Motivational Monday!

These are my Top 10 Weight Loss Tips!

Now, I'm no expert....I wouldn't even call myself a novice but over the last few years of dieting, exercising & everything in between, I've figured out some things that are musts when it comes to weight loss. Now remember, everything is based on my experience and you can adjust to fit your needs at any time.

10. Ditch the scale! This is a lot harder then it sounds. Coming from someone that weighed herself constantly....but it does help. This doesn't mean you can't weigh yourself, but just try to not do it very frequently and base your progress off a few different factors ie; how clothes fit, measurements, pics

9. Drink an assload of water! That pretty much speaks for itself. Your body is something like 50-65% water...you need to hydrate!

8. Get a Buddy System! You can read about mine Here...they are truly awesome!

7. Find something you like & stick to it. This goes for food mostly...I find I do better when I eat the same meals over & over again. 

6. Get Moving! If your not sure where to begin or haven't worked out in quite a while, just start moving...either walking or taking a class...anything is better then nothing. Once you are comfortable take it up a notch and try something a bit different or up your intensity in what your currently doing. You'll get there!

5. Don't be scared of weights. The word sounds scary but it's really not and it does more good then you can ever know. While cardio helps improve your endurance, strength training helps all over tone & improve your metabolism so that your burning fat even when asleep. 

4. Cut the junk....Cold Turkey! I've tried the weaning off stuff or buying stuff that sorta tastes like what I love but is lower in fat and all that other good stuff...and I always cave and go back to the real thing. A wise woman (Ashley) said to me recently cut the junk & keep the triggers out of the house! Easier said then done but it is a must. Or you just gotta have the want & the willpower to not indulge.

3. Plan, Plan, Plan! If I don't write down what I'm cooking or planning to eat, I eat whatever I feel like and usually that is junk. Experiment in the kitchen...test out some recipes.

2. Reward yourself. Yes, you can do this...and sometimes with food but if that's a problem and it just puts you back try something else. A new dress or haircut or outfit...whatever makes you look and feel pretty enough to keep going.

1. Live Yourself! It's a must when trying to lose weight. When I was teaching, I would tell people to squeeze there butts because if they didn't, no one else would. This goes for loving yourself. If you don't, it shows and those around you aren't going to either. You will sabotage yourself, you will feel sorry for yourself and then pounds will pack on. I know this from experience. I don't love myself...but I'm working on it. Start writing down your feelings, thought...this blog has helped me for sure. Surround yourself with people that build you up! 

What are some if your tips for Losing Weight? Something work for you that you just love? Comment below & let's share with each other....and don't forget to link up with us!

Giveaway coming this week! Preview of the product...the winner will get to pick their print too!

An InLinkz Link-up

Motivational Monday

Strength Training.

It's a word that scares a lot of women.

They think that if they lift weights you're going to get big and bulky and over muscular like a man. Common myth, but still most women believe this is true. It's really hard to wrap your brain around the fact that if you lift heavy weights your muscles aren't going to get big, but women just aren't built that way. I am proof that weight training really does help transform your body into something that I would've never imagined.

When I first started losing the weight after baby #3, I started doing water aerobics and body pump. I talked about body pump before, and you can read all about it and last weeks post about Les Mills classes. Why body pump? I'm not sure what drew me in at first but what made me stay was the gorgeous blonde instructor....I thought, if I do this & can look like her I'm sticking it out! It was also one of the only classes that I didn't feel as weird. When you're larger than everybody else, jumping around in a high intensity cardio class is not my idea of fun. I felt like everyone was looking at me and felt really uncomfortable so I decided that maybe strength training would be the way to go for now. I could do as little or as much weight as I wanted to and there was no crazy movements. I fell in love with it instantly! I felt like I could see my muscles getting bigger and my body getting smaller and more toned each time I took the class. And after a while when I had lost a good chunk of weight, I decided to add in the cardio and that's where I'm at now, with the instructors and friends that I love today.

  

That gorgeous instructor friend, Jessica & I in Key West last summer

My Buddy System!

Lately it seems like all I do is cardio and as much as that's good for you it also is bad for you. The bad is, too much cardio will eat some of your muscle up. And that's doing the complete opposite of what I want my body to do. With my recent doctors visit and arthritis revelation, I decided that I really need to start weight training again. After three babies and three C-sections, my lower back is definitely not strong and that's where my arthritis lies. So in order to strengthen my lower back, I need to strengthen my whole body which means more weights. So I'm back to swimming laps in the morning, my go to since I was a swimmer in high school, and weight training three days a week. I will still do my beloved step and attack class but only one time each a week. I'm hoping that these changes will help reduce my pain and make me a stronger woman.

So please ladies, don't be afraid of the weights!!!! They are your friend not your enemy. Just take a look at my before-and-after photos. 

