HEALTHY FOODS ...IN TARGET??

We were in Target yesterday buying a few things for my make-shift gym in our garage. On our way to the cashier we passed by the food section of Target and I made a quick stop to see if they had any brown rice and whole wheat pasta. To my surprise - they did!! Not only did they have what I was looking for but I found this AWESOME healthy side to eat with our meals.

It's called Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf. Can you believe it has 7 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein? And a 1/2 cup (seriously, you wouldn't want more than that!) is 110 calories and it has .5 g of saturated fat and no sodium! And what's even better is you can microwave it!!

And if you are looking for a great breakfast cereal, quick snack or a compliment to your yogurt, Kashi Go Lean Crunch is it! It has 10 grams of fiber and 13 grams of protein and only 140 calories per cup.

The Kashi website has lots of great information and nutritional facts. http://kashi.com/

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! :)

Today I'm celebrating my 41st birthday! I can't think of a better way to celebrate than kick-start off a healthy lifestyle (with the exception of the one piece of birthday cake I will eat later today!).

MY MEETING WITH CHAD - BEFORE & AFTER!

This is my video BEFORE my session with Chad! :)



This is my video AFTER my session with Chad! (oh dear!!)*



Ok, in summary: I met with Chad today for quite a while. I think the biggest changes I can make are managing my portion sizes, combining complex carbs with protein, consistent exercise involving interval training, resistance and aerobic exercises plus having the accountability to others as to what I'm eating, when, how much and what kinds of exercise I've done. I know I can do all of that. I need to be more disciplined when it comes to my free time - I need to utilize it for exercise and preparing healthy meals and snacks. It's difficult being a working mom because you feel so torn with all aspects of home and work life....doing well at your job, caring for a home and a family, raising a child and providing her stimulation, love and attention plus the usual aspects of life such as running errands, shopping, etc.. It's difficult to find time to get everything done but I have to be more disciplined and ask for help when I need it because this is way too important to allow dirty dishes, laundry and paying bills to stand between me and my goals.

*And in case you are wondering...I'm no longer crying! Sorry to put you through all of that. I fear it's merely a preview of the good, the bad and the ugly of things to come in the near future!! LOL

CAN'T SLEEP....

My appointment with the personal trainer is just 5 hours away and I've been awake since 4am! I wonder if the heavy bags under my eyes will add more weight to the scale this morning??

I didn't sleep well last night. It probably didn't help that I had one of Katie's nursery rhyme songs stuck in my head! (...sing a song of six pence a pocket full of rye.....) But I kept stressing about my appointment this morning. I think everyone can relate to the fear of stepping on a scale regardless of your size. But when you are overweight it's enormously more difficult! (no pun intended! lol) I have an aversion to full length mirrors because I hate to see myself in them. I'm quite certain the studio will have mirrors everywhere! Plus it's just plain difficult to admit you are failing at something and need help. HOWEVER...all concerns and early morning negativity aside, I AM very excited to be focused on getting my body healthy. Again, it's not just for me but it's especially for Matt and Katie. I can do it! :)

GET HELP AND GET IT FAST!

Ok, so it only took me 15 years to decide that all my yo-yo dieting, exercise machine purchases and slowly ascending numbers on the scale to decide that I can't do this by myself any longer. If I truly want to get healthy and fit, I need to admit that I can't do it alone and I need a coach to help me.

It's difficult asking for help! In fact, I hate it! I've always been self-sufficient and independent. I hate feeling weak and admitting I can't do something on my own. But it's time to forget the self-pity and shame and just get focused on getting healthier so I can be here longer for Katie, Matt and my family. Enough of the excuses! Enough thinking that I don't have enough time or that I'll eventually get it under control.

Matt and I were watching TV last week and I caught the very end of a commercial for a local company called Shaping Concepts. It intrigued me enough to go look online and I found Chad Cannon! After an unbelievable holiday fitness special and an email from Chad, I decided to make an appointment with him (tomorrow!) to begin the first phase of my new life as a fitter and healthier person!

In celebration of the start of a new healthier lifestyle, Katie and I created a video that I wanted to share with you! Chad has a 4 minute exercise work-out on his blog and Katie loves it! I hope I love to exercise again as much as she does! :) Here is the video....oh, and I plan to have more videos along the way!



Thank you for supporting me!! I'll post another update soon!!