Eating Healthy for Less

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=20063996&nid=1000&title=5-ways-to-eat-fresh-for-less

I read another interesting KSL article the other day that I wanted to share with you all. I hope you're doing okay. I had two people tell me that I'm looking great today. It made me feel good. Anyway, article. You can follow that top link or read the copied text below.

Living in a fast-paced society, it can be difficult to eat fresh, healthy foods. “Pre-packaged” and “drive-thru” seem to be the key words of the day. But not only are foods made from scratch or homegrown healthier, they're often less expensive. Here are a few tips for eating fresh and for less.

1. Stay on the “outside” of the grocery store box

Grocery stores are arranged in an interesting fashion: By walking around the perimeter of the store, shoppers will encounter foods in their freshest state. This includes not only items in the produce section, but artisan breads still piping hot and deli items sliced up fresh, not to mention meat before it’s been wrapped in those plastic and Styrofoam cages.

Surprisingly, prices tend to be lower on these items as well. A half-pound of cheddar sliced up at the deli will often run a dollar a pound less than the pre-packaged kind. Even bringing home the bacon, literally, can be a better deal if the butcher slices it up for customers.

Related:

Community Supported Agriculture gaining ground in Utah 
More people in Utah are turning to local farms to get fresh produce every week through a program called Community Supported Agriculture.

Because fresh items are so perishable, they’re constantly being discounted and placed in “must sell” bins. For someone planning on eating it tonight, they can save on it today.

2. Think local

Farmers markets are wonderful places to come across all kinds of fresh produce and homemade goods. Shoppers can find freshly-picked produce, and often, they'll have a bounty of homemade jams, breads and even salsas to choose from.

Not only will shoppers be supporting local farmers, but prices will usually be more reasonable because they don’t involve transportation and other third-party fees.

To find farmers market locations along the Wasatch Front, visit Wasatch Front Farmers Markets.

3. Eat seasonally

Making a salad with strawberries in January? Plan on paying close to $5 for those berries, if you find them.

Knowing what kinds of produce are in season may help you better plan your menu and navigate the grocery store. Prices for produce are lower for those items farmers and grocery stores have a bounty of. It's also a more sustainable way of eating.

Epicurious has a helpful map of of each state's growing season.

4. Learn to share

Americans throw away up to a quarter of all of the food they purchase, leading to a staggering amount of wasted money and depleted resources.

There’s a classic joke that around harvest time, look out for that pile of zucchini anonymously left on your front porch. In reality, there are probably plenty of people willing to take any freebies that come out of a neighbor’s garden. It’s often just a matter of getting the right produce to the right person. It might be prudent to make a neighborhood list at the beginning of the season, not just to get first dibs on some fresh tomatoes, but also to reconsider what could be planted in your own garden.

On the website Shareable.net, expert bloggers give some ideas for sharing a vegetable garden.NeighborhoodFruit .com is designed to help fruit tree owners share their bounty with others instead of allowing their crops to go to waste. Many such organizations exist, but if one isn’t available in your particular area, consider starting it yourself.

5. Use it or lose it

The biggest obstacle to eating fresh is using up items before they go bad. According to Jonathan Bloom, author of “American Wasteland,” Americans throw away up to a quarter of all of the food they purchase, leading to a staggering amount of wasted money and depleted resources.

There are many strategies to prevent this, the first of which is to carefully plan out meals so that fresh food isn’t purchased before it can be reasonably used. Also, be cautious about the amount of food purchased to begin with. Buying items that are on sale or in bulk won’t pay off if they’re not eaten.

Freezing or storing items properly are the next step to preventing waste. The National Center for Home Food Preservation lists some important information on how to preserve food safely. Many items, especially produce, simply need to be removed from the plastic bags or containers they come in. Meats, cheeses, even breads, can also be frozen and easily thawed for later use.

Mexican Crockpot Chicken

I made the best and easiest meal ever the other night.  I did get the recipe from Pinterest.  All I did was first thing in the morning drop chicken breasts (I used 7 for my family) in the crock pot.  Pour in 1 bottle of salsa ( I used home canned) 1 can of corn (drained), 1 can of black beans (rinsed and drained), and one brick of cream cheese.  Let this all cook (I didn't even stir it) on low for 7 to 8 hours.  Use two forks to shred the chicken and serve it on tortilla shells or chips or Alan ate it for left overs all by itself and loved it.  I tried to eat it on a whole wheat wrap and that did not work, the wrap was too weak to hold all the deliciousness.  My entire family ate it and asked for more.  I hope that you try it and enjoy.  I don't know what the calorie count or anything is but it has got to be pretty good for us.

Stuck

So, I'm a little frustrated with myself lately. I kind of feel like I've been stuck around this -10 lbs for forever. In fact I can right out say, I've been hovering around it for 6 weeks. I hit it and then have gone up and down. I think part of it could be the fact that I've started actually exercising and maybe it's muscle growth....? The other part, now, is that I am feeling discouraged and am probably sabotaging myself.

