Facebook Group and Other News!

I wanted to post my Facebook group link for those of you who would like daily encouragement!

Homefront Warriors

It's my little group that is just getting off the ground. I love to post there during the day and see how everyone is doing and what people are struggling with!

Okay, so big news! Skinnymom.com is going to do a little article featuring me! This site is awesome, if you haven't been there yet, go! What are you waiting for?! They have healthy recipes, workout guides, and real mom advice on healthy living. I love reading the articles there and seeing what their daily workout challenge is on their Facebook page. So I have some big questions to answer for this article. I'm a little nervous to be completely honest! But I'm super excited! It will be up in Jan or Feb and I cannot wait to see it! I'm truly honored and blessed for the opportunity to reach out to more women and encourage them in their journey.

Much love, and hope to see you in my group soon! '

Mandy (AKA, Harper Girl)  <--my domain name! ha!

PS, look who showed up in my mailbox today :)

It's Bob's new workout! I will post a review of this amazing workout! This is supposed to be his toughest, and it's been rated pretty tough! I can't wait to work up a sweat with Bob's new workout!

I am a Runner

Beware, lots of old flash backs and real honesty in this post. I like to keep things honest about my weight loss and life, even if the entire world reads it.

Who likes to run? Correction, who actually runs? I don't know of anyone who actually ENJOYS the act of running, myself included, running is just something I feel compelled to do (despite my new running jacket!)

Don't mind my no make-up look. I was heading out the door for my weekend run. I run typically once a week right now. I started running to prevent my body from plateauing. I remember the first time I tried running after I had my second baby, Jacob. I was a good 180lbs. We had just bought a double jogging stroller so we could begin a walking/jogging routine as a family. I couldn't jog more than 100 feet without panting or having sharp pains in my knees. I wanted to cry! I was so out of shape. After losing about 50lbs though I decided to try running again and I did amazingly better. My knees didn't hurt anymore, and I ran more than half a mile before I had to stop. I felt better about myself knowing that my body could do that. You see, running has always been my biggest weakness. I remember gym class at school (yeah, I'm going that far back) and I was never picked for the teams because I was no good at any sport other than volleyball. Anything that required running was a no-go for me. Remember running laps around the gym with the class? I was always last. I was the pudgy girl walking at the end. Running has never been my thing, which is what sort-of fueled the idea for me. They way I see it, if your body has a hard time doing something then you're doing something right when you exercise! Bob Harper always preaches to try new things, that the burn is good, and we have to go beyond what we think our limit is. So I picked up running again January of 2011.

In January, I was back to my comfortable, normal weight of about 135lbs. The weight I've been nearly my entire teenage and adult life. About a size 10. Not obese, but not healthy either. Right in the middle. For some reason, that is where I either get too lazy to keep going because my old pants fit again, or I just plateau out and can't seem to get over that hump into the 120's. Running and Bob Harper changed all of that for me. With a new mindset and determination I started running 1.5 miles around base housing in North Carolina. I started out half walking, half jogging. I could hear Bob in my head over my ear buds telling me to push harder, don't look at the people staring in the cars (psh, they just think I'm hot anyways! Holla!), back straight, head up, run run run....

My run time the first time around, for 1.5 miles, was.....45 minutes. Unacceptable. But, damn it, I did it. I didn't stop. I kept running and running until I got better and better. I wanted to be "a runner" because it was hard. I like feeling the wind in my face, the sun on my body, and my feet hitting the pavement. It was my weekly date with the road. I got to forget all those things to do at the house, all the mommy stuff, the laundry, the cleaning. For an hour, I was a runner just doing my thing.

Today, 11 months later, I have a 9-minute mile. I just started running up to 5K. It took me a long time, but I trained myself! I completed a 5K run today in 35 minutes, which is outstanding for someone like me who isn't a hardcore runner. It's not a amazing time, I know, but it's my own personal best, and I am damn proud of it. Next week, I'll push harder and try to beat it.

I challenge you all to look at yourselves and your workouts and see what you think is scary or hard for you. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could complete a 5K or be a runner, but here I am. Conquer your fears, your body will thank you! Plus, it's a sure way to help beat the plateaus!

