99 calorie Margarita.

Farmers Market Margarita (99 calories)

 

Ingredients:

1.25 oz. Silver Tequila (clear tequila)

2 sprigs of fresh cilantro

4 slices of fresh cucumber (thin with skin)

2 slices of fresh jalapeno (remove seeds)

1 oz. fresh lemon juice (1/2 lg. Lemon)

2 oz. water

2 packets of Splenda or similar


Directions: Add all the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, shake and serve over the rocks. Garnish with a lime.
 

I do not recommend anyone drink alcoholic drinks but this was a winner. This margarita had a fresh clean taste. You could actually taste the cucumber and cilantro. As far as the Jalapeno goes, It gave it some kick! Gave it some spice! It was defiantly something different and a little hot.

Warning: (1)Women should not drink alcohol while pregnant because of the risk of birth defects.(2)Consumption of alcohol impairs your ability to drive.(3)Drinking to much alcohol may impair your thinking and make you stupid.


Ive shared this at:
sunday-show-off-linky-party at twiggstudios
submarine-sunday at usscrafty
link-party-marvelous-mondays at thisgalcooks
mealtime-monday-recipe-link-up at couponingncooking
lil-luna-link-party
made-by-me-79-linky-party-and-features at jaqsstudio
full-plate-thursday at mizhelenscountrycottage
hop-along-with-holiday-battle-of-bulge

47 Calorie Cookies

Most of you that read my blog often have noticed I have not been posting alot about sweets anymore. That's because I have been trying really hard to cut back in that department.

Unfortunately, It has not been that successful for me.
My goal weight is to be 125 lbs.
For 4 weeks, I tracked my calories using a " myfitnesspal " app on my I phone.
I entered my weight which was 161 lbs (I don't mind telling it). I wanted to loose at least 15 lbs so it gave me a 1200 calorie a day goal. I would like to loose more than 15 lbs but I was just taking it easy. I remember the days until I was 30, I couldn't get my weight over 110 lbs.
Anyways, In four weeks I lost only ONE lbs. That's all! Needless to say, I gave up the app.
I have a general idea now of how many calories are in most foods and plan to continue eating less and exercising more. I gave up my zumba dance classes back in October due to the expenses and time so I got the Zumba for Wii and I love it. Its not the same as a live class, but it is a good workout, and I can do it on my own time.

Enough about the my diet and on to the cookies!

"Banana Oatmeal Cookies"

Theses little cookies are healthy and do not taste all that bad. I just didn't really like the texture. They were sweet enough though. They make great snacks without feeling like you ruined your diet. And they contain no artifical flavoring or dairy products, therefore they are perfect for your health.

Banana Oat Meal Cookies
1 6oz jar of baby food bananas-140 cal
1 cup of Quick oats- 300 cal
2 Tbs honey- 120 cal
1/2 tsp Cinnamon -0

Mix all the ingredients together. spoon onto a cookie sheet and bake 350 degree for 15 minutes.
Makes 12 cookies = 47 calories each
(53 cal each if using ripe bananas which would prabably taste better).

I think I will make these again but add some raisins or fruit.


Ive shared this at:
mealtime-monday-recipe-link-party at couponingncooking
terrific-tuesdays at adventuresofadiymom

Detox Water

Rumor has it, this water will help you maintain a flat belly by flushing out impurities in your system with a natural detox. Caught my attention!

When I think of detox, I think of sitting on the toilet all day. So I have always avoided all the cleansing frenzies out there. I do not think its the case in this recipe. I think this is purely just cleansing in other ways but I guess ill know later.

You see, most of us do not eat healthy. There are so many toxins that are put into our bodies through poor eating choices which compromises our digestive and immune system. With all the toxins in our body, we tend to have a drop in our energy levels, illnesses, and not feeling our best. This water is suppose to make you feel healthy and energized.

The recipe is for a large pitcher but I just made a jar to try it out first. It was delicious and I think I will continue drinking at least a glass a day for a while. I even think it made my breath fresh but that's just my opinion.
I read where you are suppose to drink a gallon a day for 3 days for a true detox cleansing. WOW.