I've been on this journey for 15 weeks and I know I should be farther down the path than I am. I keep thinking of 'excuses' for why this is going on, but really I don't want to make them. Maybe it's this season of Biggest Loser getting to me. I don't need excuses. I know that I can do this. I guess I just need to remind myself why I am doing this.

Why do I want to lose weight?

• I want my body to feel better. I'm sick of aches and pains that shouldn't be a problem with my 26 year old body.
• I want to look good. I'm tired of trying on 5 different outfits because I feel fat in each of them.
• I want to be happy. I know that exercising and eating right will actually improve my moods.
• I don't want to be dependent on food to make me feel better. Food is fuel, not therapy.

I guess I just need to recommit myself to this process. I know it isn't going to be easy. I'm going to have to do it a pound at a time.

Anyway, sorry for sharing my personal pep talk. I just wanted to put it out there. I hope you are all doing well and feeling good about your journey.

Hi, everyone! My name is Lori Nelson.

Hi, ladies. My name is Lori and I am so excited for this new journey. I have a lot of hard work ahead of me but this time I am ready to make the changes that I need. I have struggled all my life with my weight. When I was 17 my mom died and after that I turned to food to comfort myself. I have loss weight and gained it back a couple of times in the last 15 years. After I had my last baby I never lost my pregnancy weight plus I gained about 30 pounds. That has been 5 years now! So here I am extremely overweight and ready to change! I started about 8 weeks ago walking and tracking everything I eat. I have lost about 15 pounds. I really am excited to have this support group. My family is a huge support to me but it always helps to have lots of people cheering you on! I know each one of us can do this and I am ready to go!

Kami Reynolds

Hi Everybody, my name is Kami Reynolds. I was added by Kelli Shimek last week because of my life changing post on FB.

This was my post: OK my FB friends, I am literally nauseated and scared to death to do this, but am getting desperate. I need to loose the weight of one whole person and am in desperate need of help. I am tired of of it holding me back from being who I really am, and from doing the things I really want to do. I don't have a lot of money and can't do it on my own. Where do I start? What can I do?

I seriously cried for 2 hours because it was so emotional for me, but never imagined the amazing response I would get. So many people believed in me and were rooting for me and were excited to see a change in me. I was getting messages from people I didn't even know telling me their stories, inviting me to support groups, trying to sell me pills etc.

I have been obese for as long as I can remember. I was teased mercilessly all through school and have always despised what I saw in the mirror. Food is my comfort. I eat when I'm sad, bored, happy, for get togethers, just because it's time, or just because I didn't care.

I tried everything under the sun but would always loose drive a couple weeks into it. I never had the will power to keep it going.

This time just feels different. I am doing this more for me this time, because I am sincerely ready for this change in my life, to look better, feel better, be better!

I started this change almost 2 weeks ago. I have lost 10 pounds by merely tracking my calories, drinking more water and exercising more. I feel a change happening a little bit at a time as I continue down this path. I have an amazing husband who is right by my side and 4 fantasatic kids that I love with all my heart! With friends and family supporting me, and so many people cheering me on wanting me to succeed, I will not fail!

ZUMBA

I would love to invite everyone to try any one of these Zumba classes. They are perfect for everyone and the instructor is Awesome!!
There is a Zumba Gold class for the Active older people and anyone who wants to do Zumba but might have a physical limitaion.
There is ZumbAtomic for kids (ages 4-8 are little stars and ages 8-12 are big stars)


Monday- 9:30 a.m. Zumba @Beaver Dam LDS Church house
4:30 p.m. ZumbAtomic @ Deweyville Town Hall

Tuesday-7:00 p.m. Zumba @ Deweyville Town Hall

Wednesday- 10:00 a.m. Zumba @ Deweyville Town Hall
4:00 p.m. ZumbAtomic @ Deweyville Town Hall
7:00 p.m. Zumba @ Deweyville Town Hall

Thursday- 10:00 a.m. Zumba @ Deweyville

Friday- 9:30 a.m. Zumba @ Beaver Dam LDS Church House

*Classes at the church are free. Deweyville classes are $3.00 a class or $2.50 per class with a purchase of a punch pass.

****** FREE CLASSES THE WEEK OF APRIL 9-13, 2012*********

Tomatillo Chicken Soup

I made some amazing soup tonight. The best part about it.... I knew that everything was free of 'man made' additives and stuff. It was all extremely close to the source. Anyway, go ahead and check it out!

http://quickcheapneasy.blogspot.com/2012/04/tomatillo-chicken-soup.html

Hungry For Change

I started watching this documentary. I 'm going to have to come back and watch it later, but I thought I'd share it with all of you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZKjUrZ0Xwc&feature=share

It's an hour and a half so set aside some good time to really watch it and pay attention to it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, I've watched it now! It was AMAZING!!! It is very informational on why diets don't work, what 'man-made' foods really do to our bodies, how you can best work with your body to be healthy, and much more.

I think my favorite thing was a comment about love. One of the guys said he once joined a group that's motto was "Let us love you until you can love yourself". I kind of feel like that is part of what this group is about. We are all here to love and support one another. Once you are able to love yourself you will want to treat yourself well. It is when we feel unsafe (unloved) that our body goes into protection mode and we end up giving ourselves that layer of 'protection' (fat).