Until next week!

Today's Tip: Need a little motivational boost? Music! I just got an iphone, early Christmas gift from the hubby, and downloaded a new workout playlist! My new favorite workout song (other than Usher...ahem, ERsher's "Yeah!") is "Fighter" by the great Christina. Plus I got that sweet running jacket to help me fight the "it's too cold to go running" blues. Seriously, google workout playlists and you'll find hundreds of really great songs to either run or workout at home to. I put on a playlist every time I workout, even if I'm zoning out. It helps me focus, and my workouts are so "blah" without it! Mix it up! If you'd like a list of my favorite workout music, leave me a comment! I'll post a bunch that I persoanlly love!

Much love and Merry Christmas!



Is Fear Holding You Back?

Sometimes the only thing keeping us from being happy is ourselves. I've talked to many people who are just beginning their journey and the most common thing I hear from them is that they are afraid. They are afraid of their diet not working, that the exercise program will be too difficult, or that they won't be able to be consistent. Many times, I've seen people give up all together because they are too afraid.

Let me tell you all a secret; I still deal with fear. It's a different kind of fear, now that I've lost the weight, but still fear that could put me back to where I was before. I am afraid of the person I've become. Once I lost the weight, I was this new person. A person that for the last 26 years I never was. I had to rediscover myself and find out who I really was, and who I have always tried to be! Sometimes I still see myself as that 210lb girl, scared of everyone and everything. That kind of fear and thinking would out myself right back to where I started; back to eating my emotions and binge-eating. Back to my food addiction. Back down that downward spiral.

Fear is always there, but what matters is how we deal with it. I was afraid at the beginning too. I had an issue with plateaus in the past. So I was afraid every week of stepping on the scale and seeing what my number would be. This time around though, I never had a plateau on the scale. I consistently lost every week, and have yet to gain any back. I can write another post on how I avoided that, but the point is that I dealt with the problem head-on through research and action.

Don't let your own fears hold you back from starting your journey! I understand the fear, I really do. But you have to tackle the fear head on! Work through it, breathe through it, and remember to always love yourself. Fear won't get you to the size you want, it'll just keep you where you are!

Today's Tip: The holidays can be a bummer for girls watching their calories! I wont' lie, I've had my fair share of Christmas cookies already this year! If you can budget them in, do it! Just don't overdo it. That will lead to weight gain. Try sipping low-calorie hot chocolate or pumpkin spice tea at night (or when a cookie craving strikes!).

PS-Just ordered Bob's newest workout! I'll have it by the end of the month, and I promise to write a review for it!!

Planning & Schelules

I'd like to address all of the questions I received on my last post!

When I committed myself to losing the weight I knew it wasn't going to be easy. Not just because losing weight in general is hard, but extra tough because I had a 3 year old and newborn on my hands! How was I going to get through a workout with the boys around all day? Well, nap time was my friend. I put my newborn down for a nap and hit the weights. I trained my 3 year old to play quietly by himself in an area where I could supervise him. At first it was awful, but he learned how to entertain himself. Now that I have an 18 month old and 4 year old, it's still not easy. I work out for a full hour several times a week, then shower and get ready for the day during my youngest's nap time. My 4 year old likes to work out with me now! Can't argue with that. It's hard, seriously hard. I sleep in my workout clothes so I'm already to go in the mornings. There have been times where I've watched my friends' kids, and I couldn't have that mid-morning workout. Now what? I got my behind up at 5am to workout for an hour. I hated it, I hated every minute of it, but I hated myself more if I didn't do it. You MAKE time to work out. If it means losing sleep, so be it. Can't go out with friends? Oh well. It's your health at risk here. You have to set priorities. If I can do it, I know you can! Wake up early, go to bed late, or go to the gym on your lunch break if you work full time. I never stepped 1 foot inside of a gym, I've used nothing but Bob Harpers workout DVDs since day 1, and I like it that way! The gym isn't for me, but others love it. Whatever gets you moving!



