No More Hiding....

It has been far too long... and I am ashamed to say why. I made it so far when I began my journey. Then, life happened. I gained weight... I was ashamed. Instead of getting through it with you all, I hid. I hid because I did not want to be seen as a failure. Instead, I spiraled backwards and I failed even further. In trying to hide, I made it worse. Now, here I am, almost at where I started... and there is no more hiding. This is my life. I am sharing it with you all. I will forever be on this journey to live a healthy life, for as long as I live -- whether I am 180 pounds or 120. I am taking a vow to no longer hide. For better or worse, that is what this will become. The story of me. The real me. The good, the bad, the ugly. No longer will I only share the successes. It's time to get real.

One Day To Prep For Many

Today, I had a wonderful day with my family. First, we played A LOT. We played school, colored, made a huge train track, played Candy Land... Oh, I can go on. But, somehow, in between all of that, I found some time to meal plan...

Above is our menu for the week. I also made a large crock of lentil soup. I used brown & green lentils, leftover ham, carrots, water, garlic, basil and a splash of... Ready for it? Balsamic. It cooked for 7 hours on low. The longer the better. Before serving, I hit it with the immersion blender to smooth it out a bit. Finished product?

The soup was put aside for lunches for the week. Then, the Italian in me took over and it was time to prepare Sunday dinner. Usually chicken parm would be served with a pound of penne or spaghetti. Instead, we leaned it up. Chicken was butterflied, covered with flour, egg & whole wheat breadcrumbs, then baked at 350 for about 25 minutes. Then, cover with homemade maranara sauce and cheese. Back in oven for 15 more minutes or so. Mine was minus the spaghetti but my little mini cook had some whole wheat spaghetti with hers. 

And.... I am ahead of the game! Lunch is made already for tomorrow. Tomorrow is Day 1 of my Skinny Jean Challenge... Time to set the bar high!! 

Hope you all had a great weekend and have a good week!

That Healthy Mama XOXO

How to Make This Year YOURS

January is the time when everyone seems to look towards the new year. They make wishes for the future, promises that they do not usually keep and set unrealistic expectations. How are you going to keep your resolutions? How are you going to conquer 2014? 

• Move on from the past. At one point or another, whatever you were doing was exactly what you wanted to do. Do not regret, but rather learn from your mistakes and poor choices. Most likely, others do not remember your mistakes. Stop dwelling on them. It is fogging your ability to clearly see your potential for this year.
• If you are hoping to create a healthy lifestyle, create it slowly. Change one thing a week. If you drastically change every aspect of life, it will not stick. It will be a complete shock and instead of making the journey YOURS, you are trying to learn how to live it like others are telling you. Remember that everyone is different and spend the year to learn what works for you and what to leave for everyone else. 
• Surround yourself with like-minded folk. Do not let the Debbie-downers of the world bring you down. Find someone that also wants to get healthy, learn from those that have already started and do not even give the haters the time of day. Come November, they will still be looking at themselves in the mirror asking why they are still miserable.
• Set realistic mini-goals. Want to lose 100 pounds? Fantastic! But, waiting for the entire year to see the pounds melt off may not be enough. Strive to lose 10, then 10 more, etc. Celebrate the mini goals (not with food!) with a good book, a movie night, or whatever else you enjoy. 
• Most importantly, ENJOY the year. There will only be 2014. Take some risks, regret a little less and make your journey all it can be. 

Wishing you all the best,

That Healthy Mama xoxo