Introducing a Brand New Kosher Casual Product!

I could barely wait to open the package on this new jacket from Kosher Casual! Their running skirt already made me a KC addict, but when Anna from Kosher Casual told me that they were coming out with a jacket, I was beyond excited!

Living in Central Florida in April, the weather always keeps us guessing. Most days the sun is shining and the temperature is mild, somewhere around 70 degrees, but when the sun goes behind the clouds it can turn brisk quickly. Today I wore the jacket to my son's baseball game, and even in the sun it was the perfect item to wear. During the peak of the heat, it nicely wicked away any perspiration and when the clouds rolled in it kept the chill away. The material (90% polyester 10% lycra) is the softest, most flattering textile that I have come across in the last 3 years since I began running. It stays in place during movement and keeps its shape beautifully. This jacket is a great wash-and-wear item with plenty of color to dazzle your senses! This color is magenta, and they carry fuchsia, black, blue violet and cornflower blue.

The sleeves are a comfortable length; on me, they lay slightly beyond the wrist, but not quite as long as thumb hole shirts. This is a perfect length for those chilly mornings when you don't want to running gloves, but you want to cover your hands.

The jacket has a full zipper, neatly enclosed in the in the structure of the interior facing of the jacket that travels up to cover the neck. Unzipped, the collar sits nicely on its own to offer a sporty style. There are zippered pockets on either side of the waist. With a flattering ladies cut design, the body of the jacket offers a smooth feminine style. This has become my favorite athletic jacket!

For those of you that enjoy modesty in your active lifestyle, Kosher Casual has many things to offer! Check out the running skirts while you are on their website. The quality is superb!

xoxo,
Tasha

*This post contains affiliate links to products that I love and recommend which help support The Brick House.

Conquering Obesity!

I love infographics! 

Take a few minutes to read through and get a feel for the impact that obesity is having on our society and see what you can do to turn the tide!

Marriage Tip | Never Stop Dating

Last weekend I attended the Florida District Ladies Conference, and Connie Bernard spoke on Living with Intention. One of her points was to live with intention with your husband. I was encouraged that many of the things that the Lord laid on her heart to tell us were things that He has already been working on me.

If someone would have told me that I would write a blog post about marriage during our early years, I would have told them they were funny. After almost 20 years of married life, we can honestly say that we have learned more than we ever thought we knew. When two people who are as completely opposite as my husband and I are, we were bound to need some shaving and sanding to fit these two puzzle pieces together. Allan is the happy-go-lucky, never-met-a-stranger, so-loud-he-should-have-been-Italian sort of guy, while I have been more reserved, rule-following, melancholy, slow, quiet type. The stereotypical thought that women have to speak a bazillion words per day and men only speak 10 does not fit our husband and wife dynamic. Allan is the talker. I am the thinker. If we were one person, we might be brilliant J… or very dangerous, haha. We had our first child within the first year of marriage, so the days of just the two of us were few. We loved every second (well, maybe not EVERY second) of our three children being young. Life was busy, and because I was a full-time mom, we worked hard to stretch our funds. The kiddos had us going all the time, and we seldom stopped to just be a couple together.

Even though I had read several times how important it was for couples with small children to make time for one another, we were really bad about it. There were several years that the only time we went out was on our anniversary. Because it was so infrequent, I fretted the entire time. “How do you think the kids are?” “Do you think they are behaving?” or even, “My goodness, we really cannot afford to go out AND pay a sitter.” and "What was your name again?" 

Under normal circumstances, we did life like every other family, rolling with the punches while bobbing just above the surface. However, when life circumstances got heated, as they always do, we found ourselves coming apart at the seams. That “three stranded cord” [And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecc 4:12] can become frail when we become separated and entangled in the cares of life. The three strand cord can be seen as the husband, wife, and God, who binds them together. Whether the spouse is a believer or not, there is still room for this principle to be applied by the believer, and it is quite powerful.

During a particularly challenging time, when the economy fell apart and our livelihood was at stake, we needed something to keep us anchored. Though our finances did not make it easy, we started making Friday night our date night (with flexibility for schedules). No matter how difficult the week had been, that was a time that we could personally connect again, and rediscover what it was like to date again. We didn’t have to dress up (all the time), nor did we have to go to the fanciest place in town. There were several times that I found a great Groupon for an activity or dinner. Sometimes we just enjoyed an endless bowl of chips and pico de gallo (my personal favorite splurge on cheat night).