Add caption

Only 10lbs between the top two & less than 10lbs to the next one....there's not a lot of poundage difference for how much different I look.

Happy Monday & Link up with us!!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Believing......

Looking in the mirror at 255lbs, just 5 days after having baby #3, I was disgusted with what I let my body become.....don't get me wrong, I just made a baby and was darn proud of that but making a baby doesn't mean gaining 50lbs, doesn't mean eating whatever I wanted....and that's exactly what I did.

Looking in the mirror now, after 2 years of cutting back on foods I love, spending lots of time in the gym...I still see that girl. I still see the weight, I still see what I hated so many months ago. It's feeling like there is an endless road in front of me and I'll never reach it. The lack of will power I have to resist foods that I know I shouldn't have, it's still the excuses I make....it's as simple as believing.

Believing that I can & will reach the end. Believing that I can stop reaching for the foods that are bad for me. 

Believing that I look & feel much better than I did 2 years ago....and believing that I am worth it.

It's hard to think of ourselves, especially with kids, we tend to put others way over ourselves. We make ourselves feel like we aren't worth it. We do it so much that we start to actually believe it. But if we continue to do that, our body is going to reflect that....and that's exactly what it has done for me. I don't believe I can so I don't and therefore my body stays the same...and all this work I'm putting in at the gym simply does nothing. Along with my body, my mind is something I'm also working on. Probably something a lot of us should work on....

Believe your worth it & Believe you will finish what you started...that's the only way your body will reflect what you've been working so hard to do....*ya hear that Morgan?*

August Race - Run 5k Celebrating 36 years

This month's race was a good one! It got me sticking to my resolution but this one also gets me another finisher medal! I love me a medal!!!!

By this point, I am comfortable with a 5k....I've discovered I'm really not a long distance runner and I'm okay with that. 

This race was celebrating track shack and there 36 years in business. Easy 5k run around the lake and near our local Science Center when we were done there's a kid race. My little one has been asking me every time that I do a race if she could do one too and it just so happened to not ever work out, this race it did work out and she was able to run her first mile & she finished in less than 11 minutes! She looked so proud! 

It's an amazing feeling to see the impact you have on your children when you start to lose the weight. They want to be like you and for the longest time I wanted them to be like me but not the way that I was. Now, that I am eating healthier, making better choices, working out.... I'm glad that she is going to follow me in those footsteps verses the other ones that I was leaving behind before my journey. 

So we did her 1 mile I did my 3.1 we both got our medals, all & all it was a good day!

I have the AdvoCare cleanse coming up on Monday if you haven't gotten yours yet head on over to Alyse's AdvoCare page and get your ordered! It's a great way to jump start your weight loss, to jump start your motivation and you can't beat it for that kind of price. I'll keep you updated daily on my eating and post pictures from time to time on Instagram and on Facebook so make sure that you're a follower of both

Have a great week!

When you're NOT in it to win it.....

I've been out of sorts lately...hence the absence....happily I'm still at 173lbs but not happy with my maintenance phase I feel like I'm in. We've been eating out a lot....I haven't felt like going to the gym, although I have been....again, just sort of out of it. I'm not sure why and I could make excuses but I won't. That was the old Morgan....the new Morgan pushes through that feeling of hopelessness.....through the feelings of exhaustion & those awful cravings.....

So what do I do then?

Well I come up with another plan....so I'm switching it up! Cleaning up my diet which really needs the major overhaul....I eat crappy food people. Especially lately.....all I want is junk....and more junk! Hopefully some of you can relate...it's hard when you love food as much as I do.

Some of you may not know that I cater a bit on the side. My biz was going well for a while, after baby #3 but I put it on hold to get control of my weight. So when I recently got asked to cater an event this week, I sorta fell apart a bit. I've been concentrating on my vision for friday along with my budget and letting myself get put on the back burner....just like I've done in the past. And old habits die hard...for sure! I love cooking for others...it's sort of an extension of my heart & soul in food form. Perhaps that's why we do so well together? Who am I kidding???? Food and I don't do well together....I guess you could say, well cook healthy, but that's not my style...I lighten things up where I can or on request but usually my cooking is all about the taste...it has to taste amazing.

So maybe that's where my "out of it" feeling is stemming from....I'm not sure but I know I just can't sit here and put back on the lbs....so even though I don't want to, I go to the gym...even though I don't feel like it, I will pass on the dessert. It has taken me a long time to get to where I am...I'm not gonna let all the hard work go up in flames.

I will also be starting another Advocare 10 Day Cleanse on August 18th...I would love you to join me and I'll give away some beautiful jewelry when I'm done! Hit up my girl Alyse and get your cleanse ordered so we can start together!!!

