21 Day Fix: Week 2

Today marks the end of week 2 on the 21 Day Fix for me. I am SO happy with my results so far! I don't have a scale at home right now, but I was able to take my measurements this morning. So far, I have lost 9.75 total inches on the Fix... 4 of which are around my waist! It is truly amazing to see what happens when we eat the way God intended for us to eat. Even more amazing is the strength I have built in only two weeks' time. I can feel it. Every time I go up and down the stairs, every time I bend over to pick something up, every morning when I wake up and stretch I can feel the progress I am making.

I'm not posting any results pictures until the conclusion of round 1, which is next week. So, in honor of the week 2 finale, here is the recipe for my Panda Express inspired Green Bean Chicken Breast and brown rice. 
[DISCLAIMER: brown rice takes a LONG time to cook, so I usually put it on ahead of time while I am doing other things around the house.]


What you'll need:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into cubes
1/2 Vidalia onion, sliced
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
Kikkoman Roasted Garlic Teriyaki Sauce
Reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
French Style green beans
2-4 servings cooked brown rice (cooking instructions below)
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Fool-Proof Brown Rice:

1. Fill a large pot about 3/4 of the way with water and bring to a boil. Add 2-4 servings of brown rice (per package instructions). My favorite brand is Mahatma.
2. Gently boil rice for 35 minutes. 
3. Drain rice in a colander. Return to the pan and cover with lid. Allow rice to sit, covered, off of the hot eye for 10 minutes.
4. Remove lid, fluff rice and serve.

Green Bean Chicken Breast:

1. In a large skillet, cook cubed chicken breast in EVOO. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. When chicken has turned white on all sides, add a little reduced sodium soy sauce (Be careful with this! Even though it is reduced sodium,  too much soy sauce will still make the dish too salty. You can always add more later if needed after you have tasted it).
3. Add sliced onion and chopped garlic to the pan and saute until onion becomes tender.
4. While you are waiting for the onion to cook with the chicken, add desired amount of green beans to a large pot. Barely cover the green beans with water. Bring to a boil and gently cook for about 3 minutes (This is a minute shy of package instructions, but cooking will finish when you add to the chicken).
5. When green beans are done, drain of all water in a colander and add to the skillet with chicken, onions and garlic. 
6. Pour Kikkoman Roasted Garlic Teriyaki Sauce to the mixture (approximately 1/2 cup or more to taste).
7. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes (if a little kick is desired) and stir.
8. Serve over brown rice and enjoy!

21 Day Fix: Week 1

I finished week 1 of the 21 Day Fix on Saturday, and week 2 is already in full swing! I must say, I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I began last week. I hadn’t been to the grocery store yet, so I had to make do with what I had on hand at the house. Even though my meal options were slim pickins that day, I decided to pop in the first workout DVD and hit the ground running.

The first workout I did is called The Dirty 30. Let me tell you.

I. Almost. Died.

 

I was sweating profusely, breathing heavily, and screaming at the TV before I was even done with the warm up exercises. If you don’t believe me, you can ask my dogs, who were terrified of the monster I became in mere minutes.

But seriously, this workout is no joke. It is designed to work out the whole body using weights, and it certainly does. By the time I was finished, my legs felt like absolute Jello. I could hardly even walk up and down the stairs. My 60-lb little angel, Rayna, stepped on my thighs so she could lay down in my lap like she does every night. Bless her. I almost threw her across the room. Thankfully, the extreme soreness subsided after a couple of days.

The rest of the workout week consisted of a different “fix” for each day: lower body fix, upper body fix,  Pilates fix, cardio fix, and Yoga fix (technically there are 2 cardio fixes, but skipped one so I could go to a super fun painting class with some of my friends).

I’m telling you guys, Autumn Calabrese kicked my butt this week. I have found it helpful to yell at her during the videos even though she is super adorable and relatable and encouraging. The videos that come with this program are extremely difficult, but I can honestly say that this is the first time in my life that I have genuinely enjoyed working out.

Now on to the fun part… the eating plan!

For some, this might be the daunting part. Thankfully, I was raised by a mom who cooked dinner for us every single day growing up (literally!) and she passed her love of cooking along to me. I am not afraid to experiment in the kitchen and make up my own recipes based on what I have on hand.

The thing I like most about the eating plan in this program is that it does not deprive you of anything. Instead, it teaches you how to control your portions and still feel satisfied. The program comes with a set of containers that are color coded for the food group they represent. You also get a chart that shows how many of each container you can eat per day based on the amount of calories you should be eating. I love this system because it helps me keep track of the amount of fruits and veggies I am getting every day. My OCD little brain loves that I can mentally check off the food groups I have eaten each meal. If you know me well, you know I love my lists (if you don’t know, ask my fiancé :)) so this is perfect for me.

