tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92059335801997878532024-03-05T00:31:21.593-08:00FromfattytofitRecipes, Health, Fitness and My LifeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627087996894604375noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205933580199787853.post-23225876635361909542014-12-31T16:34:00.000-08:002014-12-31T16:34:31.993-08:00New Year, Same Shit<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
A new year, a chance to start over, to lose that last 10
pounds, to quit a habit or addiction, to start working out 5 times a week, to
start eating healthier or to change the person you are. We always wait until
the beginning of a new year and when we fail halfway through January, we
promise ourselves “next year.” But again, we fail. We have the power to make a
change during any time in our lives. It doesn’t have to start on January 1<sup>st</sup>.
I made a change in April. It wasn’t a new years resolution, it was willpower
and motivation to change my life. Last year, I had made a resolution to start
loving myself more and by January 15<sup>th</sup>, I was back to the same ol’
depressed Justine. Faking a smile and telling everyone how happy I was. It
wasn’t until I looked in the mirror on a random day in April that I was truly
fed up of teaching self-love but never truly living up to what I was preaching.
Telling other women to love their bodies, yet there I was standing in my
bathroom looking at my reflection and hating everything about it. It was in
that moment that I decided to make a change. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was
only when I was actively working on being a happier person that I started to
really feel a change. I was no longer just saying polite things to myself but
actually believing them. This year has been a crazy roller coaster of slaying
my inner demons and finally letting go of all the hurt and pain that’s haunted
me for years. I was holding onto things that should have been let go years ago.
Like that one time some ass hole at the pool called me fat and ruined my life
forever. That was the part I always remembered but it didn’t hit me until I
started to dive into these inner demons that I remember the other half of the
memory… After that kid called me fat I picked up a basketball and nailed him
right in the face with it. I’m stronger than I gave myself credit for. All
those memories that I have of pain and hurt, I forgot about what I learned from
those experiences and how much strength and courage I gained. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Life is
all about making mistakes because that’s how we learn. I feel like I always
have to learn the hard way for a lesson to really stick. These were all the
lessons that went down the hard way.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I love fiercely. It’s just who I am and no
matter how much I seem to get hurt in the process, I should never try to lose
that part of me.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Being a bitch with a chip on my shoulder will
get me nowhere. Thank you to my brother who finally opened my eyes.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Not all beautiful women are bitches, despite
what my brain tells me when meeting someone new.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 4)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Keep those who love me close. I can only
push away someone so much before I lose them for good.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 5)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The less fucks I give, the happier I seem to be.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 6)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>2<sup>nd</sup> chances are okay, but 3<sup>rd</sup>,
4<sup>th</sup> or 5<sup>th</sup> chances aren’t worth it</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 7)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Talking through my feelings with someone helps
me understand them. Holding onto emotions is a one way street to misery</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 8)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Sometimes the wrong person walks out of your
life so that the right person has the chance to walk in</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 9)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Being 21 isn’t as fun as I thought it would be</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 10)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Green juice is life</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 11)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I’m a horrible judge of character </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 12)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>When I force something to work out, it will
never work out</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 13)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Let shit happen</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 14)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Falling in love sucks when the other person isn’t
there to catch you</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> 15)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>LOVE YOURSELF!!</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
This year was full of adventures. I made a positive change, boosted my self esteem, fell in love, got into a program that I didn't think was possible to be accepted into, met some amazing people, made some amazing friends, caught up with old friends, made a difference in someone's life and finally found myself. Life is all about learning, loving, laughing everyday, being kind, doing what you love, going on adventures, getting lost and having fun. I'm learning that whatever obstacles come my way, I can either learn from it, run from it or conquer it. I have no clue what kind of shit show is coming my way in 2015 but whatever it is, I plan to conquer it. Have a safe New Year! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
2014 playlist:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A Man who was gonna die young- Eric Church</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>We Are Tonight-Bill Currington</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>What Does: EYB</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Whiskey In My Water- Tyler Farr</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Until I Met You- Sundy Best</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Thunder- Sundy Best</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Burnin Bed- David Nail</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Say You Do- Dierks Bentley</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Blackbird- The Beatles</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627087996894604375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205933580199787853.post-74820014886974831582014-06-20T12:42:00.001-07:002014-06-20T12:42:05.677-07:00Perspective<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m
back! I just couldn’t stay away for too long. Last week was a rough one. I
honestly don’t know what came over me. I was just feeling overwhelmed with
life. Having no clue what’s in store for me was giving me severe anxiety. My
whole life is up in the air right now and riding on if I get into the paramedic
program or not. I let stress take over and ruin a lot of things; however, I learned
something. It’s all about perspective. How you think about things is
everything. You are what you think and I was definitely thinking negative. I
should have taken the time to step back and look at the whole picture before I
let the negativity consume me. When I applied for the program, I had the
attitude that I was just going to let the wind take me wherever it blows. Then
all of a sudden, I was fighting it. Trying to control my own life but sometimes
God (or whatever you believe in) closes a door to simply tell you “wrong
direction.” And that’s okay. It was an eye opener. Trying to force things that
just don’t make sense was the wrong thing to do and because of that, I destroyed
the few good things I had going for me. But today is a new day and I’ve changed
my perspective. Shit happens, life knocks you down and sometimes you just feel
hopeless but I woke up yesterday morning and decided to find the positives in
life. Life knocked me down pretty good, but I stood back up stronger than ever.
The day has color again, I’m smiling again, I’m laughing again and I feel
better than ever. Funny what the mind is capable of. Old Justine would be lying
in bed right now wallowing in self-pity, but the new Justine, the Justine I’ve
been working on for over a year now got out of bed this morning, worked out,
drank a green juice and soaked up the beauty surrounding me. Because life is
beautiful, even when you can’t see the light, it’s there. It’s all about how
you look at it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being
human, it’s normal to feel something. Our emotions are powerful. Instead of
blocking out painful emotions and shoving them down, I let myself feel them. I
cried. Then I wiped my tears and moved on. I acknowledged what I was feeling
and then let it go. I’ve spent my whole life thinking that showing emotion wasn’t
okay. I’ve been called an emotional black hole on numerous occasions. No more.
When I feel something, I LET myself feel it because it’s okay to feel hurt, sad
or angry. It’s okay to cry every once in a while, it’s okay to break down and
feel sad but it’s NOT okay to let yourself be consumed by those emotions. Pick
yourself up off the ground and keep moving. Despite some shit that went down, I
feel good. Like years of pent up emotions has been lifted off my shoulders. It’s
a crazy feeling. Just because I let myself actually feel something for once, I
got my sunshine back. Let me tell you, feeling numb and empty is a hell of a
lot worse than feeling sad or hurt. I would take any emotion over feeling like
your soul has been ripped out of your body. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also
want to thank everyone who has been so, so supportive and kind to me through
this whole mess. The messages I received and the kind words that were spoken to
me nearly brought me to tears. When I write this kind of stuff, I’m not looking
for attention. I don’t do it so people feel bad for me. I do it so maybe
someone who is going through the same thing doesn’t feel alone. I want people to
know that they aren’t the only ones going through this, that there’s a silver
lining. Because if I can get hit hard by life and get back up, so can you. I
write to inspire, not just to live a healthy life, but to keep smiling and stay
strong. Life’s a bitch but it’s beautiful. Everybody has bad days but it’s all
about perspective (: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve
had a ton of questions from people about my lifestyle so I’ll answer them here
just in case I didn’t get back to you (:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Q) Do you count calories?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A) NOOOOOOO. Just the thought of counting calories stresses
me out. I’m the type of person who obsesses about things like that. Before I
found my way to whole foods, I counted calories. There was a time when I went
over my calories by 5 and I broke down and worked out for an hour after I had
already worked out that day. 5 calories! That’s all! I don’t think counting
calories is healthy. I believe when you eat whole foods, counting calories isn’t
necessary. Your body sends out a hunger signal when you need nutrients, when
you eat a high nutrient density diet, you aren’t as hungry because your body is
getting all the nutrients it needs. But if you try to ease the hunger signal
with a high sugar meal or a burger and fries, you're essentially getting little to
no nutrients, so a few hours later you’re starving again. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Q) “I’m really self-conscious about my mid-section, but I’m
okay with the rest of my body. How do I reduce just my belly fat?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A) You cannot spot reduce. You cannot spot reduce. YOU
CANNOT SPOT REDUCE! Overall body fat loss is the only way to lose the belly
pooch. Sorry!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Q) Are you vegan?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A) No. I’m “selectively vegan”. Meaning that I like to stick
to primarily plant based diet; however, put a grass fed steak in front of me,
chances are I will devour it. As long as I know exactly where it comes from and
what’s in it, I’ll eat it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Q) “You don’t eat gluten, you don’t eat sugar, you don’t eat
corn and you don’t eat animal products or byproducts, what do you actually eat?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A) Fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and grains and the
occasional grass fed beef or organic chicken and fish. My menu is basically
endless. I still eat pasta, I still eat hamburgers, I still eat cake and I
would never give up pancakes. But I’ve found that nearly every unhealthy dish
can be made healthy with a few twists and kinks. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Q) What is your workout routine?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A) My workout routine never stays the same because I get
bored too easily. I try to run once a week, sprints 1-2 times a week, lifting 2
times and week and I usually try to fit in a HIIT workout in there somewhere.
Honestly, when I don’t feel like working out, I just try to move as much as I can,
which means dance parties in the middle of my kitchen! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Q) How do you stay on track?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A) I don’t! I lose motivation, I get too tired, and
sometimes I just don’t feel like getting out of bed. But I’ve found that
reading books that inspire me to be healthy works. I always have my nose in a
book, might as well use that for good! I’m always looking for new health
material. Also, when I eat like shit, I feel like shit. That right there is
motivation enough! <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you have any more questions feel free to ask! Once again,
thank you to all the people that didn’t give up on me. You’ll never know how
much I truly appreciate it (: <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627087996894604375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205933580199787853.post-15674609420178478832014-06-16T10:31:00.002-07:002014-06-16T10:31:24.920-07:00Finding Myself<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s funny, the older I get and the more I learn about
myself, the more insecure I become. When I feel like I have my shit figured
out, it all comes unrivaled soon after. Truth is, as far as I’ve come, I have
so much more work to do. I’m learning that happiness isn’t some destination
down the road; happiness should be in the here and now. I keep waiting for
happiness. “if I lose just a few more pounds, then I’ll be happy” “If I get
into this program, THEN I’ll be happy” “If I move away from Portland, then I
can be happy” No, if I ever plan to be happy, I have to be content where I’m at
right now. My brother always says to me, “stay present”. I never understood.
But now I do. I live 50% of my life thinking about the future and 50% living in
the past. Of course I can’t be happy if I’m not focused on today. Thinking
about my future gives me anxiety, living in the past and reliving all my past
failures brings me pain. If I focus on my life right in this moment, I don’t
feel any of that. The future will come eventually, but if I’m not happy in the
present, my future will be no different. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I feel
like a hypocrite, I promote self-love but struggle with it every single day. I’ve
come so far in my journey to find self-love, but I have a long way to go. I let
my insecurities get the best of me to where I ruin, no actually I <i>destroy</i> my relationships. No one
deserves to put up with someone who can’t put away her insecurities and just
enjoy what she has. I let those inner demons consume me. Everybody has
insecurities, but if you’re confident with who you are, you’re able to brush
them off or just accept them for what they are. I’ve never been able to do
that. And that’s something that I’ve been working on. Normally, I don’t deal
with my problems, I hide from them. I hide them from everybody. If I could just
work through them as they come, I could let them go. But instead I let them
build and build until they all come unrivaled for some poor bastard to be left
picking up the pieces. NO ONE deserves that. I’m learning to love myself and it’s one hell
of a roller coaster. If I don’t love me, then who the hell will? I’ve been
pretty lucky to have the people in my life who love me unconditionally. That’s
the great thing about love, no matter what; you’re still there for that person.
