Before & Somewhat After

I've received a lot of requests to do a before photo of Mike & I and one of us now, after we've lost some of the weight.  Keep in mind, I'm still going to lose another 20 pounds and Mike another 15.  I just know there's a lot of you readers who don't know what we looked like before we started this journey.

This photo of us is at my Dad's wedding on January 1, 2011.  This was exactly one month before we started the challenge and when we were both at our peak weights...EVER.  It actually makes me quite depressed to see this; to know that I, a person who used to be pretty fit allowed the stress of teaching and school to affect me so negatively that I allowed myself to become this unhealthy.  I am excited, though, to see the progress we've made.  So many of you have been supportive of our healthy eating, and for some of you, have been inspired.  Thank you for that love & support and keep being inspired!  You'll love yourself for the healthy changes you make.

Before, January 2011:

Grooooossss

Now, taken June 18.  27 (Lacey) & 38 (Mike) pounds lighter:

Sun-kissed from spending the day at the beach! 

Like I said, we're not done yet, but I think the difference in these photos is something to be celebrated!

Here's to not only feeling healthier, our number one priority, but to the awesome side-effect of looking a little hotter each day. *wink*  teehee.

-Lacey

2.11 Starting Fresh

It's interesting how new one feels after leaving a job.  It's everything I thought it would be. I have me time. I have husband & wife time. My dogs get to play outside more.  I'm back to cooking fun meals.  And it has only been three days since leaving.  What a perfect start to a life with 2 jobs instead of 3.

Eggplant ravioli is currently in the dehydrator.  We went grocery shopping yesterday and I picked up all the ingredients to make a raw lasagna, which I am so excited to make since I haven't quite kept up on my "1 new recipe a week" promise.  I'll catch up though.  Look out for that recipe tomorrow.


Breakfast included tons of strawberries & some soy yogurt.  Lunch will be sauteed veggies & dinner is eggplant ravioli.  Already ran my 2 miles.

So, our realtor showed me a house on Saturday that I absolutely fell in love with the moment I walked in.  Mike is going to see it today to see if he loves it too. I told him he doesn't have much of a choice.  As soon as I can take photos & post them, I will. The house is currently occupied so I don't want to overstep personal boundaries by posting pics of someone's home with their stuff still in it.  Let's just say that it has beautiful, rugged, hardwood floors, a screened in back porch, a hot tub, a yard large enough for the dogs to be crazy in, and a river 30 feet behind the fence.  Plus the community has a pool, playground, and some tennis courts. I don't want to get so excited that if it doesn't work out I'll be devastated, but then again, I like it so much that I really want to make it work. We'll see what happens.  Prayers for wise decisions, a good lender that doesn't try to screw us over (since we're new to this), and lots of patience would be wonderful.

2.2

Want to make a filling and delicious meal but not sure if you'll have time tonight.  Well here's your perfect recipe.  Dinner tonight shall be:


Quinoa Veggie Chili


1 Green Pepper chopped
1 Orange Pepper chopped
1/4 c. Diced onion
2 chopped stalks of celery
2 c. corn
2 diced tomatoes
1 c. kidney beans
1 c. black beans
3 c. All natural or homemade tomato sauce
1/2 c. Quinoa**
2 gloves garlic (pressed/chopped finely)
1 tsp. chili seasoning (or to taste)
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tsp. cumin (or to taste)
1 tsp. onion powder (or to taste)
Pinch of salt.

Put all ingredients in slow-cooker & stir. Cook on Low heat for 6 hours. Yummmmm.

** What the heck is quinoa (pronounce KEEN-wah). First of all, thanks, Mom, for introducing it to me. Quinoa has 9 essential amino acids, absolutely loaded with protein! It boosts antioxidant levels and is high in magnesium which is great for your cardiovascular health.  It looks like a grain, tastes a bit like brown rice/oatmeal, and is a wonderful replacement for rice in meals such as this.  Now you have a great way to add protein to your dinners!

Also, I challenge you not to buy your normal canned goods for this recipe (corn, kidney & black beans). Many of them are loaded with salt. If you choose to do so (which we have to resort to at times since beans must be prepped before being used in a recipe), buy no sodium or low sodium items. If you get low-sodium, do not add the pinch of salt at the end of this recipe.