I have to say, the hard work I have put in this week has paid off big time. In one week, I have lost 5 lbs and a total of 6 inches! I am so pleased with my results so far, but the best part about it all is how great I feel. I have had so much more energy to get things done throughout the day. I sleep better at night. It is truly amazing to see what happens when you fuel your body with the right kinds of foods. 

Even though I love coming up with my own recipes, I have done a little searching and found a couple that I really love. My favorite by far is the stuffed peppers recipe I found. You can find the original recipe here or you can follow my tweaked version below.

Stuffed Peppers

Yield: 4 peppers

Fix Portions (per pepper): 2 green, 1 red, ½ yellow, ½ blue

Ingredients

• 4 green bell peppers
• ½ pound 93% lean ground beef
• 1 can Original Ro-Tel tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• ½ cup shredded 2% Mexican cheese
• 1 tbsp each ground cumin and chili powder (more or less to taste)
• Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
• 1 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt

Directions

1. Cook rice according to package instructions
2. In a skillet with a little EVOO, saute onion and garlic until tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, brown ground beef. Season with cumin, chili powder, sea salt, pepper, and Lawry's.
4. While the beef is cooking heat a large pot of water to boiling. Chop the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds.
5. Boil peppers for 3 minutes and remove. Drain on paper towels.
6. Open can of Ro-Tel and put a little of the juice in the bottom of a glass baking pan.
7. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, sauteed onions/garlic, cooked brown rice, and Ro-Tel tomatoes. Mix well.
8. Fill each pepper with mixture. Top with cheese.
9. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes.
    
    Voila! Your peppers need to cool for a few minutes before digging in. Enjoy!
    
   
    

The 21 Day Fix

It is no secret. In the last two and a half years, I have gained over 25 pounds. Some of this weight gain was necessary per doctor's orders. The rest of it... not so necessary. You see, something about the security of a stable, long-term relationship just makes me want to eat pizza. And pasta. And Mexican food. So much Mexican food.

An amazing thing happens when you find "the one". You feel so happy, so free... and so relaxed. So you eat. (Or at least I do!) You stop opting for the salad every time you eat out. You stop fearing that your future love will judge you for eating more than him. You're not lazy, you're just comfortable.

That has been my reality since December of 2012. I met Daniel and suddenly started sliding down a slippery slope full of chips and queso and chimichangas and sour cream and did I mention I love Mexican food??

Today is the day it stops. I am tired of being tired all the time. I am tired of having to buy new pants because my old ones don't even zip up anymore. I'm tired of feeling self-conscious. Now, don't get me wrong, I do not think I'm fat. I just don't feel good. My wedding is in 3 months. I want to feel good. I look forward to the day that Daniel and I start a family. I want to feel good.

So, welcome to my journey. A couple of weeks ago, my mom saw an ad for the 21 Day Fix. She suggested that I look into it, so I did. My inner hippie in me is totally gelling with their philosophy on food and fitness. The philosophy behind the 21 Day Fix is "Simple Fitness, Simple Eating, Fast Results". The program emphasizes clean eating without being totally unattainable for those of us who don't make the big bucks. It also emphasizes the importance of exercise throughout the weight loss process.

A few months ago, I was texting my hairdresser (and lifelong friend) about strategies I'd used to improve the health of my hair. I told her I had seen significant results from sleeping on a satin pillowcase every night, taking hair, skin, and nails vitamins daily, and washing my hair every other day rather than every day. Her response to me was simple, yet very profound:

"Be kind to yourself :)"

This is a concept I have thought about frequently, if not daily. Honestly, I believe it is a biblical principle. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 

That is what I am striving to do through participating in the 21 Day Fix. I am not into crash diets. I AM NOT getting paid to write this post and I AM NOT selling ANYTHING. I am simply inviting you all to join me on my journey to live a healthier, simpler life. 

So without further ado, here is my before picture! I'll be updating my story along the way with pictures, recipes, and of course- progress!

A Smooth Sea Never Made A Skilled Sailor

Y'all. How is it possible that over a year has passed and I haven't written anything? Not a thing? I don't think it was necessarily a conscious decision that I made. But it happened.

The last year of my life has been a season of reflecting, refining, reflecting again, and then some more refining. My attitude, my view of myself, my plans for the future, my finances, my patience -- basically my entire person-- were in need of some TLC and renovation. Thankfully, I serve a loving and merciful God who picked me up, dusted me off, and breathed life back into my weary soul.

During the last year's journey, I discovered a few things about myself. I even made a few life-changing decisions along the way. Some of these are more personal than others, but I would love to share them with anyone interested in reading them. You never know what parts of your story will touch someone else. So here goes!

