A Healthier Me

When I was younger, I was a skinny mini.  And to me, to be called skinny or to be told that you need to eat more is just as hurtful as being told you're "fat" or that you need to lose weight, etc.  So, I was a bit hesitant to write this blog post, because I didn't want to be ridiculed.  I may not be 300 pounds or whatever, but I can't fit into any of my clothes.  I can't afford to go out and buy more, so that is a sign that I need to eat healthier & I need to lose some weight.  No, I don't need to lose 50 pounds or more (maybe 20-25 pounds), but it's still a big deal to me when I look in the mirror and I'm unhappy with what I see or when I can't fit into my clothes anymore.  With that being said, this is what I intend to do about it ...

As you probably figured out by now, I am a serious Pinterest addict !! So, I went on Pinterest & looked up lots of weight loss smoothies/breakfast smoothies for healthier eating.  I found this super awesome pin about making your own smoothie packets & freezing them.  I was able to make 11 packets out of what I bought.  Sadly, I forgot to write down how much everything cost, but it was definitely $15 or less, making each individual smoothie less than $1.50 each.  

Here is what I purchased/used:

Great Value Vanilla Yogurt (32 oz.)

4 Kiwi

Strawberries

Blueberries

1 can of Crushed Pineapple

1/2 bag of frozen Strawberries/Bananas

First I measured 1tbsp scoops of yogurt into a mini muffin tin.  I didn't level it off, considering some of the yogurt was going to stick in the measuring cup.  Once they were filled, I froze them. You can also use ice trays, but I didn't have any.

Next, I chopped my fresh fruit.  I arranged them on a plate & popped them in the freezer.  You want your fruit to be pre-frozen before you combine them so that they don't freeze together in the packs.

 A few hours later when everything was frozen, I laid everything out to prepare to bag my individual "smoothie mixes".  If you use muffin tins like I did, let them sit out for a few minutes so they loosen up a bit, then use a spoon and they will pop out like ice cubes. [DON'T dip the bottom of the pan in warm water to loosen them up. They will get melty really quick and you'll have to refreeze them!]

I used just short of a cup and half of fruit for each bag and 3 yogurt cubes.

After they are all bagged up, pop them in the freezer!  Next time you want a smoothie, you're ready to go!  Just add a little juice or milk (I'll be using Vanilla Soy Milk) and voila!  I am going to alternate adding a little oatmeal to pump it up even more since I'm treating the smoothies as breakfast.

I also had a coupon for $1 off of 1 Dole Fruit Smoothie Shakers.  They are $1.50 at my Walmart, so that it .50, so I thought it was worth trying.  You just add juice & shake !! It was pretty good & I felt very full & wasn't hungry until lunch time !!  I need more coupons !! LOL

I also tried the smoothie better known by the name of "The Green Monster."  I used this recipe, but I HATE bananas, so I won't be using it again !! LOL

1 cup kale, 1 cup spinach, 1 1/2 cups orange juice, 1 frozen banana, 1 pear 

I put it all in the blender, filled it up with ice & voila !!

It was really good except for the banana.  Maybe if I'd put a little less so that I couldn't taste it ... Banana just really makes me want to gag !!  So, here is the recipe I will be using in the future :

 1 cup kale, 1 cup spinach, 1 1/2 cups orange juice, 1 Honeycrisp apple, 1 pear 

Now, on to my exercise regiment !! :)  We are blessed to have a FREE gym that I can walk across the street to.  I have decided that I will be utilizing the time that Dylan is at preschool to do my workout each day.  I found another awesome idea on Pinterest (this should not come as a surprise to you by now !!), and I will be adding this to my 5-day per week Cardio workout.

So, the plan I found called for working on like 6 different areas of exercise.  However, I feel like I only want to focus on Cardio & abs right now.  So, I altered the plan to fit my needs.  Are y'all ready ?!

I bought a set of already painted popsicle sticks at the craft store.  You can totally paint them yourself, but I got a set of 120 popsicle sticks for $2.99 & only used 16 of them (saved me the time of having to paint them myself & if you're working more than 2 areas of your body, you'll want different colors).  I chose two different colors (1 for Cardio & 1 for abs).  I got 2 Solo cups (Y'all know I had to do the Pink Camo !! It's the Southern Redneck in me !!); one to put the popsicle sticks in & one to put them in as I complete the workouts.  I used a thin black Sharpie marker to write my exercises on the popsicle sticks.  My Cardio routine will sometimes call for me to go to our gym (Elliptical, Bikes & Treadmill) & some of them can be done at home.  I also have Wii Fit, so some days I will also use that !!  The only rule is : YOU HAVE TO USE WHAT YOU PULL !! You can't put a stick back if you aren't in the mood to do that particular set for the day !!  You can also add more sticks if you get bored with your current selection !!

Here are a few sample ideas for exercises :

50 Crunches
50 Jumping Jacks
25 Leg lifts
15 Push-ups
30 Weight-less squats
15 Chair dips
40 Side bends (20 on each side)
30 Lunges (15 on each leg)
50 Sit-ups
30 Bicycles

20 Push Ups
30 High Knees
30 Walking lunges
15 Chair Dips
15 Bicep Curls
30 Crunches
25 Bicylces
20 Squats
20 Burpees
15 Dead Rows
25 Jumping Jacks
20 Pelvic Lifts
20 Shoulder Presses
40 Calf Raises
25 Sumo Squats
50 Sec Wall Sit
60 Sec Plank
15 Chest Presses

So, there you go !! I'd love to hear feedback from anyone else who decides to try this & how much you've lost by doing it !! Good Luck !!