So for those out there who are maybe going through the same out of it feeling....chin up! You'll get there. Maybe all you need is a change...perhaps a cleanse? Just don't stop....because at least moving slowly forward is better than going back.

See the new you....

I think everyone is looking for some motivation. That feeling or idea that will make them push further, work harder, fight through the pain, the up's, the discouraging times. Sometimes it may just be finding an old picture & being happy about what you see. I dont have one of those....I've never been at my goal weight, and if I have been, I don't remember or have a photo proving otherwise. 

Sometimes I wish I had something like this. To look at and hang somewhere that would remind me of how far I have to go but how wonderful it would be to look & feel that way. That picture would then be something I could be proud of once I hit that goal. I could see how far I had come & be proud of that person that I always knew I could be. 

The folks over at Model My Diet have created a way for you to See the New You! All you do is plug in your stats & create a person that best fits you. This is what they did for me and although I'm not at goal, its nice to see how far I have come and it only gives me that much more motivation to see what the end result will be!

So don't give up...don't stop heading toward that goal and if you need some extra motivation, check them out & tell them I sent ya!

Before: 255lbs, After: 180lbs

The Big Three O!

Some women dread turning 30. They agonize over where they are in life. They think about feeling old. Maybe about things that they didn't do in their lives. Goals that they didn't meet. Places they didn't visit.

I am not these women.

I met my husband when I was 20yrs old, got married by 23 & had our beautiful kiddos at 24, 26 & 28 so my 20's were filled with love, new experiences, motherhood. All wonderful things...but not what many people in their 20's experience. So with 30 upon me, I'm almost giddy...

I've struggled with my weight my entire life so when I decided to do whatever it took to get it off, I hoped that I would be at goal by 30. My goal has changed since I originally set it back in Oct 2011. I just wanted to lose the baby weight. Then I thought it would be nice to be under 200lbs then along the way my goals got lower & lower till all the goals I set, I hit.

So turning 30 for me isn't scary...and although I'm not at the goal I set most recently, I am the lowest in weight that I have been in my 20's. So I'm starting my 30's healthy & fit.

This week is gonna be a lot of fun! 4 classes with Greg & the 2FitCrew (yes, we named our group) these same people I love are also throwing me a birthday party saturday night! My birthday also falls on a BodyAttack class so I know I will end up on stage at some point...and that's okay.

I would have never thought this is where I would be at 30 but I'm not disappointed....I don't have any regrets or unfinished business.....I simply have my healthy & fit future to look forward to, which is miles away from where I used to be. 

I've worked hard for those miles....its been a long road, bumpy at times but I have made life long friends & life changing decisions for the better. All those things I maybe, missed out on, earlier in life are things I will get to enjoy now. 

                                        So don't think about things you didn't do, think about things your doing now that will change the course for you & your future. 

Make the change! And although it can be scary, it's worth it at the end.

30 is here & there's no rewind button...and I'm okay with that! I would rather go forward!!!

*These pics are from my birthday lst year....Stay tuned for my pics from this year!

Fat Tuesday! 1 Year Later!

For a long time, I thought I would always be overweight. After 3 children and the up's & down's of my weight, (lowest only getting to 200lbs) I figured this is what I was destined to be forever. Overweight & Hopeless!!! 

I hadn't lost much weight after baby # 3 when I went in for my 8wk check up. I was disappointed in myself for not trying harder. I blamed myself a lot & felt very ugly. But then something clicked. I left my appointment with a new outlook: That I would prove everyone wrong & would lose the weight for good. I started on weight watchers that afternoon. I headed back to the gym, alternating water aerobics & pump classes. It was hard at first but little by little it got easier & I got stronger. The weight came off very quickly at first and although that's great, it also allowed me to cheat quite a bit which through me off my game at times. I then added in Zumba which I very quickly fell in love with & Step at the urge of my friends. It's no secret that I hated Step at first. It made me feel stupid & fat & uncoordinated...it was ridiculous to say the least but eventually I got it & it has become one of my fav classes...it could also be because I love Greg, who teaches it! ;) I also put my journey on facebook. I liked telling my friends & family how well I was doing but eventually people tired of reading about it....so June 1st , I started this blog. I posted the blog on fb & people who wanted to read about it could & those who didn't could just scroll right past. The first week of my blog, it was my birthday (which is in 12 days, eek) ...and it was a good one. And looking back 1 year later my life & outlook seem completely different. There have been times where I wanted to stop, times that I haven't eaten very well & a lot of people out there trying to bring me down.
Through it all I have made some lifetime friends, look forward to my daily dose of classes and most importantly, changed my lifestyle. That's what I've always wanted but never succeeded in. Why? Because I never kept going. I always gave up once I hit a wall or was comfortable. Which is exactly why I've always been fat!