1. My worth in Christ is far more important than the worth that any other person in the universe could put on me. I know firsthand how difficult and painful for someone who "loves" you to speak lies into your life. I also know how easy it is to believe them. But the absolute truth of the matter is this- the God of the universe loves me. He loves you. He offers forgiveness for mistakes and hope for the future. We are his beloved. We are His precious creation whom He knew and loved long before the creation of the earth. If that doesn't make you feel valuable, I don't know what will!

2. Life doesn't always happen the way we plan it. This seems like a no-brainer, but it is something I have struggled with immensely. My life looks pretty different than I thought it would, and I have harbored bitterness in my heart towards those who contributed to the collapse of my plan. It wasn't until recently that I have been able to accept that God has had me where He wanted me all along. He knew that my story wasn't going to play out exactly the way I had written it and He has a purpose in that. He is building into me. He is giving me opportunities to be patient rather than magically instilling patience into me.

3. As part of the discovery that my plan doesn't always happen the way I want it to, the Lord has led me to get my Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy through Liberty University. Ha!!! This is the last thing I thought I would be doing in this season of my life. I had always thought that this MIGHT be something that I MAY do when I get older and am... you know, married with a family. God had different ideas. Through different people in my life, He kept bringing Marriage and Family Therapy back to the forefront of my mind. After talking to my mom and boyfriend about it, I felt such peace. Not only did they want me to pursue a degree in MFT, they had been waiting on me to say I was doing it. I am three weeks into the program and I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am doing the right thing. It scares the crap out of me, but I know God has called me to do it. Master's programs are hard y'all. But a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

4. I love clothes. A lot. Like A LOT. All it has taken is a series of serious problems in my life to realize that. There was a period that I just totally wanted to avoid all emotions. So I shopped. It feels good! Clothes are cute, and they make you feel better about yourself and your life- for a minute. I am happy to say that this is a habit I have STOPPED. As a result, I am joining my amazing friend Mary in 100 Days of Shopping My Closet. I will not be buying a single new article of clothing until December 11th (I started a few days later than she did). More than likely, I will be posting some outfits I have created with what I already have in my closet in hopes of inspiring any ladies (or gentlemen) who want to join Mary and myself in this challenge!

5. Therapy is... therapeutic. And there is nothing wrong with it. It can help you discover things about yourself and your emotions that you never imagined. All you have to do is be 100% open and honest with your therapist. I am a much softer person because of it. I even cry now. (gasp!) And guess what? Crying doesn't make me a weak woman. It doesn't make me emotional or unstable or too sensitive. It only makes me a person with feelings. Thank you, Lord, for breaking down the walls I had separating from me from these emotions for so many years.

There you have it. I hope that these thoughts and lessons have benefited someone somehow. They may have seemed scattered, but this post was weighing very heavily on my heart. If anyone has struggled with similar issues, please reach out to me. I would love to talk it out with you.

Peace and love.

The "D" Word

There are only a few conversations in life that can leave you feeling stripped of all you've known in a moment's time. The one I am most familiar with at this point in my life started with seven simple words:

Your dad asked me for a divorce.

No matter how dysfunctional the situation, no matter how expected it seems, no matter how old you are- there is nothing in this world that can prepare you for those words. For a moment, I wanted to laugh because I could hardly believe it was true. 27 years of marriage and he wants what?

There is no way of anticipating the toll that a decision like this will take on a family, but no one walks away unscathed. Most days it feels like we are walking through uncharted territory without the slightest clue of what will be lurking around the next bend.

If you have read my blog before you know that I do not typically share personal details of what I am going through, only what I am learning from the situation. This is different, though. Divorce is rampant in our country. Nearly everyone I know has been affected by divorce to some degree. It is painful, it is ugly and it is not what God intends for marriage.

Don't get me wrong- I have many friends and family members who have gone through divorce. I am in no way condemning anyone for that. God can bring healing and forgiveness. His Word says He will make our sins as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). However, nobody can deny the repercussions divorce has on a family. This is merely my outlet to shine light on the struggles an adult child can have as a result.

The first hurdle I had to jump over was how to tell others. How do you bring something this huge up in conversation? Once I decided to face the awkwardness head on, I was met with something very surprising. People seem to have no problem telling you how you should handle your emotions. If you know someone who is dealing with divorce on any level and are unsure of what to say to them, let me spare you from wasted breath. Here are the top 3 things not to say:

1. This really has nothing to do with you. It's your parents' relationship and they deserve to be happy.
    Would you say this to a 7 year old in the same situation? Didn't think so. So why would you say it to an adult child? Divorce is a family affair. If a couple has children, it has everything to do with them. I am in my mid-twenties, but I am still their child. Of course they deserve to be happy, but happiness takes work sometimes. Relationships take work. You do not get to back out just because you are uncomfortable.

2. You need to just forgive and move on with your life.
    Forgiveness is a process. It does not happen overnight, and it does not erase any normal emotions I might be feeling. I have a right to be upset. I have a right to be angry. Healing from a wound this deep takes time. This is not a high school breakup, it is the breaking of a covenant made between two people and the Creator of the universe.