For those of you working on a new diet or challenging yourself with the vegetarian or raw lifestyle, here's your mantra....Always do better than what you were doing before.  This will keep you for kicking yourself when you slip up.  If, at the end of the day, you still ate better than what you were doing before you changed your eating style, then you're on the right track! Big bowl of pasta for dinner? Cut the amount of pasta in half and add a salad & glass of water before you eat. Something is better than nothing.  Always do better than what you were doing before. We're not all perfect, but the little changes each day will give you the motivation to push yourself further.

Black coffee before my run.
Breakfast: Strawberries, banana, and a cup of tea.
Lunch: Big Salad!
Dinner: Quinoa Veggie Chili!

Ran a mile and a half and did lots of weight lifting.

Do you have any yummy & healthy recipes to share with everyone else? Post it below and I'll add it to our recipe page! I definitely want to build up a nice list of meals we can all try out!

Challenge 2, Day 1 (2.1)

As I stepped onto the scale this morning I was a little disappointed that I had gained 3 pounds since I had last checked over a week ago.  Quite frankly, I deserve it for how non-active I've been. But this is why we're doing another challenge: to get back into a more strict routine with working out and planning meals.  I haven't strayed from eating Raw but I've just lost time to work out and skipping meals has been easier than to plan them when you work 5 days in a row of double shifts.

Here's the great news. Next Saturday is my last day at my one job (I work 2 & own my business). I'm overwhelmed, I can't focus on the things important to me at home like planning yummy dinners, working out, working on my hobbies, starting up my business (which hasn't been done in 2 months), and most importantly, spending time with Mike. We literally almost never see each other.  And I also lose sleep due to all the hours and lack of days off I have.  You'd be amazed, working a 13 hour day tires you, but when you're home, you're brain won't stop running which makes sleeping much more difficult. My theory is, if I'm not sleeping well, all the working out and healthy meals I'm eating doesn't matter. So, one job down, and now I'm left with one part time job that I LOVE and time left to build my business into what I want it to be. I can't wait.

Weighed in this morning & wrote down fat percentage.  Ate a banana for breakfast, a salad wrap & orange for lunch, and some vegetable sushi for dinner. I didn't drink as much water as I would have like due to leaving my Nalgene at home.  No workout as I had this evening off, and it's the first time Mike & I got to spend more than 20 minutes together in over a week. Will be going for a run tomorrow morning and doing some other exercises in the afternoon.

The Finale

After a transformative 30 days of hard work, lifestyle changes, and new recipes & workouts to add to the daily routine, the results are...





Mike lost a total of 18.4 pounds.
I lost a total of 15.2 pounds.

CONGRATULATIONS, MICHAEL!

Talk about a close one!!!

I am so incredibly proud of Mike and the hard work he put into this Challenge. The mere fact that he even accepted to do this at all is just telling of how much he loves me and my crazy ideas.  Lots of kisses for my winning husband.

But it's not over yet...We agreed to continue this for another 30 days. Check tomorrow's post for details as it will be a little different from this first challenge.  I guess we can go on to call this the Fatty Olympics! (That is, until we're finally skinny and healthy, hehe.) A different month, a different challenge.  Comment below with ideas on what the challenge is and the bet involved.

We thank you for all the love and support you've showed us. Hopefully you've been inspired to make small changes to become healthier.  It's all about being healthy and happy.  We've got a long, beautiful life ahead of us. Let's make the most of it!

*** As for the winner on "You Decide", Stephanie Huston was only off by TWO pounds for each of us! Plus, she correctly predicted that Mike would win this round.  She says:

THE BET 

Loser has to plan a Healthy Dream Date for a Sat/Sun (or any day you both have off). The entire day must be spectacular and healthy! 

> Starting with a super healthy, yummy breakfast... all the way up to lunch, snick snacks and dinner! Loser must prep, cook and clean everything!! (Chocolate covered strawberries count as healthy!!)

> Healthy day date must include some sort of super fun exercise (walk/hike/beach) and be extremely romantical as well!! (Think - romantical picnic with a sweet view after a healthy hike...)

> Anything unhealthy or unromantical during the day will result in the loser giving the winner a massage at the end of the day - 10 minute penalty for every unromantical or unhealthy moment.

I LOVE it.  So creative, and yet, incorporates our new lifestyle.  No need to binge on cookies and a lazy evening in. Thanks SH for chiming in and congrats on your own win! When this Healthy Day Date happens (whenever we both have a day off, which is quite rare), I'll post on how it went. 


