Well folks, my Oxygen Challenge officially started yesterday! I, however, decided to start a little early. We were able to submit our “before” pictures last Thursday (May 2nd), so I decided once those pictures we’re submitted, I was startin’!
I gotta say that my “before” pic was NOT pretty, folks! Man. Slice of humble pie, for real.
“Before” pictures can be such a huge motivator and wake up call though. Every single time I’ve ever taken one I’ve always been surprised…and not in a good way. Ha.
I think when we look at ourselves in the mirror every single day, it’s tough to really gauge and get a true picture of where we’re at. WELL, a picture of yourself standing in a swimsuit or a sports bra and shorts does not lie. Oy.
I’m not going to share my “before” picture just yet, but I WILL share it! I think I’ll take a progress picture halfway through this challenge and then I’ll share them both with y’all.
I also gotta say that I was tempted to retake my “before” picture to get a more flattering angle or look, but then I was like, “Nah, I’m keepin’ it real!” I’m also hoping it will make my “after” picture that much more rewarding.
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Well one thing I’ve been thinkin’ about this week is that the only way to have success with a challenge, with weight loss or with any goal, is to be aware and in charge of your thoughts!
I saw this quote a few days ago and it really resonated with me….
So true!
As part of this challenge I’m doing, I’m also part of an awesome Facebook group. It’s a great place where all the ladies who are doing the challenge can share successes, ask questions and support each other.
It’s been so fascinating because MOST of the members of the group are very upbeat, encouraging and excited about the challenge. HOWEVER, there have been a few people who have been quite negative. They are overwhelmed with the food options, they don’t agree with one thing or another, they don’t want to cook, they can’t get their phone to work with the app so they want to quit, etc. etc. etc.
It’s been so interesting to me to see how quickly these people have wanted to jump ship and how negative their outlook is! It’s actually really, really SAD to me!
I have learned time and time and time again throughout my whole life, that positivity, optimism and a “can do” attitude make life so much happier, easier and much more successful!
That same positive attitude can make or break any goals you may have as well. I’ve learned this every single time I’ve started a challenge, a healthy program or just tried to “up my game.”
When I’m trying hard to eat well, cut out all the crap, exercise, sleep well, etc., I remind myself that I am not a victim. There is no “woe is me” attitude goin’ on. I actually try to think just the opposite! I welcome the chance to improve myself, take care of my body and strengthen my willpower and self discipline.
I’m actually happiest when I’m deliberately making choices and setting goals that make my life better and make me happier.
With that being said, my darling brother has been in town visiting from Georgia this week. We got together for a family dinner on Sunday, went out to dinner last night and went out to lunch today!
There have been desserts, candy and treats everywhere! I also could’ve chosen to order SO MANY different yummy foods when we went out to eat.
But, NOPE. I stuck to my guns, avoided all the sugary goodness and ordered healthy salads when we went out. I snagged a couple fries from my son too, but that was it. I actually think snagging a few fries or other crappy food item from time to time helps me to “stay in it” and not get burned out.
I try really hard to stay away from the sugar though as much as I can! It seems to have some magical power over me that makes me want to cave, give up on my goals and eat ALL THE SUGAH!
So, I just stay away from it as much as I can!
I snapped this pic while we were at lunch at R & R BBQ with my three brothers, my momma and my nieces today.
Oh how I love these peeps.
I ordered a salad, but it wasn’t very good. 🙁 It was topped with brisket, but it was really fatty. Blah.
Oh, and as I’ve been eatin’ my salads and staying away from all the “good stuff,” I remind myself that I am consciously making these choices (I’m not a victim) to feed my body well. Yay me!
Oh, and I also went to McDonald’s the other day with two of my boys….
My older son had a wicked long doctor appointment, so I took him to McDonalds afterward before he went back to school.
