Spring break is officially underway at our house! The kids are out of school until next Tuesday and we have some fun things planned. Wahoo!
I love this time of year. I love spring, the sun, the flowers starting to bloom, Easter, the warmth, the longer days and just the happiness it all brings! LOVE it!
I also want to mention that I’ve been kicking some serious booty with my macro counting and workouts this week. Yay! After our crazy, sick week last week, it feels soooo good to get back to work.
I’ve been following my new macro ratio; 40% protein, 30% carb, 30% fat and I think it will get me the results I’m looking for! I’ve only been following it for 4 days now, but I already feel stronger, have more energy and my body just feels good. I’m excited to see and feel the changes that are yet to come.
I’ve been eating a lot of the same things most days and it’s been great. I like to think of food as fuel and not just enjoyment, especially when I’m actively trying to lose weight. Yes, I still eat things I enjoy, but I really try to eat things that will strengthen my body and help me the most!
Sadly, the world we live in promotes food as entertainment and enjoyment…eat whatever you want and as much as you want!!! There are so many processed, fake, mega fatty, sugar loaded foods that our society eats every day….as staple foods. AND, the portions are huge! It’s just sad. The world has forgotten that the purpose of food is to fuel our body and not just satisfy our appetites!
Quick note: I feel a need to mention that I LOVE crappy food just as much as anyone else! I definitely have my fair share. However, I do strive to buck the trend, eat well most of the time and keep my gluttonous escapades to a minimum. 🙂
Anyway, as I’ve been counting my macros, I’ve learned that 30% carbs isn’t really a whole lot of carbs. I definitely have to be mindful and pick and choose the carbs I want to enjoy each day. That’s probably been the hardest things about my diet right now. Carbs are everywhere and in everything! It definitely takes discipline and commitment to limit my carb intake.
Strangely enough, I’ve also been having a hard time getting enough fat in! I’ve been having scrambled egg whites most mornings, but I think I’ll start adding a whole egg too. I think I’ll also start having more avocados. Yum!
I’m definitely sticking to my “no sugary treats” challenge until I hit my weight goal. I’m feeling very motivated, stubborn and determined. I won’t quit! I’ve identified a goal weight, which is 8-9 pounds away. I’m estimating it will probably take me about 2 months to get there. That sounds like a looooong time, but I like to just take it one day at a time. So far, it hasn’t been too hard, but we’re heading into the weekend, so I’m sure it will get a lot harder! Oh, and once I hit that goal weight, I will reevaluate my goals and decide if I want to lose a little bit more. We’ll see.
Even though I’m not having treats, I’ve still been enjoying a few healthy sweet things. I’ve been loving my oatmeal with a little bit of Walden Farms Chocolate syrup on top.
This picture looks like I added a TON on top, but it really wasn’t too much. It’s quite thin, so it spreads quickly! It’s soooo good. I need to go buy a few more bottles. This breakfast has been one of my favorites because it’s so satisfying and fills me up for a long time!
I also tried out the Walden Farms pancake syrup on my protein pancakes the other day! It tasted great and will probably be my “go to” syrup from now on.
I also made a yummy dinner a couple nights ago that I thought I’d share.
It’s just grilled chicken (feels like summer!), roasted red potatoes and broccoli. Yes, it’s a little boring, but my whole family raved about this meal and I love it because it’s very macro friendly! I also like to grill a BUNCH of chicken so I can enjoy it the rest of the week.
Oh, and I wanted to dip my chicken into “something,” but I didn’t know just what. I didn’t want to kill my carb intake on BBQ sauce, so I decided to dip it into a little bit of my Bolthouse Farms creamy balsamic dressing. It was great! Since then, I’ve been enjoying the leftover chicken dipped in Bolthouse Farms Blue Cheese dressing and I like it even better!
We had a crazy night the other night, so we just got pizza for the kids. I looked at my macro count and I didn’t have a whole lotta calories left, so I decided to have my Rice Cakes, Jif Whips and Cottage Cheese combo for dinner.
It worked out just great; it took me 2 minutes to prepare, filled me up and it also fit perfectly into my macros. It definitely wasn’t a lot of food and it wasn’t a typical dinner, but I was happy it was so simple and “worked.” Yay.
Well, as far as my exercise schedule goes, I’ve decided I’m going to run 2-3 days a week, do an intense weights workout two days a week and yoga one day a week. I may add in a short HIIT workout another day if I’m up for it too.
My cute little 12 year old has been running with me this week and it’s been fun.
He’s always liked to run, but he goes through stages where he wants to run with me ALL the time and then stages where he just doesn’t. I’ve been trying to encourage him to set a goal and stick with it for an extended period of time. I’ve also told him that in order to become a stronger runner, it’s necessary to run consistently, even on the days when you just don’t feel like it! We’ll see how it goes.
Mmmmmkay, I have some scary pictures to share! You’ve been warned.