Anyway, watching this documentary was a huge lightbulb moment for me. I'm feeling sooooo good right now. I'm very empowered to keep moving forward. We can do this!!!

FLYLady

Has anyone heard of FLYLady? I'm sure at least a couple have. A lot of my thought and things that I try to incorporate each day stem from her. FLYLady (Finally Loving Yourself) is all about organizing your life into routines and daily habits. She's got lots of fun little sayings that really help me out and just make sense.

I know that when my house is messy, or when I haven't written down and scheduled things out, I feel like a complete wreck. I'm stressed out and scatter-brained and can't really accomplish anything (or really want to). When I let my house fall into CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) I don't feel like going out, or getting dressed in the morning. I for sure don't want to eat healthy or exercise. It's just a sad destructive cycle.

Sometimes we need a friendly shove to get us out of that. FLYLady does that for me. She sends out reminder emails about different things to do to help you get back on the path to organization. One of my favorite things that she says is "You can do anything for 15 minutes". It is actually amazing what you can accomplish in that time too. Try it! If there is something that you are putting off, dreading to do, or can't find time for, just set your timer for 15 minutes and tell yourself that you can stop when your time is up. You'll be surprised, I promise! This is also a great way to get started on exercising. Just tell yourself your are going to do two to four 15 minute workouts during the day. Schedule some time for them. Make it happen!

Another one of my problems.... I'm a perfectionist. If I think I can't do it right immediately then I put it off (procrastinator too!). Most perfectionists are actually that way. Another FLYLady-ism "Housework done incorrectly still blesses your family." Sometimes we have to allow ourselves to fudge a little on our housework just so we can get it done so we can feel better. If this means only vacuuming in high traffic areas, or doing a quick wipe down of counters and toilet instead of the whole bathroom, it still helps.

Anyway, those are my thoughts today. If you have more questions about FLYLady let me know. I can share what knowledge I have. You can also check out her website and sign up for her emails yourself. You won't be sorry! :)

Late to the Party :)

Hello ladies, sorry I am late to the party but better late than never huh? I wanted to write a little post to introduce myself. I am Kate Desmond. I am the mother of 5 wonderful children, my oldest will be 12 in August and my youngest just turned 1 last week. Here they are on Alexandria's blessing day (Can't figure out how to crop here so just pretend my Jared doesn't have his hand in his pants ;):

I have been married to my wonderful husband Dave for 13 years. Here we are (this was taken in July 2010 post weight loss):

We have lived in Bear River for a little over 4 years which is the longest we have lived anywhere since we have been married. We have moved a total of 13 times. We decided with this last move that we really need to settle down and let our kids make some real friends. Moving is hard but staying is too I have found. I think I might have some nomadic blood in my body :).

Ok, on to my weight loss/health journey. I had a late miscarriage (13 weeks) between my 4th and 5th children back in September of 2009. I was at a really low point in my life for not only the obvious reason but because I just didn't have very good self esteem. Growing up I felt like I could do anything I put my mind to but once I started having kids I didn't feel pretty anymore and being a parent is a much harder job than I ever thought it would be. I was just plain depressed and felt like a failure. I was at my heaviest after that miscarriage including when I was 9 months pregnant with my other kids and I just couldn't see how I was going to be able to take the weight off. Usually when I nurse I lose my baby weight but without a baby to nurse that just wasn't going to happen. My husband and I decided to take at least a year before trying for another baby to give my body a chance to heal from my D&C and for my mind to heal from this very hard loss. I decided in early November of that year to start trying to lose weight. Yes, I started BEFORE the holidays. And guess what? I lost weight instead of gaining it between November and January! My secret was that I followed the weight watchers system on my own (ie I never went to a center and just used the materials my SIL had from when she was a member). I also started exercising on a regular basis. I went to a Zumba class once a week and then did Biggest Loser for the Wii at home. Also, remember those pesky holidays? I gave myself the day off from counting points only on the actual holiday itself. That doesn't mean that I pigged out (ok lets be honest sometimes I fell off the wagon and pigged out) it just means I didn't stress out too much about what I was eating but did try to make mostly good choices. Long story short, I was able to lose 33 pounds before I got pregnant with my little girl and had a much healthier pregnancy. In fact I only gained 23 of those pounds back and was back to my pre-pregnancy weight within 3 months of giving birth to my baby.

Now, why am I here? Because this is how I look now:

I am proof that the number on the scale doesn't mean a thing! Even though the number on the scale is close (I have gained back about 5 lbs in the last 6 months, stupid hormones!) to what it was pre-pregancy my body is different. I had my 3rd c-section. My clothes don't fit right and I am positive that a lot of the muscle I built before has been replaced by fat. Mostly, I want to feel as good as I did before I got pregnant, there really isn't a better feeling than being able to keep up with your kids. I have fallen out of some of my good habits. I personally have a very hard time drinking water. I know that I need to and it isn't that I drink other stuff it is just that I forget to drink anything. I am sure that I am dehydrated 90% of the time. I read somewhere that when you start to feel thirsty you are already dehydrated so don't wait until you feel thirsty ladies! I also need some motivation from you guys. I am struggling right now because I have been through this all before and I know just how hard it is. I know that I CAN DO IT though and

YOU CAN TOO!

