My husband and I always said we wanted to run a 1/2 marathon once we got healthy. Well, that never happened (until the show). When Shaun T. told us that we would have to run a 1/2 marathon in order to get on the sale, I was so very nervous. It had always been a dream of mine, but I wasn't sure I would be able to actually do it. Thank goodness Dawn had a terrific training program that made me feel comfortable and got me physically and mentally ready to complete it. I told Dawn when I completed the 1/2 marathon that I was going to go to the store and get myself a 13.1 sticker for my car. She is so sweet and so supportive that she went and had me a sticker made. Not just any sticker, but a 13.1 Reality Show sticker. This made my heart so happy. She hid it from me until I crossed the finished line. It is on my car now. Every time I look at it, I smile. I am so proud of myself and know that I rocked that 1/2 marathon. It also reminds me how sweet and caring Dawn is. I mean, who thinks of doing that for someone?!? She is amazing.
My Workout Schedule
Before the show, I worked out. I had been going to the YMCA religiously for 2 years. I would go 3-4 days a week for at least an hour each day. My problem was never working out, it was the eating. I really enjoy working out. When the show started filming, I actually worked out less than I did before the show. Filming really gets in the way of working out :). For the first 3 weeks of the competition, I didn't do much working out. Then, Dawn and I started running. We followed a 1/2 marathon training program. We ran 3 days a week. For two of those days we ran for short distances and for one day we ran for long. We did interval training where we would walk for 3 minutes and run for 2 minutes. This was the interval that we finally got to before she went home. I started walking 4 minutes and running 1. I also ran sprints on the days we ran. When she left, I upped the exercise because I had more free time. At that point I started working out 6 days a week for at least 60 minutes. Some days, I would work out twice a day. This is because I love working out and I couldn't decide between Zumba and Turbokick that day. Now that we are done filming, I normally workout twice day-once in the morning and once at night. I want to look good in my bathing suit this summer, so I am really motivated to continue working out. Plus, I've got friends that depend on me to be there and it is just fun. I love the feeling that I have after I workout.
Here is what my workout schedule looked like after Dawn went home, but before we filmed the finale.
Workout Schedule
Tuesday- Run 4.5 miles, sprints
Wednesday- 9:25-10:25- Power Strength; 10:30-11:30- Zumba Step
Thursday- Run 4.5 miles; Sprints
Friday- Run 8 miles; Sprints
Saturday- 9:05-10:00- Step and HIIT
Sunday- Rest
Monday- 5:30-6:25- Turbo Kick; 6:30-7:25- Zumba
Tuesday-Run 5 miles; Sprints; 9:25-10:20- Step and Tone
Wednesday- 9:25-10:20- Power Strength; 10:30-11:30- Zumba Step
Thursday- Run 5 miles; Sprints
Friday- Run 6.2 miles; Sprints
Saturday- 9:05-10:00- Step and HIIT
Sunday- Rest
Monday- 5:30-6:25- Turbo Kick; 6:30-7:25- Zumba
Tuesday- Run 5 miles; Sprints
Wednesday- 9:25-10:20- Power Strength; 10:30-11:30- Zumba Step
Thursday- Run 5 miles; sprints
Friday- Run 9 miles; sprints
Saturday- 9:05-10:00- Step and HIIT
Sunday- Rest
Monday- 5:30-6:25- Turbo Kick; 6:30-7:25- Zumba
Tuesday- Run 5 miles; sprints
Wednesday- 9:25-10:20- Power Strength; 10:30-11:30- Zumba Step
Thursday- Run 5 miles; sprints
Friday- Run 10 miles; sprints
Saturday- 9:05-10:00- Step and HIIT
Sunday- Rest
Monday-Turbo Kick; 6:30-7:25- Zumba
Tuesday- Run 4 miles; sprints
Wednesday- 9:25-10:20- Power Strength; 10:30-11:30- Zumba Step
Thursday- Run 2 miles; sprint
What happens when you don't eat sugar?
