detoxing...

Good morning friends!  Once again I feel like I need to apologize for being gone so long, but that's ridiculous.  You guys love me right?  You know I've been busy!  The shop closed last Friday and we are still stamping and working HARD to get these cuffs out to you.  Hopefully finishing up today:)  I'm in complete and utter awe at how God provides with every single opening.  We were right on track with our giving too.  The Graham Family was blessed and this thrills me to my toes.  Thank you!!

This opening felt a little different.  The Lord showed up in a big way like always, but I also felt the enemy lurking around.  It started the Sunday before the shop opened.  We had just heard the best message about prayer and Jabez.  He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!" And God granted him his request (1 Chron 4:10).  

I left the service so encouraged and buoyed by God's word and His promises, but things also started feeling weird.  I could just sense attack.  Little chick cut her finger Monday morning and needed stitches.  Honey and I were tense with each other.  We had some hiccups with our remodeling projects.  And then I got a mean spirited note from some anonymous person.  Which by the way made the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Tell me this isn't just some dart from the enemy to discourage and defeat!  But in a weird way it gave me the assurance that we are heading in the right direction with Farmgirl Paints.  Powerful, promise-filled stamped words are circling the globe!! Light and love is being worn daily...visible.  Money is being raised to encourage and be a blessing, and the enemy isn't a fan.  But...greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).  No weapon formed against me shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17).  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph 6:12).  THESE are the words that kept going through my head.  So grateful for God's word and His reassurance and guidance.  What would we do without it!!


So in addition to all the shop hustle and bustle I've been doing a 14 day sugar detox.  And can I just say I was completely nutso taking this on while being completely overwhelmed with shop stuff, and yard and kitchen projects, but once again I felt God's hand on me and there has been a grace to making changes.  The timing is never going to be perfect.  Never!  But guess what??  I did it.  I can't believe I did it, but I did:)  I quit sugar for 2 weeks!!!  Despite being a little low energy I felt GREAT!

It ended on Sunday and I still haven't added back creamer, had a piece of bread, chips, crackers etc or any CHOCOLATE!!  Say what!!!!  I know.  With every fiber of my being I want to stay the course.  I'm loving my even keel levels.  I feel in control.  I'm not constantly snacking.  I don't think about food.  I'm eating vegetables.  THIS is MAJOR!  Like really major!!!  I drink black coffee.  Instead of sandwiches and chips I'm having sliced turkey or tuna with avocado.  Cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas and blueberries are my sweets:)  I have smoothies for breakfast and turkey soup for dinner.  And my favorite snack is a Paleo wrap with almond butter and a thinly sliced granny smith apple right before bed.  I've found the thing that has made my brain finally click over and I'm so excited.  I've lost about 5 pounds.  My face looks a little thinner.  It's good.  So here is my turkey soup recipe:

This is the doubled version of my 

AWESOME Turkey Soup recipe:

2 pounds ground turkey

one package frozen onion

2 cans diced tomatoes with juice

2 boxes of reduced sodium chicken broth

2 packages frozen broccoli, carrots, cauliflower mix

garlic...maybe a tsp or so

Cajun spice, salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground turkey...get it good and brown.  Cook with onions and garlic until soft and smells really good.  Add to the simmering chicken broth, tomatoes, vegetable mix.  Season with salt and pepper and Cajun spice to taste.

If you want to sign up for your own Detox group click here for more information. I highly suggest it..  Marta provides all the information you need, helpful articles, recipes and an online support group to encourage and motivate along the way:)

Be a blessing,

just a few of the mannnyyyy thankfuls...

cutest new pillow in the history of ever. made from a vintage fabric calendar.  

sunsets that remind me this earth is NOT my home.

a new chalk wall in my kitchen. creativity BLISS!!  

the best customers/ig followers in the world! what a beautiful support group the Lord has provided!!

Daniel Fast results and a winner!