Listen to Your Body

I read an interesting article on KSL today. Thought I would share it. I think it points out some really good thoughts that we should ponder.

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=19612430

When your body talks, listen

By C. Jane Kendrick, ksl.com Contributor - March 29th, 2012 @ 9:44pm

My body woke me up when the sky was still dark and my house was quiet.

Take me for a walk?

It asked.

I shuffled about in the shadows of my house putting on shoes, finding a shirt, throwing on a jacket, pulling up my hair.

Outside was spring-like, not the bone-chilling reception we've had these past few months.

The birds were up too, perched high in the bare trees, chatty, noisy little things.

I walked and walked, talked myself into climbing up an inclined street until I reached the top and looked out onto my still, frosted town. The red-roofed library, the stacked Kimball tower, the dark sky-scraping Nu Skin building, the white rounded temple, all in my view. I stopped and listened to the drumming of heartbeats in my ears.

That's when my body started talking to me.

You've got to trust me.

It told me.

When I am hungry, I will tell you.

You'll hear it in chambered echoes, grumbles and moans.

DON'T FEED ME until you hear my call.

When I am lonely, I will tell you.

A lump will well up in your throat, like you've swallowed cotton, and tears will form in your eyes.

DON'T FEED ME. Try making a connection with the fine collection of friends you love.

When I am anxious, I will tell you.

Your heart will beat fast, your breath will struggle to leave the lungs and you might feel full of fire.

DON'T FEED ME. Instead, sit down and fight for those breaths. Let the oxygen pour into you — clearing the veins and vessels. Close your eyes. Identify the fear that is squeezing you.

When I feel depressed, I will tell you.

There will be a significant lack of energy, a slumpy reaction to bed-leaving. My mind will slow down and thoughts will become like black puffy clouds.

DON'T FEED ME. Instead, fill your head back up with new thoughts, ideas from books and discussions. Replace the dirty fuel in your mind with clean energy.

When I feel stressed, I will tell you.

Like rubber bands squeezing around your cranium, your head throbbing, your stomach turning, your muscles tightening.

DON'T FEED ME. Instead, write it all out, everything you are feeling. Look over the list and examine.

When I feel sick, I will tell you.

Fevers, aches, pains and physical discomfort.

DON'T FEED ME. Take care of me, bathe me, give me lots of water and put me to bed.

When I feel happy, I will tell you.

Goose bumps infiltrate your skin, you will feel light and airy, propped up on energy, buzzing in your blood.

DON'T FEED ME. Use the excess vivacity to spread your sentiments to someone else.

When I need exercise, I will tell you.

Your legs will ache to be walked, your back will beg to be stretched, your heart will ask to be throbbed.

DON'T FEED ME. Walk me. And don't exercise me until I say so, please, or we will battle.

When I feel lazy, content, competitive, peaceful, overwhelmed, snippy, snappy, hot, cold, tired, frustrated, thirsty, full, beaming and bright, I will tell you.

DON'T FEED ME. None of these sentiments require food. Excess surplus will have to be stored. I will have to make more of us — human shelves in rolls and lumps — to organize the overflow intake. Don't make me do that, please. There are babies to feed, children to squeeze, a husband to kiss. Right now, we don't have a lot of steam to become a storage facility as well.

But when I feel hungry, I will send you a message of emptiness of stomach, dizziness of head, a sensation in your mouth extending into your throat that reads, I NEED FOOD. PLEASE DON'T STARVE ME.

Then, feed me.

How can I satisfy my sweet tooth in a healthy way?

Anyone else have a problem saying no to your cravings? I especially have a problem when I get to the end of the day. I'm tired, worn down from dealing with the day, and am in the bad habit of pigging out on the couch while I let my brain veg. I need some more ideas on ways to make healthy choices when it comes to snacks and especially when those sugar cravings hit. Ideas?

How can I make exercising be something I want to do?

Getting that extra motivation to get up and move can be hard. What do you do to make exercising something that you want to do rather than 'have' to do?

How can I motivate myself to drink water?

We are encouraged to drink at least 64 oz. of water a day. Sometimes it's easy to forget to drink or other times I just don't want to. What are some ways that help you stay hydrated?

Tips and Hints

I had a suggestion on trying to add a tab for tips and hints. I think we all have things that help us make healthier choices. Feel free to write up some of yours and share.

Some tips that I recently came across can be found HERE . Feel free to print it out and post it where you can see it. Or you could come up with your own list of reminders. We are busy women with TONS on our minds. Little reminders can help us out! I've also got those tips linked over on the side of the page in my favorites area (I think....). If there are links that you'd like to add just let me know and I'll get 'em up.

I'm thinking that maybe I will post some of the questions that I have a lot and then we can all add our favorite or most creative ways to solve them in some comments. Feel free to add your own questions as well. This will make it easier to come back to when we are having a hard time in a specific area.

