Weight Loss Update: 22 lbs

Note: This post was written on March 9th, 2013. The amount of weight lost may actually be more at the time of publishing this post. 

At the beginning of the year I posted about my weight loss goals and journey. I wanted to post an update. The photos are sooner than I wanted to do, but after being called a "liar," I wanted to show my progress so far. 

Supposedly, if you don't post photos of yourself all the time during a weight loss program, the weight loss didn't happen. Well, that simply isn't true. I honestly was hoping for a more dramatic before and after sequence, but whatever. 22 lbs down, and here is my before and after!

When I started the program I was going to have to put on a pair of large scrubs or start changing something. It was embarrassing  to be quite frank. I was starting to wear a size 2x clothing, something I didn't even have to wear while I was pregnant. My jeans sizes were way too big for my liking, and thats why I mostly wore scrub pants after work, so I didn't have to face the reality. Finally, after a terrible photo of myself, I had ENOUGH of looking the way I did. It was time to research my options and start a plan.

Here is the said terrible photo of myself. Everyone looks so pretty, and thin, except me.
The fat chick in the corner.

That led me to find a gym close by apartment. for $10 a month I could have 24/7 access to their products/services/equipment. I went in, contacted them, haggled them, and made sure there wasn't a catch. Luckily, there wasn't. And because I was such a pain in the rear, they ended up working hard to "keep me". I didn't tell them I was going to stay, but when they offered me personal training/body fitness assessments/body shaping programs free for seven weeks. I didn't say no .

So I started working out 5 days a week, about 45-60 minutes a day. I love going to the gym. It gives me an escape, a place to be mentally free from my work worries, away from the blog, from a screaming toddler, from a husbands worries and woes. For those 45-60 minutes, its about me.

And endorphins are addicting. I cannot get enough sometimes.

I also changed my diet. Its strict, but only during the week is it strict. It works so well with my crazy work schedule, and I am able to eat whatever I want for dinner. On weekends, I can do the same, but usually I still opt to eat healthy, salads for lunch and smaller meals/portions or lighter dishes for dinner. 

The hardest part about all of this is the cravings that came post workout. I never really craved anything while pregnant, so this experience was bizarre, but the worst part was, it was a raspberry shake that I craved. I found that I could freeze raspberry flavored yogurt and it satisfied plenty, but craving anything at all seemed so strange! 

I've never really been one to post about such personal things. But I am so thankful that I have been able to be successful at this program and to get back to my EXACT pre-baby weight. How does one know this? When I found out I was pregnant with Brayden I stepped on the scale that morning, and was devistated to find out my weight loss plan wasn't working. I weighed in at 174.8 that morning. Today I weighed in at 175 exactly (close enough to pre-baby). 

Now to lose the rest of the weight I want to and to getting feeling even healthier and looking even better! 

Homemade Calzones

Yep, another Pinterest recipe. This one was picked out by Bubba though!

What you'll need: 

(For two LARGE Calzones)
2 Rolls Pizza dough
1 small jar of pizza sauce
Cheese
Toppings (well, insides) as desired. We went with Pepperoni

How to do it:
1. Lay out dough on a baking sheet. You'll use one per sheet, they're huge. Stretch out using your fingers (or toss if you know how, but that does take practice!) Add pizza sauce, and use the bottom of a spoon to spread it nice and even. Note: Only do about 1/3 of the dough, and only do the middle. You'll need the rest for the braid later.
2. Add your toppings! Layer them if you'd like. The bigger the better!

3. Heat oven according to dough package. For us, it was 400 for 10 minutes. While the oven was heating, I used a knife to cut strips of the dough. Crossing one over the other from top to bottom, "braid" your strips. (See after photo for help).
4. Bake according to package. It took about 12 minutes per Calzone. Let sit a few minutes to cool, then transfer onto a plate.

We used our leftover dough for Brayden and made him one of his own (minus the pepperoni!). He loved it and really enjoyed gnawing on it. Bubba even gave his seal of approval and asked me to make it again soon!