I'm sitting here with shaky hands.  My Daniel Fast was over as of Tuesday, and I've been reintroducing coffee.  Out of everything I cut the one thing I missed terribly was my morning coffee.  It was almost unbearable the first week because I just couldn't bring myself to drink anything cold in the morning...and then it dawned on me I could have hot water with lemon.  Duh!  That became my go to.  And as I sit here stomach a little in knots and caffeine coursing through my veins that hot water may stay my go-to.  I actually really love it.  Change can be good;)


It's weird how cautious I feel about food.  I've had 21 days to develop new habits...to clean out the garbage and rest my body.  I'm not in any big hurry to start dumping it all back in.  And as much as I missed normal food and was sick to death of eating the same thing meal after meal...I'm going to continue a lot of the same principles.  I really would like to limit dairy.  I would love to stay off bread and sugar.  I can do without these things.  I've done it and I'm amazed at how much better I feel.  I didn't have the constant cravings.  I wasn't that hungry. 

 

If I liked to cook and used the resources that were out there this fast would have been a piece of cake.  Unfortunately I'm LAZY with food prep.  I ate almost the exact same things for 21 days:/  We ate at certain restaurants and I ordered strictly.  It was hard.  This wasn't easy at all, but I did it.  And despite a few minor things...like butter flavoring on my rice crackers, and some hidden sugars that I didn't know about in my restaurant food, I didn't veer. 


I weighed this morning and I've lost between 6-7 pounds.  Which is wonderful if you consider I hardly exercised.  The lack of protein wasn't doing me any favors.  I was pretty weak and didn't have much energy.  Even though I didn't start this fast as a diet I was hoping to have it kick start my weight loss.  I've been up about 15 pounds and it just wasn't coming off.  Now if I can continue to watch what goes in and add some lean protein I think I will feel great and the rest will drop. 

Spiritually I started bible and notebook in hand.  I made a prayer box and vowed to pray over it every single day.  And I did in the beginning, but as the days went on I got lazy and "forgot" to delve in.  My prayers were more arrow like.  Just fleeting and sporadic.  I'm reminded of how weak the flesh is.  How flawed and imperfect I am, but I also know that despite my shortcomings He met with me this month.  He helped me tremendously to get through this fast.  I never had headaches.  I've fasted before and the headaches were almost unbearable.  I get headaches regularly...and this time I don't remember having them.  That was some major grace. 

He also helped me get some things in my house in order.  It's a process.  There's more to go, and I haven't really begun my "project" yet, but I'm on the path.  I'm focused.  I'm willing and wanting to be used.  My heart is lined up with Him and I'm ready to see what's next. 

***Thank you so much for sharing the things that made you happy recently.  Reading good news, grateful things does a body good!  The winner of the Chrissie Grace $25 store credit is:

 

Amy from Blissful Blooms.  Congrats Amy:)

Be a blessing.

 

966.  mashed potatoes
967.  hot water with lemon
968.  tool for my shop that makes cuff making quiet
969. completing this hard thing
970.  a God that loves me despite my shortcomings

 

ready, set...BEGIN

I woke up this morning bright and early.  Scratch that...it wasn't bright...it was pitch black.  Man I hate that.  Getting out of bed is sooooo hard in the winter, never mind the day after the long holiday break.  So here I am...the peeps are all out of the house.  The routine is in motion and I'm collecting my thoughts.  Geesh the house feels quiet.  Feeling a little blue:/

I should feel excited.  I've been waiting for January.  January is the month I'm going to make changes.  Turn my life upside down;)  Instead I feel a little shell shocked.  I have so many goals.  So many things I want to accomplish it's freaking me out. 


I do have my word though.  I always get a word for the year and ironically enough this year the word is...BEGIN.  Last year it was rest, this year begin;)  You know how there are things you want to do, and you just kinda shove them aside until the time is right??  I've been doing that for a long time.  And you know what?  The time is never right.  In order to get to completion you have to start...to begin and that's where I'm at.  Today I will begin to straighten my studio, so tomorrow I might have a clear thought and some inspiration when I sit in there.  See there's a plan.  There's a beginning and the key is to just do it.  The rest will fall into place.

I've also begun something really exciting.  I'm fasting.  Yep another reason I feel a little shell shocked.  My church is doing a Daniel Fast.  It's a veggie, fruit and whole grain partial fast.  Water only.  No meat.  No dairy.  No caffeine.  No fun...nah just kidding.  Yesterday was my first day and let me tell you I struggled.  I had absolutely NO energy!  NONE!!!  But I did it and I feel it lines right up with my January.  I wanted to set it apart.  Seek the Lord...begin a new thing and it's shaping up to be just what I didn't know I needed. 