So here I am....1yr later & 77lbs down & I am damn proud of myself!

I have kept going even though there have been bumps along the way. Sure there are times I want that piece of cake or a huge hamburger & milkshake. But what I want more is to be healthy, strong & fit. So I make better choices & when I don't, I spend a while in the gym. I opt for a granola bar or a salad when it used to be candy bar & fast food. Instead of struggling to find something to wear, I get super excited picking out what I will be wearing to the gym.

And through everything, you've been here by my side. Sometimes it's hard to wrap my my head around the fact that there are people out there who actually care about me, who have never even met me. It's Crazy! And I am so Thankful for you!

So here's to you: The one who reads, looking for motivation but never gets up the courage to get going. The person struggling in their own journey and finds comfort in someone going through the same thing. Or the one who has given up & is desperately in need of some ideas. You are the people I put all my feelings out there for...because I've been there. I know what it feels like. And it gets better, you just can't stop. *clink*

Where will I be in another year?

I'm not sure what my future holds...the one thing I do know is:

I will be at goal! 150lbs

It's so close I can taste it! And that taste is what pushes me to go further...

You can do it, you just have to find the strength & the courage to make it happen. Even smaller steps forward are better then the ones that go back.

Keep moving forward.

                                  *and thanks for letting me share my life with you!

255lbs - 197lbs - 177lbs

Fat Tuesday!

Today's post is gonna be a bit different....usually Fat Tuesday is about where I have been & how I have gotten to where I am now. Since I've come so far, I want to talk about my future....goals I have set, things I will be doing...Plus a recipe I've tried lately and love!

So where am I at, at this point in my journey?

Well 181lbs as of this am. That is a 74lbs loss since January 2012. I'm quite proud of that number! Looking back, I dreaded the thought of having to lose that much weight. I thought about how far and how hard it would be. I thought about giving up a lot. I mean, it would've been way easier....my husband didn't seem to mind me heavier (and if he did, he never said anything) and with the kids being so little I was Strung Out! To say the least...but in that struggle I found A strong person. A determined person. A hopeful person. So eventually I gathered up my strength and pushed through. The more & more I lost, the better I felt, outside annnd inside. It helped me way more than I ever thought it could. Going to the gym not only helped me lose the weight but it gave me my daily dose of Kid Freedom! I looked forward to lacing up and heading out...dropping those kids in the childcare and having an hour where it was only about me.

Looking forward, I see only good things! I have less than 40lbs to lose and for some that may seem like a lot but for someone who started out having over 100lbs to lose it's wonderful being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And although I know it's not ever gonna stop; I'm gonna have to eat right & exercise for the rest of my life to make sure I don't go back, I look forward to being at my goal weight. A place I have never been.
                                            While I know I will hit it this year, that's pretty much my focus for 2013. Get into the best shape of my life! It's Me Time! Next year, when 2 of the 3 kids are in school full time, I will get my Fitness Certification back and will start teaching again. I wonder where this blog will be now? It pretty much just started out as an accountability tool but as turned into something I never thought possible. I love that you are here & like, comment and friend me on different pages....it brings a smile to my face! I look forward to writing these posts and get nervous when I can't think of anything...or feel like I let you down if I don't post....it has made me very responsible for my actions and has helped me to reach my goals!

So Thanks to You for being there & hopefully I bring you a little strength to continue on in your own journey!

Breakfast Quesadilla Recipe:

I play around in the kitchen a lot. Whipping up things I think will taste good and trying to make it healthier. So I stumbled upon this idea the other morning and although it probably has been done, I've never tried it. It was pretty easy and so good & filled me up for a long time that day. With everything I make, you can make substitutions & totally make it work for you.

Ingredients:
2 slices of Oscar Meyer Turkey Bacon (cut into pieces)
6Tbsp Egg Beaters
1-2Tbsp Colby Jack Cheese (shredded)
1 Mission Tortilla (carb balance)

Saute bacon till cooked then add eggs. When done, add to the tortilla and fold in half. Put the tortilla back in the pan and press till cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and serve!

This was the best breakfast I've had in a long time & at only 245cals I am one happy camper!!!

*If you ever wanna see what I eat, find me on My Fitness Pal, username Firebride

Have a great week!

Same shirt, different pants. 14lb difference in 3 1/2 months. Smaller through the waist & hips and obviously boobs cause this shirt is huge on me!

Fat Tuesday!

You don't look like you weight that much!?  Another comment I get quite a bit. 

What does it even mean though?