Protien shakes. Oh, what a touchy Subject for me. Okay, I don't mean to offend anyone, ANYONE, with what I'm about to write. I do not buy expensive meal replacement shakes...and here's why; you can make homemade ones a heck of a lot cheaper! Seriously. I drink my own mix, which is Greek yogurt, no-fat milk, protien powder I get online or at the store for $10, some fruit, ice, and Splenda. It's delish, healthy, and I have them as a mid-morning snack. I won't replace meals with them, because eventually you'll have to start eating meals again and you want to teach yourself how to eat correctly. This is why I also don't recommend nutrisystem for eating. You have to teach yourself better eating habits, and you won't find that with nutrisystem. I taught myself how to cook healthy. It's a lifestyle, not a diet. It's a lifelong commitment to your health and the health of your family! What I do recommend is weight watchers online! I've been a member for years, and I love it! It teaches you to cook, gives you endless recipes and lots of people are there to support you.

Remember, when you get to the finish line, you strt a much longer race; maintaing. Maintaing is where I am, and I'll tell you something...it's just as hard or harder than losing weight. You don't get tho little "highs" anymore from losing a pound, and you have to be careful of not getting back into old habits. I still workout 6 days a week. I still calorie count. I still weigh myself daily to stay on track. Like I said, lifelong commitment to fitness! When you are losing weight and learning how to prepare your food and meals, it is all preparation for maitanence mode! I cannot stress that enough.

Tip of the day: the first step is the hardest. I know, I've been there. I was at rock bottom when I started. I had to crawl my way back up. Workouts actually kept me from getting depressed! Did you know that when you workout it actually boosts your mood? It does! Endorphins people!! So lace up those sneakers and hit the play button on that DVD! You're only 1 workout away from a better mood, and a better bod ;)

Topic Suggestions!

Well hello to all of my new followers! Pinterest has made me a mini celeb on the fitness boards, and now I have lots of new people following my little blog :)

So my question to all of you is....what would you like me to write about? I'll create a post based on what you all are struggling with. Holiday eating? Healthy lunches? Nw workouts? Kettle bells?

Suggest a topic! Comment below ;)

Mandy

Motivation

We all need it, especially those new to exercising. For some it's much harder. Bob Harper once said that motivation will get you going, but routine will keep you going. Motivation won't always be there, and eventually you will have to motivate yourself. For me it goes so ething like this "ugh do I really have to do this again? Okay just put on your sneakers ::ties shoes:: maybe I'll just do a half workout today. I'm already at my goal weigt. No, don't be lazy. ::puts in DVD:: okay I can do this, just get through it and get on with the day!!". Even after losing almost a hundred pounds, I still have an internal battle everyday. Just get your sneakers on, life gets easier once you get that step done!

What motivates me may seem silly to others. When I was losing weight, it was a battle against the numbers that I was determined to win. I would also motivate myself with cute workout clothes. Shallow, but it works. If I look cute, I'll workout more. Seriously, get cute workout clothes that make you feel good! Music is another one. I love working out to Katy Perry, she's got some great tunes that are upbeat. I also remind myself that if I want to stay in my clothes, I need to workout. I have to stay on top of it, for the sake of my health. Find out why you really want to lose weight. Is it for your health? To look better? For family? A wedding? That will motivate you more than anything!

Some tips to help keep you going:
-wear clothes that make you feel great when you workout!
-workout at the same time everyday. Simple but effective. You will get used to it, and you will be more likely to workout when you are on a schedule.
-upbeat music can help keep you going!
-imagine the healthier, fitter you!
-don't have an internal battle with yourself, just get into a routine and stick with it!

Good luck everyone! Post what motivates you!

Update/Travel & Fitness

I am writing to you from the beautiful island of Okinawa, Japan! So yes, we made it here safe & sound. To give you a little update....we have been so busy the past 2 months that the days have just flown by, ran together, and sometimes just disappeared. We made it to the island last week, and so far everything has been going well. We've been getting things set up, doing paperwork, medial & dental, and trying to get a house. I got my Japanese driver's license (yes, I was tested on it!), so now we are looking for a car.

