Geez Life!

Well it has been too long since I last posted... :( Life took some unexpected turns for me recently, but that will not deter my drive to lose weight and get healthy!! Over this past weekend I spent it in Washington with my family visiting my grandparents! It was a blast and I surprisingly stayed on my diet as much as physically possible (I wasn't about to make demands to my grandmother about what to prepare for dinners and such.) I decided to take a small break from my hard work outs to give my body some time to catch up to all the torture I was putting it through, but I didn't become a couch potato! My grandparents have a big huge farm and I spent most of the weekend running all over hells half acre showing Jesse all my childhood craziness! So I have officially decided to move to Washington... JK but seriously. I love Washington so much and everything was so perfect this weekend that I didn't want to come home. But of course I did.... :)

I went to the gym Monday night when we got back, but didn't dare get on the scale, because I did cheat a few times while in Washington and I was scared... ha ha. But I finally braved it and got on the scale last night. I have lost 5 lbs since starting! So now I am down to 170! I know that doesn't seem like much, but for someone who hasn't lost any weight since high school that was amazing to me!

The best advice I can give right now is always take it slow and listen to your body! This isn't a sprint so you need to take the time and be patient with what is happening. For example, the last two days my body has been really sore, I'm not sure if it is from my workouts or something else, but I listened to my body and didn't go to the gym. My body was yelling for rest and that is what I gave it. I did a lot of stretching to loosen the sore muscles and of course drank plenty of water to help everything relax. So always, always listen to your body!

--Angela

Bored

     The last week has been really boring for me... I am getting into more of a routine and I stopped working out in the mornings because I am going to the gym at night. The gym is amazing for my workouts and I feel like it will really help me tone and trim all my flabby areas! Woo Hoo! Other than that I have been fairly bored.... ha ha. But I did want to share one recipe with you that I have almost every morning for breakfast. It is the yummiest breakfast shake!!

1 cup milk (Skim or 1%, of course)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbsp vanilla protein powder (You can get at any regular grocery store.)
1/2-1 cup of your desired fruit. (Depending on the fruit you want depends on the quantity. Refer to the Zone Diet food chart I posted earlier for the measurements for particular fruit.)

Add all ingredients to a blender or magic bullet. Blend until smooth and enjoy!! Very yummy and actually very filling! :)

--Angela

My Family LOOOOVED this. I boiled shrimp almost to cooked, and then set it in a sautee pan. In a large bowl I cut up about 2tbs cilantro, heated 3tbs cream cheese, diced two tomatoes, a can of olives, added salt and pepper to taste, and stirred it all until well combinded. On another pan I had Aaron fry up about 6 pieces of bacon, while I sauteed the shrimp. We cut the meat into the bowl and added about a tsp veggie seasoning, the juice from two limes,  and mixed it well. I served it over shredded lettuce. I told my husband I would write it down because I make things he enjoys, and then never remember how I did it. Woops. 

Instant Gratification Your Instant Has Passed

132.0! What! That's 1.2lbs in 2 weeks! That's horrible! My husband gains that with a glass of water, and loses 5lbs when he uses the restroom! Come on. I want immediate results, instant gratification, reward without effort - what is this? I want people to see me and know about all the healthy choices I am making because of my totally trim and thin physic, I want them to envy my long and lean body, to want to be healthier just at the site of me; how am I supposed to accomplish this with an average of .6 lb. lost a week? 

Yes, that really is how I feel. I do know it's just an emotion and it's not a logical expectation; but having gone a whole two weeks without a chocolate chip cookie - my heart wants the world to know about my discipline at the site of me. Good thing I'm not doing this for what the world might think of the site of me, or I might give up. 