There you have it! An easy dinner, this took me less than 30 minutes to make beginning to end! 

Enjoy!

Mani Monday: Robins Egg Nails

Photos thanks to my husband

Blue (base layer): Wet'n'Wild: I need a Refresh-Ment $1.50 - Walmart
Sparkles (top layer): Wet'n'Wild: Party of Five Glitters $1.75 - Walmart

Spring is so close to being here! I cannot even stand it! Instead of snow this weekend, we had RAIN! We didn't even need to wear jackets on Saturday... it was that nice! I knew I needed to do my nails very spring-like, but couldn't decide. After I had done this design, Bubba commented, telling me they looked like Robin's Eggs. Perfect for spring! 

Hope you're having a fantastic Monday so far! 

"Momma's Italian Chicken"

Don't you just love "fix it and forget it" recipes? If you've read this blog for more than five minutes, you're probably well aware of my love for them. Today I'm sharing a recipe that my husband calls "really damn good" or less crassly known as "Momma's Italian Chicken." 

What You'll Need:

2-3 Chicken Breasts

1 Potato

"Enough carrots to look good" - Yeah, I've become that cook.

1 packet Italian Seasoning

1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
(I added about a 1/4 cup water)

Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours. 

I love this kind of meal, you can fix, forget it, scoop it and serve it, no adding extras if you don't want to!

Enjoy!

A Working Mans French Toast

Bubba's favorite Breakfast is French Toast. Hence the "Working Man" reference/joke.

Today I'm sharing his favorite French Toast Recipe.

What You'll Need:

4 Eggs

1 Teaspoon Sugar

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Cup Milk

a dash of Salt

10-12 Slices of bread

(1 tblspn of Butter for the frying pan).

How to do it:

Combine all ingredients except for the bread and the butter in a mixing bowl. Stir well.

Turn on your frying pan and add butter or pam. Once heated, dip the bread into the mix and cook on medium heat. Once cooked, top with your favorite ingredients. Bubba likes it plain with syrup, and I love to add fruit and powdered sugar!

Now sit down, and enjoy your breakfast!

The Blogger Meet Up!

From Left to Right:
Kelsey, Sasha, Dani, Marsa, Caroline, Jenny    

The Blog Meetup was a Success! It was so great to meet all the gals that came down. We enjoyed food, chatting, laughs and serious blog talk.

I was really surprised at how far some of the gals drove to come down. That really made the event feel so special! 

Special thanks to my husband for popping in to take the photo.
(That's the only reason I have little dude in my arms!) 

It was so great to meet all you fantastic ladies! You're all so wonderful!

College Woes and Campus Book Rentals

I've been going to school for some time now. After working on my EMT Intermediate, I've been working on General Eds for the Nursing program over the last few years. Let me take a moment to rant about College.

Guys, the expenses, whoa. I mean, last semester was out of this world pricey. I finally took the time to do the math on the cost of education, after you subtract the utilities, it ends up being about $10 an hour. Pricey? Yep. Reasonable, yeah, I guess I have to admit it.

Whats worse are the books. The books that the college refuses to use more than a year at a time, that the used versions sell out quickly, that you probably won't even really use? Yeah. That part REALLY sucks.
So when I first read about Campus Book Rentals I was so excited to learn more about them!

These guys rock, seriously, look at this list of perks:
- You can save anywhere from 40-90% off the college bookstore prices. Guys, that is HUGE.
- Free shipping BOTH WAYS, and the renting periods are flexible!
- They let you HIGHLIGHT in the books!
- (My favorite) They donate to Operation Smile with every textbook rented!

Awesome, right?
Well, it does get better. They have the Rent Back Program! Rent Back allows students to rent the textbooks we already own to other students, which in turn, makes YOU (the student) 2-4 times more money compared to the other buyback options (which can be a real pain in the rear).

Please, if you're a college student, go check them out! I promise you won't be sorry. I sure wasn't!
And after you're done, get back to your homework! Midterms is next week!