Through all of this mess though, I was scared deep down of losing progress with my weight loss. We've been visiting family and living out of hotels the past month now, so it hasn't been good on the waistline. I did hit my 2nd goal of 115 lbs, and even surpassed it WHILE ON VACATION visiting family, and got to 113 lbs. Never have I felt so free! I was so scared of eating "normally" (what my old normal was) while visiting family is what I made sure I didn't do. Old habits may die hard, but new habits will guarantee lasting success. I made sure I went shopping to buy the foods I normally eat at home, brought my Bob Harper DVD's & weights, and made sure my running shoes were in my travel bag. I taught my family new recipes that I like to cook. I even went running with my husband, brother, and cousin around the beautiful lake. I still spent time with my family, but we did other things this time. When I came back from our little vacation, I saw the scale moved another 2 pounds, and I was down to 113 lbs! Weight loss on vacation CAN happen! Mix up your routine while on vacation, and don't over-do it. Although, I will admit, I did have a piece of this amazing chocolate cake my mother in law brought over. HEAVEN! Moderation, people, moderation!

After we got into the hotels, one of my first concerns is that each extended place either had a gym, or a place I could run outside. I make sure my butt is in that hotel gym 2-3 times a week. My Bob Harper DVD's are in my bag now, but I've been going to the gym more than anything just to get out of the hotel room and look at the beautiful scenery from the 4th floor of this hotel. I can see a lot of the island from the gym here, and it's gorgeous to look at while I'm running on the treadmill. Plus I can take advantage of the other machines that I don't normally get to use too, since my main source of fitness is the Bob DVD's.

So in review, while traveling this summer take advantage of it! Eat new foods, try new running trails, and find new ways to challenge your body while on vacation! Use it to your advantage! There is a Super Typhoon hitting us right now, but you know what? I still went to the gym. No excuses.

Stay tuned for more adventures from my life, it's just now starting to get interesting ;)

Workout Routine-Beginners

I've been asked again and again what workouts I do. Most of you know I'm a huge Bob Harper fan, and I consider him my "trainer". What I do for workouts may not be right for you, though. You have to find what works for your body.

First, you need to figure out what kind of fitness level you are on. When I started out I was at a beginners level, and very overweight. You can visit this website to find out:
http://exercise.about.com/od/exerciseforbeginners/l/blfitquiz.htm After I had my son, I was a beginner, level 2.


I started out with this DVD:

This DVD has a maximum weight loss program option, and that is what I did. I followed the 12 week program on the DVD and lost 30 pounds from that alone! It has 3 levels, and by week 9 or so you start doing all 3 levels together, which is about 50 minutes. You only need a set of hand weights; I used 3 pounds and then worked up to 5 pounds. A body band is optional for level 3, but I never had one and just used my dumbells.

Bob has a message that he preaches in his routines that I absolutely love! He tells you in his DVD's that if you want to change your body, you cannot workout for 15 minutes and expect results. You need to put yourself in a pool of sweat 4 to 6 times a week. One of my favorite quotes of his that he says on his Inside Out DVD (while holding plank position for what seems like an eternity!) is "10 minute workout? What is a 10 minute workout? A 10 minute workout is a WARM-UP!". He's absolutely correct, and I've had to experience it to understand that message.

It reminds me of something that happened at Walmart a few weeks ago to me. I was standing in the fitness aisle, admiring the kettle bells that I was itching to buy, when I saw a woman who was a good 200lbs looking at the fitness DVD's with her husband. She had no idea what to get, and they were picking through the lot that Walmart had available. What did she pick up and buy? The Kim Kardashian 10 minute booty DVD. I was so close, SO close to telling her what a mistake she was making, but I have to remember that not everyone wants my advice/help. She is a prime example though of what we tend to go for. Why did she buy that DVD? Because it was only 10 minutes long....and she wants a Kim booty. We cannot workout for 10 minutes and get results. It does not work! Then we get depressed, binge eat, and go right back to where we started.

If you are a beginner, I'm sure you're shaking your head at me reading this now and saying to yourself "there's no way I can work out for an entire hour!" or "I don't have time for that". You can make excuses your entire life, but when will you put all of that aside to finally put yourself first? You MAKE the time to workout. Trust me, I know it's hard. I had a 3 year old (a very active one, at that), newborn, and a husband who worked the night shift when I started out. I had to sacrifice a lot to get this done, but you can make it work if you have the drive and willingness to succeed. If you would have told me 7 months ago that I would be 120lbs and working out an hour a day 6 days a week, I would have told you that you were out of your mind! It's something that you start small and work your way up to.

