MIA and my 21 Day Fix

I have been missing in action lately.  I am sorry.  I have had writer's block and have really just taken a break to figure out what my next step is as far as getting myself together health wise.  It is just hard to get on here and know what to write about when I, myself, am not sure what the hell I am doing.

I have a better grasp on things now though.  I have this wonderful person to thank.  I have mentioned Jess in previous blog entries in reference to how much I love her blog.  She has, however, become a wonderful coach for me as I try to meander my way through this thing called weight loss.  I can safely say that I now consider her a friend in this journey.

After being turned down by my insurance company when inquiring about visiting the dietetics department at a local hospital for a consultation, I was really discouraged.  I NEEDED HELP.  I know that you are supposed to eat healthy, blah, blah, blah, but I needed actual parameters.  I have learned a couple things about myself when it comes to diet plans over the past several months...

1. I HAVE TO EXERCISE and do so rigorously or I lose momentum FAST.
2. I cannot participate in a diet which totally eliminates a food group.  Knowing that I cannot have the food makes me feel deprived and then I get pissed and throw in the towel.  It is all mental, I know.  I could have a diet that says I am prohibited from eating fish eyes and I would then crave them.  Well, maybe not...but you see my point.   
3. I need something that is easy to understand, cause complicated also is a sure way to make me give up in two days.

After learning that a dietitian would not be in my future, I learned of this:

The eating plan is simple.  You have a series of colored containers and a different food group corresponds with each color.  You get a certain amount of containers per day and as long as the food fits in the container, you can eat it.  The food plan guide outlines preferred foods for best results and recipes.  I am loving this plan so far!  Jess happens to be a Team Beachbody Coach, so she has been a great guide as I have figured out this plan. 

The workouts are GREAT!  They are only 30 minutes and work muscles that I don't think I even knew existed in my flabby frame.  I am getting stronger already.  I pair these workouts with my gym workouts. Again, I L-O-V-E them.  I am not one to say I love exercise either -- ever. 

Now, the big question?  Has it been working?

YES!

Over the past couple weeks, I have lost a little over 5 pounds (which is really good for me).  I did take my measurements before, but have not remeasured yet to see if I have lost inches.

This has been working so well, in fact, that 3 people at work have complimented me and have noticed that I am dropping weight!  One of them was a man!  Men never notice these things, I my opinon...so, SCORE!

Soooo, I just wanted to let you know that I am still at it over here.  I have just taken a break because I had no clue what I was doing for awhile.  I am sorry if have been sick of reading about my diet of the week.  It is just something that has truly been an experiment for me.  What will work?  What will be the program that really clicks with me?   This one really has so far.  It says 21 day fix, but I plan to stick with it for more than 21 days.  (I recently became a Beachbody Coach, so if you are interested in the 21 Day Fix, let me know! I would be happy to give you more information!)

I have also been involved in a 90 day challenge with Jess and some of her readers.  We are trying to get our bodies presentable for swim suit season.  I know that I want to feel more confident in my bathing suit when I head to the beach in June!  So far so good!  I am going to continue to work myself hard so that I can feel good when relaxing on the beach.

Courtney at a High School Dance

As I have mentioned in previous posts I am a high school guidance counselor.  I love my job and really do try hard to have a positive relationship with all my students.  I truly do mean that...ALL of them.  I figure, I cannot to my job well if my students do not trust and respect me.

ANYWAY, I try really hard to stay involved, but the one thing I have always avoided in my 12 years of working in education is chaperoning high school dances.  I have avoided it like the plague.  What is the big deal?  Well, I also avoided them in high school.  I went to a total of 2 dances in high school...the homecoming dance my Senior year and Senior prom...This was in 1997.

Let's relive some good 'ol 'memories...

I went to homecoming with my gay friend, Tim.  Not a big deal, he was a dear friend...but I was the chubby chick who went to homecoming with the gay guy.  It wasn't bad.  He and I always had fun together. Before the dance, he treated me to dinner at a Frisch's Big Boy.  That doesn't SOUND bad unless you know what the Richmond, Indiana Frisch's was like in October 1997...not exactly meeting health codes, I imagine. What could I expect though...it wasn't like my date was trying to impress me so that he could get to first base at the end of the evening... Later at the dance we ended up ditching one another.  For the record, he ditched me first.  I ended up dancing the night away with my group of girl friends.  We had a GREAT time and I ended up getting a ride home with one of them.  I cannot, for the life of me, find a picture of this event. There is probably one hanging around at my parents' house somewhere.