Here was day one.  Breakfast was oatmeal with natural peanut butter and a banana.  Snack was a grapefruit.  Lunch was a veggie burger, baked lentil chips and salsa.  Dinner was homemade veggie soup, rice crackers and natural applesauce.  All in all it was tasty.  The caffeine and sugar withdrawal is the issue.  I think by day three the energy should return and the headache will be gone.  Looking forward to day three.  If you have any questions click here for more information.

Be a blessing. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

934.  a new year...a clean slate

935.  claritin...seems to be helping my little chick

936.  basement projects coming together

937.  that i have a free day to organize my studio

938.  sunshine pouring into my office right now

 

 

the smoothie that rocks my world...and a GIVE-AWAY!

Good morning friends.  We finally made it to Friday!  I'm going to share one of my favorite recipes with you this morning.  I kind of made it up myself or tweaked it from various sources.  It's my mango smoothie.  It's also a really great snack for your kiddos when they get home from school.  It's the perfect blend of healthy and yummy:)



When I'm on the wagon and doing really good, it's usually because I started out the day drinking this!  Not having bread in the morning somehow wires me to watch carbs the rest of the day.  If I eat toast, or waffles or whatever then that's all I crave.  Weird.  For instance ya'll know I'm pmsing.  Yesterday I had 2 pieces of toast for breakfast, a package of Ritz crackers for lunch...with swiss cheese and then before dinner I ate 3 scones!  Oh yeah and before bed I made more toast!  What in the WORLD??  Anyway that no bread thing isn't working for me as of late. 

When I make my smoothie I load up the blender with tons of spinach...or a mixture of kale and spinach.  We are talking two giant handfuls.  I add approximately 1 cup of water, or you could add milk or a little orange juice if you wanted.  Then add one scoop of protein whey powder...or  half a scoop if you are watching calories.  For me this step is super important because the protein keeps me from getting hungry in an hour.

I finish it off with one teaspoon of local honey, a few chunks of mango (but you can use any fruit) and two heaping spoonfuls of Greek yogurt.  Again the Greek yogurt adds protein!  Mix until smooth and creamy.  SO GOOD!  I also make variations of this with peanut butter, and bananas or raspberries.  You really can't go wrong.  If you know of a great green drink make sure to share your recipe with us.

I'm attempting to grow the Feed my Family Friday posts.  I think alot of you lurk on Fridays;)  Recipe posts tend to be a little boring in my book, but it's keeping me accountable with my goals for the year of feeding my sweet family.  AND according to my linky page views the links are receiving between 6,000-7,500 hits.  Who knew?  That's so that's amazing!  So link up friends:)


Okay so this week I'm offering a smaller version of my beautiful soul to one of my linked up readers.  Don't worry if you don't have a blog, you can still be thrown in the pot if you leave a recipe in the comment section.  So grab my button pretty please and link to your recipe post...not to your blog url.  I'll leave the linky thing open until next Friday and announce the winner then.  Can't wait to see what you've been feeding your families.







<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.farmgirlpaints.blogspot.com"><img vspace="none" hspace="none" alt="feed my family friday" src="http://i629.photobucket.com/albums/uu20/folly_surf_fisher/feedmyfamily-1.jpg" /></a>

Have a blessed weekend.

514.  sweet mango...makes me feel like i'm in hawaii

515.  a new playlist

516.  the hunger games movie comes out!

517.  second chances

518.  phone calls with long distance friends...brings me out of the pit
519.  happy little songbirds

the cure

 


Tomorrow will be day 10 into the New Year.  Are you still all fired up and ready for change in your life?  I am!  I've been doing a cleanse so to speak.  When I was home over Christmas I noticed a book my mom was reading called The 30 day Diabetic Cure.  My mom has diabetes.  I don't, but the book was right on.  I just knew if I followed it's guidelines I would once and for all be free from some unhealthy habits.


The first phase has you giving up caffeine, sugar, bread, cereal, crackers etc..., fruit, soda and sweeteners.  In it's place you can have meat, eggs, beans, dairy and veggies.  On January 1st I immediately started my Cure.  I love eggs and all forms of dairy.  Beans and veggies not so much, but I've been incorporating them.  I've replaced coffee with decaf sweetened with Stevia and Cinnamon.  The author said that was alright.  I replaced diet soda with seltzer water and a splash of Pomegranate juice.  One yummy snack I came up with was greek yogurt with natural peanut butter or canned pumpkin mixed in.  SO GOOD!