My mom, God bless that woman, has put up with my crazy for almost 21 years now.
I’m pretty sure she is the only human being on this planet who would do that. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Self-love
is something that I wish everyone had. Society really is fucked up. So many
women out there deal with eating disorders because it’s engraved into our
brains at such a young age that to be beautiful, you have to be a size 2. You
have to have that God forsaken thigh gap, you have to have beautifully straight
and white teeth and you have to have big blue eyes and long wavy hair. You have
to be a certain height, a certain weight, you have to dress a certain way and
you have to be as hairless as an Asian. Big
boobs, nice ass, petite nose, clear skin, wrinkle free and graceful. This is what is promoted in magazines, TV,
movies and the fashion industry. The idea that you have to be a babe to find
someone to love you is ridiculous. Every woman is beautiful in some way. Sure, you have a few extra pounds on you, rock that shit! Be who you are. Someone
out there thinks you’re the most beautiful girl in the world. Fuck the standards of society. I always say that
beauty comes from the inside and I will hold on to that until the day I die. My
mother told me that when I was just a little girl and I will pass it on to my
little girl someday. I have a beautiful soul, I know I do. But my past issues
are like a thunder cloud blocking out the sunshine of my soul. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve
never been secure with who I am as a person. Growing up, I never fit into a
typical click at school. I was never labeled as one thing. I got along with
everybody; the stoners, the jocks, the popular kids, the nerds and the hicks. I
was friends with everybody but I never put myself into a category. I didn’t
know who I was for a long time, but within the last year, I’ve figured out who
I am. I’m not one thing, I’m a little bit of everything. I’m still working on figuring
out my life, but there are a few things I know for certain. I’m a small town
girl at heart who has a love/hate relationship with this fast paced, ass hole filled
city. I suck at math. I’m a people
person when I want to be but choose to spend my weekends by myself. I have a
passion for helping people, that’s literally all I want to do. I want to live
somewhere where it’s warm and sunny every day. I like sci fi/fantasy and post-apocalyptic
books but I’ll read anything you put in front of me, because when I read, I
lose sight of reality and that’s all I really want. I will never be as great of
a cook as my mom, but I sure can bake a mean cookie. I hate the snow and I love
my family. I love fishing and shooting shit. I have zero fashion sense;
sometimes I wear things that even Portlander’s would make fun of. My idea of a
good time is driving around with the windows down the music turned up. I’ve
never understood women’s obsession with diamonds and jewelry. I enjoy watching
a football game but listening to people talk about their favorite sports teams
bores me to tears. I miss my hometown, but can’t help but find the beauty no
matter where I live (even this god awful city). <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is
who I am; just a lonely girl in a crowded room. Screaming and yelling hoping
that someone notices me, yet wanting to hide when someone finally does. I feel
so much pressure. I put on this front for everybody. Everybody expects me to be
happy all the time. I now have this stupid fitness account and I feel like I
can’t be real when I feel like life just really sucks. I have to be fit, I can’t
gain weight and I can’t be unhappy. People look to me for inspiration and I don’t
want to let them down but I’m a human. Everybody has bad days, and in my case,
a bad month. I put on a front 90% of the time. There are very few people in
this world that I can be real with, who I don’t have to put up a fake persona of
happiness with because I know no matter what, they’ll still be there when I’m
done throwing my hissy fit. I’m going to take a break from social media for a
while. I have some things to work on and I can’t have the pressures of this
world pressing down on me while I try to figure it out. I’ll be back eventually
but as of right now, I’m just tired. I’m running on fumes and I need to figure
out what needs to be done to make me happy. Right now, I’m not even sure I know
what that is and I don’t even know where to start. I have some changes that I need
to make and all I need is the support of my loved one’s right now. I hope you
all understand. I’ll figure it out. I’m a Cooley and Cooley’s are tough. I just
need to take some time for myself right now. I only ask that those of you who are close to me be patient. I might be MIA for a while, but don't give up on me! <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627087996894604375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205933580199787853.post-81603910125127416062014-06-15T21:26:00.002-07:002014-06-15T21:26:51.775-07:00Gluten: Satan's Sidekick <div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and
expecting different results.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is
my life, ya’ll. I find myself falling back into habits I know are bad for me
and expecting a different outcome when really; it ALWAYS ends the same way. In
this case, gluten. I don’t know how many times I’ve gone back on gluten only to
find my body swelling, my face breaking out, my nose getting stuffed up and my
depression squeezing its way through the wall I’ve built up to block it. Every.
Flippin. Time. This time, I don’t know what I was thinking. Before, when I
started adding gluten back into my diet, it was because someone told me that
cutting out wheat is bad for me or whatever their reason was. This time, I
added it back because for some unknown reason, I thought my body would be able
to handle it. Wrong! A couple of days into adding whole wheat bread back into
my diet, my face broke out. Not bad, but still enough to make me self-conscious.
I noticed I my sinuses were burning and I couldn’t breathe at night because my
nose was so stuffy. This morning was the final wake up call. I woke up and
literally was swollen from my head to my toes. My ring wouldn’t even fit on my
finger. I feel like a fricken balloon. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do
this too often. Go back to things I know are bad for me. There are studies done
that show that gluten/wheat is as addictive as cocaine. I’ve experienced this.
People literally have withdrawal symptoms when they try to eliminate gluten
from their diets. Gluten is in everything. Even things you wouldn’t think. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Almost any kind of alcohol<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Cheese<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Food coloring/fillers/texturizers/thickeners ect<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Clif Bars<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Power Bars<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Oatmeal<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Breaded meats<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Hot dogs<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sausage<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Envelopes<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Lip gloss/balms<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Nutritional supplements<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sauces/salad dressings/condiments</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These are just a few of them. This shit is in everything.
Why? Because it’s addictive and those food companies know it’s addictive. It
keeps people coming back for more. What does that mean for those companies??
$$$$$$$$<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For me,
the part that freaks me out the most is the neurological effects it has. Every
time I start eating wheat again, within a couple of days, my depression hits. I
never see it coming. It just slowly creeps up on me until I’m consumed by
thoughts I thought I had gotten rid of. Day’s become less colorful, I find it
harder to get out of bed in the morning, I stay home all day and lose myself in
some stupid, mindless book and I start to withdraw from my loved one’s; all
because of wheat. Before when this happened, I just thought I was being a
typical over emotional girl, however; the more it happened, I finally made the
connection. When we consume wheat, once it has gained entrance to our brains,
it crosses the amygdala, hippocampus, cerebral cortex and other major brain
structures. Wheat polypeptides bind to the brains morphine receptor, the same
receptor that opiate drugs bind to. Morphine-like compounds, for example, occur
during “runners high”. Wheat literally induces a form of euphoria. Anybody who’s
had or currently has an addiction knows what it feels like to get that first
high or that first buzz. That’s usually all it takes before you’re hooked. Once
we reach our body’s pleasure center, there’s no going back. You’ll do whatever
you have to do to get that feeling again. Some people grab a pipe, others reach
for another cigg or in this case, you reach for that sandwich. Because it’s so
addictive, you need to feel the euphoria that wheat gives you. The crazy part
is that you don’t even know you’re addicted to it! But as soon as you try to
eliminate it, you’ll start dreaming of bread, salivating over it, talking about
it and constantly thinking about it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wheat
doesn’t just affect you neurologically; it also has some effect on your weight.
One piece of bread can spike your blood sugar just as much as a tablespoon of
sugar. Studies have shown that wheat is also an appetite stimulant. Maybe it’s
my lack of self-control, but I could probably eat the whole bread basket that
Olive Garden puts in front of you before your food is served. I could down that
and still have room for my dinner. I could also eat a whole bucket of movie
theater popcorn and still feel hungry, however; swap the popcorn for a bucket
of grilled chicken? No way. These empty carbs allow us to eat way more than we
should. What does that mean for these food companies? $$$$$$$$. Big money. The
more they can keep you coming back for more, the better. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cutting
out wheat is tough. Trust me; I’ve been through it too many times. There are so
many alternatives to this addictive substance. Oat flour, buckwheat flour,
almond flour, rice flour, potato flour and tapioca flour are all great
alternatives. They don’t bake the same as wheat and they sure as hell don’t
taste as good, but it does the trick when you start craving wheat. Growing up
in an Italian family, pasta was a main staple in out diet. I’m pretty sure we
had some sort of pasta dish every day. I’ve
found that brown rice pasta or quinoa pasta have nearly the same exact taste
and texture of regular pasta. Whenever I have a crazy carb craving, I’ll make
brown rice pasta tossed in a little olive oil and salt and pepper with cut up
cherry tomatoes and spinach. I get my pasta and it’s about 50 times healthier. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These
past few days have been a bit rough. I’m going to blame it on the gluten and
keep it at that. No more. I can’t keep doing this to myself. Gluten just doesn’t
work for my body. I think that everybody has a gluten intolerance of some sort.
Whether it shows externally or not, the internal effects of gluten are all the
same. Our bodies just weren’t meant to have a “food-like” substance in it. It’s
not natural. I don’t know how many times it’s going to take me to learn. Wheat
makes me feel like utter shit and this will be the last time I ever do this to
myself again. Moral of the story: wheat is Satan’s sidekick. Get off wheat.
Seriously, your body will thank you later. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re
interested in eliminating wheat from your diet, “Wheat Belly” by William Davis
is a great place to start. This book changed my life. It’s an easy read but it’s
powerful. Sometimes I’ll reread it just to remind myself why I pass up that French
bread at dinner every night. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627087996894604375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205933580199787853.post-79612263619117577332014-04-22T11:20:00.000-07:002014-04-22T11:20:01.196-07:00Obesity is not the problem, it's the solution <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Yes, you read the title right. Obesity
is not the problem in our bodies. Obesity is actually our bodies protecting
itself from the chaos we put it through. I feel like the more I learn, the less
I know. I’m constantly trying to learn more. In any free time I have in my
crazy life, I’m most likely reading a book on nutrition or watching a documentary
on the foods produced in this messed up world. In a way, I’ve actually done
more harm than good by educating myself. A few months back, I actually gave
myself an eating disorder of sorts. I was afraid to eat because I knew exactly
what was in my food. I knew exactly what it was going to do in my body down to
the cellular level. I was deathly afraid of carbs. Animal protein? Uhhh, no
way. And don’t even get me started on fat! The problem is there is so much bullshit
out there. How do we know what’s true and what’s not? We don’t. I truly believe
we are, for the most part, completely fricken clueless when it comes to what is
good for our body and what’s not. That’s why I stick to a diet based off of
what Mother Nature has given to us (and yes, sometimes that includes locally
grown, hormone free chicken or grass fed beef… sue me).</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> I’ve
had one single question since I started my research and studying on health and
nutrition, a question that no matter where I looked I couldn’t seem to find the
answer. There are people all over the world who live off of the earth. There
are some people who live off of animal fats and muscle… And that’s it. And
there are also people who only have fruits and vegetables available to them. If
you look at these people, their diets are so different, but they all have two
things in common; One, they are free of disease and illness and two, they don’t
eat processed foods. No MSG, no hormones, there’s no antibiotics in their meat;
there’s no chemicals in their fruits. They are, for the most part, CHEMICAL
FREE. This is where the rest of the world fails. There is so many chemicals and
just plain crap in the foods we eat. And the scary part is very few people are
aware of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> I have
people message me or come up to me and ask me questions all the time about my
diet and exercise routine. My diet? Whole food. My exercise? I just move as
much as I can. It’s literally that simple. But what people don’t understand is
the whole foods part. I tend to get frustrated with people when they don’t
understand. But I’ve recently come to the realization that when I first started
this journey, I had no clue what was in food, what was good for my body and
what happens to the food once it’s in my body. “Spirulina? What in God’s name
is that? Wheat grass? Sounds like something I want to smoke. Kale? Ohh yeah
that green shit, I’ve seen it.” It has taken me years of educating myself to
fully grasp the concept. To most, it’s not that easy. For me, 5 years ago, it
wasn’t easy either. I started out with weight watchers eating half a doughnut,
counting my points and thinking I was healthy. I’m so angry that proper
nutrition isn’t taught earlier in life… Or at all! We were always taught “drink
your milk! Eat your dairy! Don’t forget to drink your orange juice!” It sickens
me. People are clueless and it’s scary. Thank God the UK is now at the top of
the list for the World’s Most Obese country and the US has been knocked down to
number two. I’m ashamed to live in a country that has its priorities so fucked
up. (New post about reasons to give up dairy coming soon!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Okay, I’m
done ranting for now. I would like to write a whole post on the world’s obesity
problems, but this post is an update on how my cleanse is going. I said I was
going to write everyday but I found that this was way more personal than I
thought it was going to be. I decided to write in the safety of my journal for
the past two weeks instead. Most of the things I’m working on are not things I
want to share with the public but I will say that the past two weeks have been
one hell of an emotional roller coaster. This cleanse is a focus on me.
