Click HERE to Begin a New You!!

While I was stalking people on Instagram, my hobby, I ran across another girl who went on a fitness journey and read through some of her posts. I'm good at stalking so beware. ;) One of her posts was a picture of the treadmill screen and she had burned 926 calories in an hour on the treadmill. Someone posted "HOW DID YOU DO THIS!?" and she wrote, "Turn your incline up to the highest setting and walk for an hour! Turn a good show on and the time flies!"

Put the incline on high, she said...... walk for an hour, she said.. Time flies, she said......HOLY FREAKIN COW I'm pretty sure I am not going to have movement in my legs in the morning. Make that tonight. I think one just fell off tonight.. OUCH. On top of my leg falling off I sweat enough to fill up a gallon zip lock baggie, I'm sure of it. However, I felt major satisfaction when I walked out of that gym and felt like I truly gave it 100%.

Today I reached a weight that I am almost sure that I haven't seen on the scale since maybe 6th grade. I made it into the 170's and I couldn't stop smiling all day. Do you have any idea what it feels like to have small success like that? I could not wipe the smile off of my face all day because I feel like I truly have control over my own health. It's an empowering feeling!

I have to give partial credit to my 170's to my change in eating plans. It's hard to be strong in both exercise and in the kitchen. I have the exercise down and figured out but the eating was hard for me. I had all of the materials to help me make a good eating plan and help me stick to it but I was putting it off. I was making the excuse too much of "I workout, so I can eat this cookie, they counter balance". Instead I need to plan my day around planned cheats to make sure I still get the nutrients instead of my lapse of self control. Sunday I sat down and made my grocery list to last me each meal the whole week and did some meal prep once I got home. I started following the beach body 21 day fix eating plan.

I don't follow the Beachbody workout portion of the 21 day fix, I only follow the eating portion (aka I didn't pay for it through Beachbody, neither do you). The key is to workout at least 30 minutes each day because that is what the workout video would be if you used it. 30 minutes of workouts and eating healthy will pay off eventually! Most people see results within 5 days! 5 days people!

What is the 21 day fix you ask?

The 21 day fix Is accompanied with 6 color coated food groups. Green is veggies, Purple is fruits, Yellow is good carbs, Blue is healthy fats, Orange is dressings and seeds, and Red is proteins!

To begin you have to do a small math equation. You take your weight X 11. Then add 400 (for any workout you may do). Then Subtract 750.
EX: Mine is 178 X 11 + 400 - 750 = 1608





There are 4 groups which you may fall
1,200 - 1,499
1,500 - 1,799
1,800 - 2,099
2,100 - 2,300
No matter where you fall, do not be discouraged! This eating plan will give you the nutrients your body needs and help you lose the weight quicker!

Once you figure out where you fit into the groups you will then know how many foods from each colored category you are allowed per day.

From here you should make a grocery list from each category for the week. I plan 7 days in advance and make all of my meals in advance so I have no excuses. I know this sounds like a diet and may suck but it really isn't a diet. It is showing you how to have the nutrients in your diet that you really need. You will see a change within a few days of how good your body feels with the right nutrients!





The Green Container is 8 liquid ounces
The Red is 5 liquid ounces
The Purple is 8 liquid ounces (but most fruit is specified, so you won't need to measure)
The Yellow is 4 liquid ounces
The blue is 2 liquid ounces
The Orange is 1 liquid ounce
And then your teaspoon.

On top of eating correctly you should drink half of your body weight in water. For example: my body weight is 178 so I have to drink 89 oz of water each day.

If you have one bad meal or give into temptations don't throw the towel in for the day. Jen, a trainer off of the biggest loser says our minds can be a dangerous thing. We often get into the F*%k it mood when we eat one thing bad during our day. If you give into a cookie, learn from it and figure out what you were feeling when you gave in to help with next time. Don't say, "well, I already ate a cookie so now I can eat bad the rest of the day". This goes back to the 80/20 rule. Focus on each week being 80% healthy and 20% bad. If you do better than that AWESOME!

Want support and motivation? I am willing to make a Facebook group that is private for everyone to talk about their weight loss journey. From workouts, foods, struggles, successes, and good/bad days. If you are interested comment on this blog, message me on Facebook, or text me!

This week I began a new challenge myself. I have started the challenge package from Beachbody for PIYO. This is a mix between pilates and yoga and shakeology each day. I will be doing this for 90 days and keep you in on my results and progress! An important part of each persons weight loss journey is to make sure you are always challenging yourself.