Love, 
2 pant sizes down

Day 7- Humble Snacks

Ahhh!!! I'm so excited! I found tons of new snacks to munch on that only include raw ingredients.  My favorite so far:

These are Humbles Bakes Hummus Chips. They come in a variety of flavors (today's is Sesame Garlic) and their ingredients are basic.  They include things like chickpeas, garlic, red pepper, sunflower oil, etc.  One chip looks like this:

I have no idea how the company took a jar of Hummus and turned it into a chip, but I love them for it. My other snacks include Honey Almond bars, pumpkin seeds, cashew/almond bars, and some other yummy things.  I love the way I'm eating (especially all the fruit and veggies) but it's nice to have some things that are still as close to raw as possible that I can grab on the go and know that I'm sticking to my healthy lifestyle.  For how busy I am, quick snacks are great. It's not always convenient to carry a carrot and pepper slices with you. 

*And I know chips aren't "raw" but the ingredients are (there are no ingredients that I can't understand).  They've just been mixed together, and dehydrated/baked to form a chip. Like I said, I'm trying to get as close as possible. I am only buying items in which the ingredients are all "raw".

Felt: I slept like a rock so I was feeling pretty refreshed. My run was great... nice and cold outside this morning. I am LOVING all the energy I have throughout the day.

Ate: B- I really wasn't very hungry this morning but I grabbed some pineapple slices to eat before I ran just so I had something to keep me going. L: Big Salad and 1 serving  of Humbles Hummus Chip. D: Big Salad & a side of almonds.  I'm probably going to eat an apple in about an hour.

Exercise: A mile and a half run, pilates in about 20 minutes.

Weight Lost: FOUR POUNDS!!! Ahh, it's so nice to not only see my weight go down but to be able to feel the difference in my energy level.  

The best thing, I haven't been craving anything that I shouldn't be eating. =) Loving my Big Salads.

Dinner

Day 3

Felt: A little better since I slept on NyQuil and lots of tea. Passed out on the couch apparently around 6:30p, woke up at 3a and couldn't feel my face and my lips were super numb. I must say, it was pretty awesome. Thanks NyQuil.

Ate: B- Pear, Yogurt L: Cinnamon Apple Chips by Bare Fruit Snacks.  This company is wonderful. No additives. No sugar. Organic apples. Gluten free. GMO free. Healthy. The ingredients on the bag literally read: Organic Apples, Organic Cinnamon. And they're wonderfully tasty. D- Big Salad.

Exercise: Exercise? What exercise? Seriously, I have no energy. Just enough to keep me going to work, barely. I'm starting up my routine tomorrow.

Weight Lost: 2 pounds so far. Not too shabby seeing as though I've been laying around the house for the past 2 days. 

If you've never seen a photo of the cat that we got last month, here she is...meet Scully:

Day 2

I'm going to make this as short and sweet as possible. I'm sick, miserable, and tired.


Felt: Is there a more descriptive word than "shitty"? If so, let me know.
Ate: B- Tea, pear, strawberries, grapes, blueberry yogurt. L- Sauteed beans and a handful of cherry tomatoes. D- So, I cheated (from the "raw" aspect) a little, but I heated up some chicken broth to help with this sickness & my throat. I threw in some carrots and half a potato for some sustenance. Just finished up with some grapes and a glass of water with 2 Tbsp of ACV* and 2 Tbsp of honey.
Exercise: Nothing yet. I did wake up at 6 am and planned on going out for a run but a) it was cold and rainy (which under normal circumstances I wouldn't care about but I'm sick and somehow being outside in that weather seemed dumb) & b) I felt like I had been hit by a car in the face. My lungs felt gurgley and I could barely breathe. I decided that getting some decent rest before work was more important. I'm still tempted to do some working out tonight but if my husband is smart he'll stop me and tell me I need my rest.
Weight Lost: 1.2 POUNDS!!! woohoooooo.


Right now, Mucinex, cough drops, ACV and NyQuil are my best friends. I really hope this ends by tomorrow night, especially since I wasn't able to make it to my ceramics class tonight.



*apple cider vinegar

Day 1

Weighed in at 6:00 am.  Will be doing this every morning to closely monitor weight fluctuations.  Daily weigh-ins will not continue after The Challenge; will move to weekly after the 30 days is complete.