Pampering myself, loving myself, learning thought processes that I never knew
existed. Learning to love myself has
been the most difficult yet most empowering thing I have ever done. Years and
years of self-doubt and self-consciousness has left my inner demons fighting
every step of the way. Who knew it would be hard to like yourself?! As the days
go by, I’m finding it easier and easier to say nice things to my body. Your
cells have ears and their listening to everything you say!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Taking
time for me has also been a challenge. I’m so used to putting all my energy
into making other people happy. I always ask myself “what will make them
happy?” never before have I asked “what will make ME happy?” Funny thing is,
when I asked myself that question, I had no clue what the answer was. That’s
been a major focus for me. What the hell makes me happy? I actually had to sit
down and write a list of all the things I love. It was harder than I imagined.
This is what I came up with:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Family time<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The sounds of a summer night<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Working out<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Walking<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Getting lost in a book for hours<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">7)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Talking with a close friend<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Being outside<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">9)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Sunshine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">10)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Fuzzy blankets<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">11)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Driving with the windows down and the music up<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Odd, yes. But these are the things
that make me really happy. If I woke up tomorrow with only these things in my
life, I would be content. I spend so much time focusing on others, I forget to
do what makes me happy. Helping other people is easy, it’s what I’m good at. I
love fiercely. Often times it gets me into trouble, other times, It’s the best
quality about me. My life is focused around others. Even my job is about taking
care of other people. Yes, I love taking care of other people, but there’s a
time when taking care of me becomes more important. I can focus on me but still
have time to make my mom dinner at the end of the day. Balance. That’s what I’ve learned. My life
needed balance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Through
meditation, I’ve had a few unwanted emotions that I’ve been shoving down find
their way out of my steel bolted wall. Some of which is bitterness and anger. I
didn’t realize I was holding on to so many poisonous emotions until they came
out. Bitterness from my past; all those people who’ve done me wrong, starting
from the girls in middle school to the ass hole last week. I’ve been holding on
to it. My body has been feeding off of it. One thing I had to focus on was
forgiving. I sat down one night after work and wrote a letter to all the people
who have hurt me in my life. I wrote down what they did, what I felt at the
time, what I’m feeling currently and the last sentence always said “I forgive
you and I forgive myself.” It took my hours. But when I was done, such an odd
sensation came over me. Like running cold water over a burn; I felt relief… Some
of the things I was writing down, I had completely forgotten about until that moment
when it all came spilling out of my pen. So many things that I’ve shoved down
hoping to forget all came pouring out. It was poison to my body. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Learning
to love, and <i>actually</i> love myself,
not just saying it, was the biggest challenge by far. But it’s funny, the more
you tell yourself how fucking awesome you are, the more you start to believe
it. When I first started saying that I loved myself, there was always this
voice in the back on my head saying “ha! How can you love those thighs? What about
your man shoulders? What about the eyelid that droops lower than the other one?
Who would love you?” After planting the thought of loving me into my head,
overtime that voice got more and more quite. When I say that I love myself, I
truly do. I appreciate my body for what it is and I accept myself; man
shoulders and all. The concept of loving yourself is literally the key to
everything. Hating yourself is like drinking poison every morning. It does you
no good what so ever. Whatever you hold in your mind on a consistent basis is
exactly what you will experience and what you will become in life. Just as the saying
goes, “you are what you eat” You are also what you think. So think positive,
think happy, think love, think laughter, think kind, think peace and think
forgiveness. You might be surprised what these little changes in your thinking
bring your way. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627087996894604375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205933580199787853.post-56195383168454714812014-04-06T22:58:00.001-07:002014-04-06T23:00:07.042-07:00The Power of Your Own Mind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img alt="Aries Day 6: ‘My heart shares the joy I feel for my beautiful life.’ Words by aaryaa at aatmaani.com - astrology for Self-development." src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/49/01/96/4901968081d5a98be7d6f0fdd80da81d.jpg" /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> So for the next 21 days I’ll be embarking on a journey; a journey
to heal my mind. I have a ton of goals for myself. Some of which I’ve had for a
long time but have never seemed to be able to accomplish. For example, Yoga and
meditation. I used to be the type of person who was so close minded to the
power of such practices. My brother has been shoving meditation down my throat
for years but the stubborn side of my brain kept telling him that it doesn’t
work. It was only within the past few weeks that I’ve been seriously
contemplating the idea. The more research I did, the more books I read, the
more I started to be convinced. I realize now that the stubborn part of my
brain is exactly the problem. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> I’m so
tired of hating myself. No matter what I do, I can never seem to get past the
same road block. I’ve had so many self-esteem issues my whole life. I’m ready
to change that. I want to radiate positivity and I want my happiness to be
contagious. I want to enrich the lives of the people who surround me. I want to
get rid of the negative thoughts about myself and about others. I want to
unlearn and relearn thought processes. I want to finally forgive the people who
have done me wrong in the past and more importantly, I want to forgive myself
for all those stupid things I’ve done. I want to get past my past. I want to
move forward in my life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Driving
has always been my escape. Never underestimate the power of just driving with
the windows down and the music up. The other day, I was trying to clear my head,
so I went on a drive. The weirdest thing happened to me. All of a sudden I was overwhelmed
with love. Love for my family, for my very few close friends, my many new
friends, the trees around me, the sky above me and the ground below me. I was
so filled with joy and love I almost broke down in tears. There was not a cell
in my body that had hate, anger, sadness or bitterness. It was like a high I’ve
never experienced before. I want to feel
like that all the time. I want to be the Justine that my mind has never let me
become. I want to be happy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> So for
the next 21 days I’ll be cleansing. It’s not just a food cleanse, but a cleanse
of my mind. A cleanse of negativity and anger; of sadness and of bitterness. I
will learn to forgive, I will learn to forget and I will learn to love. I’ve
never felt so sure of anything in my entire life. I’ve come so far in my
journey to find optimal health and happiness. I feel like I’m so close to a
break through. I just need to keep pushing. I will be writing every day for the
next 3 weeks, so keep an eye out for my posts about progress. You better watch
out, I might turn into a Yogi/Buddhist/hippy/meditation freak. Haha just
kidding, that will never happen. I’m still a Pendletonian at heart. Now I’m just
a Pendletonian with a twist! </span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9c/a8/ea/9ca8ead7474e89aa574b59c3afa0e9d7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="#journey #happiness #meditation" border="0" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9c/a8/ea/9ca8ead7474e89aa574b59c3afa0e9d7.jpg" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627087996894604375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205933580199787853.post-46630910247912104832014-03-30T20:48:00.002-07:002014-03-30T20:48:47.023-07:00Cave Girl Gone Vegan?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(Preface: I’m going to ask for people to keep their comments
to themselves on this post. If you’re an asshole hillbilly who doesn’t respect
other people’s life choices, then please hit the back button and continue scrolling
through Facebook. Thank you.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> For the
past two years, I’ve known nothing besides eating like a caveman. High protein,
high fat, low carb. Eating basically endless amounts of animal protein and
healthy fats. Paleo changed my life. It opened up the gates to the world of
whole foods, however; since going Paleo, I’ve done a ton of research. I’ve
educated myself on just about every diet out there. Low carb, high carb, low
fat, high fat, weight watchers, paleo, 80/10/10, vegetarian and vegan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The past few months have been
extremely rough on me. Starting with an emotional downfall in October then soon
worsened by my seasonal depression, it’s safe to say I wasn’t feeling too well
and all those pounds I worked so hard to lose eventually found their way back
to my mid-section. Around January was when I’d finally had enough. I felt like
shit. The crazy thing was that I changed absolutely NOTHING in my diet and
workout routine. The pounds just kept creeping back up on me. I was so
frustrated and so upset I didn’t know what to do with myself. On top of all of
that, my naturopath encouraged me to drop my birth control which was the only
thing that I felt was making me stable. I
was an unstable, emotional wreck. And I was fat again which in turn made me
more unhappy and the cycle continued on down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That’s when I found 80/10/10 diet.