A lot of people have been asking me for a workout for beginners. This is one of my favorite HIIT workouts that you can do at home with not a single piece of equipment. You can do as many as you can and push yourself a little harder each time. This will start you out slow and you can Youtube "Interval Training" workouts too to find more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhdXXqcoco0

I believe in each and every one of you and I know that you can start this new year as the old you and finish the new year as a new you. Believe in yourself and do this for yourself!

XOXO, Audrey

I work with one of THOSE people...

If there was one category that I would place myself in, it would be hypocrite. I'm terrible at saying "you can't do that" and I turn around finding myself to be engaging in the act that I just shamed. I still do it anyways and think I'm above all else so.... I'm a hypocrite.

I still weigh 183 pounds,. One of my selfies won't end up on a health inspiration page. I do things wrong sometimes. I don't always know best. I haven't learned the 100% ins and outs of health and fitness. And biggest of all, I suck at the holidays.

Man oh man do I suck at the holidays. Mentally I kept tellinng myself I would NOT eat those sweets and that i would stick to the veggie tray, not the carbs... However, I have to admit that deep down I had it planned to cheat and enjoy my holiday and jump back on the band wagon after the holidays were over. That's horrible! This mindset sucked my motivation dry and made me miserable! I have breakouts on my face. I cry during the day because I feel fat and I am crazy unhappy! Why on earth do I continually do this to myself when I KNOW exactly how it makes me feel. Maybe some day I will learn.

I purchased a year membership at the local gym (so I now I a year membership at 2 gyms.. Yes I am stupid). I bought an exercise ball, a medicine ball, and a set of 8 lb weights to add to my elliptical in the basement to begin my own home workout area and I am set to purchase PIYO the beach body program tonight. This girl, is ready for a challenge! I am going to challenge myself and pish past my limits to reach the goal that I have worked towards. I refuse to give up now and you shouldn't give up either. Don't make this a New Years resolution to get as many likes as you can on facebook make it a goal with determination from within!

On the subject of the title of this blog... If you aren't familiar with one of THOSE people you will be after I point this out. It's one of those things that has driven me nuts since the day I began to lose weight. When you're on a weight loss journey you want to talk about it, show it off, brag about your weight loss, swap healthy recipes, share your favorite workouts, etc.. It's such a great feeling to find that person that you relate to on every level and have all the health and fitness things in common! .... Then you have the opposites. Example:
Me: "I ate an apple, green beans, and grilled chicken for lunch!"
Them: "that's way too healthy and you aren't getting enough carbs! If you're running you need carbs!"
Me: "what are you eating for lunch"
Them: "French fries and fried chicken"
note*** they weigh 115 pounds and never gain a pound
THAT is on of THOSE people. They also proceed with telling you that you are ruining your metabolism by training the way that you are and BLAH. BLAH. Blah.

I know I'm not a fitness guru but I have lost my 20 pounds in a very healthy way and I plan to continue with my diet and exercise the way that I started. So back off naturally skinny girls. I love you all but I am large and I don't plan to eat like I want to be large forever. If I follow your diet, I will be forever overweight. Therefore, I will follow mine.

Last blog I discussed emotional issues with your weight loss, if we never face these, you will struggle in your weight loss. You have to pinpoint why you gained this weight to begin with and why you eat with your emotions. If you don't pin point this now, you never will. Every time this comes back to haunt you, you will go back to your old ways. I have done it, probably 10 times.

Research your emotional eating problems, start this journey from deep within, and know your stuff. Don't let the outside world get to you. Stick to your diet. When you drop the pounds, they will realize that you're doing what is right for you.

Please please please everyone take a chance with health and fitness and just see what it has to offer you. Don't break promises to yourself and don't be the person that says you're going to the gym but finds excuses. Become a new person this year. A new you, a better you, a stronger you.

Remember I'm here for YOU just like you're here for me.
XOXO, Audrey

Fat Burning Workout

It seems to be that late night blogs are going to be the best I can do for a while. I recently began 15 credit hours of online college courses and working 30 hour weeks. All on top of my gym time and friends and boyfriend in the schedule. Sleep is non-existent.