If the frugal side of me got caught up on the expense of date night, I would talk myself out of it. What I have discovered is, this weekly investment of alone time together has been worth its weight in gold. If I could have told my younger self anything, I would have said to keep these things a priority:

1. Honor your relationship with God; be in prayer, praise, and doing His work continually.
2. Honor your relationship with your husband, and never stop dating.
3. Honor your health, because you are a vessel that the Holy Spirit dwells in, and the lifelong helpmeet to your husband.
4. Honor your children by teaching them how to do these things.

I have found myself leaving this reminder to engaged friends, and really hoping to instill this in my kids. The best thing I can do for them is to show them that their parents really do love one another.

Date night (or morning) does not have to be out to eat. A walk in the park, feed the ducks, explore a trail, or visit a museum. Walk the downtown area, grab a cup of coffee at a little coffee shop. Check for outdoor concerts like Symphony Under the Stars, or take a fishing pole down to the lake. Keep it simple, and every once in a while plan something very special.

The point is to really enjoy one another. Take pictures, hold hands, laugh, and get to know one another again, especially if it has been some time since you had time together without wiping peanut butter off of someone while playing referee between rowdy kiddos.

xoxo,
Tasha

Feed Your Life!

Hey, there is arugula hiding in my eggs!

I am a foodie. There is no hiding it. My step-mother, Suzi, tells me that as a kid, when we were eating breakfast, I would ask what we were having for dinner. I love the nurturing feeling that comes from food that comforts, and the crisp texture of fresh foods. I cannot tell you the number of meals that I have enjoyed at the hands of those who love me, and as such, I absorbed that love through every forkful.

As an adult, I became the food nurturer; loving those around me with food that would express the deep love that I have for them. It was the one, personal gift that I could offer to them. So when I determined that my weight was not going to improve with the way I was eating, I really had to change my motto from “I live to eat” to “I eat to live.”

Changing the mindset of eating is not always easy. Behavioral change is just as difficult. I have found that when the evidence is clear, and reason is identified, making adjustments in habits become a little easier. After spending the better part of 15-18 years fatigued, uncomfortable, irritable, and quite honestly, depressed, all of my personal research pointed to the incredibly nutrient poor diet that I was ingesting. I survived on a large portion of carbohydrates, with a small helping of vegetables and a dollop of protein. What I thought was the thrifty way of eating, cost me more in valuable years than it would have ever saved me in money.

There was an interesting cascade effect that began when I first started incorporating more vegetables and healthy proteins in my diet.

• First, I made a healthy meal choice.
• Then, my mind recognized that a good choice was made, and the happy “reward” hormone said “atta girl!” in my head.
• This sweet little happy hormone encouraged me to make more and more good choices, and even gave me the nudge to get active.
• The activity, of course, rallied in weight loss, as well as the occasional ravenous hunger spells from the calorie deficit.
• Remembering that happy feeling when good food choices were made, it kept me from digging into the former food habits.

All of these things help in the course of sustainable weight loss and increased health.

But be aware: If an indulgence creeps in, these things all work in reverse! Unless you quickly jump back on the program and keep trucking forward.  I say this not to be a downer, but to remind us that we will have times that we allow ourselves the occasional splurge, and when that happens, we can take control of the situation and resume the path that we are headed on.

As I transitioned into a healthier eating pattern, my mission was to eat no less than 5 servings of vegetables and fruit (combined) per day.  If I had a day that I was more hungry than normal, I tried to train my brain to think of a veg or fruit that I could eat, rather than the normal filler foods like crackers, chips, etc.

One thing that I am super thankful for during the last 3 years is that I have not been ill, even once. Not a cold, flu or anything (thank you, Lord). There have been a couple of times that it felt like something was trying to set in and I would quickly make a batch of Ginger Tea (hot water, 1 inch hunk of ginger, wedge of lemon & a tsp of honey), and whatever it was would leave.  This is truly evidence that nutrition will assist the body in promoting wellness. When our cells are given the proper macronutrients, vitamins and minerals, the chemical reactions within the body work in proper fashion, building new cells, tissues and fighting off invaders as well as getting rid of dead or bad cells. All of these things take place without any acknowledgement on our part; the nutrients from food simply do their job.

So, no longer is there a huge desire to consume food based simply on taste. Food serves a function, fueling the body, so that life is so much richer. Physical, mental and emotional health improves by eating whole foods.

If your food comes from the Earth or ate from the earth, eat it. If it has undergone any form of processing besides washing, freezing, grinding or drying, you will do yourself a favor by limiting them to only about 1/5 of your total food consumption or less. Each step of processing removes another layer of nutrients, which your body desperately needs to stay in tip-top, disease-fighting state.

