My favorite workout app

I've been sharing on Instagram posts about my walks-runs and those include distance, timing, calories burned and fastest mile. One thing I love about having an app that helps me keep track of my walks and timing is that because I live in a high heat-humidity area I don't have to wear anything on my body that will irritate my skin. It is a simple app that was already pre-installed on my iphone and all I had to do was buy the chip that goes inside my shoe to keep count of my steps, this was I feel it is more accurate. 

Several people have asked me on my posts what app it is I use, it's simple it's the Nike+ app which works with a chip that is also made by Nike and goes inside of my Nike tennis shoes. The chip was a gift my husband gave me in July 2012 when I had just started my weight loss journey and I've been very happy with it ever since. I've compared it to other apps and products that keep track of your daily workout, the big difference for me is that I always have my phone with me and it fits comfortably inside the back pocket of my running capris so my hands and arms are free of holding any device, I can focus on my walk/run and not getting run over by cars {I'm serious...}. 

I love that it has several options that will let me choose how I want to workout among those options are:

Basic: This option allows you to workout freely, you decide how much time you workout, how long of a distance you will workout or how many calories you want to burn.

Time: Are you in a time crunch? I've been several times, so I simply choose this option which includes 20, 30, 45, 60, 90 minutes or you decide how long you want to workout. An alarm will sound notifying you time is up.

Distance: I started using this option 2 weeks ago, when I wanted to reach 5 km as a goal. I love that you can choose miles or km or even a half/full marathon workout!

Calories: You want to burn 700 calories? then you choose this option and workout until you reach your target. 

The app is very easy to use and the information you get from using it is very helpful. At the end of each month I add all the mileage I've walked and when I see the total I use it as motivation to set a new goal for the next month. 

Wordy Wednesday {I see progress!}

When you are on a weight loss journey, some days are easier than others. There are days that I feel I am the same as I was a year ago and then there are days in which I feel accomplished and proud. Losing weight and making lifestyle changes is definitely not easy, there are daily decisions to be made and with so many choices that can make you lose focus on what you are working towards. At least in my case I've had my ups and downs. The scale sometimes doesn't move and that makes me feel sad or frustrated, then there are moments when I realize how far I've come.

This past weekend I felt happy to wake up on Saturday, prepare a nice breakfast for my family and then head out for a nice walk. A nice walk that turned into 2.5 miles, that resulted in me burning 385 calories and what made me happier was that my daughter joined me. :D This made me feel accomplished as it was her choice to stay home with dad and brother but she wanted to join in on the walk so off we went. 

As I got home I realized that my top felt different from what I remembered it feeling it snug. It's no longer snug. In fact while walking I felt the wind move it a bit, that is one of the best feelings for me! It meant I've been doing something right and that maybe I have been making progress in the last 2 weeks. I sat down at my desk and searched for the first time I wore this shirt and all I could see was progress. It may be a year difference in the photos, however I see progress! 

Then going through more pictures from the last couple of months and I'm beyond myself excited! I didn't realize I had let go so much when we were moving! The one in the middle was taken the day after we landed in Costa Rica and whoa! not a good image. But then look at the most recent one in August, I'd say I've turned it around pretty good! 

I see a happier, healthier me. A more confident and active me... and that is awesome! 

This past week I began journaling what I eat, this time I'm using My Fitness Pal app. I've also been walking the last 3 weeks at least 3 times a week anywhere from 2.5 miles to 5 miles a day{my total miles walked to date in August only are 26.6 miles!}. Most recently I've been in contact with the amazing Diana who blogs and has a design shop called Livy Love, I found her on Instagram through other friends I follow and she is keeping me inspired. She's lost 60+ pounds in 6 months by watching what she eats and exercising daily! If you are on instagram I highly suggest you follow her for inspiration, she is super sweet! Thank you Diana, for all the communication we've had and all the support and encouragement you've been giving me and others. 

Another big supporter of my journey has been my friend Melissa who blogs over at The ValentineRD, she is amazing and always finding new ways to workout. I love her dearly because not a week goes by in which she is cheering me on! Thank you my dear friend! 

So here's to progress, even if it was choosing to eat fruit instead of chips. Drinking water instead of a sugary drink. Cheers! ;-)

It's been a year!