I have not been as disciplined as I was with my diet from the beginning. I seem to be one of the people who thinks they need to eat more each time they work out. I do understand that I need to fuel my body but most of the time my cravings are terrible things that should never be in my diet. My loving boyfriend came to visit me while I stayed with my mom last weekend and brought me a romantic surprise. Nope, not flowers. Fresh made doughnuts from the local bakery.......... Please excuse my language for a minute... DAMNIT! I gave in. I ate the doughnut and I ate four cheeseballs that night. I didn't beat myself up because I can't be perfect all the time. I can't cut everything out of my diet at once and expect the cravings to never come around. But I have learned from this experience. I ate those things and didn't feel bad in the moment but I remembered those things all weekend. I felt like I had to walk further, workout more, eat less, etc.. I was punishing myself for my mistakes in the moment. Newsflash to myself, the reason that I am having to lose all of this weight is because of every repeated mistake in the moment! When will I learn!?

I've been stalled with my weight loss and actually gained 2 pounds back since I've been working out every day. Bummer. If you happen to come across this problem you have to remind yourself that you're going to gain some muscle mass before you lose weight. You have to lose the fat and gain muscle before you will see the numbers move. That is why weight loss isn't something that happens in just a few days, it takes time. We can all do this together, even if we trip and fall for the sugar and carbs sometimes. Tell someone about it and make sure to hold yourself accountable for your diet. Don't use the excuse "it is just a few extra calories" or "I can work it off at the gym". You should be working off already packed on fat, not newly added fats. I am guilty of this like anyone else. We are a team and we will learn discipline together.

For some positive things now! Working out makes me feel like a new person! I hate myself every morning when I can't get out of bed but I love knowing that I'm sore because I'm changing! I'm sore because I did something! I often workout with someone but Iggy Azalea has been my workout buddy a few different times. I jam out to her songs on Spotify and go to town. By the way, I read a study the other day that said you lose more weight if you listen to music while working out. Who knows if that is true! My favorite circuit workout is basically a standard plyometrics workout with a mix of cardio, abs, and either arms or legs.

My Favorite Fat Burning Workout
Equipment Needed
Yoga mat
dumbells
medicine ball (or kettle ball)

Warmup (Repeat 2 Times)
Walk/Run 5 mins
10 sit ups
10 arm circles
10 supermans
10 leg swings

Workout (Repeat 3 Times)
50 Jump Rope
15 push ups
20 sit ups
20 walking lunges with dumbells
15 russian killers
10 burpees

Abs (Repeat 2 times)
10 hip raisers
20 reverse crunches
25 crunches
side plank (both arms)
15 side lying leg lifts
30 bicycle abs

I did this workout on Monday afternoon and I couldn't walk almost all of Tuesday. Ask anyone that saw me and asked if I was okay. :)

Paying for a gym membership may seem silly for some people, and I understand that. When I pay money, it makes me feel like I HAVE to go into the gym or I am throwing money down the drain. Monday I went alone and the gym was packed. I felt like everyone was watching my every move and I even hit 2 people while I was jump roping. I don't have confidence in myself when I workout and I feel like others can see that. It is hard to go and lift 10 pound weights when people right next to you are lifting 100 lbs. Be tough and know that some day, that WILL be you. Set your goals and realize that they have been doing this longer than you. I haven't even been going to the gym for a whole 7 days yet, I am not going to turn pro in a week. If people can't respect that I have purchased a gym membership and am working on my health, then heck with them. We get criticized daily for being bigger and needing to lose weight because we are dangerously overweight. But we step into a gym and get mocked and made fun of. People TAKE PICTURES of others in the gym that they think are mediocre. Well my message to those people is don't talk about people being fat if you're going to be that rude person making fun of them. Instead ask them if they need help understanding any of the machines. Ask them if they would like you to show them some of your workouts. Or better yet, mind your own business.

To all of the people like me, that just want to lose weight, walk in with confidence even if you try to use a leg machine for your arms. What matters is that you got up off the couch and you are trying. You are making an effort to change your ways. YOU are what matters, not them.

xoxo, Audrey

P.S. I will have LOTS of Gluten Free Recipes in my next blog hopefully coming soon for my friend Sarah. This is an allergy that is showing up with a lot of people and you can find some food that is incredibly delicious all while being healthy.

Healthy Pizza Recipe

Yep, you read it right, HEALTHY pizza! I have been craving pizza the last few days so I spent some time in Hyvee gathering the ingredients to construct my own low cal, low carb pizza. PERFECTION.