Its filtered water with 3 ingredients and can be adjusted to taste.

Large pitcher of filtered or spring water
1 large Lemon - Lemon helps cleanse and alkalize the body.
1 cucumber- excellent for re hydration and also contains anti-inflammatory properties.
8-10 fresh Mint Leaves- adds a touch of sweetness and helps settle your stomach and aids in digestion.

I am not doctor so you may want to consult a doctor or nutritionist before trying this. If your wondering if this will effect medications, again, see your doctor first. I don't know.


Ive shared this at:
full-plate-thursday at mizhelenscountrycottage
link-party-friday at craftionary
kitchenfunwithmy3sons
mealtime-monday-recipe-link-party at couponingncooking

Oil Pulling

I found this new thing called "Oil Pulling". Well , its not really a new thing but its new to me because I have never heard of this. So I started doing some research and all I find is positive things about it. Not sure yet if its just another health gimmick or not. I just have to try it and find out for myself.

What is Oil Pulling?
Its a traditional Indian folk remedy that involves swishing oil in the mouth. oil pulling is capable of both improving oral health and treating systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus or asthma.
While scientific evidence is lacking to support any systemic benefits of oil pulling, some studies have suggested that it may reduce oral plaque, halitosis, and gingivitis.

The most obvious result of oil pulling is improved dental health. Teeth become whiter, gums pinker and healthier looking, and breath fresher. That alone makes it worthwhile. What is really remarkable is that the health benefits don't stop there. Many health problems, including those which medical science has yet to find cures for, are also improved or completely cured. Oil pulling has the potential to help with just about any illness or chronic condition.
This information was found on different websites

How to:
While on an empty stomach, just take a tablespoon of  pure oil such as vegetable oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, sesame oil or coconut oil. (Coconut oil seems to be the most preferred. Its thick at first).
Swish for 15 minutes. Do not swallow or gargle.
No need to wear your mouth out doing this, just gently swish up and down and back and forth as you would with mouth wash.
Once your done, spit it out in the toilet. Why toilet? Because the toxins that are removed can be full of bacteria and you wouldn't want to spit this in your sink. But if you do, just do a good cleaning afterwards.
After you spit, rinse with water and brush your teeth as usual.


(source)

My first experience:
I used regular 100%Pure Vegetable oil (same thing I cook with).
I put a tiny little drop of mint flavoring in it. ( I was scared).
I swished for 10 minutes. I could have done it longer but I had to sneeze.
It wasn't bad at all. It didn't feel like oil and became watery quick. I read where that means its working.
When I was done, My mouth actually felt clean, not slimy like I thought it would feel. My teeth shined and looked whiter ( I know. silly but if I thought they looked whiter, then that's OK. Just staying positive.)
Later that afternoon, I noticed that I would every so ofter cough up a little Phlegm. I'm not sick, however, I do suffer from allergies but coughing up Phlegm is not a normal effect for me, so, maybe its toxins? Again. Its probably just my imagination. I have a tendency to experience or see anything Im thinking of.

To find out more, just search "oil pulling" There is a lot of sites on this subject. Some are more interesting and informational than I my post.
Here is the Best article I found online . CLICK HERE .

Now what:
I will try this a couple weeks just to see I notice anything different about my health.
I'm still sketical about this being some kind of gimmick. I can't come seem to grip that all this happens through your mouth. So if you have ever heard about or tried this, I'd love to hear your results.

Last Dance

Yes, I'm gonna say it again. I'm giving up zumba dancing. This is like the fifty hundredth time I've said I was gonna give up zumba but I finally did it. I took zumba classes for three years and until about six months ago, I couldn't wait til the next class. It was so fun and felt I was getting a great workout.

Then it happened. My zumba friends began to drift away to other things and other places until finally I found myself dancing on the back row again feeling like I did not fit in and a wall began to build around me, just like before I ever started dancing. The high was gone. Oh, I hate this feeling. I really loved dancing.