I know what I weigh, got on the scale this am....181.6lbs & don't get me wrong, I am content with that number, proud even, of how far I have come....but I don't know how to react when someone says this to me. It's like, do I thank them because they are remarking how great I look or do I get discouraged because my number should be lower...when I had plateaued at 196 for 5mos, I even had my mother say "well maybe this is what your weight is supposed to be." What!? I love my mother but I looked right at her and said...."listen, I am 5'3, there is no way I am supposed to weigh 196lbs." 

No Way!

There comes a point in your life when you decide that the life your leading isn't good enough...when you discover that you are worth more than you give yourself credit for. That moment came for me with the birth of my 3rd child. I had tried the diet & exercise thing before with the other 2 but this time was different.
I felt it more.
I wanted it more.

So I worked towards goals I set along the way....225, 205, 199, 185...every goal I set & hit made me more excited to set the next one, which is 175 if you were curious ;) I don't get caught up on the number anymore though...I used to be obsessed!  Like weigh myself all day long....it was getting a bit ridiculous...although I enjoy seeing the number go down, I don't focus on it so much. I try to focus on other things....how my clothes fit & feel. How toned I look in places I didn't & how many wonderful comments I get....

So I guess I will take the above comment as a positive & proof that the scale is truly a lying whore! One of my favorite quotes from a book I read goes something like this:

"An inanimate object that spends it's life on the bathroom floor next to the toilet should not be given the power to break your heart"

Believe that! Look into yourself & find that want, that need to take control of your journey! I can give you all the motivation and ideas to get started, but you have to want to do it. So, Do It!

255lbs, 200lbs & current: 181lbs

Fat Tuesday!

People ask me all the time where my motivation comes from. Truth is, I've never really thought about it..I usually just say I want to be there for my family, to be a good example for my kids...which are all good things and good motivators but lately I have been thinking about this motivation question a lot.

Where does my motivation come from?

To figure that out, I feel I have to go back a few years....back to when my husband and I first started dating. We had only been dating about a year when tragedy struck my family....my grandfather had a massive heart attack and although he held on for a while, he passed away about a month later. It was hard for all of us...He was the rock of my family and my grandmother was devastated. We all rallied around her and as the years went on, I became very close to my grandmother. She has watched me get married and start my family and very quickly became the person I wanted to impress the most. I wanted to show her how great of a wife I could be....how great of a mother I could be....just like her. She was a mother of 6 children, 10 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. (yeah, we're a freakin huge family) She was so patient, so kind, so beautiful and the best woman I have ever known.

 

Girls Night Out Jan. 2010

Then another tragedy struck and it was doubly (is that a word?) hard for me....February 2010, just after celebrating my daughters 1st birthday, I got a call that my mom had a heart attack....it was shocking and unexpected....I cried for days, worrying the same thing would happen to her that happened to my grandfather. Thankfully she pulled through and was released but just 2 days later, February 15th, my grandmother was found at home, "asleep" in her bed (a heart attack). I was devastated and that's an understatement. Even writing this now, it brings tears to my eyes. My husband who was working that day, rushed home to find me in our backyard just sobbing....it was really hard on everyone but I just couldn't take. I thought about all the things she wouldn't be here for. The wonderful person my kids would never get to know....it's hard to think about, even now. To help me through the pain, I had to come up with another way to keep her present in my life and the way I did that was to do all the things I thought would make her proud....

So that's sorta where it began....we went on to have our 3rd child in October 2011 and from then on I was set on getting myself into shape. She loved me no matter what size, but had always expressed that she wanted me to lose weight...so I went full force, even planning what I would do during my pregnancy. Even my fit friends, who saw me working out before, saw how much my head my in the game this time...so was my heart. My extended family struggles with weight and heart issues and I will not let that be me. I won't do that to my husband or my children....because I know that feeling of hurt, it sucks...

This year was 3 years since her passing and she is definitely not out of hearts in this household. Both my daughters,  even though one of them was only 1 when she died, know who she is and see her face everyday. They know how wonderful and beautiful she was and they know she is watching over us. When I'm having a bad day or the journey just doesn't seem to be going well, I think of her and what she would say to me if she could see me now, I think she would be proud of how far I have come.

73lbs down & 35+ inches gone!

I am in the best shape I have ever been and I know she would be damn proud! And so should I, so should all of us. 

Find something that motivates you, whether it be a person or an activity or even a prize at the end of it all....

Even though she isn't here, I see her when I look in the mirror, I see her in the faces of my children, I feel her inside of me...pushing me to do better even though there have been times I wanted to give up.

I won't give up because I know she's watching...I will continue on because I know my family is behind me...and I will hit my goal because I Can.

4/30/2013: 182lbs

Fat Tuesday!

So this past week was my 7yr wedding anniversary! Every year our anniversary or any celebration for that matter, takes us somewhere to eat. It's a never ending cycle....you try to eat better, exercise and then how do we celebrate? With food...or dessert....It's hard to stop this cycle especially when you have been doing it your whole life.This year, I was gonna stop the cycle...stop saying, yeah let's go out to eat...or let's get dessert. 