This past week has been a hard one. I started this diet as means of detoxing mold from my body, I originally started about 5 weeks ago. My first week I was so sick I could hardly get out of bed. So I lessoned the rules a bit, and a bit swiftly turned into, "what's a little mold going to do to me, bring on the McD's." Two weeks ago Angela and I talked about doing our health goals together, and so I started again. I was surprised the first week doing it with Angela that I didn't get sick, I thought it was a positive, maybe I had been sick enough the first go at it . But then this week (the second week) hit, and nope, apparently I hadn't been quite sick enough. It comes in bouts, hours of nauseating body and headaches where I want nothing more than to take two Ambian and wake up when the mold is gone (no I don't really have Ambian). Bouts are better than the first week (which was constant sickness) so I can do bouts - and I'm bound and determined to stick it through. As a family we're headed out to Arizona to see a Doctor who is well experienced in mold poisoning, I am looking forward to the help he can give (hopefully some ideas about how to kill the mold while not wanting to kill yourself). No, I don't want to kill myself, see Ambian example. 

This next week, I'm sticking the same to the anti-fungal diet, I will continue to experiment with recipes, posting them when I get a smile from my Fam. As far as the exercise, I'm dividing it into upper body and lower body, focusing on one every other day. After having had Aaron take some pictures of me, it is apparent the best thing I could do is probably run, and run a lot - but I don't have the mental energy to make myself do something I hate to do. One step at a time. So it will be about 45 minutes daily of toning, and then do some cardio at parks chasing kids, and such, and we'll reassess the cardio next week. 

Jennica

Well isn't that nice...

Alright I am calling for a vote! Wednesday I went to the gym and stepped on their wretched scale... To my dismay it showed me 13 lbs heavier than my at-home scale. So, do I rejoice or cringe at the fact that I am, indeed, bigger than first anticipated??

--Angela

Important Memory

I learned a valuable lesson yesterday, or remembered one rather. The day I had received a phone call from my X-husband (telling me about the life he had been living in secret), was the most painful day I had experienced thus far in my life (or since then). I laid on the floor literally drooling from lack of energy to move, or after a while a lack of energy even to feel. I could hear my kids down stairs laughing and giggling with my sister, and their sounds made my heart break even further – but they also reminded me that no matter what, I had to keep going, I couldn't give into a lesser life. For their sake, I had to keep striving for the life I knew was available. I mustered up some energy to push my door to a near close and I got on my knees, the only words I could think of were,

“Father I don't know how to go on, but I know with Thee I can; please show me how.” I then looked forward without question, listening at all bends to the guidance I knew would come, and not worrying about the bumps in the road.

As this applies to my post yesterday, is the simple assumption that believing I can achieve is not enough – believing He will help me, is not enough, I must first recognize I cannot do it on my own. I must leave it completely in His hands, and not depend on how I feel about myself or my abilities – when I start to depend on myself, I fail, plain and simple. Health is a weakness of mine, and like all weaknesses, to become a strength is must be turned over to my Father in Heaven. And thus is my goal, depend on Him; confidence is not a choice, it is a blessing – a reward that I believe is earned, a knowledge, that can come only from Him.

My work out goals this week are simple (by small and simple things are great things brought to pass :) I love the feeling of working out, but I hate to feel like I have to work out. So I'm starting with something I want, abs, butt, arms = firm. I am doing 250 crunches daily, 50 push ups, 250 but crunches, 100 calf ups (?). Cardio will be chasing my kids around, but I can't stress about it – or I won't do any of it. I'll let you know next week about my success, and how I will add to this :). 
-Jennica 

Ugh...

