I Need to Eat a Skinny Person

I know, GROAN. Seriously y'all, this is the summer of dieting for me. I'm tired of being the fattest person everywhere I go. It's old and tired. Just like me. I'm tired of the aches that I know will subside, at least a bit, once some of this weight is gone. I'm tired of hiding from cameras and, when I can't, I'm tired of faking a smile and then having to look at myself in the picture. So, I'm doing it. Or trying to. Again. And I'm trying to NOT think about where I'd be now had I stuck to it the first time out of the gate a few years ago.

My first thought was to try the Isagenix plan I had been hearing about. Holy crap, though, that stuff is expensive! So, I started out with the Atkins plan since I knew I could do that without breaking my poor little bank account. And I knew I could do it because, I've done it before. So I cut the sugar and the bread and the potatoes and a few other things and I started losing right away. It's because of my sugar addiction. I can eat the crap out of some sugar. 

After school was out, I thought I would go ahead and take the Isagenix plunge. However, I still couldn't justify spending that much money on it AND some of the people who sell that product are pushy. Like used car sales people. If it's more about them making money than understanding and helping people, I'm out. I ended up ordering a container of the chocolate shake and a bottle of their Natural Accelerator from eBay. This was a GREAT idea! 

I tried it out as soon as it arrive and it was not good. However, when I use plain almond milk instead of water, used ONE SCOOP instead of two and added ice, it wasn't bad at all. I also decided to use Atkins snack bars instead of Isagenix bars and kept on going. 

The two things I didn't realize? The Isagenix shake that I bought has 22 grams of sugar in a serving. 22 (of course, when you only use ONE scoop, that lessens to 11.) AND the Atkins bars have sugar alcohol. So, I wasn't really keeping away from sugar.

The negatives:

• Cost
• Dealers are pushy
• sugar content
• chemical content

The positives:

• Taste (as long as you use almond milk, ONE SCOOP, ice and a blender)
• It is filling
• You can get what you need/want from eBay
• The company does offer a money back guarantee but I have no idea how legit it is or what hoops you have to go through to get your money back.

These are NASTY.

What to do? What to do? And then, I saw Paleo Protein Bars from Julian Bakery on Facebook and decided to give them a try. I really needed a healthy, low sugar, low carb solution to my problem.

Paleo Protein Bars are NOT the answer. I've never tasted anything so nasty in my entire life. EW and YUCK. NEVER again. I'd be much better off making my own. If it wasn't hot and I was motivated. Ha! Nevertheless, these bars are DISGUSTING.

So I added fruit to my plan and used the Atkins bars in case of a sweet tooth emergency. I also kept up with the shakes because, well, I did pay for the container.

I was down two pant sizes when I decided to get serious and have the Isagenix shakes for breakfast and lunch and then eat dinner. I wasn't making the progress I wanted to make. In other words, the fat was not coming off fast enough. It's difficult to tell a huge difference when you're so overweight that it takes 50 or so pounds to really tell a difference other than pant sizes.


Still concerned with the sugar (and chemical) content in the Isagenix, I ordered the free trial of the ALOHA protein powder. They are completely organic and plant based and have only 4 grams of sugar.

And now, I have a taste problem to resolve as these are not that delish.


The negatives:

• They make you sign up for a subscription service whereupon they mail you more of the stuff on a regular basis. The only way to opt out is to call them. (Haven't done that yet.)
• The taste is not great, even with the almond milk.
• They are grainy/gritty even when blended in the Ninja with ice and almond milk.
• There's an after taste that stays with you for a couple of hours.

The positives:

• You can order a free trial (but the subscription service comes with it)
• You can choose how often to have replacements sent (from every 30 days to every 180 days)
• It is organic and the protein is plant based.

Right now, I've decided to finish the Isagenix shake mix before allowing ALOHA to ship me anymore of their product. I'm torn between taste and the organic, plant-based issue/sugar issue. Right now, I'll probably drop Isagenix and go with ALOHA only because I feel it's the healthier option. 

Let me know if you've tried any of this and if you have any good low carb, high protein bar recipes.

Smoothie Mother-lode

I've found it! The smoothie mother-lode! Holy Cow! This is awesome!