When I first read the cut the C.R.A.P part of Dawn's plan, I will admit I was a little nervous. I mean, I love sugar. I enjoyed coffee flavored water in my sugar. I put sugar in my spaghetti sauce. I added sugar to fruit. There really wasn't much I didn't put sugar on. The first week of not eating sugar was pretty tough. After the first week though, it was amazing. Everything started to taste different. I had some watermelon and you would have thought I was eating a pixie stick. My stomach no longer hurt and I wasn't bloated. I didn't have ups and downs in my energy levels. I am so happy that I took the step to eliminate most sugar from my diet. It sounds a lot scarier than it actually is. It actually is possible to enjoy apples, strawberries, spaghetti sauce, and many other things without the extra sugar. In fact, it is better!
Kite Flying
Kevin loves to fly kites and he's actually quite good at it. He would take them to the beach when we were dating and fly them. I really enjoyed watching him, but I was never a kite flyer. He stopped flying them because there really aren't a lot of opportunities to fly them here in Georgia. When Dawn came into our lives, one of the things she did was investigated our garage. She found his kites and thought that kite flying would be a fun family activity. This didn't make the cut, but we all went kite flying at the park. We ran around, laughing, flying kites and acting silly. We all had a blast. We burned some calories while spending time together as a family.We decided that day that we would do more active things as a family! We can just add this to the list of Dawn's great ideas!
My Dawn
I know you all saw just how amazing Dawn is, but I want to confirm those thoughts! When I first met Dawn, she looked at me and said "This is meant to be. You can do anything". We went back to those words many, many times during our time together. The first thing I noticed was just how stunning she is to look at. The second thing I noticed is how much she genuinely cares. She always has my best interest at heart. This was not just a competition on a reality show for her. She actually wanted my family and me to get healthy because she cares. She would do kind things for us all the time. She brought us a plant when our dog died. She would give me pep talks when I was feeling down. She always encouraged me and was truly one of my biggest cheerleaders. I told her I loved her eyelashes and the next day she brought me the mascara, blush, and primer that she uses. She went to Zumba with me. She went to step class with me. She taught me how to breath properly while running. We cried together, we laughed together, and I think we grew together. I never imagined that we would have the relationship that we have when I started this. We still talk everyday. She helped me pick out my outfits for my photo shoot today for HOURS. Literally, hours and did not complain one time. She is smart, truthful, absolutely hilarious, and one of my best friends. She spent time away from her family (and her dog) to teach me how to get healthy. I feel so fortunate that this woman came into my life. I know I won because she has the best plan. I got a lot more out of this than getting healthy. I got a friend for life.
The other contestants
One question I get asked about 500 times a day is, "What do you think about the other contestants?". People are expecting me to dislike them and have really horrible things to say. The truth is, it's the exact opposite. From the day we first met, we instantly connected. We were 5 strangers, picked to live in a house...Wait, that was The Real World. We were 5 strangers, picked to get healthy together and expose our inner most secrets, flaws, and insecurities on National TV. Our first day together we were put in a room for hours with nothing to do but talk to each other. We talked and talked and realized that most of us had quite a bit in common, even though we would probably never have a chance to meet and hang out in "real" life.
Each of the contestants has very special qualities that I love. For instance, Jeff. Jeff is a say it like you mean type of guy. He tells you what he's thinking so you never have to try and guess where you stand with him. He is loyal, passionate, and truthful. Jeff is also hilarious and always keeps me cracking up. He always has my back and truly has taken on the role of my big brother. He also loves Captain Crunch cereal and hot sauce (not combined), which makes me think he is extra awesome.
Latasha is beautiful, both inside and out. The first day I met her I couldn't stop staring. I mean, she is stunning. She is also one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She carries herself with such grace and class. She is very level-headed and seems to really think about decisions before she makes them. Her eye makeup completely fascinates me because it is perfect. One day I will get her to give me makeup lessons.