     This week has not been going as planned! :( I did really well Monday, but Tuesday I got lazy and didn't really give myself a good workout. Then this morning I didn't get up at all!! Not good! So I am determined to exercise this afternoon after work or I am in big trouble and will have to punish myself severely!
     I thought I would give a little insight into the diet I am following. I am following both the diet to get the mold toxin out of the body as well as the "Zone Diet". Since I don't have the mold infection I don't have to follow that diet as religiously, but I wanted to make sure I was still eating the right things to help keep me healthy and active. (Yes I did consider starving myself, what girl hasn't, but my husband wouldn't allow that and a good friend said it doesn't really work that way anyway... Darn!)
     I was first introduced to the "Zone Diet" by a good fried Ryan Moody (He, he, you are on my blog Ryan!!) He is a trainer at Crossfit and let's just say he has the body to match!! ;) I wanted to get in shape last year and I wasn't sure how to go about dieting because I had never dieted before and didn't really know much about food in general, besides the obvious... I love to eat it! So, Ryan sat me down and explained this diet to me. The diet consists of eating a certain number of blocks for each meal and snack. The blocks are also separated into three parts: Protein, Carbs, and Fats (The good ones, not ice cream. I know, I was disappointed too.) So for me, my block allotment was 3 blocks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; and 1 block for snacks. What this meant was, every breakfast, lunch, and dinner I needed to eat 3 blocks of protein, 3 blocks of carbs, and 3 blocks of fats. And the same for snack, but only 1 block per category. You are always supposed to balance your meal between those three groups.
     I got a giant list of all the favorable proteins, carbs, and fats and the amount of each that would equal 1 block, there is also a list of unfavorable carbs that you should stay away from, but if you do choose to eat them then the quantity is smaller. (Don't worry I will post the pages so you can see what I mean.)
     This was the best thing I could have ever hoped for! A diet that actually encouraged you to eat!! I was eating every 2-3 hours as recommended and was starting to lose weight!! Of course, I obviously didn't stick to the plan because otherwise, I would already be healthy and not doing this... But, I got distracted, and then the holidays hit, and life happened, and here we are today! So, I am focusing on eating the right things, at the right quantity, and exercising the crap out of my body! Obviously if you have any questions about the diet or you want to get started on it yourself I can refer you to some experts or you can even check out their website: http://www.zonediet.com/ :)
     --Angela

P.S. Here is the link to view the list of foods and a page of tips for eating out while on the Zone Diet and exercising on the Zone Diet. :) (You might need to copy and paste the URL... Sorry!)

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B1qMerDH5pxMYzFkNmNlYmEtYjQyZC00Nzc1LWFhMzAtYmNiOWIyNDA3ODli&hl=en

More Meals

Here are some meals that are getting rave reviews! First is simple Berries and Yogurt for breakfast the other, Pickles wrapped in bacon with cream cheese stuffed inside! Yum, yum!

Enjoy! -Jennica M. Smith

First Weekend

     I have made it through the first weekend! Woo Hoo!! Weekends are the worst for me to exercise or diet. I get weak and figure it is the weekend so I should cheat... Not this weekend! I actually got up and exercised on Saturday! :) The only sweets I had was Saturday night for my neices birthday party and it was a very tiny piece of cake and smidgen of ice cream. I had a hard time Sunday night because I got very snacky and wanted a lot of sweets, but instead I had some lemon water and almonds! All cravings then went away. Jesse has been very sweet and supportive and won't let me have any of the "junk" food, even if I beg... ha ha.
     This week I am upping my exercise time to 20 min on the elliptical machine (which is seriously the best machine to ever use... So much fun you don't realize you are working out.) I am hoping to get up to 30 by the end of the week, but don't want to push it too hard.
     This has been making me so happy and carefree that I don't know why I didn't do it sooner. I have more energy, even though I get less sleep some nights, and my clothes are even starting to fit looser. :D

--Angela

Meals!

     The past week has been a great experience! I only hope it will last the duration of this war on the bulge! I have gotten up every morning and exercised and I have kept to the diet!! I haven't had any sweets all week long, no exceptions! That is such a tremendous feat for me because I always let myself cheat... For example, if I would exercise in the morning I would always think it would be okay to have a few pieces of candy, because I had worked off calories that morning!! FALSE! If you want to lose weight then you need to expend more calories than you intake. Duh!
Well this past week I have been sticking to that philosophy! I have lost a few pounds, not enough to brag on, but enough to keep me motivated. With this new drive to be healthy I knew I would need to get creative with my meals, so as not to get bored. This week has presented me with two great trial and error recipes that I feel comfortable posting for the general public! :)

The first was a lime chicken fajita type meal, the other egg salad lettuce wraps! Yum!