LATER
Okay, I changed my mind. I think I like the FAQ better than the tips and hints. Unless you guys object I think I'd rather do it that way. If you have a great tip go ahead and flip it around into a question so you can share it that way. Is that silly of me?

Hi I'm Toni Christensen

Hello,

My name's Toni and I just turned 49. I'm Kelli's mom (and proud of it). So my goal is to establish some better habits for a healthier me. I have Fibromyalgia and I know that there are some things that will make my life easier if I will just do them. These things are getting more hours of sleep each night, drinking more water, and avoiding the sugars that can make inflammation problems worse. Over exercising can also cause problems, but so can not exercising at all. I'm going to try to go on walks with my family and friends and to stretch and improve my flexibility. I think I will start to consistently track my sleep hours and water intake and also any minutes of moving my body. I will appreciate the support and encouragement from the SHE-Ras. It will help to motivate me to be a good girl and do what I know I should be doing. We are smart women and can make good choices in our lives. When we are healthy and happy we can lift and serve those around us. We can do anything we set our minds and hearts to.

Lisa

Hi, my name is Lisa. I am just starting on my new lifestyle journey. My weight gain started after high school and I haven't really don't to much about it. It has come on slowly and after I had my daughter I gained some more. I have told myself that I would never reach a certain weight. Thankfully I haven't but I did come within 10 pounds. I knew right then and there that I needed to do something differently. My goal is to lose 30+ lbs. It is hard to cook great healthy meals cause my husband needs the carbs for work. (He has lost 70 lbs. in 5 yrs.) and carbs are so yummy, I also have a huge sweet tooth. I have started to add more veggies to our meals. I am going to plant a garden this year too. Cause there is nothing like fresh fruits and veggies :) I have also started to drink more water. My other goal is to exercise more. I need to get off of my butt. I have started to go to a Zumba class and it is GREAT!!!! (I know that she will be doing it at Deweyville's Town Hall soon and only charge $2.50-$3.00 a class if anyone is interested. I will know more details later.) Since it is getting warmer outside, bike rides are on the horizon too. I know that being on here is going to help me stay motivated. Wish me luck!!

Din Din

Kelli asked me to do a post of a healthy recipe. We were thinking we could take turns posting a healthy meal. Would you guys like to do one a week or more often? Or if it is easier, we can just post whenever we feel the need? Let Kelli know your thoughts (:

Tonight I made rice, chicken and a smoothie for dinner. White rice won't work anymore. Lame. I use to absolutely hate brown rice. It is chewy and bland and I just didn't know what to do with it. A couple of weeks ago I came up with a yummy recipe to help me overcome my hatred.

Brown Rice Pilaf

#1 Chop up some onions and saute in a small (1/2 a tablespoonish) amount of extra virgin olive oil. I also added some fresh garlic. Saute until clear lookin. Pretty technical eh?
#2 When onions are cooked add in 3/4 can of chicken broth. Add at least a tablespoon of dill. MMM Dill! Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice from half of the lemon. Let it simmer for a minute or two to ensure that those onions aren't still crunchy.
#3 Add brown rice. I used Uncle Bens Ready Rice. It is super convenient. Only 190 cal for a whole cup! This is also a good reason to cook those onions...cuz the rice is already ready to eat.
#4 Does the rice look bland and unpleasing to the eye? Well add the lemon...there BAM...some color. Take a taste. I added a little bit of garlic powder, onion powder and pepper....just cuz they wanted to join the party.

It is delightful! Much better than plan old white rice and butter.

With my rice I made bbq chicken. I got some thin chicken boobs slathered them with a little bit of my favorite bbq and threw them in the oven on 375 on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

Missing the fruits and vegetables in this meal you say? How about a smoothie with both?

Okay so there isn't a lot of veggies in it. But I did have a salad today for lunch, that counts for something.

Don't grimace at the spinach. It makes an amazing color and you can't even taste it. The fruit overpowers it.

Isn't she a beauty?

Here's dinner completed. The chicken was big so I only ate half and the rice was a perfect compliment to the bbq.

So there you have it.....my dinner.

Let us know what you feel we should do about dinner ideas. Happy Wednesday everyone! We are getting so close to the weekend!

-Linds

Hello, I'm Brittney!