Her name is Olivia Parker and her book---the mother-lode- is Sensational Smoothies, Drink You Way to Health Deliciously!

I've looked over this wonderful eBook and I can't find one piece of information left out. If there's a question you have about smoothies and their relation to health- it's answered in this book.

Does she include any recipes? DOES SHE?! That's a big Y.E.S.

Besides information, she also includes over 180 recipes! I read through the book myself and found so much information that I hadn't even thought of before. If you're new to the smoothie experience, this is THE book to own!

Olivia even includes recipes that require you to use CHOCOLATE! WHAT?! AND---if you do decide to buy the ebook, Olivia is including 3--THREE--other ebooks for no extra cost! (Geez, I sound like a freaking infomercial). Seriously, it is such a beneficial book for learning all about smoothies!

Y'all can click the banner on this post or the one on my sidebar to get the whole story on Olivia's book(s)! Meanwhile, here's a guest post to check out! 

Low Fat Smoothie Recipes for the Health Conscious You

By: Olivia Parker 

A lot of people are now becoming more conscious of staying and being healthy. They look for ways to improve their diet and incorporate exercise into their lifestyle. And since smoothies are so good, a lot of people are turning to smoothies and learning how to make smoothies that not only taste good but are healthy all around, too.
Smoothies fit a healthy lifestyle perfectly. It allows heath conscious people to enjoy a refreshing drink and lose weight at the same time. If you’re looking for a low-fat food source, it’s the perfect guilt-free treat. It’s also very easy and very convenient to prepare. All you need is a blender where you can mix and combine fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients. You can create recipes that provide you with an energy boost, add lots of fiber, provide your daily dose of minerals and vitamins and so much more.

Health conscious people will be happy to note that smoothies also provide these host of benefits:

-    You can add natural fruit juices that contain vitamin c; studies have also shown it to be beneficial and helpful in the prevention of certain cancers and other debilitating diseases or illnesses.

-    Smoothies made of fruits and vegetables boost your immune system and help speed up metabolism (at least, some fruit juices do)

-    Because fruits and vegetables are broken down, the nutrients are absorbed easily by the body.

-    Smoothies can replace meals and provide you with the energy you need to last the day. This is why smoothie breakfasts are perfect if you need to go to a workout, or before going to work.

-    Smoothies with fruits and vegetables can help correct your body’s acidity or alkalinity balance (since fruits have natural acids and enzymes)

Here are some tried-and-tested smoothies, perfect for the start of your healthy lifestyle:

-          Combine and blend the following ingredients: 1 cup of milk, 1 packet of instant plain oatmeal (or about 1 cup of it), 1 cup of orange juice, and 1 frozen chunked banana. Blend and process for about a minute. Serve immediately.

-          Blend 1 frozen banana (chilled or frozen fruits exude much more of the fruit’s natural sweetness – you don’t even have to put sugar or honey to sweeten your smoothie), ½ cup of low fat milk, ½ a cup of shredded ice, and 2 8-oz. of low-fat yogurt (you can choose your favorite flavor). Blend and serve immediately.

-          If you love apples, you should definitely try this: Blend 6 oz. cold apple juice, 1 cup skimmed milk, 8 oz. of vanilla or plain low-fat yogurt, 3 to 4 crushed ice cubes and a dash of apple pie spice (optional). This yields about 4 cups so it’s perfect for the whole family.

-          If you’re into soy products, then you’re going to love this: Blend 1 cup of soy milk, 1 frozen banana, 2 cups of pineapple juice, 2 tablespoons non-fat dry milk, 2 to 3 ice cubes, 1 tablespoon of coconut milk (or coconut essence/extract), and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Blend until smooth, and as usual, serve immediately.

Having low-fat smoothies as part of your diet isn’t hard to assimilate. The key is variety - which you can easily achieve these days with books like “Sensational Smoothies: Drink Your Way To Health Deliciously”. Reconcile yourself with the idea that smoothies – although sinfully delicious – are a great way to inject some healthiness in your diet. 


WooHoo! What are you doing to get healthy this week?