If you love all veggies (like me) and pizza (like me), this will be your new favorite recipe and hit the spot. My mom is also on a weight loss journey, and has lost 67 lbs so far, GO MOM!!! We try to eat as healthy as we can when I stay with her. She can not do much of the physical activity part of weight loss so she has to seriously pay attention to the amount of carbohydrates that she eats, as should we all when trying to lose weight. So, here it is. Your healthy recipe to help fill your pizza craving, while getting all of the most important nutrients!

Veggie Delight Pizza

Ingredients Needed
1 Multigrain FlatOut Flatbread
Green Peppers
Red Peppers
Onions
1/4 cup mushrooms
1/8 cup low sodium pizza sauce
1/8 cup cheese (optional)
Sliced chicken breast (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place a Baking Stone in the oven to preheat it
3. Pull Baking Stone out once preheated and place flatbread on the stone, return to oven until flatbread has become firm
4. Transfer flatbread from the Baking Stone to a Baking Sheet
5. Spread 1/8 cup low sodium pizza sauce onto flatbread
6. Pack on the veggies. Onions, green & red peppers, mushrooms. Put enough on that you can barely see any spots with sauce on them
7. Use a cooked chicken breast and peel off pieces and add them on top of the veggies. This comes to MAYBE 1/8 piece of a chicken breast, for a little extra protein. This step is optional
8. Sprinkle 1/8 cup cheese on top of pizza. This pizza tastes incredible without cheese but the cheese holds it all together. This step is optional
9. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes
10. Remove from the oven and ENJOY!

Nutritional Values
Serving size: 53g
*186.5 Calories
67.5 Calories from fat
7.5 g Total Fat
415 mg Sodium
24.5 g Carbohydrates
10.5 g Fiber
14 g Protein

*The nutritional values do not include the 1/8 of cooked chicken breast on top.

This pizza is a quick fix to a greasy craving. This pizza only has 14 grams of NET carbohydrates. That is for the entire flatbread with toppings on it. I did some research and found out what the serving size was for a pizza hut thin and crispy veggie delight pizza.

Thin & Crispy Veggie Delight Pizza Hut Pizza
Nutritional Value
Serving Size- 1 slice
1 slice- 85 g
180 Calories
60 Calories from fat
6 Total g Fat
560 mg Sodium
23 g Carbs
1 g Fiber
7 g Protein

The net carbohydrates for a single piece of pizza hut pizza is 22 g, compared to my 14 g. Not to mention our pizza has less than half the cheese that pizza hut pizza has, and tastes just as good, if not better!

I hope everyone finds time to try this recipe and uses this to help their pizza craving! Good luck and enjoy!

xoxo, Audrey

P.S, I am now 7 lbs down! Yesterday I had a workout that made me drip buckets of sweat, and I loved every drop!

National Hot and Spicy Food Day

Tomorrow morning bright and early at 8:30 am I have a date. This is no ordinary date, it's new, different, and exciting. This date is with none other than.... the gym (and Cassie).

Tomorrow begins my journey of physical activity that goes along with my life change. I don't do gyms. I get embarrassed even knowing that someone could be watching me and giggling, out-loud or inside. I have no idea how half of the machines in the place work. In the past I have made the statement that the gym is for guys and they laugh when girls try to lift. Tomorrow, I will start working out with a partner. I believe that is the only way to force yourself to the gym daily. She knows the workout side of health better than I probably ever will and I am excited to combine our two minds into one to do great things for changing our lives.

With this new step in my diet you will not only get my favorite healthy recipes but my favorite workouts. That way, you aren't as clueless as I have always been about workouts at a gym and you can be inspired to step inside and try one for yourself.

Today is day 13 on my diet and for the last 13 days I have basically eaten the same thing for every meal:
Breakfast: Smoothie with fruit, coconut milk, and spinach.
Lunch: Salad or Greek Yogurt with a Nature Valley Granola Bar
Supper: Light meal made with chicken (controlled portions)
Surprisingly I hadn't gotten bored yet, but today I decided to change things up. You can only sit at home for so long before your boredom takes over.

I had a great conversations with a classmate of mine that has been on a diet for nearly 2 years herself. She has been very successful with her weight loss and does not use any supplements, just watches what she eats and exercises. Her tip to me was to only eat one actual meal a day. Don't get worked up by reading that, I am NOT starving myself. I love food just as much as the next person. Her suggestion was to eat light for 2 meals, such as yogurt, granola bar, smoothie, gummy snacks, etc and then an actual meal for the third meal. To lose weight you have to work off more calories than you take in. This means choosing your foods more wisely to fill your stomach and staying active.