It's been a year! A few weeks ago I celebrated a year after I began my weight loss journey, as with every journey it has not been easy. I've had my ups and downs -more downs for sure {as in lowering my weight} ;-) something I am very proud of. Last year in June I joined a team of 50 bloggers working our way to lose weight, get healthier and drop inches all with the help of Shaklee Corporation.

I was ecstatic and surprised when I was chosen and I worked hard towards getting back on track. As we worked on changing our lifestyle we also supported each other something I am very grateful for. We made friendships that are still there and we celebrated each loss be it in weight or in inches or defeating daily challenges.

Last time I updated you on my weight loss was in Spring, I talked about how someone was trying to tell me something and I was certainly listening. I even managed to get my lowest weight since 2002! I was motivated and documenting my meals, counting calories and staying active. I rode my bike, danced at home with the help of my workout DVDs and even used Pinterest to help me stay focused. I was so inspired I shared with you my new playlist.

I know I shouldn't focus so much on my weight, but this also meant that I was shrinking a little in my measurements. I was watching my portions, drinking lots of water, making time to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day and my confidence level was at its highest in a longest time. 

Determination, you decide you want to achieve a goal and you begin making changes in your life to reach it. You map out all the resources you'll need to succeed and get to work on it. You set your mind to it and each and every day you take little or big steps towards achieving it. The mind, is quite powerful. It guides us towards what we want. 

You set your goals, you work on it by exercising and watching what you eat a few weeks later you begin to notice differences sometimes within a day or two you start to notice that your clothes fit differently, that you sleep better, you are in a better mood. 

For the past 2 months I have been focusing on our move, no this is not an excuse but this is me being responsible about my actions. About my choices, the last 3 months have been extremely busy. We first traveled to visit family in Southern California and Mexico then began packing up our home and preparing for our big move. It took over our daily activities and some days I felt frustrated because I wasn't making time or taking out time out of my day to workout, to prepare a home cooked meal or watch my portions. 

What makes it worst is that on some days I barely drank any water. I don't consider this a failure in my weight loss journey,  in fact I consider it a test of what I learned over the course of 10 months. 

My clothes still fit, but I know and feel I've gone up a little. This is about to change. Because this week, I'm ready to take back my health. I'm ready to make better choices. I'm ready to drink water. This week I've been watching my portions, I've been increasing my water intake and I'm already up to 48 ounces a day. I'm slowly but surely getting back up.

Although I ate my emotions, I managed to not gain too much 5 pounds total. I am not a robot who can program her mind, I am a human being and this is definitely a journey with  its own set of challenges, curved roads, detours and such.

But I am not giving up! I will not give up, it is a learning process and although I may have the occasional drive-thru meal it does not mean I am stopping. :-) This number will soon change to a smaller one and with working out regularly, eating balanced meals, controlling my portions and drinking much more water I will soon reach my lowest weight in the past year. I'm confident because I know I can do this.

We now have steps to climb to get to the bedrooms which means I am moving more than before at home. I climb those steps up and down roughly 20 times on any given day. I'm going for short walks as I get more and more comfortable on doing so here {there aren't any sidewalks! yikes! and there is a river nearby with many trees which equals to wildlife something I'm not very comfortable with -God forbid a snake falls on me! EEEEEKS!}.

I am also preparing our meals at home, we didn't have a kitchen to cook in for a couple of weeks so eating out was the only option... Now I can prepare and cook meals at home and it is making it easier in fact my family is very happy about eating homemade meals :D

Each day represents new challenges and of course I try to find new inspiration and motivation everywhere. The key is to keep going, keep moving forward and learn from yesterday. I do keep reminding myself that I've come a long way from last year and yes I am still a work in progress. :-)

Someone's trying to tell me something!

Over the course of the last 6 months of 2012 I changed my lifestyle, eating habits and overall my well being. Not only that but my story, weekday challenges and triumphs were documented on this blog and other social media platforms.

The past couple of weeks I've found myself at a crossroads where one road leads me to continue on the journey and go well beyond what I thought was my ultimate goal and the other one that leaves me where I'm currently at and just stop here. It's funny how life has a way of letting us know what we are meant to do. Where we are meant to walk towards.

Last week was full of reminders and motivational encounters to let me know to continue on my journey and not to stop. The reminders were in different settings, in different ways. All of them were a kind reminder of how far I've come and how much I want to continue even if sometimes I lose my focus.

Yes family and friends' support mean a lot and keep me encouraged but sometimes we still need a little pat on the back or someone to tell us "continue on your path, you're doing great!". 

