A NEW Way to Exercise

I walked through the front doors at Walmart the other day & saw the new album cover for Carrie Underwood-she looks awesome(I want those legs)! So I googled what she does for exercise(I know eating right is part of it too).

When she's not with her trainer, she uses just a simple deck of cards(I found mine at the dollar store which makes them 50 cents for each deck) to make a workout fun.
I followed what she does:
Each suit is a part of the body. So when you get a "heart with a 4", you would do 4 lunges.
You can go through the whole deck or just half or whatever your body can start with.
Hearts=legs(like lunges/squats, etc. . . )
Diamonds=arms(like push ups, resistant band, etc. . .)
Spades=core(like sit ups, etc. . . .)
Clubs=cardio( like sliders/jump rope/jumping jacks)
Joker=mile run

I'm so excited to keep my body guessing(and burn up to 600 calories) plus I can't get too bored with this!

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Amazing "Fitspiration"

I found an amazing blog that I'd like to share... A woman named Jen lost over 100 pounds and looks incredible! Look at this...

I still need to lose lots of weight, and every time I try, I fail after about 2 weeks. Why can't I stay the course? Why is it so hard to eat healthy and exercise every day? Does it have to be so overwhelming?

I feel totally inspired by Jen and her weight-loss journey. I want to share her link for anyone that is struggling with their weight and/or health. Jen inspires me so much! I have also found some inspiring quotes to share with you that I found on Pinterest. I am going to print a few of them to display around my house to inspire me. Here are a few of my faves...

(I got this one off Jen's blog... love it!)

...I will share more of these another time. In the meantime, I hope this post and link brings inspiration to someone out there. I recently [re]started my weight-loss journey, and I WILL succeed this time. I need all the "fitspiration" I can get!!! Pin It

Another one to Try

I was experimenting with a couple of the Protein Bar recipes. This is one is really good!! If I don't cut them into bars I might get ALL my protein in one (9x13) pan!



Mix together:

1 (12oz.) jar almond butter
1 cup honey
4 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
1 cup chopped almonds
2 1/2 cups regular oats
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
about 1/3 cup water(just enough to make it stick together)

After all mixed together spread into a 9"x13" pan. Refrigerate overnight and cut into squares. You can get about 18-24 bars depending on how you cut it.

Store extras in the freezer. Pin It

Malt-O-Meal Muffins

Muffins are so great for Breakfast. I usually need something quick & easy for me in the mornings-especially something healthy. I took this recipe from the side of the Malt-O-Meal box & added to it. FYI: I will warn you, they are moist & filling but not very sweet.



Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour( I did 1 cup reg flour + 1/4 cup wheat flour)
3/4 cup Malt-O-Meal dry cereal
1 cup sugar(I think I will try 1/2 cup of honey next time)
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 TBL. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 medium shredded zucchinis(about 1 1/2 cup)

Directions:
Stir everything together scoop into muffin cups. Cook at 375 degrees for 15 mins.


TIP: I realized this as I grated the zucchini for this recipe. If you cut the tip off one end, you can use the "stem" end as a handle and not grade your fingers.


Since our kids don't want to eat any of these because they are "too healthy"; I put the rest in the freezer & only pull out what I need. Pin It

Protein Snacks

I feel like these last 20 lbs want to stay with me forever. [But then again I can't count how many times I've started & stopped.] I've been exercising and eating better for the past month and not too much has changed so I have had many "lightbulb" moments lately. I found out that I need more protein(helps muscles) and less carbs(for energy but too much turns into fat). I struggle with not being tempted to have dessert and its hard to just have 1 piece. These Protein Snacks are great because I get the sugar taste without the empty calories, proteins & carbs. My friend Megan(who works at a Gym) gave me this recipe. . .

No Bake Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Protein Balls

1 cup almond butter, 1/2 cup honey, 2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder(Winco,Walmart), 1 cup oats, 1/4 ground flax seeds(Winco), 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips. Mix all the ingredients together, form into (1" to 1 1/2") balls and refrigerate for 2 hours before enjoying. Yields about 22 balls.

Then I found these (I altered a bit + the no bake ones taste better than the baked ones). . .

Almond Oatmeal Protein Bars


8 oz. fat free cream cheese, 4 scoops whey powder portein(I did 2 of chocolate + 2 of vanilla), 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 cup ground flaxseed. Mix these all together with an electric mixture then add 3 cups oats & 1/2 cup almonds. Mix again. If its too think just add some water. I put this mixture in a 11"x 7" pan. Refrigerate and cut into 12 bars.

No Bake Oatmeal Protein Balls


5 Tbl. peanut butter (smooth or chunky), 3 cups oats, 6 scoops whey protein powder(I did 4 of chocolate + 2 of vanilla), 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring, 1/4 cup ground flaxseed, 1 cup non-fat dry milk, 1/4 cup water(add more if needed), 1/3 cup honey. Mix all the ingredients together and form into (1") balls. Place them on a cookie sheet & refrigerate. Yields about 35 balls.




I decided to store the extras in the freezer(each serving in a snack ziplock bags) in the recycled continers (it will help detour my kids from eating them). Then I can just pull one out when I need it.