Remember, as Bob says, "it's only 1 hour of your life!". You have nothing to lose but weight! Level 1 is only 20 minutes. Give it a try today and see where it leads you!

Until next time! Much love! XOXO

Tip: Feeling sluggish today? Working out will make you feel better! Use the "neck up" rule. If your chest is not aching, working out will make you feel better. This is coming from a migraine sufferer. Even with a migraine coming on, I still do a strength workout. It makes me feel better, gets my blood pumping, and energizes my body naturally to get me through the day.

Workout Review

I thought it would be cool to do a review of the workouts that I do, just to give you an idea of what kind of routine that I'm doing. I recently got this DVD in the mail from Bob himself (yes, SQUEE!!!!) after he published my weight loss story on his website. This is pre-order only right now on Amazon.com, but it will be out in just a few days! You can purchase it now on his website.

This DVD has 2 workouts; a one-hour cardio session, and a 12 minute glute challenge. Both are AMAZING. I did the full cardio workout yesterday, and it involved a lot of lunges, squats, and classic moves, but with a twist! What I love about Bob is that he can take an ordinary move and make it amazing by adding in more movement. He has a move called the "ass burner" and yes, it's called that for a reason! It's hard, but it will lift your booty up! I can feel it after doing both workouts, my glutes are throbbing. He works core muscles and gets your heart rate up. Just when you think you can't go any more, he tells you that you can and kicks it up again. He keeps your heart rate up the entire time. I think I read a review that said that this workout, when done correctly, can burn more than 550 calories! I know that when I did it, I weighed .5 less immediately on the scale. That's AMAZING people! I haven't had my butt kicked like that in a while, and it was amazing. I'm keeping this one in my rotation, and plan on using it 1-2 times a week along with my Inside Out cardio routine.

Today I went for a run pushing my 2 kids in the jogging stroller with a friend of mine. I got a good burn in my legs from that, and after we came back home I did the 15 minute glute workout on this DVD. I'm so glad I did, but WOW it hurt! It's a lot of lunges, chair poses, and ass burners again. It made my booty feel like it was on fire, but....I know I got a good workout in.

Pre-order this one today for a great workout! This will give you a great workout, even at the modified level. Get your heart rate up and have fun!

Much love! XOXO

PS-I'm loving Bob's socks in this one, too!

Food!

I often get asked what I eat everyday. Our schedule here at home is a little different from the normal family because my husband works night shift on a 3 month rotation. We don't have many sit-down dinners together as a family during his night rotation. Right now my husband is working nights, so it's often just my son and I for dinner. This makes cooking easy on me! When I was really working on my food addiction though, my husband was on days, and I had to make family dinners every night. Although my husband was completely on board with me and fully supported me and changing our eating habits, it still was hard to find things that were good for us, and tasted good. Sometimes it's hard to have both! When you go shopping, think about hitting the outer aisles of the store, because it's there where you'll find the foods that are good for you! Think produce, meats, dairy, and frozen. Almost everything in the middle is usually processed foods that will do nothing but give you empty calories.

First, go to http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ and determine your BMI. Here you will find out several things; if you are overweight, what your target weight should be, and health concerns related to your BMI. Do these calculations, they will benefit you! When I started out, my BMI was 39.7, which is morbidly obese (morbidly obese begins at a BMI of 35). My BMI is now at 23, which is in the "normal/healthy" range for my height, but I still want to lower that number for health reasons. It's not about WEIGHT, it's about HEALTH. These are the numbers you need to be concerned about, not the number on the scale.

They say for most women, you need to target about 1200 calories a day. BE MINDFUL of that. Count your calories. Journal them, even. If you bite it, write it. I journaled online and updated with my weigh-ins weekly all through the 6 months, and I still do this. It helps!

Breakfast:
I really think about breakfast. I workout in the morning, so I want my breakfast to help power me through my workout. Some of my go-to power foods in the morning are egg whites, turkey bacon, 100 calorie bagel thins (<--very easy when you're pressed for time!), and high-fiber oatmeal. Never, ever skip breakfast.