Prom:  It is supposed to be this magical evening.  Instead of going with a guy, I went with a group of my friends.  This isn't a bad thing at all.  We made a lasagna dinner at my house and then went on to the prom. It was just sooooo disappointing.  We got there and we were all thinking, "THIS is prom??!!"  We ended up leaving early and going back to my place for junk food and movies.  I DO have a picture of that. However, I have tastefully covered the faces of my friends, because the one person in this picture that I am still friends with, would probably KILL me if I posted this picture to the world with her face fully visible.

Look at this picture, I am wondering a few things.  Why did I butcher my hair right before the prom, so that I had no way of styling it whatsoever?  How did I get a corsage?  I think my mom bought it for me.  Wow, I look like an eggplant.

ANYWAY, let's fast forward to 2014 shall we?  Here I am actually chaperoning a dance.  I felt like an old woman.

I found myself thinking the following:

"I cannot believe her mother let her out of the house like that.  I would lock Darcy in the closet first.  She looks like she is showing up for an audition for a Sir Mix-a-Lot video."

"Man, it is almost 11:00. This is way past my bedtime!  Sooo, sleepy!"

"They are dancing way too close."

"So, THAT is what the Dougie is!"

"Are they dancing or is this foreplay?"

"Sitting at a side table, drinking punch, and watching everyone else dance...not much has changed in 17 years."

Then there was a moment where the kids requested that we listen to something "old school" and they played Michael Jackson's "Bad"....  Michael Jackson is not old school, damn it!!  Michael Jackson is TIMELESS! TIMELESS, I tell you!  ;o)

Damn, whippersnappers...

My Least Favorite Word

Obese
/adj/ excessively fat

Obesity
/noun/  more than average fatness

I hate the word obese.  I think I would still hate it even if I wasn’t categorized as being it.  The very definition is just awful.   Unfortunately, the reality is that I am what obese is defined as being.  So, why does this word bother me so much?  I guess because I feel like in too many circumstances a person call allow the word obese to define them.  I have done this.  If I am not excessively fat or obese (cringe) then who am I?  I AM, afterall, the fat girl.

I have tried really hard to change this unhealthy way of thinking.  The thing is...I don’t feel like I am the definition of a fat girl (whatever that may be) anymore.  I am enjoying my new active lifestyle and I feel so much better now that I am eating healthy.  Now, fat girl Courtney takes over my mind now and again, but she does not DEFINE me.  She is no longer who I am.  Healthy Courtney is fighting her off.

I bring up my distaste for the word obese because I recently went to the doctor and under a list of my illnesses were the following:

Illnesses.

I know that being overweight is detrimental to one’s health – I have not been living under a rock.  It was just an eye opener to see that word on my medical chart as a health impairment.

I am going to fight this.  I don’t know how long it is going to take me.  I don’t know exactly what  is going to be the method that clicks for me to get the job done.  I do know, however, that this is not a fight I am willing to lose.  I know that my weight does not define who I am.

Zuppa Toscana Lightened Up

I have been trying very hard lately to pack healthy lunches that I can prep ahead of time on Sundays.  I am not a fan of deli meats for a solid week, so I try to make a yummy and healthy recipe that can be preportioned in containers.  That way I can just grab my lunch in the morning and go.  Mornings are hectic enough, right?

Lately I have been a big fan of making soups.  They fill me up and are typically very easy to throw together.  For the past couple weeks I have been using my old go to recipes.  This week, however, I decided to try something different.  A friend at work introduced me to a great website called Organize Yourself Skinny.  This site may be old news to many of you, but it was definitely new to me.  I have at least a dozen of her recipes on my list that I want to try.  Her lighter version of Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana, however, won at being the first to be prepped in my kitchen.  I am not the best at writing my own recipes, but I will always give credit where credit is due.  I just thought I would share this recipe on here, and hopefully you will visit her blog if you haven't already.  It really is outstanding.

Here are the ingredients that you need.  The thyme and oregano are not pictured, because it wouldn't be a food prep post without me forgetting one or more of the ingredients in the big ingredient pic.

First, you start off browning your sausage in a soup pot with a tablespoon of olive oil.  The recipe itself calls for  ground turkey Italian sausage.  The only turkey Italian sausage I could find in my store was the Jennie-O version which is sold in casings.  No biggie!  I opted for the spicy version and removed the sausage from the casings.

After the sausage is browned, you add in your dry spices, onion, and garlic.  Allow that to cook for 5 minutes.  You shouldn't have much grease to drain, as the turkey sausage is very lean.