In honor of National Hot and Spicy Food Day I found a recipe and altered it to be my own. This is a meal that is packed with nutrients and can be your one big meal of the day.

Mexi-Mix Chicken


1 chicken breast
1 can black beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 onion, chopped thin
1 green bell pepper
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp cumin
chili powder to taste
lettuce
1 tbs fat free sour cream
1 tbs salsa

In a frying pan over high heat, with very little oil, add chopped bell pepper. Cook until slightly charred on the outside but still have crunch. Remove skillet.

In a large mixing bowl, dump black beans, kidney beans, corn, and onion. Add fried bell pepper to the bowl. Pour over lime juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, brown sugar, cumin, and chili powder.

Cut your chicken breast into small cubes and put them into the same skillet where the peppers were cooked with oil.

While your chicken is finishing, make your plate. To begin the plate put a handful of lettuce on the plate. Next add the bean mixture from the large bowl on top of the lettuce (this is your choice of how much to add). Add your chicken on top of the bean mixture and top with 1 tbs fat free sour cream and 1 tbs salsa of your choice.

This can also go over rice or in a taco salad bowl, depending on how many calories you want to take in for one meal.

Reminder: One pound at a time. Change doesn't happen over night. It take hard work. You have what it takes to work hard!

The People Around You

The excitement I felt when I jumped off of the scale yesterday was GLORIOUS! I have lost 3.6 lbs! Some people are giving me the 'Who-gives-a-crap" face but I was the happiest person on the planet! I ran straight into my room and jumped on the bed where my boyfriend was laying to tell him the good news. He was just as excited as I was and told me that I was working really hard for this. Heck yes I am!

Then 5 minutes later he told me that we were going to DQ for lunch.....

UGH! The people around you are who influence you, cheer you on, pick you up from the ground, pat you on the back, etc! I felt like he was tearing me down and making my diet harder! I made a smoothie and took it with me into DQ instead of eating the food that I would have once eaten too much of. I watched the guys scarf down on some deliciously crunchy looking chicken strips and a piece of buttery toast.. Hearing that sentence was torture.. right? I found myself not caring and not thinking that at all! My smoothie tasted good and I had just discovered my weight loss from all of my hard work! I'm not giving that up now!

I could roll my eyes at my boyfriend every time he wants to eat out, but is it really worth it? My goal recently has been to find the silver lining in all situations. Example, you get toilet paper stuck in your pants at the public restroom, mortifying, BUT you made someone else laugh for the day! And maybe they were having a horrible day and just needed God to give them a reason to laugh. You were God's reason, which is pretty incredible if you ask me! SILVER LINING PEOPLE! 

My silver lining to my boyfriend loving to eat out is that he is teaching me to have self control and discipline over my own diet. He feeds me temptation after temptation so that I learn to shut them down. Not only do I learn the self control but I learn what to do in those tricky situations. Examples:

1. If you feel like you HAVE to order something ask the waiter for a piece of grilled chicken. Name one place that doesn't have a good grilled chicken. Dip it in your sauce of choice, it wont kill you.

2. Make something small before you leave, such as a smoothie. The group/person you are with can wait 5 minutes for you to have a small meal before they leave.

3. Just order a water or an iced tea and sit and enjoy with your group/person. Just beware of what they have ordered. Avoid staring at their french fries or fried foods that are bad for you! Think of what your big goal is to help you out!

4. Order a house salad. The perfect sized salad that for some reason always tastes better when it is made for you in a restaurant.

I can actually say that I have been on a diet for 10 days now and my life has changed for the better. The amount of energy that I have gained from eating more fruits and veggies and watching my portions is unreal. I have yet to even start doing any physical activity and have still lost 3.6 lbs! I like picking out healthy foods and giving people tips. Diets can be fun if you want them to!

Thank you everyone who has been reading my blog and I hope it inspires you each and every day. I should make a note that if I ever say things about my boyfriend, family, or friends in here it is NEVER in a bad way. They are my people, and everyone needs people. I love my people!

Reminder: If you don't change your ways, you will never change. 

My gorgeous cousin Krysti and I met up and took a picture at the Miranda Lambert concert in KC!