The first three days were the hardest.  I felt really sluggish.  Absolutely no energy and the headaches were awful.  For years I've suffered with headaches.  Every day I have one at some point.  On day three they went away.  I was headache free!  Oh and I had no appetite.  Don't know how that happened but maybe the carb roller coaster I was on made me want to eat all the time.  It really is amazing how much food controls how you feel. 






When I went to buy my refills for my planner I couldn't find any this year.  Why is it that they hook you with these cute little organizers and then fail to carry the refills?  GRRRR!  Anyway it's forcing me to use my ipad's calendar.  I'm so not techy that way.  I'm a pen and paper kind of gal.  Do you guys keep track of things electronically or do you still keep a written record??

All I know is that it's making me very DEPENDENT on this thing. Heaven forbid it stops working or I drop it and it's toast. I can't even think about it.  So I wrapped up my new baby in some fleece.  Isn't she cute?  All you do is make a little sleeve and then I punched some holes at the top for a little drawstring.  I was thinking of making a few.  Let me know if you'd be interested in something like that or not.

 

Have a blessed day.

 

355.  feeling good...going in the right direction

356.  Jeanne's new online class rocks!

357.  chicken white chili simmering in my crockpot

358.  laundry all washed and ready to be folded

359.  church this week was so anointed i felt it to my toes 

making it click

It's share your ugliest, scariest picture day on Farmgirl Paints...ha!  Just kiddin';)  But this is serious business.  Last week was my first camera class.  I took it with a friend.  Talk about overwhelming.  Just learning the lingo makes my head spin.  Our homework for the week was to play around with aperture.  It's the one thing that for some reason makes me the most confused.


So after devouring 4 different camera books...I'm still a little fuzzy, but I thought teaching someone else might make it clearer to me.  I am in no way an expert or probably ever will be, but I think this method of learning is the best.  Every week I will attempt to explain what I've learned.  Hope it doesn't bore you to death.  Maybe it will click for one person.  Oh and if you DO know what you are doing please please pipe in and help us all get it.

The aperture setting on my camera is called AV.  So I turn it to that setting and then I can play with the f/stop number.  The higher the number the sharper the picture.  Consequently the higher the number the smaller the little lens hole is that lets in light.  That's what gets me confused.  Everything is always opposites.  Why do they do that??  In this picture I must have had the f/stop number low because the foreground is really blurry.  The focus is on the distance shot. 

In this pic the little peeps are in focus and the distance is blurry.  The f/stop number must have been low...which mean the lens hole was really big, letting in a lot of light.  When you are in Aperture mode on your camera the shutter speed (I'll explain that later) will set for you automatically.  Which is nice, because I don't have a clue how to do both at once.  It is SOOO complicated.

BTW finally got all the Christmas stuff put away.  Can you say Hallelujah!!!  What a wonderful feeling.  I love having that behind me.  The house is all springy now, which is ironic because obviously spring is a million miles away from here. 

Hi baby...she's such a good sport.  Here the foreground and background are pretty much both in focus.  I must have had the f/stop number high.  Remember high number equals sharp total image.

Background is fuzzy.  F/number must have been low.  Does this make sense?  Did you happen to notice the candy??  We keep a really big jar of candy in the house year round.  All the Halloween, Valentine's day, Easter, birthday party junk etc...goes in that jar.  And for some reason none of us get into it.  I have no idea why.  Maybe because it's in our faces all the time and we just get used to it.  I like it though...it looks pretty:) 

Oh and I wanted to mention my "5" plan.  I wasn't going to talk about it at all, but I feel the need for an update.  I've been following this plan since the first day of Jan. and up until today had only lost 1 pound.  I've been going to the gym or exercising at home faithfully, writing everything down, etc...and only one pound!!  It's really easy to get discouraged and want to give up.  Even though the scale wasn't saying anything my body was changing.  I could see it in my face...feel it in my waist.  When you are pretty close to your goal weight the changes are slower.  Don't give up.  All of a sudden today I dropped 2 more pounds.  Be patient.  You WILL reach your goal if you don't get sidetracked.