These are crazy fruitarians who eat literally nothing but fruit. 80% carbs
(from fruit), 10% fat (which most of them cut out totally) and 10% protein (from
plant based foods). I was fascinated with this lifestyle. I mean 10 bananas for
breakfast? 6 mangos for lunch? 1lb of greens and more fruit for dinner? Yes
please! I of course read the book cover to cover soaking up information on a
low fat vegan lifestyle. Since the 80/10/10 diet was a bit extreme for me, I
started exploring Veganism. I started doing my research. For me, it wasn’t about
animal rights, it’s about what our bodies are physiologically made to process
and break down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We have very little evidence of Paleolithic
days. We have little to no evidence that Paleolithic man ate a wholly mammoth every
day. Chances are they were probably gathering more than they were hunting. Here’s
a few reason why humans aren’t made to chow down on a cow:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Walking</b>: All carnivores walk on four feet. We walked erect on two
feet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Claws:</b> Take a look at your hands… Could you rip through tough
animal flesh with those things? Probably not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Opposable thumbs</b>: We have thumbs that make us well equipped to do
things like pick up fruits and pick vegetables. We could no more catch and rip
the skin or tough flesh of a deer or bear barehanded than a lion could pick mangos
or bananas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Colon formation</b>: We have 26 feet of intestines. If you were to lay
it all out, it would cover an entire tennis court. Carnivores have a very, very
short intestinal tract. Meaning that it breaks down the food and shortly after,
eliminates it. What happens to it in our colon? It takes hours to break down,
then it stays in your intestines rotting away for a day or two until it is
finally eliminated. Ummm, I don’t know about you, but I would rather not have
rotting meat and cheese in my gut. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Vitamin C:</b> Carnivores manufacture their own vitamin C, humans need
vitamin C from the food we ingest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Teeth</b>: Take a look at your teeth. Could you rip through flesh with
those things? No way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Stomach Acid</b>: The pH of a carnivore’s stomach acid is roughly 10x
more acidic than a humans. The acidity levels help break down flesh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Basically, our physiology is way
different than a carnivore’s. What makes us think we can eat the flesh of other
animals without backlash? Truth is we are getting some serious back lash from
it. Heart disease, diabetes, cancers, strokes, clogged arteries, Kidney disease
and the list goes on and on. These are all risks of a diet so high in animal
protein and byproducts. And don’t even get me started on milk! At what age do
mothers stop breastfeeding their child? 5 months? A year? It can vary, but it’s
abnormal and downright weird to see a child older than 4 breastfeeding. That’s
because we no longer need that nutrition anymore. We stop producing the enzyme
Lactate to break down lactose. It’s estimated that 75% of the population is
lactose intolerant. Isn’t it a bit weird that we stop drinking our mother’s
milk, but continue to drink milk from another animal…? Is that just me? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It didn’t take much convincing for
me to get on board the vegan train. I was 100% vegan for a month and had
finally taken off some weight again. However, I was still feeling bogged down. That’s
when I found the 28 Day Fast Metabolism Diet. This diet is supposed to heal
your metabolism, adrenal glands and thyroid. It’s no different than how I was
eating before. It’s simply whole foods. The only difference is that I have to
eat certain foods on certain days at specific times. Crazy enough, I’m just
starting my last week of this diet and I’ve dropped 18 pounds. Everything that
I gained back and more. I feel like 75% better and am looking forward to
getting back on the Vegan lifestyle as soon as this diet is over and I can go
eat some sushi. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I guess the whole point of this
post was to show that setbacks happen. For me, it was my hormones that screwed
me over. I’m hoping that this year I can heal my mind and my body through a
healthy lifestyle and meditation so that when winter comes, the depression
doesn’t come with it. I truly believe that a Vegan lifestyle is the way human
beings were supposed to eat. We are supposed to eat whole foods that come from
the earth and are given to us to nourish and heal our bodies. Your body is your
temple. Treat it with respect. The more I research, the more I learn. Nutrition
is my passion and I will continue to go through life trying to find the ideal
diet. I may have just found it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lu0FU-hvXfM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/SGjHjdEY0vA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I know I have a lot of readers from
Pendleton. Since I grew up in Pendleton, I turned my nose up at any animal
rights bullshit. Who cares if cows are slaughtered? I get a nice juicy steak
and that’s all I care about! Trust me, I had that exact mindset. I know all you
Pendletonians will give me hell for my change of lifestyle. Go ahead; call me a
hippy or a hipster or whatever. Just take a look at this before you judge me
for my choices. Maybe the next time you bite into a steak or hot dog, you’ll
think twice.</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627087996894604375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205933580199787853.post-30102905811216466152014-02-23T16:01:00.001-08:002014-02-23T16:01:58.010-08:00Winter Favorites<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve had a ton of requests to post some of the recipes I’ve
been posting on my Instagram (If you have an Instagram and don’t follow me,
Fromfattytofit, go follow me and take a look at my journey!). These are just a few
of my favorites, however; my diet doesn’t vary much. It’s not because I don’t
have options, but because these are the foods that my body can digest without
any problems. I’ve recently made some changes in my diet and fitness routine. That post will be up shortly. It’s a bit of a shocker. Anyway,
back on track! Here we go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1) Vegan Quinoa Chili:</b> This shiz is
the bomb. Ton of flavor and a crap load of protein. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">½ quinoa, rinsed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1c water<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1tbs olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 small onion, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3 garlic cloves, minced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 jalapeno pepper, diced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 large carrot, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 celery stalks, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 green bell pepper, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 red bell pepper, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 medium zucchini, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 (15oz) cans of black beans<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 (15oz) can of red kidney beans<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3 (15oz) cans of diced tomatoes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 (15oz) can of tomato sauce<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3tbs chilli powder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1tbs cumin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Salt and pepper to taste<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Directions:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1) In medium sauce pan,
combine quinoa and water. Cook over medium head until water is absorbed. Set
aside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2)In large pot, heat olive oil over
high heat. Ass onion and cook until tender. Stir in garlic, jalapeno, carrot,
celery, peppers and zucchini. Cook until vegetables are tender.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3)Add black beans, tomatos, and
sauce. Stir in the cook quinoa. Season with chili powder and cumin. Let simmer
for about 30 minutes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4)You can top this with whatever
your heart desires. If you eat diary, top it with cheese and sour cream. If you’re
like me and can’t tolerate dairy, top yours with some avocado, and crushed up
tortilla chips. YUM.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2) Vegetable sauté:</b> This is my go
to lunch. Easy, fast and soooo good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients: (This is what I use,
but you can mix it up)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 yellow bell pepper, sliced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 red bell pepper, sliced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">¼ onion, sliced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5 mushrooms, sliced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3 zucchinis, diced in quarters<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 jalapeno pepper<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 garlic clove<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1tbs olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Directions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1)Heat olive oil in a large pan on
high heat. Add garlic and let cook for a minute or so. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2)Throw in all your vegetables and
cook until almost done (usually about 5-6 mintues)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3)Add whatever seasoning you like.
I usually add a bit of paprika, a large amount of chili powder, salt, pepper and some cumin. I don’t measure out
seasonings. I just add them in until it smells good. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I will sometimes heat up some
black beans and put this over a bed of rice or I eat it as is. (Most of the
time I eat all this in one sitting)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8Pvx8XRwRMy-c19pZbKHT7duL4IlLyB9TmmYVoXn65u4uANP4s84AyVLcdCfySy8RZo6xMa3OalS2YD1RDSWy5pc-NSuTZ3eI8Zu3nsc89pnGEvGop-I1q71snVvvZSp-PFfqeAAo_Sf/s1600/20140221_122441.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8Pvx8XRwRMy-c19pZbKHT7duL4IlLyB9TmmYVoXn65u4uANP4s84AyVLcdCfySy8RZo6xMa3OalS2YD1RDSWy5pc-NSuTZ3eI8Zu3nsc89pnGEvGop-I1q71snVvvZSp-PFfqeAAo_Sf/s1600/20140221_122441.jpeg" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3) <b>Banana Chia Oatmeal</b>: I make
this a head of time. It can be eaten hot or cold. This taste like freakin
banana bread. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3/4c steal cut oat ground into
flour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2tbs chia seeds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 ripe banana, mashed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2-3c almond milk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 tbs pure maple syrup<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cinnamon to taste<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1tsp vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Nutmeg to taste<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1tbs walnuts, optional<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2tbs raisins, Optional<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Directions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1)In a high speed blender, grind
steel cut oats and chia seeds until a powder forms. Remove and place into a
medium sized pot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2)Stir in 2c of almond milk and
increase heat to low-medium. Stir in the
mashed banana and 1tbs of maple syrup. Heat for 4-5 minutes, adding milk for
desired consistency (I like mine really thick). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3)Remove from heat and stir in your
cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Top with 1tbs maple syrup , walnuts and raisins. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>4) Chia pudding</b>: This stuff is so
amazing. You’ll find me over the kitchen sink eating this out of the jar…
Sometimes I have manners and put it in a bowl first, but not very often. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2c Native Forest coconut milk
(This shit is hard to find. The only place I’ve been able to find this brand is
at New Seasons. If you’re reading this from Pendleton, you’re SOL. Any coconut
milk will do)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/3c chia seeds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/2tbs pure maple syrup<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cinnamon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Directions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1)Put coconut milk, chia seeds,
maple syrup and cinnamon into a jar and shake it up. I add a liberal amount of
cinnamon to mine because I’m obsessed with it at the moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1)Put in the fridge overnight. Top
with your favorite fruit. I think mango compliments the texture and flavor
nicely. I eat this for breakfast, a snack or dessert. It’s THAT good. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrStnypD8fISTN17YLnYZVnphOX1A3sA3DiQe_fEftFkbi_5xNL_qmT2-QOpJQ8vFFeco3NRqYGkZBU_7fV0kBnsXBAwhe4cLYsp8jeFG0fz_8HBq3qI0x-66nJpGVOMuwcJsCRSyUlyC/s1600/IMG_20140205_091600.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrStnypD8fISTN17YLnYZVnphOX1A3sA3DiQe_fEftFkbi_5xNL_qmT2-QOpJQ8vFFeco3NRqYGkZBU_7fV0kBnsXBAwhe4cLYsp8jeFG0fz_8HBq3qI0x-66nJpGVOMuwcJsCRSyUlyC/s1600/IMG_20140205_091600.jpeg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is only a few of my favorites. If I put all of them, this post would be a million miles long. Hope you enjoy!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627087996894604375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205933580199787853.post-84254430566283276972013-12-31T14:27:00.001-08:002013-12-31T14:27:28.473-08:00The Woman I Want To Be<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmrEY0gJNSjzeep0aX49YZBorc_TaP40u_10OhPT5skRQiBFvsTg4d3EdCBjOfY25_mVtVc6D0RSvPFeP6mFpq0w-P39H7ZlXQrc8Su1Ar0xLZHmtOa3m6pOB369sOM2-CU8VoDkmqNeA/s1600/IMG_0430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmrEY0gJNSjzeep0aX49YZBorc_TaP40u_10OhPT5skRQiBFvsTg4d3EdCBjOfY25_mVtVc6D0RSvPFeP6mFpq0w-P39H7ZlXQrc8Su1Ar0xLZHmtOa3m6pOB369sOM2-CU8VoDkmqNeA/s320/IMG_0430.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like every other year, this year
was full of ups and downs. But for the first time in a very long time, I have
to say that this year had more happiness than ever. In the midst of trying to
figure out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, the blood sweat and
tears, the stress of school and work, the worries of money, financial aid,
grades and my future, I learned a lot of life lessons. One of those lessons was
to be happy with the life I’m living. I learned to stop searching for happiness
and just find comfort and happiness in the things that I have in the now. I
learned to not take any shit from anyone. If there is someone who makes you
feel less than you truly are, ditch them. Only associate yourself with people
who add positivity to your life. I learned to deal with stubborn, rude and
inconsiderate people. I learned who my true friends are. I learned that my crazy,
stubborn and loud family is the most important thing in the world to me. I
learned that school isn’t about grades; it’s about expanding your knowledge and
learning. I learned that some men just aren’t worth the pain and tears. I
learned that if you park in the PCC parking lot, your car doors will be dinged
and scratched to all hell. I learned to never leave my car doors unlocked or my
windows down (learned that one the hard way). I learned that I can be strong
when I have to be. I learned that I really, really like to take care of people.