Side note: I like to take one or two kids out to lunch on occasion to spend some quality with them! It’s not necessarily healthy, but hey, it’s easy! Life is crazy, we just do what we can. 😉
Anyway, when we went to McDonald’s I was intermittent fasting and everything looked so good! However, I reminded myself of my goals and didn’t budge. I got myself a flavored water (they had one of those awesome drink machines that let you choose from a lot of different drinks) and called it good.
I was so glad I did!
Another interesting thought strategy when you’re tempted to eat crap is to imagine yourself eating that crap and then thinking about how you’d feel afterward. It’s always a bummer when you overeat, eat a bunch of junk or slack on goals. It’s good to think things through and remind yourself how disappointed you’d be if you caved.
There is definitely a time and place for indulgent and yummy food, but when you’re striving to hit goals and gettin’ really serious….it is not the time!
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Another thing I’ve been doing lately to stick with my challenge is to plan and make healthy meals at home. I don’t do traditional “meal prep,” I just try to make quick and easy meals or make extra food at dinner so I can enjoy the leftovers for a few days.
I’ve been having this for breakfast the past few days and it’s so good!
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
It’s an egg wrap full of sauteed peppers and onions, tomatoes and turkey and topped with lite sour cream, guac and salsa.
It’s so good! You can click here for my “recipe” and all the deets about how to make it.
I also had some fruit on the side. That glass of water you see in the picture is warm lemon water with cayenne pepper in it.
Interesting, I know.
I’ve been having warm lemon water mixed with baking soda on and off for years, but our coach in this Oxygen Challenge, Amber Dodzweit Riposta recommended the warm lemon water with cayenne every morning….so that’s what I’m doing now!
I just warm up a glass of water in the microwave, squeeze in the juice from half a lemon and sprinkle some cayenne pepper in there. You really need just a sprinkle! It’s packs some heat!!!
Apparently the warm lemon cayenne water is supposed to increase your metabolism and help you burn fat. Who knows if it works, but it’s such a simple thing to do and it can’t hurt, so I’m tryin’ it!
We’re also encouraged to drink 200 ounces of water a day in this challenge! T-W-O H-U-N-D-R-E-D!!! Folks, I’m a water lover and that is a TON! It’s been a challenge for sure, but I’m doing my best!
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I’ve been trying to make healthy dinners lately too. I made this for dinner tonight…
This was SUCH an easy meal! I just made spaghetti, fruit and bread for the kids. They loved it. Easy, peasy and no complaining. I then cooked up some zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice and garlic in a pan in a little olive oil. I also browned some ground turkey with onion and a little seasoned salt.
I topped the zucchini/cauliflower mixture with the turkey and marinara and it was yummy! I had some fruit on the side too. So good and so simple.
You can see my 44 ounce purple water bottle in the pic too! Ha ha! I’m drinkin’ up!
I made this for dinner a few nights ago and it was yummy…and simple!
I just cooked up some chicken in a little olive oil and then cooked up some veggies in a pan (broccoli, carrots, onion, peppers and peas.) I then mixed them all together, poured in a bottle of Trader Joe’s Island Soyaki sauce and heated it through. I also added a little bit of cornstarch mixed in water to thicken it up a bit.
I served it atop brown rice and had a few potstickers (Costco) on the side…
Super easy, way yummy and it made awesome leftovers. I gotta say that my kids don’t love this meal. They don’t hate it either, but when I make the pot stickers they don’t seem to complain! Yay.
So anyway, success in any challenge all comes down to your attitude, mindset and the choices you make that allow you to have success!
I’m trying to remember to take this challenge ONE day at a time. It really hasn’t been too difficult and I know it will only get easier as my body and my mind just accept the fact that this is just how it is!
Living a healthy lifestyle really all comes down to consistently making choices that support your health, happiness and body. It’s hard to make good choices ALL of the time, but just remember to keep your head in the game!
Well, I gotta wrap this up so I can make the good choice to get to bed at a decent time!
If you care to follow me on my Oxygen Challenge journey, I will be oversharing on my Instagram Stories and you can hear all about it there. Ha ha.
I love you all. ‘Night!
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