Day 19

9/24/12

Weight-loss breakfast #1:

Ingest the bulk of your calories early in the day when you are the most active and save the lighter meals for later in the day.

*Start every morning with a protein-rich breakfast
*Squeeze in 30 minutes of exercise every day before noon

Day 1

FRUIT PARFAIT
Layer:
1/2 cup dry oats
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds





Serve with: 2 scrambled eggs seasoned with cracked black peppercorns

-Courtesy of All You magazine October 2010

Day 18

9/23/12

More on GMO's:

I know this is rats, but if Genetically Modified Foods have this effect on them, what will its long term effects on humans be?

YUCK.

Day 17

9/22/12

Simple almond soap/shave gel/body wash:

Fill a spray bottle 3/4 of the way full with Dr. Bronner's castile soap.  Add a few tbsp. of sweet almond oil to moisturize.  Fill almost to the top with water.  Shake before each use.

I also used the peppermint flavor - you can use a different oil such as grapeseed if you don't want to mix peppermint with almond scent.

I found these 16 oz. bottles at Publix for under 5$ each.  That's a pretty good deal for this awesome stuff!!

Seriously,
If you haven't gotten your hands on this stuff yet, please do. It's amazing!

Day 16

9/21/12

My Motivation.

My stomach: 2003(size 2), 2007(size 4), and 2012(size 6-7). 

Obviously the first one looks extra good because I was so tan!  This is my main motivation.  I know I am not grotesquely huge, but when I look back at these pictures, I wish there wasn't so much of a change.  For the first two pictures I was in highschool playing 3 sports a year with constant practices so I was bound to be in shape.  Currently, I am lucky if I fit in a 30-60 minute walk or a workout video in each day.  My goal is to have my stomach look at least like the middle picture again.  (For those of you with PCOS, you know that any excess chub will gather around your mid-section)-- so hopefully I will be able to sled some of the side chunk and get it a little bit flatter with some ab definition- ASAP!

 

The Blue Pants!

I saw these suckers at a thrift store and had to get them for 3$.  They are kinda old-school Express cargo pants and the material is a little bit shiny.  As you can see, they are about 2 inches from zipping comfortably (they are a size 4).  I wouldn't normally buy something too small for me, but I know I can drop a few pounds and tone and fit perfectly into them. 

Size 4, here we come!

What's your motivation?

Day 15

9/20/12

I told you on Day 2 that I intended to help you replace any toxic body care products that you may have decided to get rid of.

Here is your new Creamy Rosemary Oat Body Wash-

 Recipe:

• 1 tbs steel cut oats (to infuse)
• 1 sprig of rosemary (to infuse)
• 1 cup distilled water
• 1 tsp citric acid (to prevent bacteria)
• 2 tbs coconut oil (OR olive, grapeseed, almond, jojoba oil)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 cup Dr. Bronner's mild castile baby soap (Blue bottle)
• 1 tsp guar or xanthan gum (Bob’s Red Mill grains)
• 20 drops essential oil of your choice

1. Boil water and pour over the oats and rosemary.  Cover and let sit for an hour, then strain to remove oats and rosemary bits from your infusion.
2. In a bowl whisk your oil, honey, infusion, and citric acid together.
3. Sprinkle in the guar/xanthan gum, whisking to combine, and then immediately afterward whisk in the castile soap (if you wait too long the gum will thicken and you’ll have clumps).  Blend until smooth.
4. Drop in your essential oils and fold in with a spoon. Store the mixture in a sterilized bottle, out of direct sunlight and shake before each use.

**I didn't use the citric acid because I didn't have any, and my batch is fine about 3 weeks out**UPDATE: I attempted to use this today and it had a funny smell so I had to dump it.  I recommend using the citric acid! Also, you may want to cut the recipe in half unless you have multiple people using it*** I also used about 3/4 cup Dr. Bronner's soap because a little goes a long way.**

Day 14

9/19/12

Lettuce Wraps! AMAZING!

*Thanks Christy for the great idea!! -Your pictures came out better than mine so thanks for letting me borrow!!

You will need:

• Iceberg Lettuce
• Long Grain or Brown Rice
• Corn
• Plain Greek Yogurt
• Chicken (optional)
• Hard Boiled Egg (optional)

--You may want to double-layer your lettuce because mine ripped and turned into more of a salad than a "wrap".  I used a hard boiled egg instead of chicken because I am still grossed out by the video that I watched.

If you are interested in watching it - be warned: it's sad and disgusting.. it may change your mind about a few things.

The Meat Industry

If not, then PLEASE consider consuming organic meat, eggs, and dairy in the future.

Day 13

9/18/12

Oh My Gosh.

I just made the most fantastic Rosemary Mint Sugar Scrub.  It smells devine.  I can't wait to use it!!

This was the easiest thing to make!

Recipe: (adapted from chindeep dot com)

In a glass bowl, mix-

• 1 cup sugar (I did 1/2 regular sugar and 1/2 sugar in the raw)
• 1 cup epsom salts
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped rosemary
• 1 cup pure grapeseed oil
• 20 drops of peppermint essential oil  

Spoon into an air-tight container and ENJOY!