I learned how to take care and heal myself through health and fitness. I’m so
amazed at how far I’ve come in my wellness journey and I’ve reached goals and
broke through barriers I never thought possible. And most importantly, I learned that who I’ve
wanted to be turned out to be exactly who I am today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For the longest time, I was
searching for the true me. It was an endless cycle of feeling lost and
confused. I didn’t know where I belonged and I sure as hell had no clue who I
wanted to be. But then I looked around at the people surrounding me and I knew
exactly who I wanted to be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Mom</b>: I want to be someone who is
totally selfless. I want to be someone who can forgive. I want to be someone
who loves unconditionally and who would give up everything for the people she
loves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Dad:</b> I want to be someone who is
strong. I want to be someone who works their ass off to support their family. I
want to be someone who supports the one’s they love 100%.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Jess:</b> I want to be someone who is
content with simplicity. I want to be someone who can just go with the flow. I
want to be someone who isn’t afraid to follow their dreams.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Shane</b>: I want to be someone who
loves everyone. I want to be someone who has an open mind. I want to be someone
who is caring and compassionate. I want to be someone who can face their fears
head on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My whole life, I just wanted to be
a good person. I wanted to be honest, caring, strong, smart, selfless and light
hearted. Over this past year, I stopped wanting to be that person and actually
became her. I love who I am. I love who I’ve become. All the challenges I’ve
faced this year have turned me into the woman I am today. I still have a lot of
life lessons to learn and I’m sure I have many challenges coming my way but I
know how to face them now and I’m no longer afraid. I think one of the greatest
challenges I’ve faced this year was learning to love myself. Once I learned to
love myself, it was like the gates of happiness opened up. I used to hate
compliments because I didn’t believe them. I used to never call myself
beautiful. I would look at myself and criticize everything about me. One day, I
got fed up of the negativity and depression and looked in the mirror and said
“you are beautiful.” And not in the “oh my god, I’m so hot” kind of way. I
believed I was beautiful on the inside and to me, that’s all that matters. I’ve
worked in a nursing home long enough to know that outward beauty doesn’t last
long, but inner beauty shines through. It’s so powerful that those old,
wrinkly, gray haired men and women are absolutely beautiful to me. I know who I
am now, I know where I’m going and I know exactly where I want to be and to me,
that’s the most beautiful thing in the world. I’m so excited about this New
Year and I can’t wait to see how far I can push myself with my fitness and new found
self-love. I hope everyone has a safe and Happy New year! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>2013 Highlights:</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoo-lwmCvhKS4gwe7oCHSIbAQdZiFMlX-ACmPJqtkmbCbyKwHgKaoykCtWO75ZzBGhAqsvYo18ZWrJ4YLrrZ3NcawlSK12S6GA85rIVGPAxUaWA8NVG5mxs4SZHZAON3w70lIpL_hLkNLo/s1600/130506-185901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoo-lwmCvhKS4gwe7oCHSIbAQdZiFMlX-ACmPJqtkmbCbyKwHgKaoykCtWO75ZzBGhAqsvYo18ZWrJ4YLrrZ3NcawlSK12S6GA85rIVGPAxUaWA8NVG5mxs4SZHZAON3w70lIpL_hLkNLo/s320/130506-185901.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627087996894604375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205933580199787853.post-16018866983373880282013-11-17T10:48:00.000-08:002013-11-17T10:53:05.543-08:00Falling off the Wagon<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8hfAHuhduAGa0uhFshTSbuyWz3MmiaSM7Y7PsmSgGnOrxZBBzxJeXdMhFcwbTfavVma1pk3A9Z1fqyd47CerWtSpFQzjye6XG-BGVjJVGxbQ9UfBb96nwhCCRzX0ndI-fqPrMDU6aLKt/s1600/5ed816152c6cf5ff00a16b7ef937af6b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8hfAHuhduAGa0uhFshTSbuyWz3MmiaSM7Y7PsmSgGnOrxZBBzxJeXdMhFcwbTfavVma1pk3A9Z1fqyd47CerWtSpFQzjye6XG-BGVjJVGxbQ9UfBb96nwhCCRzX0ndI-fqPrMDU6aLKt/s320/5ed816152c6cf5ff00a16b7ef937af6b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Weight loss is a serious struggle.
The people who are going through their weight loss journey's have had their tough
times, their setbacks and their moments of wanting to throw in the towel and
give up. We've all been there, especially me. Especially within the past 3
weeks. Actually, it’s been more within the past 2 months. I've had a really
hard time staying on track. In the past three weeks, I've probably only hit the
gym five times, which is bad for me. I wouldn't fret it normally, but when my
eating is not where it’s supposed to be, my gym time is even more crucial. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In my nutrition class, my professor
approached me about my Paleo lifestyle. She told me that she was extremely
worried about me and that Paleo is not a safe way to live. I was told that I
needed to be eating whole grains and whole wheat along with legumes and all the
foods I've banned from my diet. She told me that I would have some major health
problems in the future if I didn’t start eating more carbs. At that point, I
was pretty freaked out. So I did what I knew I shouldn’t do. I started eating
wheat again. And beans and starches and all the foods that I KNOW make me feel
like complete and utter shit. What happened in the following two weeks was downright
scary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the back of my mind, I was
actually happy I got to eat bread again. It’s something I haven’t allowed
myself to eat in a very long time. The first week was fine. I was eating whole
wheat pasta, whole grain bread, oatmeal and pancakes again! I was so excited. I
actually lost a few pounds (probably because I was counting calories). It
started off slow. It was getting harder for me to fall asleep at night, I would
hit a major wall around 3 o’clock every day, I was hungry all the time and I
felt bloated all day. I just ignored it because I was still eating healthy,
right? I was eating all the things the food pyramid told me was okay to eat.
The next week, my acne came back full blown. I had gotten used to basking in
the glory of have baby smooth skin again. I loved my skin for once in my life
and BAM, all of a sudden I had multiple Mt. Everest’s on my forehead. Next
thing I knew, I couldn’t wake up early anymore. I felt like I could sleep all
day and my face blew up like a balloon. My body is so inflamed I’m almost
unrecognizable. I’ve gained probably five pounds and my depression has come
back full swing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A few days ago, I had an
appointment with my naturopath who was not very happy with me in my change of
diet. I’ve come so far since seeing her and I basically threw it all away in a
matter of weeks. She asked me something that blew me away and I’ve never
thought about before. What do they feed cows to fatten them up before slaughtering
them? Grains and corn. They feed these animals grains to make them fat! Hello?!
Why the hell am I eating them? I knew better but I let one person change my
mind about the lifestyle I know is good for me. So the past two days I’ve been
strictly Paleo again and let me tell you, my acne is nearly gone when just two
days ago it was like I was back in middle school again during puberty. I was
able to wake up this morning feeling energized again. I ate a good breakfast
four hours ago and I’m not hungry yet. I’m not fatigued anymore and my face is
already deflating. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I learned my lesson from this.
Grains and wheat are evil. Period. The end. I will never go back to eating that
stuff again. No matter what anyone says. I eat the food that makes me feel good
and that’s all there is to it. Getting back into the swing of things is tough.
Every one falls off the wagon more than once in their journey. I’ve come up
with a few things that will help you get back on track if this happens to you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Simplicity</b>- Sometimes going back to
simple foods is the best way to get back on track. I love making elaborate foods
with tons of flavor, but I also love a chicken breast with veggies on the side
for dinner. Go back to simple, light foods for a while.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Get new workout clothes</b>- For me,
this is the biggest motivator. Go buy some new nikes or new work out pants. It
will make you excited to rock your new hot oufits to the gym. TJ-Maxx, Nordstrom
Rack as well as Marshalls has some great name brand workout gear for extremely cheap.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>New Music</b>- Fill your ipod with new
workout music. Sometimes a good song is all it takes to get you through the last
5 minutes of your run and studies have shown that a good song can make you work
out harder. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Try new things</b>- I used to be so
uncomfortable in the gym. I would always stick to the machines I know. When I
started branching out and lifting, I started loving to work out again. Change
it up in the gym. Make your workouts fun. I’ve been doing different work out
videos that kill my ass and thighs but they’re fun and different and I can
always try a different video the next day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Try new foods</b>- We tend to get stuck
in eating the same things every day. That gets boring. Start experimenting with
new foods. I usually eat 2 eggs with an apple and almond butter every single
morning. This morning I changed it up. I had a Paleo blueberry muffin in a mug.
It was delicious and it kept me full. I’m excited to change up my lunch today! When
you start getting tired of your foods, it makes it easier to start cheating (I’m
a perfect example of that). Change it up. Have fun with foods. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Start today-</b> After you have a setback,
it’s so easy to keep eating the way you shouldn’t be. Don’t wait until
tomorrow, start right now. There’s no reason to start up again tomorrow, or
Monday or even next week. Get back on track now. Trust me, you’ll be much
happier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Stay Positive</b>- Positive thoughts
are everything in weight loss. Start thinking negatively and your negative
thoughts will consume you. Self-efficacy: “I think I can”. Have a strong
self-efficacy. Be the little engine that could! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZcofA6T9fB0a9rshbxEIlBj8bD45cU6RBE47-R7OOzhFtUU2tVRfnCKzPdHO9jKzYPQw7k-IzXdIBZ5E44ngQHWEPq4VizbLu4i1YnfvBPdVuLaKPgx5_yaYDNOPuXvLPD5lHdENnyds/s1600/4d23bcd2e3d8f0334c0162148305e449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZcofA6T9fB0a9rshbxEIlBj8bD45cU6RBE47-R7OOzhFtUU2tVRfnCKzPdHO9jKzYPQw7k-IzXdIBZ5E44ngQHWEPq4VizbLu4i1YnfvBPdVuLaKPgx5_yaYDNOPuXvLPD5lHdENnyds/s1600/4d23bcd2e3d8f0334c0162148305e449.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I hope this will help
you if you’ve had a major setback like me. I lost sight of why I was Paleo and
just started focusing on my weight. That’s where my downfall started. My health
is so much more important to me than my looks. I choose to be Paleo and I
choose to be happy and healthy. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627087996894604375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205933580199787853.post-11770119262885169642013-10-09T20:11:00.001-07:002013-10-09T20:13:39.969-07:00A Positive Twist To A Shitty Situation <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This post isn't going to be about
health and fitness, necessarily, but about the changes I've recently made in my
life to become a happy more positive person. I don’t let very many people get
to know me very well, so for those of you who don’t really know who the real
Justine is, fasten your seat belts because you’re about to learn a lot about
this chick. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I've spent the past 2-3 years absolutely miserable, hating myself, blaming myself, blaming other people,
pushing people away and just not being a very pleasant person to be around. The
last time I remember being genuinely happy was in 5<sup>th</sup> grade. What
kid isn’t happy in 5<sup>th</sup> grade, though? But even still, I’ve had self-esteem
issues for as long as I can remember. Staring in the mirror in 4<sup>th</sup>
grade wondering why I had a roll of fat around my tummy when my other friends didn’t.
Going through middle school and losing all my friends. Getting rejected by my
first crush because I wasn’t skinny and pretty enough (his words, exactly. What a dirt bag). Losing my best friend
because I wasn’t cool enough to hang out with anymore. Sitting at the middle
school dances during a slow song and wondering why no boy asked me to dance.
Then hitting high school and discovering the oh-so-wonderful acne. I started
comparing myself to other girls. If it wasn’t for some of my amazing guy
friends, I probably wouldn’t have been asked to a single high school dance.
After graduating high school and going through the rejections of guys that I
liked, thinking that they didn’t want me because I was fat and ugly. In truth,
the reason they rejected me was because I was a crazy bitch who hated myself so much it made it impossible for anyone to love me. All this stuff sounds so
petty and small compared to life now, but through all of that, it’s left a few
scars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Someone once told me that this picture explains my life in a nutshell. There I am, standing in the sunshine smiling and pretending everything is okay and happy go lucky, but in the back ground is dark and stormy. The truth of what I was really feeling at the time. Looking back on this picture blows my mind. My life in a nutshell. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnHP3SCKcMhDnMHJkM7d_NNv_z-sK_W4XNpIsEtnuZMO8Sqfhuojc63gHsQlXDxiTH9T3Uf2vOMXWc7fdey4NwH1TQRsfYIeX3QhFzh9iJKeuYK7UKZuYhgxRbET0QZyBsBapWdtfz4vF/s1600/and+she+will+be+free+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnHP3SCKcMhDnMHJkM7d_NNv_z-sK_W4XNpIsEtnuZMO8Sqfhuojc63gHsQlXDxiTH9T3Uf2vOMXWc7fdey4NwH1TQRsfYIeX3QhFzh9iJKeuYK7UKZuYhgxRbET0QZyBsBapWdtfz4vF/s320/and+she+will+be+free+2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A lot of my depression comes from
my self-hatred. Another part comes from my intestinal tract issues. Fun fact:
80% of your serotonin (I like to call it the happy hormone) signal comes from
your GI Tract. Well guess what? Mine doesn’t function properly. No happy hormone for Justine. I get my happy
hormone from something else called alcohol (just kidding, mom). But in all
seriousness, this has had a pretty big impact on my happiness, but I’m
currently getting all that junk figured out by drinking god awful dirt tasting
tea that my naturopath prescribed to me and getting poked by needles. Stupid Portland hippie doctors. All of these
things have built up to make me pretty damn miserable. I never think I’m enough
for anyone and I’m extremely hard on myself. I’ve always had a hard time
finding the positives in my life. So I’ve come up with a few things that I
think are extremely shitty, and I’ve put a positive twist to them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>My Job</b>: I do a lot of work for a
little pay. I don’t think I’ve come home without some sort of feces or bodily
fluid on my shirt. Postive Twist: I have a steady pay check and I’ve gotten so
much experience from this job. I love every single one of my residents like
they were my own family. I now have 31 grandma’s and grandpa’s and that’s a
pretty cool thing. Also, if I didn’t wind up in Memory Care, I don’t think I
ever would have figured out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I’ve
found the only thing I’m really good at. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Homework</b>: The cause of all evils.