Taj is such a wonderful person. She is so incredibly funny and so smart. She is one of the most determined people I have ever met in my life. She is dedicated and sensitive. I really loved getting to know her and spend time with her. Taj is the Queen of Bitmojis and always has the perfect one to send at the perfect time. I know when I get a text from her it is going to make me crack up.
Kurt is a family man. He loves his wife, his kids, and his grand kids. He was good at being the "dad" to everyone. When one of us was cold, he would offer his jacket. Taj was always cold, so Kurt brought her a blanket from his house to have on set so she could cuddle up and be warm. Kurt was always so calm and never really got upset about anything. He is a go with the flow type of guy. Kurt can smoke a mean turkey and he was kind enough to bring some in and share with us. One fun fact about Kurt is that he has an incredible collection of cat shirts!!
These people I spent 14 weeks with are now my family. It is crazy how quickly you bond with people when you are in a unique situation like we were. I will be forever grateful for the relationships I have with them. I am so happy they picked the 5 of us for this journey. I definitely wouldn't have wanted to experience it with anyone else. Below are some pics of us. For some reason, I do not have one of just Latasha and me :(. We will need to fix that soon.
Kitchen Gadgets
We love kitchen gadgets in our house. We probably have one of everything ever made because Kevin is a total gadget geek! We have items in my cabinet that I don't even know how to use. Thank goodness my hubby knows his way around the kitchen!
There have been a ton of people that ordered my meal planner (thank you all so much for ordering!). For one of the meals this week, we used a spiralizer to make Zoodles (zucchini noodles). Many of you have asked where to get something like this. Click here to purchase one like we have. It works really well and makes the zoodles look like noodles!
Next week we are cooking eggs. Dawn bought Kevin an egg cooker for Christmas (she knows him so well). We love it. It cooks eggs perfectly. If you want one of those, click here.
I'm sure I will find some more fun kitchen gadgets to post about! I'll go through our cabinets, ask Kevin what the stuff is used for, and get back to you :).
Diet Tips
I have learned a lot over the course of filming for this show to help me be more successful at losing weight. I wanted to share what I have learned with you.
Be Prepared
Before I started on Dawn's Superfood Swap plan, I was never prepared. She taught me that you must be prepared for every meal and every snack. Boy, was she right. Before I would not know what I was going to eat for a meal, find myself starving and then go into the pantry and eat anything I could find. You must have healthy options in your home at all times to be successful. If marshmallows and chocolate are the only quick things you can grab to eat, that's what you're going to go for. I am always very busy and on the run. Convenience is very important to me. Now I have tons of fruit, veggies already cut in snack sizes, hummus, and homemade beef jerky always ready and available. I also plan all of my meals out on a piece of paper that I hang up on the refrigerator. Now there is no question what I am going to eat and this has made life so much easier...and healthier!
Schedule Your Workouts
Working out is so important for your physical well-being, but it also makes me mentally feel better. I know that when I go workout I am happier and feel so much better about myself. I have never regretted a workout, but I have regretted not going to the gym. To make sure I get my bootie up and get to class, I make a monthly workout schedule. I plan out what classes I'm going to on what days, how much I'm going to run, etc... I place this schedule on my fridge. This lets me know what I'm doing, but it also lets everyone else in my house know what I am doing .There is no surprise when I say "I'm going to the gym" because my schedule is in a place where everyone can see it. My schedule holds me accountable, because there is no way I'm going to say I'm going somewhere and not go.
Don't Let the Scale Define You
The scale does not define who you are as a person. Dawn told me this every single week before we stepped onto that scale. Some weeks are better than others when it comes to victories on the scale. I had to find a way to see my hard work paying off that did not include the scale. This is where clothes came in. I would pick a pair of jeans that I wanted to fit into and hang them in my closet. Each week I would try the jeans on, because as Dawn says, "The pants don't lie". Sometimes the scale does tell a little fib, maybe you have gained muscle or you are holding on to water weight, but the pants don't lie. This was really eye-opening to me. It was great to find another way to tell if I was losing weight. The pants thing really does work.
