Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Recipe: Mustard Garlic Vinagrette

This recipe is from the book - The Art of Living Well

1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

In a bowl combine garlic, mustard, lemon juice, water and sugar - mix well.
Gradually whisk in oil.
Add Parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper to taste.

I really enjoyed it - none of the rest of my family was brave enough to try it.

Week 5 - A Year of 21s



214.
So - transformation hasn't come as easily as I had hoped.
I know.
If anyone should know that it isn't easy - it should be me, but I think everytime I expect it to be different because I am different. But habits and years of neglect fight back.
But I am not done fighting.
This will be the year my life changes.
There is no other option.
Quitting is not an option.
I will do this!
This week I have begun a work out regime put out by Chris Powell my all time favorite trainer and one of my inspirations.
You can find it here : http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/body-transformation

Week 4 - A Year of 21s



214. I know I really need to crack down - it's just harder than I thought.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Week 3 - A Year of 21s Update

Hello Everyone,
This week's update:

Start: 217lbs
Last Week: 213lbs
Today: 213lbs





Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Week 2 - A Year of 21s Update

Aloha fellow bloggers and life improvers,
At least I wish it were warm enough to say aloha. . . . I'm dreaming of the tropics while sitting in front of my fire place.
So, as most of you know I am in the middle of my first phase, which was 21 days only eating at the table. Now, you may be thinking - why such a simple goal?
And the answer is simple as well. Usually I over commit myself and say 'I'm going to be vegetarian, and run an hour a day and lift weights for a half hour a day, and floss my teeth every night etc."
And I can't do it all, so I give up.
But although losing weight is one of my main goals - what is truly important to me is that I begin to forge a healthy relationship with food and with my body, and it's important that I actually stick with it. So my first few phases are 'easy' goals. Things that I shouldn't have too much trouble accomplishing because it is important that I begin to believe again that I can.
I can do this.
I can form new habits.
I can change.
On top of this 21 I also decided to start this new year off with a diet/cleanse to help reset my metabolism a little bit. It's called the 7 day diet, and seemed to be one of the more healthy cleanse options out there. Basically you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and cabbage soup for 7 days.

So a report - on eating at the table. I'm doing quite well. A couple slip ups, but over all I feel I am accomplishing what I set out to do.
On the cleanse - It's harder than I though because I am doing it by myself my family isn't always understanding and there's a lot of temptation around. However, even with a major slip up and a minor one, it really is working as you will see in my weekly report . . . .

Weekly Report:
The Start: 217lbs
Last week: 217lbs
This week: 213lbs

Obviously due to this weight loss I've lost some portions of an inch in multiple areas of my body.
I also got a gym membership from my parents for Christmas, so I started using that. Just walking/jogging the track, that kind of thing.
Look for another update in a week!
-Roxanne
Here's to a new future!!



Wednesday, January 1, 2014

A New Year - A New Start

Here is me at the beginning of 2014.
Here is to a year full of victory and big change.
The next 21 days the challenge is to only eat while sitting at a table. This will hopefully help cut back on mindless eating.

Current: 217lb



PS - You may notice that my skin looks amazing! I got some Aveeno skin care products for Christmas, including BB cream,  and they really do make a difference. I also have started using a cream coloured eyeliner on my bottom eyelids (just a cheap store brand) - and it really helps my face look awake.

A Year of 21s - Roxanne

It is New Years Eve.
The day before New Years Resolutions take effect.
And as I find myself thinking about the year ahead I have to admit this: There are two things I want above all else for my self this year.
1. I want to lose weight and become an all around healthier person.
2. I want to start dating the boy of my dreams.

I'm not really sure what to do about number 2, but I feel like if I can sort out number one, then number two will simply fall in to place. . . . or it will become the resolution I write a plan for next year. But this year I'm working on problem number one.

As most of you know - I have been trying to beat food addiction and bad habits, and lose weight for almost a decade. And the truth is - I'm tired of it.
I'm tired of half heartedly fighting this battle and losing.
And the reason I keep losing I think is this : I STOPPED BELIEVING I COULD WIN!!
So this year I'm giving up my all or nothing approach that has brought me so much failure, and I have written up a plan that has me working on instituting a new, small good habit every 21 days.
The reason I picked 21 is because it's commonly accepted that it takes 21 days to establish a habit.

Here are my planned phases. There is obviously some room for switching the order through the year, but I think this will be the way it plays out:

Phase 1- Jan 1-21 - Everything I eat needs to be eaten sitting at a table
Phase 2- Jan 22 - Feb 11 - Do not eat anything after 7pm
Phase 3 - Feb 12 - Mar 4 - Write everything I eat down
Phase 4 - Mar 5 - 25 - Drink 1/2 my weight in ounces of water per day
Phase 5 - Mar 26 - Apr 15 - 10 minutes of Bible and prayer everyday
Phase 6 - Apr 16 - May 6 - Only eat when you are hungry
Phase 7 - May 7 - 27 -No watching TV during the week
Phase 8 - May 28 - June 17 - 20 minutes of 'cardio' daily
Phase 9 - June 18 - July 8 - Blogilates everyday!
Phase 10 - July 9 - 29 - 20 minutes of Bible and prayer everyday
Phase 11 - July 30 - Aug 19 - Stretching/yoga every day
Phase 12 - Aug 20 - Sept 10 - No sugar/junk food
Phase 13 - Sept 11 - Oct 2 - Flexi-dairy-tarian
Phase 14 - Oct 3 - 23 - Replace most carbs with vegetables at dinners