Lunch:
I usually eat  about an hour after I workout, since I have 2 kids to give lunch to first. For lunch, I usually have a meal replacement bar. My favorite is the Slim Fast meal bar. For a while I was into the Special K meal bars, but as far as taste goes, Slim Fast is the better option. They both have about 200 calories, so that wasn't a big deal. They both had about the same amount of protien and fiber as well, which is something you need to look at when you have a processed food. Make your food work for you! Along with my meal bar, I usually have egg whites (extra protein!), a piece of fruit, or a cup of Progresso soup (light ones only).

Snack:
I like to have my snack during the early afternoon when I start getting the "before dinner munchies". I usually have string cheese, fruit, or a Slim Fast snack bar if I'm on the run. When I have friut, I like to have apples more than anything. They are fiber-rich, and I can slice them thinly and take my time eating them, tricking my brain into thinking I'm eating more than I really am. This DOES work. Have a snack with you in your bag or purse to aviod going through a drive-thru. I would make excuses in my head to go to McDonalds because I had nothing to eat and I was starving. It's not worth the guilt you'll have afterwards.

Dinner:
Some of my favorite dinners are from kraftfoods.com! My family loves many of their healthy dishes. They have a section there just for "healthy living", filled with all kinds of great dinners! Some of our personal favorites are taco salad, beef fried rice, better than ever beef enchiladas, and skillet chicken and vegetables. You can look any (or all!) of those up on their site. Very, very good! Watch your portion sizes and you'll be fine! Many times, I would eat what I normally cook for my family and just reduce my portion size. There is nothing wrong with this, as long as you cook healthy and use common sense. Do not go overboard, but don't deprive, either. As long as you keep your portion size where it needs to be, you'll be fine. When my husband is working nights, I often just cook something simple; turkey sausage, weight watchers frozen meals, salad with grilled chicken, etc. Think about having a lean meat, vegetable, and small starch.

I have been on Weight Watchers, and their new Points Plus system. I love it, and highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about it. I pay $14 a month for their online program, and I have an endless supply of tips, tricks and foods at my fingertips! It is great for anyone who, like me, needs structure.

Food Tip: My food staples include a wide variety of foods, but my favorites are boneless, skinless chicken breasts, mixed greens, frozen broccoli, Slim Fast bars (<--again, a lifesaver when I'm on the go!), Chobani greek yogurt, Progresso soups, and apples. Those are my staples. Changing your eating habits can be difficult, I know how hard it is. But trust me, it is worth it. You will no longer want the garbage you were eating after 3 months of eating differently.

Please, if you have any questions, ask away! I'm here to help!

Eating Out

Anyone who has ever been overweight knows the feeling of eyes staring at you while you eat. When I was at my heaviest, I used to hate, and love, eating out. I liked the social aspect of eating out with my friends and family, but I hated that I felt like I was being watched while I ate by the other patrons. I felt like everyone was staring at what I was putting into my mouth and wondering to themselves why I was eating a cheeseburger and not a salad instead. I hated it, and it often made me feel like the insecure little girl I was inside. I would eat my food, without saying much at all. In the end, I didn’t have fun, and I spent big bucks on very unhealthy food that had enough calories in it for a week in just one sitting.

Today, I still have a love/hate relationship with eating out. I hate that I’m tempted by all the really delicious looking food on the menu, but I love being social. I love that I’m strong enough to say “no” to that food! I know some of you are asking “so, what do you eat then?”, and I’ll answer that! It depends on where I am, honestly. My family likes Ruby Tuesdays, and it’s a place where I feel like I can eat and not be too tempted. I love their salad bar, and honestly who doesn’t like those croutons at the end? I fill up on a big salad, and then order the vegetarian pasta for my dinner (and I’ve never been able to eat the entire thing!). Ruby Tuesdays, along with many other restaurants, have healthier menu options if you look hard enough. Sometimes they have little symbols by then, or some places even have calorie counts on them beside the dish. My husband is a big appetizer lover, which is where I would often blow my entire week of “dieting”. He loves everything from stuffed peppers to mozzarella sticks (my personal favorite). For a while we would not order them, but now he can order them and I’ll treat myself to ONE. I won’t have the entire thing or split a whole order with him; I’ll have just one, shove them away, and color on the placemat with my son. I often order grilled chicken salads when I go out to eat or light dishes and eat just half of the order. Save yourself the calories, and money, by bringing half the order home for the next day!