The first reminder was while shopping for groceries, a lovely lady reached out for a bag of Lavash Bread as I was trying to figure out between pita bread and Lavash. As I looked at her I asked what she did with the Lavash Bread as I'd never used it in my recipes. While sharing ideas she explained about ingredients and nutritional value, how this ingredient is terrible for your metabolism and that ingredient is easier to digest. She taught me in just less than 5 minutes a little about nutrition and how to read labels. Thank you to this kind woman for her words of encouragement. I am sure you might be reading this, so I hope you know you are in my thoughts. :)

My second reminder was completely unexpected, I've shared all about my pinterest board to keep me motivated and where I share all I've written about my weight loss journey. For the past 3 years I have enjoyed going on bike rides with my family, just last week I was on a 5 mile bike ride on my own while everyone was at work/school and I couldn't stop smiling even as I was pushing myself to go up a hill. The only distraction I had was my old helmet that kept jiggling and pulling on my hair. Which led me to search online for my future helmet, one I would like to get before our big move. As I pinned it to my board I did not think much about it, however a day later I received a comment on that pin that made my day and again reminded me to keep going! So I am still going, stronger and even more focused.

The last reminder was Friday morning as I logged onto instagram I got a notification about a comment on an image I shared over summer. It was none other than the star of my favorite workout video. She was so sweet and we even chatted over on instagram. How special you made me feel and excited to continue doing the samba to your routine. Thank you! :D

Documenting what I ate or what I did was not only intended to hold me accountable but also to perhaps inspire and motivate others. It was also a way to remind myself to keep going and when that going got tough, well I could/can just go to my iPhone and see images of what I ate, what I did, how much water I drank, how I exercised and other changes I've done.

I decided to continue documenting what I eat and shared how I'm exercising even when I can't do it as "me time", because even when the kids are home I can workout. I can certainly make it work. I just have to do it.

The most important reminder I am having is that if I trip or fall I can still get up, dust myself and continue on my journey because I want to and need to continue on this road. 

It's hard to believe how much one can accomplish by sticking to their plan and keeping their focus. I myself am amazed of all I've done and plan to continue on my journey as I'm halfway there. It's all about balance and knowing what to chose. It is not easy, my lifestyle had stayed the same for the past 11 years. But I am certainly willing and wanting to take it one step at a time. I can't say I won't eat something or chose wrongly because it would be a lie. The fact that I am giving it my best shot is the best I can do, focusing on what I've done and what I'm doing not on how much I still have to do. 

Still going!

I know it's been two months since last I shared an update on my weight loss journey, I have been receiving emails asking me to continue to share and well I have to admit sharing my weight loss was therapeutic for me and helped keep me focused.

It has been great feeling this energetic, wearing my new size in jeans :D and eating healthier. I have had my ups and downs just like everyone when they are turning around their lifestyle. However I feel great and whenever I lose my focus I go back to reading about my journey and find my inspiration and motivation. 

The Holiday season is behind  us and yes I have had some rough patches here and there, like getting sick with the flu or caring for little ones with the flu with sleepless nights and feeling beyond exhaustion I chose to go with the flow and if I didn't feel up to it I did not exercise. 

One of the ways I am also keeping myself motivated with a Pinterest board I created called "I'm a work in progress" this board has my weight loss journey story and my favorite routines in addition to inspirational quotes or stories of others to keep reminding myself that I have, I can and I will continue on this. 

There are days that I don't feel like exercising and on those days I have managed to push myself and my will to doing at least two routines from my board or 25 ab crunches + 30 jumping jacks + 30 squats. After that I feel a little more motivated and end up doing more. That is quite an improvement from last June when I could barely do a jumping jack without gasping for air!

I have also been doing walks on the treadmill {whenever possible} and am proud to share that after the 8 months since my journey began I can now run a full minute easily on speed setting 6. :D Yes I feel so proud about that! My dream is to run for 20 minutes non-stop! I'm a minute closer.

If you are following me on Instagram you have noticed that I am enjoying cheese omelets for breakfast along with some chipotle chiles on top it is delicious and keeps me satisfied until noon. I use just one egg and a hand full of shredded cheese in it. 

For lunch I have a new found love: One can of drained tuna in water with a bowl of lettuce, some kalamata olives and some days I will add dressing others I will eat it as is others I will add some rosemary crackers just 3 to add more texture. 