Me & My Love

 So instead we planned a day away....away from our lives and our 3 children....it was amazing! We layed out by the pool at our favorite hotel. (we used to sneak in and use the pool before we had kids) I brought water to drink and my ipod and we just relaxed, went swimming and spent time together, just the 2 of us. We haven't had time to ourselves in over 5yrs. We then headed home to get dressed and go out to Taste of Winter Park. It's a yearly event where there are booths setup outside and local restaurants serve you just a taste of their specialties. and although this was eating, it wasn't about that, my focus wasn't on it. I tried a plate or two but also drank 3 bottles of water and had a wonderful time just us walking around and seeing everything. It was nice to do something NOT focused around food...and although there were non healthy items all around me, I made the right choices, I resisted the urge to stuff my face and I made our day & night about something else. And although there will always be temptations, I am, at least, headed in the right direction.

Let me tell ya, I love food...it's something that has always made me happy & comforted me. But I have to change that mind set, I have to find other healthier things to make me happy and to comfort me. It's hard to do, it's taken me a long time to do and I am not completely there yet...but I'm getting there....it's the same with my journey. I don't do everything right, but less & less am I doing the wrong things and that's something I am proud of.

Be proud of how far you have come no matter what the journey.

L: 4/15/2012 200lbs                                                           R: 4/15/2013 186lbs

*If you are on My Fitness Pal, check me out under Firebride! I try to log in everyday so you can take a look at my workouts & what I'm eating. 

Have a great week!

Fat Tuesday!

So a few days ago I went out with my cousin and we went to Buca Di Beppo....it's an awesomely delicious family style italian restaurant. It was soooo good, I won't lie, we didn't eat the greatest...I digress.......so as we sat down at the Chef's Table we remembered we had done this before. It was almost 6yrs ago...I got home right away and searched for this picture, I knew we had taken one and I knew we both looked a lot different now. 

Here is the pic we took 6 yrs ago next to the one we took that night:

Wow right?

In these 6yrs we have both gotten married & had children and changed so much both mentally & obviously physically.

This photo was taken just 2 months after I had my first child. And although you could say...oh, you just had a baby, you like fine, That's not reality. I gained 60lbs with my first pregnancy and not by accident....I ate everything in site! I indulged every craving and since I was not active before I got pregnant my doctor didn't want me to go crazy so I took that to mean, do nothing. 

So this is what I did to myself. I am the reason I have to work so hard now. That may be a little harsh but it's the truth. I haven't always been thin but I know because I gained so much unnecessary weight then, and had 2 pregnancies after this one, that it would be hard to lose the weight now. I wish I would have thought of this then....I sometimes wish I could go back and tell myself things like this. 

But I'm here now and this is what I have to do everyday. Try to watch what I put in my mouth and get my ass to the gym...or try too anyways. I'm not perfect & I haven't always finished what I started but I Am Going To Finish This!

As my cousin and I sat and chatted away at how things were going on in our lives and how far we both still have to go to get where we want to be, I couldn't help but think how far we both have come.  

From 2 young girls in that first photo; One of us starting a journey into motherhood, the other was planning her fairytale wedding..... to Now....

We both have become the people we wanted to be and although still working on ourselves, we can see a light at the end of this tunnel....it may have seemed like the longest freakin' tunnel in history, lol but it's what made us who we are today. Wives...Mothers...Friends.

We'll get there because we both will finish what we started and although different goals, the one thing that remains the same is, that we have eachother.

Love ya B!

The Ugly Truth

First, I wanted to tell you how wonderful I felt after posting the last blog post. I recieved so many nice responses! It's hard when you put yourself out there and I was really nervous about the feedback. You readers are awesome!

Here's the ugly truth....

I don't always eat healthy. Whaaattt!!?? I know, hard to believe lol. I eat horribly somedays. Just two weeks ago I had a Big Mac....disgusting! I've eaten through the drive thru and hid the bags, I've eaten a few things in the car before I have gotten home so that I don't show how much food I really ate. I've even eaten a second meal just so that I wasn't caught eating before that.

I don't always work out. I've gone all the way to the gym, through traffic and once there, got bored and left after just a few minutes. I've made up excuses and reasons why I couldn't work out or why I couldn't stay for the 2nd hour of class.

The ugly truth is, I'm not perfect...I don't always do what I know I should...who does though? I try my best to get it done, some days are better than others. This is why I posted my very revealing post for Fat Tuesday. I didn't have to put up something like that, it's not required but I felt the need to do it....I feel like a fraud sometimes. I'm gonna give you advice, help, encourgement, hope, motivation...I better be taking in all that info as well....but I don't at times...It's funny....I want to lose the weight sooooo bad but I won't stop doing the things that got me to this point.