Red Robin's Apple Harvest Salad, my personal favorite right now!

Here is my biggest tip for eating out; decide what you are going to order BEFORE you leave your home. If you don’t know what they have, look it up online! Most places have the menu online, along with nutritional information. You will instantly know how many calories you are going to eat, or save yourself, by looking it up ahead of time. At Olive Garden, I know I can have the endless soup and salad, along with JUST ONE breadstick. Be strong, and tell yourself NO, even if you think you want something. You can say no! You are strong enough, even with a food addiction, to control what you are going to eat. You are the only one in control of your life and your eating habits. Take control of your life today! Go out, be social, but HAVE A PLAN.

Food Addiction

My name is Mandy, and I am a food addict.

When I was able to say those words aloud, I knew I was on my way to recovery. Admitting an addiction is not easy, especially with food. Many of us don't even realize that we have an unhealthy relationship with food until it's too late. I've often referred to my food addiction as my "ex-boyfriend". Hear me out, because this does make sense! When you're addicted to food, and an emotional eater like myself, food is often your comfort. When I had a fight with a friend, or my husband, I'd run to the pantry. That food didn't judge me, it loved me as much as I loved it! I formed a relationship with food that was unhealthy, like a toxic ex-boyfriend that I couldn't let go of. It was always there when I needed it, but yet, always had a consequence.

I had to do a lot of soul searching to uncover the true reasons behind WHY I was eating. Why did I start eating my feelings at a young age? Why did I never stop? What is keeping me from it now? Those were all questions I had to really ask myself and be honest in their answers. It was a harsh reality that I had to face. I'll be honest; I cried a lot of tears through this process. It was very emotional for me to have to examine the hardest parts of my life. I had to dig down deep and face problems head on, rather than bury my feelings with food. I remember telling my husband one time when I was upset and wanted to reach for food, that I felt like I was wanting to go back with my "ex-boyfriend" in the pantry. I missed it! I wanted my old comforts back. It's hard, by far the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

 Something happened though when I was recovering from my food addiction; I was finding out who I really was, and finding my own inner strength. I was strong enough to face my problems head on! I didn't have to hide behind my food addiction or be shy anymore. With every push-up, shoulder press, and squat that I did, I was physically becoming stronger every day. The "Inside Out" method taught me the inner strength to match it. This is ESSENTIAL for success, and I cannot stress that enough. You have to break down as a person and find yourself through this process, or it will not work as a long-term fix. I am your classic yo-yo dieter, but no longer am I worried about gaining back the weight because I have the mental tools to go along with the plan. 

If you are not willing to strip yourself down mentally, then you are not ready and should stop immediately. If you are ready, truly ready, to lose the weight for good, then you will be willing to do anything that you have to. That is the point where I was, desperate and feeling isolated, where I had to pick up and drag myself along until I made it back to the top. 

Look at how you eat. Are you eating because you're upset, tired, bored, angry, or happy? Are you eating because you are really hungry? What kind of foods are you eating? Look at trigger foods. Watch what you reach for when you're upset. For me, it was chocolate and sweets that I wanted when I was feeling overwhelmed or anxious. How often are you eating?

If you think you may have an unhealthy relationship with food, go to this site and find out more about food addiction: http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/are-you-food-addict

Tip of the day: What helped me rid myself of my "toxic ex-boyfriend" was finding another activity to replace eating. For Christmas my husband bought me a Kindle because I love to read. I now read books even more than I used to (which was a lot before!), and I read about weight loss a lot. There are so many books about weight loss and emotional eating. If I feel like I need food for comfort, I reach for my Kindle and play a game or read a book. Replace the activity of eating with another activity! At first it will be hard, but you will get used to it!