1.)Lime Chicken Fajita
2-3 Chicken Breasts cubed
1 fresh lime or lime juice (Obviously a fresh lime tastes much better, but lime juice works just the same.)
A few spices of whatever you like, I used Crazy Jane's salt mixture and a Memphis BBQ rub. Sounds gross, tastes great!
1/4 c Sour Cream
1/4 c shredded cheese

Season chicken 5 min before cooking, then brown chicken, DON'T USE BUTTER! After chicken is mostly browned squeeze the lime until satisfactory to your taste, you can always add more later. When chicken is done browning put in bowl and add sour cream and cheese. Mix together and serve with salsa and flour or corn tortillas! :) A new family favorite!

2.)Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps
1-2 hard boiled eggs
1-2 tsp light mayonnaise (Quantity depends on how many eggs.)
Salt and Pepper
A little Mustard
Dill relish (if available)
1 Head of Lettuce

Mash up the hard boiled egg add mayo, salt and pepper, mustard, relish and mix until moist. Cut up head of lettuce into fourths to give you perfect size 'wraps'. Then you add the egg salad to the lettuce and wrap in together and enjoy! Very simple for light lunches or even snacks!

     Have fun with those and don't be scared to create your own masterpieces!! I came up with those by listening to my cravings... ha ha!

--Angela

Disgusting....

     I have been trying really hard to stay positive about this whole process. In the past I have always been very negative when it came to losing weight and it never helped me lose the weight, so with Jennica's advice I am taking a different path this time. I have been very positive the past two days and this morning started out no different. I woke up at 5:30 got on the bike and rode for about 15 minutes. I know that isn't very much now, but if I do too much too fast I will get burnt out and I am doing everything possible to avoid that!
     When I was done riding I had an idea to help keep me motivated. I thought if I took a picture of myself with just my sports bra and some biking shorts on then I can see how I look and it will keep me motivated to keep going.
     Boy was I wrong. I about threw up when I saw the front and back picture of myself that Jesse had just taken. I told him right away he was never going to see me naked until I was skinny and hot!! I started crying and immediately wanted chocolate to sooth my emotions.
     My poor Jesse was at a loss. Not only had he just woken up, but he didn't get much sleep to begin with. Like a brave soldier he put his arm around my shoulder and told me it was just the beginning and this would all take some time before I saw some results.
     He was right, but who wants to hear that?! I want overnight results, I want to be skinny right away without working hard. Why can't we get what we want?! Ugh!
     I dried my tears and went into the bathroom to brave the scale... I didn't want to weigh myself, but I knew I needed to.
     Lo, and behold I have actually lost a few pounds!! I was so ecstatic that all my worries and fears of not being able to do it flew out the window! I can do this and it will all be okay!

--Angela

New Beginning

There was an afternoon when I was going through my divorce that I truly felt I could handle the pain and anger no longer. I knelt down at the side of my bed and in tears and frustration begged my Father in Heaven for help, I didn't know what help, I just knew I could bare it no longer. After a few minutes, I felt peace, a complete relief of all that I had felt in the moments before, and as I knelt pondering it – I suddenly felt an overwhelming love, and self confidence. The self confidence came from a feeling from my Father in Heaven that I had done my best, that even if though there was more I could have done – He, my Father in Heaven, was happy with my efforts, and He loved me. These feelings, this knowledge, sustained me through the rest of my divorce process, and the months following.

I have thought much about that incident. From that time forward I was able to feel peace about my divorce and live happily from day to day, trusting completely in the Father whom had taught me a valuable lesson in showing His love for me. I have wondered about applying this same confidence to other life issues, and wondered what I might be able to accomplish if I knew whom I was in my Father in Heavens eye's, and trusted His love could carry me through anything.

Since I was a young girl I have had no self confidence in my physical self. Starting sixth grade I weighed about 76 pounds and was the same size as any other little girl. I was often complimented on my looks and I remember starting out that year feeling confident that I could “go out” with any boy in the class I chose (meaning at that time that we would make it official by declaring it to each other, and then delving into our relationship by looking at each other on the play ground – possibly even talking every once in a while). The first month school started I came down with the flu, and then other illness' which ended up keeping me home in bed for many months (I had, had Epistien Bar virus the year previous). By that following Spring I weighed 114 pounds, not a normal weight for a girl of my height and age. I remember the weight so specifically because my mother had taken me into a Doctors appointment and watched as I stood on the scale, and then as soon as my nurse had us seated in the room and had left, my mother turned to me with, anger visible in her whole demeanor, and whispered loudly, “114 pounds?! I've never weighed that in my whole life! That is embarrassing Jennica.” I can not justify my mothers behavior, nor can I condemn it, I have watched similar behavior from her own mother. Through many such incidences I learned to be ashamed of myself.