X- Marks the Spot

I've heard that Pirates used an 'X' to mark the spot where they buried their treasure. I thought about marking an 'X' on the body part that needs the most work but then I've have thousands of 'x-es' all over my body. Cause there's not just one place. So, I've got an 'X' marking the spot where my ideal weight is. And it seems to be taking for-freaking-EVER to get there.

I wonder what it is I will do when I hit the 'X' marking the end of my weight loss journey? I haven't been at my ideal weight for at least 10 years. I'm not sure I'll know how to act.

I've been hiding behind my girth for some time now. I haven't gone places or done things just because I was so very much overweight. I'm still overweight. But not as much. And already things are starting to change.

I ordered a dress to wear to a wedding at the end of May. I ordered it a size smaller than I usually do. It arrived yesterday and it is at least 2 sizes too big. Which is great news, right? That means I'm getting a little closer to that 'X'. But it's kind of weird. I'm a little freaked out.

I don't mind as much going out in public anymore. I actually look forward to attending certain events now. But it's a little freaky. Because I don't know who this healthier, fitter, a little less overweight person is. She's been gone for such a long time.

So maybe it really is a good thing that this journey is so dang slow. Maybe it takes a long time to reach that 'X' because those of us on this path have to get to know our healthier selves. We have to get to know who we are without all that excess weight holding us back.

And people had better watch out. Because I have a feeling that, when we do get to know our healthier, fitter, less overweight selves, we'll be out there enjoying life more than we ever have before!

This is the twenty-fourth day of the A-Z April Challenge. I thought I might try a theme this year and focus on my personal journey to health and fitness, including weight loss.

Today's letter is X and my word for the day is X MARKS THE SPOT.

Droopy Pants, Flying Shoes and Friday Fragments

Ok, this is more than a fragment, but I want to share this one day with y'all this week. 

I'm linking this post with Friday Fragments over at Half-Past Kissin' Time! If you want to play along, just click on the button below and follow the link to FUN!

One of my favorite things any day of the week is going to lunch and doing a little shopping with my BFF,Leslie. And we got to do that very thing on Tuesday. It was GREAT, as usual!

After I finally got dressed to go that is. And that was a feat unto itself. 

Most of you know that I've been on a weight loss journey that quickly turned into a lifestyle change for both Hubs and myself. And those of you who have lost weight before know how interesting it can be when your clothes get a bit too big for you. Overnight.

I found this out Tuesday. While getting ready to enjoy a girls afternoon out. 

The Pants.

I love to wear capri pants. And I have a few pairs that I like and chose one of the black ones for our outing. 

When I wore these pants before this last loss of 79 lbs., they zipped and buttoned but they were tight. I always envisioned the button flying off and putting someone's eye out across the room (just like the commercial). Tuesday, this was not an issue. As a matter of fact, when I went to button them, the button hole and button flew right past each other in warp speed. Too big. 

No problem, I thought. My rear is still plenty big to hold them up! And, should they fall to my ankles, Leslie will tell me and I'll pull them up before anyone else notices. 

I zipped and buttoned the pants, let go and down they went. All the way to my ankles. Crap.

Next pair- black, capri, drawstring. No problem, right? Wrong.

When I wore these pants last year, I never once was able to use the drawstring because when I donned the pants the only thing left of the drawstring were the two knotted ends. This time I had to use the drawstring which ended up tied in a bow that hung to my knees- ok that's an exaggeration, but still...

Anyway, the pants stayed up but looked very much like a pair of clown pants. Crap.

Luckily, the day was quite cool (comparatively speaking) and I was able to wear a pair of long pants that fit. 

The Shirt

This went a little quicker. After trying on a couple of shirts that have scooped necks that fell off my shoulders, I went with a shirt that fit tightly last year. This year it slips right down my torso, but stays on my shoulders. SUCCESS!

The Shoes

I decided to wear a pair of shoes I have NEVER been able to put my fat feet into. 

They slid right on and, with my first step, flew right off. I couldn't keep them on my feet. Crap.

This happened with nearly every single shoe I tried to wear. 

Yes, I've been losing weight. Yes, I knew my clothes would become to big at some point. But COME ON, even the shoes?! 

After lunch we went to Rack Room. 

I bought shoes. Next time, pants.   

Have a great weekend y'all!