Celebrate Small Victories
Okay, so you only lost a pound. Instead of being discouraged because it is only a pound, remember, you are one pound less than you were the last time you weighed. Maybe you fit into the pants that you have been wanting to fit into for months, so what they don't button, they got up past your thighs..this is a victory! Probably not the victory you were hoping for, but still a victory. You have to keep a positive mindset at all times. This is sometimes hard to do, but so important. I always wake up and think to myself, today I am going to be a better me than I was yesterday. At the end of the day I can celebrate that I tried harder today than the day before.
Reward Yourself
This one was hard for me. Before anytime I would reward myself, it was with food. You lost 4 pounds this week, you deserve to go out to eat AND get dessert. Callie made an A on a test, we should bake her some cookies. These were all things that I used to do. I had to find a different way to reward myself. Now it's, you've lost 2 pounds, you deserve that pair of running socks you have been looking at. I also like to reward myself with nail polish. These rewards don't have to be expensive, but they should make you feel good.
Be Kind to Yourself
So, you screwed up. You ate too much at dinner, you had a piece of cake, you gained a pound...oh well. Move on. It's not that big of a deal. Brush it off and know tomorrow you can start over. We all make mistakes, but how we handle these mistakes is what makes or breaks us. You have to love yourself (Geez, I sound just like Dawn). I'm still a work in progress on this one!
Today is the BIG day
Is it just me or have these 6 episodes have just flown by?! I cannot believe that tonight is the finale. I hope that you all tune in to see what drama goes down and of course, everyone's transformations. By the end of tonight, we will all know Which Diet is Better Than Yours!!
I want to take this opportunity to say thank you for watching our show. We all poured our hearts and souls into it and it was such an amazing ride. I have gotten so many notes of encouragement and support. I cannot thank you all enough for being such a positive group of people.
Again, thank you for watching. It really means a lot to all of us!
Mr. Roads
I taught 4th grade before I had my daughter. I was teaching math one warm January morning back in 2004 with the door open and this cute little mutt ran into my classroom. I called my principal and asked her what I should do. Her response was, "Go buy that dog and outfit and take it home". I did exactly what she said. I bought him a cute sweater and took him home with me. He was such a cute dog that I just knew he had to be someone's pet. I put up flyers and took him to the vet to see if he had a microchip. No one claimed the puppy so he was officially mine. He was the sweetest, funniest, most laid back dog in the world. When Callie came along, he became her dog. They would take naps together, lay by the fire together, and chase each other outside. Roadie was the best dog any kid (or adult) could have. It was an off day for me (but we were in the middle of filming) and I was going to walk the dogs. I asked Callie to go and get them out of their beds. She let out Maddie and Heiny and not Roadie. She came out and told me that he was sleeping and not moving. I knew this was not good so I called Kevin and told him to get back home. He got home and confirmed my fear. Roadie was dead. We were all devastated. I was sad for Kevin. I was sad for me, but mostly I was heartbroken for Callie. She just lost her best friend. The crew we had working with us were the kindest people in the world. Several sent us flowers and Dawn brought us a cute little plant.
The old Jasmin would have eaten her way out of depression. The new me decided that food was not going to bring my dog back. It was just going to make me feel worse if I went back to my old habits. It's so crazy to think about all of the reasons I used to eat. I ate when I was happy, when I was sad, when I was nervous. I have learned that eating is about so much more than food. It's about dealing with emotions. This is a hard lesson to learn, but probably one of the most important. I no longer let my emotions dictate when I will eat. I let my stomach tell me when I am hungry.