Hi! My name is Brittney.
My weight has been up and down a ton over the past 8 years. I like to blame some of it on medications and a lot of it on motivation.
I was very active in high school and could eat pretty much anything I wanted without any issues. Once I moved to college that all changed. That's when I first started putting on weight. It was very gradual, so I could barely tell.
One day it hit me it was an issue when I weighed almost as much as my husband and I was about 30 lbs heavier than I was in high school. I'm a lot shorter than him and really shouldn't be near his weight. At the time I was going through some life issues where I just didn't have any self-esteem so I wasn't motivated to make a change. I didn't like myself, but it just helped me with my self-pity party.
Eventually, I decided I wasn't going to wallow in self-pity any more. I was going to change and nobody could get in my way. It also helped that I had a big vacation booked in a few months and I wanted to look better for the pictures than I'd looked in years.
I started to do the Couch to 5k program. It really helped me get motivated and get going. I was also counting all my calories. The pounds came right off! And they kept coming off.
I was so motivated especially since I was seeing dramatic results. My clothes were fitting and I just felt happier all around.
I met my goal weight for our vacation, but I decided to keep going and see where it took me. After a few more months I was able to hit what would have been my "dream weight". I felt so good because not only did I look much better, but I was able to set and achieve a goal!
In the end, I think I lost about 30 lbs total and lost several pant sizes.
Now I am trying to maintain my weight. I really enjoy eating healthy foods, but a have a TERRIBLE sweet tooth, especially at night. I do my Zumba every morning. (Although I really tried to like running I just couldn't do it. Not for me.) I LOVE doing Zumba and it helps so much to do something that I don't dread every day.
I tend to eat more and lose self-control when I have a lot of stress in my life. My weight has fluctuated, but I'm committed to never let it get back to where it was when I was my heaviest. Being healthy is not something you do for a few months, I believe it really is a lifestyle. My lifestyle is very different from before. I actually enjoy being active and feel yucky when I'm not.
I'm excited to be part of this group and to hear YOUR success stories!
Before:




After: (a few months ago)

Linds

My name is Linds 

I originally hail from the grand town of Tremonton. As soon as I graduated from high school in 2004 I ventured down to Salt Lake where I am currently living with my husband of almost 7 years.  I am also raising our aquatic turtle. He's a big commitment. (:

I have always struggled with my weight. My senior year of high school my family went through a drastic health change. We all did the South Beach diet and we lost a significant amount. After that I moved away and for 6 months I lived.....and without consequences. When I got married the pounds crept on and I gained a solid 40 pounds. Over the years I have succeeded in yo yo dieting. Every summer I look good. By the beginning of the year I am back to the same weight. Every year I tell myself that I am not going to go back to my old self. It is emotionally and physically exhausting. I promise though....this is it. Heaven help me! This has to be it!

Lately I have been exercising. I have discovered that I love to run outside. But it has come with a new frustration. My calves look great....but my butt and gut are stubborn. I have signed up at a gym and I hope between the two types of exercise and some healthy eating I can get it off for good.

Goals: Lose 30 pounds. Keep it off. Be a healthier me so I can produce a healthy lil linds in the future. 

I am excited to read all your stories and to get some added help from others. YAY for all of us!

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

I also have a food blog that I've been trying to keep up with for awhile. Lindsey brought up the thought that maybe we should get some healthy recipes going on here. I just thought that I'd share my number one, favorite, delicious, go-to recipe. I figured you all might enjoy it, and I wanted to see if I could get some label tabs going up at the top of the screen. :)

http://quickcheapneasy.blogspot.com/2012/02/guiltless-alfredo-sauce.html

I decided that the dish has about 6 servings which makes it 385 calories per serving (WOO HOO!). I think that's pretty good compared to what it could be.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

hey! I am Nicole

Hi my name is Nicole Cantu. I guess we are all doing introductions. I am 20 years old and, I am a hair dresser, I get to play with people's hair all day so its a pretty good job :) umm I live at my parents house right now until i get my feet under me. I am the oldest so i was/am the guinea pig child lol but its good.

That is me on the right on March 10th.

So when i was in high school i was in Colorguard, i ran around and danced everyday so i never had to worry about working out. Then when i moved down to Saint George to go to school i gained 40 lbs. I ate out everyday and did absolutely no exercise, so obviously i was bound to gain weight. That was a year ago and i have been living at home since. I have lost around 10 lbs since then but that is just cause my mom won't let me eat out lol I still struggle with exercising so i hope that being a part of this group will help motivate me and kick me in the butt. I love being part of a team and reaching for a goal, so this should be good for me :)
I would love to lose weight and tone up and become proud of my body and myself. Lets go team SHE-Ra!

Sondra! :)

Hi my name is Sondra Nelson I am 37 years old. I have Three Children Marisa 13 Vanessa 10 and Derek 6. I work at the Elc in corrine and I work night a kents market. I started my weight loss journey in Nov of 2011. After I had gone to the doctor for a health screening. And he said things where good but that I might want to consider losing about 20lbs in the next to month ( That was Nov to Jan). That is right during the holidays. So I decided that I would join the result gym inTremonton and see how things go, Well I did not make the 20lbs but I did lose 17lbs. And then the chance came that the gym was having a biggest loser contest, so I found a partner and we joined in. They gave us certain thing that we were to try to do for two week and then we need to turn it in, So the first week was to right everything down that you ate. So I signed up for a program called myfitnesspal.com and type in everything that I ate and all my water and exercise. So I realized that if I had to write it down then I was not going to eat it or that I was going to eat less of it, or I need to work it off. So we are now down to the last two week and I have lost 49lbs since Nov and 32lbs since the contest started. I don't really think that is what I have lost but it is what I have gained and that I have changed my life for the better. I hope I can now make it a life changing thing and keep it up, and show other that is possible to do if you set your mind to it!

Hi!