The Blue Zones, Second Edition: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest, by Dan Buettner is a fascinating book that details the 9 common factors among the population of individuals who live to see 100 years of age. While that may seem like a lofty goal, these individuals seem to do it effortlessly with simple rules for life. I had the privilege to hear Dan Buettner speak at the 2013 Florida Dietetic Symposium and his research bolstered my insistence on making nutrition a priority.

Eat fresh foods. Often. Don’t get discouraged if you try something for the first time and do not like it. Our palettes need the need the opportunity to acquire a new taste. The first time that I ate arugula I thought it was too pungent. It took about 3 times of trying it with different dishes before I finally decided that I LOVE it. Especially with balsamic vinegar!

Challenge yourself the next time you go to the grocery or the market, to buy something that you have never eaten before and keep an open mind to it. Look up the nutrients of that food, and remind yourself that you are FEEDING YOUR LIFE!

Xoxo,

Tasha

The Princess Half Marathon 2014 | Getting There

 

*Let me preface this post with a link to My Journey. I was not born a runner, nor have I ever had any significant athletic tendencies until 2011.  If you think that you could never reach an accomplishment like a half marathon, think again.

If I could sum up the process of training for my first half marathon in one word, it would have to be courage. Too often, I relate better to the cowardly lion than the lion-hearted. Big goals scare me speechless. I fear the long process, the unknown, and I fear failing. In the end, I know that there will not be anyone more disappointed in me, than me, if I fall short of the goal. And that is the major miracle and milestone that occurred in February of this year (2014). Not simply that I ran 13.1 miles for the first time in a race, but that somehow the courage to take on the task and be faithful to the training, so that I could meet the goal. There was a specific reason that I chose the Princess Half Marathon as my first, which goes beyond the fact that it was a fun Disney race. As a Daughter of the King (which makes me a Princess), recognizing just how much of a privilege and a blessing it is to have His strength offered to me as His child was/is part of my growing process. Though I am not “young” in the Lord, there are things that I learn every day that gives me a greater understanding of what He desires to do in my life. Running the Princess was an exercise in deepening my dependence on Him to lengthen my endurance.

This was not a decision made on a whim. The Princess had been calling my name for over 2 years, but I was shy and afraid. It seemed like that was only something that elite athletes would do, not a less-than-three-year-runner would take on.  My dear friend Angel had been encouraging me to jump in, but I was not nearly on her level of fitness and felt like, “sure, you think it’s easy… but not for me!” Because she has been my faithful fitness streak partner for almost 2 years, she said if I signed up, she would be right there with me. As an added bonus, my friend-that-is-more-like-a-little-sister, Dara, who had also taken up running signed up too! I knew it would be a big weekend, and having companions would make it even bigger!

At the time of registration, in the summer of 2013, the farthest that I had ever run was 7 or 8 miles. My sister, Kim, kept telling me that if I could go that far, surely I could make 13.1. I still was not so sure. I kept up my weekly maintenance runs of 3-5 miles a couple times per week and did a “long run” of 6-8 miles at least 2 times per month. My long runs were maintenance runs for real distance runners, or so I thought. On October 29^th, I started the suggested Jeff Galloway training plan that was offered on the Princess website. I loved the fact that it would download into my calendar on my phone so I always knew what my scheduled runs were.

By this point in my running, I was not using any interval training apps, simply MapMyFitness/ MapMyRun. For a very long time, I depended on an app to tell me when to run and when to walk, because it gave me something to shoot for. If I left it up to myself to create intervals, I would probably not push myself as far as I could go. I felt like a big girl now, just hit the start button and go! There were occasions when I would walk a few paces during a drink break or at a turnaround point, but I for the most part it worked better for me if I kept the momentum going. Not everyone is the same, and many have found great success with Jeff Galloway’s walk/run interval method. You have to go with what works for you.

During the Fall of 2013, while I was training, I was also taking a full load of classes and maintaining a crazy schedule with my kids. Lots of taxi time and even more time in the books. Running first thing in the morning seemed to set the day in order and gave me that great feeling of accomplishing a small goal at each run. I normally run with one earbud in (for safety), and listen to music or podcasts, but so many times I tuned out the music and worked on sorting out an issue at hand… exactly how many amino acids are there?... what are the names of the B Vitamins?... How is Hannah going to get to class tonight when Trent has practice?...Will Trevor be at work or school tomorrow?