It does nothing but cause stress. Positive twist: It’s my choice to do this.
This is my future and I WANT it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Bitches</b>:
No one likes girls like this. Just mean hearted with no regards to other people's feelings. I've recently had an experience with a girl who
pretended to be my friend, then turned around and stabbed me in the back over a
guy. Is there really a positive to this situation? Yes. Positive twist: I got a
damn good laugh at how stupid she made herself look. I let karma take control on that one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Gas money</b>: Literally takes every penny
I’ve got to get around in this city. Positive Twist: At least I have a car.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Heartbreaks and rejections:</b> Let’s
face it, no one enjoys heartbreaks and sometimes it really is hard to find a
positive twist, but I have found one. Positive Twist: I’ve learned so much from
every single heartbreak and rejection. Because of this, I’m a totally different
person than who I was a few years ago. Thank god. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>The rain</b>: I hate rain. So much.
Positive Twist: It makes Portland damn Beautiful in the Spring and Summer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Doughnuts</b>: The fat girl inside me
really misses these. Positive Twist: I’ve lost so much weight without them! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>My body</b>: I have some self-esteem
issues. Positive twist: I’m working at it every day and making progress loving what I see every day!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">These are just a few things that I’ve
made more positive in my life. I recently got a tattoo. I’ve been wanting this
tattoo for a long time but recently decided to get it because I’m finally
living by it. I’ve been a prisoner to my own mind, trapped by the negativity
and darkness for so long. I’ve been trapped by my past, I’ve been trapped by
what society says I should be doing with my life, I’ve been trapped by my own
self-hatred but I’m finally setting myself free. I will live my life the way I
want to. I want to go places and see things. I want to do things that I’ve
never done and start checking things off my bucket list. I want to discover. I want to
have adventures! I want to live my life to the fullest. The thought of
graduating college, getting a job, going to work, meeting a guy, marrying the guy,
having kids, working my ass off to barely
make ends meet, getting old and dying just doesn’t appeal to me. Who knows if
I’ll ever really settle down? I’m 20 years old and I’m going to make the most
of what I have and let life take me wherever it wants to. No matter where I end
up, I just want to be happy. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Q9vKBQt0ULZHVdjhmrZcS2i7Rk79Ep-rjUcw7vgaL7b-4SC4-juFXfzTvXi-ITt0MF9DXqZTRABaOOMTkn6WzZ6bPQnY2L9lt5ZtwhAIZgOCgbXNamAoJ2oO69epERf55ATCieMFfQkA/s1600/and+she+will+be+free.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Q9vKBQt0ULZHVdjhmrZcS2i7Rk79Ep-rjUcw7vgaL7b-4SC4-juFXfzTvXi-ITt0MF9DXqZTRABaOOMTkn6WzZ6bPQnY2L9lt5ZtwhAIZgOCgbXNamAoJ2oO69epERf55ATCieMFfQkA/s400/and+she+will+be+free.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627087996894604375noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205933580199787853.post-77523348809059246222013-09-28T16:48:00.001-07:002014-02-23T15:07:20.695-08:00Fall Fever... Gone Primal<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white;"> Guess what ya'll?! It's Fall! My absolute favorite time of year. Cool weather, sweaters, boots, scarves, pumpkin flavored everything, warm fires, candles and my personal favorite, THANKSGIVING! The only day I allow myself to eat until I'm going to burst. So, with that said, being Primal always meant that I couldn't enjoy the delicious flavors of Fall... Until this year. I've been Primal for over a year now and I never knew how much fun I could still have with Fall foods. Here are a few of my favorite Fall recipes that I've been playing with a little bit. I'm definitely not disappointed with the outcome! </span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">1) <b>Pumpkin Spice Latte</b>. These were my Achilles Heel last Fall. I drank probably one a day for a month straight. And just so you know, if you're guilty of the Starbucks Fall Fever like I am, let me give you the nutritional facts of a Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Calories: 310</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Fat: 6g</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Cholesterol: 25mg</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Sodium: 210mg</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Carbohydrates: 49g (!!!)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Sugars (are you ready for this one?): 47g (Woah!!)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Yeah... last year at the end of Fall, I looked up the nutritional value of one of these babies and nearly cried. No wonder I totally plateaued! Anyway, here is the Primal/Paleo version (remember, this does not taste exactly like the Starbucks version. It has a very coconutty taste to it!) :</span></div>
<div>
<div class="ERSIngredientsHeader ERSHeading" style="border: 0px; clear: both; margin: 0px 0px 5px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Ingredients</span></b></div>
<div class="ERSIngredientsHeader ERSHeading" style="border: 0px; clear: both; margin: 0px 0px 5px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Serves 2</span></b></div>
<ul style="border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">1 cup unsweetened coconut milk</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">I cup strong, brewed coffee</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">⅓ cup organic pumpkin puree</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">6-8 tablespoons coconut sugar</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">pinch of salt</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">cinnamon, to taste</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">nutmeg, to taste</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Optional: whipped coconut cream, for garnish</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="ERSInstructionsHeader ERSHeading" style="border: 0px; clear: both; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 5px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Instructions</span></div>
<ol style="border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">For the unsweetened coconut milk, scoop the solids off of the top of the can before measuring out a cup of the remaining liquid. Use the solids to whip with a little extra coconut sugar for the topping, if desired.</span></li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">In a blender, combine the cup of coconut milk with the coffee, pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings, as needed.</span></li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; line-height: inherit; list-style: decimal outside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> Pour half of the mixture into each glass. Garnish with whipped coconut cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired. Serve immediately.</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Nutritional Information:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Calories: 276</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Fat: 28.6g (remember, fat is your friend)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Cholesterol: 0g</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Sodium: 18mg</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Carbohydrates: 6g (much better!)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Sugars: 4g (whoo! Much, much better!)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">2) <b>Slow Cooker Quinoa Chicken </b><b>Chili</b>. This is not necessarily a Primal dish, but I modified the recipe to be Primal-ish. I omitted the corn and halfed the beans and added two more chicken breast to make it thicker because of the lack of ingredients. Here is the perfect Fall dinner:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Ingredients:</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">1 Cup Quinoa</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">One (1) 28 oz can of diced tomatoes (you could use crushed)</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">One (1) 14 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">Two (2) 16 oz cans of black beans, rinsed, drained</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">One (1) 15 oz can of corn, drained</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">3 Cups chicken stock</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">2 large chicken breasts, frozen or thawed (cook longer if frozen)</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">1 tsp garlic powder</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">2 tsp cumin</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">1 tsp crushed red pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">2 tsp chili powder</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Instructions:</span></b></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">1.) Toss everything into slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 4-7 hours on high. I added frozen chicken breasts to mine and cooked on high for about six hours. As long as the chicken is cooked – it’s done!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">2.) Remove chicken and shred it with two forks. Return to slow cooker.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">3.) Top with cheese, sour cream, avocados – whatever sounds good to you!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">3)</span><span style="line-height: 23px;"> Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread... Yeah, don't pass this one up!! So. Freakin. Good. It even passed the taste test of my non -Primal and extremely picky when it comes to healthy food, father. </span></span></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 15pt 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">·</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1 1/2 cups of almond flour</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">·</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3/4 cup of canned pumpkin ( </span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">not</span></b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> pie filling
)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">·</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3 eggs, whisked</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">·</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1/4 cup raw honey</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">·</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1 tsp baking powder</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">·</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1 tsp baking soda</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">·</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1 tbs cinnamon</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">·</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">·</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1 tsp of vanilla</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">·</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3 tbs of coconut oil, melted</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">·</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup of semisweet dark chocolate mini-chips (I use
the Enjoy Life brand). You can also add nuts as a substitute, or this bread is
awesome without anything!</span></span></li>
</ul>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Instructions<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6pt 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">1.
<!--[endif]-->First combine all the dry ingredients together in a medium-sized
bowl<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6pt 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">2.
<!--[endif]-->Next, in a small bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6pt 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">3.
<!--[endif]-->Now pour the wet ingredients into the larger dry ingredients
bowl and stir until combined<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6pt 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">4.
<!--[endif]-->Fold in chocolate chips or nuts (OPTIONAL)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6pt 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">5.
<!--[endif]-->Preheat oven to 350 degrees F<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6pt 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">6.
<!--[endif]-->Grease a bread pan of your choice (I made mine in an 8″ pan) and
pour in the mix<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6pt 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">7.
<!--[endif]-->Bake at 350-degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes. Check doneness by
inserting a toothpick…if it comes out clean, the bread’s done<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6pt 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">8.
<!--[endif]-->Cool, slice, serve and enjoy!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6pt 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6pt 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">4) <b>Grain Free Cinnamon Muffins. </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6pt 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6pt 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">For Muffin:</span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
</span><br />
<ul style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">
<li><span style="font-style: inherit;">2.5 cups almond flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-style: inherit;">1/4 tsp salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-style: inherit;">1/2 tsp baking soda</span></li>
<li><span style="font-style: inherit;">1 tsp cinnamon</span></li>
<li><span style="font-style: inherit;">2 tbsp applesauce, unsweetened</span></li>
<li><span style="font-style: inherit;">2 tbsp pastured butter</span></li>
<li><span style="font-style: inherit;">3 tbsp honey</span></li>
<li><span style="font-style: inherit;">2 eggs (not pictured)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-style: inherit;">1/4 cup raisins, optionl </span></li>
</span></ul>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: 23px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">For Frosting:</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<ul style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">
<li><span style="font-style: inherit;">1 tbsp milk or cream</span></li>
<li><span style="font-style: inherit;">2 tbsp tapioca flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-style: inherit;">1 tsp maple syrup</span></li>
<li><span style="font-style: inherit;">1/2 tsp cinnamon </span></li>
</span></ul>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">
<span style="line-height: 23px;">1) For the muffins, mix flour, salt, soda, and cinnamon in a bowl. In a mixing bowl, mix the applesauce, butter, honey, and eggs. </span><span style="line-height: 23px;">Incorporate the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. </span><span style="line-height: 23px;">You can stir in raisins at this point or divide the batter and stir some raisins in half the batter. Pour into paper muffin cups in muffin tin. Makes 10 regular size muffins (not Costco size!).</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">2) </span><span style="line-height: 23px;">Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Meanwhile, stir the cream and tapioca flour together until blended. Then stir in maple syrup and cinnamon. Frosting will be runny.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">3) </span><span style="line-height: 23px;">Once muffins are done, let cool for about 10 minutes. Then take a toothpick and poke holes into the muffin top. Spoon a bit of frosting onto the muffins and let it soak in through the holes.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">5) <b>Primal Walnut Pie Crust Pumpkin Pie!!!</b> (this recipe is from MarksDailyApple.com)</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Ingredients For Crust:</span></strong></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="line-height: 13px;"></span></span>
</span><br />
<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; line-height: 1.6; list-style-position: outside; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">2 1/2 cups walnuts</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">1/4 teaspoon kosher salt</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">2 tablespoons butter, melted</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Instructions:</span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">1)Blend walnuts, baking
soda and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter and pulse
until butter is mixed in. 2) Scrape the batter into a 9-inch tart pan. You can use a rubber
spatula to smooth the batter over the bottom and up the sides, but ultimately
your fingers will be the best tool. Take your time smoothing and patting the
batter out evenly. It’s better to spread the batter thinner across the bottom
of the pan and thicker around the edges of the crust. 3) Place the pie on a
cookie sheet (helps to keep the bottom from burning) and bake for 15 minutes at
350 degrees Fahrenheit. 4)Remove the crust from
the oven and pour your filling of choice inside. Bake again until filling is
done.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>Pumpkin Filling:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>Ingredients:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">·
<!--[endif]-->One 15-ounce can of pumpkin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">·
<!--[endif]-->1 cup canned coconut milk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">·
<!--[endif]-->1 teaspoon vanilla extract<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">·
<!--[endif]-->1/4 teaspoon ground cloves<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">·
<!--[endif]-->1/2 teaspoon cinnamon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">·
<!--[endif]-->1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">·
<!--[endif]-->1/4 teaspoon ground ginger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">·
<!--[endif]-->1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">·
<!--[endif]-->pinch of sea salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">·
<!--[endif]-->3 tablespoons maple syrup<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">·
<!--[endif]-->1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (found the spice section of grocery
stores)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">·
<!--[endif]-->3 eggs, whisked<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<b style="line-height: 18pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Instructions:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1) Mix together all ingredients. Pour into the
pre-baked crust. Don’t overfill the crust – you might have a little batter
leftover. 2) <span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">Bake for 50 minutes. The center of the pie should be fairly firm and only jiggle a tiny bit if you shake the pan. Let the pie cool completely before cutting into it. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">
That's all I have for ya'll this time. I've been baking up a storm on my days off so if you guys are interested in seeing more recipes, leave a comment down below to let me know! Or if you have any suggestions on dishes you would like me to primalize, comment below! Hope you guys enjoyed this, I know I sure enjoyed eating all this deliciousness!! Happy Fall!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627087996894604375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205933580199787853.post-74627340938703351132013-09-21T14:37:00.002-07:002013-09-21T14:44:51.673-07:00What Is Primal?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First off, thank you to everyone who has given me feedback
about my first blog post! Second, I've already gotten so many questions about
my lifestyle and I’m so excited to answer them all! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The
main question I got was, what the hell is Primal?! Well, let me start off by
saying that Primal was the best thing that has happened to me. Our entire
lives, we've been programmed to believe different things about what we should or
shouldn't be putting into our bodies. It’s a constant cycle of “eat less fat!