The ugly truth is really just my reality. I'm doing whatever I can to keep my head up & continue on....I make sure to start each day with a different attitude,  a different outlook.

I will not stop or quit this journey...I may vear off of the path every now & then but it's the times that I get back on that show me what I'm really made of...it means I want this and won't stop till I get there.

We all have an Ugly Truth....just make sure to push through it....no matter how ugly it is....

Fat Tuesday!

Most of my Fat Tuesday posts are about where I used to be...weight wise. You've seen pictures dated back to my hs years....today's post is going to be a bit different.


For the longest time I've done this weight loss thing for my family...for my husband so he can be proud to call me his wife, for my kids who I want to be able to keep up with as they grow, and for family & friends that I want to prove something too. Only lately have I been thinking of myself and that's super hard for me to do.

Along this journey, I've made mistakes...I haven't always eaten right...I didn't always make it to my classes at the gym...I put my families needs ahead of my own...and most of all, I've made excuses, a lot! Well, no more folks!

So here it is....the picture I took a while ago but didn't have the guts to post, till today. Ya'll Ready?:
(thanks to Brin, check her out...she is amazing!)

193lbs

This is me...raw & out there...I have stretch marks, sagging skin, belly fat (that needs to go) and I need a freakin tan...fo show! I will also probably need some sort of skin surgery in the future....

I've come a long way from where I started, don't get me wrong...but I also have a long ways to go....I give all you readers advice (that sometimes I don't even listen to) I offer motivation and encouragement only to do & feel the complete opposite at times.

I sometimes feel like I have 2 different bodies....there is the top half of me and my legs that look they belong to someone else then there is the round middle area...and honestly, it's all my fault...they say you are what you eat...and in this case, I must have swallowed a 10 ton wrinkly doughnut...what I put in my mouth is what's keeping me from my goal. So I am putting this out there; 1. As a regular gal who struggles with her weight, like anyone else but; 2. So that I can give you a badass after photo. I want this out there so that I can show you a difference...a difference in me, my outlook, my eating, my progress...everything.

I'm just like you....read more HERE

I struggle with my weight everyday but I'm not giving up....I will not quit and I will reach my goal!

Don't stop....Don't quit....and Don't Settle when you know you deserve more. 

For those of you who aren't blind after seeing that photo, I appreciate the support & the positive energy I get through each one of my readers...and don't be afraid to put yourself out there....you never know what wonderful things will come from it....

Fat Tuesday!

I've been pretty down on myself lately...I started thinking about my journey and along the way I've had struggles, triumphs, plateaus & everything in between....but never something for this long. I've been stuck at 193lbs and it hasn't moved...except for the 1-2lbs up or down. I can't figure it out...i feel like I've tried everything. I even threw out the scale....
 
              Your probably saying to yourself, yes Morgan, we know...you wrote about this last week.....
I know, I know....but I still haven't gotten over it and it's been on my mind lately because I'm running a race on Saturday that terrifies me! I've been known to start things & not finish them....which is why I'm here now...30 almost, and still trying to get this shit under control!

Now this race on Saturday...it's a doozy.....it's called the Winter Park Road Race. It is a 2 miler & a 10k. You can do either or both. To do both is called the Distance Dare, 8.2miles. You get a shirt, souvenir glass, towel & a medal! I've never got a medal at any race so I had my eyes on that damn thing....and as usual my eyes were bigger than my stomach! 8.2 frickin miles? Really? What was I thinking....stupid me also told Ashley about it...aannnddd she made me a playlist so now I have to do it, ugh!

I'm so scared...not that I can't finish, cause I know I could finish (in like 6hrs) lol, but because of looking stupid, for being the only unfit person out there, for being slow or worse, being last...

 I always start things and I don't finish and that's sorta what this journey has been about...I will finish this race and although my journey will never really end...I will get to my goal, I will finish my race.... I will Face My Fear!

Recipe & The Big 30!

First off, I have a tasty recipe for you! I call it Confetti Meatloaf. It is delicious!!! I made it tonight & the hubs was on board! I added leftover quinoa to it to but that's not in the original recipe. I also coupon & have a bazillion of those Kraft Fresh Takes cheese/breadcrumb combo.
Confetti Meatloaf: serves 6
1lb Jenni-O Ground Turkey
1cup diced peppers
1/2 bag of Kraft Fresh Takes Italian Mix (mix both together & use half)
1/4c eggbeaters
2tbsp Ketchup
Sprinkle of Italian Seasoning


Mix well and put into a baking dish. Bake covered at 425' for about 40min. When it's almost done, put ketchup on and bake uncovered till crisp.