I love how these Protein snacks are filling, healthy & dessert like.

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A Paper Chain to My Goal

It's week 3 (out of 12) of my weight-loss program. Last week I didn't do as well because I hadn't prepped all my meals ahead of time. It was a super crazy, busy week for me with a lot I was responsible for. And without having my meals ready it was really difficult to stay on target. Preparing your food for the week is KEY!! Week one was super easy because of it.

Something I deciced to do to help me stay on track/motivated, was to make a paper chain (with a link for each day). This way I could visualize the end, and see how far I've come! 

I cut a bunch of strips out of some paper I had. For FHE we talked about goals and checked our progress on some of our family goals that we set in January. Then I told the kids about my goal to become more healthy and fit.

I divied out the paper strips to everyone, and we all wrote motivating messages on them for me. Then I made a chain out of the strips and hung it up where I would see it every day.

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Making Dinner Sucks

YES... I AGREE... Making dinner DOES suck. I hate making dinner... especially now-days, since I'm not eating the same thing that my family is. And I STILL have to PREPARE their food, while eating my own little planned-out meal. It's not easy! In fact, last week I found myself panicking a little each time one of my kids would tell me they were hungry. Or when I thought about making them dinner.

My friend, Amanda is so ispiring to me! She started a blog a while back called Making Dinner Sucks, to motivate herself through her journey from hating to cook... to hopefully enjoying cooking good meals for her family.

Her blog has recently turned into a journey of healthy, clean eating habits in her home. You've got to go check out her story! She amazes and inspires me to no end!! I need Amanda to come help me clean out my pantry and fridge, then take me grocery shopping.

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Angela is Going to Lose Weight

Last week while in my closet trying to find something to wear, I got really depressed! My biggest size of clothing felt too tight... Oh NO!! I can't bare to have to go shopping for another size UP. No WAY!

So I've kicked it into "high gear" and started a new weight-loss journey (for the ???th time). Today is DAY #3 of 84 days on the LIVE the LIFE program. I love this program because it spells out every detail for you, from every exercise to every meal with the recipes and shopping lists.

This is what I'm going to focus on for the next 3 months. NOT this blog, NOT my crafts/projects, NOT anything else that will detour me from my success. Don't worry. HEATHER has plenty of amazing ideas and inspiration to share, and keep you lurking!!

I will share my weight-loss experience... How I feel about this program I'm trying out, how I'm doing with it, how much weight I've lost, if I fail again (which I can't and won't this time), and if I succeed with flying colors (which I can and WILL)!

I am stepping out and telling all of you about my weight-loss journey, for the sake of accountability. I want to shrink about 4 sizes (which will take more than 84 days) and is my ending goal. I will not share my starting weight until I have lost at least 30 lb. (Still trying to build that trust with myself that I will see this through to the end.) Wish me luck! And I wish you the same if you are in the same boat!

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"Flax" Eggs

My sister, who is "vegan", shared with me an insightful tip to cooking.
Using Flax Seeds combined with water to = eggs.

She made this Chocolate Zucchini Bread that was great and I didn't know it didn't have any eggs in it. Flax Seeds(when ground) are supposed to be really healthy for you. [She mentioned she got her seeds at Winco in the bulk section. Then you just grind them up. Best kept in frig to keep the nutrients though.]

I so excited to now try different recipes to put these in (plus if I run out of eggs).

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Sore Throat Home Remedy

I wanted to share this awesome home remedy with you, since it's the beginning of that time of year (flu season) again... Last Wednesday morning I woke up with a terrible sore throat and swollen tonsils. It hurt to eat, drink, talk, or even breathe! I've always been very prone to strep, so I wanted to fight this any way I could.

So my sister told me about a home remedy she recently heard about, that worked for her when she had strep throat a few weeks ago. I am SO grateful she told me about this!!!!...

It's a mixture of Listerine and Hydrogen Peroxide. All you do is pour some Listerine into the cup, mix in a little peroxide, and GARGLE!

I guess you can also just get the Listerine Whitening kind (which already has peroxide in it) but I already had the regular Listerine, so I just mixed it myself.

Anyway, I tried this remedy and it TOTALLY WORKS!! I started gargling with this solution several times a day, especially after every meal and before bed. Within 36 hours my sore throat was completely GONE! (I continued to gargle after I felt better, just not as often. I just want to be sure all the bacteria is gone- as if I were taking anitbiotics.) I feel great!

It was really cool, because I could hear and feel the peroxide sizzling on the painful parts and just killing bacteria with every crackle.

The best part though? All the MONEY [and time] I SAVED by not going to the doctor or buying a prescription!!

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Drinking Enough {Water}?

My husband and I watch a show called "the Colony". They do a mock experiment to see what people would do in a distaster. They don't have a lot of the comforts we enjoy. All they are trying to do is just survive.

They mentioned on there about drinking water and the importance of it. You can live without food for 3 weeks but only water for 4 days. They mentioned some of the side effects of not getting enough water and its no wonder why I feel so sluggish, tired and have so many headaches.