Fat is bad!” or “eat all carbs! Carbs are good!” or “Don’t eat carbs!” Or my
least favorite, “To lose weight means you have to be hungry all the time!” No,
no, no! I want you guys to keep an open mind about what I’m about to share with
you. Everything that has been programmed into your heads about health and
fitness is all extremely flawed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Everyone
reading this right now most likely knows how it feels to be just mentally and
physically exhausted. Always feeling like you’re in an all our sprint for the
finish line, but never being able to reach it. I’ve been there. All I wanted to
do was fall on my bed and never open my eyes again, to just sleep forever. I blame one thing for this feeling. CARBS! First
off, I would like to talk about what the Primal Diet is. The idea behind this
lifestyle is to reprogram your genes to the way they are supposed to be. To the
way they were programmed in our ancestors 10,000 years ago. The things we eat
and the things we do have influence our genes immensely. Our genes have an “on
and off” switch, so to speak. We don’t have direct influence on the genes such
as eye color, skin pigment, height, hair color, ect, but we do have direct
influence on the genes such as muscle development, fat storage, inflammation
and other aspects of health and longevity. We've spent millions of years creating the
perfect set of genes. Those who were unable to adapt died out and those who
were too stupid, too slow, too lazy or had weak genetic traits were lost
forever. Throughout the years, we have weeded out the genes that are not
needed, creating the perfect human genetic recipe to survive and to be
fit. It is our given birthright to be
fit, strong, and healthy. In fact, our genes expect us to be exactly that. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> So where did the change come in?
Agriculture. Technology. Factories. A growing population made food high in
demand. So we created rice, pasta, bread, wheat ect. Around 7,000 years ago,
the Egyptians had a mostly grain based diet. They had a significantly shorter
life; they were less muscular and had lower bone density. Most of them only
lived long enough to reproduce and died around the age of 30. However,
anthropologists state that if it wasn’t for fatalities such as getting eaten by
a lion, or by getting a fatal infection, primitive man would have lived to be
up to 94 years old without medications or modern comforts! Modern research in epigenetics and
evolutionary biology confirms that we are genetically identical to our
hunter-gatherer ancestors as well as our Egyptian ancestors. With our lifestyle
choices, we have turned on the bad genes such as diabetes, cancers and other
illnesses and we have turned off the ability to rely solely on our body’s fat
storage for energy. We can still be the fit, healthy fat burning beast, but we
just have to reprogram our genes. And
I’m going to tell you how.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> It’s time to throw out your general
knowledge of nutrition. Our whole lives, it’s said that grains and wheat and
fiber is good for you! Eat lots of it! Truth is, Grains and other agricultural
foods is what are killing us. Processed carbohydrates drive excess insulin
production in our bodies, which in turn can lead to weight gain. One piece of
whole wheat bread can spike your blood sugar more than a tablespoon of table
sugar. If you don’t have excess body fat
concerns or problems, grains still cause inflammation, fatigue and burnout. The
most important concept of this diet is to set your genes back to your “factory
setting” and be a healthy, fat burning beast! With all the excess carbs and
sugars in our bodies, it signals the fat to hold onto itself since we have
another fuel source. Here’s an example. You know that feeling at the beginning
of your workout, when you’re about 10 minutes into your run and you feel like you’re
about to die? Then at about 20-30 minutes into your workout you all of a sudden
have a second wind? A burst of energy and you feel like you could run forever?
That’s your body switching from carb burning to fat burning. Your body has
burned off all the carbs and is now reaching into your fat storage for energy. So
why not have the second wind at the beginning of your workout?! Going straight
into your fat storage for energy? Makes sense huh? At least, it did to
me. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"What
Can I Eat?"</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s time to throw out your general
knowledge of nutrition. Our whole lives, it’s said that grains and wheat and
fiber is good for you! Eat lots of it! Truth is, Grains and other agricultural
foods is what are killing us. Processed carbohydrates drive excess insulin
production in our bodies, which in turn can lead to weight gain. If you don’t
have excess body fat concerns or problems, grains still cause inflammation, fatigue
and burnout. The most important concept of this diet is to set your genes back
to your “factory setting.” With all the excess carbs and sugars in our bodies,
it signals the fat to hold onto itself since we have another fuel source. It’s time to start eating primal foods like
meat, fish, fowl, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, high quality fats and moderate
consumption of high fat dairies and the sensible indulgence of dark chocolate
and red wine. You will take on the Primal Eating Philosophy, which is freedom,
no calorie counting, and no portion control. Eating to your heart’s content
with total awareness of your natural cycles of satiety and hunger. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>“That
shit’s expensive. How can I afford it?”</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have two answers. One, you feel
fuller longer from the fats and proteins you’re eating, therefore; you eat
less. Answer number two; budget, people! Buy things on sale. Use coupons. Do
what you have to do because it’s 100% worth it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<b>“How
do I keep the weight off?”</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That one’s easy. Will Power. Stay primal. You
can eat as much as you want and never gain a pound. Just stay as active as you
can and stay away from that fluffy, deliciously sinful bread. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Government Food Pyramid</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rtI7jUAbUWcAt0AIJE8CGqUmx3m3lHhjzZB3p1SaVKElujtgYKGqzB0rFvJjhDMrFA5C9K5ZiN6wD7FlfbBLZn8YeRo8QBenp_s1K22tdcjbyqbiAEZ0_lNAg2vb1Gcm3FCP-4UaslMt/s1600/fromfattytofit9.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rtI7jUAbUWcAt0AIJE8CGqUmx3m3lHhjzZB3p1SaVKElujtgYKGqzB0rFvJjhDMrFA5C9K5ZiN6wD7FlfbBLZn8YeRo8QBenp_s1K22tdcjbyqbiAEZ0_lNAg2vb1Gcm3FCP-4UaslMt/s320/fromfattytofit9.gif" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Primal Food Pyramid</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisyPcc9zdbctk3LifHEy0d78omwkTHi2Zf-fc_l6NObFExC7yT6gh1MZaVQELcfBAjEpoChU9xfvD2aqvr4mMzY8lADMtUuZWAkxFKlGhYzt4ERfCWQjyHZ03qX1zlTHqMswlWetJAYwWx/s1600/fromfattytofit8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisyPcc9zdbctk3LifHEy0d78omwkTHi2Zf-fc_l6NObFExC7yT6gh1MZaVQELcfBAjEpoChU9xfvD2aqvr4mMzY8lADMtUuZWAkxFKlGhYzt4ERfCWQjyHZ03qX1zlTHqMswlWetJAYwWx/s320/fromfattytofit8.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"> The first few weeks, you may feel even more tired and groggy, but that's your body switching from being a carb burner to being a fat burner. Sometimes it takes your body a while to adjust to the fact that it's not getting it's normal source of fuel. I know for me, every time I have a cheat meal, I feel terrible the next day. It's just not worth it. Stick by the Primal Food pyramid and you'll lose the fat as fast as if you were starving yourself. I haven't counted a single calorie since the say I turned myself into a cave woman. This lifestyle saved me, and it could be the very thing that saves you. If you are interested in it, I suggest you check out the book "21 Day Total Body Transformation" by Mark Sisson. Also, Check out the book "What Belly" by William Davis. If you don't believe me, those books have scientific proof. You can continue to eat foods like this:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZoV95jfp8KONHBTN7TIWZ0030_xup_PXF7AScjaNzp_vZu0Cej7Mt3JQDpmXLQUm1CFySe1aQMucSt5SPbIcpJbIwpSimFUuR19kVyKFSiUk9e0QyVR42eLjcke9RT7kRpAEqHaeWoDb/s1600/fromfattytofit10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZoV95jfp8KONHBTN7TIWZ0030_xup_PXF7AScjaNzp_vZu0Cej7Mt3JQDpmXLQUm1CFySe1aQMucSt5SPbIcpJbIwpSimFUuR19kVyKFSiUk9e0QyVR42eLjcke9RT7kRpAEqHaeWoDb/s320/fromfattytofit10.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And continue to feel like shit. While I eat food like this:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__pRM0psO_Mq87A9Ph0PIR8oBz1dHrfn9RNyHj1s2t3XtX7a-ogbeie_-Am24qcByoCs00khCg2-Fh8xe1D0vDkHTGeBx9DjRRhv-CJGjoAcSKr1kRVJnTKVOwdkDW8EBTYDjdqrHLEMA/s1600/fromfattytofit12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__pRM0psO_Mq87A9Ph0PIR8oBz1dHrfn9RNyHj1s2t3XtX7a-ogbeie_-Am24qcByoCs00khCg2-Fh8xe1D0vDkHTGeBx9DjRRhv-CJGjoAcSKr1kRVJnTKVOwdkDW8EBTYDjdqrHLEMA/s320/fromfattytofit12.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauFlFTkNimpfMBxidPAMudVDLix_OuqrtlomEovyq7hk5tgFSBV9MxbCImEAf3iTiGzxSSa7vlChjvlKYk6srs6R7pN4SBhcU_SbwNGUgR45gIRChKS1yduCaiMl17Zw6Z1w_0cbWfq7q/s1600/fromfattytofit13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauFlFTkNimpfMBxidPAMudVDLix_OuqrtlomEovyq7hk5tgFSBV9MxbCImEAf3iTiGzxSSa7vlChjvlKYk6srs6R7pN4SBhcU_SbwNGUgR45gIRChKS1yduCaiMl17Zw6Z1w_0cbWfq7q/s320/fromfattytofit13.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And still feel fantastic and just as satisfied! Stay Primal, my friends. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist. What works for me, may not work for you. It takes will power and dedication. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627087996894604375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205933580199787853.post-7988292853825314142013-09-09T15:27:00.000-07:002013-09-09T15:27:28.411-07:00From Fatty to Fit Everyone knows that losing weight is not an easy thing. It's an emotionally and physically exhausting process. It's not a 30 day diet and BOOM, you're skinny. It takes dedication, motivation and determination. It takes pure willpower. It takes time. And most of all, it takes the right mindset. Losing weight to be "skinny" is not the right reason to lose weight. Losing weight to be <i><u>healthy</u> </i>is the right reason to lose the pounds. For those of you who know me well, know that I have recently lost some weight. 30lbs to be exact. Now, I didn't lose this weight in a certain amount of time. I've been up and down for 3 years. But within this past year is when I truly made some changes in my life.<div>