3. God will work everything out for the good.
    Of course He will! I have been walking with Him for over half my life now and He has never failed me once. I have no doubts that He will hold me together through this entire journey. I literally have the message of His faithfulness tattooed on me. I believe it with every fiber of my being. However, this is not the best thing (or even a good thing) to say to someone who is trying to process the aftermath of a divorce. It hurts. Yes, God works everything out for good (Romans 8:28-30). But that doesn't stop it from hurting.

I cannot even pretend that I have had it all together through this season. It has wrecked me. Yesterday marked the end of the 60 day wait period between signing divorce papers and the court date being set. I was a mess. I was happy and sad and angry. Mostly angry. I have spent countless hours over the last few months wondering why we weren't worth fighting for. What was wrong with us?

These are the things your kids think, but would never say to you.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you're thinking about leaving your family don't. No family is perfect. Stick it out if at all possible and invite Jesus' healing touch into your marriage and family. Nothing is worth trading the family that God gave you. Nothing in this world is more precious than your sons and daughters. Show them what it means to fight for your family. Teach your daughters how a lady should be treated. Show your sons what it means to be a man. Love them with your actions, not just your words. Treat your family with the respect they deserve. They are valuable.

 

Actions Speak Louder

"Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don't." - Steve Maraboli

In life, there are things you can change and there are things you cannot change. God is constantly reminding me to release my desire to control my circumstances to Him. But what about the things I can change?

I have recently felt very burdened both emotionally and spiritually by some circumstances that are out of my control. (surprise surprise) Fortunately, this time around I have also been met with some things in my life that I can change. Having something constructive to focus on somehow helps ease the pain of being wronged. I am always looking for what God is trying to teach me through trials, and He couldn't have made it any more clear to me this time.

You see, I can't control what people do to me or the people I love. I can control how I react to it. I never want to be known as the girl who gave up without exhausting every option possible. I was once crippled by fear of what would happen if I rocked the boat, but my Father has freed me from that. I have been called to live with purpose- a life without fear of being let down.

 "In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about you."

Titus 2:7-8

In the end, your actions will speak louder than your words. There is really no way around it. Note that Paul says we are to "set an example by doing what is good" not "set an example by saying all the right things". If you love someone, by all means say it, but don't just say it! Show them that you love them. Ultimately that will be what they remember.

People are paying attention. Don't ever think they aren't. There have been so many times in my life that God has sent me a reminder that any choice I make could influence someone else. It breaks my heart to pieces to think that my actions could give others a license to do something wrong. God has called me to a higher standard. He has called me to live intentionally. I never want to lose sight of that.

As cliche as it may sound, I can't seem to stop thinking about a quote from Gladiator. "What we do in life echoes in eternity". I believe that with all my heart. You and I have the power of life and death in our hands. We can build someone up with our actions and words, and we can tear them down even easier. We have a choice. We can talk, or we can do.

“Trust only movement. Life happens at the level of events, not of words. Trust movement.”

-Alfred Adler

The Cure for the Pain

I'm not sure I can put into words the effect the last few months have had on me. My life has changed in so many ways- both for the good and the bad. I try to take each opportunity I am given to learn more about God as well as to learn more about myself. I am a firm believer that no one has "arrived", nor will we ever. I'm not afraid to face my faults and work on them.

Though I've always strived to find what God is trying to teach me in my circumstances, I've noticed lately that I seem to deprive myself of one very important thing: feeling. I think somewhere along the way I have stopped allowing myself to truly experience my emotions. As psycho-babblish as that might sound, I think it is really important. Somehow I've gotten the idea that admitting how much pain I'm in takes away from God's faithfulness. In reality, God created me with these feelings for a reason.

As I sat in church yesterday, I listened to my pastor discuss Psalm 77 and found that I really related to it. This particular psalm was written by a man named Asaph. In the first half of the chapter, Asaph pours his heart out before God. He is not afraid to admit to the pain he is in. He wonders where God is and if He has deserted him. Then, something amazing happens. Each line of the second half of this psalm recounts a time that God proved His faithfulness. Asaph experienced the deepest of sorrow, yet still trusted in God to deliver him.

I've prayed a prayer recently that may have been a dangerous one. I've asked God to help me feel again. I want to experience the richness of every circumstance He throws my way. My life has taken some unexpected turns lately that are both beautiful and terrifying at the same time. My first reaction to changes like this always seems to be anger. Anyone that knows me would tell you that I can be a firecracker. But in all reality, I have to learn to accept that I cannot control the choices of others. I can only control how I respond.

Today I'm choosing to move forward even if I don't have all the answers. I'm choosing to feel. I'm choosing to remember my Father's faithfulness.