My Support System
I know that most of you saw Kevin and I on the show last week having our "date night". I feel like many of you celebrated with us when we put on our wedding rings. I thought Kevin deserved a whole blog all about him because he has been so amazing throughout this whole journey.Kevin is the chef in our house. His food is soooooo good. I mean, like slap your mama good. He can cook just about anything, but my favorite has to be his Firecracker Chicken (which is definitely not Dawn approved). Since he is the chef, he had to relearn how to cook. He had to learn new ways to make our meals fun, tasty, and interesting. He really listened to Dawn (most of the time) and got some great ideas on how to make our food healthier. He also took on a lot of the other household responsibilities while I was filming and exercising. He kept the house clean, kept my belly full, and kept our daughter happy. I know that I could not have made it this far without him. So many people have commented about how supportive he is and they are so right. He is a great guy, my best friend, my rock, and my own personal healthy chef. I am definitely blessed and so grateful I have him.
My other family members also played an important role in my success. My daughter, mom, dad, and step-mom have all been there for me, cheering me on, supporting me, and encouraging me.
One thing I learned over these past few weeks is that having a support system is so important to success. There is no way I could have made it this far if my whole family wasn't on board. It is a definitely a group effort in the Queen household.
Why I plan my meals
Before the show my family and I always planned out our dinners. We find that planning out dinners really helps with our grocery shopping, budget, and of course, sticking to the plan. I never really planned out what I was going to eat for breakfast and lunch. I would always just fly by the seat of my pants. This never worked for me. I would eat unhealthy things for breakfast, if I ate breakfast at all. I would wait until I was starving for lunch and head into the pantry in a panic. I would eat marshmallows, chocolate, potato chips... really anything I could get my hands on. I have since learned how important it is to have every meal planned out, including snacks. This keeps me from having to make snap decisions because I am starving. For me, those snap decisions always lead to poor eating. I have had many people ask me what my days look like when it comes to food. This is where the idea of me creating a meal planner came from (well, that and Dawn's brilliant mind). If you would like to see what my family eats for every meal and get the recipes and grocery list that go along with those meals, go to my Shop here on my website. There you can purchase 4 weeks of my meal planner, recipes, grocery list, and tips for only $19.99. This is nothing fancy, but it will show you exactly what I eat on a weekly basis. If you are confused on how to start making small changes in your diet, this would be a great program for you. It is also a terrific supplement for Dawn's Superfood Swap Starter kit. She tells you the why and I show you how I implement the plan in my life. It is meal planning, made easy. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to comment on here or email me at contact@jasminqueen.com.
You can buy Dawn's Superfood Swap Starter Kit here.
"Fat Girl" Box
If you watched, "My Diet is Better Than Yours" this past Thursday you saw me confront my "fat girl" box. If you didn't watch it, shame on you :). Many of you have asked me why I didn't want to get rid of it. I can answer that, but first I need to give you the backstory. I have lost weight and put it back on too many times to count. Back in 2011 I lost about 75 pounds. I was so excited to get the weight off that I took all of my larger sized clothes and put them in a box. I was so proud that I had lost so much weight that I wrote "fat girl" clothes on my box and stuck the box in the attic because I was no longer fat. I didn't need those clothes anymore. It was a really proud moment for me. Fast forward about 9 months. I had put all of the weight back on. This was a very low point for me because I had to crawl back into the attic and get the box labeled "fat girl" clothes. No longer did that box make me feel proud. I felt so discouraged and embarrassed. I felt defeated. Unfortunately, this did not make me change my ways, it just made me eat more. When I had to show that box to Dawn, I knew she would not be happy. She really believes in Body Love and this box represented the complete opposite of that. It represented me really not liking myself, but those clothes were my crutch. They were my comfort. They were there to catch me if I failed again, like I always had before. I did not want to get rid of those clothes. Not because I did not believe in Dawn or her plan, but because I did not believe in me. I was hearing a voice inside my head telling me that I would need those clothes again one day. It took a lot of talking with Dawn and a lot of positive self-talk to get rid of those clothes. It took me really looking at myself and saying "I believe in you" and actually believing it. Once I made the decision to let the clothes go and actually get rid of them, it was the best, yet scariest feeling in the world. It was me telling myself that this time is different. It was me saying that I will not let myself go back to the old Jasmin. I am so proud that I decided to let them go. If you have a box like that. Get rid of it! Do not keep it. You do not need a crutch. You need to believe in yourself. Believe this time is different and then make that your truth. I believe in you, just like Dawn believes in me.