 And now on for other news...


I turn the Big THREE O in June. I'm a little sad cause, who wants to turn 30, really? But I am a little happy cause I spent my 20's getting married & pretty much making & breastfeeding children, lol
I was hoping I'd be at goal (130) by my 30th but that doesn't look like it's gonna happen...I will settle for 30lbs less of me by then so I started today with a little challenge: 30lbs in 13 weeks. It's a little over 2lbs a week loss which is doable, I just have to be strict with myself. Which is hard seeing as I haven't managed to do it yet....sooooooo

Here I go, starting over again with diet & exercise. I'm okay with it, I do it everyday...start over. I make myself reset so that no matter how the day went, I start the next day with the right attitude & mindset. I will do this, because, well I have no other options. I won't go back to what I was before...I am headed into my 30's with a different lifestyle & outlook....

I think 30 is gonna be the start of a New Me!

Progress

Lately I've discovered I am an emotional eater...by that, I mean I eat....everything....a lot. I never thought I was before but as I've gone down this road I have become more aware of this problem. For no reason, I will just stand in the kitchen...looking in the fridge, browsing the pantry, just looking for something that catches my eye. There have been times where I am having a bad day and I find myself in the freakin' dessert aisle picking out something delicious. The other day, after some frustrating school issues, I went to Publix and got Tiramisu. It's not huge but it's defintely NOT for one. I came home and sat down and one bite turned into four, then half the cake was gone...paying no mind, I am embarrassed to say, I ate the whole f@#king cake :/

I don't know why I did and felt disgusting the rest of the night...

I told my bestie about this last night on the phone and was so embarrassed to admit this. Even so, I felt compelled to put it here...I guess to be accountable but also for some of you who may have this issue too....

Why do we do this? Why do I do this? I can't answer that...I'm waiting for one of those "biggest loser" moments where everything is just so clear......
"so this is why I'm fat"
I don't know if that day will ever come...till then I am trying to stay on track. I put aside what happened yesterday and focus on today. I'm trying to listen more to myself when I feel that urge coming on to eat crap!

That inner fat girl screams out at me! Sometimes I give in, most times I tell her to shut the hell up! For me, knowing that I have a voice....that I have the strength to stop myself...I guess that's all I can ask for....progress.....

Fat Tuesday!

Once upon a time...in a time far, far away, lived an unhappy girl. She was unhappy because she was overweight & struggling to find her place in life. She put on a big smile for everyone and looked happy, but wasn't....at all
This girl was me.

I had a fake smile, fake relationships, fake happiness, fake weight loss....fake everything!

I didn't eat healthy, I didn't work out at all, I wasn't in healthy relationships, I didn't know who I was....

I can look back at this picture and know what I felt & how unhappy I was and I just want to scream...Get Yourself Together!!!!


So how does this fairytale end?

                                Well, that's the thing....it doesn't. I will forever be on this journey...right now it's healthy eating & weight loss...next, hopefully a better journey into motherhood & how to be a better wife. I'm not perfect but look forward to improving myself.

I'm so happy you've followed me through this journey and hopefully something I've said has inspired you or pushed you. I don't know where this blog will take me but so far, this yellow brick road has taken me 67lbs down and that makes for one happy girl! It helps having this outlet...
If this lazy girl can go from sitting on the couch and watching tv all day to juggling 3 kids, a husband, a household aannnnnddd lose weight, Anyone Can! Even You!

This smile isn't fake anymore ;)

Fat Tuesday!

Percieved Limits....

I've set limits my whole life. I can never be that thin, I won't finish, I can't lose weight, I can only run that far, etc....

I've taken spin before...it's not my favorite class. My ass hurts, my legs hurt, I feel awkward sitting like that...everytime...I don't care how many times they say; "oh it will get better" it doesn't...for me anyway. I took spin again recently and for 55min I peddled my heart out. I stood up everytime they said so...I turned my dial everytime they said so (although I did have help with that part ;). I was very proud at how far I had come at the end and was surprised at how I pushed past those limits I had set for myself.

I was then invited to take a 90min spin class. Again, I did what I was told & pushed through till the end...it was hard, I won't lie...but I finished. As I drove home I thought about those limits I put on myself.

Why do we do it? Why did I do it to myself so many times?

After trying & failing countless times to lose weight I've finally come to the realization that's it's been me who has made myself fail....over and over again I've limited myself to what I can achieve, which is why I am 29years old and still not at my goal weight.

So here I am today...67lbs lighter and ready to push past my limits. I can run further, I can push through, I won't give up, I will not set limits on myself...

Repeat this: I am braver than I think & stronger than I feel....

So those limits you think you can't get past? Yeah....They're Bulls@#%!