Since I have big plans to lose this weight, I decided it was necessary to take some “before” pics and to also put them out there! I’ve taken a lot of “before” pictures in my life. I’ve shared some of them, but there are plenty that I haven’t. I’ve found I’m much more motivated when I share my scary pictures because it makes me more accountable! It makes me want to redeem myself….by reaching the goals I’ve set for myself!
These aren’t your typical “before pics” though. I didn’t take them in my workout clothes or swimsuit (I may take some of those later), but I instead decided to go through my closet and take pictures in a bunch of clothes that just don’t fit me the way I want them to anymore!
So, here ya go.
This is a pic of me in a cute hoodie that is too tight on me!
This hoodie is supposed to be fitted, but I think it’s supposed look cuter than that, lol! I definitely want it to fit a little bit looser! You can see that the arms are very tight and the back shows every lump of goosh on my body. It’s cute. I’m hoping that this hoodie will become more loose and comfortable.
K, next up is a lovely pic of me in some of my tightest pants.
I’ve had these pants forever and they’re almost worn out, but I want them to be loose on me again! I don’t know if you can tell, but they are very tight on me and give me a beautiful Muffin Top!
This next lovely picture is probably the scariest of all!
This is a very small, tight tee shirt that used to fit me just perfectly. It’s supposed to be fitted, but MAN, I feel like I’m busting out of this shirt! It doesn’t help that I’m also wearing the tiny, muffin top pants with it! It’s a winning combo, lol. But, it is what it is. I don’t think this shirt is particularly cute, but it’s just a great one to hopefully show progress!
This next picture is just me in some “skinny jeans.”
I actually wear these jeans right now, but I swear they fit me better even just a month ago! I thought I’d take some pics in them so I can track my progress.
This next pic is a random one.
This used to be one of my most favorite shirts! I wore it all the time. Now whenever I try to wear it, I’m reminded that I have some weight to lose! The sleeves are waaay tighter than they used to be and the button along the chest pulls and is not attractive. I want this shirt to fit right again, dang it.
This last pic is just me in a skirt that my sister gave me that I think someone else gave to her!
I think it’s a cute skirt, but it is very fitted and spandex-y! Yes, this skirt technically fits, but when it’s this tight I don’t think it’s flattering! It’s another one of those clothing items that showcases every ounce of goosh on the body! I’m hoping this skirt will fit a bit looser so I can actually wear it in public.
Well, there you have it. My beautifully freaky pictures in clothing that is too small for me! Ha ha. I took these pictures on March 22. I intend to take some progress pictures in the same clothing every month. I will share them no matter what!
Well, that’s all I have to say today. I’m excited to spend the next few days with my fam for Spring Break! I hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend! Love you all!
You look great! It sounds like you are going to have a fun spring break. Our spring break just started today too. Have a terrific weekend and a Blessed Easter
Thank you so much Cascia! We had such a fun Spring Break and Easter. I hope your family has a fun one as well!!!
Girl, you are way too hard on yourself. You popped out HOW MANY kids?! You’re running after them for how many hours a DAY!? Give yourself some credit.
Oh and PS: while Walden Farms has made some insanely VILE products… Their syrups = ON POINT!!
Lol, thanks Gigi!!! I feel extra motivated to get in shape and STAY in shape now that I’m done having all the babies! I am LOVING Walden Farms syrups!
You are so beautiful already.
Thanks Abby! You’re a sweetie.
Those are not freaky pictures..stop it! You look great! I love how determined you are and how well you stick to your goals (I don’t and I nee help..lol). I am pretty sure you will reach your weight goal faster than two months. I hope your kids are having a great spring break so far!
Ha, thanks so much Ros Emely! I can be obnoxiously stubborn sometimes and this time I’m determined to succeed! I sure hope I reach my goals faster than two months, but I’m in it for the long haul regardless. 😉
Gah! The muffin top! (I wouldn’t have noticed yours if you hadn’t pointed it out).
What a treat that your 12 year old will run with you once in a while. You’re setting a great example for him.
I am hoping to say goodbye to the Muffin Top forever, lol!!! I love that my son will run with me. He’s always been my most active child and used to like to ride his bike while I ran. My other kids will come with me once in a blue moon….I wish they wanted to come more often!!!
It always fascinates me to hear how other view themselves, but I totally get it. While I think you look just fine, I know what it’s like to have our own standards. My mom is constantly telling me “you look great!” To which I reply “you don’t see me naked!” HA.
Ha ha, love your comment to your mom! I know we all have our own personal goals and other people may never see a need for improvement in us. The older I get, the more I’m driven to make my life, my health and my body what a want it to be. It’s weird, but I kind of enjoy the challenge!
Congratulations on your accomplishments, you look fantastic! I have been counting macros on and off for a little over a year now so I know how much work it can be but the results in my opinion are so worth it! It’s so amazing to me how most of us don’t really pay a whole lot of attention to what we are putting into our bodies until we break it all down. I totally understand not wanting to spend the rest of your life counting macros but even doing one cycle is worth the amount of healthy knowledge that is gained. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much! I completely agree with you about macro counting. It is such an eye opener to me and such a great way to learn about nutrition and how the body responds! <3