Out to Eat
Last night my husband wanted to go out to eat. My first thought was, Oh no. I'm going to get myself into trouble. My second thought was, I can do this, Dawn taught me how to go out to eat. What you didn't see on TV was her teaching me the "Know Before You Go" rule. Before you go out to eat, look at a menu online and figure out what you are going to eat. That way, you do not make poor decisions in the heat of the moment. My hubby wanted to go to Taco Mac because he loves wings and had a coupon. Thank goodness Taco Mac does have an online menu. I decided I was going to have the Roasted Wings (yes, you can now get chicken wings roasted there) and a side of broccoli. I felt really good about my decision and off we went. When we got to the restaurant, I didn't even look at a menu. I didn't want a cheeseburger to start calling my name, so I avoided that temptation. The wings came and they were so good. Roasted really is the way to go. We finished our meal and the waitress asked us if we wanted dessert. They have a delicious chocolate cake there. Now, old me would have ordered the chocolate cake, eaten it all myself, and then felt guilty about it. New Jasmin did order the chocolate cake, but this time was different. I shared it with Kevin and Callie and I felt good about it. Why, did I feel good....because I was following Dawn's "Sweets, Treats, and Alcohol" rule. You never eat them at home or alone. Because of this rule, I didn't feel guilty for eating the cake. I owned it and moved on. Today is a new day and I get to start all over. Today I plan on being a better me than I was yesterday.
Recap of last night's episodes
WOW! Talk about some intense moments. We sure had them on last night's episodes of "My Diet is Better Than Yours".
I am so proud that I won the 5K Challenge. Dawn and I had been training, but had not ran that distance before the challenge. I feel like the training I had been doing with her and the food she had me eating really had me prepared to run that race. Poor Jeff was not feeling well and had been sick all day. I was so happy he didn't run, because he truly needed to get out of the sun and rest. Taj dropped a bomb when she said that she and her wife are getting a divorce. No wonder she wasn't in the right mood to complete the 5K. Kurt and Latasha really pushed themselves and did a great job.
Then comes the weigh in and I lost 6 lbs in ONE week!! YES!! I had been working my tush off and it showed on the scale. I finally ranked #1 at the weigh in. About time that happened.
Our next challenge was the "Fight for your Life" challenge. Before that I had never hit a punching bag. I have to say, it felt good. I think I will start incorporating some sort of boxing into my daily workouts. It was nice to take out my daily frustrations on a punching bag. Can we just talk about that plank for a second? Dawn had me doing an "under 10 minute" workout everyday where I had to do planks. I know this had me prepared for the plank challenge. We girls were happy to learn we came in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. GIRL POWER!
The next weigh in I didn't do so well. I lost 1 pound and came in 4th. I must say I was a little disappointed, but at least I lost and didn't gain. I knew the next week I would have to work even harder if I wanted to make it back into the top spots.
I want to say a big Thank you to my Zumba friends from J.M.Tull YMCA in Lawrenceville for doing Zumba with me and Georgia Dance Unlimited in Dacula for letting us use their studio!
Meals for this week
My husband is a big list maker. He makes a list to remind him to make a list. Today is our day to make our grocery list. I have found that I have to have all meals planned out to be successful (thanks to my husband for teaching me this). I thought I would share my weekly meals with you so you can see what I eat. Dawn taught me about delicious monotony so you will see that reflected in my list. Comment if you have any questions!