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Recipe

1 4oz Chicken Breast

1 cup salsa (low sodium)

2 Tbsp Fat Free Sour Cream

Olive Oil

Marinate your chicken breast in all of the salsa but 2 Tbsp in the fridge for at least 3 hours. After finished marinating cook the marinated breast in olive oil in a skillet, until done. After chicken is cooked all the way through add 2 Tbsp of sour cream and 2 Tbsp of salsa to the top and enjoy! 

***This can be sweet or spicy depending on your choice of salsa.

Failed Fads

QUICK! Call now to order your limited time offer of "insert weight loss supplement here" before time runs out!! You could cut 20 pounds in just TWO WEEKS! 

Anyone else laughing at that? because I definitely am. I am writing this a night early because I am in the process of moving and I found all of my failed fad diet supplements. I am not saying that these do not work for some people, but I am saying they did not work for me. At the end, I'll even show you how much money I have wasted in my lifetime on these diets instead of buying a bag of lettuce or some healthy food. 

I am welcoming you to join me in a little bit of laughter! Everyone needs a laugh in their life, especially when you are going through a diet. Anyone who is losing weight, even if its just two pounds, we are a team. If you have ever been on a team, you know that laughter only brings you closer together. So get ready to laugh, and even ask yourself the question, "Where in sam-heck did she find that thing?!"

1. Acai Berry Cleanse.. I call this one spending WAY too much time on the internet and following the rules of 'if it's on the internet it's true'. I reasearched so much about acai berry and how THIS was the fruit that would easily melt away belly fat. IN 14 DAYS! High school girls best dream! At the age of 17 I managed to read right past the word 'cleanse' and go straight for the weight loss part at the bottom. Cleanse come to find out, means you and the bathroom are best friends for 14 days. Take back the every high school girls dream part. 

2. Zantrex.... 3! It's the third one, so that means 1 and 2 were REALLY good... right? The real story behind this was my loving sister knows how much I have been trying to lose weight for years now and told me, and I quote, "You can have it, dont buy your own. It started making me puke. I guess I'm just already skinny enough."......yep, I was pumped. I had 3 bottles of this and this is the only one left. What person in their right mind wouldn't just throw this in the trash to begin with!? 

3. Ultimate Body Applicator.. One of those parties you go to and see a ton of fantastic pictures of how this really worked for people and it can be you too! You feel like you can't leave without buying something or you'll feel bad. You seriously wrap yourself in seran wrap for 8 hours with patches of what feels like icy hot under it and drink a ton of water. A way of detoxing from the outside, in. I think I failed this one on my own because I didn't do it every 72 hours like the instructions say. Still, add it to the failed fad list.

4. Advocare Watermelon Spark.. Now this product I am not complaining about. I love it a ton. I feel like it really gives me energy just not any dietary help. If you purchase this and add it to your morning smoothies, YUM!!!!!!! However, still didn't make me lose weight, failed fad list.

5. Omnitrition.. Someday I may return to this diet but I was not ready for the discipline that I had to have to be on the omni drops program. I went from 0% diet to 210% diet in 2 days. I saw results on it, lost 7 pounds! But when I quit, gained 12! OUCH! I learned from this product that you bounce back quicker than you lose if you dont start out NATURAL!

6. Garcinia Cambogia Extract.. I cant even pronounce the first word so we all know how this one is going to go. What is it anyways!? It is supposed to make you eat less when you drink it with a full glass of water 8 hours before each meal, and curb cravings. I really could have just drank the glass of water and eaten less, but oh well. Pretty much another giant waste of money for me, because I had no motivation to actually do it before every single meal. Failed fad list.

While this is all of my failed fad diets that I can find pictures of, I can promise you this isn't all of it. Going back to my first post, being the bigger friend, its hard. Peer pressure finds you every time! My only suggestion to people is do it for you. Find the motivation within yourself, not within others. In the end you will feel good being looked up to by others, for doing it for yourself. 

Math time!

I went to the store a week ago and bought fruit. Fruit can add up quickly. My grocery list consisted of:

Frozen Raspberries

Frozen Pineapples

Blueberries

Strawberries

Peaches

Mangos

Apples

My total was $20.37.. this fruit lasted me 7 days. That is $2.91 a day! CHEAP! Even for a broke college kid.

I bought my first diet supplement at 17. That means I have been buying for a little over 3 years. The total for the 3 years is:

Acai Berry Cleanse- $10.79

Zantrax 3- $25.95 X 2(2 bottles)

Ultimate Body Applicator- $74.99

Advocare Spark- $49.50

Omnitrition Drops & Pill- $127.70

Garcinia Cambogia (3 bottles) - $79.99

GRAND TOTAL- $394.87

That is $131.63 per year approximately for products that I didn't even finish! Wasted!