Have a blessed day.

The "5" plan

You knew this post was coming...it's January.  I had to write a diet post.  I'm notorious for that;)  A little disclaimer here though.  I know that I'm not fat.  I fully realize this, but I have gained 8 pounds over the last few months and in my experience if you don't nip weight gain right away, one day you wake up and you truly have a problem..like a really big hiney and rolls of "cushion" hanging over your jeans.  Not that this has happened to me.  I'm just sayin';)

This picture is old.  This was us "before" we cleaned up our diet.

For the most part I have struggled with my weight since puberty.  I have the obesity gene, sorry mom but it's the truth.  I have done all sorts of things in the past to shed weight.  There was the Master Cleanse, the South Beach diet, the French Woman diet, the Body for Life diet.  The list goes on and on.


Last January Honey and I did the "eat clean" diet.  It was our own concoction, nothing new or different.  But a plan was formed and it worked really well.  We both lost a lot of weight and felt and looked great. I wrote about it here.  It was all in preparation for our big trip to Hawaii.  Funny how the thought of wearing your bathing suit in the winter will do that to ya.  It got us all geared up and ready for change.  It ended up being one of the best things we've ever done together.  It was a life changer.  Honey is a lot more disciplined than me, so months after the trip he would still have the will power and resolve to turn down dessert and I (the emotional hormonal queen that I am) did not.  So low and behold the inevitable happened and my pants are now a smidge too tight.  But I have a plan.


Since you are all my friends my plan is free...ha!  Seriously I could write a book, but I won't.  So this IS the way to lose weight.  It is fact!  It will work!  I am living proof.  So are you ready for it??  Beware...it's not sexy:)

The "5" Plan

5 days a week...sweat a lot. 
For me planning is a must.  If I am to succeed I have to get to the gym at least 3x's a week and on the other days off do something at home.   Once the weight is off maintaining can be done with 3x's a week.



5 times a day...eat.
Eating mini meals is really important and keeps your metabolism stoked.  Every three hours is a good thing to shoot for.



5 meals a day will consist of these foods: ***This is by far the most important step and I believe 90% responsible for weight loss.***  Ideally a protein source and a carb is the best mix.  So breakfast, lunch, dinner and your snacks need to have a protein and a carb.  Does that make sense?  It totally makes your body burn, burn, BURN:)

What you put into your mouth will determine if you lose weight.  For me cheating doesn't work.  If I do really great for 5 days and then have a cupcake..that mental shift will completely mess up my progress.  It's just better to stay focused and on course until the weight goal is achieved.

dairy & eggs: 

skim milk, plain-non fat greek yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, low fat string cheese, egg whites

meat: 

lean beef, lean turkey, tilapia, tuna in water, canadian bacon

veggies:
my fav's are spinach, steamed asparagus, steamed broccoli, carrots, sweet potato...add whatever you wish.

fruit:
1/2 banana, strawberries, apples (or natural applesauce), blueberries, oranges

grain:
  whole wheat pasta, low calorie whole wheat bread, rice crackers, oatmeal, high fiber english muffins, brown rice

extras:

  spray butter, small amounts of peanut butter, sugar free Coffee Mate Hazelnut creamer, lite mayo, balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and ZONE BARS.  Zone bars keep me from losing my mind when I'm craving something sweet.  

There you have it.  The recipe for weight loss success.  This is what I'm focusing on for the next 5-6 weeks.  It seems selfish doesn't it?  But I tell you taking care of yourself is a Godly thing.  He wants us to take care of these vessels.  I'm not going to talk about it again because doing the accountability thing just makes me want to shove cookies in my mouth.  I don't know why, but I self sabotage.  So if any of you have some holiday weight to lose feel free to join me.  Let me know how you did in 6 weeks:)

Have a blessed day.

Jimmy John's

Recently Jimmy John's had a customer appreciation day.  This is a big deal to us because my Honey is Jimmy John's number one customer hand's down.  They were giving subs out for $1.00.  Yeehaw!!!  We didn't even care that we had to park a half mile away or that we had to stand outside in nippy weather.  It was all good.  Anything for Jimmy John's right;)

About 2 years ago Honey traded in McDonald's Big Macs for cleaner eating and adopted Jimmy John's as his staple.  I bet he eats there at least 3 times a week.  He has that ability to eat the same thing over and over and over.  I on the other hand am Jimmy Johned OUT.  I could go a lifetime without another sandwich from there.  That's what happens if I eat too much of the same thing.  I feel that way with Subway too.  We have eaten there so much that it makes me a little sick to think about.  Why can't there be some other healthy fast food type options.  If you know of any please share!