Breakfast
Apples and organic peanut butter on sprouted bread
Apple Oatmeal
Lunch
Ezekiel Tortilla with chicken, peppers, onions, lettuce, salsa, and guacamole
Hummus Chicken Bowl
Dinner
Chicken, Mashed Cauliflower, Salad
Stir fry chicken with peppers, onions, and zucchini
Italian Chicken with Zoodles
Baked chicken with cauliflower macaroni and cheese
Snacks
Homemade Beef Jerky with mandarin oranges
Carrots and hummus
But I don't want to go to the gym today
I'm sore, I'm tired, and I'm grumpy and I don't want to go the gym today, but none of that matters. I am going to make myself go. I know that I will feel better once I get there and I know I will be proud that I went when it's over. It's just finding the motivation to get up and go that is the problem right now. Luckily I am meeting a friend there and she is counting on me. Having someone to workout with and hold me accountable really helps me get out the door. It's so much easier to just sit here on the couch and watch TV, but it is so much healthier to get your butt up and go workout. No one has ever said they regretted working out, but I have heard people say they wish they had gone to the gym. I know the feelings I have when I leave the gym. I am normally happy, proud, excited, and energized. These feelings are a lot better than feeling lazy, worthless, sad, and regretful. With all of this being said, I am going to the gym right now. No excuses, no being lazy, no staying at home. Zumba here I come.
Are you Ready?
This is the question I kept asking myself after I was told that I was picked for the show. I knew I didn't like my body the way it was, but I also knew I loved donuts, chocolate, cake, cookies, etc....I didn't know if I didn't like how unhealthy I was more than I liked all of the sweets. I was very conflicted. I mean, so conflicted that I sat at the table crying for 2 weeks before filming began. I would cry over everything. I cried over thinking I wouldn't be able to get a dozen donuts from Krispy Kreme on Talk Like a Pirate Day. I cried over thinking I would never bake again. I cried over not eating cookies anymore. I cried over no more ice cream. After all of the crying, I came to the conclusion that it was time. It was now or never. There are so many people out there that would give anything for this opportunity. I knew that I had to do this and I had to give it my all. I knew the sugar high feeling you get from sweets wouldn't compare to actually loving myself and being healthy. This was the hardest decision I have ever had to make, but I know it was the best decision. I am so much healthier and happier now and I picked a plan that I can still have sweets. I just learned a new way to eat them- never at home and never alone. It makes it so much more special when you eat sweets this way. Change is hard, but it is so worth it!
Pinterest is my nemesis!
Before I started my weight loss journey I was an avid user of Pinterest. I would go on that site several times a day to find different dessert recipes. I would tell myself that I was just going to go look at the recipes, but as soon as I would start looking, I would start craving sweets. After 5 minutes of sifting through recipes I would just have to make one. Off to the store I would immediately go to get all of the stuff I needed to make some yummy cake or cookie. This happened more times than I would like to admit. Once I started on my journey to lose weight, I stopped looking at Pinterest. I knew that was a trigger for me and at that point in my life I couldn't go and just look. A lot of people also post recipes on Facebook. I have stopped clicking on the links and just keep scrolling. My husband even unsubscribed from all of the unhealthy food blogs he followed. He realized that was one of his triggers and knew he had to change to get different results that he had in the past. Oddly enough, I don't miss Pinterest. I have found different things in my life that make me happy so I no longer have to find happiness with baking.
(I know Pinterest has a lot of other things on it besides unhealthy recipes. That is just never how I used it. )
Shopping for running gear
One thing is a fact, you cannot comfortably run without the right equipment. For a girl with large breasts, one of the things you must have is a good running bra. I could run barefoot as long as I have on a comfy bra that makes the girls not jiggle. After Dawn watched me run for the first time, she knew we had to go shopping. We went to Feet Fleet in Lawrenceville to get everything I needed. We found a bra that would hold everything in. Oh my gosh, what a difference that makes. We also got some new running shoes that feel like butter on my feet and some compression sleeves. My calves always hurt after running and these sleeves have made them feel so much better. Now that I have the right stuff (yes, that is a New Kids on the Block reference) I can be much, much happier while running.
Buy the bra I wear to run here. If you are interested in the shoes I wear, click here.