Dinners are a bit of the same, my recipes and on weekends we usually do take out. But one thing is for sure I am not eating 4 slices of pizza! Only 1 - 2 and they are usually the ones with less bread in it, we have found one that also has less fat and 2 slices equal to 1 of the regular pizzas. We have also found a new love for Thai food and it is now brown rice and less on the amounts :D

Working on getting healthier and making better choices is now easier, there are still times when I crave the other foods and I will allow myself to try them. Portions are key and drinking water is key. 

Although I have not measured myself recently, I did weigh myself and here is what numbers I'm currently on:

Which means I am 24.2 lbs lighter. 

Oh and I finally got a new pair of jeans in my present size! Goodbye size 18!

Also cleared out my closet of clothes that were up to 4 sizes too big!

 I hope you enjoyed my update and keep supporting me, your comments encourage me and help keep me inspired :D

Yoga Blast with Dr. Lisa {DVD review}

Just in time for Thanksgiving and the calorie fest of the year, you know what I'm talking about. It starts with the Holiday season and ends New Years when we all have resolutions to lose weight and embark on a journey towards reaching our goal size, weight and a healthier leaner us. 

Sound familiar? Well I've been hard at work this year making it happen for me and my precious body -oh yes precious because I will care for it, everyone's body is precious. When I first received Dr. Lisa's Yoga Blast DVD from Acacia Fitness, I honestly thought: "Yoga? oh yeah slow and steady" well as I did the workout DVD this past week I realized that is the case, however Yoga works to tone your body and stretch your muscles. 

All you need is your will to workout and Yoga Blast! You can certainly do it anywhere, no matter if you travel because all you need is YOU. 

The combination of exercises from Elise Joan {top fitness instructor at the leading healthy living spa-retreat Canyon Ranch} along with Dr. Lisa {yes, she is the co-host from The Doctors} explaining what you are accomplishing with each routine is certainly helpful and encouraging. Just when you feel like giving up because let's be honest working out is work she mentions what your body is doing and getting from it so much so that you feel like you have to do it. 

Just like Dr. Lisa says in Yoga Blast: "Exercise is perfect to relieve stress and relax your body" 

I liked that both Dr. Lisa and Elise mention alternatives if in any pose or routine you are having difficulty there is an alternate way to get the same effect. They explain the name of the poses and also mention what to do at the same time you are working out so you have a "mind and body connection".

If you are looking for a workout that will help you with your goals and at the same time release tension this DVD is the one to get. 

The workout itself is divided into 3 separate routines that are 20 minutes each, so if you only have 20 minutes you can workout, burn some calories, relax your mind and stretch your muscles. When you have a full hour then you can do the entire workout DVD. You will feel the difference, I felt this workout in my whole body the exercises focus on a specific area but Elise manages to make you work your whole body. My favorite segment was the one where you use a chair for added balance, my inner thighs certainly felt it as well as my back. 

Here is a clip for you to see what the workout is all about:

For more tips and great ways to lead healthy lifestyle make sure you follow Acacia Fitness on Twitter and Facebook. 

Disclosure: I received a copy of Dr. Lisa's Yoga Blast DVD to facilitate my review, however all opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own. The images and video clip were supplied by Acacia Fitness, except for the one of my sweaty self. 

Wear It Again Wednesday {week 4}

It's been two weeks since I last shared a "Wear It Again Wednesday" post, I've lost 20 lbs total since my birthday last June and am still continuing to lose weight and inches. 

This past weekend I was at Bloggy Boot Camp my first ever blogging conference, for it I shopped in my closet and found these black dressy pants. Would you believe I hadn't worn them in 9 years?? Last time I wore them they were to tight to zip up, this past weekend not only did they zip up but also they were comfortable. :D

This picture was taken a few days before. 

Well, what do you think? Am I rocking it? 

After this picture was taken I decided I didn't like the top that much as it was too loose... So I paired it with another top. Yay me! and Yay you for supporting and cheering me on! :D

Say it LOUD... Say it PROUD!

It had been three weeks since I last exercised, I had promised myself that I would do it tomorrow but it was already TODAY! I didn't have anymore excuses, even though we had just driven in from a looong road trip over the weekend and were sitting in the car for over 10 hours with two kids. My eyes suddenly opened and as I saw a little bit of light I thought if everyone is asleep why not change into my workout clothes and JUST DO IT! 