Okay so now he's peeved...taking pictures while he's eating makes him mad.  Oh but isn't he cute when he's mad...ha:)  I was sorta camera happy that day.  Speaking of mad that's how I feel when I eat inside Jimmy John's.  I leave a little hearing impaired from the blaring music.  Am I getting old or what?   Do you have a restaurant that you NEVER get sick of??

Have a blessed day.

Losing it

Several of you have asked me about our clean eating diet...so here goes. Back in January I was just sitting at my computer probably blogging, and Honey came in and told me about a website called bodybuilders.com. After perusing through the before and after pics I was in. WE were in. We've always loved exercise, but the eating part for us has been really hard to master.

This pic is how I looked that day. Not bad, but definitely some pudge. I wanted to get that lean look. Didn't know if it was possible, but we were ready to try. So for the next several weeks we started a very clean diet of basically egg whites, oatmeal, chicken breasts, sweet potatoes, asparagus and cottage cheese. Needless to say that strict diet got old really quickly. But during that process Honey and I both started shedding the puffy look. The bloat was finally melting.

I wrote down everything that went in my mouth. The goals was to eat 5 or 6 times a day. A lean protein with a good carb at every meal. No processed foods. No sugar. The cravings were out of control at first. It was awful. We were really used to eating whatever we wanted. We would have "dirty" talk about food. It was hilarious. I have to say having Honey do this with me is the ONLY way it has been successful...because I'm a weakling. I love food, especially SUGAR!

{These were at 4 weeks and 7 pounds later}

Our goal was to change our eating habits...to be healthy and in the process feel good about our bodies. I can't believe it's been 6 months now. I've lost about 6 more pounds since those pics. Honey has lost almost 20 pounds too. What used to seem impossible is now obtainable. Nothing is sweeter than that:)

(Dad's Great Green Chili)

The days of plain sweet potatoes and a baked chicken breast are gone. We couldn't continue with that day in and day out. So I had to get creative. I really don't like cooking, but unfortunately you have to cook to eat clean. We also have our staples like Subway and have scoured every restaurant's menu to tweak it to fit into our new lifestyle. No one makes it easy. That's for sure.

I found a few cookbooks to be lifesavers. Bill Phillips, Eating for Life is a really good one. The Green chili recipe is yummy. There is also Tosca Reno's various Eat Clean cookbooks. Very inspirational.

Frittatas are easy too. Just saute some of your favorite veggies (I use asparagus, mushrooms, and an onion potato mix) add egg whites and cook in the skillet lifting sides to seep egg mixture...cooking for 5-7 minutes. Once almost set add some low fat cheese and broil for 4-5 minutes until brown.

Then our staple...grilled chicken/strawberry salad. We add some red onion, low fat feta cheese and a few croutons. We found a really good lite balsamic vinaigrette and voila...dinner:)

I've been sitting on these pics for a bit. I took them when we where in Hawaii. When we were on vacation we threw our healthy habits out the window...shocking I know! But isn't that what vacation is for? Anyway Honey's favorite treat meal in the world is a bowl of Cheerios with white powdered sugar donuts. He grew up eating this on a normal basis and it's his crave meal!

Well one of our kiddos...a.k.a. crumb snatchers just happened to ask him for a bite and...

WATCH OUT!!!

Oh my gosh this picture cracks me up!

That's what eating no sugar for months on end will do to you:)

All this to say that after doing good for months at a time...the two trips and my folks coming kind of derailed me a little. I've had a hard time getting back to writing stuff down. I'm treating myself a little too often and the cravings are back. I haven't really gained weight, but I feel soft. So I wrote this to remind myself of all our hard work and to remember how good it felt to eat clean.

As my favorite fitness guru Jillian Michaels would say:

"Trying is planning to Fail.

Why do you choose failure when success is an option!

Don't try - DO.

Don't tell me you can't!"






I figure if those people on her show can endure what they go through to transform their lives so can I:)





Have a blessed day.