Turning Point

I had a few requests to post about the day I decided to lose weight. For me it wasn't just one day inparticular, it was a series of events that lit the fire under my ass and got me on this journey. My relationship with my husband wasn't what I wanted it to be, and that really was hard for me to face. I knew that it stemmed directly from the low self esteem that I was suffering from. I was terrified of him leaving me or being with someone else because I didn't feel like I deserved him. Then one night, I turned on The Biggest Loser on TV, and it was the first episode of season 10. There was a man talking about why he was so big, and all I heard him say was "I am the product of an emotional eater". His mother was an emotional eater, and that passed down to him. She died in her late 40's from obesity related illnesses. Then one day, my husband came home to tell me something important; he had orders to Japan. In May of 2011, our family would be moving to Okinawa for 3 years. Okinawa is a small island off of mainland Japan, and everything there is centered around the water. What was I going to do...stay inside for 3 years because I was huge? Heck no! That was it, I decided. I was done.

I decided that my kids were not going to suffer because I made bad choices in my life. It wasn't fair to them. If anything, I would become healthy for them and teach them the things they needed to learn in order to live a long, healthy life. I didn't want to be the mom with diabetes who hides indoors everyday. If not for myself or my marriage, I had to do this for my kids.

There are many reasons we want to lose weight, ultimately though we have to do it for ourselves or we'll just go back to old habits. I knew that deep down I wanted this for myself along with all of the other reasons I listed. I've always wanted it, and it's always been out of reach for me until now. I believe that once we decide to go through this, we also go through a series of emotions. I was angry, then depressed, then angry again, and then determination took over. Motivation will get you started on this journey, but it will not keep you going; routine will.

Quick Tip: Want a great way to get your butt into gear in the morning? Have your workout clothes handy! Set them out the night before, or do what I do and sleep in a tank and yoga pants! Throw on some sneakers and you're ready to go in the morning!

Next Topic: Food Addiction

Welcome!

Hi everyone! Some of you are friends of mine from years and years before, some of you are new, and maybe some of you have come across my blog randomly. Either way, welcome!

I want to post a little about myself and how I got started on this journey. This is a journey thats about 4 years in the making for me. I've been overweight my entire life, but it was just recently that I "got it" and figured out how to lose weight and keep it off. Some would say that I'm obsessed with weight loss and working out, and yes, they are right! But if you want to become healthy and fit, I think it's something that has to happen. I was a chubby kid all through school, but I was never "obese" until I had my first child in 2007. At that point, I was 210 pounds.

Yes, that was me. This is what you call the "wake-up call". I hated how I looked, how I felt, and everything else about myself. I dropped the weight though, and got down to my pre-pregnancy weight. In 2009 I suffered a miscarriage though, and my weight went right back up to 150. I was a mess emotionally, and then I found out that I was pregnant 3 weeks later with our second child. After I had Jacob, I was back up to 175 again. I felt like I was right back where I started. I wasn't confident, I had no drive, and I was always just so tired. Most of all though, I was just tired of myself. I had never been lower than a size 10 in my teenage years, and all through my adult life. At that point, I was a size 18. Was I ever going to get to a size where I was happy?

One day I decided that I was going to get back on that wagon, no matter what it took. I decided that I had enough of myself. My marriage wasn't what I wanted it to me, and that was because I had no life in me anymore. I was going to fix myself somehow. I started working out to the Bootcamp DVD from Bob Harper's collection. Doing the maximum results program got me going, and I really started losing weight right away. I changed my eating habits drastically, and I stuck with it as much as I could. I started seeing an improvement in everything from my streghth to my endurance. By week 12, around Thankgiving, I was back around a size 10 again. I didn't want to stop there though, and decided it was time to really step it up. I picked up Bob Harpers Inside Out DVD's and since then I've dropped another 20+ pounds and now I'm down to a size 6. I submitted my story to Bob Harper, and he published it and posted my pictures. That was one of the best days of my life!

This is me now! 123lbs and hoping to make it to 115.

The key here though is INSIDE OUT. You have to change internal thinking to get to where you want to go. It's not about how hard you work out, it's about your relationships with food and yourself. This is what I'll be talking about a lot through this blog, because that was really the turning point for me and something I think that people really struggle with.

Until next time!