I changed quickly without making a sound, I did not want to wake the kids up. I did not want to wake up my husband. I walked towards the door.... iPhone? check, keys? check, water? check, earphones? check, jacket? check... LET'S GO! 

As I walked down the steps onto the courtyard I noticed it was still dark, there was some a crispness in the air that was not there the week before. Could it be it will start to cool down -I thought. Then a few seconds later I'm at the gym! As I programmed the treadmill I couldn't stop feeling accomplished, proud of myself and I felt a winner. 

It's barely 6:30 and I'm already 5 minutes into my workout! I pumped up the volume and enjoyed working out to some music. Nothing gets me more pumped up to workout than some great music. On this particular morning I was craving some "reggaeton" and just like that I was well on my way.

That early Monday morning I remember tweeting, instagraming and posting on facebook how proud I was of myself, me at the gym before anyone woke up! On the way back home I was all smiles and ready to start the day, ready for whatever our week had in store for us. During the next couple of days I had my ups and downs, specially with weather changing so drastically my sinus' acted up... Yet I managed to get in at least 30 minutes of physical activity. I would put on some videos of people dancing on you tube and rock to them, other days I would just do some squats, jumping jacks and knee highs. On a rare occasion I did some burpees... never heard of a burpee? Oh my you are in for a workout surprise! it's a combination of a squat, push up and jumping jack, or something like it. Very challenging. 

I had agreed to be parteners with Stacie and I wasn't going to let her down. So all week we would tweet each other: "Water!" "run" "jog" "pushups" "what's for dinner?" and motivating eachother really put everything into perspective! I joined this team to get healthy. To lose weight. To wear a much smaller size of clothes and I am not going to give up now! 

As I watched what I ate, drank more water than I was drinking the weeks before and kept myself active on Saturday morning I decided it was time for a weigh in. Had all my work paid off? Had all that water instead of soda and all those low fat meals paid off? 

And then... the moment of truth, I was on the scale and I looked down. What I saw was beyond achievement. It was beyond what I had expected.... 

I thought to myself: Say it LOUD! say it PROUD! 

5 lbs down! 

I kept getting on and off the scale, I could not believe it! and then it hit me... I was dancing and jumping from joy. I had reached one of my goals, I was now officially 20 lbs lighter!  It took me 4 months but I had done many changes, I had stuck to it and it was certainly paying off. 

Whenever we lose weight we say it loud and proud, but when we gain we are always shy about it. This time I was loud, proud and confident. I had lost weight and it was certainly going to show.

My updated measurements are:

Neck: 15"  before 16"

Chest: 41 3/4" before 45"

Arm: 14.5"  before 16.5"

Waist: 41 3/4" before 46.5"

Hip: 49" before 53.5"

Thigh: 28" before 32"

As you can see I'm losing my most noticeable weight/inch loss is on my waist and thighs. 

Have you ever felt this way? 

A very special feeling that means we have been hard at work. 

BodyMedia CORE Armband

It's been two weeks since I received my new FIT CORE Armband by BodyMedia, I have worn it on my upper left arm while exercising, while sleeping, while doing my day-to-day tasks. Then I received the display which looks like a watch except there is no strap so you can easily attach it to your clothing, your watch's wristband, a bracelet or simply have it in your pocket.

At the beginning it took a little bit to get used to having it on, then again I strap it on pretty tight. When I loosened it up a bit it was comfortable and lightweight so I didn't notice that I was wearing it.

I liked all the information it provided, when you connect the CORE Armband device to your computer via USB cable it shows how many hours you slept, how many hours you were laying down but awake, how many steps you took during the day and how many calories you burned. The calories you eat during the day have to be entered into your personal account manager on the website manually. Which I had no issues doing, there were some items that I had to enter and add to my list {luckily I had the nutritional values to do so}.

For me personally it was interesting to see the data I would get on a daily basis, I would hook the CORE device to my computer to see how I slept and somedays I would make an extra effort to get to bed and sleep earlier than usual although sometimes it was impossible {specially since we went through a couple of sick days with a cold}. You know how it is when you are a parent, the sleepless nights caring for a sick child. Well we had a couple of those days.

The notifications are always fun to read too, each time you reach a new personal best the system notifies you and let me tell you it was motivating.