Hi, everyone! For those of you who don't know me, my name is Tara Peterson. I started my weight loss journey seriously on March 10, 2011. I remember clearly what prompted me to start losing weight, and getting healthy. I was paying bills one Saturday morning, and had my 3 year old in tow. She was on my hip, and my shirt was a little tight. After baby, things change, right? That pooch has never gone away. Anyway, the lady that was taking my payment looked at me, and said, "Oh, congratulations! When are you due? It's so special to have little ones so close in age!" That was it. I was done. Since that time, I have lost 57 pounds. That's more than my (now) almost 4 year old!


A little back story:

I have always been big. I have never had the opportunity or experience to be a regular size. My motto, I guess, is go big or go home. I've never had the chance to wear a 2-piece swimsuit. Never had the opportunity to feel comfortable in my own skin. I graduated from high school in 2005. Right after high school, I moved over to Logan, and started going to Utah State. I started working at Convergys, met my (ex) husband, and slowly started killing myself with food. Got married, put on more weight. Got pregnant, put on more weight. Had a baby, split from ex, put on more weight. Nursed for 14 months, put on more weight. Stopped nursing, lost 10 pounds, put on more weight. Etc. After it was all said and done, I was 73 pounds heavier than I had been in high school. I started and stopped many times over the next three years. That day in March, though, stands out in my mind because I was done feeling fat, done feeling unattractive, done getting asked if I was pregnant when I'm pretty sure I'm still a single mom with no prospects. Ugh. So, in a word, DONE.

The next step was for me to join Weight Watchers. I cannot stay enough good things about this program. It has been a life-changing journey for me. Sometimes I do great, sometimes not so much. But each day is a new day, a new opportunity to change your life. The pounds slowly come off, and each time I get on that scale, and it reflects a loss, I am reminded why I am doing this. I am doing this for me. I am doing this for Emma. I am doing this for my family, my health, and MY benefit. I am doing this so I can be there for Emma. I am doing this so I can run and not be weary, and walk and not faint. I am doing this so I can play with my daughter. There will be people out there who are not supportive of them. Screw them. Don't let other people tell you you can't do it. You can. If I can do it, you can do it! Dig deep, find your center, and remember what motivates you.

Here's a before and after of me so far on my journey:

So, anyway. There's my story. I'm here to keep you all motivated, to help us all become SHE! :)

Ta-ta for now!

Tara

Hi, I'm Kelli

I suppose I can introduce myself. I think you all know me, but some at differing levels.

My name is Kelli. I am 26 years old. I have two children: my little boy Dallin (3 1/2 yo) and my little girl Lilly (1 1/2 yo)

I have been married for just over five years. Phil Shimek is an amazing husband and father. He does so much for us.

I am a stay-at-home mommy, most of the time. I do work part-time at a local library. Mainly I only have one day a week that I work, but I am occasionally called in to substitute for people. I'm also a Pampered Chef consultant, but I've really kind of slowed down on that. Long story short, I am usually home with my kids every day and by myself with them from 6:30 in the morning to 6 or 7 at night (on average).

My weight-loss journey (this time) started when Hubby and I started thinking that we are going to want to try to add to our family in the near future. My last pregnancy was pretty rough. I had really bad problems with a pinched sciatic nerve as well as lots of back problems the whole time. To prevent that I know I need to lose weight. When talking with my doctor we decided that my initial goal should be to lose around 30 pounds. It would get me in a better spot for my body to handle a pregnancy. I have currently lost 10 pounds and will keep working on it. I want to get my body used to working out so that I can still do it after I'm pregnant too.

This is probably my most recent picture. It was taken on March 10, 2012 at my brother's wedding reception. I'll think about trying to find a full body picture and I will work on getting some taken for our process here too.

So far I have been focused a lot on what I've been eating. I'm starting to struggle with it a little. I've got a sweet tooth and I just need to get over it. I've really been getting into biking on my stationary bike. My biggest thing is needing to schedule my life a little more efficiently so that I can get exercise in every day. I need to pick a time (it will probably need to be in the morning before kids wake up) and then go with it.

Anyway, that's me. :)

Who Are You?

I'm pretty sure there are several women who don't know each other so far. I want you to all know each other and find inspiration and friendship through getting to know everyone. I'm going to send a special invitation to a few women that have really inspired me while I've been getting started. I would like them to introduce themselves and tell a little bit about their story. Where they found themselves when they decided to change, how much they have lost, how they lost it, etc. I think you guys will really enjoy it.

I want you to feel free to do the same thing. We want to know you! I know that it can be hard to know what to write though. Just jump in and post something! :) Tell us about you, your family, what you like to do, ALL of it!

I can't wait to read what you have to say!

The Graph

Would you guys prefer it if we started the graph out clean? Obviously as we have more people join we would just be adding them when they get here, but if you'd like we can all start out at the same spot. I think those of us that have started already probably have graphs or records in other spots too, so it might not matter as much to us. Would you guys rather we start out this journey all on the same spot?

Weekly Reminder

Remember to weigh-in today. It's important to pick a time of day to weigh and stick with it so you can get a correct weight loss recorded. I like to do mine first thing in the morning in my underwear. That way I am taking out as many factors as possible (your weight will fluctuate during the day and obviously different clothes way different amounts). Just make sure that whatever you do you stick with that so that you can have your most correct weigh-in and you can know how you are doing.