Next, add in the potatoes, milk, and chicken broth.  Give it a good stir and allow it to simmer on the stove for about 30 minutes.  You are wanting the potatoes to get soft.  I know this has an orange tinge to it.  I did drain grease, but I figured the orange-ish color is coming from the seasonings in the sausage itself.

Now it is time to stir in the kale.  Let the soup simmer for another 15 minutes.

Time to eat!  This soup really is delicious.  This recipe makes about 7 servings.  It is perfect for the work week and Sunday night dinner.

The website says that the calories are 316, but when I entered the recipe into the My Fitness Pal recipe builder, it came in at 293 calories per serving.  It may be because I used a different type of sausage.

Speaking of My Fitness Pal...have you SEEN their new Recipe Builder?  I have used it quite a lot, but not as much as I use the calorie counter/journal.  Now you can just import a website link and it generates the calories for you!   You don't have to type in each individual ingredient!!  I was way too excited about this, but time savers always get me excited.

Here is the recipe itself -- as taken by the Organize Yourself Skinny website.

Zuppa Toscana (Lightened Up)

Ingredients:
1 lb turkey Italian sausage (I used Jennie-O spicy version)
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 medium russet potatoes, sliced up
4 cups of chicken broth
2 cups 1% milk
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3-4 cups of chopped kale
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. Brown sausage in soup pot with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil
2. Once sausage is browned, add in chopped onion, garlic, and dried seasonings. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add in potatoes, broth, and milk.  Simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are nice and soft.
4. Stir in kale.  Simmer for 15 more minutes.
5. Serve.

Nutritional Information:
Calories 293
Fat 10g
Carbs 31g
Fiber 3g

Flying Pigs

I ran my first 5K....well kind of ran my first 5K in October 2012.  I decided to do a Color Run.  I thought it would be “fun.”  Pffffffffft...  Let me share a little background...

I trained for this 5K for about 12 weeks.  I trained on a treadmill with no incline.  THEN, I decided to run a 5K in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.  I decided to run a 5K (with no outdoor terrain training)  in a city which is nicknamed  “The City of Seven Hills.”  BRILLIANT!

So, picture this...

I am waiting patiently for the next heat to be released to run.  I have my music ready.  I am PUMPED!  The dude at the starting line tells us to go and I am off!  I am running with my music....running like the wind...albeit a very calm wind.  About 2 minutes into running I realize....this shit hurts!  Pavement hurts!  Holy crap, I still have 2.8 miles to go!  Somebody just get my stretcher now!  THEN, I get past mile one and get the color powder crap thrown on me.  I cannot breathe.  I cannot see.  I am grumpy because I am already walking.  I feel like a failed, already
.
Luckily, I did end up finishing the race.  I walked more than I would like to admit.  I did not feel as proud of myself as I had hoped.

Well, I want to do it again.  The Flying Pig Marathon is a Cincinnati tradition.  Of course, it is an actual MARATHON – which there is no way in hell I am ready for.  The cool part is that they also have 5K and 10K options.  I would love to try to run the 5K this year.  Quite frankly, I want another shot at this. I think I am better off than I was the first time I ran.

I really would like a running partner though.  Requirement include:

• Must be willing to run with someone who runs like a calm wind...or breeze.  Yeah, THAT’s IT! You must run like the breeze!
• Must not be offended by cursing and must be willing to ignore my pleads to put me out of my misery.  
• Must be certified in CPR (Well, not really, but it couldn’t hurt!  LOL)

Anybody up for it?

I am linking up with the Motivation Monday team today.  The prospect of running this 5K in a couple months has definitely motivated me enough to get my exercise in!

Valentine's Weekend Recap

The Brooks Family Valentine festivities began with having the children fill in their Valentine's for their friends at school.  Aidan did a fantastic job, but sitting and waiting for a four year old to write her name on 28 individual cards gives time consuming a new definition!

Of course, they ended up adorable.  The most difficult part was that she was insisting that she give the broken sucker in the box to the kid in class who is mean to her.  While it made me chuckle a little, I had to have a talk about how that is not nice, etc.  It isn't that Darcy is mean herself, it is just that this kid pushes her down and knocks down her block castles.  This is major in a preschooler's world.  Oh well, still no need to disappoint a preschooler with a broken sucker.  Broken suckers are also major in a preschooler's world.

Tim and I don't usually buy one another anything major.  I don't like getting flowers because they die only a few days later...and it seems like such a waste of money.  I would rather have something I can keep.  I am also not a big fan of fancy jewelry.  Tim finds this awesome.  Sooo, we just go with simple stuff.  This year, I bought him a card and the usual package of Reese's peanut butter hearts.  I had a bit of a problem with the envelope though...