When adding meals it is easy, most of the foods you consume are already in their food list. However if an item is missing you can easily add it and you can add your recipes. {Which is something I enjoyed using}

One thing that motivated me to move every single day was looking at my display to check how many steps I had taken during the day and seeing I was not even close to my goal per day {8,000} so when that happened I would make an extra effort to get moving. Losing weight is not only portion control and drinking water it is also about being active. Even if you start with little steps such as parking in the last spot at the parking lot or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

Also when you have kids at home {specially younger ones} you know you are going to be picking up toys from the floor constantly so I took it as exercise and wouldn't you know it that during those moments I was burning calories too!

If you are working on losing weight or getting active and reaching goals the FIT CORE Armband is perfect for you! You can order it online here and it ships directly to your home.

This is a sponsored post, I received a FIT CORE Armband by Body Media, which will facilitate my review. All pictures and opinions are 100% my own. 

FIT CORE Armband {by BodyMedia}

Have you ever wondered how many calories you eat over the course of a day? or How many calories did you burn on that run? If you are like me who cooks mostly family recipes that don't have the nutritional content on them then you can only assume how many calories a portion is, but what if you ate a bite here or a bite there? How do you know with certainty how many calories you ate? It's a guessing game and sometimes your calculations are accurate but others not so much.  

Say hello to the solution to the calorie intake and calories burned guessing game:

BodyMedia's FIT CORE Armband!

It's an armband with a small device that measures your motion, heat flux, skin temperature and galvanic skin response to track calorie burn, physical activity, steps taken, sleep duration and sleep efficiency. 

Since I am working on getting healthy and losing weight I am going to be wearing BodyMedia's FIT CORE Armband for the next couple of weeks and will let you know how I like it and how it works. 

When losing weight there are three key factors to consider: 

Calories consumed {to lose weight we have to control our portion sizes}

Calories burned {in order to lose weight we also need to be active}

Sleep quantity and quality {when losing weight sleep deprivation can make you eat more}

It's a great tool that can compliment your weight loss program. 

This is a sponsored post, I received a FIT CORE Armband by Body Media, which will facilitate my review. All pictures and opinions are 100% my own. 

The Veggie Alphabet Challenge {week 4}

We are on week 4 of the Alphabet Veggie Challenge and last week we chose the letter:

Which I am sad and disappointed to report that I could not find one single vegetable that started with the letter of the week at grocery stores. Here is a list of some vegetables that start with the letter "D"

Dandelion Nettles

Daikon

Dulse

Dolichos Bean

I did however find a tropical fruit that starts with the letter "D" and it is one of my favorites:

Dragonfruit!

The texture is watery and porous and the little black seeds are similar to those in berries, you don't even notice them. I loved the combination of colors and I learned that the darker the pink and green the more ripe it is! 

For week 4 we are definitely choosing a letter that we can easily find vegetables in and a great variety! 

Can't wait to see what vegetables we will try and how we will enjoy them. What letter are you most excited for? 

The Veggie Alphabet Challenge {week 3}

It's been three weeks since we started the Veggie Alphabet Challenge and we are loving it! how are you liking it? Our family has been enjoying searching for new vegetables to try and we have let our creative juices flow. Last week the letter was "B" and so we decided to try Beets.

I know beets can be included in salads and some main dishes, however we boiled them and then peeled them and cut them into slices and served as a side to our meals. I also snacked on them when I felt a little hungry.



INGREDIENTS:

Bunch of fresh beets
Water

PREPARATION:

1.- Cut off stems and wash thoroughly to remove all the dirt -keep in mind beets grow underground.

2.- Place the beets inside a large enough saucepan to fit them and pour water into saucepan. Boil at medium heat.

3.- When beets feel soft take them out of the water and using a table knife to peel and holding beet in place with a fork. Allow cooling off before enjoying.

You can either slice or chop the beet or even grate it. I prefer enjoying it straight out of the refrigerator so I put in plastic zip top bags in the refrigerator and then serve.


Remember to follow the #hashtag #alphabetveggiechallenge on Twitter and visit each week for the letter of the week. For our third week the letter is:

I am changing my eating habits to get healthy, lose weight and feel great. Read more about why I am doing this here,here and here.  This is a sponsored post as part of the  Shaklee Corporation’s Team #Cinchspiration Campaign. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating. All opinions are my own. 