I believe to achieve physical health, not only losing my fat, but freedom from the illness' that have recently plagued my family and I, I must first change my belief in myself. I must learn to believe in who I am from my Father in Heavens perspective. I believe more important than anything else I might apply during this journey, is this. As a young girl I learned to believe I was an embarrassment, it was my fault I was the way I was (although there is truth in that - it taught me to feel I was no better than that). I was ashamed of myself, and believed every feeling that sprung from a short life time of guilt, shame, and dieting. At the time of my divorce I could understand such a powerful and meaningful experience, I could understand the neccesity of believing in myself, in order to move forward. I believe it will be learning to have faith that such an experience, such a belief, is possible in each of my trials, that will determine my success in my health. I don't believe, belief in myself is something I can just choose to have, but I know I can choose to trust how my Father in Heaven feels about me, and through that trust, in time my own beliefs can become His. I am trusting that in time I will be able to forgive my mother for years of shame she (knowingly or unknowingly) put me through; I will be able to accept there was much more I could have done as a young girl; and I will be able accept who I have chosen to be today. I believe through this I will be able to move forward, letting the past be in the past, and today be a new beginning.

I am starting this journey at 133.2 lbs, my goal weight is between 110 - 120, whatever my body evens out at when I have achieved health.

-Jennica M. Smith

Day One

     First rule I always try to follow is "Be Prepared", I failed that one today... Woke up at 5:30 AM and did my exercises, but forgot to go shopping this weekend for the healthy food I am supposed to be eating. It felt great to get on the bike and ride again, because it has been almost a year since I have done that. My husband, Jesse, was very encouraging and it made all the difference!!! Since I didn't have the healthy food, I decided I shouldn't eat anything and start this thing off with a fast. Hoping that going a day without food would help my body situate to the new regimen I was going to be putting it through. Jesse got really mad at me when he found out because he doesn't want me to starve myself to lose the weight, and because that is usually where my brain heads when I think of losing weight... Just starve yourself for a few months and you will be fine. Ya right! You aren't fine if you don't eat.
     I am ready to dive into this program Jennica and I have set up, not only to get a little thinner, but also to get healthier. I am tired of being so lazy, and lethargic all the time. I will give updates on my numbers (weight, exercise, and inches lost) sporadically, but here are my starting points and goals:

Start Weight: An embarrassing 175 lbs
Goal Weight: 135 lbs

Wish me luck on this incredible journey and pray for my loved ones as I turn even more crazy!! :)

--Angela

Our Story

This is a story of two beautiful, amazing, busy, women. One a mother, Jennica Smith; the other a 9-5 wife, Angela Coleman-Martinez. They have been friends for almost a year, but it feels like they have known each other much, much longer. Jennica has four beautiful children that take up most, if not all, of her 24 hours a day. Along with those four children Jennica is suffering from a mold infection that effects her everyday life tremendously. Angela works a full time job and moonlights as an author. Their lives are 100% different, but they have found common ground to undergo the Battle of the Bulge.
Both have supportive husbands that just want to see them happy. And both are crazy for thinking this will be easy!

We want to make a difference in our lives and become healthier. With the infection Jennica got it was the perfect opportunity to take on our laziness and get working on our well being. It isn't going to be easy, but boy we wish it was. The diet is extreme to help get the mold out of the body's system, but is well worth it in the end.
-Jennica and Angela


So follow them in their adventure to get rid of their bulges and get their health, self-esteem, and spiritual growth on the fast track to recovery. Posting will be sporadic and about all the daily craziness that goes on while trying to get healthy. They will also post pictures of meals they have created and ideas to make the start easier on those who would like to try. So urge them into battle and keep your spirits up for your Fearless Warriors!