At the beginning of 2013, the main physical goal I had set for myself was to hit 13.1 in ’13. Even though the training plan did not suggest for me to run 13.1 yet, when I set out for the long run on December 28^th, I ran my first 13.1. It was pure adrenaline! Up until this point, I had only done 10 miles. As soon as I turned off my app, my husband called to find out where I was (I had taken longer than the 11.5 miles that I originally told him I would run). He had planted a water bottle at a specific location for me earlier, and when I called, I asked him if he would start an Epsom salt bath for me. To my surprise, he said it was already done. When I got home, my daughter had a smoothie ready for me and he had some eggs and veggies waiting. I was so moved by their support of this goal that meant so much to me, and I was only still in training!

January and February in Florida can be pretty chilly (I know, nothing like up north…), so making myself get out there in the cold mornings was sometimes a struggle. I did fairly well keeping to the training schedule, because I did not want to get to the race and fail.

The last 2 long runs did not go quite as planned. The time needed for the long run was sometimes difficult during these mornings when the sun did not come out until after 7am. Saturdays were frequently filled with one activity or another, and we have church on Sunday. In order to get my miles in before the sun arose (since I did not have a running partner) my dear husband followed me in the vehicle, shining the headlights on the sidewalk and keeping me safe. At one point, he rode a little ahead of me. A shadow fell on the sidewalk ahead of me and I could not see the uneven pavement and I fell hard. I was carrying a hand-held water bottle, which I landed on, and it exploded all over me (yes, you can laugh… I did). I was soaked, scraped, and a little shaken, at only the 3^rd mile of a 12 mile run. My husband jumped out of the car and made sure I was ok. There was a time in my life when I would have gotten in the car and said forget it… Instead, I gave him my wet jacket, had him refill my water bottle, and proceeded on. I think he was really concerned for me, because he followed me for a while, even after the sun was up.

The very last long run was supposed to be 14 miles. It looked like it might rain, but I had no other time to fit it in so I headed out anyway, telling myself that I needed to be prepared in case it rained the day of the race. The first 5 miles were fine. Then the mist began….It was fine until about mile 8, and by mile 10 it was pouring. I huddled under a tree, hoping for it to pass. My hubby called and asked if I needed a pick up (how does he know the perfect time to call?). I finally conceded and he agreed to come and rescue me. Up until this point I was faithful to the plan. I believed in the plan, and I trusted that it prepared me for the race. I will say, I knew that I would not be a record setting runner. My average run pace for a long run was in the upper 10 min/mile or 11 min/mile range. I was perfectly fine with that pace. All that mattered to me was to finish strong. The fact that I had the courage to see it through the training plan was a major accomplishment for me.

In the next post, I will share with you the fantastic experience of the Princess Half Marathon weekend.

*Disclaimer: Please consult a physician before beginning any exercise plan. This is written as encouragement.

Frozen Bananas | Faux Real Frosty

When I first began to eliminate sugar/artificial sweeteners from my diet, the transition was a little

challenging. First there are the cravings. Then there is the struggle with trying to find foods without sugar. And then there are more cravings. Frozen bananas were a mainstay in those initial days. For years, we have always thrown the over-ripe bananas in the freezer to make banana bread, but since I was not doing that regularly, they quickly became a constant ingredient in my green smoothies.

 

There is no need for any mad kitchen skills when it comes to storing overripe bananas in the freezer. If I am too lazy to peel them, I throw them in whole and when I want to use them I let them sit on the counter for 3-5 min to soften, then cut off the skins with a paring knife. The handy way to do it is to simply peel the bananas and put them in a freezer bag and pop them in the freezer. Try not to pack your bag too tight so the bananas do not mush together. When they are frozen, you can shift them around in the bag to loosen them and take them out as you need.

 

I'd love to tell you that I have this great long list of green smoothie recipes, however, it simply isn't so. Most of the time, whatever is in the fridge gets added. If it is strawberry season, those get added, if it is melon season, then I go that direction. I try not to get too stuck on any one variety because I shop according to what is in season at the time. Oh, and price... that is a huge factor. In any case, I always add a handful of kale or spinach (yes, it turns green, but no, you cannot taste it). The micronutrients are so good for you, and it is one way to get in a veggie serving without really trying.

 

For those nights when only the creamy texture of a soft-serve ice cream will do, this yummy treat can save the day! Faux REAL! You will be so amazed that you will kiss Wendy's good-bye forever...