The Veggie Alphabet Challenge {week 2}

As you already know we are challenging you this summer to try new vegetables and find out different ways of preparing them. Last week the letter was "E". We purchased fresh Eggplant at our local grocery store and made sure it was dark purple, soft yet not too soft just right! 

I know my mother incorporates Eggplant in her Lasagna, however as I am working on getting healthy I wanted to add it to my dinner without making it high in calories or fat. So I figured why not slice it and sprinkle a dash of crushed black pepper along with some garlic salt?? A really nice lady at the produce section mentioned to brush the inside of the Eggplant with lemon to prevent it from getting brown {whatever that meant} I did brush it with lemon juice. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Medium sized Eggplant
Crushed Black Pepper {to taste}
Garlic Salt {to taste}
1 Small lemon
Cooking Spray

PREPARATION:

1.- After washing Eggplant slice into 1/4 inch round slices, place a large skillet on medium heat with cooking spray.

2.- Brush the juice of the lemon onto each side of the slices and sprinkle pepper and garlic salt. Place each round {without overlapping another one} on the skillet. Let cook 2- 4 minutes per side so it does not overcook.

Enjoy!!!

Since I am watching my calorie and carb intake per day,  {read more about this} I was craving a turkey burger so I ended up using the Eggplant instead of Burger Buns and let me tell you it was the perfect texture and compliment to my meal! :) 

Remember to follow the #hashtag #alphabetveggiechallenge on Twitter and visit each Monday for the week's letter. And now I present to you the letter of this week's challenge:

I am changing my eating habits to get healthy, lose weight and feel great. Read more about why I am doing this here,here and here.  This is a sponsored post as part of the  Shaklee Corporation’s Team #Cinchspiration Campaign. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating. All opinions are my own. 

The Veggie Alphabet Challenge

When was the last time you ate fresh vegetables with your meal or as a snack? As I am changing my eating habits, eating more fresh vegetables, drinking more water and exercising regularly. I'd like to invite you on a special challenge, I am calling:

This week's letter! 

The Veggie Alphabet Challenge

It's very simple to participate, all you have to do is visit every Monday when I post the new letter of the week and then you have to find a vegetable that its name begins with that letter, prepare it or enjoy it fresh and raw and leave a comment of how you liked it or what it tasted like. 

You may also post a picture of your vegetable prepared on our Facebook Page, so others may learn your recipe.

 Easy, right?

For example, if I say letter "A" then you would visit a local farmer's market or grocery store and in the produce section find a vegetable that starts with the letter "A" i.e. Artichoke, Avocado, Asparagus, Aubergines. 

How did I prepare it?

So last week I purchased and cooked for the first time ever fresh Artichoke. I used a medium sized stock pot and filled half of it with water, sprinkled 1/2 tsp of crushed black pepper, sprinkled 1/4 tsp of salt, drizzled the juice of 3 key limes and drizzled 1/2 tsp of olive oil. I then boiled it until it was tender and served.

How did I eat it?

I pulled out each leaf carefully and sucked on the end of it that was connected to the "heart" when I got to the "heart" or middle of it I enjoyed cutting it into little pieces. I did not expect the texture to be so soft. 

What are the benefits of eating Artichokes:

High in Antioxidants

Helps prevent cancer 

Great for your liver

Promotes better digestion

Aids in reducing Cholesterol

High in Fiber

I am changing my eating habits to get healthy, lose weight and feel great. Read more about why I am doing this here, here and here.  This is a sponsored post as part of the  Shaklee Corporation’s Team #Cinchspiration Campaign. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating. All opinions are my own. 

At my stance

I'm ready to Cinch it! 

I'm ready to start my weight loss program and lose weight naturally. I'm ready at the start line, ready to reach my very personal goals. Ready to wear my 'trophy' dress or pants. 

Are you ready???

Here is what I look like now.

I wanted to share with you the 'real' me, 'real' as in what I hide beneath those loose tops. Believe me this was not as easy as it looks. 

At my stance, at this very moment I weigh:

231.0 lbs

My measurements today are:

ARM: 16.5 INCHES

BUST: 45 INCHES

THIGH: 32 INCHES

HIPS: 53.5 INCHES

WAIST: 46.5 INCHES

Current BMI {Body Mass Index} = 43.6

This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation’s Team #Cinchspiration Campaign. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating. All opinions and images are my own. Results and experiences are unique for each person, so results may vary. People following the weight loss portion of Shaklee 180 can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.