Felt: Crappy when I woke up. I can definitely feel the symptoms of some virus coming on. It's hard to breathe, which made running sucky and I'm starting to get groggy.  Hopefully I'll kick this in the butt soon.
Ate: Breakfast- pineapple yogurt, banana, green tea, apple  Lunch- Big Salad (consists of lettuce w. tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, sunflower seeds, cranberries, raisins, almonds, peanuts), 3 strawberries. Dinner- Sauteed fresh string beans with salt, pepper, onion, and garlic, Big Salad (same toppings), sliced strawberries and grapes for dessert.  Another cup of green tea to soothe my throat. And yes, I was full.
Exercise: Went for a run at 6:30am and did some basic calisthenics.
Weight Lost (Since Day 1): 0 pounds.

BIG SALAD!!

DINNER: Warm beans, salad, and yummy fruit dessert.

I will keep up with this same set-up daily (Felt, Ate, Exercise, Weight Lost) since I get A LOT of questions about what I'm eating and doing and feeling and yadda yadda yadda.  I know, they won't be the most interesting posts but they're informative.

Also, I'm staying very plant oriented right now in my eating to flush out toxins and get my stomach used to eating smaller portions (not strictly though, as I still include organic yogurt). Honestly, Mike and I didn't eat that terribly but we always ate way too much. If after 2 weeks I'm doing well with portion control and getting enough fruits, veggies, and nuts into my meals I will very, very slowly add in eggs, chicken, and ground turkey, but this will only happen when I have maintained control of my habits.  I will say that after dinner I was extremely full to the point where I couldn't even finish my salad (and every time I say Big Salad from now on I always mean well over 2 cups of lettuce with lots of veggies & nut toppings).

Do you have any exercises or raw* meals to suggest for one of the 30 days this month? Comment below and let me know what I should try out!

Peace and Skinny Jeans (hopefully),
TEAM LACEY


*when I say raw, I mean unprocessed, uncooked (less than 115 degrees, anything above and the plant looses many nutrients) organic plant foods including fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts. NOT RAW MEAT.

TEAM LACEY

3 days until game time.

Things have been pretty calm around the house. I think Mike has pretty much ignored the fact that this starts so soon. I've been reading up on some methods of losing weight but staying healthy. I refuse to starve, drink only water, or resort to some sort of extreme cayenne pepper/lemon juice mixture as my sole source of nutrition.  Like I said, this is about having fun and adopting some new habits into my daily routine that we can continue to use after the 30 days is up.  I'm mostly looking for highly nutritional food that won't cause me to gain weight which will mostly cause me to have a diet consisting of lots of fruits/veggies/nuts.  But I want to be cautious of not getting enough carbohydrates, because when I exercise I don't want to feel like I'm going to pass out.

I'll be updating daily on food habits and workouts. Once a week I'll be weighing in and telling you how much I've lost. I don't think Mike reads this so we should be safe. =)

You're support has been awesome! Keep up the positive comments below. It's brightens my day and motivates me knowing so many of you are part of TEAM LACEY!

And if any of you want to create a more awesome banner than the cheesy '90s graphics above, feel free!

30 Day Fatty Challenge

We're fat. We know it.

We're also super busy with work, dogs, working on a business, class, and relaxation that we come up with every excuse in the book to justify eating lots of food (we already eat fairly healthy foods, we just eat too much) and working out.

Mike & I are going to compete against each other for the next 30 days to see who can make the most progress in weight loss (Healthily, of course. No starving).  He's calculating the results like this:  Initial weight minus goal weight=x.  Then, pounds lost divided by x = percentage lost towards goal weight. (We literally just talked this out for 10 minutes so I could understand. I hate math.  This is why I teach English. Someone verify that we're doing the math right).  Basically, whoever has the higher percentage wins.*

On February 1st our initial & goal weights will be written on a piece of paper, put into a sealed envelope and hung on our fridge. On March 2nd, we will re-weigh and calculate. The winner will be announced that evening.

Now, here's where you come in.  We need your input on what the bet will be. If I win, what will Mike do?  If he wins, what will I do?  And, who do you think will be the FATTY CHALLENGE WINNER? Comment below!!!





*In no way do I say suggest this as a long term lifestyle nor is this a crash diet.  The point of this is a) for fun b) to help get us into a routine.  Right now, we really just need to push ourselves into a healthy lifestyle.  Hopefully this challenge will get us into a positive daily habits that will stick long-term after the 30 days. So, comments about how "this is sooooo unhealthy" will be flagged as sucky.