Keep an eye out at the grocers or at the market for discounted bananas that are overripe. When I see them at Winn Dixie, I buy whatever I can because they will last a good 6 months or more.

 

Leftover fruit from a fruit tray, or overripe fruit make great items to freeze for later. Once they are frozen they can be added to smoothies or oatmeal for a naturally sweet treat. Don't be surprised if you find yourself nom-nomming on the frozen bananas straight out of the bag... super yum!

 

xoxo,

Tasha



My Journey to Better Health!

 

If reading real life experiences help you, then this is for you... Three vital points to my journey can be found in the previous posts regarding the Spiritual, Emotional and Physical aspects of health and weight loss. There is an abundance of information here!

Good, healthy food was never a foreign substance for me.  I believe my mother was the seed of the original health nut. I remember some of my youngest years being part of a mostly vegetarian household.  There wasn’t a plant product that I was foreign to me. So how did I allow myself to rollercoaster through every weight on the scale between 138 and 220? Quite simply: lack of focus and discipline.

There have been seasons when I held fast to a diet and other seasons when I have banished the scale like somehow IT was the problem. I always cooked with elements of the healthy background from which I came; I also allowed too much of the unhealthy non-food in as well. Sometimes I would say, “Oh, you only live once.” Other times I would say, “It is cheaper to buy the boxed stuff.” I could look around at all of the other people, eating what they want and staying slim, and being completely oblivious to their inner health and think, “There must be something wrong with ME.” 

Now I see things completely different. The fact that my body showed the weight that I gained as a result of eating poorly was actually a GIFT! How many times have we come across someone who we think is getting away with something that is really not good for them (physically, mentally, emotionally), only to find out that their misdeeds catch up with them all at once, with vengeance?  That is exactly what happens inside our bodies when we neglect to nourish ourselves as we were intended. Some of us can get away with eating junk for years with no external signs of trauma, but then suddenly, with very little or no warning, a diagnosis of a preventable illness or disease! The fact that my body was my “tattle-tale” helped me to see that what I was doing was poisoning instead of strengthening this vessel that I’ve been given.

My eye-opening, about-face, get-serious-about-being-a-healthy-adult moment came in May of 2011. I was too embarrassed to step on the scale and admit how far out of control that I allowed myself to get. My best guess is that I was about 195 lbs. I was talking to my sister, who is a physician, and a healthy lady herself, about what in the world could be hindering my weight loss. I was praying that there may be a safe pill or a wave of a magical wand that could solve my problems. Without specifically saying it, she helped me see that there were 2 things hindering me: my fork and my couch.  She suggested that I check out Sparkpeople.com. I dug in and read all kinds of articles. I set up a profile and began tracking every morsel that went into my body.

The first realization was that I was consuming way too much of the wrong kinds of foods, and my activity level left too many calories at the end of the day that had not been burned.

I reduced my allowable carbs and increased my proteins primarily because I understand enough about my body to know that the carbs stick with me too long and the proteins help me stay full when I reduce the carbs. Something that I always kept in mind though is that vegetables and fruits have carbs, but I treated those carbs different than I treated grain and potato carbs. I ignored the carbs from veggies and fruits in effort to persuade myself to eat at least 5 of them a day. I never wanted the fear of their carbs to prevent me from eating those fresh foods. Another trick that I implemented was one that my grandmother (who was a little bitty lady) used with great success. On Friday nights, I would allow myself to eat anything that I wanted, without any guilt. A strange thing happened though. While I would indulge in chips and salsa, I no long desired the fatty, fried, super sweet stuff that I was once drawn to.

Making this simple change created some momentum in the weight loss area. I began implementing some exercise in here and there and reading about how some people who were never runners were able to successfully begin a Couch to 5k program. Me? A runner? Never! I was the girl in school who always went to the nurse’s office if we had to run mile in gym! But something bit me…I suddenly wanted to conquer this! Perhaps it was the encouragement of a bit of weight loss, or maybe seeing others who were older than me, and perhaps even heavier than me do this without backing down.  So in June of 2011, I downloaded the Couch 2 5k app on my iPhone and set out to “run” my first workout.  I think I prayed the entire running portion that I would not die on the pavement and some stranger would have to call my family and tell them. I imagined the look on my children’s faces when they heard the news that their mother croaked on the last leg of a 30 second run interval. Then to my surprise, the workout was done and I in fact had completed the first day of the program.

The weirdest thing happened.