The last class I attended, I knew it was the last dance for me therefore I had no enthusiasm.
As I looked around the room at everyone that I tried to be friends with for years, I could not help but wonder if they will even know I'm gone.

Between my feelings, my achy knees and the fact that money is tight right now, It just didn't seem to be beneficial for me to continue. I wouldn't get home from work until 5:30 each day and since I like to eat before 7:00 at night,  I'd rush to eat supper and rush out the door to make class. I did this three times a week. It just became not worth it.

(source) 

What am I gonna do now?

I have this fear that giving up dance will cause me to gain weight, but then again, it never caused me to loose weight so ill take the chance. Meanwhile, I plan to spend more time after work being at home with my husband.
My plans are to walk more and eat less. Walking is good exercise for me and alot easier on my knees. So now after dinner, me and my husband will take a rapid two mile walk through the neighborhood and talk about our day. After all, we are best friends and togetherness is precious to us.
Maybe I'll have time for dinner with a friend or two sometime and maybe join a couple church activities throughout the month or attend more art classes.

When things pick up and the holidays are gone, maybe me and my husband can join a gym together or some kind of workout routine together at home to keep us in shape. Maybe I can find another dance class somewhere after the first of the year that will fit better into my schedule and not take away from my family life. Maybe I will not need knee surgery before I'm 50!

Diet Plan/Game

Everyone in my household is always trying to diet cut back on eating so much. We are going on vacation in a month and would love to get down a size. We have found that breads and sweets are our weakness. After different plans and ideas that have never worked, we have come up with a new plan that we hope will be fun like a game.

The first idea was to cut out ALL breads, pastas and sweets. That's seemed a little drastic all at once for everyone. We figured we would not last long doing that so we started with just saying NO SWEETS.

Here's the plan...If either of us eat something sweet, we have to put a dollar in the jar. At the end of 30 days, the one that has lost the most pounds, gets to keep all the money in the jar. I'm hoping this works. My daughter was all into the idea once money was involved. ha, ha.
However, my personal plan is still not to eat any rice or pasta and only eat healthy breads but still lighten up on the intake.
This is pretty much how my meals have looked so far.

Breakfast-English muffin and southwestern omelet

(OK, so  may need to cut out so much butter too. ha)

Dinner-Homemade chicken salad in a romaine lettuce wrap with tomatoes.

We have been making trips to the farmers market for a healthier choice. We will be doing a lot of veggi grilling and any meats we want!

Note: There are some sweets we consider healthy, such as breakfast bars, honey, jello, or sugar free desserts.

Wish us luck and check back next month for an update on our success.

Update: Its a month later. This didnt work to well for us. I only lost 2 pounds, my daughter lost 1 pound. My husband did not loose any pounds and hes the one that stayed away from the sweets the most! There was 23 dollars collected. Guess i'll try something else.

Weight Loss Challenge

Ah ha! Available to the Internet world.....my weight. Yes, check it out to the right with a little widget to help me reach my goal. I like how its taking me to the beach. I am somewhat ashamed of the number but I'm gonna work on it. I don't think its all that bad but considering I was always a tiny person it does bother me. I weighed a big whopping 94lbs at 21 years old and after having a child, I left the hospital weighing 110lbs. I wanted to gain some weight because I felt unhealthy and wanted to wear big girl clothes. Little did I know that after the "30's" hit, My weight would not stop exceeding! Now I want to get back to 125 to 130 lbs.

So, I joined a weight loss challenge team at my zumba inspired fitness class. It consist of teams of 2 to 5 people. Weight-in was Monday the 16th and final weight-in will be on March 19th. The team with the greatest percentage of weight loss will win a prize. I'm hoping this will challenge me to eat better and lighter.

I'm not sure how I'm going to do it but I will start with eating smaller dinner portions and wean myself off bread. I love bread! I also plan to attend more dance classes. Maybe this blog will help me too by sharing my progress. Hope my readers stay tuned!