I handed it to him just like this.  It was actually pretty amusing.  Whoopsie!

We bought the kids Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and I made them Tootsie Pop bouquets.  When Tim went shopping for them, he forgot to buy the cards.  I didn't mind though.  It gave me the opportunity to make them my own cards!  When I gave them their homemade cards, they were thrilled!

The fun part about Valentine's weekend is that Tim's mom and dad usually host a "Kids Night" for the younger grandchildren.  They invite them over without parents and do fun activities on Friday night throughout the entire day on Saturday.  I am sure it is utterly exhausting for them, but the kids always have a wonderful time.  I am sure it creates memories that they will still be talking about into their adulthood.  Since there are no parents allowed, and they live over 3 hours away, Tim and I get a hotel room for a night and go out to dinner at night.  We then have a nice breakfast and shop the following day.   It is so nice to have so much relaxing time together.  

This year was just as nice as every other year.  The only downer is that this is the ONE day out of the entire calendar year where Tim and I can sleep in until we damn well please, and what time did we wake up? 6:00 AM!!  Both of us woke up at the same stinkin' time at 6:00 in the damn morning on a Saturday!  

The highlight of my Saturday and the most awful for Tim, I am sure, was the clearance shopping I was able to do!  I hit the clearance jackpot!

I have been in the market for some simple black flats for work.  They are pretty much a staple in my professional wardrobe.  I walked into a DSW for the first time ever (I know, I know...I am behind.).  I experienced their clearance and all I can say is that it is a good thing that I live a minimum of  30 minutes away from the nearest one.  I got 3 pairs of shoes that I LOVE for under $60!!  SWEET!

The second and third pair are my favorites.  I LOVE the brown ones!  They were $70 shoes and I only paid $15!

The other bargain for the day was a dress I have had my eye on all winter at Lane Bryant.  It is just a nice little black dress.  It was originally an $80 dress.  I paid $19.99.  I never buy anything full price there.  I find what I like and then watch the sales and clearance wracks like a hawk.  I tried taking my own pictures of the dress, but it was too dark to see the detail.  The picture below is courtesy of the Lane Bryant website.  I plan to pair it with a cardigan.

So, yeah, in the spirit of Valentine's Day...nothing warms the heart more than a cute dress and multiple pairs of new shoes at amazing discount prices! ;)

I hope that you had a great weekend too!  

Celebrating the Victories

It has been too long since I wrote last.  I have been sick and without topics...unless you wanted winning topics such as:

"Sinus Headaches Suck"
"Oh, God, the Mucus!"   or...
"NyQuil is What Death Tastes Like"

Sooo, in order to spare you, I stayed away.  The good news is that I still ate really well while sick.  I mean, there is no point in eating delicious, "bad" foods when you cannot even taste them.  I mean, seriously, a carrot stick tastes the same as a Reese's cup when you have a bad head cold. The bad news is that I did not work out at all this week.  I don't feel bad about it because I was not well.  I am feeling much better today though and am looking forward to my big return to the gym tomorrow evening.

ANYWAY, since I am linking up for Motivation Monday this week, I thought it only appropriate to come up with some things to motivate me.  I have decided to reward myself when I reach certain weight loss milestones.  These are all THINGS I really really want and am refusing to buy myself until I meet my goals.
Health is always my first motivation, but these extra things can't hurt either.

10 Pounds

 A new beauty product -- like a scented body wash or lotion.  I LOVE the Philosophy scents.

This is by far my favorite scent!  I smell like a delicious when I use it!  Yes, I enjoy smelling like baked goods.  They don't have this scent anymore, but they DO have a birthday cake scent, that I think will be a welcome substitute!



20 Pounds

New headphones that are better for working out. My earbuds are constantly falling out!

I have heard really good things about Yurbuds earbuds.  They are made especially for exercise.  The price is right and they come in purple.  Score!

30 Pounds

A professional massage! (My gym has a spa inside.  Members get discounts on all spa

services. Sweet!)  Never in my 34 years have I had a professional massage.  I am hoping this year is the year!

40 Pounds

Manicure and Pedicure -- I get these very rarely...cause I am cheap.  I think 40 pounds deserves a splurge though, don't you?

50 Pounds

New clothes!  Hell yeah!  I cannot wait to go shopping with a smaller body.  

I think all of these things sound reasonable!  I know that all of my victories will not be measured on a scale.  I will celebrate those too...trust me!  It is just that trying to lose weight has always been such a frustrating journey for me.  I am trying to put a positive spin on things.  So, I choose to celebrate the victories (no matter what they may be) and learn from the setbacks.

Have a great Monday, everyone!