SHE-Ra: Thoughts Behind the Name

I hope you guys don't mind the name that I picked. If you'd rather we can pick something else together and try to find a blog name that is open. I think I might just have some weird fascination with She-Ra. I don't really even know that much about her. I might have to do some research on her....

So! My thoughts on the name. I wanted to pick something that was both fun and motivational. I wanted to find something that encompassed as vast as a group as possible. Then I kind of stumbled upon the thought that we all need to 'fight' for ourselves. When I was pregnant with my little girl we nick-named her She-Ra because she acted quite strong and rambunctious. I think that may have led to the name. Then I started thinking about the attributes that we might be searching for. That's when I noticed that 'S' 'H' and 'E' could all be something: Strong, Hot, and Energetic. That's pretty much what we're looking for, right? I mean we could change the Hot to be Healthy and it might seem a little more appropriate, but every woman wants to be beautiful. You guys let me know what you think on that. I might just go ahead and change it. :) I have the power... right? ;)

Anyway, I'm glad we've got some participation! It's going to be a fun team that we create. Lots of great women coming together to help each other along. Go us!!!

BTW, I changed the 'H'. Women are beautiful. We don't need to strive for that. No matter our shape, size, color, age, etc. etc. We ARE beautiful. Plus, it's better to be beautiful than hot anyway.

We're here for you! :)

Diet is a 4 Letter Word

Do you guys hate the word 'diet'? I know I do. I've tried a couple of time to go on a 'no sugar diet'. I've been successful, but not for a terribly long time. I've heard, in quite a few places, that the best thing for you to do is to make adjustments that you can live with forever. You don't want all of your hard work to just go down the drain when you decide that you're finished with your 'diet'.

During the first 10 weeks (or so) of my journey I didn't really do any exercising. I focused on taking control of my appetite. I signed up for a FREE program that I can easily track my calories. This website offers a ton! It will track your weight-loss. It has options to enter in your own recipes and figure out their calories. You can put in your exercise and earn back some of the calories that you need to finish out the day. They have a HUGE amount of info already put in so all you have to do is search for the food or exercise that you need figured out and it already has it. My favorite thing, the fact that they have an App. I know I can get it on my iTouch (which goes all over with me). When I don't have internet available I can still input information and it will sync when it is next connected. I'm sure their App is available for lots of different phones and such too.

Anyway.... the site I'm talking about is called MyFitnessPal . I already know several people that are using it or have used it. It's helped them a lot. My best suggestion for all of you is to use this program or find one that fits your needs. One of the best things you could do for yourself is to start actually paying attention to what you are putting into your body. Once you realize what you've been doing to yourself it becomes easier to slowly build up some good habits. You'll find things that give you the same things you felt you 'needed' before that end up being so much better for your body in the long run.

You can do this!

No Excuses Workouts

I've started using a somewhat different workout plan. The website is done by a great guy named Jonathan. He is a personal trainer and does offer extra if you pay, but he also has a lot of free advice. I have signed up for his free daily emails. They have lots of great thoughts and are a great reminder to make healthy choices all day.

The main workout tool that Jonathan focuses on is intervals. Intervals are a super effective at getting your heart rate up and getting a good exercise session in in under 30 minutes. Intervals have been springing up a lot recently. They have lots of health benefits. The best part, you get to choose what exercise you want to do. Here is a link to Jonathan's sample interval workout.

So, for example, I did my first interval workout today. I chose to use a stationary bike as my exercise. Quick note, everything is done according to a 1-10 difficulty scale. 1 is super easy, 10 is you're passing out from over-exertion. You start out with a 5 minute warm-up at a 4-5 (so a comfortable normal pace that gets your heart beating a little harder. Then you follow the rest of the table. 3 minutes of harder work, then 1 minute of resting pace. You repeat this until you get to 20 minutes then you do a 5 minute cool down. You can use this pattern with lots of stuff. Running, walking, biking, hiking, dancing, or pretty much anything that you can do different levels of intensity and also get your heart-rate up.

Try it out! You'll feel better afterward! :)

Weight Loss Tracking

I've been tracking my weight-loss since the beginning of the year. If you have been tracking your progress then we can post it and be proud of you! Obviously if you haven't been tracking then we can't put it up. We can chart from now on though. I will be updating the graph every Sunday. If you'd like to participate in the graph then you will need to let me know your weight loss. You can email, text, call, Facebook message, comment on a reminder post, or maybe I can figure out something else. I'm pretty open to how you let me know. I think the graph is a great way to be held accountable for your progress during the week. It's also a great way to look at how well you are actually doing.

Introductions

Hey Everyone,
I'm glad you've come to join me! I've decided that this is my year. I'm serious about this weight-loss thing. I want to be healthy for me. I'm tired of being tired, sore, and unhappy. I'm creating this blog to get support for myself, but to also help you! The thing is, I know I'm not alone in those feelings that I am tired of. I know that the world is full of people that are unhappy with themselves. That isn't right. You are WONDERFUL! Guess what? I'm wonderful too. We deserve to know it and to feel it! We are beautiful women. Now it's time for us to show the world and ourselves how true that is!