I could have taken 19 and a half trips to the grocery store for healthy foods and instead I chose to take the quick way out.. Well guys, this time, I choose the slow way. I choose to be healthy and happy and lose my weight little at a time so that I can keep it off FOREVER! Who is with me!?

Our State Fair Is A Great State Fair...

Don't miss it don't even be late, or forget to try 69 foods on a stick, anything you could dream of out of a frier, a bucket of cookies, lemonade, soda, tacos, nachos..... Do I dare continue? 

Attending the Iowa State Fair last night was one of the best experiences I have yet to have there, AND I was on a diet. I heard numerous times "How are you doing with your diet?" or "Diets don't work just eat some fair food!" No matter what others had to say, I continually told myself this isn't a bad week to be on a diet. It isn't because my diet is a change in lifestyle, not a change in this single week. I ate Subway yesterday before attending the fair topped with handfuls of vegetables and chicken, which tasted far better than any fair food in my opinion. Low in sodium and fat, I win!!

Resisting fair food is hard. Just like self discipline is hard. That my friends is part of a diet, part of changing your life. What we fail to understand as dieting individuals is what a diet actually is. We forget that its okay to eat that one cheat food and not cut it out 100%, we wont die. We face the consequences and we may not lose that extra half a pound that was in our goal for the week. And it's not okay to say you're giving it up just for the week. Giving up a food for a week is easy, giving it up for the betterment of your health is HARD. I hope to also avoid this food in all future circumstances because that is part of a diet. From now on I don't want to call my health decisions a diet, I want to call it an Important Life Change. Im changing my eating habits to be a better me, that is what a diet is to me.

My list of foods that you should get at the state fair when changing your life for the better:

1. Fruit on a stick (yep, they have that)

2. Chocolate covered banana (make this your only sweet cheat for the week)

3. Bowl of fruit

4. Pork chop on a stick (make this the only meat you eat this week)

5. Eat food before

6. Bring a healthy snack

I've said it before, temptations aren't easy. I ate 2 cookies last night from my boyfriends bucket of cookies. The main thing is you don't jump off the weight loss train when you slip up even the tiniest bit. You can't be perfect, nobody is. A small slipup is okay, but don't jump ship completely. 

Do some research before you head to the fair. Read this article (http://www.iowastatefair.org/fair-attractions/food/healthy-choices/) about the healthy choices of the Iowa State Fair! Make it easier to avoid the bad foods and head straight for the good ones.

Reminder: If you believe, you will succeed!

Audrey's "Everything But The Core" Smoothie

Each morning I wake up excited to start my day with a healthy balanced meal. Two weeks ago the girls would ask me to make them a healthy smoothie and I would stand there puzzled and tell them to wait until mom got home because I wasnt good at it. Now, I love making them and want one for every meal! 

The smoothie that I will feature in today's post is going to be called Audrey's Everything But The Core Smoothie. This smoothie has peaches, mangos, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries & the juice from them, pineapple, coconut milk, and flax seed. Simple, simple smoothie to make and easy to clean up too. I call it everything but the core because I would throw any fruit in this smoothie and it will still be incredible, minus the core of the fruit. The kids beg and beg for extra sugar in their smoothies but I have to explain to them that fruit has a lot of natural sugars in it. 

Audrey's Everything But The Core Smoothie

1 Peeled Peach

1/4 Peeled Mango

Handful of Blueberries

4 Large Blackberries-fresh or frozen

6 Medium Strawberries-fresh or frozen

6 Chunks Frozen Pineapple

Cover 1/3 of fruit in coconut milk

1 tsp flax seed

I cut up all of the fruit and put it in first. Then I run hot water over the raspberries to help them thaw quicker and dump some of their juice on top of the smoothie, this only makes it a little sweeter and more sour. I then dump the milk on and cover the fruit in the blender about 1/3 of the way. Last, I sprinkle the tsp of flax seed on top and blend! Generally to add more nutrients to the smoothie I would throw leaves of spinach in because you can't taste them and they have a ton of health benefits! 

Hint: I was recently taught by a 9 year old to put soapy water in your blender when you are finished and blend while the water and soap are in it to clean the blender. GENIUS! Makes cleaning your blender almost seem like fun.