I came home and wanted to do the 2^nd day right then. OMYGOODNESS. My 7^th grade gym teacher would be so proud!  For the next few weeks I stuck to the schedule and progressed through the program to run (without stopping!) a full 5k on September 4, 2011 (happy early birthday to me!). Running gave me the biggest bang for the smallest time investment. At this point, I was happy to see my scale hit around 168 lbs. That means, in 4 months I had shed almost 30 lbs, fair and square. No pills, not gimmicks, just breaking the magnetic pull from the couch and changing my food choices a bit. Next goal was to conquer the 10k, which was met by January 1^st, 2012.

Somewhere in this time I discovered the SparkStreak theory: choose a new habit that you would like to begin and each day in a row you do it counts towards your streak. If you skip a day you begin at 1 again. So I began my first fitness streak in August of 2011. My first streak was 120 days in a row. It was so exciting to keep it going. My friend Shaneka was my buddy and we cheered each other on. My next streak lasted over 100 days. And currently, my friend Angel and I have a 728 day fitness streak going. The best part of the streak is that it is motivating to others as well! That is the whole idea: to SPARK someone into changing their life too!

All of this created a newfound confidence. I had been feeling the nudging to go back to school, but never felt that I could muster the energy required to maintain a household of 3 teenagers, a struggling business and college. Even so, in October of 2011, I jumped in with both feet.  Success with maintaining discipline in body trickled over to success in maintaining discipline in the mind. In the spring, my biology professor (who held a bachelor’s in nutrition, among other things) helped me put together some missing pieces in my weight gain/loss mystery. He went into great detail of the impact of sugar and manufactured products on the cells in our body. He challenged the class with a 30 day sugar/artificial sweetener fast. He promised that there would be weight loss and a reduced bloating, along with increased energy. He explained that there are so many toxins in the manufactured foods which actually CREATE food cravings. It is like how tobacco companies manipulate the nicotine in cigarettes to ensure future customers.  I took the challenge, and saw great success! Within the first month I lost approximately 10 lbs and saw a difference in my waistline. Additionally, food tasted so much better and I no longer craved the treats that I had been allowing myself sparingly.

This set me in the direction to visit the idea of a lifelong love of food and nutrition. Instantly, I knew the direction I should go with my education and I began to turn my attention to the field of dietetics. It was like I had been reunited with an old friend.  The more I refreshed myself with the healthful attributes of God-given foods, the more I began to remove processed foods out of my diet, and saw even more weight come off without much effort.

Consciously adding natural foods into our diet does so much more for the body than just the circumference of our waistline. It is the most effective way to build our innate ability to fight off sickness and disease. A strong immune system is to the body as the Coast Guard is to our shores. Invaders may attempt to invade, but when we build the cellular response to attack the foreigners, the result is as we were divinely designed.

Today, my weight rests somewhere in the upper 130’s. My body is stronger from the inside out than it was 36 months ago. More than anything, my spirit, my body and my mind all come together in a balance of a disciplined lifestyle that can better reflect the life that the Lord desires for me to live.

The key components of my current lifestyle are comprised of:

·        Morning quiet time praying and reading The Word each day. A life built on Jesus is the core of a balanced life.

·        Drink my first glass of water for the day while my coffee is perking and eat something small shortly after awakening (whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter most days)

·        At least 10 minutes of exercise each day (sometimes it is an hour run, sometimes it is 10 min of yoga/stretching)

·        ALWAYS eat at least 5 vegetables/fruits each day (less hungry when these are eaten)

·        5-6 mini meals or 3 moderate meals w/2 snacks

·        Have a protein source at each meal/snack. Chicken, turkey, lean pork or red meat, tuna, nuts, beans, tofu, cheese (small amount), Greek yogurt.

·        Drink at least 3 liters of water per day

·        If sweetener is needed, honey, or pure stevia or raw sugar. This is used very sparingly as it creates cravings. Zero white sugar, zero sugar substitutes.

·        Choose whole grain, brown rice, quinoa, and whole oats. Zero white flour.

·        Read labels, and choose items that have food closest to its original form. Frozen vegetables are a more stable form than canned. Look for items with no additives, starches or syrups. Check things that you would not suspect. Dry roasted peanuts can contain sugar and starch. Canned beans sometimes are packed in corn syrup.

·       Stick to “Clean Eating” methods of food choices and preparation

This story is mine, but it is not anything that anyone else could not experience with a hearty portion of stick-to-it-tiveness... I hope this helps you find it! You can do it!

*Disclaimer: Please consult your physician before beginning any weight loss or exercise regimen. This information is offered as suggestions and encouragement.