My old solution: I would use these water bottles and mark how many I needed to drink.


My new solution: a frig magnet with move over beads. I jsut put it on the frig by my water cup. After I drink a cup full I just move over a bead. I'm so glad I won't have to keep track in my mind. Yah!


The piece of wood is 3"x3" & the wire is 6" in length. I then added some beads before gluing (liquid nails or E6000)the wire in the drilled holes and the magnet on back.


Mod Podge some scrapbook paper and sand the edges.


This might be a little corky but if I feel better its all worth it!
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Are You a Mama on Meds?

It seems like there are tons of moms/women, these days, on some kind of medication.  Most of the time for depression and/or anxiety (from what I've noticed).   

I take 9 pills each day (which includes my daily vitamin suppliments).  Would you like to know what kind of meds I take?  Okay friends, I'm going out on a limb here... 

Each day I take: A daily multi vit/min suppliment, 2,000mg of Vitamin D, A baby asprin, Pravastatin, Metformin (at least 1,000mg), Zoloft (only 50mg), and Adderall (twice/day).  Yep, I'm dependant on DRUGS.  

My personal feelings about medication: 

1- We ALL need to suppliment with daily vitamin/minerals these days. 

2- Vitamin D is vital to us women.  I heard that it can actually reverse some causes of cancer. 

3- Baby asprin can't hurt ya (unless you're alergic to asprin) and will help prevent our blood from clotting.

What's more...

4- If you are depressed, anxious, bi-polar, or have any other form of mental disorder... don't be ashamed... get on something!  If you are a mess mentally it will not only make YOU miserable, as well as everyone else around you.  Call your doc right NOW and get a prescription.  Being "on medication" does not mean you are "CRAZY" in the head.  It means that there is a physical, chemical imbalance inside your brain that can be temporarily fixed with some "chemical" help.  WITH that help, you'll be able to find the REAL you, all balanced out.  Your physical/chemical ailment (that causes your "mental" reactionss) can be masked with meds.  And you will feel SO grateful for modern technology which makes that possible!  (It might take trying a few different meds before you find the one that works best for you, so don't give up.)

What are YOUR feelings about MEDS?  

Comment on this post to SHARE! 

(And don't forget to vote on the anonymous poll to the right!)

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Jill Gives Me HOPE!!

Please allow me to introduce you to my friend, Jill Knapp. She is from my town and was recently on the Dr. Oz show last week! She has allowed me to post her very inspiring story of health and weight-loss. Jill is a 42-year-old mommy of 3, and has recently lost 100 pounds over a 2-year span.

I want to lose weight SO bad, but whenever I start to climb that "mountain" the top seems so unreachable and I fall back down. It can be so discouraging as a mom, with so many other people and things to worry about every day. Many of us tend to put everyone else first and ourselves last. I am one of those, and it's trying to kill me; as I am insulin resistant and on my way to Type II diabetes, myself.

Jill has brought me a little spark of courage, and the inspiration to get back up and try again. She brings me hope! Read her story and be inspired with me. Then leave me a comment or email me (TheCreativeHomemaker AT gmail DOT com) if YOU would like to join me in my journey to lose weight! WE can use ALL the support WE can get!

Jill's Height: 5'8"
Before weight: 237

How I gained it: During my first pregnancy, I gained 50 pounds. With 2 more pregnancies and many miscarriages my weight gradually began increasing. As with most women, I became wife and then mother and got so busy with life that I forgot the importance of taking care of myself. I was young, and my body didn't feel the extra 100 pounds I had gradually put on over the years. I had bad eating habits, no time for exercise and no real desire to be healthy.

Breaking point: I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes with my third and last pregnancy at age 37. I was having headaches after the pregnancy and just not feeling well, I thought it was from having a sick newborn. Finally, at six months, I went to see the doctor to be checked for the headaches, and I found out I had put on 15 extra pounds. It was so depressing. I also found out I have Type 2 diabetes that was even more depressing. I was determined right then that I was going to get the weight off, and I did! My husband and kids mean the world to me. Being able to live a long life was an important factor and motivation to lose the weight. In January 2008, I even broke my ankle on both sides after slipping on black ice, I had to have surgery and 6 screws put in my fibula. I was still so determined I was still able to lose the weight. My mind was made up that no matter what, it was coming off.

How I lost it: I logged my food, ate six small meals a day and had no refined sugar. Finding out I had Type 2 diabetes helped me have a paradigm shift in the way I think, and I did a lifestyle change versus a diet. Four days a week, cardio mixed with weight training was my exercise routine. In January, I had a personal trainer sponsor Rebecca Carington training sessions to get ready for the Mrs. Idaho pageant. It was wonderful to learn from a trainer, she really cared about me and saw the potential I could reach and I did.

I did the Mrs. Idaho pageant after losing a total of 100 pounds, and I made the top six out of 16 amazing women. I am now a motivational speaker to motivate others to lose weight and get healthy. I am a diabetes advocate. It brings me great joy to share my story with others -- and in doing so, I inspire them to "get up and get moving!"
After weight: 137


Visit Jill's web site www.getupandgetmoving.net to get motivated today. Pin It