My whole life I've been called fat. I can recall every single time that someone has said that word to me. I remember my grandpa telling me to watch what I'm eating then proceeded to say "MOOOOO." Calling me a cow was almost worse than just calling me fat. I remember staring in the mirror in 4th grade wondering why I had a fat roll around my tummy and my friends didn't. I remember wearing sweatshirts EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. because I wanted to hide my body. I remember my first crush saying he didn't like me because I was fat. I remember breaking down in tears all through high school because I was FAT. This process hasn't just been a physical change for me. I've had to change my thought process. I had to learn to love myself the way I was first. Then I started the process of changing my physical appearance. And not because I wanted to be "skinny." But because I wanted to be <b style="font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline;">FIT</b>. I wanted to know what my body could do. I wanted to know how far I could push myself. I wanted to be able to run and run and not get tired. I wanted to know what it was like to be the fit friend! I wanted to be able to walk into a room and feel confident about myself and about my body. So let me tell you how I did it.</div>
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I've always had a bit of chunk on me. I've never been really thin. But my story begins when I was 16. I had gotten up to the highest weight I've ever been. Almost 200 pounds. But I was in denial. I looked in the mirror and thought, "no, I'm not <i>that</i> fat." It wasn't until the summer going into my senior year that I really took a look at my lifestyle. I was playing tennis with my brother and his girlfriend. Everyone was having fun. But me? I was dying. I couldn't keep up and eventually I hit the sidelines watching my family and friends have fun while I sat there trying to catch my breath. I smoked, I drank, and I ate. That's about all. After the vacation, my grandma sent us pictures... And this was the first one of me.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaluy6d1Xi3dsFuyoaEwY19Ti7uqKn20s76OPGe2jYVJhVc6OLHu_l170qxvPAP_S2cxFvbg_Zmy5yYJnKVfGaWcA4FfedUexAOv4eiyvZyRARbjcu89OEDHLQ9bgc5IapG8_O4P9Uw8Z/s1600/fromfattytofit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaluy6d1Xi3dsFuyoaEwY19Ti7uqKn20s76OPGe2jYVJhVc6OLHu_l170qxvPAP_S2cxFvbg_Zmy5yYJnKVfGaWcA4FfedUexAOv4eiyvZyRARbjcu89OEDHLQ9bgc5IapG8_O4P9Uw8Z/s320/fromfattytofit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This was a major wake up call. But still, I was in denial. Long story short, my mom was the one to tell me that I needed to lose weight. I was depressed, sick and fat. Time to make changes. So I joined Weight Watchers. I liked it because I got to eat whatever I wanted. In moderation, of course. I lost 20 pounds from WW then plateaued. I started falling back into old habits and I felt hungry all the time. I gained the weight back within a few months. Looking back now, this is the time that I can pinpoint all my medical issues. I went back to being depressed, sick and fat. The summer before going off the college, I got back on track and lost the weight again. Not all of it, but a majority. Soon after I had started college, the freshman 15 found me. Expect it was closer to the freshman 25. I didn't understand it. I was eating all my healthy whole grains and I didn't think I was eating very much. But yet, I was gaining more and more weight. I was constantly fatigued. I couldn't concentrate. I felt like I was in a fog all the time. And my worst nightmare... I developed acne. Bad acne. I was so sick. After my first year of college I was fat again. I was sick. And I was falling back into extremely bad habits. Summer 2012 I started my research. I started going to doctor after doctor trying to figure out why I was fat and sick. Turns out I was hypothyroid. Hypothyroid causes the metabolism to slow down causing weight loss to be a struggle. It was also throwing my hormones out of wack. Even after all the medications, I still felt awful. That's when I found Primal. My life has been forever changed. At the beginning of 2013 is when I made a vow to never go back to my old ways. From my experience, this is what I know. My medical problems disappeared. My irritable bowel syndrome? Gone. My hormonal problems? Gone. My Acne? POOF! Gone. My fatigue? Gone. I felt amazing. My health was my priority but my weight loss was a bonus. Weight fell off almost effortlessly and I never felt hungry. I learned to listen to my body's hunger signals. Was I really hungry? Or was I just bored? My life was back on track. </div>
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So this brings me to today. 30 pounds lighter and a hell of a lot happier. Of course, I'm not where I want to be yet, but I work at it everyday. I'm always trying new things. Cleanses, fasting, new recipes, new fad meal plans. Always focusing on being better, but always eating like a cave man. Thank you, Primal!</div>
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Before</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBbvnb54rHFGV72DVIcC5UhAWKbYT7E7VQib4dHnI4BD5ImZAuos64GV0pP9dCvtvTyoxaf2tZc-k7xNECyXjpLezQSiSUGxV_Envm2fjuf1hLj2ANfcNzpu9MW6luncxxFRYdVTscqFv/s1600/fromfattytofit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBbvnb54rHFGV72DVIcC5UhAWKbYT7E7VQib4dHnI4BD5ImZAuos64GV0pP9dCvtvTyoxaf2tZc-k7xNECyXjpLezQSiSUGxV_Envm2fjuf1hLj2ANfcNzpu9MW6luncxxFRYdVTscqFv/s320/fromfattytofit2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3ugeU-b_gx_qv2z4JKFrxjugLRHoTPZ6kSWnHa7ph1pSq1rtOipZMJYmg0tn2V89ME3mWkw5xBlyG7jKx-t4JrZUWKNlvZDHuy0jb2kyzJJCvkNbYf0fX_OTiiRoEyKaXlf04E3tq-nb/s1600/fromfattytofit3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3ugeU-b_gx_qv2z4JKFrxjugLRHoTPZ6kSWnHa7ph1pSq1rtOipZMJYmg0tn2V89ME3mWkw5xBlyG7jKx-t4JrZUWKNlvZDHuy0jb2kyzJJCvkNbYf0fX_OTiiRoEyKaXlf04E3tq-nb/s320/fromfattytofit3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWWLncYHZMPYq__M3qwfR1u163G_a9f7RPao4n1WbBTsDO3MI2GArrW58woCCofSFgMkVQd-0ujYeeLf1WbPwyUOhLIun7IsrsT7xMdLrn1p8zNLzxeIrg_4w78KN5url61yx2qHbruIy/s1600/fromfattytofit4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWWLncYHZMPYq__M3qwfR1u163G_a9f7RPao4n1WbBTsDO3MI2GArrW58woCCofSFgMkVQd-0ujYeeLf1WbPwyUOhLIun7IsrsT7xMdLrn1p8zNLzxeIrg_4w78KN5url61yx2qHbruIy/s320/fromfattytofit4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsT0btV6y6ucuAOFku_4u-Zmd7emR7cDnJeE4k6NFXh7Qp0fIBntgdP14aoUHUIbZvGNHGPt2j1CZhLS7J5InKoEF1fGbeMZDQAloEAt-eXjYfaRR32WIKHcouroLW8-cs60HYQuSbV_F/s1600/fromfattytofit5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsT0btV6y6ucuAOFku_4u-Zmd7emR7cDnJeE4k6NFXh7Qp0fIBntgdP14aoUHUIbZvGNHGPt2j1CZhLS7J5InKoEF1fGbeMZDQAloEAt-eXjYfaRR32WIKHcouroLW8-cs60HYQuSbV_F/s320/fromfattytofit5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYO3FHIF4_v-EmXJWcldIViPaeZOC_6Iry4eMJTj3bLixa4yWZ7Dek7zkOzq08WWd1xBz4b7V2fBk-N26L-RsUXIual2BRbzoVZWzK7HabW-OflBQEsEFqLM5CQhn07N1_HKjke6p9ckZL/s1600/fromfattytofit6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYO3FHIF4_v-EmXJWcldIViPaeZOC_6Iry4eMJTj3bLixa4yWZ7Dek7zkOzq08WWd1xBz4b7V2fBk-N26L-RsUXIual2BRbzoVZWzK7HabW-OflBQEsEFqLM5CQhn07N1_HKjke6p9ckZL/s320/fromfattytofit6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbG1fhsN2NK1MXwMgExc-D1P-LtkQzs7fGOBW_L44CdX2O68tnN437C3iSKT0jNZgM6fgd9JtYLZw6sV3sHga8hPJm4Gkhshicsmuqv6CjIpk8ZAQajPxu5G5Q83gG220GgVDHgXUnsXlu/s1600/fromfattytofit7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbG1fhsN2NK1MXwMgExc-D1P-LtkQzs7fGOBW_L44CdX2O68tnN437C3iSKT0jNZgM6fgd9JtYLZw6sV3sHga8hPJm4Gkhshicsmuqv6CjIpk8ZAQajPxu5G5Q83gG220GgVDHgXUnsXlu/s320/fromfattytofit7.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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What I've learned about healthy lifestyles:</div>
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1) GET OFF WHEAT!!! This is so stinkin important I cannot begin to stress this. One piece of bread spikes your blood sugar more than a tablespoon of table sugar. Spike in blood sugar= weight gain (in simple terms). Stop eating wheat. Now. </div>
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2) Drink half your body weight in ounces. Water Water Water! So important in clearing out toxins and aiding in hunger satisfaction. </div>
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3) Don't overdue yourself with chronic cardio and exercise. </div>
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4) Don't beat yourself up over a missed workout</div>
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5) Eat a good meal and take a walk. Walk as often as you can. </div>
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6) Play. Go play ultimate Frisbee or go for a run with your dog. Have FUN exercising! </div>
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7) Eat your favorite meal once a week. This stops you from binging in the middle of the week. </div>
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8) Get off of starches (ie, potatoes, rice, corn) These have the same effects as wheat.</div>
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9) Lose the sugar</div>
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10) Get rid of pop, even diet.</div>
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11) If you can leave it on the shelf for a week without it getting moldy or gross, DON'T EAT IT! Remember, the longer it's shelf life, the shorter yours will be.</div>
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12) Have fun with food. Try new things. </div>
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13) RELAX! Find time in your busy schedule to relax and wind down. Increased cortisol levels leads to weight gain over time. </div>
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All in all, I will always be trying to improve myself. Always trying to be better. But weight loss is a life long commitment. Success doesn't come easy. It's full of ups and downs. I still have self esteem issues and I will probably never be 100% comfortable with myself but I'm working at it every day. My goal is to inspire people to be the best that they can be. I've made so many changes this year. Looking back a year ago, I don't even recognize myself. This has not only been a physical change for me, it's been a mental change. I'm learning how to love myself. I still struggle with my old food addiction and I sure as hell miss doughnuts, but I always have to remember that it's just NOT worth it. Happy and Healthy is my lifestyle now (:</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627087996894604375noreply@blogger.com4